Festive Wheat Berry Salad

Christmas is just two days away and I thought I'd share with you my favourite holiday salad in case some of  you were in need of a last minute appetizer idea. I hope you all have a very safe and merry Christmas!!

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Festive Wheat Berry Salad

Serves: 4 to 6

1 cup wheat berries, rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 parsnips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled and cut into 12-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions, dark and light green parts, chopped

In a pot, combine 3 1/2 cups water, the wheat berries and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and place in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450ºF (220ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the parsnips, squash, red onion and garlic on the prepared sheet. Drizzle with the 1/4 cup oil and the vinegar and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring once, until the vegetables are caramelized and fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Peel the roasted garlic, break into small pieces and return to the sheet.

Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl with the wheat berries and stir to combine. Add the parsley, cranberries and green onions and mix well. Drizzle with additional oil if the mixture needs more moisture. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

One on One: Tanya Steel

I'm so thrilled to be sharing this One on One with the hugely successful, award-winning food writer Tanya Steel. She was previously editor-in-chief of the most award-winning food site Epicurious.com, was inducted into the Digital Hall of Fame in 2010, and is a publishing industry veteran having served as an editor for many years at Bon Appetit and Food & Wine magazines. She has also been a  regular on many national television shows such as Hell's Kitchen (My absolute favorite reality show!), Masterchef, Iron Chef, and many others. Needless to say, it's such an honor to have Tanya on my blog.

 

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Chef D: How did your career and life in the world of food start. Who was your inspiration and can you tell us a little about yourself?

Tanya: My mom was (and has always been) not a great cook--sorry, mom! So when we moved to New York City in the early 70s from London, I turned on the channel and watched Julia Child's The French Chef pretty religiously, and so learned how to cook and feel confident in the kitchen from Julia. I grew up in the city, and thought I would be a biographer (at age 20 I was a failed model and a failed biographer) but ended up in publishing as I needed to make a salary and got my first job at Mademoiselle magazine. I left to open my own business, Makeover By Mail, an idea ahead of its time--this was pre-internet. I ran that slowly into the ground and started to look for something else to do. I realized the intersection of food and travel was a passion, so answered an ad in the New York Times for an assistant editor at Food & Wine and got the job. Guess who I met there? Julia Child! What a thrill. I continued on my path, working for a travel magazine called Diversion, then went to Bon Appetit for 10 years, and then got the role of Editor-in-Chief/Editorial Director of Epicurious, Gourmet Live and Gourmet.com. I ran Epi for 8 years and had the great fortune of working with many brilliant people, all of whom helped us win two James Beard awards, 3 ASMES, over a dozen Webbys, a New York Emmy and more. We were blessed to create a brand that people loved and felt a part of. I left to start my own businesses to follow the other passion in my life, getting people to cook and eat healthy and feel good about themselves, especially kids.

Chef D: Are you working on some upcoming projects that you can share with the readers? 

Tanya: I have many irons in the fire--book proposals and TV show concepts being shopped, working on the 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge with the First Lady, trying to do similar initiatives in the UK and Canada. working with the Julia Child Foundation, and a myriad other things.
 

Chef D: Can you tell us a little more about "Cooking Up Big Dreams", "Tanya Wenman Steel LLC", and one that I think is just amazing, "Healthy Lunch-Time Challenge & Kids State Dinner". I think working with kids is brilliant and the winning prize is a dream come true.  

Tanya: I formed two companies, one to create culinary media and the other to act as a consultant for media and have not yet had to look for projects, but rather they have come to me. I would call that beginner's luck. The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge  & Kids' State Dinner is a national healthy recipe contest for kids 8 to 12 in the US.  They have to send in a recipe that adheres to the national MyPlate standards, is creative, affordable, healthy, and delicious. And it needs to have some sort of back story to it. The stories are sometimes heartbreaking--a parent has developed Type 2 diabetes, or cancer, and so the family has changed their diet as a result of it. I came up with the concept with a former colleague, pitched it to the White House and in 2012, we had our first one. It was better, bigger, and more mind-blowingly moving than anything I had imagined. It's grown every year and I feel so honored and blessed to be able to bring 54 kids from around the US to the White House to meet the First Lady and the President, and to help facilitate what is undoubtedly a life-changing event. It certainly was for me. Standing at the podium in the East Room and delivering a speech with Mrs Obama standing next to me is a surreal and beautiful moment each year and I can't believe how lucky I am to be able to be in this position. I am exceedingly grateful. And the  winning kids have gone on to open nonprofits around hunger and health, have appeared on Masterchef Junior and Top Chef Junior, and to be leaders in their own towns and schools.

Chef D: Being such a hugely successful award winning business lady with your company's, your book's your television appearances, how do you manage to have free time for yourself? 

Tanya: I have twin 16-year-old sons, and a husband who teaches high school history, so I've not had free time in about 17 years. I know one day I will have a little more time but I am a Type A person and can't really allow myself time to do something that isn't productive, even though I know relaxing and doing little is actually productive in itself. 

Chef D: Do you do work with any charities that you would like to talk about? 

Tanya: I believe that the best gift you can give yourself is to give your time, energy and if you have it, money, to others. I am on Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters board, have worked a lot with Feeding America, am on the Smithsonian's Kitchen Cabinet board, an advisor to 1,000 Days, and the Food Bank for New York City's Culinary Council. I have recently started to help promote UNICEF's incredible Kid Power initiative, in which kids are given fit bands and a tablet with an app, so they can track their activity. Those that go over 10,000 steps a day accrue points that turn into $$ from corporate sponsors that buy nutrition packs to feed malnourished kids around the world. So kids are getting more active, learning to be philanthropists, and literally saving lives. It's a win-win.

Chef D: Is there something in your line of career that you haven't done but want to do in the near future. 

Tanya: Professional ski jumper. Umm....just kidding. That sounds terrifying.  I just want to continue to grow the projects I have, travel the world, helping people to feel empowered and inspired to fulfill their own potential and feel great about themselves so they can pay if forward. 

Chef D: Can you share with us something that people may not know about Tanya Steel that you can share with us. 

Tanya: I can cook anything but I can't really style food to make it look great. I am all thumbs.
 

Chef D: And finally my favorite question of all.. When at home with friends and family, what is the one dish that is a favorite. Can you share the recipe with us. 

Tanya: Yowsa. That's a hard question as I always like to try new things. I cook healthy 90% of the time, even on holidays. I tend to make a few things every Sunday so I can quickly pull them out of the fridge the following nights and ratatouille is one of them. It gets better with sitting in the fridge for a day, is super healthy, and very filling. This recipe is from one of my two cookbooks, Real Food for Healthy Kids (Morrow, 2008).

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Harvest Ratatouille

This vegetable stew, a Provencal classic, is slow-cooked, so it melts in your mouth. See Cooks Notes for ideas on how to make it a main course. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Makes 9 cups; 8 to 10 side-dish servings

2 medium eggplant (10 to 12 ounces each), quartered and cut into 1/2-inch dice (not necessary to peel)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 (28 ounce) can Italian peeled tomatoes

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 small zucchini (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick crosswise

1 large yellow bell pepper: trimmed and seeded; thinly sliced and cut in half

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and minced 

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat; let stand in the sink for 15 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry well with a kitchen towel. 
2. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the juice. Halve and seed the tomatoes, scraping the seeds into the sieve. Coarsely dice the tomato flesh and then add to the bowl with the juice and reserve. 
3. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the zucchini and cook, stirring often until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to 4 to 6-quart pot. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and the eggplant to the skillet and cook, stirring, until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Add to the zucchini in the pot.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add to the pot. Add the tomato and juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooks’ Note:

You can serve the ratatouille over whole-wheat pasta, rice, polenta, and, if desired, top the ratatouille with mozzarella or Swiss cheese and microwave until heated through.

Per cup:

135 calories, 8g fat (1g saturated), 14g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 3g protein

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Tanya's Website
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Click here to donate to UNICEF:

Click here to donate to Share Our Strength:

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 A big thank you to Tanya for participating in One on One!

Broccoli, Jalapeño & Sharp Cheddar Soup

I had made this soup at work last week and loved it so much that I had to make it at home. It's a delicious soup with a punch of jalapeño heat at the end. It is definitely a great soup to have on a cold day. With the winter season here this is the go-to soup. 

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Broccoli, Jalapeño & Sharp Cheddar Soup  

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4-5 jalapeno peppers, diced
• 1/4 stick butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1.5 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chicken broth (+ more as desired)
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Sharp Cheddar cheese for serving

Cooking Directions

1. Heat a large pot to medium heat. add butter and melt.
2. Add onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook about 4 minutes to soften.
3. Add butter and stir to form a roux. Cook about 2 minutes to brown.
4. Add milk and heavy cream. Stir to mix well.
5. Add chicken broth and broccoli. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to low.
6. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, or until everything is nice and tender.
7. Stir in cheese and allow to melt.
8. You can season with salt and pepper and serve it like, this, nice and chunky, or opt to blend it. I use a stick blender with mine and get it nice and creamy, then season.
9. Serve topped with grated sharp sharp cheddar cheese 

Dark Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake

I made this cake on my day off, and there maybe only one piece left of the whole cake. The kids have gobbled it all up. That's how good it is. Enough said, get in that kitchen and make one for your family. Do it!!! 

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Dark Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients 

1¾ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pumpkin spice

½ cup  unsalted butter, softened

1¼ cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

1 cup dark chocolate chunks 

Frosting:

8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature 

8 Tbl spoons of unsalted butter, room temperature 

2 cups of icing sugar sifted

2 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Heat the oven to 350F. Coat the inside of a 9-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

With the mixer on medium low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the milk.

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the dark chocolate chunks.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for up to 1 week.

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter until well combined. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pumpkin spice and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast

Here's a delicious fall recipe for you all to enjoy. This time of year I love to use pumpkin in many different recipes, and this has to be one of my all time favorites. French toast done this way is just amazing and tastes so good. Serving it with ice wine syrup just gives it that extra special touch. 

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Pumpkin Pie French Toast

Serves: 4

2 Large Eggs
2 Large Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
3/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
8 Slices WholeGrain Bread

Serve with:

Ice wine syrup & Mix Berries

In a shallow bowl, beat together the eggs, egg whites, pumpkin puree and spice, and milk.
Spray a non-stick skillet with olive oil spray and heat to medium.
Dredge the bread slices in the pumpkin egg mixture on both sides, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl.
Place two or three bread slices in the preheated pan (as many as fit) and cook for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
Turn, and cook the other side in the same manner.
Keep the French toast warm and continue to cook the remaining bread slices in the same manner.

One on One: The Cheaters

I was given the opportunity to do a One on One feature with a incredible up and coming country duo "The Cheaters" after listening to their music I could not give up the chance in taking part in this. I'm such a huge fan of country music and I absolutely love "The Cheaters" great music, outstanding vocals. They are full of energy! I know you all will be hooked once you start listening to this band.

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Chef D: Thank you again for taking part in One on One, can you tell the readers a little about yourselves and the band "The Cheaters"

Cheaters: We (The Cheaters) are a country rock band that has been touring together for 10 years now and has released 4 studio albums.  We have played over 1,000 shows together, including the US, Europe, Asia, and Guam.  We are originally from Maryland.  However, we signed a management deal with Rusty Harmon (Former Manager, Hootie and The Blowfish) 2 years ago and now live together just south of Nashville in Thompson's Station, TN.  We probably spend more time with each other than we actually get to spend with our own family. 
Speaking of family...Brett and his significant other, Judith  have been together for over 10 years now.  He also is a proud Daddy of his beautiful 9 year old daughter named Dylan.  She is his entire world and the sweetest kid ever.  Me...I just recently got married in Mexico to my wife Emily.  Her and I have been together for almost 9 years now.  She is my rock and I just can't imagine life without her.  Both Judith and Emily have always been so supportive of our music career and both still continue to make many sacrifices to make it easier for us to pursue our dream of touring the world.
Both collectively as a band and individuals...Brett and I are very positive people that love touring the world playing music, meeting new people along the way, and enjoy being on stage!  We've been at it for a long time and never plan on stopping...EVER.

 
Chef D: Are you working on any upcoming projects, and is there a tour in the plans?

Cheaters: We just released our fourth studio record "Waitin' On Right Now" back on July 8th.  We also just recently announced our first single "She Got A Way," which will go to radio in October.  The music video will be shot in southern California Oct 1st and 2nd. Shooting locations include Malibu, Hermosa Beach, and Los Angeles.  We're so pumped for this!

Chef D: How long have you've been involved in music, and who are your influences?

Cheaters: Brett and I both started playing guitar 20 years ago.  However, we've had this band together for 10 years now.  We love playing country music, but our biggest influences come from southern rock and blues.  Brett grew up touring in blues bands playing Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, and Jimi Hendrix.  I was a little more into Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, and more of the bands that had an edgy rock/soul sound.  This is why our biggest influence collectively as a band, was always The Black Crowes.  Although, after moving to Nashville and collaborating with other writers in town, we started to lean a little more country in the songs we were writing and performing.  With this new direction, Brett has really started to take a liking to Brad Paisley's guitar playing, while I have really been diggin' on the vibes of artists like The Cadillac Three.




Chef D: Do you have a favorite band or artist that you hope to one day work with? And is there a city or country that you would love to visit and bring your show to..

Cheaters: We have always liked Eric Church.  We had the privilege of opening up for him in Dewey Beach, Deleware back in the summer of 2008.  There was maybe 500 people there.  It's been so cool to see him grow and become a super star.  We loved his music then, and still love it now.  It would be great to reconnect with him again.  He seems to really get the country rock thing.  As far as traveling the world goes, we've been lucky to get to play several other countries.  We played a festival in Lithuania in 2007 and it was awesome!  However, we would really like to get farther south in Europe and hit Italy.  We have always wanted to go there.

Chef D: Can you share with the readers and the fans something that they don't know about you guys...

Cheaters: This is probably the most un-rockstar response ever.  But, we have no tattoos and both have college degrees.  Brett has a degree in Economics and I have a Bachelor of Science in Biology.  People always assume we have tattoos because of our edgier sound and image.  But, nope.  Man, we're so normal...BORING! :)

Chef D: Do you write your own music? And if so where do you get the inspiration for your songs.

Cheaters: Yes, we write a lot of our own music.  We actually wrote every song on our first three records and half of the tunes on our most recent EP "Waitin' On Right Now."  Since moving to Nashville, we have been collaborating a lot with other notable writers in town.  The inspiration for these songs come from real life experiences with about places we go and people we meet along the way.

Chef D: What is your motto or the advice you live by?

Cheaters: Brett and I are very positive people and always look for the good in everyone.  With that being said, we really value our fans and make sure we always let them know how appreciative we are of their support.  We make it a point to always try and make a good impression with everyone we meet.  That is why we always live by this quote...
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou

Chef D: Do you have a favorite song you guys love to perform on stage and is a fan favorite..

Cheaters: We love playing our new single "She Got A Way."  This song means so much to us.  It was the first one we ever co-wrote in Nashville with other writers outside of just band members.  The chorus is absolutely infectious and turns into a crowd sing along every time.  There is no better feeling as a musician than backing away from the mic and just letting the crowd take over and sing the words to your own song.  We were very lucky to be able to write this with Preston Brust and Chris Lucas of Locash Cowboys and Phil Barton.  These guys have all written #1's.  So, the fact that they agreed to write with us is something we have never taken for granted.  A lot of artists/writers are in town for years and never get the opportunity to collaborate with people like that.

Chef D: Here's a fun question for you both, What five things you can't live without?

Cheaters:
Jason
1. My wife Emily
2. My 2 black labs Maggie and Celia
3. Music
4. The Beach
5. Last, but certainly not least...our FANS!!!

Brett
1. Coffee
2. Sunshine
3. A hot shower
4. My guitar
5. An old pair of jeans

Chef D: And finally when at home what is a dish that is a family favorite can you share the recipe with us

Cheaters: Ok, this is an easy one.  We're from Maryland and grew up around the Chesapeake Bay.  If you've ever been there, then you know everyone eats steamed crabs seasoned with Old Bay.  And of course the best drink with that is draft beer!  It's so much more than just the food though.  It's about the gathering.  Everyone gets together, sets up fold out tables in the backyards and covers them with brown paper.  You just pour the steamed crabs in a big pile and we all dig in.  You can dip the crab meat  in vinegar or butter (or both).  Oh, one last thing.  Don't bother to wipe your hands until you are completely done... :)
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Old Bay Blue Crab

Ingredients

-36 Live Blue Crabs
-1/2 Cup Old Bay
-1/2 Cup Salt
-3 Cups Beer
-3 Cups Distilled White Vinegar
-Another 1/4 Cup of Old Bay

Directions
Combine 1/2 cup seafood seasoning, salt, beer, and vinegar in a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a strong simmer.
Right before cooking, carefully place each crab upside down and stick a knife through the shell, just behind mouth.
Fit a screen over the beer mixture and layer the crabs on the screen. Be sure that the crabs are above the simmering liquid. Cover.
Steam crabs until they turn bright orange and all of the blue/green color is gone, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup seafood seasoning before serving.
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Thanks again to The Cheaters for taking part in One on One!

Follow The Cheaters on Twitter!
Check out there website!
The Cheaters' Facebook page
The Cheaters' Instagram
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