Cooking with Styles | Holiday Style Special

SAN DIEGO — This holiday edition of Cooking with Styles will show you an entire meal from the starters, some great side dishes, a main course and finish it all off with an easy-to-prepare apple dessert.  I hope that your family and friends enjoy this meal as you gather this holiday season!

Holiday Hummus

• 2 cans Garbanzo Beans, rinsed
• 2 Garlic cloves
• ½ cup Tahini
• 1 Red Beet
• ¼ cup Fresh Lemon juice, 2 Lemons
• ¼ cup Olive oil
• 2 - 4 tbsp Water
• Kosher Salt & Black Pepper for seasoning
• ¼ cup Plain Yogurt

Hummus toppings and sides:

• 2 tbsp Pistachios salted and roasted, chopped
• Smoke Paprika (optional)
• Persian or English Cucumber, sliced into sticks
• Sweet Peppers, quartered
• Toasted Pitta Bread cut into triangles and toasted

Lightly oil the Red Beet, sprinkle with salt and bake at 325° for 1 hour in advance, cool enough to peel and dice. Cut the Pita bread into small triangles and toast in a 300° oven until crispy. Peel the skins off the Garbanzo Beans for a creamier texture but is not necessary. In a food processor or blender combine Humus ingredients adding water as needed to be creamy, pulsing at first and then at a constant speed. If the mixture seems too thick slowly add more water. Just remember you can always add more but you can't take it out. Once you've got the consistency you like transfer the Humus to a bowl, top with the chopped Pistachios and paprika. Serve with cucumbers, sweet peppers and Pita Bread.

Savory Tarts

• 2 sheets Puff Pastry, store bought
• 2 cups Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
• 3 - 4 Shallots, sliced
• 2 - 3 sprigs Thyme, leaves removed
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbs Butter
• 1 ½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ cup Italian Parsley, chopped
• Kosher Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Preheat your oven to 400°. Using store-bought Pastry dough thaw just enough to work with the dough, it's best if it stays as cold as possible. Next sauté the mushrooms, shallots and thyme with the butter, and season with salt and pepper. Save some of the thyme leaves for topping. Using the folds as a guide cut into even pieces, brush with a little Olive oil and top with mushrooms/shallots. Next a healthy pinch of Mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan, the finishing touch, some thyme. In the oven they go for 14 - 16 minutes until golden brown, remove from the oven and try to serve right away while still warm and crispy.

Scalloped Potatoes

• 8 - 10 Russet Potatoes
• 2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Sweet Onion, sliced
• 4 cloves Garlic minced
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper

Peel potatoes, slice as thin as possible, peel and slice onion. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large baking dish coat the bottom and sides with butter and start layering with potatoes, onions, garlic and light season with salt and pepper and repeat except for the top layer. You should get 3 layers from these ingredients. Add the Heavy cream until you just cover the top of the potatoes, you might have to add more or not so much, now do the final seasoning. Place in the oven with foil over the top but not pinched over the sides and bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and finish baking for another 20 minutes, this will lightly brown the top. Remove from the oven and let the Scalloped potatoes set for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Shallots

• 2 lbs. Brussels Sprouts
• 3 - 4 Shallots
• ¼ cup Olive oil
• Balsamic Glaze, store bought
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400°. Trim and half the Brussels sprouts, peel and slice the shallots. Place in a mixing bowl and toss with Olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a large baking pan cut side down and place in the oven for 15 minutes and then toss, finish baking for another 10. Remove from the oven, place in a serving bowl and top with Balsamic glaze.

Blistered Haricot Verts w/ Pancetta

• 1 - 2 lbs. Haricot Verts or Green Beans
• ¼ cup Pancetta or Bacon, coarse chop
• ¼ cup sliced Almonds, lightly toasted
• ¼ cup Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Before you start blistering the Haricot Verts, lightly toast the Almonds in a frying pan on the stovetop on medium heat until lightly browned. Now for the Blistered Haricot Vert, these are the much thinner and smaller green beans. Try to use these as they are much more tender. Using a large skillet or heavy frying pan on medium-high to high heat start with the Pancetta for just a minute, next the Olive oil and beans letting them rest for about 30 seconds before tossing the whole blistering process should take about 4 to 5 minutes depending on how large your skillet is, season lightly with salt and pepper. If you're using Green beans add a few more minutes. Finish with the toasted Almonds and serve.

Parmesan Crusted Mashed Potatoes

• 8 - 10 Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup Buttermilk, possibly more
• ½ cup Chives, chopped
• ½ stick of Butter
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper

 Preheat your oven to 350°. Peel the potatoes, slice them in half and place in a large pot covered with water, add 2 tsp of salt, bring to a slow boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain water and let excess water evaporate, mash the potatoes leaving some small lumps, but don't over mash. Add butter, chives, and mix, slowly add the Buttermilk to get the consistency you like, at this point season if needed. Mix Parmesan cheese and Italian breadcrumbs, place potatoes into a baking dish leaving the peaks, and top with cheese and breadcrumbs. Place in the oven for 20 minutes and bake until slightly brown, if you'd like more browning, finish with the broiler. Just be sure to keep an eye on your potatoes. 

Roasted Curry Carrots w/Pecan Honey Drizzle

• 2 - 3 lbs. Heirloom Carrots, or regular
• ¼ cup Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Curry powder
• 2 - 3 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• ¼ cup Pecans, chopped & toasted
• ¼ cup Honey
• 1 tbsp Water

Preheat your oven to 400°, peel and slice carrots on an angle into 2-inch pieces. Place into a bowl and toss with Olive oil, fresh thyme, Curry powder, salt and pepper, Place on a baking sheet and then into the oven for 20 - 25 minutes, be sure to turn at least once. While the Carrots are roasting, toast the chopped Pecans in a frying pan on medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes, tossing or stirring every 30 seconds or so, just don't burn them, Once the Pecans are toasted, shut the heat off and add the Honey and water to create the drizzle. Once the carrots have finished roasting, place in a serving dish and top them with the Pecan Honey drizzle.

 Roasted Turkey Breast 

• 1 half Turkey Breast, skin on
• 1 cup Baby Carrots
• 1 cup Petit Potatoes
• 1 cup Brussel Sprouts, halved
• 4 Shallots, halved
• 1 Parsnip, peeled and sliced
• ¼ cup Olive Oil, use half
• ½ stick Butter
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt, use half
• 1 tsp Black Pepper, use half
• 2 - 3 sprigs of each
• Thyme, Rosemary, & Sage
• 3, 12" pieces of Butcher string

Preheat your oven to 400°. Using the butcher string, tie the breast snugly in 3 locations along the breast. If you don't have butcher string you can skip this part. In a large mixing bowl toss the veggies with Olive Oil, leaves from one sprig of thyme and rosemary, and half of the salt and pepper. Place the veggies in a baking dish making room for the Turkey breast in the center. Using the same bowl toss the Turkey breast with the rest of the herbs, Olive Oil, salt and pepper, and transfer the Turkey along with the herbs underneath the breast to the baking dish. Place in the oven uncovered for the first 15 minutes to start to crisp up the skin, reduce the heat to 325° for another 15 - 20 minutes, your target internal temperature is 165°. Remove from the oven and allow the Turkey breast to rest before slicing. Take off the butcher string and the herbs from under the breast before slicing, plate the veggies and turkey and top with the Au jus. 

Tarte Tatin

• 6 - 8 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup Sugar 
• ½ cup Water
• ½ stick Butter
• ½ Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 sheet Puff Pastry
• 2 sprigs of Thyme, leaves only

In a large frying pan on medium/medium-high heat add sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. The sugar will start to melt with the water while you're stirring the mixture, if the sugar starts to dry out add a little more water. You should start to see the sugar turning a light brown in 5 to 7 minutes although it could take a little longer. Once you have a nice brown color reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, cinnamon and nutmeg stirring consistently. Next. add in the apples to start poaching them in the caramel sauce for about 10 to 15 minutes until slightly tender. Transfer the apples to another skillet, arranging them in a pattern around the pan finishing in the center. Cover with the puff pastry, use a fork to poke some holes in the dough. Bake in a 400° oven for 15 - 18 minutes until golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Now for the moment of truth, run a butter knife around the edge of the frying pan, place a larger place on the pan, and with both hands on each side turn the pan upside-down onto the plate, tap the bottom of the pan and the lift. If everything works correctly, the pan will be empty and you'll have a beautiful Tarte Tatin! Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve with Vanilla ice cream or real Whipped Cream.