Cooking through Bread and Wine - bacon-wrapped dates

I'd like to start by saying, this is the fanciest appetizer I've ever made. Just saying that you made bacon-wrapped dates filled with goat cheese sounds like you are off to party with the rich and famous. Not only does it sound fancy, but this is such a delicious and filling appetizer. Yummmm. The date gives a sweet kick and pairs perfectly with the soft flavorful goat cheese. And the bacon, well c'mon, it's bacon! What isn't good wrapped in bacon? Super easy to make and they don't have to be served straight out of the oven - even better.

I brought this fun starter to a dinner party with some of our dearest friends in NYC. My oven wouldn't shut so I actually had to cook upon arrival - but we had plenty of wine to hold us over while the guys created their own of version ping pong which involved a glass vase (ek!). The best part of the meal that night, though, was Meghan's homemade risotto! I took notes since a risotto is on my cooking list and I think it is the recipe I'm most nervous about because you have to get everything just right and it takes constant stirring!

I just love nights like these when friends really start to become your family, you begin to know each other's stories so well that you can finish their sentences and you enjoy gulping up new knowledge with each conversation.

Here's to fancy appetizers and nights filled with laughter and good conversation...and to many more flavorful nights with Meghan + Scott and Drea + Robby.

***

Recipe from Shauna Niequest - Bread and Wine
bacon-wrapped dates 
ingredients
1 8-ounce package pitted dates
4 ounces goat cheese
1 16-ounce package bacon

instructions
Slice alongside one side of each date, from the top to the bottom, so you can open it like a tiny book. Scoop a small amount of goat cheese into the center of each one, and then close it back up.
Cut the whole package of bacon in half, so that each long strip is now half as long. Wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside of each date.
Arrange seam side down in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease. A foil pan is really nice for no cleanup.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until well browned and crispy. Drain on a paper towel, and serve warm or at room temperature, but definitely not hot, unless you want to burn the roof of your mouth so badly you don't taste anything for days.

bacon-wrapped dates, risotto and homemade ice cream!

bacon-wrapped dates

Cooking through Bread and Wine - turkey burgers and sweet potato fries

It's funny. I am no longer a college student. Nor do I have kids in school. Yet, my life still seems to revolve in semesters which I have now termed life seasons. Another season is beginning for us, and we are a little nervous, feeling a little unprepared but also excited and welcoming. For us, new ideas, journeys and plans always begin with an idea or feeling that I believe God places in our hearts and our heads. When we choose to ignore it - that feeling beats a little faster and circulates a little quicker.

When we left Texas, we told ourselves that deeply connecting to a church was important for us individually, as a couple and for our lives in New York City. Did He hear us or what?

We did Apartment Ministry for almost three years before moving to the big apple. We wanted to make a difference in the lives of others in our community. We wanted to help God change people. But you know what? It changed us. We learned (trial by fire, friends!) to cook Thanksgiving Dinners and twice-monthly meals for 100+, to organize dance lessons, sign language lessons, game night and ice cream socials. We mastered the art of marketing materials, were social when we didn't feel like having a conversation and forced ourselves to meet new people when we just wanted to stay home. We knocked on strangers' doors, took neighbors to the grocery store, invited neighbors into our home, built furniture for strangers and listened to heartbreaking struggles. It was hard. At times, we wanted to quit. Really, really wanted to quit. Other times, we loved it. In the end and looking back, it set the playing field for our marriage. It caused us to work through challenging situations, stressful schedules, personalities. It forced us to pray together, to work as a team, and to impact others in a way that we might not have been allowed the opportunity and in ways we will never see or understand. It left quite the impact on us.

Here we are about to begin a new semester [life season] this Fall. We will start down the path of co-leading a Community Group through our church, Apostles NYC. To be honest, it sounds a little exhausting, nerve-wrecking and we don't quite feel qualified.

As with every new life season, a little whiskey, wine and good food mixed with community was pretty much required to help kick it off. Sitting in our tiny NYC living room, hot from using our oven and cursing our broken A/C unit, tired from work and wet from the rain, we laughed with dear friends last Thursday night as we planned for our new season. We shared our concerns, struggles and hopes. It was a good night. I will remember the turkey burgers, sweet potato fries and Maggie's brookies (a delightful mix of brownies and cookies) - a calm pause of reflection and thankfulness of the season we are leaving and the new one we are entering.

Here's to turkey burgers, sweet potato fries and new seasons. And of course, our wonderful friends - Kelly, Maggie, Ryan and Jonathan, for allowing us to try out new recipes and life journeys together.

***
Recipes from Shauna Niequist's book - Bread and Wine. 

Mar-a-Lago Turkey Burgers (makes 12 burgers)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
Olive oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Tabasco
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup mango chutney

Special Sauce:
1/2 cup chutney
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
2 dashes Tabasco, or to taste

Prep:

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in olive oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into 12 burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

**Jessa Note: These burger patties are huge! One burger is plenty for one person. A skillet works great, if you don't have access to a grill. Also, I'd recommend making the night before and freezing what you don't need!**

Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce (serves 4)
Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes

1/4 cup of olive oil 

sea salt

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon sriracha

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and put two rimmed baking sheets in the oven to warm up. 

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into long, thin batons - the thinner, the better. Pull the hot pans out of the oven and oil them, being careful not to burn yourself. 

Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, then line them up on the baking sheets so they're not touching or overlapping. Put both pans into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, switch the pans and give them a shake while you're at it, turning the batons. 

Bake another 6 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you'd like them. Remove when they start to become golden, but don't expect them to be completely crispy like deep-fried french fries - if you do, you'll overcook them. 

Sprinkle with sea salt before serving. 

While the sweet potato batons are cooking, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and Sriracha in a small bowl. Serve alongside warm fries. 

**Jessa Note: Chop the night before! These actually make quite a bit! I doubled the recipe for 6 people and we still had half of the fries left! We also made the sauce extra spicy! **

Cooking through Bread and Wine

Cooking. Oh, cooking. I grew up with a mom that loved to cook. To this day, I still crave those dishes of my childhood - salmon patties, jalapeno black-eye pea cornbread and biscuits with sausage gravy. I married a guy who loves adventurous cooking. The kind where you make a fabulous feast with what you have, no grocery store trips or recipes needed. After three of my own kitchen fires I decided that it was a good thing that cleaning calmed me and made me happy. Until we started discussing kids. I want to create wonderful dinner memories for our family, recipes and flavors they crave. Thus, my journey of cooking through Bread and Wine began (one of my all-time favorite books and authors). I decided to document the flavors and experiences together, and hopefully, will end up with a few recipes that will become part of our own home.

 Want to try a recipe? Scroll to the bottom of this post, and then let me know how it turns out for you!

Breakfast cookies: Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals. During a last minute dinner for breakfast girls night, I scrambled to grab these ingredients. While the husbands enjoyed a manly night of whiskey around the grill, the ladies planned for a fun night spent in the kitchen and around Katie's adorable dining room table - a rare treat in a NYC apartment! While Katie, Drea and Erin were sweet, these cookies were not the best. I had to substitute a few ingredients, so that was likely the problem... the cookies just didn't seem to cook correctly. In fact, my dear husband quickly named them "beaver skat" when he tried one later that night. Awesome. Good thing we had plenty of mimosas, pancakes, bacon and hours of girl talk.

Breakfast Cookies

Mango Chicken Curry: I made this flavorful and rich meal on a stormy night in NYC, while tropical storm Andrea was blowing through. We had a doggy play date lined up with our past neighbor turned good friend, Dani. Get your chopping hand ready, because you will most definitely need it for this meal! The following night Richard and I enjoyed leftovers, still rich and wonderful. Definite keeper. Special note though - your apartment will smell like curry for a few days...sorry neighbors! 

Mango Chicken Curry

My Trader Joe's finds!

Watermelon Feta Salad: This was a recipe I was really excited to try during an upcoming Memorial Day BBQ at our dear friend's apartment in New Rochelle. The Hicksons were beyond excited to have everyone over...and as luck would have it, the temps dropped and the rain blew in. We moved the party to the top of their fancy apartment building with views of the NYC skyline. And then had to relocate per management down to their apartment.. beer bribing didn't seem to help. Ha! We had a day full of great food, good friends and were introduced to a fun drink... the sneaky beach! The salad turned out great, flavorful with several chunks of watermelon dusted in feta and drenched in onions. I doubled the recipe and made two bowls, great thinking since I dropped the first bowl. I'd recommend going heavier on the watermelon and less on the leaves - if that's your thing! 

Watermelon Feta Salad

Prep time with the hostess!

Annette's Enchiladas: Mexican dishes will always, always, always hold a special place in my heart. We knew we had to share our love of Mexican food with our friends, the Birds, since they feel the same way. Our happy place is a cute, tiny Mexican food restaurant, AhChihuahua, located in Mid-town East. When we first learned the Birds lived across from Ah Chihuahua, we knew we would be great friends. This dish was delicious, although I'd really call it more of a casserole than enchiladas. Super easy to make and not too expensive. We accompanied it with chips, guacamole and hand-squeezed margaritas. One of those meals that you know you will need to walk off the next day, but oh so worth it! Meghan brought the perfect addition - homemade sopapillas! 

Annette's Enchiladas 

Farmers Market Potato Salad: This was our first year to spend the 4th of July in the city! I brought this fancy potato salad to a 4th of July BBQ with our community group. Feeling very New York, we grilled out on a rooftop! What I loved about this recipe is that it is not dripping in mayo and you don't have to worry about it sitting out in the sun. It's a fresh twist on the potato salad, rich in variety of flavors and extremely filling. Again, prepare yourself for chopping! I would recommend making it the night before to allow the flavors to soak in and then splashing the last of the vinaigrette on top last minute. We ended the night sipping wine in lower Manhattan, watching fireworks over the Hudson, laughing way too late and ending our night in Union Square at our favorite pizza joint, Artichoke Pizza.  

Farmer's Market Potato Salad 

4th of July memories

Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse: We hosted a low-key dessert and wine/whiskey night at our apartment with 2 couples we love! Whew! This dessert is so rich that I would recommend you cut down the serving size and make sweet shooters (in shot glasses). Give yourself some time in the morning or the night before and allow this desert to chill in the fridge. We definitely had our fair share of sugar intake because we ended the night singing Disney tunes! 

Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse

For the first time, and thanks to Shauna's book Breadand Wine, I am starting to understand the memories that food can bring in life. Food centers around community, laughing, crying, silliness and overall, comfort. Our taste buds bring us back to those memorable moments in our lives that weave together to tell our bigger story. I'd highly recommend this wonderful read and can't wait to share even more memories as I continue to cook through this book. 

Buy the book ya’ll…it’s amazing!

From Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist
About Bread and Wine

As a follow up to her two bestselling books, Bittersweet and Cold Tangerines, author and blogger Shauna Niequist returns with the perfect read for those who love food and value the community and connection of family and friends around the table. Bread and Wine is a collection of essays about family relationships, friendships, and the meals that bring us together. This mix of Anne Lamott and Barefoot Contessa is a funny, honest, and vulnerable spiritual memoir. Bread and Wine is a celebration of food shared, reminding readers of the joy found in a life around the table. It’s about the ways God teaches and nourishes people as they nourish the people around them. It’s about hunger, both physical and otherwise, and the connections between the two. With wonderful recipes included, from Bacon-Wrapped Dates to Mango Chicken Curry to Blueberry Crisp, readers will be able to recreate the comforting and satisfying meals that come to life in Bread and Wine.

Breakfast Cookies
3 large ripe bananas, well mashed (about 11/2 cups)
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed just a little so it isn't solid (can use olive oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon seal salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, then add in coconut oil and vanilla. Add the oats, almond meal, salt, and baking powder, and stir until combined. Add the coconut, walnuts, and chocolate chips, and stir again. Form the dough into 12 balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten them a little bit. Bake at 350 degrees from 14 to 16 minutes.

Makes: 12 cookies

Mango Chicken Curry

1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 lbs chicken breasts

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Chicken broth (4-5 cups)

1/4 cups currants or raisins

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 mango, pitted and diced

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

3 tbsp shredded coconut


Mix together flour, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cut chicken into small pieces, and toss

with mixture.
 
Cook chicken until browned. Set aside.
 Combine garlic, onion, ginger and

red pepper in pan with olive oil. Cook until onion is softened (about 4 min). 
Add chicken.

Lower heat.
 
Add 4.5 cups chicken broth. Reduce broth by 1/4. Add raisins, tomatoes, and

mango. Heat through. Remove from heat, and add lime, cilantro basil and coconut. Serve

over rice.

Serves: 6

Watermelon Feta Salad

8 cups watermelon, cubed

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped

10 ounces arugula

2 limes

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cube 8 cups of watermelon, and let the cubes marinate in the juice of one fresh squeezed lime for several hours.

Vinaigrette:

Combine the fresh squeezed lime juice and zest from the remaining lime, white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

At serving time, toss arugula with half the vinaigrette, and combine watermelon, feta, red onion, and fresh mint.  Layer the watermelon mixture over the arugula, and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

Serves: 6 to 8

Annette's Enchiladas 

1 cup Sour Cream (8ounces)


1 large can Green Enchilada Sauce (28ouces, Las Palmas is the best)


2-4 ounce cans Green Chilies

diced
3 cups cooked Chicken

shredded (a roasting chicken from grocery store works great)


2-3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese


12-15 Corn Tortillas


1 cup Chicken Broth
chopped Cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix green sauce, canned chilies, and sour cream together in a bowl. Set aside.
Simmer chicken broth in a skillet. Have shredded chicken, cheese ready. Make yourself a little assembly line.

Assembly: Spread 1 ladle full of sauce mixture in bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Dip tortillas in broth and layer over sauce. Next a layer of chicken, then cheese, sauce, repeat…tortillas, chicken, cheese, sauce. Last layer is tortillas, sauce and cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until warmed through. I like my cheese to get bubbly and browned around the edges. Let sit at least 15 minutes before cutting. Garnish with cilantro.

Serves: 6

Farmers Market Potato Salad 
2 pounds red and gold potatoes
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup green beans, ends snapped, blanched, an cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh dill

Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut red and gold potatoes into bite-size chunks, then boil in salted water till fork tender. While the potatoes are boiling, make the vinaigrette, and reserve a few tablespoons for tossing right before serving. Drain the potatoes, then toss them with dressing while they're still hot so it all soaks in. I do this early in the day, or the day before, for extra flavor soaking.

Add olives, grape tomatoes, eggs, radishes, and green beans, and toss together. Then add lots of fresh basil and dill, salt and pepper, and the reserved dressing. I like this best at room temperature instead of refrigerated, so it's perfect for a summer dinner party. You can make it early in the day, and that's one less thing to do right before your guests arrive.

Serves: 8

Simplest Dark Chocolate Mousse 

2 Cups chilled heavy cream, divided

1½ Cups dark chocolate chips

¼ Cup honey

Stir ¾ cup cream, chocolate chips and honey in a saucepan over low

heat until smooth. Cool for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate bowl, beat ¾ cup cream to soft peaks. Fold cream into

chocolate mixture in 2 additions.

Divide mousse among three ramekins or glasses. Refrigerate until set,

about 2 hours.Whisk the remaining ½ cup cream to firm peaks. Spoon

a little bit of cream on top of mousse. Top with berries, nuts, chocolate

shaving, chocolate covered espresso bean or a sprinkle of sea salt.