Happy Thanksgiving! We’re en route to Austin this morning to visit my family and friends. I can’t wait to be home for a few days. So I’m just popping in with a quick and easy recipe I shared Monday on Made By Girl. It’s a great way to make use of leftovers from today’s grand meals, giving that turkey and cranberry relish new life by tucking them inside buttery dough with creamy brie cheese. I actually prefer most traditional Thanksgiving dishes as leftovers rather than in their original form on the day of–strange, but true. For the crust, I used Martha Stewart’s pate brisee (pie dough) recipe. It’s super simple–a great basic dough you can make ahead. But if you’re short on time, store-bought pie dough is a great substitute. Don’t have a round cookie cutter handy? Cut your circles with the rim of a wine glass. There’s not much to it, and these are great as an appetizer or alongside a fresh kale salad for lunch (it’s all about the balance, right?).
Thanksgiving Leftover Hand Pies
Ingredients:
Chilled pie dough (this recipe or store bought)
About 1 cup of cooked turkey, chopped
Brie cheese, cut into small cubes
About 1/3 cup cranberry relish
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
Flour
Instructions:
On a heavily floured surface, roll dough to 1/8″ thick. Using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a red wine glass, cut as many circles as you can. Recombine and roll out the discarded dough and cut additional circles. Shoot for an even number of circles. Spread a little relish on one half of the dough rounds, then top with pieces of turkey and brie. Place the remaining rounds on top, pressing with fingers to gently close, then use a fork dipped in flour to crimp around all edges. Using the fork, be sure to prick the center of each pie to allow steam to vent during cooking. Whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl. Brush onto the top of each pie to help them golden and prevent burning. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
Weekday breakfasts can get a little too routine, you know? Especially in the winter, I want something warm and packed with good-for-you ingredients to start my day. As a lighter alternative to oatmeal, my new fix is breakfast quinoa. Cooked in coconut milk, then topped with roasted persimmons, toasted pepitas, a squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of honey, this is far from a boring breakfast! Plus has lots of protein and fiber to boot. Cook the quinoa and roast your fruit on the weekend, and you’re set for a quick and easy breakfast all week. The bonus? Any fresh fruit and nuts you crave will work—the coconut milk simply makes the quinoa creamy, but only imparts a subtle flavor, which leaves the door open to your toppings of choice. Bananas and pecans, raspberries and pistachios—whatever sounds best each morning.
1½ cups of quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 can light coconut milk, plus extra for serving
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus extra for serving
1 ripe persimmon, peeled and chopped
Maple syrup
1 lime
¼ cup pepitas, toasted
Raw honey, for drizzling
Cinnamon, optional
Preheat oven to 375. In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with coconut milk, 1½ cups of water, and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes, until quinoa is tender and liquid has evaporated. Meanwhile, arrange the persimmons in a small baking dish and toss with a bit of maple syrup and juice from about ½ a lime. Remove quinoa from the heat, fluff with a fork, and let sit 10 minutes. Roast the prepared persimmons about 10-15 minutes, until the cubes are fork tender. Place quinoa in a bowl and top with extra coconut milk, persimmons and pepitas. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon and a drizzle of honey to taste.
Note: The quinoa can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 5 days, and reheated each morning.
Something about a classic color combination like camel and red instantly pulls together an otherwise basic work look. This leather jacket was one of last year’s wardrobe investments; the herringbone pant and leopard heels are two of this year’s additions to my workweek favorites. And the pop of red just finishes it off. Chic, fresh, but still easy enough to toss on before the morning commute. (Tip: Swap out the pants for jeans for a casual-yet-polished Thanksgiving Day look.)
With exactly a month to go until Christmas Day, it’s time to get shopping for gifts to give. There are so many gift guides out there filled with dozens upon dozens of ideas, so I’m taking the opposite route and keeping it simple, presenting just the ultimate four. I’ve gathered my most favorite things for plate, closet, home, and passport — the items I can’t get enough of myself and think would make perfect gifts for just about anyone. Who doesn’t like handcrafted chocolates in a pretty box? (I gift these all year round.) And pajamas are a quintessential holiday present, so why not gift a pair that’s cozy and chic? (I just gushed about this perfect pair last week.) Or how about a limited-edition, brass bottle opener that’s so well-designed you can leave it out on display, and never have to dig through drawers again? (I’ve been coveting this one from Of a Kind for months.) Then last, there’s the traveler’s organization hero–see-through pouches to keep everything in order when you’re away. (A travel must-have in my book.) Click through the images above, and hopefully check a few gifts off your list without getting overwhelmed!
Beef carpaccio is one of my all-time favorite appetizers. There’s a restaurant in St. Louis that serves the tender, uncooked, super-thinly sliced beef with field greens, capers, aioli and Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. I became obsessed with it when we lived there, and whenever we visit I try to get my fix. Inspired by the variety of beets at our farmers’ market a few weeks ago, I decided to use the carpaccio style to show off the gorgeous jewel-tones of my beets. Success! The key is to use a mandoline to achieve the paper-thin slices. Topped with arugula, walnuts and a goat cheese pesto, it’s a simple but beautiful appetizer to brighten up any winter day.
Beet Carpaccio
3 large beets (use a variety of golden, red and Chioggia for color)
1.5 ounces of goat cheese, room temp
3 teaspoons yogurt
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 cup arugula
Handful of walnuts, chopped
Hazelnut oil or good quality olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F. On a large sheet of foil, toss the washed and scrubbed beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil and bake for about an hour, until tender when pierced but still somewhat firm (overcooking will make the beets hard to thinly slice). Let the beets cool slightly, then peel them, gently rubbing their skin off with a paper towel. Place beets in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator at least one hour. In a small food processor or blender, combine the goat cheese, yogurt, oil, pine nuts and parsley. Blend to mix thoroughly, adding extra oil or a bit of water to help thin the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, toss the arugula with a drizzle of hazlenut oil. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the chilled beets and arrange on one large plate. Mound the arugula on the center and garnish with the chopped walnuts and goat cheese pesto. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Returning to a place you’ve visited before has its advantages—unless it’s been 12 years, and your memory is a little faint! Visiting Santorini in a totally different way earlier this fall gave me a whole new perspective of the island. My first visit was with 3 girlfriends, and best described as a free-spirited, budget backpacking trip around Europe. Yes, we carried backpacks only and it was really amazing, in a whole different way. But this time was the grown-up version: Along with my husband and our best friends, we rented a modern house (with a pool!) perched on the cliffside. It had sweeping views over Oia and the Aegean Sea, and the sunsets were so vibrant my photos look unbelievable. We rented a car to hop around the island and took a sunset catamaran cruise to soak in the equally unbelievable blues of the sea. We returned to Santorini’s famous Red Beach, which was exactly as I remembered. And we returned to Fira, which was far more touristy than I remembered. Or maybe cheap, beachy souvenirs were just more fun when I was young! We ate fresh fish overlooking the marina, and drank rosé on the terrace of a local winery. We tried a bunch of local food and delicacies (chlora cheese, fava beans, even liver). And I walked away with fresh memories and a totally different appreciation for the one-of-a-kind beauty of Santorini.
Flip through the gallery for (lots) of wanderlust-worthy photos! Santorini may be one of the most photogenic places in the world…
*Photos by me, plus a few from John Craig and Jason Scherer
Can you believe we’re already in the throes of holiday season? We’re almost two full months into our busiest season at work, but it won’t be until we head home to Austin next week for Thanksgiving that I’ll really feel like the holidays are here. Which means my annual holiday party? Haven’t thought about it. Gift shopping? Well, there’s still time. One thing that is starting to get me in the mood though is this Anthropologie Siren Skirt. Talk about party-perfect, right? Glittery gold sequins, a long dose of metallic shine. It’s enough to make anyone want to get their holiday party–or New Year’s outfit–planned stat. I toned it down for a more casual glam vibe with a cableknit turtleneck–sensible style for a cold winter night.
I love the chewy texture of farro. I’m always looking for ways to use the grain as a hearty base for a meal. Most recently, it’s become a vehicle for eating in-season, late fall produce–rich butternut squash, earthy kale, and sweet pomegranate seeds, which make for a colorful and delicious combination. For a non-vegetarian version, we’ve also left out the kale and topped bowls of fresh spinach with the farro-squash-pom mixture and added chopped leftover turkey. Either way, it’s deliciously simple.
Farro with Butternut Squash, Kale & Pomegranate
1 cup dry farro, rinsed
1/2 large butternut squash, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
4 kale leaves, inner ribs removed and leaves torn
Kosher salt
Seeds from 1/4 to 1/2 of a pomegranate, depending on size
Handful of pecans, chopped
Less than 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
Creamy balsamic dressing (homemade or store bought)
Cook farro according to package directions. While farro is cooking, saute the squash over medium-high heat, using just a tad of butter or olive oil to help the edges golden. Season with salt and pepper. Put the kale in bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt. Massage the salt into the kale, using your hands, for a minute or so until the kale softens and wilts. In a separate bowl, drizzle cooked farro with a small amount of balsamic dressing and stir to combine. Add squash, kale, pomegranate, pecans, and red onion. Toss to combine.
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