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Roasted Brocollini with Leeks and Cranberries

Greetings from a lovely little studio apartment on west 14^th street in lower Manhattan. This week’s home away from home.

I’m eight days into sixteen days on the road. SIXTEEN DAYS. WHO AM I?

Let me stop you before you go on your internal rant on how lucky I am to travel for work. How can I be complaining while I’m seeing the country on someone else’s dime?

I am VERY lucky. I’m also very tired. Work travel is fun and exciting and stimulating. But its can also be lonely. There is a reason I do not live alone people!

It’s not all bad though. I get to see good friends and family and eat tasty food and pseudo live in places like New York and Colorado.

But in in the down moments, my mind always wanders to what Lish and her daughter Brielle are doing on this pretty California Saturday. Or to my spot on Wesley’s couch watching football between him and Junior. Or what Mom and Dad will have for Sunday dinner with out me. And now I’m tearing.

In these moments when I’m missing my life back home, I focus my thoughts back to what is really important after I get home.

ALL THE FOOD.

Of course the people are more important than the food, but the food is pretty damn important.

Thanksgiving this year will be at my aunt and uncle’s new San Clemente abode (they recently moved down south from northern California) and I’ve already gotten this dish approved to bring.

This is an easy twist on a festive Turkey Day side dish to take to a Thanksgiving dinner where you may not be able to do much in the kitchen. If you are making it at home it is perfect to pop in while the turkey is resting.

You will need…

1 lb broccolini, chopped into bite (you could sub broccoli if you can't find broccolini)

1 leek, white and light green parts julienned

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the broccolini, leek, garlic, cranberries and olive oil.

Toss till everything is lightly coated with olive oil.

Spread the veggies out on a rimmed baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven till the leeks are starting to brown. About 10 to 20 minutes, stirring once.

Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Roasted Brocollini with Leeks and Cranberries

1 lb broccolini, chopped into bite sized pieces (you could sub broccoli if you can't find broccolini)

1 leek, white and light green parts julienned

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the broccolini, leek, garlic, cranberries and olive oil.

Toss till everything is lightly coated with olive oil.

Spread the veggies out on a rimmed baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven till the leeks are starting to brown. About 10 to 20 minutes, stirring once.

Remove from the oven and serve hot. 

Tangy Coffee Barbecue Sauce

There have been some major new obsessions developing in the Samuels-Minichiello relationship. Yes, I realize that our last names together are quite a mouthful. For ease sake I’ll use our celebrity name.

Wengela.

Basically, we have deeply developed some new interests in our lives that have majorly changed the way we live.

Wesley has become completely immersed in all that has to do with coffee. The kitchen is not only full of cooking gadgets but along side the emersion blenders and stand mixers and food processors there are now weigh scales, hand grinders and special airtight containers. Oh and of course we have a coffee tree.

My new obsession is a little more mainstream but has nothing to do with the kitchen. Wes has officially turned me into a football freak. A weekly pool at his work coupled with a friends fantasy football league has me craving Sundays on the couch watching football and shit talking. Sorry mom.

My parents barely recognize this pigskin obsessed freak I’ve become. Dad’s not even that happy about it. He just seems confused.  What happened to his food, garden and fashion obsessed first-born?

But with limited time on my hands, I have to work hard to combine my loves. So football Sunday is also cooking Sunday. And the best part about cooking on Sunday is that I have all day to do it. Slow cooking and barbecue have become Sunday staples.

This sauce combines everything we love into one.

Barbecue? Love it.

Football Sunday? Can’t miss it.

Coffee? Nothing happens before coffee.

Basically this is an awesome recipe for success. This sauce is great on pretty much any red meat you can think of and is awesome with chicken. I may have just had some solo because it was that good.

You will need…

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 jalapenos, most of the seeds removed and diced

2 tablespoons California chili powder

1 cup freshly brewed coffee (plus your own coffee brewer if you have one)

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup white vinegar

1 tablepoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

½ cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat.

Add in the onion, garlic and jalapenos and cook until the onions are softened. About 6 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add in the chili powder, ketchup, brown sugar and molasses and stir just until everything is combined.

Pour in the coffee, vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Reduce the sauce to simmer and cook on a medium low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the sauce has reduced by about 1/4^th and has thickened a bit, remove from the heat.

After the sauce has cooled, blend in a food processor or in the pot with an emersion blender.

Use right away or store for up to two weeks.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Tangy Coffee Barbecue Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 jalapenos, most of the seeds removed and diced

2 tablespoons California chili powder

1 cup freshly brewed coffee

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup white vinegar

1 tablepoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

½ cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat.

Add in the onion, garlic and jalapenos and cook until the onions are softened. About 6 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add in the chili powder, ketchup, brown sugar and molasses and stir just until everything is combined.

Pour in the coffee, vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Reduce the sauce to simmer and cook on a medium low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the sauce has reduced by about 1/4^th and has thickened a bit, remove from the heat.

After the sauce has cooled, blend in a food processor or in the pot with an emersion blender.

Use right away or store for up to two weeks.