Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts are easy to make at home, on the barbecue pit or in the oven. Either way, the chestnuts are succulently delicious. Give them a try!

Okay, first let me say that this isn’t even a recipe.  Just a method.  And I debated with myself a few hundred times after adding it to the list of Sunday Supper posts because Sunday Supper is all about bringing folks back around the family dinner table with good food and I wasn’t sure this qualified.   Our theme this week, hosted by the lovely Tammi of Momma’s Meals, is food inspired by holiday songs or movies.  Mine is, of course, The Christmas Song.

I roasted the first group of chestnuts over coals at a friend’s house, and they were good but, frankly, we were all full from a good grilled lunch and enthusiasm was low for a snack.  So, on the verge of removing my name from the Sunday Supper list a couple of weeks later, I roasted the second set, albeit in the oven.  I opened the foil packet of the roasted nuts and the steam came up in small swirls from their peeling brown husks.  As I worked the hard shell off, then the softer inner shell, I popped that first sweet piece of chestnut into my mouth and, well, I made up my mind.  A method is enough.  Let me take you back.

It was late fall of 1985 and New York City was already bitterly cold.  There’s a special smell about the city in the winter.  Steamy, almost fetid air gusts from tunnels and drains below the streets, the faint eau-de-mothball drifting off the citizens, the exhaust fumes hanging low, trapped by the heavy cold atmosphere, and the chestnuts roasting over coals in big metal barrels.  

We had arrived on a red-eye from Houston, to visit my father who was living an hour’s train ride north of the city in the bedroom community of Bronxville. The goal:  Ordering my wedding dress. Those of you who have watched Say Yes to the Dress will recognize the name Kleinfeld, the Brooklyn shop where brides have been buying dresses since 1941. Well, that's where I went to get this little number.

You can't even see how huge these sleeves are here!  And the train was six feet long.

The entire weekend was a whirlwind of action and excitement but one of my fondest memories is warming my hands around the warm brown paper bags full of roasted chestnuts, bought off a street corner vendor in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. And if you haven’t tried roasted chestnuts, you just need to. 

There are tons of recipes on the internet using roasted chestnuts, ranging from soup to stuffing to salad, but I’d like to encourage you to peel them and pop them straight into your mouth, and savor the sweet nutmeat of winter with your family.

Ingredients
1 pound or 1/2 kilo of fresh chestnuts

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.  Or light coals in your barbecue pit.  The fire is ready when the coals are all grey around the outside.)

Cut a crisscross in the rounded side of each chestnut with the tip of a very sharp knife.

Wrap the chestnuts in a double layer of foil, cut side up.

Roast for around 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven or in your barbecue pit.  If using the pit, set the foil packet off to one side, not directly over the hot coals and put the lid on enough to keep in the heat without smothering the fire.

Remove from the oven or barbecue pit and carefully open the foil.  Allow the chestnuts to cool enough to handle and then peel and eat!

Meanwhile, at our house, we are dancing to Christmas music, decorating a tree and celebrating a 23rd birthday today.  Happy birthday to my precious Victoria!

Woo hoo for almost Christmas birthdays! 

This is such a fun Sunday Supper week!  Check out all the songs and movies that have inspired us to cook and bake all these great dishes!

Party Appetizers & Snacks

Oven-Roasted Applesauce Scented with Rosemary & Vanilla inspired by the song “Christmas in the Trenches”- Shockingly Delicious
Roasted Chestnuts inspired by the song “The Christmas Song” – Food Lust People Love
A Popcorn Trio inspired by the song “Let it Snow” - Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
Chai Tea Abominable Snow Buddies inspired by the movie “Rudolph” – Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Raisin Bran Muffins for a Crowd inspired by the movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” - In The Kitchen With Audrey and Maurene
Icicle Candy and Reindeer Snacks inspired by the movie “Snow” – Treats & Trinkets
A Christmas Carol Plum Pudding inspired by the movie “A Christmas Carol” – No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Yukon Mashed Potato Cakes inspired by the movie “Rudolph” - Cookin’ Mimi
Christmas Pudding inspired by the song “Over the River and Through the Woods” - A Kitchen Hoor
Pumpkin Pudding inspired by the movie “Nightmare Before Christmas” - Basic N Delicious
Elf-Inspired Christmas “Grams” inspired by the movie “Elf” - MarocMama
Sugarplums inspired by the movie “The Nutcracker” – Happy Baking Days
Chai Spiced Roasted Nuts inspired by the song “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” - Take A Bite Out of Boca

Festive Main Dishes

Maple Syrup Spaghetti- inspired by the movie “Elf”- Momma’s Meals
Who Hash inspired by the movie “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” - girlichef
Ginger Orange Glazed Cornish Hens inspired by the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” - Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
NY Hot Dog with Sabrett-style Onion Sauce inspired by the movie “Die Hard” - Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Classic Caesar Salad inspired by the movie “The Santa Clause” – The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Individual Meatloaves & Horseradish Mashed Potatoes for Mommy’s Little Piggies - inspired by the movie “A Christmas Story” – The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Christmas Waffles inspired by the TV special “A Claymation Christmas Celebration” – Curious Cuisiniere
Filthy Animal Pizza inspired by the movie “Home Alone” – Foxes Love Lemons
Chicken Orzo Soup inspired by the song “12 Days of Christmas” - Family Foodie
Brandied Candied Sweet Potatoes inspired by the song “Christmas Is The Time To Say ‘I Love You’ ” - Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Sweet Holiday Treats

Gin and Tonic Cupcakes inspired by Adam Sandler’s ” The Chanukah Song” - The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars inspired by the movie “Love Actually” – Magnolia Days
Gingerbread Marshmallows inspired by the song “Marshmallow World” – Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies inspired by the movie “The Gremlins” – Killer Bunnies, Inc.
White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge inspired by the song “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” – Alida’s Kitchen
Snowball Cookies - inspired by the movie “White Christmas” - The Foodie Army Wife
Penuche Fudge inspired by the movie “Elf” – Pies and Plots
Hot Chocolate Cookies inspired by the movie “Santa Clause” - Mess Makes Food
South Pacific Coconut Tres Leche Cake inspired by the movie “South Pacific” - The Ninja Baker
Cookies & Cream Fudge inspired by the movie “Elf” – The Messy Baker

Cozy Drinks

Toasted Coconut Hot Cocoa - inspired by the song “Let It Snow”- Chocolate Moosey
The Christmas Gram inspired by the movie “Elf” – An Appealing Plan
Eggnog Hot Chocolate inspired by the movie “National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” - Peanut Butter and Peppers
Vermont Hot Cocoa inspired by the movie “White Christmas” – Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Spiked Hot Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Floats inspired by the song “Holly Jolly Christmas “ -NeighborFood

This is Christmas: Wine Pairings for Holiday Themed recipes – ENOFYLZ Wine Blog 

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Using a beef stock cube instead of salt when seasoning ground beef ramps up the beefy flavor of burger patties and Salisbury steak. 

This week’s Sunday Supper theme is “Got You Covered” and this easy recipe qualifies in two ways.  First, the lovely mushroom gravy!  It will cover anything with deliciousness.  And secondly, the Salisbury steak, just a fancy way of saying hamburger patty without a bun, is a quick and relatively inexpensive beef option.  If you are on a budget, it’s got you covered.

Budget aside, it’s one of our family favorites and I often make Salisbury steak with ground lamb and serve it with mint sauce instead of gravy.  In that case, we just call them lamb patties.

Ingredients
For the steaks:
1 small onion (About 5 1/2 oz or 155g, before peeling)
2 beef stock cubes
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
About 2 lbs 6 oz or 1 kg ground or minced beef
Olive oil for panfrying

For the gravy:
Drippings from pan-frying Salisbury steaks
2 rounded tablespoons flour
About 8 3/4 oz or 250g Swiss brown mushrooms or mushrooms of your choice
About 8 3/4 oz or 250g baby mushrooms or mushrooms of your choice

Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish, if desired.

Method
Peel your onion and cut it into quarters.  Blend it to a paste with the stock cubes, eggs and black pepper.   I used my hand blender but you can put it in a proper blender as well.  I have tried using my food processor and it doesn’t get out all the chunks but if yours does, you could use that as well.  You are looking for a homogeneous, thick, lump-less liquid.

                   

Put the beef in a large mixing bowl and add in the onion/egg paste.

Mix well with your clean hands or a spoon.

Shape it into patties and, if not cooking immediately, place on a plate covered with cling film.  This makes the patties easier to remove from the plate.

Cover with more cling film and refrigerate until you are ready to cook.  I made five patties, which look rather large (about 7oz or 200g each) to start, but remember that they shrink when cooked.  Of course, you can make smaller patties if you are catering for smaller appetites.

To cook the patties, drizzle a little bit of olive oil into a large non-stick skillet.  Panfry for several minutes on each side, making sure to get a nice brown crust on the patties.

Meanwhile, slice your mushrooms if they are larger than bite-sized.  Little ones can be left whole.  Set aside.

When the patties are cooked to your liking inside, remove them to a platter and keep warm.  (Since this is ground beef, I feel honor bound to tell you that US health authorities recommend cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 160 °F or 71.1 °C.  Do with that what you will.)

Now it’s time to make the gravy.  Use your spatula to loosen all the sticky browned bits from the pan.

Add your flour to the pan drippings and stir until all the flour is absorbed.

Tip in your mushrooms, turn the heat down to low and add a lid.

As the mushrooms cook down, the liquid they release will make a wonderful gravy.  Stir every few minutes to avoid lumps in your gravy.

After the mushrooms are completely cooked, if you prefer a thinner gravy, you can also add some water, stirring constantly, till it reaches the consistency you like.

Serve the gravy covering your Salisbury steaks and any accompanying side dishes like rice or mashed potatoes. I can also recommend these golden marquis potatoes as a great accompaniment. 

Enjoy!

Covered Appetizers and Entreés

• Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes Au Gratin from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Excellent Beef Stew from Noshing With The Nolands
• Personal Steak Pot Pies from The Foodie Army Wife
• Pigs in a Blanket (Cabbage Rolls) from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy from Food Lust People Love
• Salmon en Croute from Curious Cuisiniere
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Party Mix from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Slowcooker Bean and Ham Soup from Jane's Adventures in Dinner

Covered Desserts

• 1 Easy Chocolate Macaron Recipe, 3 Japanese Wine Fillings from NinjaBaking.com
• Bacon Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Banana Butterscotch Muffin-Cake from What Smells So Good?
• Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Caramel Apple Bundt Cake from Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Banoffee Pie from Happy Baking Days
• Chocolate Covered "Party Popcorn" from Ruffles & Truffles
• Chocolate Satin Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Dark Chocolate Cake Batter Truffles from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Streusel Topped Apple Pie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Not Sure What To Do? We Got You Covered!

• Apple Cider Doughnuts from The Texan New Yorker covering a dish made at home so you don't need to wait in long lines for it
• Back to Basics: How to Truss a Chicken for Roasting from Crazy Foodie Stunts covering a cooking technique
• Cilantro Turkey Salad with Farro and Mango from Shockingly Delicious covering turkey leftovers
• Cranberry Walnut Crumble Bars from Magnolia Days covering an idea for fresh cranberries
• Gluten Free Lego Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks covering a gluten-free dessert
• Homemade Yellow Cake Mix from Treats & Trinkets covering a cake mix without the chemicals from store-bought ones
• Mexican Coffee Bun from The Urban Mrs covering a dessert with an uncommon ingredient
• Peppermint Whip Cream from Peanut Butter and Peppers covering a vegan and dairy-free dessert topping
• Prosciutto covered Rosemary Pork from Family Foodie covering a holiday meal on a budget
• Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars from Alida's Kitchen covering a quick and easy cheesecake fix
• Waffled Cranberry Cream Cheese Turkey Sandwiches from Neighborfood covering turkey leftovers

Pin these Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy! 

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Freeze and Bake Buttermilk Biscuits

Tender, buttery buttermilk biscuits that can be made then frozen until you need to bake them are perfect for rushed Thanksgiving or Christmas mornings.  Get a batch in your freezer today and you can thank me later. 

Ever since the theme #beingthankful for today’s Sunday Supper was added to our forum, I have been mulling over what I am most thankful for.  So I started writing this post with a very long list of blessings.

Then, as we sat down to eat dinner the other night, I was telling my husband all about it.  He said immediately, “Make sure you mention seatbelts.”  And I deleted everything I’d written so far and started over.

He called in the wee hours of the still dark morning, his voice shaking.  “We’ve been in an accident.  Head on.  We are okay.  Just come.”  It was 16 March 2003 and our elder daughter was in sixth grade.  Her school, the International School of Kuala Lumpur, had (still has!) a fabulous program for all Middle School students that required that they leave home for one week and experience rustic life in various environments, river, beach and mountain, all in the wilds of Malaysia.  Depending on the location chosen, there were no bathrooms, few creature comforts and students cooked their own meals.  Just lots of fresh air, exercise, experiential learning and team building.  Her bag was packed and as she slept that night, I laid in my bed and prayed before her early morning departure.  “Keep the angels around her.  Keep her safe.”  We had agreed that her father would take her to catch the bus, to avoid having to wake up her little sister so early on a Sunday.

The wildly flashing lights and horrific traffic as we approached in the dark almost completely undid me.  Another driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and crossed the highway median.  My husband and daughter both had serious seatbelt bruises across their chests and abdomens.  Her glasses flew off and out of the car on impact.  We never did find them.  And there was blood everywhere from the cuts caused by the shower of broken glass.  But they walked away from the totaled car.  Because they had their seatbelts on.

The red car was ours.  The cars were towed to the police station from the site of the accident. 

Seatbelts do save lives and words cannot express the enormity of my gratitude to Nils Bohlin, the inventor of the three-point belt now standard on most cars and to his employer, Volvo, which didn’t patent the invention but made the design available to all manufacturers.  Buckle up, folks.

If I hadn’t rewritten this post, way on down the list of large then small blessings, you’d have found these biscuits.  Because they are easy to make and easy to bake.  They bake up light and fluffy, whether you bake them immediately or after some time in the freezer.  They are a blessing on a busy day.

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 115g cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup or 180ml cold buttermilk
Extra flour for the counter top and rolling pin
Small splash of milk for brushing on biscuits before baking.  (Perhaps 1/4 cup or 60ml if you are baking the whole batch at once.)

Method
If you are planning to bake some of the batch after making it, preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  If you are going to freeze any, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk it all together.

Take your cold butter out of the refrigerator and cut it into small chunks directly into the flour mixture.

Use a pastry blender or two knives to work the butter into the flour.  It should turn a bit crumbly looking but you don’t want to get the pieces too tiny.  There should still be some butter visible. This is what helps the biscuits bake flakey, rather like rough puff pastry.

Now pour the buttermilk into the bowl and stir it around till a dough form.

Flour your work surface and tip the dough out onto it.

Knead a few times until it’s not too sticky to handle, sprinkling on a bit more flour, if necessary.

Roll the dough out with your rolling pin till it’s about half an inch or 1 cm thick.  Use a floured cookie cutter or drinking glass to cut out circles of dough and place them on your prepared pan (or pans, if you are baking AND freezing.)

Knead the leftover dough and roll it out again and cut more biscuits, until all the dough is used up.  My cookie cutter is 2 3/4in or 7cm across and this recipe made 13 full size biscuits and one little leftover-dough one.

I froze all of mine.  You'll want to space them farther apart if you are baking.  

Brush the biscuits with a little milk and bake for 12-15 minutes or until they are lightly browned on top and lovely and golden brown on the bottom.

Put the pan of unbaked biscuits in the freezer for several hours.  After they have frozen, pop them off the parchment paper and put them in a Ziploc bags.

To bake from frozen, put the biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and then preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C.  My oven takes about 15-20 minutes to get up to temperature and by that time, the biscuits are completely thawed.  If your oven is quicker, just take the biscuits out a little earlier, before you preheat.  Bake according to the instructions above.

Don't let the fact that they have butter already in them stop you from adding more! 

 

They also go ever so nicely with jam or syrup. 

Once last thing I’m thankful for today, besides you, my lovely readers, is the Sunday Supper group and our lovely host, Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes.  You will never meet a nicer or more talented collection of food bloggers anywhere!  It is my honor and privilege to bake and cook with them most Sundays, encouraging folks to spend time together around the family dinner table.

What are you thankful for this year?

FIRST COURSE / APPETIZERS  

• Harvest Soup from Bea of The Not So Cheesy Kitchen 
• Horseradish Cranberry & Herbed Cheese Bites from Jen of Juanita's Cocina
• Savory Rosemary Baklava with Brie from Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

SAVORY BREADS + STUFFING

• Cloverleaf Rolls from Micha of Cookin' Mimi
• Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo and Craisins from Isabel at Family Foodie
• Easy Gluten-Free Corn "Bread" Stuffing from Laura at Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Freeze and Bake Buttermilk Biscuits from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Picnic Roll from Linda of The Urban Mrs
• Raspberry and Brie Crescent Rolls from Karen of In The Kitchen With KP    

MAIN DISHES

• Eggless Herb and Garlic Fresh Pasta from Sarah at What Smells So Good?
• Honey Orange Turkey Breast from Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings    

SIDE DISHES

• Brussels Sprout Latkes from Susan atThe Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Cheesey Scalloped Potatoes from Shaina at Take A Bite Out Of Boca
• Cornucopia Sweet Potato Barley Salad from Wendy at The Weekend Gourmet
• Creamy Scalloped Corn from Alaiyo at Pescetarian Journal
• Fried Smashed Potatoes from Renee at Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Grandpa's Simple Stuffing from Bobbi at Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Green Beans with Pecans and Cranberries from Tara at Noshing With The Nolands
• Honey and Cinnamon Glazed Sweet Potatoes from Jennifer at Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Italian American Turkey Dressing from Anne at Webicurean
• Loaded Mashed Potato Bake from Lori at Foxes Love Lemons
• Maple Sweet Potatoes with Browned Butter Pecan Topping from Brianne at Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Mushroom and Barley Casserole with Bacon, Gruyere and Spinach from Heather at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Blue Cheese from Sarah at Curious Cuisiniere

DESSERTS + SWEET BREADS

• Almond Brioche Sticky Buns from Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Baked Caramel Apple Cider Donuts from Nicole at Daily Dish Recipes
• Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie from Cheryl at Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Blue Ribbon Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake from Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
• Bourbon Pecan Pie from Julie atThe Texan New Yorker
• Chocolate Moussecake from Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cinnamon Rolls from Conni at The Foodie Army Wife
• Gingered Butternut Squash Tart from Renee of Magnolia Days
• Hanukkah Lemon Star Cookies from Shannon at Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Manischewitz, Cranberry Double Holiday Donuts from Kim at Ninja Baking 
• Mini Maple Sweet Potato Tarts from Holly at Mess Makes Food
• Mini Pumpkin Pies from Nichole at Casa de Crews
• Mom's Custard Pie from Courtney at Neighborfood
• No Bake Pumpkin Spiced Cheesecake from Tammi of Momma's Meals
• Plum and Blackberry Crumble from Katy at Happy Baking Days
• Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake from Heather at girlichef
• Salted Butterscotch Pudding from Jane at Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie from Laura at Pies and Plots
• Sweet Potato Pecan Gingersnap Pie from Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes    

WANT WINE WITH THAT?

• All American Wine Pairing Guide for Being Thankful from Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog