New (to me) Recipes

Life's gotten crazy again and I've had a hard time finding a moment to post. Well, that and the fact that our internet has been down ... then up ... then down (again!) ... But hey, that's life, right?

Anyway, last weekend I had the opportunity to try out several new recipes. All of them were delicious!!

If you've grown up in the San Gabriel Valley, you're no stranger to the Northwoods Inn restaurants. If you haven't had the great fortune of dining at a Northwoods Inn, let me just say three words: Red Cabbage Salad. YUM!! I tried out a 'copy cat' recipe for their red cabbage salad, and let me just say, it tasted exactly like the real thing! This is definitely a keeper - I plan on making this often. While the restaurant is a bit pricey, the red cabbage salad is inexpensive to make (there's that "beer budget" thing again!), so I think we'll stick with having this at home. A steak on the grill and a little Clearman's spread on some sourdough bread. Mmmmmm...now that's a winner! If you'd like to try it at home, here's the recipe:

Northwoods Inn Red Cabbage Salad
Ingredients:
• 1/2 head red cabbage
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I thought this was too much; I'd use 1/3 cup the next time I make it)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (see above comment on oil)
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp onion powder

Preparation:
Shred half of the cabbage finely and the other half coarsely. Place in a large bowl.

Whisk together vegetable oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, seasoned salt, black pepper, and onion powder.

Toss the dressing with the cabbage. Scrape the salad with the dressing into a zip-top bag or covered container and refrigerate at least 48 hours (I only marinated it for 6 hours and it was fine) or until cabbage turns deep red, softens a bit, and flavors meld.

One of the other recipes I tried was a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits. Oh MAN! Served warm, these biscuits are like Heaven on a plate. They're pretty darn good at room temperature, too! Here's a peak: We served them with homemade beef stew. DELISH!! Here's the recipe:

Barefoot Contessa Buttermilk Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
Maldon sea salt, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.