Elegant Budget Friendly Holiday Buffet Table Ideas Segment

 Today at 5:45 AM I was on NBC 12 Phoenix with one of my all time favorite people, Syleste Rodrigez talking about some amazing and outstanding holiday buffet table ideas.  First we'll be talking about some amazing tamales!

 I have a full tutorial on how to make Homemade Tamales here on the blog.   I'll be making some cheddar bacon tamales enchilada style with green sauce and jalapeno cilantro sour cream. 

We'll also be making some hot dips.  Today it will be  Jalapeño Popper Dip. The only change being that I will top it with bacon! Also...the ridiculously beautiful centerpiece ideas that will blow your mind including gingerbread mansions...

How do I build them in glass cookie jars though?

I'll post the full tutorial for the gingerbread house centerpieces soon.

There you go!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Sweet Potato Biscuits 2 Ways (Video Segment)

Here's today's segment on NBC 12 with my darling friend Syleste Rodrigez! I had such a wonderful time with these folks!



Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipes are:  Here. In the segment I said 2 cups buttermilk, it was early. That should only be 2/3 cup buttermilk. Sorry about that. There's 2 cups of buttermilk in the gravy!

NBC Segment Monday with Sweet and Savory Fall Recipes and Two classes Tuesday!

Monday morning at 5:50 AM I'll be joining my darling friend Syleste Rodrigez on NBC 12 Morning. Every time I see her I'm reminded why I love her! She's just amazing and completely real. I'm so thankful and excited to be part of the morning show! That will be here in Phoenix for some amazing Fall sweet potato biscuit variations both savory and sweet! We'll be starting with this divine sweet potato biscuit base...

Tess' Sweet potato biscuits 

yield 8 large or 16 small

Dry ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup butter or (organic vegetable shortening)

1/2 tsp salt

2T sugar (or granulated fructose)

5 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients:
2/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1/3 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
Directions: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I cook the sausage gravy at the same time I make the biscuits.
First you will need to mash some sweet potato. It takes about 1/2 a small sweet potato to make 1/3 cup mashed.

Combine the sweet potato with buttermilk or milk (or water if you are vegan). The colder the liquid the better.

In a separate bowl, combine the shortening or butter with the dry ingredients. Mix until the shortening has been cut into tiny pieces, the size of a pea. Once the liquid ingredients are combined, add them to the flour/shortening mixture. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix very gingerly Until a light dough is formed. There will be lumps and pieces of sweet potato. Knead the dough 4-5 times, then roll out on an floured counter top 1 inch thick. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes.

While they bake you can make the sausage gravy.

To the savory biscuits I'll be adding some Southwest seasoning, cheese and bacon! Then making this buttermilk chipotle Turkey Gravy.

Tess' buttermilk chipotle Turkey Gravy

1 lb lean mild turkey sausage

1 T minced chipotle pepper (optional)

1/4 cup minced onion

2T minced garlic

1/4 cup flour

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda (you only need the baking soda if you use the real buttermilk here...)

2 cups milk (You may need a little more if you prefer a gravy on the thin side.)

In a large 16 inch family skillet with deep sides, cook the sausage over medium heat along with the chipotle pepper onion and garlic. When turkey is cooked through, add the flour and cook 3-4 minutes until dark. Add the soda and buttermilk (soda neutralizes the acid in the buttermilk so it doesn't curdle and you still get that nice slightly tart taste of the buttermilk...nice.) Add the rest of the milk stir constantly. Simmer 10-15 minutes, stir periodically. Serve over hot sweet potato biscuits. Wonderful with cranberry relish, smoked cheddar cheese and jalapeno.

Then I'll be making some sweet shortcakes:

Sweet Potato Breakfast Shortcakes:

Prepare biscuit dough above, using ½ cup sugar in the dry ingredients and 1 ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice blend. Add ½ cup chopped pecans, hazelnuts or dried fruit of your choice to the biscuits as well as ½ cup chopped dark chocolate.

Sweet Grilled Apple filling:

2 large apples, peeled, cut and cored

¼ cup sugar (optional)

½ tsp cinnamon spice blend

2T melted butter

Mix apples with sugar, spice and butter. Grill on low heat with a grill pan until slightly softened and beautifully grilled. Place apples inside sweet potato breakfast shortcakes and top with a drizzle of caramel sauce, fresh whipped cream and chopped nuts if desired.

I'll be topping ours with this:

Orange Whip Cream

2 cups Fresh whipped cream

1 tsp orange zest

½ tsp almond extract.  

Tuesday's classes will be:

Honeyville Farms
33 S. 56th Street
Chandler, AZ. 85226 Phone:(480) 785-5210  

Creative Halloween Decorative Breads and Treats

Tuesday Oct 23^rd  10 AM 

What is your favorite Halloween treat? I have some favorites and don't worry...one of them is decorative edible spider bread! Plus...we'll be making some spooky popcorn! Come see me! Class is free!

Preparing Wisely 

144 S Mesa Drive Suite D

Mesa, AZ  85210

(480) 964-3077

Homemade Tortilla Tutorial Workshop

October 23rd, 6:30 PM 

Come join me for homemade tortilla basics using corn and flour ingredients as well as some samples of fantastic roasted corn and black bean chicken quesadillas made from 100% food storage! You'll never look at your pantry the same way again...in a good way!

I hope you'll join me!

 Xoxo!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Holiday Appetizers on NBC 12 with Chef Tess

I adore Syleste Rodriguez! She's every bit as sweet in person as she is on TV. 

 Today on NBC 12 Morning show in Phoenix, AZ,  I showed some magnificent ways to add elegance and charm to your holiday buffets and dinner table by making some awesome appetizers! I hope to share some great ideas with you that will ease the stress of the season. For me, it's all about time with friends and family. 

Remember I'm teaching a free appetizer class on Tuesday, December 27th at Honeyville Farms in Chandler. This is a free class with some great ideas for New Year's Eve munchies using food storage and whole food! Look at my list of  Upcoming Classes for more details.


Today, I'm sharing some of my favorite recipes that have been given to me by those I love. Enjoy! First though, I have to share the latest Painted bread. This bread basket in silver and black is ready for the buffet table! What do you think? Dramatic enough?

The first appetizer I shared today was a plum-pepper-pecan baked brie. A few years ago a beautiful woman named Sylvia Edwards shared This Pampered Chef Recipe with me and it became a fast favorite "go-to" appetizer for holiday events. I've altered it a bit from the original recipe...but love it non-the-less. Sylvia was a much needed boost to my courage at the time. She cheered me forward to starting my business. I only sold with Pampered Chef for about a year, but it changed my self esteem and confidence to see some much needed income. Sylivia is now a missionary on the other side of the world. She made a difference in my life and I know she's changing lives for the better where she is now as well. God bless her! So...Let's talk baked brie.

You hear about baked brie often during the holidays. It's a soft cheese that is slightly nutty with just the right amount of salt. When it's baked it is a wonderfully creamy smooth texture. I couple it with a sweet plum jam and a little heat from fresh jalepeno. Don't worry. If you seed the pepper, the flavor is actually not too hot. This is a dramatic yet simple appetizer that bakes the brie and the French Bread croutons for the warm bubbly hot and sweet baked brie at the same time. It's outstanding with any flavor of jam, but I'm particularly partial to the plum or prickly pear jam if you can find it.

Plum-Pepper-Pecan Baked Brie

1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped and divided1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded, chopped
1/2 cup red plum jam (sugar free or regular)

1 clove fresh pressed garlic
1 4-inch round (8 ounces) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature
1 loaf (16 ounces) French baguette ( I use Homemade Sourdough )
Melted butter (about 1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the jam, jalapeno, garlic and half of the pecans.

Using a bread knife, cut baguette on a bias into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; baste with butter using a pastry brush. Oh land-o-lakes alive! Have butter. Not every day, but every once in a while...you will not die. Cut Brie in half horizontally. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of Large Round pizza stone. Spread half of the prickly pear jam mixture evenly over bottom half of Brie using Small Spreader. Top with remaining half of Brie. Spread remaining jam mixture over Brie; sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Next up...the Cheese Ball...err...Pine Cone...

 My sister in law Gwen makes the most amazing cheese ball recipe. It has a touch of pineapple, onion and all the delights of a good cheese ball. This year I'm garnishing it with whole almonds and making it look like a giant pine cone! How fun is that?!

Gwen's Cheese ball (Pineapple Pine cone)

("cheese ball" here is not actually a reference to my brother in law...grin...)yields 2 average cheese balls
2 packages cream cheese (8 oz each)

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup minced celery

1/2 cup minced red onion

4 oz crushed pineapple (squeezed until all the juice is out and it's almost dry)

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp garlic

Allow cream cheese to soften to room temperature. Pot into a Kitchen Aid with paddle attachment. Combine all ingredients on speed 2 about 2 minutes. Scrape cheese mixture out of bowl and form into 2 rough balls. Put on a plate cover with plastic or a glass dome thingy...(sorry for the technical wizardry of the moment there) and chill in the fridge 2-4 hours before serving. I think it's best after 24 hours.

Holy Hot Dip!

 Hot Dip is a wonderful alternative to the cold dips often served with veggies. Ace almost died of happiness last night when I shared this dip with him. He scooped it onto his plate in great piles on top of corn chips...and then licked the whole plate after he was done. It was embarrassing...for the plate. My friend Lisa Villont Shared this recipe with me. Her husband JP made it for a party we attended and I've never loved a hot dip more than this one! It's amazing! Be prepared to serve it with a Thick crackers or croutons as well. It's a hearty dip...party dip...hearty dip. Dance when you make it.

JP's Buffalo Chicken Hot Dip
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1/2 C Franks Red Hot sauce (original flavor)

1/2 C Ranch Dressing

2 Chicken Breasts cooked and chopped

½ cup grated Mozzarella Cheese

Onion Powder

Parsley

Mix together the first 4 ingredients * I would also add garlic to that top list, 1 clove minced, or granulated to taste*

Place mixture in baking dish or pie plate, Bake at 350 for 20 mins.  Top with Grated Mozzarella, sprinkle little with onion powder and place under broiler until cheese is toasty and delicious looking.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped parsley over top (fresh would be SO nice!) Garnish with Celery leaves.  Serve with Celery, Chips, Bread, Spoons, whatever.  I personally love it with hunks of celery.

 I love putting large veggie sticks in glasses next to the dip instead of a party tray. They are also easier to refill on a buffet and easier to find space for in a jammed fridge when hosting large parties. 

 Olive Wreathes are a beautiful addition to your buffet or table at Christmas. It's almost not a party without olives and cheese! Here's a great way to display the olives. Simply make a fresh herb wreath by laying fresh rosemary, oregano and marjoram in a circle around the outside of a round dinner plate in a thick bed. Artistically arrange your olives on the bed of herbs and garnish with pickled red peppers and fresh mozzarella if desired. A drizzle of infused olive oil or balsamic vinegar will add even more depth and make this an outstanding presentation. You'll want the Olive wreath every year!

Get the printable version of today's appetizer recipe ideas Here.
Enjoy the beautiful weekend. I'm so looking forward to some quiet time with the family. Merry Christmas my dear friends. You make my life more beautiful every single day. 



Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Last Minute Elegant Holiday Table Ideas On NBC 12 with Chef Tess

Are you looking for some dramatic yet elegant ideas for dressing up that Holiday table? Join me tomorrow morning at 5:45 on NBC 12 with Host Syleste Rodrigez! 

  Be it classic desserts...

 Or beautiful appetizers...

I hope to inspire!

See you in the morning!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Chef Tess 6 Freezer dinners variations from one recipe! Today's Segment on NBC 12

Today's NBC 12 Chef Tess Pumpkin Segment

Get Ready to Watch the NBC 12 Morning Show Pumpkin Segment

Tomorrow, (Monday) at 6:45 AM on our local Phoenix NBC 12 morning show, I'll be making some amazing things with Pumpkin from our local Organic growers at  Love Grows Farms! I visited the farm yesterday and the pumpkins are beautiful! I adore their community supported agriculture program (CSA program ). It's an outstanding way to get organic veggies and not pay a ton of money.

One thing I found was their New England Pie Pumpkins (aka baking pumpkins) are amazingly sweet and wonderful for just what the name implies...baking. I popped the full size pumpkin, whole uncut, in my crock pot and let it go on low for 6 hours. After six hours I cut through the skin and scooped out the seeds, discarded...and had soft perfect pumpkin ready to bake with. No mess. It was awesome!

The smaller ones called Iron Man Pumpkins store up to 4 months and are great for pie too!

 This one is a classic Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin...but will bake well too.

Pumpkin is also a Powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, essential oils and fiber that your body needs! It's considered a super food among plants! I bet you just thought they were good for baking right? Nope. The consumption of pumpkin provides you with potassium, magnesium, alpha and beta-caretenes and antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E! They help provide a vast array of disease fighting nutrients. Plus, at 5 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup serving of pumpkin puree...they're an outstanding source for that too! 

Oh...and did you know that pumpkin seeds contain vitamin E, Iron, Magnesium, potassium, zinc, and are an outstanding source for plant based Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids?!

That being said, here's what I'm making on the show.

  If you want the printable recipes go  Here

On the show I'll be starting with sticky buns...

Pumpkin Spiced Peach and Pecan Sticky Buns

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Sweet Pumpkin Spice Tamales 

There you go! Enjoy the magnificent fall pumpkins! 


Go visit my friends at  Love Grows Farms! 

Remember my Free Cracker Making Class is tomorrow morning at 10 AM 
 Honeyville Farms Store
  33 South 56th Street Suite 1 


Chandler, AZ 85226

Phone: (480) 785-5210 

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess