This holiday season, homemade touches bring something special to the table
Recipes and photos by Lauren Furey
This holiday season, take a few store-bought staples into your own hands. From pickled veggies and handmade wheat pasta to a party dip made from scratch, these approachable recipes offer a fun way to explore the kitchen with someone else and share something homemade with friends and family all season long.
Homemade Holiday Recipes from Lauren Furey
Pork Chops with Apple Slaw
Yields four servings
My mom used to make us pork chops with apple sauce when we were growing up, and I loved dipping the pork chop into the apple sauce. This recipe is a modern twist on a timeless classic. A heavy dose of mustard brings it all together with a touch of tang. This dish feels like a warm hug and can make any weeknight feel like a special occasion without the stress.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 boneless pork chops (6 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
APPLE SLAW
• 2 apples
• 2 celery stalks, cut thinly
• 1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or scallions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
Season each side of pork with salt and pepper. Heat a pan over medium heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pork to the pan and cook the first side until golden brown, about four minutes, and then flip over. Cook until the meat thermometer reads 135-140 F.
Remove and let rest on a cutting board.
Meanwhile, cut the apples into quarters while discarding the core. Cut the apples into 1/8 inch thin slices and then into matchsticks. In a medium bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the chopped apples, celery, celery leaves, chives and parsley. Serve or store in the fridge. To serve, plate the pork chops with a generous portion of the slaw.
“Not Your Nonna’s” cast iron whole wheat lasagna with goat cheese and mushrooms
Yields four servings
Whole wheat pasta is full of fiber and flavor! And it’s easier than you might think to make pasta from scratch. For this recipe, I include the recipe for your own handmade pasta that uses a pasta machine to flatten the sheets. You may certainly use store-bought dried pasta, but cook it only 75 percent of the way because it will finish cooking in the sauce. You may add up to 3 cups of chopped greens in the sauce for extra servings of vegetables.
INGREDIENTS
• ¾ pound fresh homemade whole wheat pasta sheets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 10 oz trimmed mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake and trumpet mushrooms
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped Calabrian chilis, or a pinch of red pepper flakes
• Slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch +1 tablespoon water
• 4 oz goat cheese
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• Approximately 10–15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT PASTA
• 2 cups whole wheat pasta flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Semolina flour, for dusting
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large pot of salted water. In a 10-inch cast iron pan, heat olive oil and butter over high heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until softened. Lower heat to medium, add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with wine, reduce for 1 minute. Add broth and chilis. Cook until slightly thickened. Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add to sauce. Stir in goat cheese and lemon zest. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, leaving a layer of sauce in the pan. Cook half the pasta sheets for 2 minutes and then layer into the cast iron pan using a slotted spoon or tongs. Add 1/2 of the ricotta cheese and repeat with pasta, the rest of sauce and cheese. Add the Parmesan. Broil for 5 minutes, until crispy, watching closely.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOMEMADE PASTA
Mound the flour on a lightly dusted surface. Make a circular well in the center. Add eggs, water, and olive oil. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the well. Bring the dough together with a bench scraper and knead until soft and smooth, about 10 minutes. Add more flour or a few drops of water as needed. Form into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Divide into 4 pieces. Using a pasta machine, roll each piece from the widest setting to setting 5, passing the dough through twice on the first setting. Cut into 4-inch squares. Dust pasta pieces with semolina flour and cook in boiling water as you would store-bought pasta.
Field Pea Fritters with Lauren’s Ultimate Party Sauce
Yields four servings, as an appetizer (8 cakes)
White Acre peas are southern heirloom peas that are creamy, petite, and full of protein. I love to keep local White Acre peas in the freezer so that they are available year-round. This field pea fritter recipe is gluten free, packed with fiber and protein, and can be easily doubled.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 cups White Acre peas or other field peas, cooked
• 1/3 cup red onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 a large egg, lightly mixed
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced or grated
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons basil, julienned
• 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
• Olive oil, for pan frying
Ultimate Party Sauce
• 1/4 cup mayo (you can use light mayo)
• 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Cracked black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, mash the peas with a fork. Add in the chopped onion, egg, garlic, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons cornmeal, salt, pepper, basil and capers. Add 1 more tablespoon cornmeal if you need to.
Form little patties and dust the patties lightly with the remaining cornmeal. You may not need all of it.
Heat a skillet and add olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook each patty about 20 seconds on each side, or until a crust is formed. Add a pinch of salt onto each patty after it cooks. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the party sauce and add a dollop to the fitters and serve.
Quick Pickled Carrots
Yields 12 oz jar
A variety of ingredients can be pickled, from blueberries and apples to fennel, onions, okra, and more. Different spices, herbs, and vinegars can be used. Quick pickles are a great snack on their own, or these pickled carrots can be used in grain bowls, on charcuterie boards, or in salads.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 ½ cups thinly sliced carrots, about 1/8-inch thick
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Place cut carrots into a thoroughly cleaned glass jar. Add mustard seeds, celery seeds, whole black peppercorns on top of the carrots. Nestle the bay leaf into the side of the jar. It will look snazzy once the pickling liquid is added.
In a small pot, bring the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar or honey, and salt to a boil. Once boiling, immediately pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots and spices in the jar. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, though they taste best after at least 24 hours. I get too excited and enjoy them after just a few hours!
Lauren Furey is a Charleston-based private chef and host/producer of “Now We’re Cookin’” on SCETV. She specializes in coastal Italian and Southern cuisine, creating custom menus with local purveyors. Season 2 premiered this year and features eight Lowcountry-inspired episodes filmed in a Charleston beach house. Watch episodes at: www.scetv.org/watch/now-were-cookin and visit www.laurenfurey.com and instagram @LaurenSFurey
