If you're a fan of the traditional this recipe is not for you! I went a little off the rails with this one in collaboration with New England Country Mart... This Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce is slightly spicy, herbaceous, and packed with flavor. It's the perfect complement to this Slow Cooked Lamb Shank and would be a welcome but unexpected addition to the table this Thanksgiving. 

NECM Shopping List:
Kinnealy Lamb Shank
Natalie's Nourish Juice or Orange Juice
Jalapeños 
Cranberries
Onions
Celery
Carrots
Lime
Fresh Rosemary for Garnish

From the Pantry...
1/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
32. oz Vegetable Stock

Directions:

For the Lamb Shank: In a medium saute pan over high heat sear each side of the shank to golden brown. Place in slow cooker and set to warm.  Dice the carrots, onions, and celery. Saute in the same pan in oil until onions are translucent. Reduce heat, add 1/2 cup red wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker, slowly pouring over the browned shank. Add vegetable stock until shank in 3/4 submerged in cooking liquids and two large handfuls fresh cranberries. Set to low and cook for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours. 

For the Cranberry Sauce: Seed and dice 1 large or 2 small jalapeños and zest a fresh lime. Combine peppers, 1/3 cup light. brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup Natalie's Nourish Juice (or Natalie's OJ for traditional cranberry sauce), and 1/2 teaspoon lime zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add remaining fresh cranberries. Be careful, they will pop while cooking! Simmer for 15, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and allow to thicken and cool before serving.

This post was created in collaboration with New England Country Mart. I was provided a complimentary grocery delivery in exchange for review and content creation purposes. All content created and opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting those that support Style-Wire.com!

This week I'm back in the kitchen with New England Country Mart! I've been thoroughly loving the Maine Grains Farro that came in our delivery. It's filling, easy to make, and best of all, a blank canvas for whatever you may be craving. 

In contrast to my Moroccan Spiced Salmon with Yogurt and Cucumber Salad recipe, this hearty, earthy bowl is bursting with umami flavor thanks to fresh mushrooms. We used a seasonal chef's sampler pack that was available on NECM, but their current selection of maitake mushrooms will work beautifully. By far one of the perks of shopping at New England Country Mart is the rotating selection of seasonal produce. Top this bowl with your protein of choice, or add sliced avocado for a meatless alternative. 

Mushroom Steak & Grain Bowl with Miso Vinaigrette

NECM Shopping List

Farro

1 pack Mushrooms

1 Jalapeno

1/2 English Cucumber 

Prime Rib Eye

1/2 cup O-Med Olive Oil

Butter

From the pantry...

1 tablespoon White Miso

1/2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

3 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil 

Directions: Prep farro according to package directions or your preferred ratio, set aside. For the vinaigrette whisk together miso, dijon and rice wine vinegar and set aside. While whisking, slowly add olive oil and emulsify. Finish with sesame oil. 

Heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet. Sear mushrooms on each side until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Add a tablespoon or two of butter to the pan and baste mushrooms until they are tender and fully cooked, another 1-2 minutes. In another pan, sear steak on high heat, about 5 minutes per side or until it reaches your desired temp. 

Thinly slice jalapeños and mushrooms and arrange over farro. Drizzle with Miso Vinaigrette. Feel free to double or triple the Miso Vinaigrette-- we use the leftovers on greens and salads throughout the week! 

This post was created in collaboration with New England Country Mart. I was provided a complimentary grocery delivery in exchange for review and content creation purposes. All content created and opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting those that support Style-Wire.com!

With trains leaving throughout the day, we opted to hop on the Amtrak Downeaster just after lunch and made our way to Freeport, Maine for a quick getaway. We boarded the train, loaded our luggage, and grabbed drinks in the Cafe Car before settling in for the ride ahead. We both logged onto the free on board wi-fi, and Zack tuned into his favorite podcasts while I worked on email and blog content. It was a smooth, comfortable ride the whole way with coastal views of Maine and since I wasn't driving, I got to enjoy every bit of it! The view, the wi-fi, and even a cocktail! I'll take the Amtrak Downeaster to Maine over driving any day.



Just a few hours later we arrived in Freeport and set out for our hotel. Freeport is very accessible with the outlets, hotels, and dining all steps from Freeport Station. We checked in at the Hilton Garden Inn, dropped our luggage and set out to explore the town.

We had drinks at the local tavern before checking out a couple of the outlets and making our way to dinner. We took an Uber to nearby Yarmouth, Maine for dinner at Gather, which was absolutely delicious! We loved the locally sourced ingredients and menu and ordered the Smoked Duck Rillet, Fried Chicken and Biscuit, and the Butcher's Plate Special which was a yummy Lasagna Bolognese. Every bite was delicious!


After dinner we headed back to the hotel for drinks at the bar and a quick dip in the pool before heading back to the room to watch movies and turn in for the night. The next morning we totally missed breakfast (Whoops! The free breakfast is one of the best parts of staying with Hilton!) and requested a late check out.



We checked out and had a few hours to kill before our evening train back to Boston so naturally we hit the outlets! L.L.Bean is HUGE (and open 24 hours a day/365 days a year), but there was also Banana Republic, LOFT, Oakley, J. Crew, plus some really great local spots including the Coastal Maine Popcorn Company where we stocked up on Wasabi Soy and Dill Pickle Popcorn before making our way back to Freeport Station.


You can see more photos from our Maine adventure at #ExploreMoreDriveLess. Ready to board the train to Maine?! Be sure to you share your own photos from your adventure on the Amtrak Downeaster using #ExploreMoreDriveLess and tag @amtrakdowneaster on IG and @riderail on Twitter you'll be entered for a chance to win pair of round trip tickets on the Amtrak Downeaster for your next trip! With so much to see and do along the coast of Maine, we're already planning our next Amtrak adventure!

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Before we arrived at Townsman, we all downloaded Circle App (available on iOS and Android) to our phones and created accounts linked to our bank (or your debit card). Once we arrived we enjoyed drinks as well as a delicious three course meal consisting of a seasonal farm minestrone with herbed pistou and faro, a delicious char-grilled steak with walnut and carrot romesco, roasted fingerling potatoes, and braised greens, and last but not least, a delicious cranberry pear crisp with vanilla ice cream. I've only been to Townsman a couple of times, but each time was delicious and this visit was no exception.



After enjoying dinner we each pulled out our phones and simply sent payment to our host through the Cirlce app. We were able to quickly and easily cover our tab, all while group chatting with each other alongside gifs and emoij's.


Since our dinner, I've been using Circle app to get cash from my roommate for bills and groceries, and paying back friends when I'm in a pinch (I am the queen of forgetting my debit card, anyone else?).  Circle makes it easy to send cash worldwide without exchange rate markups and fees. And unlike the apps you're currently using, Circle is the only one to offer Instant Cash Out so you can get your cash instantly. Easy as pie-- Or the delicious pear crisp we enjoyed at dinner!

This simple meal can be easily customized to your tastes, and even works well when served as nachos on corn chips as an easy appetizer. You can even use other variations of Willow Tree Chicken Salad; I used their classic variety but their Sriracha and Avocado Cranberry chicken salads both work nicely with this recipe. While you’re shopping you might notice that Willow Tree products have a new look. That’s right, after 60 years the iconic New England brand has redesigned and streamlined their look with redesigned packaging, a refreshed logo, and an all new website, but inside you’ll find the same chicken salad and poultry pies you’ve come to know and love. Available at major grocery stores throughout New England, you can easily find Willow Tree products at a store near you.


I whipped these Summer Totadas up for a Thursday night date night at home; some decorations on the balcony, a pitcher of iced tea, and some tequila shots to spice up the night. I saved the rinds from the limes to serve the tequila in but you can use them to hold individual servings of the Jalapeño Basil Sauce as well. Hope you love this easy to assemble meal as much as I do! And a special thanks to my parents for graciously taste testing my creation while they were in Boston! 



Ingredients:
Tostadas (or corn tortillas and oil to fry your own, 1-2 per person)
1 can refried beans
1 package Willow Tree Chicken Salad (find it here)
Fresh corn (1 ear will serve 2)
1 package Queso Fresco

Jalapeño Basil Sauce:
3/4 Jalapeno
1 heaping tablespoon salad dressing or mayonnaise
3-5 fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil to desired consistency

Optional toppings:
Jalapeños
Pepitas
Lettuce
Avocado
Salsa

Sauce Directions:
(Remove the seeds from the jalapeño for a more mild but still flavorful sauce)
Slice and blend ingredients in blender or food processor adding olive oil to taste/desired consistency 

Tostada Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees
Line baking sheet with tostadas
Bake until crisp, approximately 3-5 minutes
Once your tostadas are crisp, prepare the corn
Remove the husks and silk from your ears of corn
Remove the corn from the cob (helpful hints here)
Grill, Pan-roast, or roast your fresh corn in the oven under the broiler on low until browned
Assemble your tostadas; top with refried beans, chilled Willow Tree Chicken Salad, roasted corn, crumbled Queso Fresco, and desired toppings

On this particular visit, my friend Kyle and I met up for lunch and let their manager Stefanos treat us to his favorite selections; classic Bifteki (beef) and classic pork gyros, GRE.CO fries, zucchini chips, and of course, loukoumades. The meat is incredibly flavorful and tender; both gyros were excellent and filled with tomato, onion, and hand cut potatoes (aka, fries!). For sides, it's hard to choose between the GRE.CO fries topped with feta cheese or the thinly sliced and perfectly crisp zucchini chips. Either way, you won't be disappointed, both are delicious options.




But the shining star at GRE.CO are by far the loukoumades (Greek donut balls). Fried to order, these bite sized bits of heaven can be topped with honey, walnuts, cinnamon, hazelnut praline, crushed Oreos, powdered sugar, pistachios, dark chocolate, coconut flakes and more. Yaya's variation of the loukoumades covered in hazelnut praline, Oreos and powdered sugar are by far my favorite flavor on the menu. Kyle and I ordered both yaya's and classic loukoumades with greek honey, walnuts, and cinnamon and spent the rest of the afternoon raving about them to anyone who would listen.


Newbury Street had a serious shortage of fast casual dining options, and I'm really happy to see GRE.CO on the street serving up authentic Greek cuisine. With GRE.CO in walking distance of the shop I work at, I have a feeling I'll be heading back quite often-- especially when the craving for Yaya's Loukoumades hits!

Since Wink + Nod is known first and foremost for their cocktails and talented mixologists I started there and ordered their Far East Cocktail before diving into the Little Owl Tavern's menu. Sochu, sparkling sake, yuzu-ginger shrub, and sesame lychee combine for a smooth drink thats suitable for anyone who loves sparkling wines or cocktails. First up was a couple of their small plates; Tuna Crudo with with citrus, chiles, green onion, and upland cress and the Crispy Eggplant Carpaccio with lily-yogurt, tomato chutney, sweet peas, parmesan. I loved the crudo-- I'm a crudo lover and this was among the most flavorful I've ever had.


When it was time to order main dishes I had my eye on the Lobster Bolognese. Made with squid ink pappardelle, oven roasted romatoes, chiles, pea puree, and mint this was a refreshing take on an Italian classic. Every bite was delicious! So often squid ink pastas are often a part of saltier dishes, but I loved it in place of a traditional pasta in this particular dish. We also put in an order for the special; Pan Smoked Mussels in garlic white wine broth, tomatoes, and herbs (not pictured). And for dessert; Grilled Italian Pound Cake with orange & amaretto glazed polenta cake, berries, whipped mascarpone, and Butterscotch Budino di Pane with warm banana-walnut compote, vanilla ice cream. Decadent, sweet, and delicious to say the least!



I know, I know, you're probably bummed you miss this limited run menu, but the next is already settling into the kitchen at Wink + Nod quite nicely! KAKI LIMA, consisting of Chef Retno Pratiwi and Managing Partner Peter Gelling, have worked to craft an Indonesian inspired menu with array of shareable apps and delicacies to create a culinary experience not be missed.