Finally, after arriving in Breckenridge and finding our lodge we realized something was very wrong! We couldn't hardly breathe due to what we later found out was "altitude sickness." For the first day of our trip we stayed in bed feeling miserable (I won't bore you with the awful details.) Next morning we awoke and felt a lot better, but still were a little lightheaded. I told Jerry, maybe breakfast will help and we got ready and found a great place called the Blue Moose Cafe which served a variety of excellent hearty breakfasts and really, really good java and orange juice. We had planned on going skiing, but found it was hard to breathe just walking around the village. Laughing, I told Jerry if we try to ski we'll die of heart attacks. Instead of skiing we just played in the snow, built a snowman, had snowball fights and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves all the while trying to breathe! The village was decorated with thousands of Christmas lights and of course a beautiful Christmas tree which added to the festive atmosphere. Breckenridge is a very quaint town in the Colorado Rockies. It is one of the oldest and largest towns in Summit County and started out as a mining town. With over 250 buildings on the National Historic Register it has history and charm.
Breckenridge has four grand mountain peaks that surround it, so downhill skiers and snowboarders have some challenging runs to try out. If you are into snowshoeing or cross-country skiing you'll love it too. Winter in Breckenridge offers many activities from dining, the arts, shopping, and plenty of snow. Since breakfast is one of our favorite meals Jerry and I were thrilled to find lots of great little places serving up delicious unique breakfasts. There are over 100 restaurants in Breck with everything from burgers, pizza, pasta, BBQ, sushi, and sandwiches. Fine dining offers elegant atmospheres with menus from wild game, fresh fish (local stream caught trout) or regional dishes prepared by local chefs. There are also local coffee houses, bakeries, ice cream and candy shops. Jerry and I were very pleased with our dining choices.
I have listed a few of our favorite restaurants we tried in Breckenridge and one in Vail where we spent an afternoon. In Vail, they require you to show how much money you have before entering Vail and the Vail committee decided Jerry and I didn't have enough money to spend the entire day there! (just kidding). Both Breckenridge and Vail offered hundreds of boutiques with ski shops (obviously) cowboy boots, jewelry (my fav), clothing and art. Our son-in-law Derek is really difficult to buy for so the great ski shops had a gold mine of gifts for him. We did the majority of our Christmas shopping in Breckenridge and had it shipped home. We decided since we couldn't ski we might as well shop.
For breakfast we enjoyed the Blue Moose Cafe and the Columbine Cafe, both casual places with very good breakfast fare serving everything from pancakes, biscuits and sausage gravy, benedict's, omelets and of course really good coffee. We also enjoyed breakfast in Frisco (about 6 miles south of Breck) at the Butterhorn Bakery and Cafe where the baked goods were amazing. They served the most buttery delicious croissants we've eaten in a long time. They had wonderful large thick chewy buttery cookies such as; molasses, chocolate chip, macadamia nut, snicker doodles and peanut butter. They also had pies, cakes, cheesecakes, danish sticky buns, fruit tarts and brownies. For lunch the Butterhorn served homemade soups, salads and a variety of tasty sandwiches.
Our favorite dinner places were the Hearthstone Restaurant located in the 125-year old historic Kaiser House. They offer everything from hand cut steaks, game and fresh seafood. Executive Chef Michael Halpin uses seasonal products such as; fish, artisan cheeses and fresh produce. When we dined at Hearthstone Jerry ordered; house smoked trout for an appetizer which was lemon pepper trout, haystack mountain herbed cherve, capers and red onion. I had a Colorado caprese salad with shady lady tomatoes, housemade fresh mozzarella, organic basil, 12-year aged balsamic vinegar with olive oil and Hawaiian sea salt. For an entree Jerry had; Ahi tuna encrusted with macadamia nuts, roasted beet lobster sauce (which was very interesting); snap peas and vanilla parsnip puree. I had Prairie raised chicken breast stuffed with mouco camembert, port wine poached figs; goat cheese barley risotto and brussels sprouts. I'm salivating just thinking about this sumptuous meal! For dessert Jerry had Huckleberry bread pudding with balsamic huckleberry sauce and creme anglaise. I dined on triple chocolate decadence which consisted of homemade chocolate spongecake, baileys chocolate ganache, dark chocolate mousse with toffee sauce. Need I say more?
Another favorite place we went to was The Blue River Bistro with contemporary Italian-American menu. This place was really good and we ate here a few times. We dined on antipasto for an appetizer consisting of; focaccia toast, fig spread, dolmas; gorgonzola stuffed pepperdews; crispy sun-dried tomato polenta, Mediterranean olives, cappicola and brie. We also had their calamari. For entrees we tried the Pork tenderloin; hoisin glazed and pan roasted with shitake mushrooms and sugar snap peas over jasmine rice and the Mahi Mahi, pan roasted topped with oven-dried tomato ragout, white bean puree and asparagus, finished with port-burgundy reduction. We ate lunch there too and had Yellowfin Tuna sandwich grilled medium rare, spring mix, tomatoes, red onions and Cajun tarter on Kaiser roll. Another good choice was the tortellini Carbonara; spinach pasta stuffed with ricotta and served with a garlic cream sauce with prosciutto and spring onions. The dessert we enjoyed a couple of times at Blue River was the classic cranberry bread pudding finished with creme anglaise.
At Relish in Breckenridge, we tried the winter Caesar; heats of romaine, currants, rosemary focaccia croutons, Parmesan, with Cabernet grapefruit dressing - this salad was amazing. Jerry tried the frissee and grilled radicchio salad with my favorite Maytag blue cheese, pears, crisp pancetta and port wine vinaigrette. For dinner entrees Jerry had the whole almond crusted rainbow trout,with crispy potato cake, haricot vert almondine and a verjus brown butter. I dined on the truffle honey glazed mahi mahi, baby spinach, with sun-dried tomato caper gremolata.
Sweet Basil, in Vail, CO was a delightful lunch outing. This creative modern restaurant offered Mediterranean, Italian, Asian influenced food. We dined on an appetizer of wild gulf shrimp spring roll with spicy mango puree, Vietnamese dipping sauce and pickled mustard seed. Our entrees were; duck confit pot pie with wild mushrooms, winter squash, celery root, rosemary and percorino crust and a delicious grilled organic chicken and spinach salad with roasted butternut squash and parsnips, ginger glazed apples, pumpkin seeds and warm mustard vinaigrette. Dessert we split was honey moscato poached pears; honey semi-freddo, pine nut brittle and percorino romano.
Another restaurant and cantina we enjoyed was Mi Casa where Mexican food is prepared with fresh ingredients and prepared as in regions of Mexico and the Southwest. We dined on avocado frito with a fresh avocado battered and fried crispy then stuffed with spicy shrimp and finished with jalapeno sour cream. Pork empanadas with homemade masa dough stuffed with slow roasted pork, fried and topped with mango red chili sauce and these were only the appetizers. I enjoyed a quesadilla with mango duck; duck braised in mango and red chilies stuffed inside a garlic herb tortilla with assorted cheeses, onion, red bell peppers, Anaheim and poblano chilies and topped with that delicious mango red chili sauce. Jerry had the mahi mahi fish tacos marinated in lemon and cilantro sauteed and folded inside grilled flour tortillas with red cabbage, pico de gallo and lime cilantro yogurt, served with black beans and Oaxacan rice. I had to indulge and have the tres leches cake; traditional Mexican white cake soaked in three milks and finished with whipped cream frosting and drizzled with caramel sauce.
One evening we went to Two Below Zero in Frisco and had an old-fashioned sleigh ride with beautiful mountain snow views traveling through the Peninsula Recreation area down scenic trails. They offered a dinner ride, but Jerry and I opted for the hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps and music ride. When we arrived at the "tent" we were greeted by our hosts and musical entertainment for the evening. The tent (looked like a tent cabin) was festooned with Christmas splendor, had a nice warm fireplace and cozy tables and chairs. Our entertainment was David Peel who apparently at one time sang with the Kingston Trio. He was very enjoyable, personable and a good singer. He sang Christmas songs and country songs for about 1 hour. Then we got back on the sleigh and wound our way back in the moonlight which was very romantic being snuggled next to my husband in a warm cozy blanket.
I have tried to create a few of the recipes we dined on in Breckenridge and I hope you enjoy them. This dining experience really got my creative ideas flowing. Oh and yes, we are in diet mode after all that good food we ate.
Spinach Tortellini with Garlic Cream Sauce
1 bag spinach tortellini (I didn't feel like making my own)
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 Tbl. butter
2 shallots, finely minced
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
6 strips thick cut bacon or prosciutto, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
6 scallions, thinly sliced including green part
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg freshly grated
Italian parsley, chopped
Boil the spinach tortellini in salted water until al dente, this just takes a few minutes. Drain, drizzle with a little olive oil.
In a large deep sided saute pan, add bacon or prosciutto and cook until crisp. Remove to paper towels and drain well. Wipe out pan and add add olive oil and butter. Add shallots and garlic and cook until tender, but not brown, add white wine and reduce. Add scallions and whipping cream, and reduce for a few minutes. Add spinach tortellini into pan and heat through a couple of minutes. Add bacon or prosciutto and cheese, gently mix - taste and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove to platter and sprinkle on extra cheese and parsley.
Macadamia Nut Crusted Tuna with Vanilla Parsnip Puree
4 (8 oz) Ahi tuna filet's
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 cup Macadamia nuts, chopped
Rub fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add chopped nuts to a plate and press each fillet into the nuts on each side. Add 2 Tbl. olive oil in saute pan and add fish. Sear on each side - about 15 seconds for rare, 30 seconds for medium rare. If you like your fish well done, start with a lower temperature and cook until desired doneness. Once you have turned the fish over, do not turn again.
Vanilla Parsnip Puree
2 lbs. parsnips peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (you could use vanilla bean if desired, it will give a stronger flavor)
1/2 stick butter, soft
4 Tbl. cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup whipping cream
Cook parsnips in salted water for about 25 minutes or until tender and drain well and allow to dry out. In a saute pan, add butter, cream cheese, whipping cream and vanilla until warmed through. Add parsnips to food processor and add cream mixture a little at a time, blend parsnips but don't overwork or they will become gluey textured. You want a nice puree.
Chicken Stuffed with Herb Goat Cheese with Poached Figs
4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) pounded to about 1/2-inch
6 oz. goat cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 tsp. Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1 egg, beaten and mixed with 2 tsp. water
1 cup panco breadcrumbs or use all purpose flour (depending on the texture you want)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a oven proof saute pan, add a little butter and olive oil. In a bowl, mix the goat cheese with oregano, lemon zest and rosemary. Place the pounded breasts on work surface, season with salt and pepper and add equal parts of cheese mixture to each breast. Roll each breast similar to a burrito and secure with toothpick. Roll the breasts in beaten egg then into breadcrumbs. Using tongs, brown chicken on each side in saute pan, then place pan in oven for about 15 minutes. Remove to cutting board and let rest a few minutes. You can either serve whole or slice each breast on diagonal. Place on serving platter and drizzle over the figs in port wine sauce. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and parsley.
Figs in Port Wine
1 cup ruby port
4 slices lemon
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey
10 Black Mission figs, halved lengthwise
In saucepan, combine water and sugar bringing to a boil. Add port, lemon slices, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Add the figs, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove lemon, cinnamon and vanilla bean.
Pork Tenderloin Glazed with Hoisin Sauce
2 lb. pork tenderloin, remove any fat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 scallions, sliced on diagonal including green part
sesame seeds, lightly toasted (garnish if desired)
Glaze
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (I like Sambal Oelek)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the tenderloin evenly with sesame oil, rub on 5-spice and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the hoisin, chili garlic sauce, & garlic together. In a large saute pan, add pork and brown on all sides. Place the browned meat on a non-stick roasting pan and baste with some of the glaze. Cook in oven for about 45 minutes, continually glazing until thermometer reaches 155 to 160 degrees. Remove from pan and cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and slice at an angle. Place on platter and sprinkle with sliced scallions and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with jasmine rice and snap peas.
Crisp Potato Cakes
3 cups grated raw potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 small onion, finely minced
Tabasco, to taste
oil for frying
Grate potatoes in bowl, add enough water to cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain well and place potatoes on paper towels to remove excess moisture. In a bowl, beat eggs, add flour, salt, pepper, parsley, Tabasco and onion and fold in potatoes. In a very hot non-stick pan,heat 1/2-inch of oil, heat and add 1/4 cup of potato mixture. Brown on both sides for about 4 minutes, remove to paper towels, dust with salt again and serve immediately. These can be served with dollop of sour cream, chopped chives, smoked salmon, caviar, salsa, pesto, fresh dill or left just plain. No matter how you enjoy them they are delicious.
Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad (with roasted butternut squash, feta cheese and mustard vinaigrette)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 cups baby spinach leaves
Frisee lettuce (I love adding this to any salad, it's one of my favorites so if you like it use it)
1 butternut squash
pure maple syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grape tomatoes, sliced in half or left whole
1 cup goat cheese
dried cranberries
Mustard Dressing
2 Tbl. Dijon mustard
2 Tbl. parsley, chopped
3 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
In a shaker bottle with lid or use your food processor, add dressing ingredients and shake well until incorporated. Taste and adjust flavorings.
For squash; preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top and bottom off squash and either with paring knife or vegetable peeler remove skin. Cut in half down middle and remove seeds. Slice into 1-inch chunks and place on baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with maple syrup, tossing to combine. Roast for about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove and cool slightly.
Rub chicken breasts with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or saute in pan until done about 15 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes and slice on diagonal.
To assemble; place spinach on a platter, add Frisee, add chicken breast slices, tomatoes, roasted squash, and cranberries. Add crumbled goat cheese and drizzle over dressing.
Haricot Vert Almondine with Brown Butter
1 lb. haricots verts
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brown Butter
1/2 stick unsalted butter
salt
1 lemon, zested
For the beans; heat a large pot of boiling salted water. Trim and clean beans. Cook beans for about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately drain and pat dry, place on platter and pour over browned butter. Serve immediately. For butter; place butter in saute pan and cook until butter has browned and is nutty smelling. Skim off any foam. Remove from heat and let cool for a minute, add pinch of salt and lemon zest.
Duck Quesadilla with Mango and Red Chili Sauce
4 large flour tortillas
3 boneless duck breasts with skin
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 scallions, sliced including green part
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 mangos, seeded, peeled and sliced (drizzle with fresh lime juice to prevent browning)
For Sauce - (this sauce is from an my sister-in-law Valerie in CA, and I just added the mangos to it)
3 dried Ancho chilies
water
3 cloves garlic
2 black peppercorns, crushed
salt to taste
1 Tbl. honey
1 mango, seeded and chopped
For sauce; open up each chili and remove stem and seeds. Heat large saute pan on medium and flatten out the chilies and place in skillet to heat. Press down for a few seconds, then turn over, DO NOT BURN THEM. Add chilies to small saucepan and cover with boiling water let sit for 15 to 20 minutes until soft. Remove chilies from pan and place in blender with garlic, salt, pepper and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Puree for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add mango, honey and puree again until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Pour sauce through sieve into a saute pan, add 1 Tbl. of olive oil and bring to simmer and reduce for 15 minutes. Skim off any foam. Use right away or place in glass jar and refrigerate.
For duck; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paring sharp paring knife, score the duck breasts about 1/4 inch. Brush duck breasts with red chili mango glaze. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Heat some oil in pan and sear duck skin side down for about 4 minutes until crispy. Turn and sear other side for about 4 minutes. Transfer duck to oven glazing again with sauce and roast for 7 to 9 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before thinly slicing.
To assemble; place tortillas on work surface, on one half side add some cheese to each tortilla. Add slices of duck and drizzle with a little of the sauce. Add scallions, cilantro and mango slices, fold tortillas in half. In a large flat bottomed pan, add some butter and place folded tortillas in pan. Lightly brown on each side and melt cheese. To serve; remove to cutting board and slice into sections, drizzle each piece with a little more sauce then serve. Serve with pureed black beans, and Mexican rice.
Finally to Desserts
Cranberry Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise
1 loaf of challah bread
1 Tbl. orange zest
6 eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (don't have them, use dried)
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. In a 13x9 or similar baking dish lightly grease with butter. Add half of bread to dish, sprinkle over 2/3 of cranberries and orange zest. Cover with remaining bread, and cranberries. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla, pour over bread/cranberry mixture, slightly pressing down and let stand for about 15 minutes. In a large roasting pan (big enough to fit bread pudding pan with extra room around sides) place bread pudding pan. Place in oven and add about 2-inches of boiling water to roasting pan, careful not to spill any in bread pudding. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffed up and lightly golden brown. To check for doneness insert knife or skewer in center and if it comes out clean it's cooked. If it needs more time, loosely cover with foil and continue baking. If you find it's becoming too brown during baking, gently cover with foil. Carefully remove pudding to cooling rack.
Creme Anglaise
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 strips of orange rind
4 egg yolks
In a saucepan scald milk and cream, then add vanilla bean and orange rind. Remove from heat and let come together for about 10 minutes, then remove vanilla bean and orange rind. In a bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar and salt until light pale yellow. Temper the egg mixture into the hot milk/cream mixture and return to heat, stirring constantly until thickened (DO NOT BRING TO BOIL). Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and place bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice (ice bath) to stop cooking process. To serve; dish up a scoop of bread pudding into pretty serving dishes and drizzle over creme anglaise. You can zest some orange zest over creme if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Tres Leches Cake with Caramel Sauce
Mom's Caramel Sauce (my mom Dorothy)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
In a heavy saucepan add sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Swirl the pan until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear. Do not stir, this is important. Next, bring mixture to a boil swirling pan again every few minutes until you see it start to change color. When the liquid has become deep amber colored, remove pan from heat and pour in whipping cream. It will bubble. Place the pan back over low heat and stir (yes, now you can stir) until the caramel had melted and is light brown. Remove pan from heat and add vanilla and salt.
Tres Leches Cake - (the first time I tried this was when I moved to S. CA in the late 70's and a friend invited us to dinner and served this)
Cake
5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar (divided into 3/4 and 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
Milk Syrup
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Garnishes; 2 cups whipped heavy whipping cream, the caramel sauce and fresh fruit such as; strawberries, blackberries, sliced mango's, raspberries if desired. For cake; Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9 baking pan. In a mixer bowl, beat 3/4 sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Fold in milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder. In another bowl beat egg whites to soft peaks, add cream of tarter then gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until whites are glossy and firm. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Pour this batter into baking dish. Bake about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. When cake is completely cooled, gently pierce cake all over top with a skewer to absorb milk syrup. For the syrup; combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream and vanilla in mixing bowl. Whisk until blended and slowly pour over the cake until all is absorbed. Refrigerate cake. To serve; whip heavy whipping cream, adding a little powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Spread whipping cream over refrigerated cake then add drizzle of cooled caramel sauce. You can add berries if desired.
Bon Appetit
Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I obey your word
Psalm 119:67
