Aprons Required

Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Chowder - LOW CARB!

2016-05-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

What is this???

Yeah.....the sight of that got me, too! SOUP!!! And I love soup!! With BACON! And CHEESE!

I found the recipe on Facebook and couldn't resist clicking on the link that took me to the blog of Iowa Girl Eats.... and the recipe for this lush soup. Meant to be a replacement for Potato Soup, it seems more like a rich, cheesy rice casserole to me.....but in soup form! Yeah....no?

I did alter the recipe just a tiny bit.....don't I always? I started by cooking my bacon....I used 5 slices. Why? Because!

Beautiful, huh? So, while the bacon was frying, I used my mini food processor to chop up two celery heart stalks (change...recipe calls for one) and three green onions (change...recipe calls for onion powder, but I like the real thang).

Once the bacon was done, I poured out all but a tablespoon or so of the bacon grease, then threw in the celery and onion to sauté for about 3-4 minutes, then I threw in....CAULIFLOWER RICE!

Yes...I stalked Trader Joe's for two weeks before I finally asked the secret to finding this stuff on the shelf (fresh) or in the freezer case (organic, frozen). Yes...I'll tell you the secret, but don't take them ALL! The fresh is delivered at night and the frozen in the morning, so get there early! I don't do early, but I did for this stuff (yes, I should just make my own, but...I'm a busy girl!) Then I threw in the lush, chicken bone broth (yes, I make my own....in the crockpot!) and let it simmer for about 12-15 minutes.

Next? Another item I stalk Trader Joe's for.......their pantry friendly, heavy whipping cream! OMG, how I love this stuff! It's reasonably priced and it KEEPS ON THE SHELF! I used two of them.

Then I added about 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese...medium...not from Trader Joe's.

You could see this coming together so rich, and lush! I could hardly wait to eat this stuff....so, I did...I poured a ladle of it into a bowl and ate it...standing right there at the stove! Then I decided to try it garnished. I used the bacon and cheese as in the recipe, but I added chopped green onions.

Because I love them. On everything! And yes, it tastes just as delicious as it looks!

It does..... It really does! Guess what I'm having for lunch today!

Chicken with Red Pepper Sauce

2016-02-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a busy day and when I finally looked up, it was DINNER TIME! ACK! And I hadn't given a second thought to what I was going to make!

I had a huge pack of chicken breasts that I needed to separate and put in the freezer and I had some asparagus....grilled chicken and asparagus? Boring. Of course, my "go to", Pinterest, was where I went for ideas.....and up came a recipe for chicken with a red pepper sauce! Yes!

THIS is the recipe that liked best....mainly because I had most of the ingredients. But I never really follow a recipe and I make substitutions when I have to!

So, to start with I made cutlets out of the chicken, put salt and pepper on them and cooked them in my AMAZING grill pan (because it was freezing outside and snowing!).

While those were cooking, I sautéed my onions and garlic. I used both yellow onion and green onion....because I love green onions, but felt it needed a little more flavor.

And while those were both cooking, I used my mini food processor to blend the sour cream, cream cheese, white wine and roasted red peppers (there's my substitution....but I had a whole jar of them and I love the roasted flavor...and it's quick!).

Once the onions and my mixture were done, I added them together and let it cook down a little.

Meanwhile, I roasted my asparagus that I had tossed in a garlic infused olive oil. Once everything was done, I poured the sauce over the chicken, plated it all and.....yummmmm!

More green onions on top.......did I tell you how much I love green onions??

In hindsight, I wish I had used the Vitamix to blend the sauce ingredients.....while I loved the red pepper chunks, I just think it would have been a little prettier.....next time! But this was really a quick and easy way to make a cream red pepper sauce! I think it would be amazing over pasta, shrimp, and roasted vegetables! Let me know if you try it!

I Scream...for Low Carb Ice Cream!!!!

2014-06-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've been away for longer than I thought! Let's just say, "I've been busy..." and leave it at that!

I'm still busy, but I'm busy and I miss blogging...so, here's the latest obsession of mine....low carb ice cream!

I had my first of this when my BFF, Melinda, made some for me up at the cabin one weekend.....it was SO delicious!!! We did notice that her recipe was less sweet the more frozen it was, so I thought about it and here's my adaptation of her recipe....

For the base I use 8 eggs, 3 cups of half and half, 2/3 cups of Splenda, 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

I started by separating the yolks from the whites....I've seen this done a lot of different ways, but I just put the whole egg in my hand and allow the whites to just fall off!

Do what you want with your egg whites....I pitch them.

The next thing I do is add 1.5 cups of the half and half to the eggs....

...and mix!

Then add the vanilla....

Then the Splenda (or whatever sweetener you prefer).

Meanwhile, I heat the remaining half and half just until you see the smoke start to rise off of it....not too much or it will curdle! Then add a few tablespoons, one at a time, in order to temper the eggs and not cause them to cook or separate.

Then I add the rest, mix well and put it back on the stove on medium low and stir and stir......

...and stir until it begins to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon....like this...

For this batch, I melted a stick of butter and let about a cup (more or less, if you like) of pecans...

....then added them to the egg/half and half mixture and set the pan into an ice bath...

Once it's cooled to room temperature, I put it into my Cuisinart ice cream machine....

...and let the magic begin....

After it started to get really thick....you can tell when it's ready because it STOPS getting thicker...then I put it into a tightly sealed container and put it in the freezer.

And then I stalked the freezer until it was frozen enough to eat.....

...and then I did......eat it....

And then I made chocolate...

And now my life will never be the same again.....

To Tahini or Not to Tahini

2013-03-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

I love hummus....but some of them out there just seem a little d r y. So I decided to try something I saw somewhere...yea, I have NO idea where I saw this, but it stuck in my head. Typically only weird stuff sticks...not important things such as where my keys are, what day of the week is it...umm...what month?

Anyway....I saw this recipe for an eggplant dip that reminded me of hummus. So, I started off with these ingredients....

Yep...no Tahini, hence the post title! I didn't have any and it was raining outside....really raining. I didn't miss it, but try it if you have some and let me know how it tastes!!

So...I cut up the eggplant into cubes and roasted them in the oven....with the garlic!

Yea, I agree....roasted the garlic was the a great idea. If I'm roasting anything that's going to have garlic in it/on it, it goes into the oven WITH it. It's a no brainer, right?

I drained the beans, then put them in my mini food processor and "whizzed" them.

Then I put the roasted eggplant and garlic into the processor with the lemon juice and parsley and "whizzed" them..

Add the two together..........and VOILA!!!

I'm telling you, the eggplant made all the difference in the world! It made it so much more silky....moist and full of flavor. As much as I enjoy hummus, I'd take a tablespoon of this over a gallon of hummus. Of course, then I'd go into the kitchen and make some more!

I hope you try it!

Carrabas Chicken Bryan

2013-02-13T18:31:00.001-08:00

I tend to eat a bit on the "low carb" side of things. I LOVE bread....but it doesn't love me back. I've tried to ignore that, but sometimes I give in.

When life is busy and I don't have time to cook something up and I'm in the mood for something delicious while sticking to my low carb intentions, I go to Carrabas.....yes, their bread is a m a z i n g, but I can give up the bread knowing everything else in my meal will be awesome! What do I get??? The chicken trio! And MY favorite of the three is.........drum roll, please........Chicken Bryan!!!

I love it for many reasons...but mostly because it has GOAT CHEESE on it! I've searched far and wide for a good recipe and I found one that is close......but not quite right, so I altered it a bit.

I started by dicing up half of a pretty large shallot and three garlic cloves.

Then I melted two tablespoons of butter and sauteed the shallots and garlic.

Then I added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of white wine (I used a chardonnay). I let that simmer until it was reduced by about 80%. Then I added about tablespoons of butter and turned off the heat. The butter adds a silkiness to the sauce...if you continue to cook it, the milk solids will dissapate and it won't be as silky. It will still taste delish though! ;o)

Meanwhile I drizzled olive oil........screeeeeeeeeeeeeech...........wait....I didn't really use olive oil. This recipe calls for some sundried tomatoes...mine are soaked in olive oil....and yes, I used that oil. Why not? It's packed with flavor! Oh, and I've saved it for future tomato-ey recipes!

Now where were we? Oh....I drizzed some of the oil onto the chicken breasts, along with salt and pepper....

I got my grill pan (thanks, Shelby) nice and hot, then I seared both sides to get those nice grill marks!

Then I turned down the heat, added a little white wine, covered the pan with a lid and let it finish cooking. This added a little extra flavor, while keeping the meat moist.

Meanwhile, I was working on the toppings..........chopped basil, chopped sundried tomatoes and......GOAT CHEESE SLICES!!!!!

Once the chicken breasts were done, I put them on the plate and put the goat cheese slices on the top so they could begin to soften....topped that with the sundried tomatoes and the chopped basil, then poured over the sauce.........voila!

It really was delicious.........so delicious that I wish I had waited and made it for my Valentine's Day dinner!!! Because Valentine's Day is such a special day to me for many reasons, I eat only my favorite things on that day! I guess I'd better go now....I need to find something else to have tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day!

CYa!

I've Been Again.....

2012-11-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

.......to Bennigans!! This recipe is an old throwback to my younger days when I worked at Bennigans! I have to say that it was one of my most favorite jobs! I was a waitress and it was the first of the Bennigan's/Chili's/Applebee's type of restaurant....and every day at 5 pm the line of people wanting to get in was wrapped around the restaurant! The wait staff had to wear hats...and I had such a great time making and finding fun hats to wear. Oh....sorry.....back to the recipe!

They had two versions....Smothered Steak and Smothered Chicken. Both meats were grilled, topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, then covered in cheese and baked to bubbling perfection. It was one of my favorite things on our menu! I've seen a few recipes on the internet...most call for bacon...and I can assure you there was no bacon in these smothered dishes. This is the closest I've come to what I used to order almost every time I went in....that is, if I didn't order the nachos!!!

I had several chicken breasts that I'd bought at Harris Teeter (TIP: They are ALWAYS $1.99 a pound in the butcher's case...always). I sliced them into cutlets...

....sprinkled them with salt and pepper, then I put them into a hot grill pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. I cooked them long enough to get nice grill marks.

Then I set them aside in separate baking dishes and melted some butter in the pan and added diced shallots and mushrooms...

I sauteed them long enough to soften them, then added some Madeira wine...

...and let the alcohol cook off until it thick and bubbly...

...then I spooned them over the chicken......

....and topped it with Muenster cheese, which is mild, smooth and melts beautifully!

Then I put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes....just long enough to melt the cheese and get the buttery sauce bubbling around the edges.

It was delicious, served with roasted asparagus.....and a Vidal Blanc. Thanks for the memories, Bennigan's.....we miss you around these parts!

Roasted Tomato Soup....with Roasted Garlic!!!

2012-08-27T22:06:00.001-07:00

It's one of my favorite things about the month of July......it used to be my birthday, but that was a long time ago. Now it's those bright red fruit you find on the vegetable aisle....tomatoes!

When I was young my Dad grew at least 10 vines and my Mom made canned tomato sauces, tomato juice with them. Me? I liked the ones Dad called the "Big Boy".....that was the name of the tomato. One slice would fit on a slice of bread to ensure a taste in every bite! Tomato....mayonnaise......bread......yumm! If I wasn't in a hurry to taste it, I'd add lettuce and sometimes bacon! Mom liked her "open face" sandwiches....one slice of bread toasted with a slice of cheese and a slice of tomato........then cooked bacon once it was done. I need one of those....

But as the vines started slowing down production, we knew fall was around the corner and the first taste of fall was...................Momma's Tomato Soup!

I still make it now and then, although not as often as I'd like....but then I don't grow tomatoes anymore either....another story! But while I was at Harris Teeter the other day, I noticed huge bags of tomatoes on the clearance rack. There wasn't a thing wrong with them.....just more ripe than the others, so I thought.......soup!!!

I brought them all home and sliced them (I don't bother with skinning them, but you can)....drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on a baking sheet to bake at 375 degrees until them just start to brown.

This time I decided to add a head of garlic to the pan....I just drizzled some olive oil over it and wrapped it in some aluminum foil and set it in the corner!

Once the tomatoes were done l let them cool just a bit before putting them into the blender and squeezed the garlic out of the head.

I added them to the tomatoes in the blender.....

Wanna see?

Then whrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........easy peasy!

Next make sure you taste the soup.....depending on the tomatoes, you may need a little sugar or a little cream.....to tame the acidity. Mine needed cream.......

And then you eat it.........well, not before making it look pretty and taking lots and lots of pictures. OK, only four........

......and then I ate it..............

Next year I'm growing tomaotes...........

Dangling the Carrot.....

2012-06-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

I've always loved them......I've heard your skin will actually turn orange if you eat too many of them, but I don't know that to be true. I even think it has a name....carotenosis! No, really! Now that I'm on the Weight Watchers diet, I eat a lot of them.

The other day I saw a picture of some roasted carrots on Pinterest and I knew I had to have them! I read the recipe, closed the browser and this is what happened.

I washed and trimmed the fresh carrots (Harris Teeter has the young ones....with the tops still on, which keeps them fresher!).

In a separate bowl I mixed fresh garlic (3 cloves...or so), fresh thyme leaves (ummm....at least 1 tablespoon..maybe more), lemon zest (half a lemon.....no juice!), olive oil and dijon mustard (I prefer the good stuff...Maille...about 1.5 tablespoons!).

Now it's time to get your hands dirty! Dirty? Ain't nothin' dirty about anything with garlic in it...and mustard...and herbs....nothin'! Slap that stuff on top of the carrots.....

...and toss!

Then bake them at 400 degrees until they are baked golden brown....about 20 minutes. Fresh chopped parsley.....voila!

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Cabbage Roasted with Garlic/Olive Oil

These danged carrots!!!

Nice glass of Chardonnay.....your choice!

WINE-ing and DINE-ing.....

2012-06-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

We recently made a trip up to the cabin for a special open house at Chateau Morrissette....our fave place to go when up there!

We had a wonderful time....they had an amazing spread of foods made with their wines....we also enjoyed trying out some of their newest wines.

The we headed over to the restaurant to relax, enjoy the views and to enjoy some of their amazing appetizers. We typically grap a bottle or two of wine, some crackers and cheeses, then hang out on the veranda at the winery and sip, enjoying the views.

The dining at the restaurant is wonderful....and the wine is only slightly higher than buying it at the winery! And the food is ahhhhhhh...mazing (yea...no pics....we were busy eating!) I promise to get pics the next time we're up there!

Inside the restaurant is beautiful....

If the weather isn't so nice outside, the options for eating inside are awesome! You can sit at a high top and have a glass of wine with some appetizers, or melt in to the sofa in front of a blazing fire! There is also a huge dining room where they have all kids of great events, along with more intimate, cozy rooms that are beautiful!

There is also a beautiful terrace with the most beautiful view....but it was a bit windy the day were were there!

We were pretty stuffed, so we headed back to the cabin....we decided to have a pretty light dinner later on.....chicken with mango salso and baked zucchini and squash with red peppers and garlic.

We started off by making the salsa....we diced mango and green onions. Then we added tomatoes, cilantro, and chili powder...

Meanwhile, we had a couple of bottles of Our Dog Blue chillin' in the freezer, the perfect pairing for our dinner!

Melinda was busy with our side dish, which was layered zucchini, squash, garlic and red peppers, salted and peppered and roasted in the oven.

Meanwhile, I grilled the chicken on my new grill pan. They had been marinated in garlic, lime zest, salt, pepper and olive oil.

It was quite a colorful meal, but after a day of tastings (wine AND food), we needed something light. It was the perfect way to end a perfect day in the Virginia mountains...with my two best friends!!

The only bad part was having to leave.....

My Favorite Go To - Herb Crusted Salmon

2012-04-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite places for lunch is the Nordstrom Cafe....I've never had anything there that wasn't delish! But one of my fave's is the Salad Nicoise with Salmon! Ever since the first time I had it, I've obsessed over it. I went through ALL of my Nordstrom cookbooks (which are awesome, by the way) and I couldn't find the recipe! Then one day I had a brainstorm.....I looked at their recipes for SALMON........and THERE is was! Now go figure!

So today I ran into a friend at the grocery store and I mentioned I was making this salmon....it seems I'm not the ONLY one who loves this salmon! I promised I'd send the recipe....only one problem....I don't follow recipes.....uhhh....I have NO recipe!

So, that meant I had to "blog" about it (<<>>)! I love my blog(s) (yes, plural).....only I'm a late life business bloomer and I'm busier now that I have ever been, hence no time to blog. But this time I promised.

So, I had my favorite lady at the Farm Fresh counter cut me a beautiful piece of salmon....

When I got home, I rinsed it, blotted it dry with paper towels, then used my boning knife (or any danged knife that will cut!) to remove the skin.

The next thing you do is spread on some mustard.....BUT....not just any old mustard......MAILLE mustard...the best mustard in the world.

Well, my world anyway. It's French, so you know it's amazing. There is the traditional and there is the whole grain. I typically used the traditional...but while at Shelby's we used the whole grain and it was awesome!

The next step is to chop up the herbs for the "crust". I normally use basil, oregano and thyme, but you can use ANY combination of the three, in addition to rosemary. I also add some parsley.

I make sure to dice extra.....this herb combo is the best and can always be stored......

because it is wonderful on chicken, beef or even in a nice vinaigrette..and it keeps for quite a while!

Once you have the herbs chopped, you sprinkle them over the mustard that you have slathered onto the salmon.......

..The next thing I did was prep my veggie of the night....asparagus.....my fave....my vegetable weakness. And I'm always happy that most people thing that the tiny thin ones are the best...because they leave the fat, buttery meaty ones for me.....

They are so delicious that I do very little to them before "grilling" them. I just drizzle a little olive oil over them and sprinkle them with truffle salt, the most expensive stocking stuffer I've ever purchased....

Then I grill them.....well, kinda......actually we're out of propane! BUT.....my girl taught her Momma something....grilling on the stove! Whooda thunk! I have never grilled on anything except a grill....and we are GRILLERS. We have multiple grills.....gas, electric, ancient...you name it, we have it. But we're into quick tonight, so I yanked out the grill pan that Shelby recommended (and I bought under her watchful eye!)....and I p-grilled my asparagus...

Meanwhile....my salmon is in the oven (my small Breville oven....because, after all, there's only the two of us!).....

cooking at 375 degrees for approximately 12 minutes (based on size of fish).....

As always, the salmon was delicious....the asparagus was especially delicious because it is, after all, the spring.....and asparagus is ALWAYS best in the spring!

The only thing that has ever bothered me about cooking any kind of fish at home is the smell.....sometimes fish smells like....well....fish! Salmon typically isn't smelly...unless it's bad...and in that case, don't eat it! But if you're wondering what the candlelight was in the background....it was my answer to "smells" from the kitche. It's a wide glass cylinder, filled with coffee beans....then I added three votive candles, lit. As they warm up, the coffee beans fill the house with that "first thing in the morning" smell. And I swoon......

This recipe is for you, Diane......please tell me you'll try it....and please tell me you'll let me know how much you love it!

We've Got Crabs!!!

2011-08-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about living on the water......is crabs! We live on a small creek off the intracoastal waterway, and the crabbing is amazing! Dennis usually has a pot off of our dock and then one or two off of the neighbor's bulkhead. Last night he put out 3 pots and by 4 pm today we had almost two dozen crabs!

In our area EVERYONE loves to gather around a picnic table and eat crabs, and I've been eating them for years......but I've never loved them more than I do now that I've learned how Dennis does his crabs! It's different that the way most do theirs....and it makes all the difference in the WORLD to me!

I always had extra paper towels next to me to soak up the yellow stuff.....I didn't like how it looked, what it reminded me of, nor the bitter taste it had. But Dennis gets rid of all of that BEFORE he cooks them!

He puts them all in his sink on the dock....then he plucks them up one by one.....

.....pulls off the top shell....

....then he plucks off the lungs......

Then he uses the hose at full force to clean out the insides.....the stuff that looks gross.....and tastes as bad.......

This is usually my job....or Shelby's if she's here. What cracks me up is how he lines them all up as they are being cleaned.....kinda like this:

He is also meticulous about how he arranges them in the pot....kinda like this:

He gets his pot of water, beer and vinegar going.....

....while he carefully layers them with Old Bay Seasoning.

Once the water/beer/vinegar starts boiling, he puts on the pot and cooks the crabs for just about 12 minutes.....almost ALWAYS they come out perfect, but I'm just not brave enough to put "always" and then yours don't turn out......umm....that's a disclaimer, I suppose.

But I will tell you that once they're done, they're delicious.....all of that beautiful white meat.....

.....and NO yellow stuff! Yummmmmmm............

Ceviche and Fish Tacos.......By Evan!

2010-11-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought.....the child that wouldn't try ANYTHING new....the one who only liked cereal, hot dogs, pizza, spaghetti and chicken (and yes, we told him ALL meats were chicken)....hated all things vegetable.....now will try anything....and wants to be a chef!!! I know!! Who WOULD have thought?

Evan has been anxious to show me his new found skills in the kitchen, so he came over one evening with his girlfriend, Emilia, to cook dinner with me. He was especially interested in making a ceviche....particularly a Peruvian style ceviche like the one we'd had at Side Street Cantina in Virginia Beach....but with Evan's own twist.

He started his slicing and dicing.....

Cucumber.....

The fish.....we chose tilapia....

Red onion and cilantro.....

and his twist.....avocado! He then juiced his limes...

Then added the vegetables, shrimp and fish for a good soak....just long enough to "cook" the fish....

It was delicious....in fact, it was so delicious that we just ate....no photos.....just eating...

To go with the Ceviche, Evan wanted to make Fish Tacos for us and we had plenty of fish, so why not? I helped out by making a Pico de Gallo with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and garlic...I also added a little chili power and a tiny touch of sugar.

Evan did the rest.....he prepped all of his toppings....

He sliced the fish, tossed it in melted butter and coated it with blackening seasoning.....then cooked it...

It was a rather simple dish, but what I enjoyed most was watching Evan prepare it.....he is precise in his intentions and movements....organized in his thoughts and actions.

He has a clear vision of how he wants his dishes to look and taste, but his real joy is sharing his food....and hoping that it makes you happy....

....and it does....

So, was I surprised when he called me only a couple of weeks later to announce that he wants to be a Chef? No....not at all.....I'd been hoping he would figure that out for himself....and he did! I'm looking forward to watching him grow in this new realm! And I'm expecting some great things from him......food related and not. Note to Evan: I'm proud of you! Go and get what you want and deserve.....and keep the passion!

Product Review - Tyler Florence - Classic Pot Roast Sauce

2010-09-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

The fall happens to be my favorite time of the year....I love the colors, the weather, the holidays AND the food! Don't get me wrong.....I'm almost as exited in the spring with the anticipation of the warmer weather, beautiful flowers and the fresh vegetables to come! But there's something about the fall that just makes me a little bit more excited. I love cooking rich soups and thick stews.....and this is just the weather for it!

I was at the grocery store on Friday and found a beautiful, marbled roast beef and thought, "It's not quite cool enough.....but I can crank up the AC!!!". I threw it in the basket....then headed down the aisle to get my fave french onion soup mix (Mom's recipe....we've all had it!), and I saw on the shelf the name "Tyler Florence". If you know me, you know that he is one of my favorite chefs. If I'm planning to cook something, I always check out "Tyler's Ultimate" to see if he has made that dish before I move on.

So I grabbed the jar.....and it was Tyler Florence's Classic Pot Roast Sauce......

...I had to have it....and it would be perfect for that roast already in my basket. But then I'm just not a fan of ready made sauces....I really prefer to make them from scratch (although I've been known to buy ready made spaghetti sauce....and I have my fave....a different post!), but roast beef sauce? Oh well, it has his name on it....I'll try it!

I let Dennis taste it and he liked it, although I wasn't so sure. It didn't taste bad, but it did seem to have that "ready made" taste to it......oh well, I paid a pretty penny for it, I was going to use it....even it it ruined my beautiful, well marbled roast beef.

So, I salted and peppered one side of the meat, while heating olive oil in my Dutch oven....

...threw it in the pan, salt side down, then salted and peppered the other side.

I was looking for a really good sear because I knew that would definitely help this sauce to shine....

Yea....that's what I'm talking about!! Once both sides had a good crust on them, I pour the sauce over the meat, as directed on the bottle.

Ummm......make sure you stand back...and pour slowly.....

Yep....spot cleaner required!

As per the instructions on the bottle of sauce: "Add sauce, cover, turn temp down low; enjoy amazing aromas while it cooks." OK....I'll do that! While it cooked I went down to visit with a neighbor and when we came back......yep....the aromas were amazing! I was starting to have hope that this was going to be delicious after all!

The meat was starting to get quite tender, so I added my vegetables....

....carrots, onions and two week old celery. Yes, you heard that right! My celery had been in my refrigerator for two weeks! And no, it wasn't limp....it was just as crisp as the day I put it in the fridge! How you say? Well, wrap your celery in aluminum foil!

My neighbor, Carol, lives alone and there are only two in our household, so we sometimes buy something and split it.....and two weeks ago she handed me half of some celery she had bought...and it was wrapped in aluminum foil!! She explained that it would last much longer....and she was right! These are the kinds of tips you get when you talk about food all of the time!

Now back to the pot roast......was it at delicious as a sauce by Tyler Florence might promise? Yes....it was awesome....rich and thick.....and NO pre-made taste. It tasted as delicious and rich as Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon. Would I buy it again? Probably.....although it is a little pricey, it is delicious!

Although what I will probably do more often is try to duplicate his sauce.....the front of the bottle says, "Earthy Porcini Mushrooms Take Pot Roast To A Whole New Level"......so the next time I make pot roast, I'll add porcini mushrooms. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Do you have a favorite pre-made sauce?

Mussels In Red Sauce

2010-08-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, dear blog, I have missed you!!! It's not that I don't cook anymore.....or take pictures of what I cook either! It's just been a busy spring and summer in my mortgage world and I just haven't had a spare moment to spend time with you! But today I was determined to start emptying my picture files and filling yours up!

So, yesterday was a "Cola" day....and I did what I most love to do and visited my fave mall....MacArthur Mall in Norfolk! I visited all of my favorite stores and bought nothing! So, to soothe my woes and rest my feet, I stopped in at Kincaids for a glass of wine and a bite to eat. It was after 3, so I hit happy hour!! I had a glass of chardonnay and a bowl of mussels in red sauce.....and it was fabulous!!!!

On the way home, I stopped at Harris Teeter to grab some grub for the week and they had mussels for $3.99 a bag, so I decided to try to duplicate this recipe sometime this week! Well, Dennis saw the mussels in the fridge this morning and got excited, so I decided to try them today! Mussels two days in a row? Score!

I gathered my ingredients.....mussels (of course!), garlic (fresh!!!), basil (homegrown), onion, oregano (not fresh....mine didn't survive for some reason!), crushed red peppers,olive oil, red wine and San Marzano tomatoes (believe it or not, I'd never cooked with them before!).

I diced the onions (I guess it was about 1/3 cup)....

and crushed 6 cloves of garlic.

I heated my beloved dutch over, poured in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let that heat....then I added the onions and garlic and let them cook slowly, while stirring....just until they are softened. I then added about 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red peppers and let those flavors blend.

Next I opened the can of San Marzano tomatoes....(oh wow! They ARE fabulous!)....poured those in and let them warm up a bit...then I added about 1 cup of the red wine and let the sauce simmer on low for about 1/2 hour.

While the sauce was doing its thing, I did mine.....I cleaned and sorted through the mussels. Make sure you throw out any mussels that will not close when tapped and also scrub them well and rinse several times.

I also picked some fresh basil.....

....and diced into a chiffonade by stacking the leaves.....

....rolling them up.......

...and slicing them into thin strips.

Now back to the sauce.....I added the basil at this point....

..time to add the mussels.....

....and settle them into their warm bath!

I let them cook on a low simmer for about 10 minutes.....then I scooped them into a bowl and added minced fresh parsley....

....poured a glass of wine and savored every last mussel....ummmm....morsel!!!

I love mussels and typically make them with white wine, garlic, shallots and butter....but this was delicious!!! I'll make these again...and again...and again!

Quick and Classy Cassoulet

2010-04-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

The daffodils around the house are a stark reminder that warmer weather is around the corner,

although the nights are still pretty chilly! So, what comes to my mind? Food.......yes, food. Winter food is my favorite.....summer food is all about simplicity.....light dishes and lots of grilling, even though the winter doesn't stop us from that!

But I knew that time was running out for making my cassoulet and if I didn't make it soon, I'd be getting some strange looks from this guy that I live with! So, on what may have been the last cool day of the year I started cooking this one pot wonder at noon.....I cut the bacon (about 4 or 5 slices) into what the French call a lardon (hey, it's diced/cut up bacon, but you have to admit that lardon sounds much nicer....

either way, they look pretty much the same, although in France it isn't smoked.....but you try finding unsmoked bacon in Virginia! Hmm.....I think that could be against the law...maybe.

Anyway, while my bacon was frying, I started prepping my mirepoix, also known as a "holy trinity"......carrots, celery and onions (about a cup of each...or so)!

I lightly sauteed them with garlic (about 4 cloves)....

and set them aside, along with the bacon.

Next, it was time to prepare the meats. I used bratwurst (I used 5 links) and cut it into chunks...

....and browned it and set it aside.

Then I cut up boneless chicken thighs (I used 5 thighs) and browned them....

....at the last minute adding some leeks (I'm a Leek Lover!).

Once the chicken was browned, I added the sausage back in, a nice sized sprig of thyme and two bay leaves. Then I used about 1.5 cups of chicken stock and about a cup of brandy and let that simmer for about 15 minutes. This allows the alcohol to cook off, since this dish is covered for baking.

Next I added two tablespoons of tomato paste....

...and a can of diced tomatoes....

Then I added in the bacon....

Then I layered the vegetables on top of the meat mixture....

...then I layered on top of that 2 cans of cannellini beans....

....covered and put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 2 hours.

After two hours, take it out and uncover.

I used about 5 slices of fresh bread, some butter (I found FRENCH butter....awesome!) and chopped fresh parsley....I put the bread in the food processor and ground it until fine,

added the butter and parsley and mixed it until it held together when pressed.

and spread it on top of the cooked mixture,

then put it back in the oven until lightly browed. When I served it, I added chopped green onions, just because I like the freshness....

We really enjoyed this dish and it just as delicious as leftovers! Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

2010-03-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

San Antonio, Texas is one of my favorite places to visit....and now my beautiful daughter, Shelby, lives there! The Tex-Mex food I've had there is wonderful! A few years ago I had an opportunity to visit on a company trip and I took a cooking class at Aldacos Sunset Station with Blanca Aldaco, the high energy owner and chef. The best part was we got to eat the same dish we were learning how to cook, the Chicken Enchiladas Verdes. Oh yea.....she also taught us how she makes Margaritas....from scratch!

Wanna know how I made them? Well, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs....I just like the texture and moistness of the thighs versus the chicken breats. But the quick/easy way is to buy a rotisserie chicken and use that! Ummmm......

First you salt and pepper the breasts, place on a baking sheet......

......baked them at 350 degrees until they were golden brown......

...then I shredded the meat using two forks.

While the chicken was baking, I made the verde sauce. A verde sauce is made with tomatillos....

Tomatillos are actually a fruit, but you can find them in the tomato section in the produce department. It is surrounded by a paper-like husk, which is easy to remove. But you will notice a stick feel to the skin.....just rinse them under running water....comes right off.

Put the tomatillos (about a pound), one quartered onion, 4 or 5 garlic cloves, 1 bell pepper, quartered, a jalepeno or serano pepper, diced, salt to taste and 1/2 bunch cilantro (optional) into water. Note: I didn't have any peppers, so I used a small can of diced green chiles, which I added after cooking everything else.

Cook them until they are tender.....

.......and set them aside to cool. Once they have cooled, put them in a blender or food processor....

and blend until smooth. At this point, I added just a little cumin, since I didn't have any cilantro on hand. Set the sauce aside and start assembling your enchiladas. Just put a bit of the shredded chicken into the tortilla (I use the flour tortillas).

Place them side by side in the casserole dish.

The recipe actually calls for covering them with the sauce, but I think it tends to make them a little more soggy than I prefer, so I cover them with the cheese first....

....then I covered them with the sauce....

...then I baked it at 350 degrees until they were browned and bubbly....

They were delicious.....but no way are they better than the ones I had at Aldacos.

\ It's now a tradition.....we go there everytime I visit San Antonio now. Now it's just as much for the unbelievable pear cactus margarita....

.....and the tres leches cake......

....which we dove into before I could even think to take a picture!

So if you're ever in San Antonio, make sure you venture off the Riverwalk just long enough to go to Aldacos Sunset Station to try the chicken enchiladas, the cactus pear margarita and the tres leches cake......or make them yourself! They're fun to make and more fun to eat!

What's For Dinner?

2010-02-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

If you haven't yet tried this recipe for pork loin, you're really missing out on something! It's absolutely my fave pork recipe and it's always a "go to" recipe when I don't have a clue what I'm going to fix for dinner. Well, last night was one of those nights! It was the last day of the month, which is always a busy time for mortgage bankers. I realized around 4 o'clock that I hadn't taken anything out for dinner.

Phew.....back in the back of the freezer was a pork loin! Voila! Dennis did the butterflying of the loin....like this:

I filled it and covered the top with the stuffing and placed it in the baking dish. Then I surrounded it with cut red potatoes that I had tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper. I added a few of the thyme sprigs and baked it in the oven.

I decided to make cabbage to go with the pork and potatoes....one of my favorite meat/vegetable combinations.....and I love cabbage!

My cabbage cooking technique comes from a dear friend and colleage, Tammy Long, a Realtor with Rose and Womble. She is a fabulous cook......she entertains alot and I can't imagine anyone turning down an invitation to one of her events....not only for the fun and warmth they add to their gatherings, but for the fabulous food!!! (I hope I have this recipe right!)

I start by chopping the cabbage...

and the garlic....

the tossing the cabbage with olive oil.

Add salt and pepper...

and saute' on medium until it starts to soften (sometimes I add a little water to help the softening process...it helps to steam the cabbage without it browning, which is yuk)...then add the garlic...

...and cook until done to your liking.

The pork loin turned out great! The new butterflying method worked so much better!

Dinner was wonderful! Thanks, Tammy and Dennis!!

And I Hay-ulped!!

2010-02-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

If you've been thinking that I cook everything from scratch, well then I've been misleading you....unintentionally, of course!

My work keeps me very busy from the time I open my eyes ....and sometimes until I close them! Sure, I take breaks to grab a bite, but many times I'm making a sandwich while talking to a client, and eating while doing data input. I do love when I have the time to make something new and adventurous for dinner, but the time to do that doesn't always exist. Often I find myself looking at the clock only to realize that I haven't planned anything, haven't taken anything out of the freezer, or haven't gone to the grocery store for dinner!

This happened just last night.....I had a Monday/Friday and it was 6 o'clock when I felt the rumble in my stomach....uh oh! But this time I was ready! I had gone to Harris Teeter the night before, and had a little time to browse the aisles, which is rare (I'm usually a get in, get what I need, get out kinda girl). I happened to notice something I hadn't seen/thought of in many, many years.....

Shake 'N Bake!!! I remember when this stuff first came on the market....I guess I was around 10 or 11....and my Mom thought it was the greatest invention ever! I think it was originally produced for pork chops.....they were delicious. That's about all I really remember, other than that commercial with the little girl helping her Mommy make dinner, exclaiming, "It's Shake 'N Bake, and I helped (pronounced hay-ulped)". Of course, I looked everywhere for that commerical on the internet....no luck. There were a few in YouTube, but this was my favorite:

Anyway, let's get back to dinner last night....I made Chicken Parmigiana....with Shake 'N Bake! It was quick, easy and delicious!

I used some chicken cutlets that are pre-sliced and cleaned....put them in the bag with the SNB mix, then put them on a parchment lined baking dish and let them sit for about 20 minutes.

This helps the coating to adhere well. (TIP - it's a pain to get parchment paper to lay flat on the baking sheet - just wet it first and it will stay flat)

While they were setting up, I started my sauce. Yep....premade sauce! My favorite is Harris Teeter's brand - Traditional. But I add a few things that the shelf sauces just don't have.....more garlic (I love Gourmet Garden's tube herbs-the garlic is delish!), more oregano and basil and red wine. I let this simmer while I prepared everything else.

I baked the chicken at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then topped them with mozzarella cheese and broiled that for about a minute or so...just long enough for the cheese to melt. Then I put the chicken over pasta, topped with my sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Before

After

It was delicious...and much more so than ordering take out pizza or Chinese food...and it was quick and easy! Seeeeee......I'm not a fancy cook, really I'm not. I just love to spend time in my kitchen and I love trying new recipes.....and I love ingredients, whether they are quick and easy or dishes made from scratch!

Shrimp Shrimp.....

2010-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

.....oh wait....with a side of lobster!

The other day I walked into the kitchen to find one of my favorite cookbooks on the counter opened to a shrimp recipe. " Hmmm.......guess this is what he wants me to make with those shrimp that are defrosting in the sink.", I thought. Then he walked in and said, "This is what I'm making for dinner tonight.". What??? Did I hear you correctly?? YOU are making dinner? Really? Wow! That's awesome!

I left the kitchen and he later appeared with my delicious dinner! We both enjoyed it, but as we always do over a plate of food, we critiqued it....add a little this or that. And since there were quite a few shrimp left, he decided to make it again a couple of nights later.....and this time I was there to document it for the blog!

I became his sous chef for the evening, doing all of his prep work. I gathered all of the ingredients that were listed in the recipe, plus the two we'd decided to add (more on that later).

Since there wasn't quite enough shrimp, and we had a lobster tail leftover from Valentine's Day, I chopped it up and added it to the shrimp I had peeled and deveined. I also juiced the lemon, diced the green onions, shredded the parmesan

and minced the garlic!

Once everything was prepped, Dennis came in and set up his work area.....

...ummmm....yeah.....he prepped the drink! He heated the pan and added his olive oil....then put in the shrimp and lobster...

....and sauteed them until just before they were done.....then he added the garlic, lemon juice and green onions.....

Ummm.....took a sip...or two....

...added salt and pepper, then cooked until done...

He then added the butter and allowed that to melt, poured it over hot pasta and topped with the grated parmesan cheese...

It was delicious and it took only about 20 minutes from prep to finish!

The recipe is from the Williams Sonoma "Fish" cookbook and is as follows:

Shrimp Sauteed with Lemon and Garlic

4 tablespoons of olive oil (Dennis found that he needed to add a little more)

1 1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (we had about a pound of shrimp and then added a small lobster tail, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 green onions, diced (we used more...about 4 or 5)

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley (we left this out)

1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 whole, fresh lemon)

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink on one side, about 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over with tongs, add garlic, salt, pepper to taste, toss. Then add green onions, parsley and lemon juice. Toss again and transfer to a warmed platter. Serve.

Our Variations: We added about 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter at the end of cooking, poured it all over hot pasta, then topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Quick, easy, delicious.......VOILA!

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of Alton Brown's Good Eats! Although I watch alot of the Food Network's chefs, he is one of my all time favorites. Most chefs walk you through the recipe while they make it, but Alton gives you the science and the history behind the dish....and he's funny!

Last week I happened to tune in to one of his older segments about classic recipes that aren't as prevalent anymore. This one was a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. I haven't had one of those in years! Dennis watched it with me and said it was also one of his old favorites, so we decided to make it over the "snowed in" weekend.

I started by boiling my eggs.....Alton used an electric coffee pot, which keeps the water under a boil and doesn't overcook the egg. I don't HAVE an electric coffee pot....and I sure wasn't going to buy one just to make boiled eggs. So, I used my old standby way of boiling eggs.

I start by putting my eggs in cold water, then I bring it just to a boil....turn it off, take it off the burner and cover the pan.....

....then let it sit for 15 minutes.

While the eggs were "not boiling", I prepared my spinach....

I listened to Alton on this one and bought the bunched spinach.....I usually buy either the loose or the bagged. I wasn't so happy with my spinach. That's a huge bunch, and I barely got enough for two salads...either it was yellowing or it was gooey. I cleaned what I managed to salvage by putting it in a colander and tossing is under water....

....then I laid it out on a clean dish towel.....

Since I don't have a salad spinner (is that a foodie sin?), I pulled up the four corners and did the "airplane" with my arm (aren't you glad I don't do video?) so they would be nice and dry. It worked....a little....I still had to pat them a bit to make sure they were good and dry.

Meanwhile, I had four slices of bacon baking in my "baby oven" at 400 degrees until they were crispy.

Then I crumbled them and hid them....otherwise someone I know would have scoffed them up before I could finish the salad!

Now that all of the components were ready (eggs peeled and sliced, too), I started my dressing. Alton says to use 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease....what? I don't have that much....I used center cut bacon! Sooooo, I scraped what I had out of the pan and into a saucepan on low heat. I had about 1 tablespoon.....then I added 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and whisked that in, followed by 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (Maille, of course)...whisked all of that together. Hmm....I really needed the other two tablespoons of bacon fat. Oh well....I just added 2 tablespoons of olive oil and whisked it in...tasted.....yes! Crisis averted.....even when I try to follow a recipe, I can't!

While the dressing is still warm, I poured it over the spinach leaves and tossed. Then I put them in the salad bowls, added the eggs, bacon and sliced red onion...salt and pepper and VOILA!

It tasted just like I remembered...delicious.

Of course, now that I'm writing this post and reviewing Alton's recipe, I realized I forgot the mushrooms....yes, he sliced and added mushrooms. Oh well....we didn't miss it, so I'll just add them the next time, which I'm sure will be soon!

I Dream of Snow Cream!!!

2010-01-31T13:47:00.000-08:00

Even the slightest hint that we might be getting snow will remind me to check the pantry to make sure I have condensed milk....and that goes as far back as I can remember. My mom always made snow cream when there was enough snow. Sure, I remember the old saying that you should only use the second snow of the season, but I just can't figure that out. Then again, it's rare for us to get a "first snow" that will offer enough to make the rich, delicious stuff, so I'm not going to put myself through the torture of having to wait for a second fall.

Of course, you want to get your snow from the deepest area possible....snow had drifted on our deck, so that was perfect! Scrape off the top layer...then gather your snow.

Generally, you'll need twice as much snow as the amount of snow cream you want to make, but that really depends if you have a light snow, or a wet snow.

The only ingredients are condensed milk (no, not evaporated milk...), sugar and vanilla...and, of course, the snow.

There are some recipes on the internet that call for eggs, but I figure I'm taking enough risks eating the first fallen snow....better not take additional risks by eating raw eggs!

I start by mixing my ingredients, other than the snow. For this batch I used a half can of the condensed milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and about a 1/4 cup of sugar...

Mix the ingredients, then start adding your snow, a little at time, tasting as you go along. I think I used about 4 or 5 cups of snow...

.....and it yielded about 3 to 3 1/2 cups of snow cream....

.....and I ate it while I did this post.....yummmmmmmmm!!

There are alot of reasons why I love snow, but this one ranks right up at the top of the list.......

French Potato Salad - My Re-creation

2010-01-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

If you follow my other blog here, then you will recall the French potato salad that Dennis had while we were in Paris:

It truly was one of my favorite things that I ate in Paris....so different from any potato salad I'd ever eaten (what, no mayonnaise?).

So, after blogging about it, I decided it was time to do some research. As usual, I searched the internet for "French Potato Salad" and I search through my cookbooks......the one that sounded like it would taste most like what I tasted was the one from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Pommes de Terre A L'Huile or sliced potatoes in oil and vinegar dressing.

Of course, I changed it up a little....that's just how I roll. Instead of cooking the potatoes whole, as she calls for, I peeled them and cut them into slices.

I did this because I felt that I would get mmore evenly cooked slices. Then I put them in boiling salted water and cooked them at just below a boil until they were just barely fork tender. Once they are done, put them in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of vermouth (white wine is fine!) and gently toss them to cover. Let them sit while you make your dressing.

For my dressing, I used 2 tablepoons of red wine vinegar...then added 1 tablespoon of Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard.

...Julia's recipe calls for prepared mustard...yuck! Besides, it's clear from the picture of what we had in Paris that it's a whole grain mustard...and I just like the Maille brand the best.

Once I whisked those together, I added a little salt, then whisked in 4 tablespoons of olive oil (I used extra virgin, but I think the light olive oil or even vegetable oil might work a little better).

I then added chopped chives and peppercorns, drained my potatoes and prepared my plate!

It looks close enough and it tasted great....but we both agreed that it wasn't quite right! After we ate our dinner, I put the rest of the potatoes in with the rest of the dressing and left them on the counter. The longer they sat, the better they tasted! So, if you try this recipe, make them in advance and allow them to marinate.....it was as close as I could get to what we had in Paris. I'd also like to try adding more chives and pink peppercorns, instead of the red.

I'd love to hop a plane and go back and taste them again....but since I can't even remember where we ate, that's useless. I'll just stick with this recipe!

Running with the Devil......

2010-01-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

.....yes, I love Van Halen, but this post really has nothing to do with him....or that song. This is actually the finale to the "belated" birthday dinners. The request? Deviled Crab! I have to admit that the stuff I've seen in the little foil fake crab looking tins has never peaked my interest. Sure, I've eaten them, but I just don't remember eating them.....and usually that's a reason that I don't normally cook something.

Soooo, when he asked for Deviled Crab, I asked why. He didn't have an answer....it was just the first thing that came to his mind. So, since I was the one who forgot his birthday, I went along with it. I searched the internet and every cookbook I had for recipes.....it's just that they all seemed to be variations of regular crab cakes, but with bell pepper.

I have always loved bell peppers, but why eat the green ones, when you can have the beautifully ripe red ones....so that's what I decided to go with. And since I already had some roasted red peppers in the fridge.....done!

I got all of my ingredients together....diced onions, celery, garlic and the most beautiful crab I've seen in a while. It was unbelievably fresh for this time of year.

I started by sauteeing the onions and celery in a half olive oil and half butter, later adding the garlic so it wouldn't cook too much and become bitter. Then I added the peppers. I set them aside to cool.

Meanwhile, I combined mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, mixed well and poured that over the crab. Then I took two slices of fresh bread and ground it in my mini processor, then added all but about 4 tablespoons of it to the bowl.

Next add the celery, onions and pepper (called a Holy Trinity....at least it is with green peppers) and mix well. I put the mixture into my single serving baking dishes.

I then melted about a tablespoon of butter in the pan I'd cooked the trinity mixture in and added the breadcrumbs....then put them over the crab mixture.

I baked them at 350 degrees until the tob was golden brown and they were cooked through. We grilled asparagus that had been tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled.

It was a delicious dinner and he enjoyed it. So when I asked what he thought? "It tastes kinda like crabcakes!" I agree! But it was good!

Bon Appetit!

A l m o s t Parfaite (perfect)!!!!

2010-01-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

If you happen to follow my other blog, you might remember this.....

...this was the first dish Melinda ordered in Paris....braised endive with ham and a bechamel sauce with gruyere cheese! The only bad thing about it was that I didn't order it (AND I ended up with a cheese and ham omelet that was overcooked and had NO cheese!).

So, I've been dreaming of this dish since that day and I've been through every recipe in my cookbook gallery and on the internet. In the end, I decided to use a version of Julia Child's recipe, especially since I'm currently reading the "Julie/Julia Project" blog. Of course, "use" a recipe for me means that I'm going to use most of the ingredients and possibly the process.

Julia's recipe calls for 12 (yes, a dozen!) endives....she must have been cooking for quite a crowd! I bought 4....

....and sliced them in half lengthwise,

... melted butter in my pan and cooked them on medium high, just until they start to turn brown.

Then I added a half cup of vermouth and a half cup of chicken stock

and let that cook down until there was only a couple of tablespoons left in the pan. Meanwhile, I made a "round" of waxed paper, which will be used to cover the endive as they bake.

Remove the pan from the stove, cover the endive with the waxed paper and the lid to the pan, then bake at 350 degrees for one hour (I know....long time, huh?). Then you remove the pan, take off the lid (not the waxed paper) and cook for an additional half hour. When they come out, they look like this:

I couldn't resist eating one, even though I still had the bechamel sauce to make....

....it was delicious!

Next I rolled each one in thinly sliced ham....since I only had a few slices of deli ham, I wrapped the others in prosciutto. Then I started the bechamel sauce. You make a buerre manie, which is made by mixing together equal parts of softened (not melted) butter and flour, then add to the pan....

....heat the pan and allow this mixture to cook just for a minute or two, then add milk (I'll tell you now that I used half and half because I only had skim milk - mistake - should have used half of each of those because my sauce was just toooo thick!)...a little grated nutmeg, then allow to thicken. Then add grated gruyere cheese.

Pour over the ham and endive,

top with a little more cheese, then bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and brown on the top.

Although my sauce was a bit too thick, the flavor was there! I was immediately transported back to my first morning in Paris!

I will make this again.....

Hurry!!!! Chicken Curry!!!

2010-01-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm still making "belated" birthday dinners.....but I am getting there! The other day I realized I had some chicken breasts that had been in the freezer for a while and needed to cook them. I don't keep many meats in the freezer other than chicken and hamburger, although I will freeze steaks if I happen to get a great buy on my favorite cut (tenderloin...ahhh!), but I'm very careful to wrap them in plastic wrap very tightly and them place them in freezer bags.

Soooo.....back to the chicken breasts! I went through several of my cookbooks (I do have a few!) and was drawn to several chicken curry recipes. After having heard Dr. Oz say we should eat curry 2-3 times a week, I decided to start that day!

The first thing I did was slice my chicken into slices....it's easier to do if the chicken hasn't completely thawed.

Next I seasoned the chicken. I had seen a couple of recipes that called for seasoning with Garam Masala seasoning, which I had discovered a few months ago. I made some from scratch, but I have seen it in the grocery stores. Here's the recipe, if you want to make your own:

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)

Put all but the nutmeg and saffron into a dry, heavy skillet over medium low heat.....stir occasionally as they toast....about 10 minutes. Place them into spice mill, coffee grinder or food processor and grind to a powder, then add the nutmeg and saffron and stir. It keeps for about 3 months covered in an airtight container.

I used about 2 tablespoons of the Garam Masala, and tossed it to cover the chicken and set aside for about 30 minutes.

Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a hot skillet, then add the chicken and brown.

Set them aside and start to prep your vegetables. I used 1/2 large onion, sliced, and some beautiful multi-colored tomatoes I had bought for a salad which I cut in half. I also diced up 4 cloves of garlic and 3 medium sized red potatoes, diced.

OK....you noticed that there aren't any potatoes on that cutting board. Truth? It was a last minute thought....they were in a bowl on the counter and I couldn't resist cutting them up and throwing them in.....I wasn't sure they'd work too well, especially since I was putting all of this over rice. Argh....alot of starch! Soooo, I didn't take a picture....so I wouldn't have to tell you that it was a mistake. Now? It wasn't a mistake, but it wasn't fabulous either, although adding them did help to thicken the sauce.

So, back to the recipe.....I put the onion and diced/minced garlic into the pan with the drippings from cooking the chicken, just to soften.

Then I added a cup or so of chicken stock and the potatoes, along with a teaspoon of curry powder. (Hey look....I DO have a picture of the potatoes!)

While these were cooking (just too soften - be careful not to make mush out of the potatoes, which I do from time to time!) I made my saffron rice. You're most welcome to "google" saffron rice, but I've been making Mahatma's Saffron Rice for years! I'm not real sure my kids ever ate white rice, now that I think about it!

It's very inexpensive, easy to make....and so buttery delicious!

After the potatoes, onions and garlic have cooked, and the chicken broth has cooked down and thickened, add the chicken back to the mixture and toss...then add the tomatoes and toss lightly.

Once the tomatoes are warmed, put the rice on a plate or in bowl, top with the chicken mixture and VOILA (I love the French language, even if I only know a few words!)

This might seem like it's a time consuming recipe, but it really isn't. It's very quick to make and if you make plenty, you can have it again a day or two later....remember, Dr. Oz says you should have curry 2-3 times per week! I guess I need another curry recipe. I'll get back to you on that!