Diva Takes A Bite

Healthy Tasty Zesty Chili

2008-09-23T11:20:00.005-04:00

Yes folks, it's that time again it's AUTUMN!!! I love the Fall the only thing I don't like about Autumn is that it means Winter must follow. I don't care for wintertime, I guess I would enjoy winter a lot more if I didn't have to trudge out in the elements to try to get to a 9-5 everyday. Okay I'm soooooo far off of the subject. LOL!!!

Autumn means we can start making soups, stews and chili. I think you are really gonna like this recipe, it's low fat and high fiber. I'm really on a fiber kick as of lately, I think it's because I've finally learned about all of the benefits it has for our bodies. Anywho, this recipe has TONS of flavor a little heat for a kick and no guilt. I serve it over brown rice for a added benefit. When you guys try it let me know how it turned out for you.

1-2 lbs. of ground turkey (the leanest you can find, I used 93/7)

2 Tbls. of olive oil

1- 28 oz. can of Whole plum tomatoes

1- 15.5 oz. can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 medium onion (diced)

8 cloves of garlic (chopped)

1 Tbls. of Honey

1- 4 oz. can of tomato paste

2 tbls chili powder

1 tbls chili paste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbls worcestershire sauce

2 Bay leaves

Add one tbls. of olive oil to a large heated pot (medium-low) heat. Add the onion, stir and saute until onions appear translucent, add the garlic, turn the heat down to low. Saute the garlic and onions for 2 minutes more. Remove the onion/garlic mixture and place separate bowl.

Add the remaining olive oil to the pot and add the ground turkey, turn the heat back up to medium-low. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. Cook the ground turkey until done. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chili paste, tomato paste, honey, sauteed onion/garlic mixture, bay leaves and canned tomatoes including juice. Use the back of your spoon to break up the tomatoes. Place a lid on the pot and reduce heat to low to simmer, keep an eye on it and stir frequently. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the liquids reduce and you end up with a thick chili. Add the kidney beans and stir allow to simmer for an addition 10-15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve over brown rice, get ready for the flavor explosion. lol. Enjoy!

BTW- If you are not able to find the chili paste in your local supermarket you may want to try an asian food market or you can omit all together. But its sooooo worth it so you may want to track some down. I love chili paste in my soy sauce for dipping with dumplings. It has multiple uses, so at least you won't purchase it and it's hanging out in your refrigerator and only used for one recipe. I hate that! :-) Speaking of which I have an awesome Asian Dumpling recipe that I will be sharing with you. Look forward to that post.

Coming soon:

DIVA'S FAVORITE TREATS: In an effort to eat healthier I have found out that I need to have healthy snacks or treats to help me between meals. Beyond the regular fruit and veggies, which are great, but sometimes you just need a little more or just something different to add to the mix. Look out for it!

-Diva

Guess What Folks??? DIVA'S BACK!!!

2008-07-27T21:46:00.005-04:00

Alright, let me explain my absence, Diva is currently going through a transformation. I am in the process of becoming a healthier person, hence, my dishes and recipes are going through a transformation as well. You will be able to see my physical results by accessing my other blog divatakesitoff.blogspot.com (Coming Soon!!!).

Don't worry Diva still loves all of you and I need your support and comments. I have received quite a few comments asking me where I have been and why have I abondoned my blog. I would never abondon the blog. As you saw above about the blog transformation, you will notice lighter healthier recipe entries. I'm also on this high fiber kick so you may want to prepare your system for the change.

Look forward to some major changes!!! Thanks for sticking with me through the transformation. Diva loves you!!!

P.S. To my sister- The recipe you tasted is coming. I had to enter this post first, it will be done this week, without a doubt. To clue everyone else in, she tasted my Creamy Chicken Rigatoni it's a low fat and high protein recipe. I loved it and so did she.

Cheesy Veggie Quiche Recipe and Secret Ingredient

2008-04-16T16:31:00.005-04:00

All right folks!!! The pictures have been posted and now here’s the recipe. Oh, the secret ingredient is……………RICOTTA! It gives the quiche a fluffiness and creaminess that I absolutely loved. Okay, now on to the recipe:

It was sooooooo yummy!

1 Frozen pie crust, thawed and *blind baked
1 Tbsp of olive oil
1 Bunch of asparagus (10-12 spears) cut in 1-inch pieces
1- 10 oz package of frozen spinach (thawed and excess liquid squeezed out)
1 Bunch of scallions (5-7 stalks) thinly sliced
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup of half and half
¼ cup of ricotta (part-skim)
½ cup of yellow cheddar cheese
½ cup of white cheddar cheese
½ cup of Gruyere cheese
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, once the oil is hot add the scallions and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the asparagus to the skillet and continue to sauté. Cook until the asparagus is slightly soft (approx. 7-10 minutes). Remove asparagus and scallions from the heat and set aside.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat until well incorporated. Add the half and half to the eggs and beat with electric hand mixer for 1 minutes. (This is to add extra air to the mixture, extra air = extra fluffiness). Add ricotta cheese beat until well incorporated.

Fold in the remainder of the ingredients (asparagus, scallions, spinach, all the cheeses, nutmeg and salt/pepper. Combine well, pour mixture into blind baked piecrust. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the center of the quiche is set (non-giggly). <--- That’s a technical term LOL! *Blind baked simply means that the crust needs to be baked prior to adding any filling. It is to prevent the bottom of the pie from remaining undercooked or gummy. Yuck, I hate that!

Please be adventurous with this recipe. With the other quiches I prepared I substituted the veggies for meat and then made a combo of meat and veggies (which is my personal favorite) a.k.a. THE WORKS!

Additional instructions for THE WORKS:

For THE WORKS quiche I used in addition to the veggies, 4 oz. of ham (cubed), 3 slices of bacon (cut in 12 in pieces and cooked until crispy), 4 oz. of breakfast sausage (out of the casings, cook until browned). Add the veggies, meat and egg mixture all together and pour into blind baked pie shell.

-DIVA

Cheesy Veggie Quiche

2008-04-14T10:51:00.003-04:00

This weekend I made (3) separate quiches that seemed to be a hit. The first was a total meat quiche, the second was the cheese veggie quiche and the third was the WORKS (a combination of the other quiches)!!! Out of all three I enjoyed the WORKS the most. I wanted to get this post up now because my tasters need to respond, however the recipe will be posted tonight for all those who are interested. I have an extra special ingredient, so stay tuned for the recipe.

-DIVA

A GRAND ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2008-04-11T12:24:00.004-04:00

DIVA is having her first official group tasting!!!

How cool is this?!?! This is going to be the MOST fabulous event ever! I am so excited and can't wait to share this experience with my new tasters. I hope everyone invited is able to show up, because I handpicked this beta group for a reason.

A question may surface for my up-coming tasters, what exactly will be on the menu. Well!!! The menu has been created and has a lot of delicious componets including desserts and drinks. With a special shoutout to Roz because a special drink thingy has been inspired just for her.

But the tasing in general with be a spin on a tappas menu. Please know that the Diva flair with be there, it's always there. So it will not be a traditional tappas menu, don't expect chorizo or squid, think DIVA inspired. I know it's difficult because not many of you really know me, however it will be fantastic!

A note to my currents guests: Please contact me with ANY questions concerning the tasting or if you just want to talk to me to get to know the person that will be feeding you. :-) My contact information is located on the invitation.

I am currently formulating the list for my second tasting in May, if you are interested please let me know, there are only 5 slots left. There is a small nominal fee involved, however it won't break the bank, don't worry. (Hint: It's less than a fill-up at at the gas pump.)

The pictures from the tasting will be posted following the event.

Banana Pudding

2008-03-25T10:54:00.003-04:00

Here are the pictures as promised

I can't begin to describe how much I love this dessert (yes I can, see below). Mmmmmmm!

2 lbs of yellow bananas (no brown spots) sliced in 1/2 inch slices
2 (4-oz serving pkg) Cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
1 box of vanilla wafers
6 cups of milk
Deep baking dish, (I use a pyrex glass dish so you can see the layers) but be creative, a trifle dish would be awesome for this.

Prepare the pudding according to the directions on the box. Remove from heat. Line the bottom of your baking dish with vanilla wafers. Layer the bananas on top of the wafers. Pour the pudding on top just to cover the cookies. Repeat layers, end with a final layer of vanilla wafers and pour the remaining pudding over. Place in the refrigerator to set (at least 3-4 hours). Let's not be greedy trying to eat hot, crunchy banana pudding.

This recipe is soooooooooo stinkin’ easy!!! I believe it was one of the first desserts I ever prepared. My mom taught me how to prepare it, of course I was designated the pudding stirrer because it’s the most tedious portion of the recipe. My mother knew what she was doing, “keep stirring sweety, it will thicken eventually”.

This dessert is best once it has had a chance to sit overnight in the refrigerator before serving. All of the flavors have a change to meld and the cookies change into a spongy filling. The cookies give the cakey texture, the bananas make you feel not so guilty (because it's fruit, right? It can't be that bad for you) and the pudding just adds that silky coolness. Can you tell I'm obsessed?

Some people enjoy adding a whipped topping to finish it off, but I like the basic banana pudding. It’s so easy, sooooooooo good and a great overall spring/summertime dessert.

-Diva (banana pudding fiend)

What's the BIG deal with zest???

2008-03-02T21:10:00.004-05:00

I'm sure all of you have heard or even have tried a recipe with lemon, orange or lime zest in it. The zest craze has seemed to intensify over the past year or so. You may be asking yourself is it that great, does it make that big of a difference, could I possibly just leave it out of the recipe.

I mean who really likes lemon, orange or lime rind? Have you tasted it by mistake? It's gross, bitter and disguisting.

But if you ever think of omitting this valued ingredient, it is a big, Big, BIG mistake! The answer is with our a doubt a resounding, NO!

Zest is so vital to the flavor of a dish, used appropriately it will make you dish, POP! The reason is because in citrus fruit the essential oils and a lot of the flavor is packed into the outer layer of the rind. I would agree that you need to be very careful in grating. You only want to grate the outer most colorful portion of the rind. If you grate or zest too deep you will hit the white portion which is very bitter and could ruin the flavor of your dish.

So to answer the question, the BIG deal is BIG FLAVOR!!!

Stay tuned because I will review the different zesters and graters out there on the market, see who wins out as Diva's favorite...

-DIVA

Curried Chicken Stew

2008-02-27T09:12:00.000-05:00

I created this recipe only because I love, love, love Indian food soooooooo much. I tried to use a lot of spices and ingredients I could readily find in my local supermarket. In my opinion it's a nice substitute but really does not completely satisfy my Indian food cravings. My favorite Indian dishes are Mattar Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala, Curried Chicken and of course NAAN!

If anyone out there knows how to prepare these dishes really well at home or knows someone who can please comment. I would love to try the recipe and post it.

Alright, on to my rendition:

1-2 lbs. Chicken (preferably thighs)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 celery stalks, diced
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground tumeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp curry powder (yellow)
Dash of nutmeg
½ cup honey
32 oz carton of chicken stock
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp olive oil

Season the chicken with 1 tsp of each, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Place a large deep pot over medium heat, allow pan to heat adequately. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil; once the pot is sufficiently heated add the chicken skin side down, brown chicken on both sides. Do not fully cook the chicken, just brown it. Place chicken in a separate dish. Add another tbsp of oil to the pot, add the onion, garlic and celery to the pot season with salt and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the ground coriander, nutmeg, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ground tumeric, paprika, crushed red pepper, flour and remainder of the onion powder and garlic powder to the onion sauté. Allow the seasonings to combine with the onion mixture, stir constantly. The mixture will become slightly thick this will take approx. 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot, coat the chicken well with the sautéed mixture. Slowly add the chicken stock to the pot until the stock is just covering the chicken, add the honey and stir. Place the top on the pot and cook over medium heat until the chicken is fully cooked, 30-40 minutes. Stir and salt to taste and serve over rice.

-Diva

Diva's Whimsical Whiskey, Drop It Like It's Hot Toddy

2008-02-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Hey Pookies!!!

Okay, Diva is feeling a little under the weather (severe understatement) and so tonight’s recipe will be a hot toddy. It’s going to be a pretty traditional recipe with a little bit of flair. Y’all know I have to add some flair; I wouldn’t be Diva if I didn’t.

So my suggestion to anyone out there that is going to attempt this recipe is to first… This is a very important step so please pay attention. First, have yourself and everything ready for bed before you make this concoction, because afterward you will be fit for only one place…La La Land!

On to the recipe:

2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz honey
1 slice lemon
1 clove
Dash of nutmeg (fresh if you have it, it’s so much better than the bottled stuff, shout outs to Kitty for that tip) [BTW- If you read the comments and postings you should know who this is]
Dash of cinnamon
4 oz hot water
Cinnamon stick (for garish and to stir)

This is not rocket science, however, I suggest you heat the liquids a certain way. Heat the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add all the ingredients except for the whiskey. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and add the whiskey to the heated mixture. Stay with me now…

Pour the Toddy into a coffee cup or a heat safe drinking container. Now please, please, please allow the Toddy to cool a little (come on, you really don’t want to burn your lips off, do ya?) Serve with a slice of lemon for added pucker. Enjoy the slightly comatose state you will be in directly after :-)

I have a cinnamon stick in there, but it wasn’t tall enough for you to see it.

- DIVA

Diva's Beef Stew

2008-02-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

This recipe is great for a cold night in with friends, because it serves so many. It’s hearty, delicious and full of veggies an awesome well-rounded dish.

I don’t know about everybody else, but I love to come in from the cold to be greeted at the doorway by a delightful aroma that takes hold of you and pulls toward the kitchen to find out what is cooking. This recipe definitely does not disappoint, the cumin plays nicely with the coriander and the cayenne pepper adds a nice bit of heat in the background.

1-2 lbs. of beef, chuck, cubed
3 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
6 tbsp of flour
5 tbsp of cold water
16 oz can of diced tomatoes

8 oz can of sweet corn
2 medium carrots, sliced into bite sized pieces
5 red potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
1 medium onion, sliced into wedges
5 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
4 stalks of celery, sliced into 1 inch pieces
32 oz carton of beef stock

Combine in a large bowl beef, kosher salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, freshly ground pepper and ground cumin. Toss everything together, make sure all the beef is coated well. Place the beef in a zip lock bag or airtight container and place in refrigerator to marinate at least 3-4 hours.

Remove beef from the refrigerator; drain as much olive oil from the beef as possible. Place beef in a large bowl, add 3 tbsp of flour toss and coat well.

Heat a large deep pot over medium-high heat, add the remainder of the olive oil and add the beef. Cook beef until brown, approx. 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes w/ the juice, onion, garlic and celery. Cover and reduce heat to medium, cook for 15 minutes.

Add the carrots, corn and potatoes. Pour the beef stock to just cover the beef and veggies; you will use most of the carton. Cook for 20-25 minutes, just until the potatoes are fork-tender. In a separate small bowl mix the remaining flour and cold water together, make sure all the flour is incorporated in the water, add the flour mixture to the stew and continuously. Cover and remove from heat, allow to sit for 5-10 minutes so the stew can thicken. Serve over rice and ENJOY!

Lemon Meringue Crunch Pie

2008-01-30T10:53:00.000-05:00

Guys I'm not even going to lie and say this recipe is easy, it is very involved. It's three, really four, different layers of flavor, which means four layers of preparation. It is truly an intermediate baking attempt.

Lemon/Shortbread cookie crust:

10 Lemon snap cookies, crushed
10 Shortbread cookies, crushed
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine all the ingredients, mix well and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Make sure to press into the bottom and sides of the pan as best you can.

Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

Lemon Cheesecake Layer:

1- 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, separated
1 large lemon
3 tbs. flour
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup sugar

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and the remainder of the ingredients except for the egg whites and other 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat mixture until smooth.

In a separate clean mixing bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining sugar to egg whites and whip until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the lemon cheese cake batter.

Pour 2 cups of the batter on top of the cookie crust, bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheese cake layer is golder brown and set.

Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Lemon Filling:

1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 egg yolks, (do not discard the whites yet)
Dash of salt
2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into pieces
3 tbsp. of cornstarch
1/4 cup of cold water

Combine the canned milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt, mix well. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Combine cornstarch and water together is a small bowl, mix well and add to the lemon mixture. Keep stirring constantly. Once the mixture begins a slow boil remove from heat and add the butter, stir until butter melts. Carefully, pour mixture on top of the cheesecake layer.

Meringue:

3 egg whites (I told you not to discard them)
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 tbsp. confectioners sugar or 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread, spoon or decoratively apply the meringue on top of the lemon filling.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until meringue is golden brown.

Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, transfer to refrigerator and cool pie until completely set.

Whew!!! Even typing this recipe is hard work. But let me tell you it is worth the effort, I really liked the results.

-DIVA

Broccoli Soup

2008-01-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

I initially created this recipe for my sister's boyfriend. I had my sister and her boyfriend over for dinner this past weekend, she had already given me the "run down" on him because the dude is a really, really, really picky eater. My original menu plan was Diva's Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad and Diva's Lemon Meringue Crunch pie. Well the menu had to be altered slightly because her dude does not eat salad because he does not like salad dressing. So I decided to get a vegetable in another way. I designed this soup only to find out the night of the dinner that he doesn't eat broccoli either, who doesn't eat broccoli? I love him anyway and my sister and I enjoyed the soup. Well, here's the recipe:

2 Tbsp. of Olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, chopped
3 Stalks of celery, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 lbs. of fresh broccoli, cut into florets
4 cups of vegetable stock
4 oz. of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz. of heavy cream

In a large deep pot heat your olive oil once the oil in hot add your onion, garlic and celery. Add a dash of salt and pepper, saute ingredients until the onion becomes translucent. Add the broccoli and toss ingredients together. Add the Stock to the broccoli and cook until the broccoli becomes tender, approximately 10 minutes. Once the broccoli is tender remove the mixture from the heat and blend until smooth. Return the blended mixture to the pot over medium heat add the heavy cream and the sharp cheddar cheese, stir until the cheese is melted and the soup is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

(I will add the pictures shortly, I had to get the posting up because people have to comment.) Later, Love y'all!

-DIVA

Sunturday Dinner

2008-01-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

Smokey Corn and Sausage Chowder

OMG!!! Before I start I have to let you know that this recipe is dyn-o-mite!!! I have prepared several different variations of this chowder with my taster kitty, but this flavor combination hit a HOME RUN! It's also so easy to prepare and all the ingredients are very economical. Alright let's get down to the nitty gritty!

1 stick of butter
1 medium onion, diced

1 medium carrot, shredded

2 stalks of celery, diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 tblsp. of flour

16 oz. of smoked sausage, cut in bite size pieces

5-6 baby yukon gold or baby red bliss potatoes, cubed in bite size pieces

3 cups of sweet corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned (if canned squeeze out the liquid)

3 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of half and half

Pinch of fresh nutmeg, fresh

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Start boiling your potatoes in just enough water to cover them, salt the water, boil them just until fork-tender. Melt the butter in a separate, pretty deep pot over meduim heat. Add to the butter, onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Saute butter/veggie mixture for approximately 3-4 minutes or until onions appear translucent. Add the flour to the butter mixure and stir, this will form a roux. Continuously stir for 5-6 minutes and keep the roux moving, you do not want this to burn (yuck!). Once the roux has turned slightly brown (a little lighter than the color of peanut butter) remove it from the heat and let it cool a little.

Combine the corn, sausage and chicken stock in another saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Return the roux to the heat (medium-low), slowly add the boiling stock with corn and sausage into the roux a little at a time. Constantly stir the roux while pouring the stock to avoid lumps. Add the potatoes to the mixture turn the heat up to medium and allow the flavors to meld together, the mixture will be pretty thick.

In another saucepan heat the half and half over medium-low heat (do not boil, just heat it up). Stir the half and half into the thick corn mixture. Add the nutmeg. Add the salt and pepper, to taste.

Sit back with a piece of buttered corn bread and enjoy yourself, because I definately enjoyed myself!!! Oh, and it is even better the next day, don't worry you will have plenty for the next day and also to share.

Trust me this is a wintertime keeper! Try it and let me know how it turned out for you.

-DIVA

First attempt @ Chicken Catch-a-Tory LOL

2008-01-18T21:07:00.000-05:00

Okay I'm not even going to put the actual cacciatore recipe in here, because I am not satisfied with it yet. I have to perfect the recipe, it was just something missing. I'm a flavor gurl, I have to have intense flavor!!! If you haven't noticed by now I love garlic, just about everything tastes better with garlic and of course garlic's cohort onion.

I really enjoyed the sauce the night I made it, IT ROCKED! However the night after, when leftovers are usually even better, it was sooooo NOT (at least I didn't think so). But of course my taster will give her comments as well, she always gives her absolute honest opinion, she does not pull any punches.

Speaking of my taster that's her at the top of this post alongside me (I'm on the right). She is such a fabulous person, honest, talented, smart and just my Pookie! I love her! Don't worry I will upload more pictures, this is just to get something up there.

-Diva

Tyler Florence's Sticky Honey- Soy Chicken Wings/ Guy Fieri's Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad

2008-01-14T16:10:00.000-05:00

I have been a little sick for the past couple days (poor me) hence why I have not been logging properly, but I’m back with recipes that I have tried from the foodnetwork.com website.

As for Tyler Florence’s Sticky Honey- Soy Chicken Wings, I have to admit that I didn’t go true to the recipe because I didn’t think my stomach could handle fried foods at that time. So I baked the chicken instead of frying it. I didn’t really care for it, I like Asian flavors, however I did not care for this flavor combination. I think the frying process adds a crispy sticky crust due to the sugar content in the ingredients. I will try the recipe again later and fry the chicken as the recipe calls for and record my results. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27279,00.html

However, I also tried Guy Fieri’s Dang Cold Asian Noodle Salad and it was a HIT!!! It was the perfect combination of sour, sweet and tangy. The “pucker” quality of this salad was on point, meaning the tartness or tanginess of the acidity was perfect. I love a tangy, crunchy and fresh pasta salad anyway and this exceeded my expectations. You can also play with the veggie combination until you find one that suits you. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_67219,00.html

Undecided for the sticky chicken.

Thumbs way up for the Asian Noodle Salad :-)

-Diva

Zesty Crunchy Honeycrisp Apple Salad

2008-01-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

Who Knew?!?!

It’s time to show the realness of the blog, I still have ziti left in the fridge so take a wild guess as to what’s for dinner? That’s right, LEFTOVERS :-)

Real person, real life and real leftovers, plus the ziti was extremely tasty so no problems with repeating it. However, I needed something else to add some sort of freshness to the meal. I decided to make a salad, but I didn’t want it to be just a basic humdrum tossed or chopped salad, so of course I had to add my own special flare.

Little did I know my creation would totally steal the show! After starting in on the salad I didn’t even want the ziti I was so full and satisfied from the salad. I thought the salad had a well-rounded flavor; it also had several components of salty, sweet and sour.

Enough talk, on to the recipe:

Zesty Fresh Tangy Salad

1 head of Romaine Lettuce, hand ripped in bite-sized pieces
1 medium ***Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced in half moon pieces
1 Navel or Valencia orange, sectioned to remove tough membrane
1 small red or yellow onion, thinly sliced in half moon pieces
2 handfuls of Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half

Combine all ingredients; toss well.

Dressing:

3 Tblsp. of Red Wine Vinegar
¼ cup of a good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. of honey
1 Tblsp. of Dijon Mustard
Pinch of Salt and Fresh Black Pepper

Whisk all ingredients; make sure the oil is incorporated well.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well.

I had leftover taco filling from "Taco Night" so I added the chicken brest filling on top of the salad for protein. Very good decision on my part, in my opinion I might add.

***If any of you are unfamiliar with Honeycrisp apples, please begin to make yourself more familiar. In my opinion they are the best tasting apples out there. I have even converted several Granny Smith and Gala lovers to the Honeycrisp bandwagon.

The apple’s flesh is always crisp, sweet and juicy. I have not run into a mealy Honeycrisp yet. They are an all around great apple. They should be available to most local supermarkets, although the supermarkets tend to only keep a few on hand due the lack of consumer knowledge. I believe the more they catch on, the more available they will be.

But don’t take my word for it; take your own BITE. Enjoy!

FYI- check it out http://www.honeycrisp.org/

-Diva

Succulent Roast Pork with Collard Greens and Creamy Risotto

2008-01-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

Sunturday's Dinner

(This is not a typo, the reason I call it Sunturday is because I prepare it on Saturday but is it totally suitable for a wonderful Sunday dinner. Most of my Saturday-Sunday posts will be labeled as Sunturday's Dinner)

Succulent Roast Pork with Collard Greens and Creamy Risotto

The Pork Roast is rubbed, injected and placed in an oven bag for optimum fragrance, flavor and juiciness.

RUB

2tbs. paprika
2tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. Caribbean jerk seasoning
1 tsp. of rosemary leaves.
Bacon renderings from 6-8 strips of bacon (if you do not desire to use bacon renderings you can simply use 2 tblsp. of olive oil.)

When combined it should have the consistency of red wet sand.

BRINE INJECTION

3 tbs. Balsamic vinegar
1tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. of Honey
2 two dashes Garlic powder
6 turns of fresh black pepper

Seasoning the Pork Roast

4 large cloves of fresh garlic cut in half. Make large inserts with a very sharp knife in to the pork roast and insert garlic haves deep into the meat. Insert brine into the meat with injector needle. (If you do not have an injector needle you can soak it in a brine overnight)

Rub the roast with rub seasoning and place in an oven bag (you can purchase these at any grocery store, they can usually to found in the napkin and plastic isle.)

¼ cup of orange juice
¼ cup of water
Pour over roast prior to closing the bag and placing in the oven.

Place it into a cold oven allowing the heat to rise slowly, the oven temperature should be then set on 300 degrees and the roast will cook for 6 hours.

COLLARD, MUSTARD AND KALE GREENS

1/2 pound of collard greens
1/2 pound of mustard greens
1/2 pound of kale greens
1 smoked hamhock or any smoked meat
2 tblsp. of kosher salt
1 tsp. of garlic powder
1 tsp. of onion powder
1 tsp. of crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup of sugar
water
Place smoked hamhock in a large stockpot, fill with enough water to cover the hamhock. Cook on high heat until boiling, once the water comes to a boil add the kosher salt. Triple wash all the greens (they tend to have a lot of sand between the leaves).

Remove the stems from the greens (my mother taught me an easy way to remove the stem from the collard green leaf. You hold the stem with one hand and slide my fingers up the stem toward the leaf with the other hand. The leaf remains pretty much intact and the stem is removed. The kale and mustard stems can be cut off. Once all the stems are removed stack the collard greens one on top of the other and roll them up like a cigar and cut 1/2 inch ribbons of collard greens. Because the kale and mustard greens are so curly you can just give them a rough chop.

Add all the greens to the boiling water with the hamhock. Also, add the remainder of the ingredients except for the sugar. Cook the greens until they are tender, it usually takes 40-50 minutes. Once greens are tender add the sugar, this will take some of the bitterness away. Allow for the sugar to incorporate for approx. 10 minutes, still boiling on stove top. Use a spider or some type of mesh device to fish the greens from the liquid, but do not discard all of the liquid. You will strain most of the liquid off but you want to serve with some liquid in the serving dish.

RISOTTO
2 cups of Arborio rice (short grain)
2 large cans or boxes of chicken stock
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tblsp. of olive oil
3 Tblsp. of butter
small box of frozen peas

Allow the peas to sit out during the cooking process in order to thaw slightly. In a medium saucepan on medium heat add the olive oil and butter, heat together until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic, saute until the onion is translucent (be careful not to burn the onion or the garlic, keep it moving).

Add the Arborio rice and stir until each grain is coated with oil. Slowly add the chicken stock about a cup at a time. Add the first cup and stir, wait until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the next cup (repeat until the rice does not absorb any more liquid or rice is tender [the texture and tenderness is totally up to you]. Once you have the proper tenderness add the peas and remove from the heat. Serve Immediately.

I loved preparing this meal as well as eating it. It is very difficult for me to pick a favorite player from the meal.
The risotto was creamy and delicious (BTW- you can add any vegetable you would like, please do not hold the recipe to just peas. Just about anything is possible.)

The pork was tender and juicy and full of soooooooo much flavor.

The greens were tangy, smokey and very tasty. But greens are a main staple in my household, so it was no big deal for me. But they were still very good.

But do not take my word for it please see the comments of my tasters.

-Diva

Mario Batali's Baked Pasta with Ricotta: Pasticcio di Maccheroni con la Ricotta

2008-01-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

Just to kick this comment off the correct way and not have any discrepancies, I absolutely loved, loved, loved this recipe.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_14263,00.html

In my opinion you just cannot go wrong with pasta, sauce and ooey gooey wonderful cheese. I loved that he used caciotta in his recipe, it added another level of flavor to the sauce. The red wine added a depth of that I love and will constantly use in my own ziti recipe as often as I can.

My only suggestion is that I really enjoy Italian sausage in my ziti, but other than that, perfecto.

This recipe is one for the recipe box.

-Diva

Taco Night!!!

2008-01-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

That's right folks tonight was a taco night, Ms. Diva came in from work greeted by hungry people and did not have much time for preparation. Well at the very least I gave them a variety of either chicken or beef and crunchy or soft shells and as an added bonus plenty of toppings.

But do not fret, tomorrow will be a Food Network recipe night. As promised I will give my honest opinion concerning the recipe.

-Diva

Stuffed Roasted Pork Shoulder w/ Braised Broccoli

2007-12-27T14:06:00.000-05:00

My first post will be one of my own creations. Great for a Sunday night dinner and enough to share with friends!

When at a meat market with a friend I bought a nice-sized pork shoulder (about 9-10 pounds). Once I got it home I trimmed the skin and removed the bone, which significantly lowers the weight of the shoulder. I also butterflied or cut the meat on one side to have a flat surface to fill with stuffing.

Before I actually stuffed the shoulder, I marinated it in a brine-like solution overnight.

Ingredients used:

Brine:
5 Tblsp. of Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
3 Cloves of Garlic rough chopped
Juice of (1) whole lemon
1 Tblsp of Garlic powder
1 Tablespoon of Onion powder
Couple dashes of worstershire sauce
Dash of Cumin

Rub the butterflied Shoulder with the Kosher Salt and Black Pepper; place it in a container with an airtight lid. Combine in the same container the remainder of the ingredients; pour just enough water the cover the meat. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Stuffing:
2 Boxes of Cornbread mix
2 large eggs
2/3 cup of milk
2 smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey wings
The bone from the Pork Shoulder
3 carrots cut
5 stalks of celery
1 bulb of garlic
1 large onion
1- 16oz. package of sage sausage
5-7 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped
3 Tsp. of dried rubbed sage
2 Tblsp. of Kosher salt
2 Bay leaves

Cut the carrots and celery in 1 inch pieces. Cut the onion in quarters and the whole bulb of garlic in half (it's okay to leave the papers on; everything will be strained at the end).

In a nice sized stock pot combine the ham hocks, the bone from the Pork Shoulder, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves and kosher salt. Pour in enough water just to cover the meat and vegetables. Boil with lid on for 1-1/2 hours. The residual meat should fall of the bone, allow the smoked meat to cool and pull meat from the bone, and discard the fat and bone. Strain the pork broth from the cooked vegetables, mash vegetables with a masher, and remove any large pieces (root from garlic bulb). Save stock for later.

Combine the cornbread mix, eggs, milk, chopped and dried sage. Mix well (there will be a few lumps; it's just the nature of cornbread). Place cornbread mixture in a baking dish and bake on 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Once brown on top pull out of the oven and allow to cool.

Break up the cornbread in large bowl add the cooked vegetables and the pulled smoked meat to the cornbread mixture. The vegetables should offer enough moisture but if it is not enough moisture, slowly add the stock a little at a time to get the consistency of "wet sand". Place in refrigerator until completely cool.

Roast:
2 Tblsp. of olive oil
2 Tsp. of kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Tblsp. of dried rosemary
1 Tsp. of Poultry Seasoning

Lay the meat out flat and salt and pepper the inside of the roast, begin to fill the roast with stuffing being careful to leave a 1/2 inch of free space around the perimeter of the roast. After topping with the cornbread stuffing begin to carefully roll the meat loosely like a jellyroll. Secure and tie the roll with several pieces of twine.

Place in a roasting pan coat the roast with olive oil season with salt, pepper, dried rosemary and poultry seasoning. Place in the oven on 375 degrees for 90 minutes (cover with aluminum foil for half of the cooking process and remove the foil for the remainder of the cooking time.)

Side Dish:
Emeril Lagasse’s Braised Broccoli Rabe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28608,00.html)
I substituted regular broccoli for the broccoli rabe because I had the broccoli on hand.
I also substituted pork stock for chicken stock because I had some leftover from my dish.

Notes: I feel the meal was very successful, hearty, delicious and juicy. My taster will comment further with her observations.

I really enjoyed cooking and eating the meal, but preparation took quite a bit of time so I would definitely save this recipe for a Sunday meal. Also, in the future I will use a different cut of meat, the shoulder is great for B-B-Q slow cooking, and I think a pork lion would have been a better fit for this recipe.

-Diva