Foodie Challenge

Frugal Foodie - Christmas Hamhock and Good Mother Stollard Beans

2011-12-29T19:14:00.001-06:00

12.29.2011

I still have a ton of items that need to be used up so tonight we are having beans.

Rancho Gordo Good Mother Stallard beans (so pretty) soaked overnight in salty brine, rinsed and placed in the crockpot. In will go onions, garlic, a carrot or two and my meaty hamhock. A bit of water and the crockpot on low and we should have a budget friendly delicious meal that is healthy to boot!

A batch of rice to round out the meal. Into the rice cooker goes long grain brown rice, onion, garlic, beet greens, water, salt & pepper.

Seriously - these beans are AMAZING! Super creamy and dense, with so much flavor I couldn't believe it. My three year old ate a whole bowl of them.

Frugal Foodie - A tasty way to use up my leftovers

2011-12-27T18:37:00.000-06:00

My Pantry currently has the following perishable items:

Smoked Turkey
Ham
Ham Hock
Grapefruit
Roasted red, yellow and orange bell peppers
Golden Beets + Greens
Fennel Fronds + about 1/2 cup diced fennel
About 6 carrots
Two bulbs roasted garlic
Broccoli stalks
1 large roasted yam
Minted Applesauce
Haricot Verts (French Green Beans)
Avocado
Bacon
Onion
1/2 bag fresh cranberries
Frozen Bananas
Oranges

So, what to do with them?????

12.28.2011

Japanese Eggplant and sliced Chuck Roast with Peanut Soy Sauce (Eggplant + Sauce - $3/serving - Makes 6 servings)

2 large eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1 1/2 " slices
Sliced Chuck Roast (pre-cooked)
3 T smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T sake or dry white wine
1/2 T sweet chili paste (or chili garlic sauce + agave nectar to taste) - will be spicy
1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
Green onions, chopped

Steam Eggplant slices in microwave 2-3 minutes, or over small amount of boiling water (I am going to use my rice cooker/steamer). When tender, quickly rinse under cold water to prevent discoloration.

In small saucepan, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sake or white wine, vinegar and chili paste. Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth.

Meanwhile, warm steak in reserved juices or beef stock.

Spoon sauce over eggplant, drizzle with sesame oil, garnish with green onions and serve warm.

Serve over red cargo rice.

Frugal Foodie - Cause we're broke!

2011-12-27T16:57:00.001-06:00

So, with the Holiday's coming to an end, lots of leftovers, lots of bills, I've decided to try the frugal route. I picked up this book at Michael's a few weeks ago, with the intention of giving it to my sister for Christmas, but decided to keep it myself.
The Frugal Foodie Cookbook

My Pantry currently has the following perishable items:

Smoked Turkey
Ham
Ham Hock
Cooked chuck roast
Roasted red, yellow and orange bell peppers
Golden Beets + Greens
White asparagus
Fennel Fronds + about 1/2 cup diced fennel
About 6 carrots
Two bulbs roasted garlic
Broccoli stalks
1 large roasted yam
Minted Applesauce
Haricot Verts (French Green Beans)
Avocado
Bacon
Onion
1/2 bag fresh cranberries

So, what to do with them?????

12.26.2011

Monday morning for breakfast we had "cakes" made from leftover mashed yukon gold and sweet potatoes (with a bit of sour cream, cheddar cheese, green chiles). Topped them with two poached eggs, green asparagus, smoked turkey and hollandaise sauce. It was pretty darn tasty but I found it quite difficult to keep everything warm but not overcooked.

I made mac-n-cheese (the Kraft cauliflower kind) with smoked turkey broth and it was so rich you just eat a bit.

12.27.2011

Tonight we are having the Festive Ravioli Salad from the Frugal Foodie book. ($1.65/serving)

Recipe - with my changes

1 bunch white asparagus, cut into 1" - 2" pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 oz cheese ravioli, cooked

1 T sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 T roasted yellow pepper, finely chopped
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T fresh basil, chopped

Roast the asparagus in a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper for 25 minutes @ 350 F. Add to ravioli, sun-dried tomatoes, olives. In a separate bowl whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar, basil, bell pepper, salt and pepper. Dress salad and serve at room temperature.

Thanksgiving Madness Pt 1

2011-11-20T12:43:00.001-06:00

As I am sure it is with everyone, the preparations for Thanksgiving are causing me a bit of stress. What was I thinking, agreeing to teach 2 classes just days away from 2 gigantic meals?! As a result, I've started my Thanksgiving preparations early.

Cider-Glazed Baby Carrots - I am going to sous vide baby carrots and glaze them with apple cider.

To do this, I took about 8 cups of Apple Cider (not vinegar) and cooked it down until it was quite viscous and molasses-like. It is resting in the fridge until time to glaze.

Saveur posted a really intriguing Roasted Cranberry Sauce.

Pre-Roast

Finished Product

Cranberries, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange zest, jalapeno and cloves roasted until they've popped. Then a touch of fresh orange juice and white port to finish it off.

I have a gigantic container full of roasted pumpkin (and still 4 pumpkins left to roast) so I decided to do a take on this recipe for Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I took roasted pumpkin, 2 roasted yams (not pictured), orange juice and zest, vanilla sugar and the beans of 1 whole vanilla bean. The whole mess went into the crockpot and was pureed into perfumed goodness.

Roasted Pumpkin

Fresh Orange Juice, Orange Zest and Heavy Cream

Vanilla Beans and Vanilla Sugar

Yummy Vanilla Orange Pumpkin Puree

Sous Vide Stuffed Chicken, Asparagus

2011-09-06T19:45:00.000-05:00

From a while back but never posted......Today I decided to try cooking stuffed chicken quarters in my sous vide supreme. As this is my first try at it, I took the easy way out and used a stovetop chicken stuffing mix. I created a pocket between the bone and the meat and put about 3 T of stuffing inside. A bit of seasoning with salt and pepper and I sealed it up.

I've got a huge bunch of asparagus so I put it in a bag with some butter, salt and pepper. I was tempted to try flavoring it with rosemary and garlic but I'm not sure about cooking with plastic wrap. I also want some (non-rosemary) asparagus for Eggs Benedict tomorrow (though, come to think of it, I am out of all types of bread but tortillas), so I will make a quick rosemary garlic oil to dress the asparagus for dinner tonight. I decided to try the golden temperature for carrots (183 F) for my asparagus. Cooked for about 35 minutes.

Then went in the chicken quarters @ 148 F for 2 1/2 hours. While the chicken was cooking I toasted some stuffing to add some crunch to the dish.

The chicken was really tasty but the asparagus a total bust. My husband said it would be along time before he could eat asparagus again.

You made pasta out of what?

2011-09-06T19:40:00.000-05:00

Roasted Garlic and Chicken Lasagna with Pumpkin/Parmesan/Caramelized Onion Pasta Sheets

Earlier this year I had some pumpkin/Parmesan/caramelized onion puree that needed to be used up. It is a phenomenal puree and I decided to try making pasta sheets out of it. Using a recipe (see the basic recipe below) that I found in "Professional Vegetarian Cooking" by Ken Bergeron, I ended up with a beautiful golden pasta streaked with caramelized onion and fragrant of Parmesan and Fall. So, tonight I made a yummy lasagna using my pumpkin pasta, some fresh mozzarella, Italian seasoned chicken breast and a garlic sage white sauce.

Vegetable Pasta:

(10 servings)

4 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3 cups vegetable puree (not vegetable juice)

salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or mixer, turn out onto a floured surface and kneed until smooth. Wrap in in plastic wrap and let rest. Roll the dough into sheets (I use a manual pasta machine) and hang to dry. I store mine in ziplock bags until I need to use them.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts, Fresh Chevre and Sous Vide Balsamic Grapes

2011-04-30T22:07:00.001-05:00

As I looked around my kitchen today I spotted some seedless red grapes my husband brought home yesterday. I thought that it would be interesting to sous vide them with some balsamic vinegar. I cooked them at 183 F for 20 minutes and then dropped the heat to 147 F for about an hour.

Balsamic Grapes pre-cook

Balsamic Grapes post-cook, vacuum sealed

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes

2 T high quality balsamic vinegar

3 T chopped dried figs

2 tsp vanilla sugar

Sous Vide Figs and Grapes

The grapes are very unique. Their texture is like that of a very ripe cherry tomato - tight skin, liquid center. One thing that is amazing is that the balsamic vinegar has diffused into the grape and the flavor is phenomenal!

I love beets and goat cheese. So, with a sprinkle of fleur de sel, the chilled grapes were served with garden greens, roasted red beets, toasted walnuts and some fresh chevre.

The liquid left in the bag reduced down to a beautiful drizzle over the top of the salad.

Fresh Chevre, Garden Greens, Balsamic Drizzle, Roasted Red Beets, Toasted Walnuts, Balsamic Sous Vide Grapes/Figs

H-O-L-Y C-O-W - Sous Vide BBQ Chicken

2011-04-29T23:09:00.000-05:00

Sous Vide Chicken Quarters grilled briefly

That has got to be the best BBQ chicken I have ever had - definitely the best I have ever made. Super tender, juicy and full of yummy bbq flavor, it was a far cry from the bbq chicken of days of old.

I started with a gallon ziplock, about 1/8 cup salt (Kosher) and a couple of bone in, skin on chicken quarters. They brined for a day or two while I sous vide' other batches of chicken. Next time I will add a bit more salt to the brine.

Cooked chicken right out of the bag

We then moved the chicken to a vacuum bag with about 3/4 a cup of "frozen" Head Country barbecue sauce. I say "frozen" because it kinda changed into gelato texture, not hockey puck texture. We sealed the bag and cooked it at 149 F for about 5 hours (started it at lunch before heading back to work).

BBQ sauce being reduced

When I pulled the chicken out for dinner, I drained the liquid into a sauce pan and added about 3 T bbq sauce and cooked it all down until it was thickened. The chicken then went on the grill for a minute each side and then doused with the reduced bbq sauce.

Apple pie sans the pastry

I also cooked some apples sous vide to have alongside our bbq chicken. They were reminiscent of apple pie - would have been great with pastry sticks.

In the bag I put:
2 apples, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch thick
1 T butter
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or any spices you like)
1 tsp brown sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
pinch salt

I cooked the apples at 170 F for about 10 hours (I forgot about it). When I served the apples, I squeezed some lemon juice over the top.

With some leftover mashed sweet potatoes, glazed carrots and minted peas as sides, all in all, I think our dinner tonight was quite successful - in fact, I am going to make the bbq chicken again soon but try it at 147 F.

What's next for our sous vide adventure? I've taken chicken quarters and stuffed them with a bread stuffing. We will see how it turns out. I am also going to try some asparagus sous vide. It is so exciting!

Sous Vide At Last

2011-04-28T22:36:00.001-05:00

I got my mother's day/anniversary present early this year. A SOUS VIDE SUPREME. I remember first reading about it on an airplane headed to Mexico for my honeymoon. The recipe looked really tasty and I copied down every step. For a good explanation of how sous vide works, click here.

Our Beautiful Steak

Our first try was a simple, beautiful 1 1/2 inch thick beef rib eye. Dressed simply with salt and pepper, we cooked it at 130 F for 45 minutes. The texture right out of the bath was a bit odd but once we threw it on the infrared burner for about 1 1/2 minutes each side, it was almost perfect. We are going to cook at 131 F next time.

We also tried carrots. I had some lovely organic carrots that I needed to use up. So, four carrots, a pinch of salt and pepper, pinch of sugar, and a pat of butter. We cooked it at 183 F for about 5 hours and then dropped the heat and threw the steak in.

The carrots were emptied into a pan and the sauce reduced to glaze the carrots.

Our second try was carrots again (we loved them so much) and chicken quarters. I removed the skin and set it aside, seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper and a bit of weber seasoning salt. Cooked for 5 hours at 148, the resulting chicken was tender, moist, and had a nice appearance.

To provide a bit of crunch, I took the reserved chicken skin and rendered it on the stove until golden and crispy, then finished it on a cooling rack in the oven at 425 F.

In the chicken skin renderings, I sauteed some leftover mushroom risotto and finished the carrots in the pan.

The Chicken just out of the sous vide supreme.

Tip: Remove as much fat as you can from the chicken before cooking.

One issue - the chicken has a grid embedded in the flesh from the vacuum bag - I am not sure how to resolve that issue. Perhaps I need to be more careful as to which side I place the product facing?

Yummy chicken + crispy chicken skin

Chicken was a bit pink next to the bone, but was completely cooked.

So what's next? I've got 1) apple slices with a bit of butter, lemon zest, brown sugar, spice mix and a touch of salt and 2) chicken quarters and partially frozen head country barbecue sauce.

Fennel Crusted Salmon with Garlicky White Beans and Fennel Brown Rice

2011-04-27T13:40:00.000-05:00

1 bulb fennel, minced

cooked brown rice, white cannellini beans (cooked), fennel and olive oil

ground fennel

fennel pressed into salmon

seared salmon

rice and beans

YUMMY

Looks complex but really quite simple...

2011-03-07T18:57:00.000-06:00

Dinner tonight looks complex - but went together in 30 minutes with the help of some leftover rice.

Garlic and Ginger Marinated Tilapia on a bed of Asian Wasabi Cilantro Rice and topped with Carrot and Broccoli Stir Fry and fresh Cucumber. It was pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.

It all began with the need to use up some cilantro, rice and cucumbers.

The cucumbers, simply salted and peppered

Leftover Brown Rice mixed with 2 eggs and cooked through.

Asian Cilantro Sauce: the Everyday Food recipe called for 2 cups cilantro leaves, 2 T evoo, 1 T soy sauce

1 T rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. I found it a bit lacking so I added 2 large cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp freshly grated ginger, 1 tsp wasabi paste, extra vinegar and some lime juice to taste.

Eggy Rice + Cilantro Sauce

Broccoli slaw and carrot matchsticks sauteed in olive oil with garlic, red pepper flakes, ponzu sauce, wasabi paste and some rice wine vinegar. Seasoned with salt and pepper of course.

The final sauteed product!

I marinated the tilapia in some olive oil, lots of garlic and ginger. It is simply sauteed in a bit of oil until done.

The final product (I know, my unagi sauce circles are not very uniform - I was to lazy to pour it into a squeeze bottle).

I got a thumbs up!

An interesting concept... Butternut Squash Consommé

2010-10-11T21:47:00.000-05:00

Dominic Armato is the author of a fantastic blog called skillet doux. In his most recent post he talked about a crystal clear butternut squash consommé..... [not sure what's up with my font changes throughout - sorry]

huh? A clear butternut squash consommé?

I had to research a bit further. A relatively quick internet search for "butternut squash consommé" took me to yet another blog - Obsession with Food. This one included a link to a NYTimes article which spoke about that very subject.

The Essence of Nearly Anything, Drop by Limpid Drop

By HAROLD McGEE

MANY new ideas bubbling up in restaurant kitchens aren’t of much use to a home cook without a machine shop and acres of counter space. But some are simple and flexible enough that they just may trickle down to everyone else. In the case of an easy technique called gelatin filtration, that would be a very slow trickle.

Gelatin filtration is a way to make sparklingly clear liquids that are intensely flavored with ... well, whatever you like: meats, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, breads, any and all combinations of ingredients.

Why would anyone want to make such a thing? Think of such liquids as essences. They have no fibers, no pulp, no fat, no substance at all. They’re just flavor in fluid form, perhaps with a tinge of color, like a classic beef consommé. In fact chefs are calling these essences consommés, and they often use them the same way, as a soup or a sauce. And they can be delightfully surprising, because their appearance often gives no hint of the pleasure they’re about to deliver.

A traditional consommé is made crystal clear by stirring in and then skimming off a foam of egg whites, which trap solid particles. The new technique uses gelatin instead. The process, though it takes two or three days, is simple. First you make juice or flavorful broth and strain it to remove any particles. Then you dissolve gelatin in the liquid, but only a little bit — just a fraction of what you’d use in a set gelatin dessert. (You don’t need to add gelatin to meat stocks, which already contain it.)

Then you freeze the liquid overnight, place the frozen block in a strainer over a bowl and let it thaw in the refrigerator a day or two. Liquid slowly drips into the bowl. This is the consommé.

It’s ingenious. As the jelly freezes, the water in it begins to form solid ice crystals, while the gelatin, the solid food particles, the droplets of fat and the flavors are concentrated in the remaining liquid. The long gelatin molecules bond to each other to form an invisibly fine net that traps everything else in its crevices.

The refrigerator plays a key role. It keeps the net cold enough so the gelatin doesn’t dissolve and the fat doesn’t melt. But the ice crystals do, and as they do they wash the dissolved flavors out of the net. Meanwhile the net’s crevices act like a microscopic filter, trapping particles, solid fat and other impurities. What drips out of the thawing mass is a clear, flavorful liquid.

The idea of clarifying gelatin-rich meat stocks in the cold originated with a German food technologist, Prof. Gerd Klöck of the Hochschule Bremen, who spread the word at a 2004 meeting of Inicon, a European consortium for culinary innovation. In early 2005 the New York chef Wylie Dufresne saw a freeze-clarified venison stock in the kitchen of the Fat Duck in England, and immediately thought of a way to take the technique one giant step further: adding gelatin to flavorful liquids that don’t already contain it. He soon succeeded in making a crystal-clear carrot juice.

He took the technique back to his Manhattan restaurant, WD-50, where as he recently recalled, “I went crazy with it.” The possibilities were endless.

Mr. Dufresne now has at least two gelatin-clarified consommés on his menu at all times. Currently he serves seared scallops in an essence of clams and smoked grapes, and lamb loin with an elixir of pretzels. At Blackbird in Chicago, Mike Sheerin, the chef de cuisine and a WD-50 alumnus, serves pork belly in a consommé that he makes from his mother’s recipe for barbecue sauce.

A blog called Ideas in Food (ideasinfood.typepad.com), written by two chefs, H. Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, is sprinkled with suggestions for an impressive variety of gelatin-clarified consommés including Parmesan and Roquefort, foie gras, olive oil, caramelized banana, ranch dressing, butter pecan, kimchi, pumpernickel and baked potato “with all the fixings.” Mr. Talbot likes to keep consommés handy in the freezer, like one he brews from brown butter, soy sauce and Tabasco.

“They’re great with seafood, asparagus — anyplace you would want those flavors without all the fat,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “We also use consommés as brines and braising mediums. Artichokes cooked in horseradish consommé are remarkable.”

At Jean Georges on Central Park West, the executive pastry chef, Johnny Iuzzini, makes a strawberry soda as part of his strawberry dessert course. “I clarify a purée of strawberries and the water I cook them in and get a beautifully clear red liquid with a bright, fresh flavor,” he said. “I don’t have to add any sugar. I carbonate it and top it with a birch-beer foam and diced strawberries.”

Mr. Iuzzini also uses the technique to make an even more surprising dish for his chocolate course. He makes separate “stocks” of dark and white chocolate by cooking them in water, then clarifies them into fat-free liquids, one brown and one colorless. He then adds sugars and xanthan gum, a thickener, to give the two liquids different densities and a slight cohesiveness. This allows him to build a two-story drink, a layer of cold white chocolate consommé riding on a base of hot dark chocolate consommé.

So far I’ve used gelatin clarification to make tomato, Parmesan and chicken consommés. The flavors are so distinct and appealing that I’ve been content just to sip them straight, alone or mixed with one other.

Interestingly, fans of the new consommés differ about the best way to make the original. Mr. Dufresne likes to freeze and thaw his beef stock to remove the gelatin and avoid the stickiness that develops when the stock is reduced. Instead, he gives his consommé a slight viscosity by adding xanthan gum.

By contrast, David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif., serves many imaginative consommés, but draws the line at modifying the classic meat version. “To my hopelessly romantic mind,” he said, “if you remove all the gelatin, you remove the seamless integration of flavor and consistency that you create by carefully cooking the stock in the first place.”

They both sound good to me.

Recipe: Savory Brown Butter Consommé

1 pound butter

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Finely grated zest from 1½ lemons

3/8 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

1 package powdered gelatin (7 1/2 grams).

1. Place large heavy-bottom pot over medium-low heat, and add butter. Cook until butter solids turn dark brown. Add juice, zest, soy sauce, hot sauce and 6 cups water. Bring to a simmer. Butterfat will rise to surface; skim off with large shallow spoon. Cook and skim for 20 minutes. Place a chinois or fine-mesh strainer over large bowl, line with cheesecloth and pour in broth.

2. Remove 1 cup broth; cool to room temperature. Sprinkle gelatin on it, and let rest 5 minutes. Stir into broth in bowl, blending well. Put in a covered container and freeze solid, possibly overnight.

3. Place in cheesecloth-lined colander over 2-quart bowl. Thaw in refrigerator until all liquid has dripped out, leaving gelatin behind, 24 to 48 hours. Save consommé from bowl, and discard gelatin. Can be frozen for 3 months. Use as broth with seared scallops or lobster ravioli, or as artichoke poaching liquid.

Yield: About 1 quart consommé.

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Other websites yielded tasty alternatives

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Recipe of the Week: Kolbasz Consommé

McGee gives you a sample recipe, with measurements by volume, but that's imprecise. If you want to take more care to have identical results every time, it helps to have a precise formula; try clarifying your stocks with .7% gelatin by weight. For example, if your strained broth weighs 100 grams, add .7 grams of gelatin to create the gelatin filter.

The broth shown above is a kolbasz consommé, made with a mix of Hungarian sausage (csabai and cserkesz kolbasz). About 3/4 lb of sausage were sliced into thin rounds and fried a bit to partially cook. 4 quarts of water were added, and it all simmered for a few hours.

...and here...

Bacon Consommé
1 lb bacon
3 quarts or so of water
Gelatin

In a large pot, fry the bacon until delicious. Add the water and simmer for an hour or so. If the flavor isn’t sufficiently infused at that point, blend the bacon and water together.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Reduce the resulting liquid to taste.

Measure the weight of the liquid you end up with, and measure out .7% gelatin by weight. Take a cup of the liquid and set it aside to cool a bit, then stir in the gelatin. Stir back into the rest of the liquid.

Put the liquid in a ziplock bag and freeze.

Once it is frozen, set it up in your fridge in a cheesecloth-lined strainer set over a bowl. As the block melts, bacon consommé will drip through the cheesecloth into the bowl below. The gelatin that remains acts as a strainer so that the dripping liquid is perfectly clear.

You can make this in advance and freeze it until it is needed.

... and here...

http://www.eatfoo.com/archives/2008/02/gelatin_filtration.php

Imagine the possibilities - especially with the holidays around the corner.

Glorious ruby-colored cranberry consommé spiced with orange, ginger and cloves
All the flavors of a bourbon chocolate pecan pie in just a sip....

Salad on a skewer?

2010-09-20T14:04:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine is going into party planning so I am keeping my eyes open for cute ideas. I came across a skewered Greek salad and it got me thinking as to what other salads could be skewered? Here are a few I found:

Skewered Italian Salad

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup Wish-Bone® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• 2 medium zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium red and/or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 ounces spring salad mix
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese

Directions
In medium bowl, combine chicken with 2 tablespoons Wish-Bone® Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing; set aside.

In large bowl, toss vegetables with 2 tablespoons Dressing.

On skewers*, alternately thread chicken and vegetables. Grill, turning once, 8 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

On serving platter, arrange salad mix. Remove skewers, then arrange chicken and vegetables on salad. Top with cheese and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup Dressing.

*If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least 15 minutes prior to use.

Skewered Greek Salad

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Prep Time: 10 min
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Skewers:

• 24 grape or small cherry tomatoes
• 3 ounces feta cheese, cut into 12 (1/2-inch) cubes
• 12 pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 small red or sweet onion, cut into 12 (1/2-inch) pieces
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• Special equipment: 12 (6-inch) bamboo or wood skewers

Vinaigrette:

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the Skewers: Thread the skewers starting with a tomato, then a piece of feta cheese, an olive, a piece of onion and finish with another tomato. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar and oregano. Whisk in the olive oil until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Arrange the skewers on a serving platter. Spoon the vinaigrette over the skewers and sprinkle with the chopped oregano.

Skewered Salad Niçoise

• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon (optional)
• 1/2 pound fresh tuna fillet, 1/2-inch thick
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Mesclun greens
• 12 green beans, cooked, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 dozen pitted Niçoise (or small Kalamata) olives
• 1/2 pound new potatoes, cooked, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (including yolk and white)

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. While still whisking, add 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin, steady stream. Stir in herbs.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining olive oil. Season tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan and cook 1 minute per side (it should still be rare in the center). When cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss gently with 1/4 cup dressing.

In a medium bowl, toss a handful of mesclun greens with a few tablespoons of dressing--just enough to lightly coat the leaves.

On a skewer, thread 1 piece of tuna, 1 piece of lettuce, 2 green bean pieces, 1 piece of lettuce, 1 olive, 1 potato cube, 1 piece of lettuce, 1 egg wedge, 1 piece of lettuce, and 1 tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Caprese Skewers

Ingredients

Cherry Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella balls (roughly the same size as the Cherry Tomatoes)
Olive Oil (I love Sciabica Basil olive oil - they are the oldest olive oil producer in California)
Fresh Basil
Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper
Skewers

Directions
Soak the skewers in water for an hour.

Chop up the Basil. Skewer tomato, mozzarella and piece of basil. Repeat

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Picnic Salad Skewers

8 Servings
Prep: 15 min. + marinating
Cook: 15 min.

Ingredients

• 8 unpeeled small red potatoes
• 8 fresh pearl onions
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 16 cherry tomatoes
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

VINAIGRETTE:
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese, optional

Directions

Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook for 10-13 minutes or until tender; drain. Place onions and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

On metal or wooden skewers, alternately thread potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini. Place in a large shallow plastic container or large resealable plastic bag.

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetable skewers. Marinate for at least 1 hour, turning frequently. Sprinkle with feta cheese if desired.

Yield: 8 servings.

Spaghetti Frittata with Arugula and Fresh Herbs

2010-09-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

We had spaghetti the other night and I made extra pasta so that we could enjoy this frittata tonight for dinner. I am going to serve it with an herbed salmon fillet on the side.

If you have leftover cooked pasta in the fridge, this is a great way to use it up.Serves four to six as a main course.

Vegetarian

Kosher salt
3 oz. uncooked dried spaghetti (or 1-1/3 cups cooked)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large or 2 small shallots, trimmed, peeled, and thinly sliced crosswise
2 oz. (about 2 cups lightly packed) arugula, stemmed if necessary
8 large eggs (preferably at room temperature)
2/3 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (use the large holes on a box grater)
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. sliced chives

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions. Drain well and let cool. Transfer to a medium bowl.

In an ovenproof 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and 1/2 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and lightly golden, about 8?minutes. Add the arugula and toss with tongs until wilted, about 1 minute. With a heatproof spatula, scrape the arugula mixture and any fat left in the pan into the bowl with the pasta. Toss lightly to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, 1/2 tsp. salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add the pasta mixture, Parmigiano, mint, parsley, and chives. Mix gently but thoroughly.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and 1/2 Tbs. butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and is bubbling, add the egg mixture. Use the heatproof spatula to gently distribute the ingredients evenly. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the eggs have set just along the outside edge of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the frittata is puffed, golden, and set, 22 to 24 minutes.

Let the frittata cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Run the spatula gently around the edge and underneath the frittata, and slide it onto a cutting board. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 320; Fat (g): 25; Fat Calories (kcal): 220; Saturated Fat (g): 1; Protein (g): 13; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 13; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 230; Cholesterol (mg): 325; Fiber (g): 1;

From Fine Cooking 106, pp. 57
July 8, 2010

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred

2010-09-01T15:23:00.003-05:00

I have had 59.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. ~~Foie gras~~
24. Rice and beans
25. ~~Brawn, or head cheese~~
26. ~~Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper~~
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. ~~Cognac with a fat cigar~~
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. ~~Whole insects~~
43. ~~Phaal~~
44. Goat’s milk
45. ~~Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more~~
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. ~~Sweetbreads~~
63. Kaolin ?
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. ~~Haggis~~
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. ~~Louche absinthe~~
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill----- having a real hard time saying i'd ever eat this~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. ~~Horse~~
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Quick Dinner - Roasted Butterflied Chicken with Currant-Glazed Carrots

2010-08-27T08:59:00.000-05:00

Last night we had a super easy dinner, butterflied roast chicken with current glazed carrots. We cleaned out our refrigerator the other day and found about 15 jars of jams/jellies/preserves. As a result, I am trying to create recipes that will use them up. I did so here with the carrots.

Butterflying the chicken allows for it to cook in 30 - 45 minutes (mine still had a bit of an ice crust on it). As to the carrots, they are composed of 3 ingredients: carrots, currant jelly and water.

Roast Chicken
Ingredients:
1 chicken fryer, butterflied (see below)*
vegetable oil
garlic powder
salt and pepper
2 onions, quartered

*To butterfly a chicken turn it over onto its breast (knees will point away from you) and using a pair of poultry (kitchen) shears, cut on both sides of the backbone from the tail to the neck. Remove the backbone. Turn the chicken over and press your hands down on the keel bone (breast bone) to break it. You should hear it pop.

Directions:
Rub the front and back with oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

In a roasting pan place quartered onions. Set the chicken, breast side up, on top of the onions. Make sure that the thighs are spread out (you may need to rotate it at the joint to do so) - you want to have as much of the chicken open to the heat as possible. and broil for 15 minutes. You will need to check to make sure it doesn't get too dark. If necessary, place a piece of foil over the top. If you use a triangle shaped piece of foil you can protect the breast while allowing for the thighs to cook. After 15 minutes, turn the chicken over and broil another 15 minutes. At this point, insert a thermometer into the thigh and continue cooking (you may need to flip the chicken again depending on color) until the chicken reaches 160. Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with foil for 10 minutes (called resting). Letting it rest allows for all the juices to migrate back into all the of the meat, rather than being concentrated in the center).

While the chicken is cooking you can prep and cook the carrots.

Currant Glazed Carrots
The amount that you cook will depend on how many you are trying to feed. Plan on at least 3 full carrots per person.

Ingredients:
Organic Carrots
Currant Jelly (or any jelly)
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Wash the carrots (I don't peel mine as I use organic)cut off the stem end. Cut them in half lengthwise. Put a tsp or so of oil in a large pan (one that you have a lid for) and heat to medium-high heat. Add the carrots and saute for a minute or two. Lower the heat to medium, add about 1 tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon currant jelly per person. Season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on the pan and cook, shaking occasionally, 15 - 20 minutes, or until the carrots are starting to soften. Remove the lid and gently stir the water/currant mixture to coat all the carrots. Increase the heat to medium high. Every couple of minutes coat the carrots with the glaze. Once the glaze is thickened and coats the carrots, they are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Gingersnap-Spiced Summer Squash Ravioli

2010-08-22T09:18:00.005-05:00

Last night we had a fantastic get-together at my marvelous friend Lynn's house. There were 7 of us gathered together for a girls night out. Not only did we get to cook, but we also went to see "Eat, Pray, Love" and were inspired by the wonderful food Julia Roberts encountered (did you know she gained 10 lbs during that movie?)

We made an easy summer squash ravioli using the "zapple" technique (cook zucchini and summer squash in lemon juice until tender to make it taste like apples).

Dinner for 4

Ravioli:
2 yellow summer squash, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
Juice from 2 lemons
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or more, to taste
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice*, or more, to taste
1 pkg wonton wrappers
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook squash, lemon juice, honey, gingersnaps, and spices until tender and thickened, about 20 minutes. Lay your wontons on a flat surface and place 1 T of filling in the middle. Using a bit of water, wet all four sides of the wontons and place a wonton on top. Press the sides together to seal. Set aside, covered with a damp cloth, on a greased cookie sheet until ready to cook.

In a pot of simmering water add wontons, but don't crowd the pan. Cook about 8 minutes, or until the pasta has become a bit translucent.

Toss in the sauce (uh, I initially wrote Tauce in the soss) and serve with yummy warmed bread.

Sauce:
1/2 stick butter
4 large fresh sage leaves, minced

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sage and cook until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

*Pumpkin Pie Spice can be made at home:
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-08-17T10:28:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I made my famous Chicken Enchiladas. They are perfect as leftovers and especially to take to friends when they are in need. This time I used a bit of light sour cream and 2% milk in place of some of the heavy cream.

Best Chicken Enchiladas

* Time 45 minutes
* Serves 8

Ingredients

* 12 - 15 flour tortillas, medium size (8" - 10")
* 8 oz green chilies, canned, chopped
* 3 1/2 C cooked chicken with Fajita Seasoning (I use McCormicks), chopped
* 1 pt heavy cream or half-and-half
* 1 medium yellow onion, diced
* 2 large cloves garlic, smashed and diced
* 8 oz cream cheese (light is acceptable)
* 16 oz Mexican Blend Cheese
* 1 red bell pepper, diced
* 14 oz can of corn, drained
* 1-2 cans black beans, pinto beans or a combination, rinsed and drained
* 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced (more if you like it spicier)

How to make it

* Sauté onion, garlic, red pepper and pepper in butter. Add chilies for a minute, and then add cream cheese. Stir until melted. Add chicken, beans and corn. Combine ingredients.

* Fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture. Make the enchiladas, place in the pan (large enough to fit enchiladas), cover with cheese and then pour the heavy cream over the enchiladas. If you want to have very soft cheese, cover with foil. For a crispier top leave the foil off.

* Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

* For a great side dish add a bit of the filling to a can of corn, add some hot sauce or chopped chipotle peppers, heat and serve.

Last Night I made Whoopie (pies that is)...

2010-08-13T08:37:00.006-05:00

So, in accordance to my current Whoopie Pie Fascination, last night I made my very first Whoopie Pies. They were Banana Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Buttercream. Being a newbie I made some very typical mistakes:

I piped the cakes a bit too thin - They should have had more volume. They did look beautiful in the spiral pattern in which I piped it.
I accidentally had my oven set 25 F too high - oops.
I used a funky buttercream recipe.

Even with the mistakes, I have lovely little 2" whoopie pies that I am proud to call mine.

Banana Cake portion of Whoopie Pie (From Martha Stewart Living)

Makes about 3 dozen.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.
Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets, spacing rounds 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto wire racks. Let cool. (Unfilled cookies can be stored for up to 1 day.)

Salted Caramel Buttercream (From www.foodess.com) I felt that I needed 2 x the amount of caramel than this recipe called for. Additionally, I couldn't get the egg whites to set up and ended up adding 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

1. Put 1/4 cup of sugar and water in saucepan over medium-high heat. Do not stir of you will get sugar crystals, but you can swirl the saucepan gently. It will bubble itself into a deep amber. Remove immediately from heat and add cream (careful - it will bubble up furiously). Stir until smooth and set aside.

2. Put the egg whites, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 140 degrees. Transfer to bowl of standing mixer.

3. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Add butter a bit at a time, and continue beating on medium. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla extract, and then caramel (you may need to gently rewarm the caramel in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it is workable but not burning hot). Beat for 4-5 minutes.

Next time I will try this Salted Caramel Buttercream (from http://gimmesomeoven.com/vanilla-almond-cupcakes-with-salted-caramel-buttercream/):

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, softened (or unsalted butter with a pinch of salt)
2 cups powdered sugar

To Make Frosting:

Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla (just start with a tablespoon or two), stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. (Be careful, as the mixture will definitely bubble up and possibly splatter a bit as you add in the cream.) Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add powdered sugar, and mix until completely incorporated. Turn off the mixer, and then add caramel. Beat frosting on low to combine, and then increase to medium-high and beat until airy and thoroughly mixed, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate if not using immediately (or to harden the frosting a bit).

Dinner Tonight...A dinner of "Leftovers"

2010-08-11T09:15:00.004-05:00

Tonight we are having leftovers. I think I'll use my "leftover" Creamy Garlic Eggplant Soup and my "leftover" beet pasta to make a lasagna. Some sun-dried tomato pasta sauce and some ground turkey should round it out with all the food groups.

Here is the recipe for the Creamy Garlic Eggplant Soup (casserole + chicken stock):

Eggplant (Aubergine) With Garlic Cream Sauce
2 Reviews Prep Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs min Serves: 6 About This Recipe

2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/4 thick slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
Spaghetti sauce (thick and chunky)
60 garlic cloves, i buy them already peeled
Stock, to cover garlic
1/4 c basil leaves (fresh), minced
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk, scalded (can use fat free evaporated milk)
1/4 c cream of rice
1 egg, room temperature
1/2- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup grated mozzarella

Directions
Salt and sweat the eggplant pieces for 30 minutes. Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Place garlic in a small saucepan with stock to cover. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Replenish stock as needed. Whirl garlic and stock in blender until pureed. Set aside.

Rinse and drain eggplant of salt.

Brush a large baking sheet with 1/4 olive oil. Place in oven until hot. Place eggplant on hot pan. Bake 25-30 minutes. Check frequently, turn with tongs after 15 minutes, do not burn or allow to become crisp. Looking for soft, golden, and cooked eggplant.

Drain and blot off oil with paper towel.

Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Heat 4 Tbs. butter in heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour. Let roux cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Whisk in hot scalded milk and cream of rice. Cook gently, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir in garlic puree. Remove from heat. Temper egg with sauce and incorporate. Taste for seasoning.

Place half of tomato sauce on bottom of a 2 quart pan. Spread 1/2 tomato sauce on bottom, top with 1/2 eggplant slices then half the mozzarella, spread remaining tomato sauce over eggplant, top with remaining eggplant. Pour the garlic cream sauce over all. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella.

Bake 45-60 minutes til golden brown and bubbling.

To turn into a soup scoop your leftover casserole into a stockpot, add chicken stock (about 3 cups) and heat over medium heat until all is incorporated. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until it is smooth.

My 2-year old wouldn't touch the casserole but ate 2 bowls of the soup.

Dinner tonight - Cheddar Cheese Soup

2010-08-10T11:27:00.004-05:00

Dinner tonight should come together in a snap! I am going to be making the recipe below with a few changes. Yellow summer squash instead of zucchini, a bit of corn puree from last night's dinner (see below for recipe) and some crispy rice for texture. Rice flour instead of wheat flour.

From: goodcheapeats.com

Cheddar Cheese Soup with Zucchini, Broccoli, and Carrots

Some people don’t like to have soup during the summer. But, I love it for a go-to lunch. This is one of my favorite soups, an all-time comfort food for me. During a recent bout with the flu, I whipped up a batch and froze the extra. It reheated really well in the microwave, so it may be a real keeper for freezer cooking.

Cheddar Cheese Soup with Zucchini, Broccoli, and Carrots

2 Tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium zucchini, grated
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 onion, grated
1 head broccoli, chopped into mini florets
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

In large saucepot, melt butter. Add garlic, zucchini, carrots, and onion. Saute until veggies are tender. Stir in broccoli and broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in large pot. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute or two. Whisk in milk until smooth. Simmer until thickened. Whisk in cheddar cheese. Incorporate vegetable mixture into cheese sauce, whisking until smooth. Serve immediately.

Sweet Corn Puree - from everydaycookin.com
2 cups of frozen corn kernels
½ cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of chopped basil
5 strips of bacon
Salt and pepper

The Method
Cut bacon into cubes and cook over medium heat. When done remove from heat leaving the drippings in the pan. Add corn and cook until heated through. Pour into a blender and mix with cream and butter – add a pinch of salt and pepper. Return to the pan and over a low heat fold in basil and reserved bacon. Garnish with basil. (can puree the whole thing - I did)

Dinner this week...

2010-03-03T14:29:00.006-06:00

I have some leftovers in my fridge that I need to use up - low-fat ricotta, wonton wrappers... My googleing of ingredients came up with some appropriate foodie-challenge menus. As I have never had Swiss Chard, have never cooked with Radicchio or grilled Kale before, I am excited!

............I will post an update (hopefully with pictures) on how it goes, how it tastes, etc...

Wednesday Night - Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Tomato Sauce
This meal was fantastic. I had read that the longer it sits on the shelf the Swiss Chard tastes muddy rather than sweet. Well, my Swiss Chard was definitely no spring chicken but the flavor
was still phenomenal. This recipe made 3 servings (We ate two and I froze the remainder for a later date).

I used small wonton wrappers as my pasta and the filling was as follows:

1/3 cup low fat ricotta
2 T chevre
1 bunch swiss chard leaves (stems reserved for another dish), rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4" strips and sauteed until crispy
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute the bacon and when crispy but not quite done add the garlic and chard. Saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cheeses and seasoning.

Lay out a wonton and spoon filling in the middle (a little less than a tablespoon of filling). Wet your finger with water and run your finger around the edges of the wonton. Place a second wrapper on top and press together to seal. Continue until you've used all your filling.

In simmering salted water add your ravioli, a few at a time (I used 5) and cook until the pasta is done - 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with warmed tomato sauce.

Thursday Night - Radicchio filled with Ricotta and Walnuts and served with Chicken

Friday Night - Grilled Coconut Marinated Kale with Garam Masala Roasted Potatoes

New Challenges, New Victories

2010-03-02T10:05:00.013-06:00

The last several weeks have definitely been busy ones. We've had a stomach virus going around that has been nasty. Work has been busy but not too busy to fit in some foodie-challenges.

On the celery front - I tried dehydrating the celery conserve from a few posts back - it is quite tasty - I think it would be nice as a soup or salad garnish.

Because I've been attending a local raw meetup group I've been playing with a lot of raw foods lately such as cheesy kale crisps, soaked rice and pecan salad, I created a chocolate wafer cookie (dehydrated) with a banana nut cream that is to-die-for, a yummy tri-vegetable terrine, and a cucumber/dulse/dill salad. I have juiced up a storm - its amazing the difference that a hunk of ginger makes, made a beautiful fuchsia beet pasta and so much more.

I am thinking of working on an entertaining cookbook. My plan is to divide the book up into occasions (or guest type) and provide appropriate recipes for the get-togethers (for example - the Celery Stick - recipes for your friends that taste good and don't sabotage their diet; the Lovelorn - rich and decadent recipes and comfort food, Nature girl - vegetarian, vegan and raw recipes for your green friends). If you have any ideas for categories I'd love to hear them. I am also looking for a fantastic/creative mixologist/bartender to collaborate with. For every recipe, I'd like to have a cocktail to pair with it.

I've also started my garden (well, part of it) and hope to see sweet spinach, mesclun mix and kale peeping out of the ground soon. My mother in law just laughs when I talk about gardening because I have scoffed at it so long. I have always hated gardening but I love the results so we shall see how I do this year. Soon to be planted are carrots, onions, zucchini, eggplant, green beans, tomatoes, a ton of basil and other herbs. I've talked my M-I-L (I think) into growing okra also. I hope it will be a summer of bounty!

mmmmm...... now for the recipes

Chocolate Wafer Cookies with Banana Nut Cream (Decadent)

Chocolate Wafers

1 Cup Almonds
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder (Cacao Powder)
1/4 Cup Virgin Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Raw Sucanat Sugar
2 TB Maple Syrup
2 TB Cacao Nibs
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt
1/3 cup ground flax seed

Step 1 Place the almonds in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. It’s ok if there are bits of almonds not broken down, this will add extra crunch and texture to the crust.

Step 2 Add the cocoa powder, sugar and salt and process to combine lightly, then add the rest of the ingredients and pulse several times until incorporated and slightly damp.

Step 3 Spread mixture over a dehydrator sheet, score into 1" pieces and dehydrate at 105 for 15 hours, removing from silpat/parchment/flex sheet after about 6 hours and placing on the plastic grid for the remainder.

Banana Nut Cream

1/2 c Cashew Cheese
1/2 c Walnut Cheese
1/2 c Almond Cheese
1 ripe banana
1 c cocoa
1 T vanilla extract
3 T agave nectar
pinch sea salt

Combine all in a food processor. Adjust ingredients to your taste.

Sandwich cream between two wafers and refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm.

Raw Tri-Vegetable Asian Style Terrine

Bell Peppers

2 bell peppers (I used red and yellow), diced into 1/4" pieces
1/4 c tamari sauce
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Zucchini

2 zucchini, diced into 1/4" pieces
1/4 c tamari sauce
6 cloves garlic
2 T minced ginger

Eggplant

1 large eggplant
2 T olive oil
1/4 c tamari sauce
1 tsp 5-spice powder

Filling

2 c cashew cheese + juice of one lemon
2 T white miso
3 garlic cloves

Marinate each vegetable for at least 2 hours then dehydrate at 105 F for 4 hours. Line a bowl with plastic wrap (overlapping the bowl) and spray with olive oil. Place peppers in the bottom of the bowl (this will be the top). Add 1/3 of the filling. Top with zucchini then the rest of the filling. Top with eggplant.

Fold plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate until set (at least 2 hours). Remove from bowl, unwrap the bottom and invert onto a serving platter. Remove the rest of the plastic and serve.

Enjoy!

Squash for Valentine's

2010-02-15T21:02:00.000-06:00

Tonight, my dinner menu consisted of mushroom chicken with butternut squash fries, and mashed potatoes.

The chicken was simmered in the mushroom & wine sauce with a little garlic and thyme; and I poured the sauce/gravy over all – the squash fries and potatoes, as well as the chicken. It was quite good and so easy. The butternut squash was a smaller one, so it was easy to slice up, then I simply added salt & pepper and some olive oil, and roasted it in the oven, while the chicken and potatoes cooked.

Really tasty !!

Chocolate, Orange and Almond Ganache Frosting

2010-01-22T13:34:00.005-06:00

Using my newly found knowledge of Nut Cheese, for my mother-in-law's birthday I made her a gluten-free chocolate cake with a frosting of dark chocolate, orange juice/zest and almond cheese and a filling of almond cheese and vanilla. The almond cheese gave it a smooth, creamy, fatty feel (like that of heavy cream) without the saturated fat. The icing was rather drippy - not whippable.

Here is my filling recipe:

1 C ground almonds
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 T agave nectar

Here is my "frosting" recipe:

1 C dark chocolate, chopped
1/3-1/2 C OJ syrup (so, I will reduce about 2 cups to get the 1/2 cup)**
1/2 C almond cheese*

Combine chocolate, almond cheese and syrup in a double boiler and stir until all chocolate is melted. If desired, orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier can be added to the pan when you first start. Remove from heat and cool for at least 4 hours (refrigerate).

When you're ready to assemble the cake, place the first layer on a dish, spread the filling leaving 1" around the outside bare then top with the other layer.
Pour the ganache onto the middle of the top layer, it will self-spread and drip down the sides.
Garnish with orange zest and chocolate covered almonds.

*Almond Cheese: Soak 1 C raw, skinned almonds in water for several hours then move to a food processor. Add just enough water to make it creamy (start with 1 T).

**OJ Syrup: In a saucepan place 2 cups orange juice along with the zest of the oranges. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then turn the temperature down to medium and cook until it is syrupy. Cool to room temperature. If desired, orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier can be added to the pan when you first start.