Increible Food

Bison Tagliata Recipe

2013-11-30T14:53:00.001-08:00

It's Summer and thoughts turn to grilling. Me? I'm in an apartment with no grill, but that doesn't stop me from eating stuff people normally grill like steak. Just as I warmed up to grass fed beef, I'm pretty much head over heals for bison steak and I have a nifty way of cooking it sans grill. It tuns out what we think of as American buffalo is really bison. What's on the buffalo head coin? A bison. There are water buffalo (for that crazy good mozzarella) and the African Cape buffalo (not so sure what they are good for) but American buffalo is really bison so let's go with that.

Bison is much lower in fat than beef, high in iron, slightly lower in cholesterol. Recently I heard Ted Turner speak at the Sustainable Foods Institute, part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's annual event, Cooking for Solutions. It turns out, he is crazy about bison. He owns the largest herd in the world and has opened a chain of bison restaurants. He loves the romance of the prarie. But the environmental arguments for bison are even stronger. Bison are grazing animals and part of the ecosystem that helps keep grasslands healthy. Because it is so lean, cooking it fairly gently is important so it stays tender and flavorful.

I like a certain Italian way of eating steak called 'tagliata' which just means sliced. Instead of a big hunk of meat you get slices of perfectly cooked medium rare steak over a spicy arugula salad drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, some shavings of Parmesan or Pecorino and a wedge of lemon. Using smoked olive oil is a great way to get the taste of the grill without, you know, a grill. It's expensive but a tiny bit goes a long way, and it doesn't lose pungency if you store it properly (in a cool dark place).

This is a super lazy summertime meal, it requires very little cooking, and it's a one dish meal to boot. My biggest complaint about bison is the difficulty in finding it at the store. Ground bison is getting more common but steaks are much harder to locate. I got samples of bison steaks from High Plains Bison, you can purchase from them online or find more producers at Bison Central.

Bison Tagliata
Serves 4

2 ribeye or strip bison steaks
Arugula
Chunk of Parmesan or Pecorino
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat the steak dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the steak in the skillet, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side, until brown. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer steak to a cutting board and cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

Arrange arugula on 4 plates, shave cheese using a vegetable peeler and place strips of cheese on the salad. Slice the steak against the grain and lay strips on the salad. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

(Not Really) Moroccan Chicken & Lentils Recipe

2013-11-28T15:32:00.001-08:00

This might be my favorite Hunger Challenge recipe. My apologies for it being brown on brown on brown, but trust me, it is delicious. On a bed of earthy and mildly spiced lemony lentils rests sweet roasted onions--some soft and some chewy--and tender roast chicken with crisp skin. It's is a combination of two different Bon Appetit recipes, but modified pretty significantly because I didn't have all the ingredients necessary. The technique for pan roasting the chicken thighs is a good one though I had to adjust it to keep the chicken from overcooking.

Beans and legumes like lentils are a very economical way to stretch a budget and more expensive ingredients such as fresh vegetables and meat or cheese. My chicken thighs were over 6 ounces each, so one per person was plenty, but if you need more for bigger appetites by all means double the number of chicken thighs. I baked this dish in the toaster oven, you may need to cook it a little longer if you use a conventional oven. I'm not sure how Moroccan the original recipe is. My version is undoubtedly even less Moroccan which accounts for he admittedly goofy name.

A few other tips for saving money when it comes to cooking and shopping:

* Canned beans are more than dried beans. Cook things like chicken broth, beans and rice ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator all week and use them as you need them.

* Look for vegetables that are in season and on sale. Compare the price to frozen vegetables especially for things like spinach and peas.

* Soups and stews like chili are easy ways to save, but you may get tired of eating soft food. Make some crunchy raw salads with carrots or beets to add variety.

* Scour the 'ethnic' food aisles for bargains. Sometimes spices and even staples like rice can be cheaper there.

* Cook double portions and you'll have something to eat on days when you don't have the time to cook.

* Buy in bulk. Instead of buying a jar of spices and bags of dried fruit and nuts, buy just a few teaspoons or tablespoons.

* Price out 'value packs.' The chicken I bought was only 99 cents a pound, but most packages were at least four pounds.

* Utilize ingredients that add flavor, texture and visual appeal to your meals, but don't cost a lot such as fresh cilantro, green onions and toasted bread crumbs.

Not Really Moroccan Chicken & Lentils

$2.09 for 2 servings (double the chicken for bigger appetites)

1/4 lb brown lentils .32
3 cups water
salt

2 chicken thighs, bone in 1.60
1/2 onion, sliced .20

2 Tablespoons olive oil .40
Juice of 1/2 lemon .17
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon .05
1 garlic clove, minced .05
Chopped cilantro to garnish .10 (optional)

Preheat toaster oven to 450 degrees. Combine water and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan over high heat. Add lentils; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well; rinse with cool water and drain again. In a mixing bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, chile powder, cinnamon and garlic. Add the lentils and toss. Season with salt to taste. Make a bed of lentils on each plate that you will serve the chicken on.

Season chicken with salt, pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot. Place thighs in dry skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Flip again so skin side is down and tuck sliced onions into the skillet, between the pieces of chicken. Transfer to the oven and cook 12 minutes. Check the skillet occasionally to make sure the onions are not burning and stir as necessary. Flip chicken so skin side is up; continue cooking until skin is crisp and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Chicken is done when it reaches the internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from the oven. Place onions on the lentil salad and chicken on top of that. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

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2013-09-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

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Lemon and oregano lamb kebabs recipe

2013-05-26T20:16:00.001-07:00

Photo: Lemon and oregano lamb kebabs recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Lemon and oregano lamb kebabs Recipe. Enjoy the Arabic Cuisine and learn how to make Lemon and oregano lamb kebabs.

These tasty lamb skewers taste great served with Lebanese bread and a squeeze of lemon.

Preparation Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

80ml (1/3 cup) fresh lemon juice
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1kg lamb leg steaks, cut into 2.5cm pieces
6 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 1/4 cups fresh continental parsley leaves
100g Greek feta, crumbled
Lemon wedges, to serve
Lebanese bread, to serve

Method

Combine the lemon juice, oil, oregano and garlic in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Thread lamb onto skewers. Add to marinade and turn to coat. Cover and place in fridge for 4 hours to marinate.

Preheat a chargrill on medium-high. Add half the lamb and cook for 4-5 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining lamb.

Combine the tomato, onion, parsley and feta in a bowl. Divide among serving plates and top with lamb. Serve with lemon wedges and bread.

Notes

Note: Allow 4 hours marinating time.

Source
Good Taste - October 2006, Page 98
Recipe by Michelle Southan

More Arabic Food Recipes:

Build-Your-Own Shish Kabobs
Eggplant & couscous salad with yoghurt dressing
Chickpea Fattoush
Lentil & tomato salad with garlic lebanese bread
Lebanese Fattoush Salad with Grilled Chicken
Mediterranean-style bean salad

Save and share Lemon and oregano lamb kebabs recipe

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2013-05-19T20:41:00.001-07:00

[I hope you enjoyed our first and last Dostoevsky reference] Whenever I see those big piles of rutabagas at the market, I always think to myself, "who the heck is eating all these root vegetables?"

I understand that there've been times when we literally had no choice – it was either gnaw on a parsnip or perish, but nowadays with so many other delicious choices, why would anyone eat root vegetables on purpose? Has anyone ever stumbled out of a smoky dorm room late at night, in search of a big plate of steamed turnips? Probably not.

So, while you'll never catch me boiling up a batch of these fugly roots to enjoy their intoxicating sulphurous savoriness, I have been known to tolerate them in the occasional gratin.

Of course, I cheated and added some potatoes to mellow things out, but still, all kidding aside, this is a very delicious and enjoyable way to eat them, and would make a fantastic side dish for the holidays. And yes, I do know that potatoes are tubers and not roots, so save your emails. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 turnip

1 rutabaga

1 small celery root

2 yukon gold potatotes

1 parsnip

* root vegetable sizes and shapes vary, but bottom line, you'll need enough to fill a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish up 3/4 of the way

salt to taste (be sure to generously salt the boiling water!)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup cream

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne

1 tbsp fresh picked thyme leaves

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Great Gazpacho

2013-05-17T20:27:00.001-07:00

I had a hankerin' (oh yes I did) for gazpacho now that our weather has turned more summery. I was going to make my usual version with V8, but in the freezer I found a bag of tomatos that I had oven roasted and frozen last fall.

I used this recipe as my inspiration, but I went much simpler.

2 bell peppers (I used one orange and one red) whizzed smooth in the food processor with a few cloves of garlic and a spoon of sugar. I added my thawed tomatos and juice and pureed until smooth. I stirred in a couple of shots of red wine vinegar and some salt, then chilled for an hour.

Serve with a piece of cheesy toast, and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert.

THENKUZHAL | MURUKKU - STEP BY STEP RECIPE

2013-04-14T15:42:00.001-07:00

Mostly we all make thenkuzhal for diwali or some special occasions. I love this murukku since my childhood days.I used to do all the pre preparatory works like buying rice and dal , grinding it in flour mill etc..I sit with my mom & paati when they make this for diwali especially for the last batch of murukku .. She makes half cooked murukku( we call it "arai vekkaadu" in tamil) . I love this murukku more than the crispy ones. I eat it hot immediately after taking out from the oil.Even today , my MIL made this specially for me..How sweet !! .I saw so many thenkuzhal recipes in web with different proportions of rice and urad dal . I want to share my version.I tried to take step by step pics for beginners. I really admire our fellow bloggers who blog recipes with step by step pics for each and every post. They have so much of patience and skill to do this. I really don't have both .For sweets and savouries step by step presentation is most essential i feel. Hope this post helps beginners. Feel free to leave ur comments about my presentation.I will improve in my further posts. Now coming to my version..

INGREDIENTS

Raw rice / Maavu arisi – 1 kg or 5 cups
Round white urad dal – 3/4 cup
Fried gram dal / pottukadalai – 1 handful
Butter – 4 tbsp or 100 gms
Asafetida / hing – 1/2 tsp
Jeera / cumin seeds or Black sesame seeds – 2 tbsp
Salt & water – As needed.
Cooking oil – for deep frying..

"""PLEASE HAVE A LOOK AT THE "POINTS TO REMEMBER" BEFORE STARTING.."""

METHOD

Heat a kadai and dry roast urad dal slightly without changing its colour. Roast till nice aroma comes from urad dal. Switch off the flame and add the fried gram dal.
Now mix the rice, roasted urad dal and fried gram dal.
Grind in flour mill or powder it in mixie. If u use mixie to grind the mixture, please don't forget to sieve the flour. Flour should be very fine in texture.

Add salt , melted butter, hing , jeera or sesame seeds and water to make a non sticky dough.

Take the murukku press and mould with one whole.

Fill the dough and set aside.Heat the oil in a broad kadai and and press the murukku in circular motion directly in oil or press the murukku in a polythene sheet or in the back of ladle separately and then drop in hot oil. This way u get a nice shape. After u press the murukku , please stand a few feet away from the kadai.Sometimes , very rarely murukku may burst like seedai . If it doesn't burst, then proceed.

Cook for sometime.Flip and cook for some more time till the hiss sound and bubbles ceases .

Do it in medium flame.Adjust the flame whenever needed.

Remove and drain in a paper towel..Store in an air tight container after it cools down.

Don't forget to try the half cooked murukku in the last batch.

For this after u drop the murukku in oil , just flip immediately and remove in 10 secs.. Eat it hot !!

White colored , crispy thenkuzhal is ready to enjoy !!

Points to remember

When u make murukku in large quantities , make the dough in batches to avoid the dough from drying.Also cover the dough with a damp cloth or a lid while cooking murukku. This helps in getting white colored murukku for all the batches. Otherwise color may vary for the last batches.
We have added fried gram dal and butter to get the crispness & white color . But usually fried gram dal is not added in thenkuzhal.Its purely optional.
Adding too much of butter makes the murukku look oily and becomes soggy very soon.Shelf life gets reduced.
Adding more urad dal flour or too much of roasting the urad dal results in dark colored murukku.So make sure u roast the urad dal without changing the color..
If u use store bought rice flour and urad dal flour , the ratio would be 6:1.No need to roast the urad dal flour if it is ready made.
The murukku flour should be very fine in texture otherwise it may burst while cooking. So i always sieve the flour for safer side
Use enough oil for deep frying. Add more oil after few batches if necessary.
Drop or press the murukku only when the oil becomes hot. U can find this by dropping a pinch of flour. It raises up quickly.This is the correct heating point. Do not let the oil fume. Always keep the flame in medium for even cooking.
Instead of pressing in oil directly , u can try pressing it in the back of ladle greased with oil or greased polythene sheets. This way u'll get nice shape..
After cooking when u break the murukku , u can c a hole in the middle of the murukku like funnel. This denotes the murukku is perfect !!

Can u see the hole . Catch u in my next post. Bye. Have a gr8 weekend

Technorati Tags: Thenkuzhal murukku,white Murukku,Diwali snacks,Murukku step by step pics,thenkuzhal recipe with step by step pics.Tips to get white thenkuzhal.

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2013-04-14T15:40:00.001-07:00

Sobrassada Stuffed Squid... the 3 S... like in Superb, Savory and Seasonal! Yes, it might look...

Get the rest in my blog! See you there!

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2013-04-12T17:27:00.001-07:00

I know I say this a lot, but I can't believe I haven't done this recipe yet! There are few things as easy and amazing as homemade breakfast sausage, and this is my favorite formula.

The key here is to get some properly ground fresh pork from a real live butcher. The ground pork in the meat case at the supermarket is not going to be coarse enough, not to mention the fact that the meat they used was probably chosen based on it's inability to be sold in any other form.

Tell the butcher you want a couple pounds of freshly ground pork shoulder, and be sure to use the term "sausage grind." This means a very coarse grind, and an adequate fat content. Anything less than 30-40% fat is just not going to make a great sausage patty.

Above and beyond the meat, almost anything goes when making sausage patties. I think the fennel, nutmeg, and orange zest (an idea I borrowed from my uncle, and sausage master, Bill) really gives this a breakfast-y flavor, but if you're not into those ingredients, use what you like.

Lastly, the overnight refrigeration really makes a big difference. All those big flavors need time to meld together, and besides, by making this in the evening for the next morning's meal, you've pretty much assured yourself of some quality sausage-related dreams. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork

1 tsp kosher salt (1/2 to 3/4 tsp of table salt), or to taste

1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs blend (mine has thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano)

2-3 tsps fennel seeds, lightly crushed

2 tsp freshly grated orange zest

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

pinch of fresh nutmeg

All about Dijon Mustard

2013-03-31T19:23:00.001-07:00

I never expected to visit Dijon. But on my first trip to France, I asked my Parisian friends for suggestions for where to go and they said Dijon and nearby Beaune, so off I went. The historic capital of Burgundy, Dijon is a dramatic looking city with lots to do and see. It has many museums, churches, medieval buildings with gargoyles and stunning geometrically patterned roofs of green, white, yellow, black and terra cotta ceramic tiles.

When most people think Dijon, they think mustard. But Dijon is in wine country, home of Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguinon and lots of other rich and rustic dishes including the classic preparation of Escargot in garlic, butter and parsley. In addition to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay and Aligoté, the region is also known for Cremant de Bourgogne and cassis. It's worth noting that you can get to Dijon in under 2 hours from Paris if you take the TGV.

But let's talk mustard. If I had to choose one mustard only (currently I have 7 open jars in my fridge) it would be Dijon. It's mellow and sophisticated in color but with a spicy bite. It's made from brown or black mustard seeds and usually from white wine vinegar, though initially it was made with verjus, a kind of unripe grape juice. Dijon is where you'll find the original Maille shop, founded in 1747, the windows filled with handsome ceramic mustard jars of all sizes. There is another Maille boutique in Paris (right near Fauchon and Laduree at place de la Madeleine).

I'm rather fond of the Maille brand (now a subsidiary of Unilever), it works particularly well in recipes and is not very expensive. If you substitute Grey Poupon (owned by Kraft), you will notice a difference (and it does not work as well in vinaigrette recipes). In France you can buy Dijon mustard flavored with everything from cassis to blue cheese to cognac, nuts, mushrooms, and piment d'espelette. Having been on the giving and receiving end, a small jar of flavored Dijon mustard makes a fine gift.

Here are some ways to use Dijon mustard (other than on sandwiches and hot dogs)

* Combine with oil and vinegar to make a classic vinaigrette

* Add to quiche recipes, especially quiche lorraine

* Slather on fish fillets before baking

* Mix with honey to make a dipping sauce, also great on salmon

* Add a touch to macaroni and cheese

* Use in baked beans

* Combine mustard and olive oil with red potatoes then roast until crusty

* Coat pork chops or chicken in mustard then crust with panko and bake

* Add to potato and egg salads

* Spread it on bread instead of butter

* Simmer mustard with pan drippings, wine, broth and cream to make a sauce for roast chicken

* Add to barbecue sauce

Want to learn more about Dijon cuisine? August 23, 2011 Michelin star chef chefs Jean-Pierre and Alexis Billoux from Dijon will be doing cooking demos at the CUESA kitchen at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market from 10 am - 2 pm as part of the Dijon Must'art tour.

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle recipe

2013-03-10T21:02:00.001-07:00

Dining out is one of the best favorite forms of culinary inspiration. Last weekend I went out for brunch at 'Eats' on Clement Street and ordered the Waffle Bacon which was described as bacon pressed in a waffle, cheddar, Hungarian peppers and a sunny up egg. It was a wonderful combination of gooey, chewy and crisp and had many classic flavors associated with breakfast. It was definitely the sauteed peppers that tied the bacon, egg, cheese and waffle together and took the dish to the next level. I knew this was something I had to order again or better yet, try to duplicate at home.

Instead of using Hungarian peppers I took the easy route and used diced green chiles from a can. The result? Oh my. It was delicious! The truth is, a bacon waffle topped with chiles and cheese is actually quite good without the egg as well, though you can imagine how the yolk forms a lovely sauce for the bacon waffle. Sometimes more is better, and it's the excess of this recipe that makes it so satisfying. Who doesn't love bacon, cheddar or green chiles? They are my go to ingredients for making everything from eggs to soups or stews taste better.

I'm not a huge proponent of packaged foods like pancake and waffle mix, but in this case it's a good shortcut. While I often make pancakes or waffles from scratch, having a mix on hand is worthwhile. You can even make your own mix if you like. What restaurant dish will inspire my next recipe? I can't wait to find out...

Chile Cheddar Bacon Waffle
Makes one serving (multiply to serve as many as you like)

Waffle batter, homemade or from a mix
2 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons fire roasted green chiles (such as Ortega brand)

Optional:
1 teaspoon butter or oil
1 egg

Heat waffle iron and grease as directed. Pour in the batter and lay a piece of bacon in each quadrant. Close cover and cook until done. Meanwhile heat a small nonstick pan. Add the butter or oil and fry the egg. Meanwhile place the chiles in a microwave safe container and gently heat in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Place the waffle on a plate, top with the chiles, cheese and egg, if desired.

Enjoy!

PARUPPU THOGAYAL

2013-03-10T20:57:00.001-07:00

This is my husband's favorite thogayal. It tastes the best when paired with vatral kuzhambu . Its is a delectable combination.

INGREDIENTS

Moong dal - 1 fistful
Toor dal - 1 fistful
Red chilly - 2 nos medium sized ( 1 if long)
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp ( optional)
Pepper corns - 1 tsp
Garlic cloves - 6 nos
Salt - As reqd

METHOD

Take a kadai and add a tbsp of oil. Fry the dals along with red chillies.
Once its cool grind adding salt , grated coconut and little water to make a paste.
Finally add the pepper corns and garlic cloves and grind well .
Add little water if required.

Mix with plain rice adding sesame oil ..Enjoy !!

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2013-02-27T18:17:00.001-08:00

Hello from beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, California! Michele and I are here to tour a couple family farms as guests of knowacaliforniafarmer.com. Hopefully, I'll have some photos and more info to share when I return to San Francisco on Sunday evening, but in the meantime I wanted to post this experimental chicken satay burger video.

I've been thinking about how to do a chicken burger using some of the same flavors found in Thai-style chicken satay, and this was my first attempt. I thought it was pretty good, and benefited from some seasoning adjustments, as you'll hear. I think the concept is solid, but I'll continue to try and perfect the execution.

This is one of those videos where I especially hope some are inspired to take the idea and run with it. Then, come back and share your incredible success with the rest of us. This is a fun jumping off point in regards to doing burgers inspired by other classic dishes. I can't wait to see what you come up with. Enjoy!

For the burger (4):

1 pound ground chicken

1 1/2 tbsp coconut milk

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp sambal chili sauce

1 tbsp bread crumbs

2 tsp soy sauce

3 cloves minced garlic

pinch of cayenne

For the peanut sauce:

Peanut butter thinned with a squeeze of lime, seasoned with more sambal or hot pepper

For the slaw:

1/2 cup grated or julienne carrot

1/2 cup grated or julienne cucumber

2 tbsp sliced jalapeño

2 tsp Asian fish sauce

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

New & Notable Chocolate

2013-02-13T19:20:00.001-08:00

'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly chocolate.'
--Debbie Moose

Each holiday season there are new chocolates and I am first in line to try as many as I can. This year there were so many I packed them all up and took them to Thanksgiving dinner to let my friends and family try them too. Here are the highlights:

I adore Kika's Treats. Kika is one of the most successful graduates of the La Cocina incubator program in San Francisco. Her caramelized graham crackers dipped in chocolate are unique and a wonderful melange of buttery toffee and rich chocolate. But her latest confection is equally compelling.

Luscious caramels dipped in dark chocolate with a pinch of sea salt and a surprising twist. They are lightened up with the addition of puffed brown rice that gives them the perfect crunch. A 9-piece assortment is just $16 (and the box is absolutely adorable)

Another local favorite confectioner, Michael Recchiuti is also known for his terrific caramel truffles which are so dark he calls them 'burnt.' No gooey treat, his version is intense.

Adding to the line up of chocolate confections are bars, made from Valrhona chocolate. While I liked the classic all chocolate bars in bittersweet, semisweet and dark milk for their purity of flavor, I really fell for his bars with crunchy and chewy additions. My favorites were the sesame nougatine bar and the orchard bar. The orchard bar has a bewitching mix of currants, mulberries and toasted almonds. It's like the grown up version of the Nestle chunky bar. The sesame bar also has crispness to it and a lovely nougat flavor. Recchuiti is masterful at toasting and roasting nuts to bring out their best flavor and texture so it's no surprise that all his bars with nuts were good. At only $6 a bar, they are a very affordable indulgence.

Chocolates with liqueur are always a holiday favorite. The most recent addition is a truffle made with the Italian liqueur Frangelico. Frangelico is a beguiling hazelnut liqueur that also includes hints of cocoa, vanilla and berries. It's complex but mellow and pairs wonderfully with chocolate. Marie Belle is making exquisitely beautiful chocolate tiles with a Frangelico truffle ganache. They are not boozy, but rich, creamy and subtle. If you like Frangelico, you will love them. They are available in boxes, starting at $15 for 4.

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2013-02-12T17:51:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure why I've always had such a bad attitude towards slow cookers. It does a great job turning out delicious braised dishes like this "7-bone" beef pot roast, it's efficient, and could not be easier to use. So, then why have I used my crock pot fewer times over the last decade than ice skates? By the way, I don't ice skate.

It probably has something to do with going to culinary school, and judging everything from the point of view of the professional kitchen. They're certainly not something you learn about at a cooking academy, or see in the back of a restaurant, and are generally associated with the dreaded, "housewife cooking." This is the same reason we can't serve jell-o molds.

There's no chef slur quite as hurtful as having your food called "housewifey," which is ironic since most of us were first taught about food and cooking by housewives. I'll have to work through these deep seated slow cooker issues with my therapist, but in the meantime I will say that I'm glad I dusted off the old crock pot and used it for this succulent pot roast.

The real secret here is making sure you sear the meat before the long, slow braising. The slow cooker does a great job of cooking the meat, but unless you brown the beef thoroughly beforehand, you're missing out on a lot of flavor. I hope this entices you to drag out your crock pot, and get your housewife on soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

AP flour as needed

1 "7-bone" beef pot roast (about 5 pounds)

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, cut in chunks
2 ribs celery, cut in chunks

a few springs of rosemary and thyme

*Cook in slow cooker on high for 5-6 hours, or on low setting for 8-10 hours

Opening stubborn jar lids

2013-02-12T17:50:00.001-08:00

Here's another way to remove stubborn jar lids. Invert the jar so that it rests lid-down in about ½ inch of hot tap water in a shallow bowl or pie plate. After 30 seconds or so, the heat will break the vacuum seal and the lid will unscrew easily.

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Protecting non-stick pan surfaces
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Storing Fruits and Vegetables in the Fridge
Simple ways to cook dry beans

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2013-02-11T18:51:00.001-08:00

My apologies but this post will be in Catalan. It's for a good cause: Catalan bloggers get together...

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Wine of the Week: Sainsbury's Moscatel de Valencia

2013-02-05T12:54:00.001-08:00

Moscatel de Valencia, a sweet wine from Southern Spain, has always been good value but it's extraordinary that it still costs only £3.89 a bottle (in most branches of Sainsbury's). A whole bottle, not a half, like most other dessert wines.

OK, it's not particularly fashionable but it tastes just gorgeous. It has a deliciously orangey character that would make it a fantastic pairing for apple tart, pie or crumble (served with cream rather than custard), light chocolate desserts (plain rather than with berries) and - thinking ahead to Christmas - Christmas pudding which is always a tricky one to match. You could also partner it with a Spanish style 'flan' or crème caramel.

As the name indicates, it's a muscat, fortified with a little spirit to bring it up to 15%. Drink it nice and cold.

Mighty Life List - Dragon Fruit

2013-02-05T12:53:00.001-08:00

Sweet and mellow with a crunch like a kiwi fruit. Yum.

UPMA URUNDAI

2013-02-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

Last weekend i was breaking my head thinking about wat to prepare for dinner.Finally i asked my hubby what he wanted to have. He told me to prepare upma urundai and also he said its been a very long time we prepared this.Yes , I agreed i totally forgot about this dish.Immediately i gave a call to my MIL for the recipe and made it. It was tasting soft and excellent. Thanks to my hubby for reminding this yummy tiffin.Also i've got a different recipe to share with u all :)

INGREDIENTS :

Raw rice - 1 cup
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 2 cups

To temper :

Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Asafetida /Hing - 1/4 tsp
Green chilly - 1 no ( cut into two)
Ginger - 1 inch piece ( cut into small pieces)
Curry leaves - A few

Salt & water - as needed.

METHOD:

Soak the rice and toor dal together for two hours.
Coarse grind the rice & dal mixture in a mixie. Run the mixie only once.(Please do not grind for more time) The rice & dal should be just broken.
Now in a broad kadai , temper all the items given above in the same order.
Add 2 cups of water and the required salt.Allow it to boil.Now add the ground rice mixture.Mix well for sometime without forming lumps.Let it thicken.
The rice absorbs all the water and becomes a non sticky dough.
Let it cool down. Now grease the idly plate with little oil. Make balls out of the dough and arrange it in the greased idly plate.Steam the balls for 10-15 mins.

Soft , hot upma urundai is ready to serve. We enjoyed with the sambhar i made for lunch. U can have it with any chutney. Sometimes this can be made as a evening snack without any accompaniment.

Whole lamb stuffed with chickpeas and eggs recipe

2013-01-29T19:30:00.001-08:00

Photo: Whole lamb stuffed with chickpeas and eggs recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Whole lamb stuffed with chickpeas and eggs Recipe. Enjoy the Arabic Cuisine and learn how to make Whole lamb stuffed with chickpeas and eggs.

Ingredients

1whole lamb, about 5-6 Kg

For seasoning:-
1 cup saffron mixture ( saffron threads soaked in water)
1 teaspoon grounded black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground dry coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt
½ cup corn oil

For filling:-
2 tablespoon oil
1 chopped onion
1 cup chickpeas (cooked)
1 cup cashew and pine nuts
½ cup raisin (soaked)
2 green bell peppers (chopped)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
6 boiled eggs

Method

- Wash the lamb inside and out then pat dry.
- Mix the saffron water with all the spices and the oil, stir well.
- Season the lamb with the previous seasoning from outside, cover and set aside in the fridge for 3 hours.
- In a skillet heat oil, add onions, chickpeas, nuts and raisin, stir.
- Add green peppers and eggs; season mixture with salt, pepper and spices.
- Preheat oven to 180 C.
- Fill the lamb with the stuffing, cover and put into the oven until doneness (cooking time is 40 minutes per kilo); the lamb is covered for ¾ of cooking time, then uncovered to brown.
- Garnish with the remaining filling, and serve hot.

More Arabic Food Recipes:

Roasted chicken with potato
Chicken with Vegetables
Stuffed grilled Colored peppers
Moroccan rissoles
Moroccan potato salad
Lamb Rack With Maghrabia Biryani (served with Torlly)

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2013-01-29T19:29:00.001-08:00

Try to visualise me as Eve for a second; hey... with clothes on, ok? I'm not that young anymore ;D....

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Blackberry Mini Tarts Recipe

2013-01-16T18:56:00.001-08:00

Last week Driscoll's held a wonderful event for bloggers that I got to have a hand in planning. Bloggers brought dishes made with fresh blackberries, got insider cooking tips from cookbook author and cooking teacher Rick Rodgers and an inspiring food photography tutorial and demo from food photographer Caren Alpert.

I learned about pastry tampers, (the secret to quickly forming small tart shells in mini muffin pans) improvising with FedEx boxes and tin foil to get more light in food photos, ate a fabulous of dinner made from Rick's recipes, and tasted some divine desserts from some of my fellow bloggers. I particularly loved Irvin's tangy lemon and blackberry pie. I hope he posts the recipe soon! Rick made a cream cheese crust pastry with a savory filling and a blackberry topping. It was surprisingly similar to my dessert recipe.

I got the original recipe from the Land 'O Lakes website. I adapted it for Thanksgiving using cranberries and no nuts or glaze, then tweaked both the ingredients and the techniques to make it work with blackberries. Driscoll's blackberries are so good right now that I wanted to use them raw. I like desserts with at least some tangy flavor and blackberries have such a great balance of sweet and sour, thanks to a good ratio of natural sugars and organic acids. You could top the custard filled tarts with any kind of fresh berry you like. What makes this recipe so easy is that you mix the dough and the filling in a food processor. You could probably do it using a stand mixer if you prefer.

Blackberry Mini Tarts
Makes 36

Crust;
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

2 6-oz packages blackberries, each berry cut into two or three pieces

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine flour, butter, cream cheese and salt in food processor. Blend until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough into 36 equal pieces. Place 1 piece of dough into each ungreased mini muffin pan cup. Press dough evenly onto bottom and up sides of cup or use a pastry tamper! Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a bowl or food processor, cream together the sugar and butter then mix in egg, vanilla and salt. Spoon about a teaspoon into each tart crust then bake another 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and the top of the custard begins to brown. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes then remove from pans using a knife if necessary. Place about 3 pieces of berry in each tart shell.

Enjoy!

Pea and Bean Stew

2013-01-16T18:52:00.001-08:00

With the cooler weather coming in, it's great to have a hearty dish that can be whipped up in under 1/2 hour. A few weeks ago I was given a jar of Feisty Mama Medium Salsa. I had never tried the salsa before, because I don't eat raw onions and garlic, but the owner of Feisty Mama is a collegue of mine, and I use salsa sometimes to save time in cooking, so I was thrilled to receive a jar from her. Before I put anything in my cooking, though, I always taste it straight out of the jar. Let me say, that I was bowled over by the fresh taste of this jarred salsa, that tasted like someone had just made it. Kudos to you, Debra, for coming up with a recipe and technique to make this salsa so refreshing and fresh-tasting. If I ate salsa and chips, I would get on that website and order a case!

http://www.feistymamasalsa.com/

You can see from the label that the salsa is all natural, and fat free.

If you plan on cooking with salsa, you need to use at least the medium hot kind, and even the hot, if you want the spice to shine through when you are done cooking. I prefer, not spicy, so the medium worked fine for me.

In this 'chili' type stew, I used frozen baby peas, frozen baby lima beans and canned kidney beans. I loved this mix because the canned kidney beans are soft and velvety, while the lima beans are firm and a little grainy, and the peas, which were barely cooked, sort of pop in your mouth. The mix was terrific. To make the stew spicier, you can add more salsa, use the hot salsa, or you can add the salsa just before serving to preserve the spicy taste. These are all variations you can use to make the stew the way you like it, and after all, that's part of the point of cooking something yourself!

Here are all of my ingredients:
For 6 servings
2 jars of tomato sauce
1/2 cup Feisty Mama Medium Salsa
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
1/2 - 1 cup of canned pumpkin ( in the baking aisle, but make sure it isn't filling that contains brown sugar, etc)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup frozen baby lima beans
1 cup frozen baby peas
1/4 raisins
water, as needed

In a medium saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, salsa, kidney beans, pumpkin (adding the larger amount makes it thicker and sweeter) and spices. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lima beans, cover and cook for 6 minutes. Add the baby peas and raisins, and cook for 3 minutes. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve within 5 days. If you want the stew to be thicker, you can always boil it uncovered until it is thick enough. If you want it thinner, add some water. The stew gets thicker as it sits, and up to 1/2 cup water may need to be added. It also gets milder as it sits, so take that into consideration. I like it best the day after I make it.

We like the stew served over brown rice, with cheese and sour cream, or in tortillas. I thin it a little for the rice variation, and leave it thick when using for tortillas.

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2013-01-08T18:44:00.001-08:00

Are you wondering how could I even get near to the Roquefort cheese? I wonder myself too......

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