Mblah's kitchen....

My version of Milano cookies :)

2012-01-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

I was craving Milano cookies and didn't want to spend the $4 bucks they now cost, so I decided to make them.

I had never made them before but they came out pretty good. Next time I will use molds for the cookie shapes though.

Enjoy!

]Ingredients
Cookie part
1 1/4 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs sugar
3 cups flour

Filling
1 1/2 tbs softened salted butter
1 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp pur mint extract
1 long squirt of Hershey's syrup (yup that is how I measure it lol)

Directions for cookies
Mix brown sugar, vanilla extract and sugar with butter til smooth
Slowly add the flour and mix til smooth.

Next drop onto parchment paper and flatten or shape into an oval. I used a really small spatula.
Bake at 325 for 15-18mins, til brown, then set aside and let COOL.

Directions for filling
Melt chocolate filling ingredients in a double boiler pot on LOW heat. Cook til melted together, stir constantly and don't burn the chocolate!

Assembling the cookies
On the flat side of the cookie spread enough chocolate then top with another cookie, flat side down. Continue til cookies and chocolate are gone!

Now you have Mint Milano style cookies! I think i'm going to dip them in chocolate and roll in walnuts next!

Almond Joy Cookies

2011-09-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

I am not much of a baker so I have been branching out. I came up with these on my own and they turned out pretty good!!

They make about 4 dozen with these measurement.

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter
3 cups flour
1 cup each brown and white sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 bags of Hershey Special Dark Chocolate Chips(or milk chocolate if you prefer)
2 1/2 cup sweetened coconut
2 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F

In a bowl mix dry ingredients and set aside

In a large bowl mix butter with both sugars to a cream. Next beat in each egg separately. Then add vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well. Next stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds til thoroughly mixed.

Drop onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10mins.

Serve wilk milk :P

White Wine sauce...

2011-08-20T09:40:00.001-04:00

This is a basic and easy white wine sauce. It takes time and you have to be able to check on it and stir it. Make sure it doesn't boil constantly. If it starts to boil turn the burner off for 10 mins then turn it back on...You dont want it to boil! White sauces are best slow cooked on low :)

You can adjust it to your liking by adding more half and half or more wine if you prefer. It's a sauce I use as a base and then go from there with extra flavoring.

Ingredients

One carton (1 quart) of Half and Half
One half bottle of white wine (I use pinot grigio)
6 tbs butter
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tbs flour

Directions:

I mix all ingredients and let cook in a double sauce pot. I cook on low for 3 hrs. You can put it in a small crock pot or on the stove top directly but it boils too fast even on low. Make sure to stir often. You can add more wine if needed or more butter if you want it to not be so creamy.

Things I add to it usually are garlic powder or fresh sauteed garlic....roasted garlic, pesto, mushrooms, fresh parsley and other things. I have added cheeses to it to make an alfredo but that you really need to use a crock pot because of all the cheeses and it can't boil!

German Style Beef Stroganoff

2011-08-17T09:51:00.001-04:00

Stroganoff is in my top five favorite meals. I love sour cream and mushrooms and this dish has both! I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I always thought stroganoff was German in its origin and after some reading I found it's Russian. The version we see in restaurants in the states, like TGI Fridays, is the German version of it. It became very popular in Germany in the 1900's where they added mushrooms and onion. This dish has many variations but they are basically the same it just depends if you want onions or mushrooms in it. The base is the mustard, sour cream, beef bouillon and lightly floured cooked beef strips. Traditionally it was made with a white cream sauce called Smetana or sour cream. The onions and mushrooms came along later when it became popular in Germany. It can be served over rice or pasta.

It is always interesting to find out the origins of food and the variations depending on region or time period are amazing.

Never be afraid to make something your own!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs sirloin steaks, thinly sliced not the thick ones and cut into small strips
3 cups of sliced mushrooms
small yellow onion diced
I can of cream of mushroom or onion soup
16 ounce sour cream plus 2 cups
1/2 cup chopped green onions
10 ounces beef broth
3 tbs flour
2 tsp mustard
1/2 tbs fresh minced garlic
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 bag of egg noodles cooked half way

*olive oil for sauteing...

Directions

1. Heat olive oil about 2 tbs in a pan and add steaks, onions and mushrooms. Sautee til half way cooked about 5 mins. Stir while cooking.

2. Add steak strips with the mushrooms and onions to crock pot or slow cooker. Next add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot and stir to mix. Slow cook for 4hrs on low. Stir throughout cooking. When ready to serve, serve with a spoonful of sour cream on top and a few fresh chopped chives.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2011-07-31T19:31:00.000-04:00

I have been making this for over 10 years and I make it different every time. It is an easy and simple meal and you can pretty much alter it however you want for flavor. I have made this many times and usually there are no left overs!

Ingredients:

2lbs cooked chicken cubed
3 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 16 ounce pkg pepper jack cheese shredded
3 14oz medium size cans of enchilada sauce
1/4 cup diced green chilies or one of the small cans already diced
2 14oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can corn
1 can sliced black olives
1/2 tbs fresh minced garlic
corn tortillas
1 onion diced
1 cup chicken broth
hot sauce
sour cream

Directions:
preheat oven to 350F

1. cook chicken and sautee onion in the same pan, cube and set aside
2. in a large pot add all the above ingredients except the hot sauce and corn tortillas
3. Add chicken and onion and cook til cheese has melted...stirring often. Cook on medium heat, don't cook too high or you might burn the cheese.
4. One cheese has melted and items are blended take a lasagna pan and layer the bottom with a little bit of the cheese mixture, then you want to layer the corn tortillas on the bottom like you would pasta for lasagna. Next pour some of the cheese mixture over the corn tortillas then layer more corn tortillas followed my more cheese mixture. Continue layering like a lasagna ending up with the corn tortilla layer on top.
5. bake in oven for 45mins-1 hour or until cheese starts to bubble and brown. Let sit for 10mins before serving.
6. Cut in serving size portions like lasagna and serve with hot sauce and sour cream. Even a little salsa on the side is tasty!

I do not have a picture yet of this, will add one when I make this again.

Baddmove's Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-07-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

This recipe belongs to a member of a site I belong to, Abovetopsecret. I tried these when I made my own stuffed mushrooms. These are delicious! They are simple and easy! I even tried the filling on top of an English muffin like the member mentions in their recipe post. This is a filling that can be used in various foods and tastes great.

"Ingredients

40 mushroom caps..no stems..
1 8 oz pack of cream cheese.
1 16 oz ball of skim mozzarella cheese.(shred it fine or just buy it shredded)
1 pound of bacon..I like bacon...Crispy..
any sweet onion you like best..

Directions

combine cream cheese and mozzarella in a bowl at room temp..
throw in the bacon and onion.(.Crush the bacon into small pieces..)
Mix with hands..I always do..made with love my wife says..
after mixed..
put in fridge to chill for about half an hour..
put shroom caps on cookie sheet and spoon a big chunk of mixture into each cap..
set oven to 350*
place shrooms in oven for 15 mins or until lightly golden brown.."

These were a hit when I brought them into some coworkers :)

I will be using the left over filling to stuff chicken tonight. :)

Stuffed Mushrooms with Wild Rice, Sausage and Cheese

2011-07-25T17:33:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

40 mushrooms without the stems (save stems and use them in the filling if you choose)
2 1/2 cups of any shredded white Italian cheese blend
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 lb of sausage cooked, drained and crumbled
1/2 large sweet onion diced
1/2 cup diced (the smaller the better) scallions
2 1/2 cups wild grain rice cooked (this is where I usually use risotto)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbs thyme
3 cups ricotta cheese
grated parmesean

Directions

1. Clean the mushrooms and take off stems (you can diced the stems and add to mixture if you like)

2. In a big bowl mix all of the above ingredients except the parmesean cheese and mozzarella cheese. I actually used an electric mixer on low pulse, it blended all the ingredients easier. If you stir it make sure you mix it well. Once it is blended chill for a minimum of an hour. Can be made the night before as well and used the next day.

3. Preheat oven to 350'F

4. Scoop enough into each cap...I over stuff mine :D nothing wrong with double stuffed mushrooms!

5. Bake for 15mins and then sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesean cheese over the mushrooms and bake an additional 5-10mins. I go for ten mins so the cheese has a little crust.

If you have any drippings left in the pan after cooking you can make an easy mushroom gravy out of it. I used the stems left over from the mushrooms and chopped them really thin and added a little whipping cream, some parmesean cheese, garlic and it will now be the gravy I use over dinner tonight.

Easy Mediterranean Chicken Packets

2011-07-24T08:46:00.003-04:00

These are simple and easy and ready in less than an hour!

I have been making these for about 10 years and I have no idea how I came up with it or where the name came from but they are delicious!

Ingredients

1 package of boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 red tomatoes sliced

3 zucchini sliced

3 yellow squash sliced

**the vegetable amounts I use are for three packets, I stuff them full. You can use whatever amount of veggies you want in the packets. I have also substituted cucumber for zucchini when I do not have it or it isn't available.

9 slices of fresh mozzarella (3 for each chicken breast)

1/4 cup fresh parsley thinly chopped

foil

extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper for taste.

Directions

Tear off a big enough piece of foil so that you can put the veggies and chicken in it and wrap it up so it closes tightly. Again the size depends on the chicken breast size.

Next put 1 tbs of olive oil in the center of each foil strip, shiny side up. Spread the EVOO around the middle of the foil. Then you want to place the slices of tomato, squash and zucchini on top of the olive oil. It doesn't matter how you layer them, it all cooks the same and ends up in the same place.

Next slice the chicken breast like you are going to butterfly it, and stuff with the 3 pieces of mozzarella or cheese of choice (Works best with a white cheese), fold the chicken pieces back over so it folds over the cheese and doesn't poke out. If you want you can pin it with toothpicks but it really isn't needed. After you have done this sprinkle each chicken breast with the fresh parsley, season with S&P, then wrap the chicken breasts up in the foil so it makes a packet and there are no open sides.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 45mins or until chicken is cooked. Depending on chicken breast size I have had it done in 30mins or an hour but for the most part it's about 45mins.

I usually serve this with the tri color rotini pasta as seen in the picture. The juices from the vegetables give the pasta flavor.

It is always hit and I have even made it with Mahi Mahi fillets and added a little lemon juice to the packet. Delicious!

White Pizza with Mushrooms

2011-07-22T13:08:00.001-04:00

Pizza Dough Ingredients

3 cups of all purpose flour (I use bread flour when making any kind of dough for pizza or bread)
1 package of active dry yeast
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1 cup of warm water
1/2 tbs Italian Seasoning

Directions

Mix flour, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning and yeast in a bowl. Then mix in the olive oil and warm water. Mix til it makes a doughy form. I usually put it on the counter and kneed it til everything is mixed together. In this mixture you can add whatever herbs and spices you want to flavor your crust.

After you have mixed everything together and make it into a ball, next roll it out on a round pan or square pan. Sprinkle the pan you will cook the pizza on with a little cornmeal so it doesnt stick.

The Pizza Ingredients!

1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup of mozzarella or a blend of white cheeses
1/4 parmesan romano grated

1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 large tomatoes sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms (you dont have to add them, I just prefer them)

garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.(amount depends on taste preference)

Directions for Pizza

Mix the above cheese ingredients in a bowl then spread evenly over the pizza leaving about 1/2inch border for the crust. Sprinkle with the fresh basil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Next add the tomatoes and mushrooms.

For the crust. Put a little extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl with some basil pesto (can be made or store bought) then lightly brush the crust with the basil pesto mixture.

Bake for 10mins at 425 degrees and you are set!

Chicken Ranchero

2011-07-22T07:19:00.000-04:00

I do not have a picture for this one.

Ingredients

2 lbs thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper chopped
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cayenne pepper (actual cayenne pepper not the powdered but it can be used, just adjust to how spicy you want it)
1 tbs minced jalapeno
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and juice
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbs cilantro
1 1/2 cups of mexican blended cheese

Directions

In medium pot heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, red and green peppers and cook stirring for 3-5 mins.
Next add cumin, cayenne, salt, jalapeno and garlic and cook stirring for 30 seconds.
Then add tomatoes with the juices and cook stirring for 2 mins.

Now take the entire mixture and put into a blender or puree machine and blend/puree mixture until smooth.
Transfer sauce back to the original pan.

Add cheese and cook until cheese is slightly melted about 3-5 mins. Then add stock and simmer until thickened about 15 mins. Remove from heat and add cilantro. Adjust seasoning to your liking, cover to keep warm.

Directions for Chicken

Season chicken with a little cumin and garlic.
In a pan or a Foreman type grill cook chicken breasts until no longer pink, about 4 mins. Remove from heat. I used a foreman grill when I originally made this.

Put chicken on a plate and serve ranchero sauce over the chicken. I served with Mexican yellow rice with beans.

Marcato Pasta Maker..the best in pasta makers!

2011-07-21T09:54:00.004-04:00

I recently found one of these at a local thrift store for an entire 8 bucks! When I saw it I knew it was one of the good ones. It is all stainless steel and sturdy, made in Italy. The box was entirely in Italian and so were the directions book. I knew I found a good one. I prefer my kitchen accessories to be made in Italy. They make the best kitchen items!

It comes with various attachments depending on what model you purchase.

This is the one I have:
Marcato

Here are the various combination models offered: Marcato Combination Pasta Makers

You can get various attachments for the machine as well. The base model is available here and does come in various colors such as pink for those who like a pink accessorized kitchen. :)

These are great to have! It's very easy to make pasta and all you need is some flour, egg, water and salt and a little time and patience. Once you make your own pasta you will want to do that every time you make a pasta inspired dish. I have made ravioli, fettuccine and lasagna noodles. You can add flavor to your homemade pasta which always gives a nice added extra flavor to the pasta when you bite into it. A little basil pesto fettuccine is amazing with a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Here is a quick and easy pasta recipe

Ingredients\

4 cups flour
4 eggs lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of water
1 tbs Italian seasoning or you can leave it out or add your own seasoning. Basil pesto is another that goes well in the pasta.

Directions

Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Add the egg and mix. Mix til it forms a stiff dough, if needed add another tablespoon of water.

Now turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 5mins or til smooth. Form into a ball shape, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Then slice into about 2 inch chunks and run the thorough the pasta maker til you get desired thickness or thinness. Once you have the pasta rolled out flat pick your attachment and make your pasta!

Homemade Manicotti with white and red sauce

2011-07-21T07:18:00.003-04:00

Pasta Ingredients

5 cups all purpose flour (adjust according to size of eggs you use, might need to add more flour)
5 cups water
15 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Mix flour, water, eggs and salt in bowl til it makes a smooth thin batter (sort of like pancakes or crepes)
2. Next pour about 1/4 of batter onto lightly greased griddle. Cook about a min flipping once. It is a lot like making a pancake just not really a pancake
3. I let them cool by layering them in between wax paper, then I just set them aside.

White sauce ingredients

2 tbs butter
2-1/2 tsp butter
2 tbs all purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp all purpose flour
2 tbs chicken bouillon granules
2-1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
2-3/4 cups half and half
2 tbs half and half
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions
1. Melt the butter (both amounts) in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Stir in flour (both amounts) and chicken bouillon (both amounts)
3. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stir constantly until it begins to bubble up.
4. Stir in half and half (both amounts) and bring to a boil stirring frequently, cook for 1 min and stir constantly for the entire minute.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh parsley

Marinara Sauce Ingredients

2-1/2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1-1/4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1/4 cup & 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1-1/4 cloves minced garlic
1-1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1-1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/3 cup & 2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup & 2 tbs white wine
1/3 cup, 1 tbs and 1 teaspoon finely diced onions

Directions
1. In a food processor mix tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano.
2. Blend til smooth
3. In a large pan sautee the onion in olive oil on medium heat for about 2mins.
4. Add the sauce mixture and the wine, simmer for about 30mins. You will want to stir occasionally.

Filling Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onions
3 tbs olive oil
8-1/2 cloves finely chopped garlic (garlic press is an amazing invention!)
2 pounds crumbled Italian sausage
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
4 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup mozarella
1/4 shredded fresh parmesean cheese (if you only have grated that works too)
4 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and sautee onion until clear.
2. Sautee garlic cloves for a ming and then stir in the sausage
3. Cook until sausage is done, season with a little salt then set aside and let cool down.
4. Cook the spinach how you normally would. I just put it in the microwave and cooked it for a few mins.
5. Add the cooked spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella and parmesean cheese to the sausage mixture above in steps 1-4.
6. When the mixture has cooled down mix in the eggs then set aside

Stuffing and Assembling the Manicotti

I would make the pasta shells first then the filling followed by the red sauce and finally the white is made last.

Now that your manicotti shells have cooled down next you want to put some of the sausage filling on the edge of the pasta shell and roll it into a tube.You want to tuck the side that has the filling on it over the other side of the filling and roll it into a tube shape. The amount of the mixture you want to add depends on how stuffed you want them. I used about 3 tbs in each shell.

In a 9x13 baking dish (you might need two dishes lol) spread about a 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom. Put the already stuffed manicotti shells in the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce. Cover with saran wrap and set aside.

Now you want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you make the white sauce.
Once you have made the white sauce you want to immediately pour the sauce over the already stuffed manicotti shells in the baking dish. Then you want to layer the red sauce over it without mixing them. So basically you are layering the two sauces. If they get mixed it's not the end of the world.

Cover and bake for 45mins. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh shredded parmesean cheese about 1/2 cup..It really depends on how much you like parmesean cheese. Bake uncovered for ten more mins.

Ok there it is...my homemade manicotti. It takes a bit to make but it is SO good and everyone will love it. For the marinara you can use hamburger meat if you choose to but I prefer crumbled sausage.

I also don't usually use canned tomatoes and my marinara sauce cooks all day but my personal recipe is a family secret so it is never given out...hehe This sauce will work just fine, you can also used canned sauce if you don't want to make it.

This goes really well with homemade garlic basil parmesean breadsticks which I will post next and link to in here.

White Lasagna with Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom

2011-07-20T19:43:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs of chicken cooked and cubed
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used an Italian white cheese blend)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for the top after baking
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Romano cheese plus another 1/2 cup for later
32 ounces ricotta cheese
1 tbs fresh minced garlic
1 1/2 tbs dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 10 ounce jars of Alfredo sauce
2 cups diced mushrooms
1/2 cup water
12 lasagna noodles (i made my own but u can use the box kind)
jar of basil pesto
1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach drained

Directions

In a medium bowl mix ricotta, 3 cups mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, oregano and Italian seasoning and set aside.

In a small bowl mix Alfredo, mushrooms, spinach and 1/2 cup of water.
Cook lasagna according to package.

When the noodles are done lightly brush them with the basil pesto

Next lightly grease a non stick lasagna pan and put three lasagna noodles at the bottom. Then spread ricotta mixture over noodles, add some of the cubed chicken, then the Alfredo mixture. Repeat the layers til you have three lasagna noodles on top. Cover and bake at 350f for 40 mins. Uncover and take the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan and sprinkle on top and bake til cheese melts.

Banana Nut Muffin Crunch

2011-07-20T19:19:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1/2 bananas, mashed
1/4 banana, chopped
1/4 cup granola or oatmeal
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon banana chips (optional) (recipe below)

1. First preheat oven to 350f and lightly grease the muffin pans if you dont use the paper cups.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

3. Next mix in the egg, milk, vanilla and butter in with the previous ingredients.

4. Now fold in the following ingredients: mashed banana, chopped banana, oatmeal or granoloa and walnuts

5. Scoop out and put into lightly greased muffin pan or into the little cups if you use those.

6. Cook for about 20mins and then top with banana chips.

***To make banana chips. Slice the banana into little slices or chips (about a half of a banana will work for this recipe). Next cook in either vegetable oil or coconut oil. Coconut oil is preferred but veg. oil works fine. Fry for about 2-3 mins or until brown. Then you are done! They really aren’t hard to make, now enjoy.

Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Shrimp

2011-07-20T18:07:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

2 cans of vegetable broth (I wanted to make it from scratch with the dashi granules but I couldn't find the ingredients not even at the Asian market so she told me to use two cans of the vegetable broth instead)
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons miso paste (you can use any kind of miso paste)
1 cup shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
1 cup baby shrimp cooked
4 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbs soy sauce

Directions

1.Heat broth in a sauce pan on medium heat.
2.Whisk in the miso paste and continually stir til blended.
3.Add the mushrooms, soy sauce and shrimp along with the green onions. Cook til mushrooms are tender about 10mins on medium-low heat.

This is another one you can alter to your liking.

Spicy Fish Cakes with Cilantro Soy Dipping Sauce

2011-07-20T18:02:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

6oz Salmon skinned
6oz white fish
1 cup small shrimp peeled and deveined
5 oz of green beans (fresh)
1 1/4 tsp lemongrass puree (I found this in the produce section in a tube)
1 1/4 tsp ginger puree (it was right next to the lemongrass puree)
1 1/4 tbs fish sauce
1 rind of a lime finely shredded
1 1/4 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 egg whites lightly beaten (use the medium sized eggs)
all purpose flour to dust and to keep them from sticking to your hands
oil for deep frying

Directions

1.Cut the fish into cubes and chop up the shrimp. Trim green beans and thinly chop
2. Next put the fish, shrimp, lemongrass puree, ginger puree and lemon rind into a food processor and coarsely ground. Dont mush it!
3. In a bowl mix fish sauce, cilantro, green beans, egg whites and fish mixture from food processor.
4. Flour your hands and shape into small balls and then flatten into round cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Chill for an hour. I chilled mine for a few hours and they were fine.
5. After they have chilled deep fry for about 2-3 mins until golden brown. Make sure you drain them of the excess oil. I just put them on a paper towel and blotted them with it.

Cilantro Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbs of coriander seeds
5 tbs dark soy sauce
1 1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp sugar
fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Toast the coriander seeds in a heavy bottomed skillet til golden. Do not add anything just the seeds. Cook on medium heat. Make sure you stir them around so you dont burn them.
2. Now mix the seeds with the soy sauce, white wine vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Serve in a mini dipping bowl and sprinkle a few fresh cilantro leaves into the sauce.

These were delicious! You can once again alter the fish according to your preference. If you dont like salmon add another or add more shrimp! Have fun with it!

Spicy Chicken Pad Thai

2011-07-20T17:50:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 pack dried rice stick noodles
1 lb diced chicken cooked
1/2 cup roasted peanuts (take unsalted out of the shells nuts and bake in the oven til golden brown)
1 cup fresh beansprouts
1/2 cup chives cut into 1 inch pieces
6 eggs
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper powder
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons garlic puree
2 tablespoons onion puree
1/2 cup of water
cilantro for decoration

Directions

1.Cook the chicken and dice into cubes or bite sized pieces and set aside.
2.Soak rice noodles in cold water for 15mins or til they are softened and cut into about 6inch pieces, strain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in large skillet or wok and add garlic and onion stir for about 2mins or so.
4 Next add one at a time the peanuts, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pepper and chicken, stirring the mixture the entire time on medium heat.
5. Add eggs and continue to stir then add the 1/2 cup of water....when cooking the eggs scramble them in the skillet or wok
6. Add the noodles and stir CONTINUOUSLY!
7. Lastly add bean sprouts and chives
8. Add the cilantro to the top for decoration (it also tastes good!)

If you like you can add a 1/2 of a cup of each, tofu or baby shrimp. I didn't add shrimp because it went in the soup and fish cakes.

Kitchen staples

2011-07-20T14:52:00.008-04:00

Ok almost everyone I know that cooks keeps certain things on hand all the time.
So I thought I'd share mine and then ask what everyone elses kitchen staples were.

For me I always have tomatoes, peppers, bananas, apples, lettuce, onion (yellow and green) and fresh garlic when it comes to produce. I also buy fresh cilantro or parsley every week. I usually alternate. I also always like to have mushrooms either fresh or canned on hand.

Sour cream...enough said.

Some canned items I always keep: any of the "cream of" soups. Those make great bakes with egg noodles, stuffing or rice and you add chicken or pork chops to it. The casseroles you can make with just one can of cream of mushroom soup, rice and chicken. I also always keep the various broths and I also have the granules and cubes. It depends on what I am making which form I use. I also keep tomato paste and tomato sauce for my spaghetti sauces. I also like to get the diced tomatoes with the seasoning in them. I will mix those with fresh tomatoes for sauces. If I dont use my fresh tomatoes and peppers in time I usually just make some spaghetti sauce and that way they dont go to waste.

Another thing I always have around is flour. All purpose, bread and self rising flours. I also always have active dry yeast. I make a lot of bread and it takes no time at all to whip up biscuits.

Oils good to have are extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil and peanut oil. I know EVOO and peanut oil are pricey but if you buy the big bottle once it really is much cheaper in the long run. I had to learn this myself because I refused to spend 20 bucks on a bottle of EVOO but it lasts much longer and in the end it is cheaper.

I also like having bread crumbs around and it is very easy to make them yourself with crackers or toasting some bread and making them. I have used left over homemade bread to make bread crumbs when I didn't have any or was trying to save money.

If you like to bake baking soda and baking powder are always good to have on hand as is vanilla extract. Eggs are good to keep as well. I know some people don't buy eggs unless they need them but you can do a lot with eggs, flour, water and sugar, so sugar is another one to always have even brown sugar. Both are fairly inexpensive.

Pasta! Pasta is always good to have. I like to keep a variety on hand. I do however prefer to make my own but I still have some in the pantry.

As for herbs and spices I always have garlic, oregano, parsley, cilantro, Italian, Adobe, salt (sea), pepper(black and red), chili seasoning, dill weed, rosemary, curry, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper. I also have a ton of other spices but these are the ones I always have on hand.

Cheese!! I love cheese but I also make a lot of sauces with it. Grated parmesean is great to have on hand and you can easily make an alfredo sauce with it. I also like to have sharp cheddar on hand as well. I usually get the big bag and it lasts two weeks. I also try and keep a brick of fresh mozzarella and sharp cheddar in the fridge along with the shredded.

Wines..I like having one red and one white in the house. You never know when you might want to add a little to a dish.

Rices are good to have on hand as well. I like white and yellow mostly. Both can be made into many dishes very easily. Stuffing is another thing I LOVE but that is just me. Some people don't like it but I have used it in many dishes.

Ok I think that is it..

One last thing....I have found that places like The Dollar Tree and Dollar General are cheap when it comes to many of these items I have mentioned. To me I don't taste a single difference! That should be my next post, generic vs name brand.