My Year of 25

Recipe #100 - Reservations

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

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For my 100th (and final) recipe,
I'm going to make....

RESERVATIONS!
(Can you blame me? It's my birthday!)

A year ago today, I set out on this crazy cooking journey. I really didn't know what to expect and I really didn't know what I was getting in to. I can honestly say that with every recipe I've not only learned something new about cooking, but I've also learned something new about myself. Whether it was a new ability that I didn't know that I possessed (like chopping vegetables quickly and efficiently) or a new emotion I didn't know I was capable of (like feeling immensely sad for deveining a shrimp... poor little guys).

My Year of 25 has led me to new friendships. I found myself having something to talk to almost anyone about. It took me by surprise each time. I had really never been able to converse with anyone on a more intellectual level about cooking. My favorite memory was a week before Thanksgiving, I was trying on shoes at Kohls. A lady was trying on a pair next to me and the next thing I knew, we are switching recipes and exchange contact information! And that is just one of the many.

I've created irreplaceable memories. I couldn't, and by couldn't - I mean I won't, tell you how absolutely entertaining it is to watch me in the kitchen (though I'm sure my father would love to share a few stories!) I don't think I made it through a single recipe flawlessly. We all laughed and teased and joked the whole year. When we were all in the kitchen preparing a meal, we were always happy.

Now my final task will be to pick my Top 25 recipes and create a small recipe book for my friends, family and followers. If you would like to request a copy, you may do so by emailing me at MyYearof25@gmail.com. I will also make a last post listing the lucky recipes that make it on the list!

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I would like to thank everyone that sent in recipes, spent hours helping research recipes, commented and gave me advice along the way. I have become a more rounded and better cook because of you.

A special thanks to my wonderful parents (aka my sous chefs!) My father, for cutting 97% of all onions that appear in this blog (so that I didn't have to) and choosing some of the more challenging recipes (though I could have choked him at the time). My mother, for her patience (especially when I turned her kitchen upside down with practically every recipe) and for teaching me a lot of our traditional family recipes, so that I can pass them down to my kids one day.

Without them, My Year of 25 would not have been possible.

Fin!

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Recipe #99 - Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo

2012-01-10T21:53:00.000-08:00

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Sprinkle the chicken evenly with 2 tablespoons of the Poultry Magic (or 1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon of Meat Magic) and rub it in well. Let stand at room temperature while you dice the vegetables.

Note: Adjust the seasoning if desired with additional Poultry Magic or Meat Magic.

But, be warned, this is what happens when you shake the chicken in the baggie without sealing it all of the way. Yea, it was a mess!

Combine the onions, bell peppers and celery in a bowl and set aside.

Combine the remaining Poultry Magic (or Meat Magic) with the flour in a paper or plastic pag. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and shake until the chicken is well coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of the seasoned flour.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a large, heavy skillet over high until very hot (375-400 degrees F), about 6 to 7 minutes. Fry the chicken until the crust is brown on both sides and the meat is cooked, about 5 to 8 minutes per side. You may have to fry the chicken in batches. Drain on paper towels. Carefully pour the hot oil into a heatproof glass measuring cup, leaving some of the brown bits in the pan, then return 1/2 cup of hot oil to the pan.

Return the pan to high heat and gradually whisk in the reserved 1/2 cup seasoned flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the roux is dark red-brown, about 3 1/2-4 minutes, begin careful not to let it scorch or splash on you skin. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the vegetables, stirring constantly and scraping the pan bottom well until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the stock to a boil in a 5 1/2-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the vegetables mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring between each addition until the roux is dissolved. Return to a boil, stirring and scraping the pan bottom often. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the Andouille and garlic, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring often toward the end of the cooking time.

While the gumbo has cooked for 45 minutes, stir in the chicken.

Serve immediately. To serve as a main course, mound 1/3 cup cooked rice in the center of a low soup bowl, and ladle about 1 1/4 cups gumbo around the rice. For an appetizer, place 2 heaping tablespoons cooked rice in a cup and ladle about 3/4 cup gumbo on top.

This seriously was the best roux I've ever made. It was perfect! If I changed one thing, it would be to cut the chicken up into smaller pieces. Other than that - like I said - perfect!

Rating: 10 (easy)
Time: 2 hours (easy)
Serves: 6 main dish servings or 10 appetizer servings
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chicken (breast or thighs or both)
2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons Chef Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic or 2 tablespoons Chef Paul Prudhomme's Meat Magic (see note)
1 cup onions, finely diced
1 cup green bell peppers, finely diced
3/4 cup celery, finely diced
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for frying
7 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound Andouille smoked sausage, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 cups hot cooked white rice

Recipe #98 - Quick Cajun Shrimp

2012-01-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

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When my brother, Brian, came into town from Houston for Christmas this year, he brought ten pounds of fresh shrimp. We boiled most of them after Christmas and needed something to do with the rest.

I've been wanting to try this Cajun Shrimp recipe my Aunt Jennifer made over the 4th of July. It was the inspiration for these three cajun recipes.

Remove the shells, devein and rinse the shrimp. I butterflied mine, but that's optional. Sprinkle with the creole

Heat oil and butter in a skillet and fry the shrimp until cook cooked through on medium heat. About 5-7 minutes.

Simply. But yummy.

Rating: 8

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Vegetable oil

About 1/2 tablespoon butter

Tony's Creole Seasoning, to taste

Recipe #97 - Cajun Cornbread Stuffing

2012-01-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

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I found this recipe on the Disney channel website, oddly enough. It was originally a corn bread recipe but I butchered it so much that it ended up not setting and being more of a stuffing. Which isn't a bad thing! We actually enjoyed the hell out of it.

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl. Pour into a greased pan (or cast iron skillet).

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The center won't set like normal corn bread, instead it will be moist like stuffing.

It was very cheesy! But that's never really a fault. I think I added to much salt and not enough Creole, so I adjusted the recipe to compensate.

Rating: 9
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients:
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 stick margarine
1 tablespoon salt
1 15-ounce can creamed corn
1 small onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
5 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons Tony's Creole Seasoning
8 stems green onions, chopped
2 8 1/2-ounce package cornbread mix

Recipe #95 - Chocolate Truffle Cookies with Sea Salt

2012-01-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

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In a heatproof bowl over a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter until smooth. Turn off the stove and let chocolate sit over warm heat. This was my first using a double boiler!

Combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. In another bowl, mix together sugar and eggs, combine thoroughly with a whisk and slowly add the warm mixture. Stir to combine. Add vanilla extract and mix. Stir in flour mixture. Cool for a few minutes (if batter is warm, chocolate chips will melt). Stir in chocolate chips. Chill for 10-15 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop rounded tablespoons of batter and place on baking tray. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with a pinch of sea salt.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7-8 minutes until the outside looks slightly cracked. Be very careful no to over bake cookies because they will continue to bake as they cool once removed from the oven. Cookies should be soft and gooey in the center.

Side note: For a chunky and different twist add one of the following:

3/4 cup toasted pecans or pistachios
1/4 cup chopped candid ginger
1/3 cup sweetened coconut

Rating: 9

Time: 42 minutes

Yields: 24 cookies

Nutritional Information per serving: Calories 102 | Total Fat: 6.4g | Cholesterol: 20mg

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips, for melting into the prepared cookie dough

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Baking Chips, for mixing into the prepared cookie dough

2 tablespoons coarse sea salt, or as needed

Recipe #94 - Pesto Chicken Thighs with Italian Creme Sauce Over Parmesan Couscous

2012-01-05T18:27:00.000-08:00

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I can't believe I found this website at the very end of my Year of 25. It's called Picky-Palate.com: Original Family Style Recipes for Even Your Pickest Eaters.

Place chicken and pesto into a large ziplock bag, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken thighs onto a large baking sheet that has been greased. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Place cooked couscous, olive oil and parmesan cheese into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Warm Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme into a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed. Reduce heat to low.

To serve, place couscous onto a serving plate and top with chicken. Drizzle with warm cooking cream.

Now me, I prefer to have all the extra veggies, but my picky father and siblings loved this dish!

Rating: 7
Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chicken thighs, fat removed
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
2 cups cooked couscous
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme (can be found in the cream cheese section at your local grocery)

Recipe #93 - Artichoke Brochette

2012-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

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My first brochette!

Pretty simply. In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.

Cut baguette into 30 or so slices; top with artichoke mixture. Drizzle with a little pesto to finish (optional).

Place on ungreased backing sheet. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Rating: 8
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 1/2 dozen
Ingredients:
1 jar (6-1/2 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 plum tomato (like a Roma), chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 loaf (10-1/2 French bread baguette
Pesto for drizzling (optional)

Recipe #96 - Chicken Artichoke Dip

2011-12-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

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In a mixing bowl stir together the sour cream, milk, mayonnaise or salad dressing, lime juice, dried oregano, and salt.

Stir in the finely chopped chicken, avocado, tomato, onion, and jalapeno (optional). Stir until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover and chill until serving time.

If desired, garnish the dip with avocado slices. Serve with tortilla chips.

This was really tasty and easy to make if you needed to quickly whip some thing up for a party. The longest part is chopping up all the veggies (but the food processor is pretty handy with recipes like this).

Rating: 7
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 10 (as an appetizer dip)
Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
3 medium ripe avocados, seeded, peeled and chopped
3 small tomatos, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
6 tablespoons pickled jalapeno peppers, rinsed and chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
3/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
6 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
avocado slices (optional)
tortilla chips

Recipe #92 - Frame Family's Traditional Banana Bread

2011-12-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

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Now we've been making this same Banana Bread recipe since I can remember. We've tried several throughout the years, but always seem to migrate back to this one. Probably because it's the best! Now I can't tell you how this book fell into out possession, but I can tell you that this is the only recipe we've used out of it. When you open the book it automatically drops to this page, mostly likely because it has years and years worth of dried flour and bananas layered on it. All of the other pages look like new. It's become a sort of family tradition.

(Note: I doubled the recipe, because we had a lot of bananas going bad. For single recipe just follow the ingredients listed at the end of the post.)

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream margarin and sugar. Add eggs.

Fold in dry ingredients.

Whip bananas until light and semi-smooth.

Add the bananas to batter.

Bake in greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan for 1 hour (or until center is set).

Pull out of oven and let cool.

The top of my loafs were getting kind of dark, so I put aluminum foil over the tops for the last 10 minutes until it had finished setting. Other than that, it turned out perfect! As usual!

Rating: 10

Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

(makes one loaf)

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

3 ripe bananas

Recipe #91 - Momma's Fudge

2011-12-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

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Every year, the week before Christmas, my mother has make this Kraft fudge recipe. I remember being really little and begging her to make it in the spring or summer, but she wouldn't budge. She always said that fudge is a Christmas treat and we wouldn't appreciate it as much if we had it all year around. Of course, she was right (like usual).

So it seemed only right that this recipe is put in my blog (at the appropriate time of year)!

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.

Mix together sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a 3-quart saucepan.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly (so that it doesn't burn on the bottom). Cook 4 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F, again stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate....

...and then the marshmallow creme; stil until melted. Add nuts (if you decided you wanted nutty fudge, ew!) and vanilla extracts; mix well.

Pour into the prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.

Place the yummy fudge into a decretive dish and share with your friends and family!

(Note: Friends and family may hate your guts for cooking this recipe because it's too good to stop eating... and semi-actually-kinda-really fattening.)

Rating: 10+++

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 20, about 2 squares each

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

2/4 cup butter or margarine

1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)

1-1/2 package (12 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

1 jar (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

1 cup PLANTERS Walnuts, chopped (completely optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe #90 - Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Cream Sauce

2011-12-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

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I found this recipe on EatingWell.com while searching for a health recipe for my brother (who is trying to eat better).

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until brown. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, untili fragrant, about a minute. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Pour in vermouth (or wine like I used); simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 3 minutes.

Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half, 2-4 minutes. Stir in cream and chives (or scallions); return to a simmer.

Returen the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

Place the chicken on a plate, coat with sauce and serve with a veggie of your choice (I used fresh steamed green beans!)

This was delicious! I thought it was interesting to make my own mushroom cream sauce rather than using it out of the can like I have been for the last 25 years of my life. I never really thought about making it from scratch, but am glad I did. I like the more large chunks of mushrooms in the sauce. (Though I know that over half the people I cooked it for did not! Lol. I ended up eating all the mushrooms they were picking out.... so wrong!)

Rating: 9
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Nutrition, per serving: 275 calories | 15 g fat | 84 mg cholesterol | 5 g carbohydrates | 25 g protein | 1 g fiber | 373 mg sodium | 370 mg potassium
Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (34% daily value).
Exchanges: 1 vegetable | 3 lean meat | 2 fat
Ingredients:
4 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs like I used), trimmed and tenders removed
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium shallots, minced
2 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
4 tablespoons dry vermouth, or dry white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or green scallions

Recipe #89 - Shrimp & Grits (Paula Dean Style)

2011-12-10T20:36:00.000-08:00

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My next door neighbors caught me cutting the lawn a few months back. They had cooked this recipe a few times before and couldn't bare the thought of me not having it in my blog!

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and mix well. Serve immediately.

So it took me a few months to finally get around to cooking it, but well worth the wait! Though it'll probably take the next few months to work off all the butter, cheese and bacon! Hehe. It was very, very good. A little dry, but nothing a little more water wouldn't fix.

Rating: 7
Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 cups water
Salt and Pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 large clove garlic, minced

Recipe #88 - Passo Gravy

2011-12-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

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This recipe was one that my friend (who works at one of highest rated restaurants in Memphis) got me for Thanksgiving dinner. Now my mother wasn't too excited about having a ham gravy with the turkey, so she still made her turkey gravy as well. We ended up with two gravies and A LOT of leftovers...

Saute ham to cook and render any fat.

Add onions, garlic, peppers and celery to ham. Sweat for 6-8 minutes.

Deglaze the mixture with 5 quarts chicken stock, the veal stock and cream. Simmer for 20 or so minutes.

Add ruex little at a time for thickening. I couldn't find any ruex, so I mixed flour with a little water and poured into the gravy through a very, very time holed strainer. (I don't usually like doing this in large amounts because the straight flour messes with the consistency of the flavors. But it's a great quick fix!)

Side note: Apologies for the lack of pictures in the last two steps. I guess that's what happens when I try to cook 6 recipes simultaneously!

Seeing as we had too much food on the Thanksgiving table this year (as if that is ever possible), the Passo Gravy made an EXCELLENT topping for our biscuits the next morning for breakfast. Actually, it made so much that we had it several mornings in a row just trying to use it up. Not that that was a burden, the gravy was very rich and flavorful. It seemed to get better each day to. It's never bad to have a great ceipe like this in you back pocket. I will be making this one again!

Rating: 10

Time: 1 hour (ish)

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

1 pound Passo ham (or what ever you can find that's not deli sliced ham), finely diced

1 1/2 large yellow onions, finely diced

1 1/2 green peppers, finely diced

3 celery sticks, finely diced

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 gallon chicken broth

1 cup veal stock (or beef stock if you can't find veal, bc I never can!)

1/2 quart 40% heavy whipping cream

Ruex medium brown (can use flour and water if you can't find it)

Recipe #87 - Memphis Bell Pecan Pie

2011-12-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

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I thought I'd give our traditional Thanksgiving dessert a little spin this year. This is a recipe that they use at Flight as one of their gourmet desserts. The pecans where all hand picked from the pecan trees in my parents' back yard and hand shelled by yours truly.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix all of the ingredients except the pecans and chocolate in a medium sized bowl.

Place the pecans in a zip lock baggy (save a few back for decorating the top of the pie) and crush however you like. My mom uses a rolling pin. I used a hammer ;)

Place the chocolate and crushed pecans in the bottom of the pie crust. I recommend putting the chocolate down first, because I didn't and it tried to float to the top of the mixture after I poured it in.

Pour mixture into the crust.

Decorate the top with the left over whole pecans. Wrap the crust with aluminum foil to keep the crust from burning. Place the pie in the oven for 1 hour or until golden brown. Remove the aluminum foil about ten minutes before the pie is done.

I didn't get a finished picture of this unfortunately. Just picture the one above, but perfectly golden and amazing :) Because that is how it turned out. Perfect. I served it, like they do at Flight, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I've never been a fan of pecan pie until now. The sweetness of the chocolate took the edge off the bitterness that the pecans usually have naturally.

Rating: 10 (I'll def make this again next year.)

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 ounce melted butter

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

8 ounces pecans

3 ounces chocolate

Recipe #86 - Cheese Straw-Spinach Casserole

2011-12-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

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A Betty Crocker recipe served at this years Thanksgiving feast.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13"x9"-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in butter, stirring frequently, until golden.

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and flour until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in salt and pepper. Beat in half-and-half with wire whisk until blended. Add spinach, Cheddar cheese and onion mixture.

Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese straws (aka cheese crackers).

Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

It was a little dryer than I'd like. I think I would have added a little less spinach and a little more onions and half-and-half. I also didn't enjoy the Cheese Nips. I'm more of a Cheese-Its kind of girl. So all-in-all not my favorite recipe. I think it was geared more towards trying to get little kids to eat something at Thanksgiving. Not an "adult" recipe. Lol.

Rating: 5

Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Per serving: Calories384; Total fat 31 g; Sodium 714mg; Total Carbohydrates 12g; Protein 12g.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 large onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk

5 boxes (9oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed ro drain

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8oz)

2 cups cheese straws, coarsely crushed (I used Cheese Nips)

Recipe #85 - Cranberry Salsa with Cilantro and Chiles

2011-12-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

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I made this recipe as a side dish for this year's Thanksgiving dinner. I was tired of always eating the cranberry sauce straight out of the can every year. This definitely shook things up a bit.

Preheat over to 200 degrees.

Place cranberries on a cookie sheet and let simmer in the oven until softened and juicy. Small bubbles should break the surface around the edges of the berries. The Payoff: Simmering softens the berries and allows enough time for all the flavors to meld. For more of a bitter taste, place the cranberries directly in the food processor. Simmering them will bring out the sweetness.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add pepitas; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Transfer too plate; sprinkle with sea salt.

Place cranberries in processor. Using on/off turns, process until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl. Add onions, cilantro, and chiles. Stir sugar and lime juice in another bowl until sugar dissolves. Do Ahead: Cranberry and lime mixtures can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Add cranberry mixture and pepitas to lime juice mixture; still to combine.

Rating: 7

Time: 40 minutes

Serves: Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons pumpkin seed oil

1/2 cup natural unsalted papitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

Sea salt

2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen, thawed

1 1/3 cups chopped green onions (dark green parts only; 2 bunches)

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced seeded serrano chilles

6 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Recipe #84 - Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos w/ Cilantro Aioli and Charred Corn Salsa

2011-11-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

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For the Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos:

Heat oil in heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat until smoking.

Meanwhile, mix chili powder, cayenne, sugar and salt with the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge salmon in flour mixture and transfer to hot skillet.

Cook until very brown, then flip. Continue cooking till flesh is just opaque. Set aside to cool.

Once the fish has cooled, tear it into small chunks.

Wipe oil from skillet, and throw in tortillas to warm. Arrange the fish, flanked into chunks, Charred Corn Salsa, and desired toppings on one half of a warmed tortilla and drizzle aioli. Fold in half to serve.

For the Charred Corn Salsa:

Preheat broiler and put oven rack in highest position. Toss corn, tomatoes, onion and jalapeno with olive oil in a zip lock bag. Salt to taste. Shake to combine.

Transfer corn mixture to a shallow baking pan. Broil until tomatoes are soft and corn is charred, 5-8 minutes.

For the Cilantro Aioli:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to serve (can be made ahead). Top tacos with generous spoonfuls.

Rating: 10
Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Spicy Blackened Salmon Tacos:
1 pound of salmon, or other firm-fleshed fish
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Large flour tortillas
Avocado, cilantro, and green onions for topping
Lime wedges
Charred Corn Salsa
Cilantro Aioli

For the Charred Corn Salsa:
1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen)
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup red onions, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, to taste

For the Cilantro Aioli:
1/2 cup sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced

Recipe #83 - Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

2011-11-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

My sister, Teresa, and I have the craziest obsession with Chipotle's burritos. We make a 40 minute drive to get burrito once a week. It may seem a little redic, until you taste their rice. So here is how you make it:

Sautee the rice in oil until almost translucent (as if you are making a risotto).

Add water, bring to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, turn the heat down low.

Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.

Turn off heat. DON'T PEEK. LEAVE IT COVERED for 30 minutes (this is the "streaming" part... Chipotle steams rice every hour). This is what makes the rice fluffy. You won't be happy with yourself if you don't do this. Be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Remove lid, let some of the steam out. I just mixed every thing in the pot for the next step (some might think I mixing bowl would be easier).

Mix salt and lime juice together until salt is dissolved. I had to heat the juice in the microwave for 25 seconds to fully dissolve the salt.

Pour the lime mixture over the rice a little at a time. Taste as you go. Mine turned out a little too limey. Then fluff with a fork. Sprinkle in cilantro, and toss well to evenly coat with cilantro and the lime mixture.

I served the rice with the Recipe #84 - Blackened Fish Tacos.

Rating: 6

Time: 55 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil (canola/vegetable)

2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1 fresh lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cups water

Recipe #82 - Easy Beef Pot Roast

2011-11-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

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This is a quick and easy recipe my mother has made for my family ever since I can remember. When there were 6 of us youngins running around all of the time, she needed something that didn't require a lot of attention. This crock pot recipe fit the bill.

Rinse beef then heavily salt and pepper.

Coat each piece of beef in the flour. Drizzle a large skillet with oil, add beef and brown on all edges, but don't cook all of the way through. Remove beef and place in the crock pot.

In the same skillet, saute onions until they are transparent.

Add the onions and beef broth to the crock pot and turn on high heat. Let simmer for 6 hours.

Add carrots, potatoes, celery and bay leaves. Simmer for another 2 hours.

And you're finished! Very easy. Very tasty. And the portions are extremely flexible. Just add more of which ever you like best. Just make sure you have enough beef broth to keep it moist enough.

Rating: 8

Time: 8 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef stew meat

Baby carrots

Baby potatoes

Celery, chopped

2 onions, chopped

3 bay leaves

4 cups beef broth

1 cup flour

Salt and pepper

Recipe #81 - Lobster Bisque

2011-11-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

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After my father had a lobster bisque as an appetizer at Flight on Main Street, he suggested (several times) that I try and make a bisque of my own. So here is my attempt!

In a saute pan heat a little oil over medium-high heat and saute shallots, onions, and garlic for one minutes. Then deglaze the pan with the white wine.

Add Worcestershire, tabasco, and thyme and saute for another minute. Then deglaze the pan with the sherry.

Add paprika, hot water and lobster base and combine well. Stir in tomato paste and add the bay leaves. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Whisk in heavy cream and the butter and bring to a boil. Add the lobster and simmer until cooked through.

Serve with crusty garlic bread.

This actually turned out really well. It had a little more spice than any one I've tasted before (but not in a bad way, just different). I would definitely make this again.

Rating: 9

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lobster meat, cut into small chunks

6 tablespoons minced shallots

6 tablespoons chopped green onions

9 garlic cloves, crushed

3/4 cups white wine

6 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

6 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

3 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/8 tablespoons dry sherry

3 teaspoons paprika

3 cups hot water

3 teaspoons lobster base (I used seafood stock.)

12 ounces tomato paste

6 bay leaves

6 cups heavy whipping cream

12 tablespoons butter

Recipe #80 - Super Bowl Snacks: Hot Bacon-Blue Cheese Dip

2011-11-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

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I originally bought the ingredients to this recipe for a football game. A kinda of tail gating dip if you will. However, I got behind so I made it as an appetizer for one of my entrees.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over moderate over moderate heat till almost crisp, drain on paper towels, and crumble coarsely.

Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, add the onion, and stir 3 minutes.

Add the flour and stir 3 minutes longer. Whisking, add the milk and beer, then add the Worcestershire and cayenne. Bring mixture to a low boil, whisking, cook for 2 minutes, and remove from the heat.

Add the bacon and blue cheese and stir till the cheese is melted.

Transfer the dip to a small bowl and serve with pita chips or bread sticks.

Now I'm not the biggest blue cheese fan (unless it's in an olive). Teresa was the one that convinced me to make this recipe. I couldn't get over how overwhelming the taste of the blue cheese was. I couldn't even get past the second chip, so I'm not the the best to one to judge this recipe. However, everyone else inhaled it. For me the only redeeming quality was the bacon!

Rating: I would say 3, but the blue cheese lovers would say a lot higher.

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

6 thick slices lean smoked bacon

1 small onion, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup lager beer

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cayenne pepper to taster

1/2 pound blue cheese, crumbled

Your favorite breadsticks

Recipe #79 - Chicken Spaghetti

2011-11-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

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Our house keeper's assistant, Morgan, recommended this recipe to me. She is a college student and made this recipe for group of her friends. They all loved it. Listening to her explain it reminded me of my college cooking experience and thought this would be a fun way to relive a few of those moments.

Heat a little oil in a cooking skillet. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.

Add onions and cook until transparent.

Stir in cheese, rotel, and cream of mushroom until cheese is thoroughly melted.

Serve over a bed of thin spaghetti noodles. You may add a little water if the sauce is too thick.

Rating: 7
Time: 15 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds chicken
1 large onion
2 cans rotel
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom
1 block Velveeta
Thin Spaghetti nooodles

Recipe #78 - Pumpkin Bars

2011-11-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

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Though I try to stay away from Paula Dean recipes, this one looked too good pass up! (Cook's note: double your exercise routine for the day before consuming.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Be sure to set out the butter and cream cheese to soften.

To make the bars:

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing:

Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bar.

It almost goes without saying that these were amazing. I mean, really, what's a good Paula recipe with out lots of butter, sugar and oil?! Yum.

Rating: 10

Time: 45 mins

Serves: 48 small bars or 24 large bars

Ingredients:

For the bars:

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

15-ounce can pumpkin

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe #77 - Flank Steak Salad with Jalapeno Poppers

2011-10-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

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Recipe idea courtesy of Chuck Hughes from the cooking show Chuck's Day Off.

For the steak salad:
Rub the flank steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy skillet on medium-high heat and cook the steak on one side for 6 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 6 more minutes.

Meanwhile combine the red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, mint and lime juice in a bowl and mix well. (Side note: this step called for 2 tablespoons olive oil, but I left it out and it tasted just fine with just the lime juice.)

Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste and set aside.

For the jalapeno poppers:
Heat oil in a deep fryer or a heavy-bottomed skillet to 350 degrees F. Carefully slice down the side of the peppers and remove the seeds. Set aside. In a bowl combine all the grated cheeses, season with pepper, to taste and stuff the peppers.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, egg, and beer to form a batter. Dip the stuffed peppers in the batter.

Fry in the deep fryer or in a heavy skillet for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Slice the flank steak into thin pieces.

Pile the salad on a plate with slices of flank steak, and top with 1 popper, sliced in half.

This recipe turned out really well. The colors where bright. It had a very fresh, summer taste to it. I've never tasted mint and cilantro together, but it was a memorable surprise pairing perfectly with the lime juice. It has been raining all day, so it's was a nice, uplifting, healthy lunch that brought some sunshine back into the dull house today.

Rating: 9
Time: 1 hour (there's a lot of cutting involved)
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
For the Steak Salad
2 pounds flank steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 cucumbers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1 cup torn fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup torn fresh mint leaves
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons olive oil, optional

For the Jalapeno Poppers
6 jalapeno peppers or milder peppers (which I recommend)
1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup flour
1 egg
3/4 cup beer
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

Recipe #76 - Artichoke Cheese Oven Omelet

2011-10-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

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Spread salsa in a greased 9-inch deep dish. Top with the artichoke hearts.

Add cheeses.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream.

Pour mixture over the cheeses.

I had to leave half veggie off for the veggie haters in the house.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish with tomatoes, onions, and chives if desired.

I think breakfast eggs are a lot like tacos, you can make them 100 different ways and they still taste the same. Omelets, scrambled, over easy - dosen't matter. However, I think that this recipe has potential. Maybe add a spice of some sort to add some more flavor.

I made this recipe the night before and threw it in the oven the next morning. It was nice to be able to prepare a meal before hand.

Rating: 7

Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

3/4 cup salsa

1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rindes, drained and chopped

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

Chopped fresh tomatoes, sliced ripe olives and minced chives, optional