Out Of The Culinary

Beer Cheese Burger Heaven

2012-05-23T17:48:00.003-05:00

Good evening everyone! We're no strangers to a good burger recipe. From the classic, to the complex and everything in-between, if its burger based, we'll give it a shot. The biggest reason for this willingness to explore is our fantastic 'base' burger recipe. We tried and have perfected Jamie Oliver's 'Cracking Burger' recipe to the point where it's downright foolproof. This flavorful base provides and rich and juicy burger every time. The best part is, with fresh ingredients, even the traditionally not-so-healthy burger is an okay addition to your healthy eating plan. (It's okay to splurge once in a while - especially when everything is made fresh!)

Tonight I'm trying a new burger recipe with a twist. Instead of cooking up the burger the usual way (via skillet, grill pan or George Forman Grill) I'm trying a cooking technique that I've always wanted to use - steam cooking.

The steam cooked burger is starting to gain in popularity across the country. When you see the end result, it's not hard to imagine why. The burger that is cooked in steam retains a great deal of moisture and flavor. I've read countless tales of people trying steam cooked burgers and then never wanting to return to the traditional cooked burgers again. Tonight, we get to see what all the hubbub is about. Let's get cooking!

The Recipe: Beer Cheese Burgers
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine - June 2012

What You'll Need:

1 Pound 85/15 Ground Beef*
12 Unsalted Saltines (Ground into a powder)
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Egg
Pinch of Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Powder
3/4 Beer (Your choice of type)
1/2 Cup Half and Half
1 1/2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)

*Despite our usual insistence of using a leaner style of ground hamburger, you'll want to go against the grain with any burger recipe and pick up 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef instead. The higher fat content helps create a juicer and more flavorful burger. So long as you're not cooking these up each and every night, the extra 5% fat content isn't going to hurt you.

Begin by preparing the cracking burgers. If you need detailed step by step instructions, feel free to read the original cracking burger recipe HERE. If you're familiar with the process of constructing the burger, simply mix the beef, saltines, dijon, parsley and egg well and then form 4 burger patties by hand.

Once the patties have been formed, press your thumb into the center, creating a 1/2 indentation in each patty. This indentation keeps the burgers from "puffing" during cooking. This indentation technique isn't just for steam cooked burgers - you can use this for just about any burger method - grill or oven. That way you don't have to press on the burgers with a spatula (big burger no-no) during cooking.

Once the patties have been prepared, set them aside and begin preparation of the beer cheese sauce.

In a small sauce pan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and then slowly whisk in the flour and mustard powder. All this mixture to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally - but be careful not to brown the mixture (you don't want to create too dark / heavy of a flavor).

Next, whisk in 3/4 cup of the beer (we're using my personal favorite - Red Hook ESB) and bring the mixture to a light simmer. Once simmering, slowly whisk in the half and half. All this mixture to simmer, with occasional whisking, for 4 minutes or until it begins to thicken. (My experience with this step found that the mixture thickened almost immediately. This is probably highly dependent on the type of beer you're using. I also had to occasionally add splashes of extra beer to keep the sauce thinned out slightly. This seems like a "your results will vary" area, so pay close attention to the sauce).

Once thickened, stir in the sharp cheddar cheese (working it in small groups) until the cheese is completely melted. Set the completed sauce aside until the burgers are ready.

Now, on to steam cooking the burgers!

Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add the burgers to the skillet (indentation side up). Next, add 1/3 cup water to the skillet and cover (make sure you're using a skillet with a tight fitting lid - you don't want the steam escaping from the edges). Allow the burgers to cook undisturbed for 4 minutes or until they are slightly firm to the touch in the center of the patty.

Steamin' away

The only downside to steamed burgers? They're not that visually appealing when finished

Once the burgers have been steamed to perfection, serve with the beer cheese sauce and top with your favorite veggies and enjoy!

The Results:

Steam cooking certainly has a large following for a reason. The burgers were amazingly juice and moist - it was almost a surprise after the first bite at just how much moisture was still in the burger. We've tried many burger cooking methods and even have a prefaced burger recipe that is supposed to keep most of the moisture and flavor in the burger - but we've never had a burger that was THIS juicy.

The beer cheese sauce was exactly as you would expect it to be; rich, flavorful and with the nice undertone of a flavorful beer. Luckily, all of the alcohol flavor cooks off fairly quickly - making the sauce a simple, safe for the whole family topping.

You'll notice in the final picture that I served these burgers with a side of fried potatoes. Those were made by simply slicing some red, yukon and purple potatoes (leftover from last week's recipe) very thin and frying them in a skillet with a little olive oil. They added a classic "french fry-esque" flavor to the plate without all of the extra fat and sodium of traditional french fries.

That's all we have for you this week. We're back on Monday with a new edition of Around The Culinary World (We've got a stockpile of stories to share since it's been a few weeks since our last iteration of that feature). Everyone enjoy the long weekend! Until Monday,

~Cheers

Simply Pasta

2012-05-22T18:31:00.002-05:00

Good evening everyone! It's quite well known now that I tend to favor easy recipes. Every now and then, I throw in a complicated dish. Creating a recipe from very few ingredients is something that speaks to me; simplicity is my bread and butter. Tonight's recipe is no different. With a handful of ingredients, and a little creativity thrown in, something brilliant can be created from a few pantry items.

The Recipe: Linguini with Tomatoes and Basil
Recipe Adapted From: www.foodnetwork.com

What You'll Need:
1 Pound Linguini*
4-5 medium ripe Tomatoes, diced*
1 1/2 Teaspoons kosher Salt
1 large clove Garlic
1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus an extra 1-2 Tablespoons
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Large handful fresh Basil leaves (approximately 3/4 cup)
2-4 Ounces grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
8 Ounces sliced Mushrooms*

*I first want to note the adaptations I made to this dish. To make the dish a little more healthy, I chose a whole grain linguini. Whenever possible, we like to swap whole grain or whole wheat in place of white or enriched pasta - it's always a healthy upgrade. Instead of whole tomatoes, I went with pre-diced canned tomatoes (low sodium), as we use numerous times on the blog. I'm also adding mushrooms to the mix in this recipe. Not only did we have some leftover from last weeks blog, but they will add a new flavor to this dish.

To start, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, or according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large, nonstick skillet. Once the skillet is hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure the mushrooms don't stick to the pan. After the mushrooms have softened, remove from heat.

A busy oven is always a good sign.

Next, in a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. On a cutting board, smash and peel the garlic clove and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. With the flat side of a knife, mash and smear the garlic mixture to a coarse paste. I've seen this technique done before and it's a creative way to release all the flavor from the garlic, without having to cook it. Add the garlic paste, olive oil, and vinegar to the tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves into pieces and add to the tomatoes.

If you are using pre-diced tomatoes, a la our variation, don't add the olive oil or vinegar to the tomatoes. With the whole tomatoes, this creates a sort of sauce. As the canned tomatoes are packaged in tomato juices, we don't need any additional moisture. To the tomatoes, add the torn basil leaves and stir well to combine. Alternatively, you could also mince the garlic and add it to the cooking mushrooms. The smell of sautéing garlic is one of my favorite smells to come from the kitchen - I take any opportunity I can to create it!

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain well in a colander and add to the tomato bowl. If you are using mushrooms, you can add them into this bowl at this time. Season the pasta/tomato mixture with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

The diced tomatoes gave the dish an almost marinara sauce feel, without all the added salts and preservatives that would normally be in spaghetti sauce. The remaining sauce leftover from the tomatoes helped to bond the tomatoes, basil, and mushrooms to the linguini. The mushrooms were an excellent addition to dish. It's almost an alternative to a meat sauce, but with a vegetarian dish. The fresh basil added a great kick of flavor that brings the whole recipe together. As we were eating, Tyler thought the dish was missing a little flavor - he grabbed the garlic salt and added a dash to the dish. This slight addition greatly added to the flavor - creating a uniquely Italian flavored dish.

You can't go wrong with a pasta dish, but when all the ingredients are fresh and that work in harmony, it's great to have a dish taste so delicious.

Join us tomorrow as Tyler takes a summer standby and makes it uniquely his own. Until then,

~Cheers!

Scheduling Update

2012-05-21T18:21:00.001-05:00

We were away for my sister's graduation over the weekend and simply put - we're exhausted. So, we have a bit of change to our schedule for this week. Instead of Around The Culinary World tonight, we're going to take the night off (buying groceries actually).

We'll return on Tuesday night with a brand new recipe, courtesy of Maggie. I'll follow her on Wednesday with a brand new dish of my own.

Apologies for the jumbled up schedule, but we're a little worn down from a busy weekend. We'll be back to cooking tomorrow. Until then,

~Cheers

Grilling With Adobo

2012-05-16T18:34:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone! We’ve officially entered that splendid time of year known as grilling season. Each evening, the air is filled with the aroma of searing steaks, sizzling chicken and flame broiled veggies. There’s little in this world that can compare with the flavors and aromas of grilling season.

This is why our total inability to grill at our current dwelling is such a letdown. (We don’t have a balcony or patio – and the apartment complex frowns on grilling indoors). Tonight’s recipe is designed for the grill, but it can easily be adapted for the oven or grill pan for those who find themselves in the same situation.

So, whether you’re the master of the grill or adapting for apartment friendly use – let’s dive in to tonight’s recipe!

The Recipe: Adobo Pork & Potato Packets

Original Recipe Found On: Eatingwell.com

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 4)

4 Boneless Pork Chops (Bone-in chops if grilling)

1 Large Sweet Potato (Peeled)

1 Large Red Potato

1 Large Yellow Potato (Peeled)

1 Medium Red Onion (Diced)

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Sherry Wine Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Garlic (Minced)

2 Teaspoons Paprika

½ Teaspoon Salt (Divided)

Begin by preparing the adobo sauce. In a small blender or food processor, combine the olive oil, sherry wine vinegar, paprika, garlic and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Pulse the mixture until smooth, making sure to work down any residual mixture on the sides of the blender every few seconds. Set this mixture aside.

You may have already figured this out by the name, but adobo sauce is a Mexican style marinade built with vinegar, paprika, garlic and other spices. It was originally created as a means of preserving food, but with the invention of modern refrigeration, the sauce was adapted to become a food flavoring. It’s a fairly common marinade in Spanish style cooking, so if you’re a fan of Mexican flavors (like we are) it’s not a bad marinade to learn – you can throw it on any piece of meat and instantly create a Mexican inspired dish.

Next, begin preparing your potatoes. Once the sweet potato and the yellow potato (Yukon or gold are the most common yellow potatoes) are peeled (it’s not necessary to peel the red potato) you can begin slicing them. To expedite the cooking process (and allow the marinade to penetrate fully into each potato) it’s important to slice them thin – no thicker than 1/8 of an inch. Use a mandolin for this step to make quick work of this process.

Once all of the potatoes have been peeled and sliced to 1/8 inch thickness, add them into a medium mixing bowl along with the diced red onion. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt to the bowl along with 3 heaping tablespoons of the adobo sauce. Toss the mixture well to ensure even coating.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees or set your grill to high.

Next, spread about 2 feet of aluminum foil out on your work surface. Fold the foil in half evenly (1 foot per side) and then unfold (this process is identical to the assembly of our carrot pouch from Monday’s recipe). To the right of the crease, spread the potato mixture evenly in the center (as pictured). If you have an abundance of potatoes, you may have to create two pouches. Fold the left side of the foil over the potato mixture and then fold over the sides and top of the pouch. Once the pouch (or pouches) have been tightly sealed, place them on a rimmed baking sheet and into your 400 degree oven. If you’re using a grill, place the pouches over the hottest portion of the grill. Allow the potatoes to cook for 20 minutes in the oven (flipping the pouches after 10 minutes) or 10 minutes on the grill (flipping after 5 minutes).

While the potatoes are cooking, you can begin preparation of the pork chops. Spread the remaining adobo sauce mixture evenly over both sides of all the chops. If you’re cooking the pork chops on the grill, go ahead and place them on immediately following the potatoes. Keep the pork chops towards the front of the grill (or in the cooler zone of the grill) and allow them to cook for about 4 minutes per side.

If you’re not using a grill, break out the next best thing – a grill pan. You’ll want to wait to start the pork chops until after you flip the potatoes (10 minutes into cooking). Place your lightly oiled grilled pan over high heat and let the pan’s surface get nice and hot before adding the pork chops. Cook the chops for 4 minutes per side.

Once the chops have finished cooking (regardless of method used) transfer them to a plate tented with aluminum foil to keep warm while the potatoes finish cooking.

Once the potatoes are tender (watch for hot steam coming from the foil packets!) serve them with the pork chops and enjoy!

The Results:

This recipe was an easy way to take a traditional summer time dish (pork and potatoes) and twist it on its head. The flavors were a blending of spicy barbeque and Mexican (hard to imagine – but trust me, it’s a good thing).

It’s hard to believe with as much as we love to cook Mexican inspired dishes, but this was our first run in with adobo sauce. As I mentioned above, it’s a versatile sauce that adds just a hint of Mexican flavoring – it’s easy to whip up and completely changes the standard flavors of whatever you add it to. Be sure to try it out during your summertime grilling – you won’t regret it.

***

Before we finish tonight, I’d just like to take a moment and say thank you. Today (more accurately, tomorrow but we will be gone tomorrow and unable to mark the occasion) marks the 2^nd anniversary of Out of the Culinary. Yes, two years ago we debuted this blog as two amateur chefs with little to no (closer to no) cooking ability. All we had was an ambition to eat healthier and to learn to cook on our own.

I launched this blog as a tool to do so. I thought that if we had to make our cooking public and available, we would have to be held accountable and keep to a schedule of healthy eating. It worked.

What I didn’t expect when we launched the blog is that we would discover a passion. What started out as a means to an end (healthy eating) became something fun and a true hobby. It turns out I liked to cook – a lot. Soon the blog turned from a tool for ourselves to a portal for everyone. It wasn’t about being held accountable; it was about sharing our passion for cooking and eating healthy.

We started off with 10 readers a day – and we were thrilled. By the end of last year, we were up to about 50 readers per day and averaging around 1500 page views a month.

Then, something happened. We were featured on Jamie Oliver’s website (I’m still elated to see our humble little blog listed in the links on Jamie’s website!) and we started to gain a wider web presence. Suddenly, this little project born out of a moment of inspiration one May afternoon has developed into a full fledged cooking website.

We average between 100-150 viewers per day and are breaking our monthly viewing records each and every month (4,000 last month). Our readers are from all over the world (!) and we can’t thank each and every one of you enough. If you’re a long time reader, thanks for sticking with us as we’ve grown and developed into what we are today. If you’re a new reader –Welcome!

We have no plans to stop blogging now. We’re going to keep sharing recipes, cooking techniques and our culinary adventures for as long as there’s someone who wants to keep reading them. Here’s to another year of cooking adventure and exploration!

We’re back on Monday with another trip Around the Culinary World. Until then,

~Cheers

Vegetarian Mexican In a Flash

2012-05-15T18:50:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! I must confess: I've been finding myself on an endless pursuit of cooking healthy Mexican food. Whether it's the variety of the Mexican genre or just my constant longing for it, I just keep ending up with a Mexican dish. I hope to break free of these limitations soon and start exploring more culinary ground. But for tonight, I present another delectable dish. There isn't a real market for "vegetarian Mexican" recipes out there (that I've seen.) And if there is, it's often ladled with cheese or other condiments. Tonight's recipe hopes to shake up that particular culinary scene with a delicious, and low calorie, alternative to standard Mexican faire.

The Recipe: Vegetable and Rice Burrito with Quesadilla Cheese
Original Recipe Found In: Cooking Light, May 2012

What You'll Need:

4 Teaspoons Canola Oil, divided
1/3 Cup uncooked Long-Grained White Rice
1 Teaspoon chopped Garlic, divided
2/3 Cup Water
1/4 Teaspoon Salt, divided
1 Tablespoon chopped Jalapeño Pepper*
1/4 Cup reduced-fat Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon chopped Cilantro
1 Teaspoon fresh Lemon Juice
1/8 Teaspoon ground Red Pepper
1 Cup chopped Onion
1 Cup sliced Cremini Mushrooms
1/2 Cup fresh Corn kernels
1 small Zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 Cup halved Grape Tomatoes*
4 (7 to 8 inch) Whole-Wheat Tortillas
4 Ounces Quesadilla Cheese, shredded

*These ingredients will be omitted for our version of the recipe tonight.

To start, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add one teaspoon of the canola oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the rice and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic and sauté, stirring constantly for a minute. Add the water and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Bring this combination to a boil. Cover the saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. After the rice is done cooking, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the jalapeño. Alternatively, if you are not using jalapeños, you could stir in a teaspoon of dried cilantro to add flavor to the rice.

Next, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, and red pepper. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Over medium-high heat, begin to heat a large non-stick skillet. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the chopped onion, sautéing and stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add the remainder of the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute. After this combination becomes fragrant, add the corn and zucchini and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the remaining salt and tomatoes and continue to sauté until the tomatoes are heated thoroughly heated, about 30 seconds. Remove the vegetable mixture from the pan to a bowl, covering to keep warm. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.

Next, heat the tortillas according to package directions. This will help the tortillas from tearing or cracking during the filling part of the recipe - nothing is worse than a cracked tortilla. Divide the sour cream mixture evenly amongst the 4 tortillas, spreading a thin layer in the middle of the tortilla. Top the sour cream mixture with a 1/4 cup of cheese, 1/4 cup of the rice mixture, and 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture. Roll each tortilla up to the likes of a jelly roll.

Return the skillet to medium heat. Add 2 burritos to the pan, seam side down, and cook for 1 minute on each side, until all sides are browned. Repeat the process with the other 2 burritos. Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

(I apologize for the lack of pictures - the recipe picked up rather quickly and I didn't have time to pick up the camera!)

It is well known here on the blog that we are big fans of the restaurant Chipotle, heck, Tyler tried to duplicate one of their famous burritos. But if we were in the mood for creating our own similar style burritos, but not going to Chipotle to get them, this would be the recipe to duplicate. Everything is incredibly flavorful and super tasty. It doesn't take more than 40 minutes to whip up this winning combination of Mexican flavors. And, as a bonus, each burrito is only 363 calories, which won't bust your gut when you eat one. I would definitely make this recipe again, only to add different flavors to make it something completely unique.

That's all we have for you this evening. Join us tomorrow as Tyler brings the grill inside (a figure of speech, of course) for a summer inspired dish. Until then,

~Cheers!

Bonus Blog: Oven Baked Carrots

2012-05-14T18:05:00.003-05:00

Good evening everyone! It’s Monday once again, which typically means it’s time to take another trip Around The Culinary World. Sadly, this week didn’t provide us with enough exciting culinary stories to share (slow news week I guess). So, in its place we decided to share a bonus recipe. This simple dish makes a great side dish to a larger meal or can even be featured on its own as the main attraction. Let’s start the week off right with a brand new recipe!

The Recipe: Oven Baked Carrots

Original Recipe Found In: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

What You’ll Need:

1 Bag Baby Carrots

1 Medium Navel Orange

1 Garlic Clove (Minced)

1 Slice Thick Cut Bacon (Chopped into bits)

1 Tablespoon Butter

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

To begin, pull out a 2 foot sheet of aluminum foil and fold it evenly in half (1 foot per side) unfold the aluminum foil and spread it out on your working surface.

Next, place the carrots on one side of the fold. Over the carrots, zest the orange (using the entire peel). Next add the minced garlic as well as the chopped bacon bits. Mix everything well with your hands until the mixture is evenly blended. Season this mixture with a few shakes of dried rosemary. Place the pat of butter right on top of the mixture.

Begin making a pouch out of the aluminum foil. First, fold the other half of the foil back over the top of the mixture. Next, turn over the sides of the foil multiple times to create a seal (make sure to leave the far end of the pouch open for now). Stand the pouch up on end (the crease acts as the ‘bottom’ of the pouch) squeeze the juice from the orange into the opening at the ‘top’ of the pouch. Once the juice has been added, seal the top of the pouch as well.

Place this tightly sealed pouch on a baking sheet and into the oven for 55 minutes. Once they’ve finished slowly roasting (carefully) open the pouch and serve.

The Results:

This recipe takes the cake when it comes to cooking carrots. Oranges and carrots are one of the culinary combinations that seem odd on the surface, but turn out to be a beautiful matchup. The citrus of the orange becomes a subtle addition to the carrots – neither overpowering nor disappearing from the dish. This dish is the textbook definition of balance flavors. The salty bacon, bite of the garlic, acid of the citrus, cream of the butter and herby influence of the rosemary all combine to create a great, even final dish. If you’re a big fan of carrots, this recipe will be one of your favorites. If you typically don’t like carrots – you may end up changing your tune after trying this recipe. Simple in preparation and great in flavor, there’s not reason not to try this dish yourself.

That’s all we have for you this evening. We’ve got two new recipes on the docket this week. Maggie takes to the kitchen on Tuesday with a vegetarian twist on a blog favorite. I’ll follow her on Wednesday with dish perfect for the summer grilling season. Be sure to stop in Tuesday night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Our Favorite Cookbooks

2012-05-10T18:34:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! We’ve been trumpeting our support of Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution initiative all week long (partially to help raise awareness for the upcoming Food Revolution Day on May 19^th, partially because we feel it’s a great cause). The most basic principle that Jamie’s Food Revolution is built on is teaching others to cook their own healthy meals at home.

On the surface, that seems utterly simple right? Sure, just pick up a cookbook and follow along at home. I know from experience that even if the mindset is in the proper place, it can be hard to find the right place to start. Maggie and I were there two years ago. We had made the decision to begin cooking for ourselves and eating healthy, but how do we go about STARTING on that path?

Through some trial and error, Maggie and I made our way from novice chefs to cooking enthusiasts who have no qualms about going “off the grid” (I.E. without a recipe) and making our own dishes. Tonight, we’re going to provide a few helpful hints for those of you who are looking to start your own cook-at-home movement. We’ll give you some starting cookbooks and some recommendations for the ‘next steps’ to take as you gain more experience. Hopefully it will help some of you gain the ambition to cook at home. If you’ve already found that ambition (hooray) maybe it will give you a new cookbook idea or two. Let’s get started:

First Steps:

When you’re new to hobby or craft, you want something that will ease you into the field. There are a multitude of books for any hobby that act as “entry points” for whatever passion you’re trying to pursue. Cooking is a little harder to find an entry point. Obviously you don’t need instructions to make grilled cheese (let’s hope not) but you don’t want to cut your chops on “Coq au vin” either.

That’s where this cookbook comes in:

We’ve championed Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook on this blog countless times for good reason. Jamie’s approach to his recipes is that cooking should be fun and relaxed. He shies away from a lot of the technical cooking terms and breaks things down to easy to understand steps. His recipes are simple in premise and are fairly easy to execute. You won’t need fancy equipment or a $100 skillet to recreate the dishes you see on each page. Best of all, each recipe is actually delicious – making the learning process even more rewarding.

Each recipe (even desert) is composed with healthy eating in mind. Once you start trying Jamie’s recipes, you’ll quickly lose any notion you may have had that healthy eating has to taste a certain way.

I picked up Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook with little more knowledge beyond the ability to mix box pancakes and boil water. Through simple practice and repetition, I developed confidence in my cooking ability and began to learn how certain flavors blend and how ingredients interact. Yes, there were failures and sometimes the end result looked nothing like the original picture, but I was learning. If you’re looking for an easy entry point into the world of healthy cooking, you can’t go wrong with Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

Stage Two

Alright, let’s say you’ve cooked your way from cover to cover of the Food Revolution book. You’ve mastered each dish and you’re looking to expand your horizons – where do you turn now?

We’d recommend the Complete America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook (2012 Edition). This food bible has every single recipe that the master chefs at America’s Test Kitchen have made on the TV…Ever. You read that right, a decade’s worth of cooking in one book.

The recipes in this book are much more complex, which is what prevents it from being a great starter book. However, there are a multitude of techniques and concepts here that a novice chef will love being exposed to. You’ll learn everything from brining to braising, from best butcher cuts to prepping a mango – for the at home cook that knows the basics but wants to further that ability to something more, this is the book for you.

The best part of this cookbook is the success rate. These recipes are tested countless times by professional cooks. They fine tune each dish until it is the most efficient and delicious result that they can achieve. Essentially, as long as you follow along with the instructions, you will not create a bad recipe.

Getting Good At This:

You’ve mastered the art of brining. You automatically create a mirepoix before starting any soup or stew. You can craft any variant of rue necessary and could trim a pineapple with minimal effort. You now could classify yourself as an “at home chef” and not feel silly saying it. You’re good at this, so good that you’re starting to invent your own recipes. Where do you go from here?

The next book we’d recommend is The Flavor Bible. This unassuming little book will become your best friend when you start creating your own dishes. If it’s a flavor, this bible has it and will tell you what other flavors pair well with it as well as which ones merely coexist and which combinations to avoid.

This book allows those crazy concepts to turn into tasty reality, while keeping you from mixing ingredients that sound great in your head – but turn out to clash worse than polka dots and stripes. (I’ve been told these clash, I’m no fashionista – so if polka dots with stripes are ‘in’ this year, forgive me).

It’s not a cookbook and there are no techniques or tips amongst its pages. It’s simply a guide showing you which flavors truly get along.

Master Chef:

You’ve read and mastered everything above, including an assortment of other cookbooks. Friends and family ask you for advice on what food groups to pair and you’re expected to be making the main dish at the next company get-together. For all intents and purposes, you’re a chef. Amateur chef, hobby chef – the title doesn’t matter – all that matters is that when it comes to cooking, you’re the go-to person.

So, if you’ve mastered everything and feel comfortable, there’s clearly nothing more to read, right? Wrong – you can always learn new techniques and find new and exciting recipes. If you find yourself longing for more information – the definitive place to turn as an experienced chef is to this book:

The Professional Chef. The Professional Chef is actually a textbook produced by The Culinary Institute of America. It’s fairly technical, really heft (10 pounds easily) and is not exactly cheap ($40-$100) but it is the be-all, end-all of culinary references.

This book has everything you could ever possibility need. Shopping for an obscure mango? This book has a shopping guide, uses and instructions on how to prepare said mango. It also has cutting techniques, cooking techniques, preparation techniques and – oh yeah – recipes.

This book is built to educate those going into the culinary world as a profession and it assumes you have a basic (if not moderate) understanding of cooking and the culinary world already. (Thus making it an advanced book) However, if you feel comfortable taking on any kitchen task, this behemoth of a book will be a great kitchen aide for many years to come.

These were obviously just a few of the many opportunities available to you as you begin cooking at home or look for ways to expand your horizons. By all means, don’t feel like you have to go out and buy these certain books or even follow this path. This was simply the path we seemed to take over the past two years. All four above listed books are great references and aides for that at home chef of every ability level. Here’s hoping that one of these books sparks a passion, gives you a new idea or just allows you to learn something new.

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back on Monday with another trip Around The Culinary World, followed by another full week of recipes. Until Monday,

~Cheers

Rustic Chicken & Parsnip Stew

2012-05-09T17:55:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone! I’m excited to share tonight’s recipe, because it’s so symbolic in a lot of ways. After we spoke about Food Revolution Day and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution platform on Sunday, I decided to flip through Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook for old time’s sake.

I owe a lot to Jamie’s Food Revolution cookbook as it was the device in which I learned to cook. When we first decided to start cooking on our own and trying to eat healthy in place of eating out, Food Revolution was the first book we picked up. I had the ambition to cook, but absolutely no knowledge or experience. Thankfully, the Food Revolution cookbook was written in such a way to not intimidate the novice chef – rather it made cooking simple and even fun. The simplified recipes broke down the terminology into “Jamie-isms” (Rather than exact measurements of olive oil, he tells you to use two “glugs” or the sound the bottle makes when it’s pouring).

His simple and delicious recipes did two things for my amateur cooking enthusiasm. It built confidence as I realized I could, in fact, make tasty recipes at home. Secondly, it sparked a fire that I didn’t know I had. It ingrained cooking as a passion, not just a means to eat.

As time progressed, I cooked my way through the entire Food Revolution book and moved on to more challenging things. Jamie’s Food Revolution book did exactly what it was meant to – it provided easy recipes to get people into cooking. With that passion lit, I moved on from the Food Revolution book and into more complex and challenging recipes. I realized on Sunday that it had been a solid year since I had browsed through that cookbook.

I found my well worn copy (it’s well used – food stains, creased pages and notes in the margins – an indicator of a good cookbook) and flipped through the pages. That’s when I stumbled across the recipe for a simple stew. The basic stew recipe was simple and premise and great in flavor (it was one of the first things I made). However, now graced with my experience and knowledge I’ve picked up over the years – this original recipe was a little too simple. So, using Jamie’s recipe as inspiration, I decided to create and adapt my very own stew recipe. It’s almost like coming full circle. Nearly two years from the start of this blog – which was inspired by Jamie Oliver and his recipes, I’m taking the skills I’ve honed and adapting a Jamie Oliver recipe into an Out Of The Culinary Original. It’s poetic in a way.

Alright, enough nostalgic waxing – let’s get to cooking!

The Recipe: Chicken & Parsnip Stew

Recipe Inspired By: Jamie Oliver

What You’ll Need:

2 Celery Stalks (Chopped)*

2 Medium Onions (Diced)*

2 Large Carrots (Peeled, Chopped)*

1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

3 Medium Parsnips (Peeled, Chopped)

2 Cups White Wine

2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1 Handful Fresh Thyme Sprigs

* Trader Joe’s and other ‘fresh food focused’ grocers such as Whole Foods sell a mirepoix mix (carrots, onions and celery – a common base for most stews, soups and roasts is classically called mirepoix). It’s sort of a lazy way out, but when you’re pressed for time or coming home after a busy day it makes a perfect convenient solution to chopping up all the veggies yourself. At only $2.99 (Trader Joe’s) it’s an affordable solution as well.

This recipe is designed for use in a slow cooker. This week shaped up in such a way that I simply did not have time to come home and cook. Rather than simply cutting corners and preparing a less than healthy meal – I turned to the busy chef’s best friend, the slow cooker. Alternatively, this dish can be cooked up in a Dutch oven (350 degrees for 3 to 4 hours) but it was designed for a slow cooker.

Normally, when making a chicken stew, you dice the chicken so it is not served in large, hard to eat chunks. However, since this dish is going to be cooking for about 8 hours, the chicken is going to be mostly broken down and will easy be shredded with a spatula when mixing the pot before serving. In other words, it’s another time saving step!

Rather than prepping and chopping the thyme, you can easily create an herb bundle by simply using cooking twine. Simply grab a small handful (no precise measurement – in tribute to Jamie Oliver) and wrap them in cooking twine as pictured. Leave the long end strings on each side, that way it’s easier to locate and discard the thyme bundle before serving.

To begin preparing the stew, layer the chicken thighs into the bottom of a 3 to 5 quart slow cooker. Pour the mirepoix mixture over the chicken and work it in amongst the meat. Next, add the diced parsnips and mix them in alongside the other veggies and chicken. Finally, add the white wine and chicken broth to pot. Nestle the thyme bundle in the center of the pot, place the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low. Allow the mixture to cook for 5 to 8 hours before moving on to the next steps.

Note: I decided to use parsnips in this recipe simply to change up the flavors a little bit. This is the second appearance of parsnips on the blog (check out our first run-in HERE. Interestingly enough, just like our first time purchasing the parsnip – the Hy-Vee employee was stumped as to what the veggie was. “Is this a….parsnip?”) Parsnips are a root vegetable, much like a carrot or potato and can be found in almost any grocery store. Parsnips have a hard, waxy skin that must be peeled off before serving (you certainly don’t want to eat it). Once baked parsnips have a consistency much like a potato but taste almost like a carrot. They’re a unique addition to this rustic style stew. However, if you don’t care for parsnips you can simply use russet potatoes in their place. You’ll yield the same result, albeit with a slightly less complex flavor.

This style of cooking is actually derived from Irish stews. Rather than browning the meat and caramelizing the onions like most stews, the Irish approach is to simply lump it all together and allow the pot to stew. This approach creates a more harmonious flavor at the expense of sharper high end and subtle low end flavors. For a rustic stew such as this one, that's exactly the flavor blending you're looking for.

Once the stew has cooked for 8 hours, remove the thyme bundle and give the mixture a good stir with a rubber spatula. This stirring should cause the large chicken thigh meat pieces to break apart and shred. (If not, simply “jab” at them with the spatula to speed up the process). At this point, assess the stew. If it’s thicker than you’d prefer, add a little low sodium chicken broth to the slow cooker until it reaches the consistency that you’d like. Taste the stew and season lightly with salt and pepper to adjust the final flavor to your preference. Once the flavor has been fine tuned, all that is left is to simply serve and enjoy!

The Results:

Whenever a recipe doesn’t take a whole lot of effort (simply piling things into a slow cooker would qualify as being of “little effort”) it’s a great bonus when the flavors turn out to be amazing and complex. The base of this dish, mirepoix with white wine created a light yet flavorful backdrop to the tender chicken pieces. The parsnips were a good late addition to this recipe. After 8 hours of slow cooking, they were incredibly tender and melted in your mouth. The parsnips’ flavor is hard to peg with certainty. It’s like a potato, sweet potato and a carrot got together and had a baby. It’s not quite any one flavor, but it has a great rustic taste that compliments this dish nicely.

That’s all we have for you this evening. Later on this week we’re planning on featuring our favorite cookbooks – these are the basic building blocks for anyone looking to get into cooking at home. With Food Revolution Day approaching, we thought sharing the best references for an at home cook could encourage a few more readers to take on the challenge of cooking at home and eating healthy. Be sure to stop back for that feature (likely to be posted on Thursday). Until then,

~Cheers

Fast, Fresh Fish

2012-05-08T18:19:00.003-05:00

Good evening everyone! As Tyler mentioned on Sunday, we are BIG supporters of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which in turn, we are BIG supporters of taking the time to cook a meal and choosing to have a healthier lifestyle. It's great to not only be a part of it, but also look for ways we can support it, like choosing great, homemade meals. Tonight is no exception. This dish is (almost) done in a flash and creates a great tasting meal. It also introduces a new fish that rarely gets brought to the table and makes it quite delectable.

The Recipe: Crispy Flounder with Roasted Tomatoes
Original Recipe Found In: Cooking Light, May 2012

What You'll Need:
2 Tablespoons Capers
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 Cup thinly sliced fresh Basil
1 Cup Panko
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Parsley
1 Teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme
4 (6 ounce) skinless Flounder fillets

To start, preheat an oven to 400 degrees. In a large, ovenproof skillet, combine the capers, one tablespoon olive oil, and the cherry tomatoes and toss to coat. If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, a Dutch oven will work just as nice. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes, or until the skin on the tomatoes have shrunken in slightly and the insides have bursted out of their skins. Remove from the oven and sprinkle in the basil.

Tomatoes, preroasted

Next, combine the panko, parsley, and thyme in a shallow bowl. Pat the fillets down with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Coat the fish fillets with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in the panko mixture until the entire fillet is completely covered with the mixture. The panko will give the fish a good, hearty crunch and the parsley and thyme will give it a nice, herby flavor. This will be the basis of your flavor for this dish, so be sure that the fish has a even coat of the panko mixture.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add two fish fillets to the pan and cook for three minutes, or until desired doneness and the coating is a light, golden brown, on each side. Repeat the process with the other fish fillets. Serve the fish with the roasted tomatoes and enjoy!

The End Result:

As I mentioned before, the fish will need to be coated evenly with the panko mixture because that is the only flavor added to the fish. The fish was still super crunchy and the herbs added an earthy undertone. The roasted tomatoes also tasted great - the capers gave it a little bit of a bite, but nothing too overpowering. Together, the fish and the tomatoes only weighed in at just over 300 calories, which would make it a great meal and a great reason to try it with your family tonight!

Join us tomorrow as Tyler takes us across the pond for a unique twist an a standard fare dish. Until then,

~Cheers!

Around The Culinary World: Food Revolution Day

2012-05-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! We've been big supporters of Jamie Oliver and his progressive food movement (dubbed the 'Food Revolution'). His movement was what started us on our own quest to begin cooking our own meals and eating better. In fact, it was the movement that spawned the idea for this blog (which, coincidentally, turns two years old on May 17th). Since then, our blog has developed into a tool to not only share recipes, but to share healthy dishes and show our readers how easy it is to eat healthy at home.

This week, we thought we'd share the concept behind Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and the upcoming Food Revolution Day. Jamie's methodology and joy of cooking were the driving forces that inspired me to start cooking on my own. Thanks to Jamie's cookbooks and encouragement, I found a hobby that I love and Maggie and I found a passion we can share together.

About The Food Revolution:

Jamie's movement is so simple in concept and rational that there really is no reason why it shouldn't be commonplace. Unfortunately, politics and general red tape (and a lack of understanding) pose challenges to what Jamie (and the rest of his supporters) are trying to achieve.

What is the food revolution? I'll let Jamie tell you himself:

We're losing the war against obesity in the US. It's sad, but true. Our kids are growing up overweight and malnourished from a diet of processed foods, and today's children will be the first generation ever to live shorter lives than their parents. It's time for change. It's time for a Food Revolution.

The problem stems from the loss of cooking skills at home and the availability of processed foods at every turn, from the school cafeteria to church function halls, factories and offices. This Food Revolution is about saving lives by inspiring everyone: moms, dads, kids, teens and cafeteria workers to get back to basics and start cooking good food from scratch.

Essentially, Jamie's ambition is to start a national movement that changes the way America eats. How does he want this to happen? In 5 easy steps:

More cooking at home

A nationwide network of community kitchens where anyone can go to learn basic home cooking
Jamie's home cooking course

Freshly cooked meals at school

An activist program to support parents who want better food in their child's school
A community website to encourage grass-roots activities for change all over the US

Cooking in the community

The Food Revolution truck, a mobile food classroom and flagship center for the Food Revolution
A cooking course available in church halls, community and healthcare centers and the workplace

Schools and Communities - to inspire and educate parents, carers, young adults and children through:

Freshly cooked meals in schools and colleges
Cooking lessons for kids at school
Lessons teaching basic food skills to healthcare and social care professionals
Cooking classes for the public in the community

Corporations - to promote culture change and encourage community investment on several levels:

Food industry - help to tackle obesity by producing better food products and labeling products in a more honest way
Healthcare sector - investing in future health means cost savings down the line
Employee health - provide better food for employees in company canteens and provide cooking classes for employees to give them the skills they need to be healthy

It seems so easy right? That's because, in reality, it is! If you are in support of healthy eating for our nation's children and encouraging the growth and development of healthy cooking at home, be sure to sign Jamie's petition (Linked below)

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;b&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The movement continues on May 19th - which has been dubbed Food Revolution Day.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/b&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;You can read more about Food Revolution Day at the official website &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/about-the-day.html" target="_blank"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;HERE&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img src="http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/assets/common/img/img-badge-326x150.png" border="0" /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;It's a great cause that we are happy to support - even if in the scheme of things our support is nothing more than spreading the word. We're going to continue to do what we do - cook healthy recipes and share them with the world. Later on this week, we'll share the cookbooks that influence us the most - these are the tools that we use almost every week to find inspiration and morph amazing fresh ingredients into delicious recipes that you see every week.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;We encourage you to read more on Jamie's cause and give cooking at home (the healthy way!) a try for yourself.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;As always, we have new recipes lined up to share this week. Maggie will be taking to the kitchen on Tuesday with a brand new recipe featuring a unique whitefish. I'll follow her on Wednesday with an Irish inspired dish that is so elegantly simple yet amazing flavorful. It's sure to be a fun week - so be sure to stop in Tuesday night to see what Maggie is cooking. Until then,&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;~Cheers&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;blockquote class="tr_bq"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

The movement continues on May 19th, with national Food Revolution Day. You can read more about Food Revolution Day HERE.

As I mentioned earlier, Jamie's cause is something we're happy to support, even if that support is only sharing healthy recipes with you on a weekly basis. We'll continue that recipe sharing trend this week with two brand new recipes. Maggie takes to the kitchen on Tuesday with a unique dish featuring an uncommon whitefish. I'll follow her on Wednesday with an Irish inspired dish that is so elegantly simple you will have no excuse not to try it yourself! Be sure to stop in Tuesday night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Welcome to the Menu: Eggplant

2012-05-03T18:47:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone! There are certain foods that come pre-prejudiced. It may not matter if you have ever encountered or even tasted such products before; the fact of the matter is your mind is already made up. That product is gross, bland, smelly – etc. Eggplant may be the shining example of an unfairly judged food. I’m guilty of putting the purple veggie into that category, despite never having eaten or even held an eggplant. To me, it looked weird, felt weird and had a weird name – it had no business coming near my food.

Tonight, that’s going to change. During our weekly search for new and interesting recipes, I found a healthy eggplant parmesan recipe that was too intriguing to ignore. Eggplant parmesan is one of the more iconic Italian dishes and is a staple on many high end Italian restaurants’ menus. Its major drawback was that it normally clocks in at 600 to 700 calories a serving. When I saw that tonight’s recipe was a much more dietary friendly 450 calories, my mind was made up. Does eggplant deserve its bad rap? Or is this truly and unsung vegetable? Let’s find out!

The Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Original Recipe Found In: Fitness Magazine (May Issue)

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 2)

1 Small Eggplant

1 Egg

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Cup Marinara or Tomato Sauce

4 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Basil Leaves (Hand torn)

Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta

The first question I had when preparing for this recipe was a simple one; how the heck do you prepare an eggplant? After all, this purple bulb sort of resembles a gourd and it has a hard rubbery skin like lemon (although not as thick). I had no idea if it was full of seeds, if it was hollow or hard – frankly, I was flying blind. Luckily a quick Google search and a few online articles later, I was prepped and ready to go.

Eggplant... it's daunting, isn't it?

Preparing an eggplant is surprisingly simple. Begin by chopping off and discarding the green leafy top. The culinary world seemed split on whether or not one should peel an eggplant. Some accounts cited the eggplant’s outer skin as being thick and rubber like, while others made no mention of this issue. Since this was our first foray with the veggie, I didn’t want rubbery skin to be the culprit of its downfall. I opted to peel the eggplant (using a chef's knife around the inner edge is the best option for this task).

After peeling, there is very little to do outside of cutting the eggplant into ¼ to ½ inch thick sections. The eggplant itself is relatively soft and pliable – but it is resistant enough that a sharp knife is critical. A dull knife will likely squash the eggplant, rather than slice it. Use your sharpest chef’s knife for this task.

Finally, before officially beginning the recipe, you may want to ‘sweat’ the eggplant. As eggplants age, their internal juices become more and more bitter. The best way to remedy this situation is to liberally cover all of the eggplant pieces with salt and let them rest in a colander in the sink. The salt will bring the eggplant’s juices to the surface (it actually looks like it is sweating – thus the term). Allow the eggplant to sweat for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Once you’re satisfied, thoroughly rinse the eggplant under cold water (to wash off the sweat and salt) and then press the slices on a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture.

Sweating away the bitterness

This step is unnecessary if you are purchasing a fresh (no more than two days old) eggplant – however, we purchased ours on Sunday, so I felt that sweating was a ‘better safe than sorry’ step.

Now that the eggplant is prepped, we can get cooking.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Crack the egg in a small bowl and beat well with a fork. Transfer the panko breading into a shallow bowl or plate. Finally, place a sheet of parchment paper over a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange all three items (egg, bread crumbs, baking sheet) in order on your counter to form an eggplant breading assembly line.

Now, dip the sliced eggplant into the egg mixture and allow the excess to drip off. Next, press the slices into the panko, making sure both sides are evenly coated. Season the breaded slice with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place the finished slice onto the baking sheet and repeat the process four times (two slices per serving if you’re serving more than two). Once all the slices have been breaded, lightly mist them with nonstick cooking spray (this encourages browning on the bread crumbs) and transfer the baking sheet into the oven.

Allow the eggplant slices to cook for 10 minutes before removing them from the oven, flipping the slices, misting with non stick spray and returning the baking sheet to the oven. Allow the slices to cook for an additional 10 minutes.

While the eggplant is cooking, you can begin warming your tomato sauce and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions.

Once the eggplant is finished cooking and your pasta is al dente, you can begin assembling the dish. Serve a helping of pasta onto a plate or bowl and top the pasta with two slices of baked eggplant. Ladle ½ cup of tomato sauce over the dish and top everything off with a few torn basil leaves and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

The Results:

For all of the buildup and apprehension, eggplant proved to be relatively tame. There were no bitter flavors to be found (I’m not sure if this is due to sweating the eggplant or if the whole bitter flavor thing is overblown – but I’m glad the bitter flavor was gone regardless of the reason). Oddly enough, you could almost describe eggplant as creamy. It was soft, but baked with a nice panko crunch – I’d compare it to another vegetable, but outside of maybe a softer parsnip that was bread with a cucumber, there really isn’t much of a comparison.

The flavors of this dish are quintessentially Italian – pasta, parmesan and tomatoes combined with a unique twist. It may be hard to get this one past the whole family (with eggplant’s bad reputation and all) but if your family is veggie friendly (or if you’re just cooking for two) this is one dish that’s worse diversifying your cooking portfolio for.

That’s all we have for you this week. Thank you, as always, for stopping by and sharing in our culinary adventures. We’re back on Monday with another edition of culinary news and highlights. Until then,

~Cheers

Taste Of Spain

2012-05-02T17:38:00.004-05:00

Good evening everyone! After taking a week off from cooking due to a nasty late season cold (I rarely get sick, but when I do, it seems to be the cold virus of the year…) I’m back into the kitchen tonight and playing around with one of my favorite ingredients; cod. Yes, this mild whitefish has appeared in a multitude of recipes on the blog over 2 years from breaded to fried and nearly everything in between. So, when I stumbled across a new style of recipe for cod that drew influence from Spanish cuisine – I knew I had to give this dish a shot. Let’s get cooking!

The Recipe: Baked Cod With Chorizo & White Beans

Original Recipe Found On: Eatingwell.com

What You’ll Need:

1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Shallot (Finely Chopped)

2 Ounces Spanish Chorizo

1 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh Thyme

1 Pint Grape Tomatoes* (Halved)

½ Cup Dry White Wine

15 Ounces Great Northern Beans (Rinsed)

½ Teaspoon Salt (Divided)

1 ¼ Pounds Cod (Cut into 4 pieces)

*If you’re trying to stay 100% authentic, you’ll want to include the grape tomatoes. However, Maggie and I can only tolerate tomato based products on a limited basis (not our favorite flavor) and we know from experience that the softened, tender result of baking tomatoes is far from our favorite thing to add to a dish. As such, I’m omitting them from this dish (substituting 3/4 cup of tomato sauce instead), feel free to include them if you so choose.

This recipe draws from the Spanish and Portuguese culinary tradition of pairing a mild whitefish fillet with a cured, spicy sausage. By simply adding a small amount of a flavorful sausage to the dish, you create a distinct rich and smoky flavor that truly changes the way you’ll look at baked fish. I’ve seen this technique used many times in the past either on cooking shows or in cookbooks – but we have yet to try it for ourselves…until tonight.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and coat a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with a light layer of cooking spray.

In a medium (10 inch) non-stick skillet, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high until the oil begins to lightly shimmer. Next, add the shallot, chorizo and thyme to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes fragrant (when you can smell the sharp onion like flavor of the shallots) – this takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add ¼ cup of the white wine (and tomatoes if you’re using them) to the skillet and allow the mixture to simmer for 2 to 4 minutes. This should allow the tomatoes to break down (resembling more of a sauce) and the wine to evaporate slightly. Stir in the white beans and a ¼ teaspoon of salt before removing the skillet from the heat.

On a separate plate, season the cod with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Carefully lay the fillets into the baking dish and then cover each fillet with about ½ cup of the tomato/bean mixture. Pour the any remaining bean mixture evenly over the fillets and then add the remaining ¼ cup of white wine to the baking dish as well.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cod is completely cooked through and flaky in the center. Serve with a side of steamed vegetables and enjoy!

The Results:

It’s hard to go wrong with cod. That’s been our mantra since we started using this particular cut of fish – and that continues to prove true with this recipe. Baking the cod with the tomato / wine mixture creates a deep, rich flavor that is quintessential Spanish / Mediterranean cuisine. The white beans almost fade into the background of the dish, acting merely as a vessel to carry the white wine flavoring. The part where this dish truly stands out, however, is in the chorizo. This spicy little sausage takes a very respectable dish and turns it into a remarkable dish. Even in as small of a quantity as 2 ounces, the flavor of this recipe completely morphs around the chorizo – adding a smoky and deep flavor to the whole dish. In a word – amazing.

That’s all we have for you this evening. I’m returning to the kitchen tomorrow night to try my hand at a classic Italian dish that features an ingredient I’ve never worked with (or eaten) before. It could prove to be a delight or a disaster. Stop in tomorrow night to find out which of those rings true. Until then,

~Cheers

Lean 'N Mean Enchiladas

2012-05-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! I'm launching a (sort of) new mission. In an effort to get healthier, I'm scouring our vast resources to find good for you recipes. For long time followers of the blog, this was one of our original goals for the blog. We've deviated from that theme for a little while (I mean, who could forget the pizza, with a mac'n'cheese crust.) But we've really made an effort over the past year to find that theme again. Tyler has been especially dedicated to finding and sharing these healthy recipes, I've been...well, less than strict on that sometimes! But I'm going to really try to make a concentrated effort to stick with the healthy, so goodbye pasta and cheese, you're no longer welcome here! (Okay, maybe in moderation, but that goes with every type of food.)

Tonight, I'm making one of our favorite styles of food: Mexican. It's also one that I tend to have a love/hate relationship. I love all the flavors that encompass Mexican, but hate that it's so high in caloric value. I will attempt to squash that love/hate combination and hopefully turn it into something that I make whenever I feel like it. Also, we're trying a new ingredient: zucchini. I've had zucchini bread before but I've never cooked with it. I hope that it isn't too overpowering for the entire dish.

The Recipe: Turkey Enchiladas
Original Recipe Found In: Fitness Magazine, May 2012

What You'll Need:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
1/2 Pound ground Turkey
1 large Zucchini, shredded
1/3 Cup Stuffed Green Olives, chopped, plus 2 Tablespoons Olive Brine
2 Jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 8 Ounce can Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon dried Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon ground Cinnamon
8 Corn Tortillas
1/2 Cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar Cheese

*Note: Since neither one of us like olives, we are omitting those from tonight's version of the recipe. Also, we don't want a lot of heat, so we are omitting the jalapeños.

To start, preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 2 quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the turkey, zucchini, olives, olive brine, jalapeños, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, salt, and cinnamon. Cook this combination for six to seven minutes, stirring occasionally. The turkey should be cooked almost all the way. Fortunately, turkey doesn't take that long to cook, so the cooking time in the skillet is minimal.

I know it doesn't look that appetizing, but it's quite tasty.

Next, wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. This ensures that the tortillas are not only warmed, but bring out their natural flavors. Most corn tortillas are refrigerated, which isn't the case for flour tortillas. I've learned for a more authentic Mexican flavor, you want to stick to corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are also lower in calories. For those of us who are used to flour, it's a little bit of an adjustment. But, to bring out true flavor, corn is the way to go.

Spoon a generous 1/3 cup of the turkey mixture down in the center of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up and place the seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining seven tortillas and turkey mixture. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. To use up remaining cheese I have in our refrigerator, I'm also sprinkling a light amount of Mexican cheese on top, just to give it a little bit more of a flavor. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil cover, let stand for ten minutes, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

This is more of a red sauce version of enchiladas, but the taste does not disappoint. I realized after I finished tonight's recipe that I forgot to add the foil to cover the dish while cooking. Granted, it did dry out the enchiladas a bit, but the tortillas got crunchy and added a new depth to it. (We actually preferred the crunchy tortillas to the usual softer variant you get with a standard enchilada recipe). The tomato save mixture did dry out, but it didn't lose any flavor (it just baked right in) so, all things considered, not at all a bad result despite missing a step! The ground turkey is obviously a healthier choice than ground beef, and using onions, olives, zucchini, and jalapeños adds a nice enhancement to inside of the enchiladas. This is the first time we're using zucchini on the blog and I will have to say that it's a good addition to our list of ingredients. Overall, a great tasting Mexican dish, and at only 319 calories per serving, it's won't add too much to the waistline.

Join us tomorrow as Tyler serves up one of our favorites here on the blog, but will add a whole new dimension to a classic. Until then,

~Cheers!

Around The Culinary World

2012-04-30T08:15:00.001-05:00

Hello again everyone! It’s Monday once again…and whether you choose to look at that as a bad thing or a good thing is entirely up to your personal disposition and present employment situation. One thing I’m sure the glass half full and half empty crowd can agree on is that our weekly trip through the culinary news makes the work week all that much easier to get going. We’ve got an eclectic mix of stories this week (then again, when aren’t they a little eclectic?) but due to a buggy blogger platform, we’re sans photos this week (Sorry!) Let’s dive in to the culinary news for this week!

The burrito is one of the shining examples of culinary simplicity and delight walking hand in hand. While this Mexican dish is anything but complicated, it does pack an amazing flavorful punch that’s hard to beat. Many Americans love the dish – and with good reason. Is it possible, however, that some love the burrito a little TOO much? One newspaper thinks so. After erroneously running a story stating that their local Mexican restaurant was closing, The Appalachian, a student run news paper for Appalachian State University, was bombarding with emails, phone calls and Twitter messages. Obviously, this case of misreporting greatly inflamed their readers. How did the newspaper respond? By taking their readers to task for misplaced priorities (of course!) Read the newspaper’s full response HERE.

***

Late last year, we shared a story about a grocer watchdog group that did a little digging into the breakfast cereal industry. The Cornucopia Institute released a report titled “Cereal Crimes” that took many producers to task for improper product processes, misleading labels and flat out bad content in their cereals.

One of the companies named in this report was Kashi brand cereal. The report cited Kashi for advertising that it was 100% natural, yet using products that contained GMOs (Genetically modified organisms). For the most part, that story went unnoticed in the mainstream media, with very little attention being paid to the culprits. (Kashi included)

Last week, however, the story came to the forefront once again. An innocuous sign, posted by Kashi (a health centric subsidiary of Kellogg’s) on the shelves of one grocery store quickly became viral across social media. The sign caused people to ask questions and last year’s report was quickly brought to the forefront once again. This time, consumers made the connection and Kashi is experiencing a great deal of backlash.

You can read more about what Kashi posted on the grocery store shelves, along with the problem with GMOs and the consumer’s response to this controversy HERE.

***

Late last week, Burger King announced it was making a big change in the type of products it would be using in the future. The fast food giant plans to only use eggs and pork that were raised in cage free environments by 2017. This announcement was pressured by rising consumer demand for humane treatment of farm animals. Reports have shown that consumers are willing to pay a little more when they know a product was fairly produced. Burger King is hoping this point proves true and helps raise sales of their products in the coming years.

The food production industry (egg and pork producers) is largely opposed to the move, citing the increased production costs such a move would cause. However, if the market (restaurants in this case) dictates a change needs to happen, many producers will be forced to comply or simply be squeezed out of the lucrative supply chain for the major buyers.

You can read more on this story, including how other fast food chains are following the humane treatment of animals trend HERE.

***

The knife is the most versatile and important instrument for any chef. From a paring knife, serrated knife all the way to the most important – the ever adaptable chef’s knife, many at home cooks have arsenal of trusty blades that make at home culinary exploits easy and fun to undertake. (Ever try to carve a chicken with a bad knife? Not very fun. Switch that bad knife for a high quality blade and watch the party start!)
Such important instruments need to be treated with the utmost care and respect. (Especially since the high end knives carrying a hefty price). However, many people routinely use and abuse their knives, causing them to wear out and fail much before they actually need to be replaced. How can you ensure you’re taking the best care of your kitchen cutlery? Avoid these common mistakes of knife care by reading THIS.

***

The refrigerator is produce’s best friend, right? After all, the lifespan of many popular fresh products is extended tenfold by simply sticking them in the refrigerator and preserving them for future use. Those products stay fresh, they last longer and you save money. While this is certainly true, you have to be careful not to get refrigerator happy as there are actually produce and other foods that are done more harm by being stored in your refrigerator. Check out the list of the 5 foods you SHOULDN’T refrigerate HERE.

***

That’s all the culinary news that’s fit to blog about this week. We’ve got another full week of cooking on the docket this week. Maggie leads things off on Tuesday with a brand new recipe that plays in her favorite theme. I’ll follow her on Wednesday with my dish from last week that got bumped (due to illness) and I’ll have another new recipe on Thursday to share as well. As a bonus, two of the recipes this week feature products that Maggie and I have never tried in our lifetime. It’s a week of new recipes and new foods, so it’s sure to be fun! Be sure to stop in Tuesday night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Cupcakes from Heaven

2012-04-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone...again! The cooking world can be defined into two (loose) categories: Cooking and baking. Typically, you can be good at both or good at one or the other. I'm still getting in touch with my baking side - generally if it looks incredibly delicious, I will bake it. This recipe is no exception. A coworker of mine brought these cupcakes in and I knew I had to make them.

The Recipe: Lemonade Cupcakes

What You'll Need:

For the cupcakes:
1/2 Cup frozen Lemonade Concentrate, thawed
18 1/4 Ounce package White Cake Mix
8 Ounce container Sour Cream
3 Ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 Eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest

For the frosting:
8 Ounce package Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
16 Ounce package Powdered Sugar

To start, preheat an oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the lemonade concentrate, cake mix, sour cream, 3 ounces cream cheese, eggs, and lemon zest. Beat all these ingredients with an electric mixer for three minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cool, in either in the muffin trays or on cookie racks.

Sweet, lemony goodness

In another bowl, beat together 8 ounce cream cheese and butter until smooth. Blend in the vanilla. Gradually, adding about 1/2 cup at a time, beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. To top the cupcakes, you can either pipe the frosting with a frosting bag or take an offset spatula and smooth the frosting. Be sure the cupcakes are cooled when placing the frosting on top. Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

Cupcakes have inserted themselves in the American mainstay the last few years and flavors like this will help keep them popular. They were incredible moist and tangy, but not incredibly tart. I made one slight error when I baked them: I put the 1/2 cup of butter in the batter and it made it incredibly rich. I'm sure without the butter, the cupcakes would be light and fluffy. Regardless of my mistake, they are a delicious dessert and makes for an awesome treat.

Thanks for joining us this week. Check back on Monday as we take a spin Around the Culinary World. Until then,

~Cheers!

Crispy Cornbread

2012-04-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! I was originally scheduled to be taking to the kitchen tonight to cook up my recipe for this week. However, I've been under the weather so to speak this week and will be pushing back my recipe into next week. (Maggie appreciates not being exposed to whatever plague has latched itself to me, I'm sure!)

Instead, I thought today would be a good time to share an original cornbread recipe that I mocked up last week. While I was in the kitchen working on the pomegranate roast chicken recipe, I noticed that we had corn meal, flour and eggs. I began to wonder if I could create a cornbread recipe with what I had. So I gave it a shot and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

The Recipe: Crispy Cornbread
This is an Out of the Culinary Recipe

What You'll Need:

3/4 Cup Corn Meal (Yellow)
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk*
3 Tablespoons Butter

* Maggie and I are actually slightly lactose intolerant (milk doesn't really 'sit' right with us). So, we don't keep standard milk in our home. Instead we use almond milk (vanilla flavored) - the downside is that almond milk (when flavored) doesn't lend itself to baking. In its place, we used water. If you're using a leaner type of milk (skim, low fat) the difference between milk and water in a recipe is negligible. The only thing your recipe will miss is the fat in the milk (making the bread drier). You can replicate this fat by adding about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the mixture (if you're using water).

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

To begin, combine the dry ingredients (corn meal, flour, brown sugar and baking powder) in a large bowl and whisk until everything is well combined. Next, add the eggs, honey, butter (melted) water (or milk) and whisk until everything is well blended and no lumps remain.

Lightly grease an 8 X 8 baking dish with cooking spray and pour the mixture into the baking pan. Once the dough has been evenly distributed into the baking dish, pop the pan into the oven and allow it to cook for about 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and passes the toothpick test. (Stick a toothpick into the center of the bread, if it comes out clean, it's done).

The Results:

I prefer my cornbread to act as a vessel for butter and honey. Sure, the cornbread is great, but slathering it in butter and honey makes it extraordinary. This cornbread recipe created a nice, porous bread that absorbed the melted butter and honey without making a sticky mess or crumbling all over the plate. This is a drier cornbread - but as I said it was sort of designed that way intentionally. If you like to pair your cornbread with chili or simply like to serve it with honey, jelly or other toppings, this recipe works great and can easily be made with things you likely have in your pantry.

That's all we have for you tonight. Maggie will post her cupcake recipe either tomorrow night or Friday (more likely Friday) so be sure to stop in to see what tasty desert treat she cooked up last weekend. Until then,

~Cheers

Meatloaf Madness

2012-04-24T19:04:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone! Here on the blog, we love to do adaptations and re-creations of classic dishes. Not only does it stir our palettes, but it's exciting trying something that is similar to an old favorite. Tonight is no different: the meatloaf has comfortably secured a place on our dinner tables. Heck, we've produced enough of them to make this. But I would have to disagree with aforementioned product by stating that the "perfect meatloaf" doesn't have to do with shape or consistency.

Without a doubt, meatloaf can be whipped up in a flash and served probably sooner than that. But there's definitely one thing that regular meatloaf lacks is flavor. Tonight, I will challenge the standard meatloaf recipe and give it an ultimate makeover. If you aren't careful, this slab of meat might knock you off your feet!

The Recipe: Chipotle Meatloaf
Original Recipe Found In: Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2012

What You'll Need:

1/4 Pound Applewood Smoked Bacon, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 Pound Ground Beef Chuck
1 Cup chopped Onion
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 large Eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 Cup chopped celery
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Cilantro
1 Tablespoon kosher Salt
1 1/2 Teaspoon minced flat-leaf Parsley
1 1/2 Teaspoon minced fresh Rosemary
1 1/2 Teaspoon minced fresh Thyme
1 1/4 Teaspoon ground Ancho Chiles
1 1/4 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
3/4 Teaspoon ground Black Pepper
3/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Ketchup
2 Tablespoons pureed Chipotle Chile (from canned chipotle chiles in adobo - about one large chile)*

*Note: to kick down the heat a little bit, we are going with ground Ancho chiles, instead of pureed chipotle chile. Powder is a little easier to find than canned chipotle chiles and a bit better to handle in the mouth.

To start, preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of a 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray. This is probably one of the most crucial steps in this whole recipe. There's nothing worse than stuck-on meatloaf to a pan and trying to scrap it off, while scrapping the entire bottom of the pan off with the meat. Not the best scenario in the world.

Next, pulse the bacon in a food processor until the coarsely chopped pieces are now coarsely ground. Transfer these bacon bits to a larger mixing bowl. Add the ground chuck, onion, heavy cream, panko, eggs, celery, cilantro, salt, parsley, rosemary, thyme, ground ancho chiles, paprika, and black pepper (pause to breathe,) and mix well to incorporate. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the prepared pan and form into a long log, smoothing to keep an even consistency. (Alternatively, you can use a meatloaf pan and shape the mixture in this. This will hold its shape better and you won't have to shape a log out of meat.) Bake the meatloaf for 35 to 45 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 150 degrees.

Meatloaf log...such an interesting combination of words

Next, stir the ketchup and pureed chipotle chiles in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup of the chipotle barbecue sauce all over the top and sides of the meatloaf. Bake the meatloaf for another 10 minutes, until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees. Serve the remaining chipotle barbecue sauce alongside of the meatloaf and enjoy!

The End Result:

I am quite pleased with the adaptation I made, although I can't imagine how the pureed chipotle chili would affect my mouth (not well, more than likely!) The meat was super moist with the addition of bacon. And with all the spices and herbs that amped up the flavor even more. This version made a bland meatloaf into something superb. It's also fun to experiment with generic recipes, especially when you can create something new entirely.

Join us tomorrow as Tyler tries his hand at making a quintessential dish homemade. Until then,

~Cheers!

Around The Culinary World

2012-04-22T19:52:00.002-05:00

Good evening everyone! We cover some interesting and varied ground in our weekly trips through the culinary news cycle. We find stories ranging from product recalls, to best of lists to great ideas to organizing your kitchen. Every week provides us with some new, exciting, occasionally odd and unique to enjoy. This week, more so than others, the news shifted to "odd". Every story that we're sharing this week features some strange circumstance, unusual food offering, bizarre eating habit or some other culinary oddity. We didn't save up these stories - we didn't even try for this 'theme' it just so happened that the culinary news this week was - well - weird. Let's dive into this week's culinary ~~oddities~~ stories!

Drinking soft drinks is bad for your health. This much is almost a given anymore. Even those who enjoy the beverage on a daily basis know that Coke, Pepsi or whatever name their preferred carbonated sugar water is sold under is, in the end, bad for their health. (Yes, even the zero calorie versions are bad for you as well...) It turns out, one woman's obsession to Coca-Cola was more than bad for her health; it killed her. A 30 year old woman from New Zealand who consumed around 2 gallons (!) of Coca-Cola PER DAY died last week of a heart attack. While doctors are not sure as of yet to the exact reason of her death (popular theories include hypokalemia - low potassium in your blood supply, or even caffeine overdose) it is almost certain that her diet (which also included heavy smoking) was the contributing factor. You can read more about this story HERE.

Always in moderation.

Baseball stadium food exists in its own world. By some magical property, the food served up in our nation's ballparks transforms from ordinary hotdogs, nachos and street vendor fare into culinary wonders of the world. There are foods at a ballpark that can never be duplicated. Why does a ballpark hotdog simply taste better than any other hotdog on the planet? The world may never know, but the fact remains, ballpark food (while expensive and horribly bad for you) is a wonderful adventure for your tastebuds.

Riding on that wave, more and more modern ballparks have been taking advantage of their fans' love for ballpark food and expanding their offerings into unique (and absolutely delicious) offerings. For example, Target Field, the home to the Minnesota Twins (Go Twins!) has a varied menu full of culinary delights (this isn't your dad's ballpark menu). However, sometimes a ballpark can get carried away and begin to offer products that aren't revolutionary or even unique - just over the top. The Daily Meal has composed a list of the 10 most over the top stadium food offerings - and even a avid ballpark food lover such as myself can admit - these dishes go too far. Check out the full list HERE.

THAT is 10,000 calories worth of burger. (Serves 10 - 12)

There is a lot of fraud and deception when it comes to retail settings. Commercials businesses are trying to sell their products to as many consumers as possible and they will adapt their message accordingly to assure that they can tap into each and every potential market. Even if that message 'bends' the truth from time to time.

The one place you think you're fairly safe from such marketing is the grocery store, however, right? Sure, while the products themselves may not be honest (advertising "gluten free" like it has some form of diet benefit) or (saying "whole wheat" when it is anything BUT whole wheat) but if your grocery store labels a certain cut of fish behind the butcher's counter as cod - then it's cod...right? Well, it turns out that might not always be the case.

Smartmoney.com recently ran a story on the 8 biggest food frauds at your local grocery store. Some are a result of less than honest grocers, some are the result of less than reputable suppliers. All are a reason for you to pay a little more attention to what you're really buying the next time you go to the grocery store. Check out the full story HERE.

Shelves and shelves of LIES! (*possibly)

Foods that go to far, foods that are fraudulent - why not segue right into foods that don't deserve to exist anymore? That's right, there are certain foods that are simply overproduced, a mockery of what they're trying to duplicate or that just don't serve a purpose. For the most part, these products always exist in one place - you local mall's food court. Bon Appetit has drudged up 10 of those foods and is calling for them to be axed. Check out the 10 most 'ban worthy' food court offerings HERE.

Actually, ice cream doesn't really NEED improvement...thanks anyway.

I told you it was a weird (and brief) week of culinary news. Hopefully our recipes this week won't follow that trend! (We're not planning on that happening - but you never know...) We've got a lot of recipes to share this week. Maggie will get us started on Tuesday night with a new variation on an American classic. I'll follow her on Wednesday night with a brand new use for one of my favorite food groups. Later on in the week, Maggie will share a recipe for a special treat that you're sure to love and I'll be sure to throw in a recipe for cornbread that we made up on the fly - with tasty results. That's 4 (4!) recipes for this week! There's sure to be something for everyone to enjoy in this batch of recipes. Stop in Tuesday night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Taco By Name Only

2012-04-20T19:07:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone! For the first time in a long while, we’re adding a third recipe to the weekly rotation. Tonight’s dish warranted its own special blog post simply because of the unique nature of this recipe. This recipe comes from the same “50 Taco Recipe” Food Network Magazine insert that last week’s egg and chorizo tacos dish came from. However, unlike last week, which had some foundation in Mexican cuisine, tonight’s dish is taco in name only. Let’s get cooking!

The Recipe: Sweet Potato Tacos
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine (50 Taco Recipe Insert)

What You’ll Need:
(Serves 4)

3 Cups Peeled, Diced Sweet Potatoes (Roughly 2-3 medium sweet potatoes)
1 Can Black Beans (Rinsed)
Low Fat Sour Cream
4 Flour Tortilla Shells

A few months ago, we tried a baked sweet potato recipe that used these very same ingredients, so we came into this recipe knowing that the flavor combination works well. If you haven’t even tried these three ingredients together, give it a shot before you judge. It’s surprising just how well these three blend together.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

To begin, toss the sweet potatoes in a drizzling of olive oil and season with a pinch of chili powder. Place the sweet potatoes into a small roasting pan and into the oven to roast for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until they’ve become tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, drain your black beans and rinse them in a colander to remove any of the solution that the beans are packed in. (This water / sludge mix is very high in sodium. Rinsing the beans before cooking them allows you to reduce the sodium in the beans by about 20% depending on the manufacturer). Heat the beans until they are evenly cooked through (according to the directions on the can). Keep warm until the sweet potatoes are finished.

Once the sweet potatoes are tender and the beans are cooked, you can begin construction of these unique tacos. First, spread a spoonful of the black beans onto a (warmed) tortilla. Follow this with a generous helping of sweet potatoes and finally top the mixture off with a dollop of low fat sour cream. Roll the tortilla into a tight taco and enjoy!

The Results:

Like I mentioned in the opening, we have tried this flavor pairing before so it wasn’t a surprise when these tacos came out delicious as well. It’s truly hard to describe how well the black bean / sweet potato / sour cream mixture blends, to put it simply – it’s a harmonious union of flavor. This dish is a great way to get in your daily amount of protein and fiber without having to use any meat. With the flavor and texture of the black beans, you’ll hardly notice there isn’t an ounce of ground beef in this taco.

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back next Monday with another installment of the culinary news in Around the Culinary World, followed by another week full of new and tasty recipes. Until then,

~Cheers

A New Version of Meat and Potatoes

2012-04-18T18:35:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! I, like Tyler, felt very ambitious this week when taking on my night of cooking. As I was searching recipes, I came across one that I could do in a snap. But I felt that it needed something a little bit more, not just the main course. So tonight, I am making two (count 'em, TWO) recipes to share with you all. Both are relatively easy and can make creating a meal easy as cake (although I won't be making cake, I'm not that ambitious.)

The Recipe: Pan-Grilled Flank Steak with Soy-Mustard Sauce
Original Recipe Found In: Cooking Light, April 2012

What You'll Need:

1 Pound Flank Steak
1 Teaspoon Canola Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic (Minced)
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
3/4 Teaspoon Sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro

To start, heat a grill pan on the stove over high heat. Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper and lightly coat the grill pan with cooking spray. Once the grill pan is nice and toasty, add the steak to the pan. Grill each side of the steak for five minutes or until desired doneness (add 1 to 2 minutes for each level of doneness you're searching for. 5 minutes = medium rare, 6-7 minutes = medium - etc.) Once the steak is done grilling, remove the steak from the grill and let it stand for three minutes.

Typically, when a recipe lists an exact time to grill a steak, it's usually for a medium rare doneness. I enjoy a well done steak that's not completely burnt, meanwhile, Tyler enjoys a medium steak. Finding a happy medium when grilling is always a task since we like our steaks two different ways. Hopefully, with enough grilling opportunities I can perfect this daunting task (as such I am doing this evening.)

This was taken before the billows of smoke came from the steak.

Once the steak is resting, heat a small skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just long enough so the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the soy sauce, mustard, and sugar. Cook the mixture for one minute, or until it just begins to bubble. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream and one tablespoon of cilantro.

Doesn't look that great, but a surprise lurks beneath the surface.

Returning to the steak, cut it diagonally, across the grain, into thin slices. Sprinkle the steak with the remaining cilantro, serve with the sauce, and enjoy!

But that's not all! As I mentioned, I had the time this evening to create another dish to have the perfect pair of recipes.

The Recipe: Roasted Red Potatoes
Original Recipe Found In: Cooking Light, April 2012

What You'll Need:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Shallots (Sliced Thin)
1 (20 ounce) Bag Refrigerated Red Potato Wedges

(You can easily make your own red potato wedges by slicing up whole red potatoes - don't spend the extra money on pre-cut wedges when whole potatoes are much cheaper.)

To start, preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Next, combine all the ingredients on a large jelly roll pan (or baking sheet.) Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast the coated potatoes at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until throughly cooked, stirring after 15 minutes. Serve with the steak and enjoy!

The End Result:

Like I mentioned in the title, this a modern twist on the classic Meat and Potatoes dish. Granted, you could take any meat and throw it with any style of potato. But roasting the red potatoes with shallots gives it a bit of an oniony kick and adds a new depth of flavor that I haven't experienced before. The steak, with the soy-mustard sauce, not only had a slight Asian influence, but made the steak super savory and rich. The sauce was probably one of the best sauces I've had or made for a dish. I tried pairing it with the potatoes and it didn't have that same delicious taste, so it's definitely "with only steak" type of sauce. Overall, a great pairing of flavorings for an old favorite.

Join us tomorrow as Tyler tackles another recipe - but this one may be like something you have never tried before. Until then,

~Cheers!

Turkish Inspiration, Classic Chicken

2012-04-17T18:09:00.001-05:00

Good evening everyone! As I mentioned last week, today I had a scheduled day off which means I had all day to get ambitious with a new recipe. After browsing a few of our favorite recipe sources, I came across the perfect recipe for just such a day - with an added bonus of it being from a completely new region (Turkey) of cuisine that we haven't tried before. Let's get cooking!

The Recipe: Roast Chicken With Pomegranate Glaze
Original Recipe Found On: Eatingwell.com

What You'll Need:

1 Tablespoon Ground Sumac*
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 - 4 Pound Chicken (Giblets / neck removed)
6 Cups Sliced, Cored Fennel (2-3 Large Bulbs)**
1 Large Yellow Onion (Chopped)
2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Pomegranate Molasses***
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

* Sumac is made from the ground berries of a sumac plant. The sumac plant has over 250 different species ranging from relatively benign to poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac. (Thankfully, the berries are not the poisonous part!) Sumac is common in Turkish and Arabic cuisine. Sumac berries add a lemon like or citrus flavor to whatever dish they are being added to. (Oddly, the smell like vinegar). Sumac will be somewhat hard to track down (speaking from experience) your best option is to visit your local Penzeys or mail order the spice from a large company. Alternatively, you can zest two lemons and substitute that for the sumac.

**If you are unable to find whole fennel bulbs, you can simply use the fennel seeds (at a much reduced quantity as the seeds pack more punch than the whole bulb).

*** Pomegranate molasses can be found in the vinegar aisle of many grocery stores (especially Trader Joe's & Whole Foods). However, it's also quite easy to make your own. Simply combine: 4 Cups of Pomegranate Juice, 1/2 Cup Sugar & 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the sugar has been absorbed. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to medium low and allow the mixture to simmer (stirring occasionally) for about 1 hour (or an hour and a half) until it becomes thick and syrup like (it will cling to the back of a spoon). Keep an eye on the mixture after 40 minutes as it can (and will) thicken up quickly. If it becomes too thick you'll end up with more of a gel and less of a molasses. Let the mixture cool for 30 minutes before transferring it to a glass jar and storing it in the refrigerator until needed.

If you'd like, you can prepare the first step a day ahead of time. In a small bowl, combine the sumac and salt. Loosen the skin over the breast and thighs of the chicken and spread the mixture across the meat under the skin. (Depending on how cooperative your chicken is, you may have to use kitchen shears to slice your own pockets into the skin). Once the breast and thighs have been covered, sprinkle the remaining seasoning on the skin. Store the seasoned chicken in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 1 hour before cooking. This allows the salt/sumac to act as a marinade or brine and adds a great flavor to the meat while ensuring the moisture will stay inside the meat while cooking.

Once you're ready to cook, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the yellow onion and fennel in the bottom of a large roasting pan and toss with the olive oil. Place the chicken, breast side up, on top of the vegetables.

Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate molasses, honey and pepper in a small bowl. Transfer about 1/2 of this mixture to a small saucepan and set aside for later. Reserve the other half for a later step.

Place the chicken in the oven (covered) and all it to cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the pan, stir the vegetable mixture, rotate the chicken (so the breast side is now down) and return it to the roasting pan and back in the oven (covered) for another 20 minutes.

After the second 20 minute roast, remove the chicken again and stir the vegetable mixture. Place the chicken in the roasting pan (breast side up this time) and spread the reserved pomegranate sauce over the entire chicken. (A pastry brush is the best method as the molasses is predictably soft and sticky and otherwise cumbersome to manipulate). Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and return the chicken to the oven (covered) until the thigh reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer. The original recipe states this will take 20 to 30 minutes, however, our version took closer to 45. Monitor the chicken closely (I'd recommend taking the temperature during the basting portion of the recipe to gauge just how close the chicken is to being fully cooked).

Once the chicken has reached the perfect temperature, remove it from the roasting pan and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving (so all those juices move back towards the center of the chicken and not all over the cutting board while you're carving). Warm the other half of the pomegranate sauce from earlier until it is heated through. Serve the carved chicken with a drizzling of the pomegranate glaze over the roasted onions. Enjoy!

The Results:

Refreshingly new and delicious! This recipe, while being technically just like every other roasted chicken dish we've tried had a flavor that we had never created before. The sumac berries were just as described - a bright and almost lemon like flavor (sort of lemon meets raspberry) that blended beautifully with the pomegranate glaze (which was very sweet, almost candy like). The end result was a bright, almost fruity chicken that was full of moisture and deep flavors. The onions (nicely caramelized after the roasting process) added a nice depth to each bite.

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie will take to the kitchen tomorrow night with a dish she's excited to try. Stop in tomorrow night to see what she's cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

Around The Culinary World

2012-04-16T11:40:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone! Welcome back to a new week of recipes and excitement here at Out of the Culinary! We’re chocked full of recipes this week (we have three to share, just like old times!) Just like every week, however, we’ll get things started by sharing what’s up and coming in the culinary news. Let’s dive in!

We were doing so well too… It has been at least a month since our last food contamination recall related story and this week brings TWO (two!) of them.

Moon Marine USA Corp. (MMI) is recalling 58,828 pounds of raw yellowfin tuna following a large outbreak of salmonella poising that is believed to have been caused by their product. The tuna, sold in grocery stores and to restaurants, was labeled Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA. While this product was unavailable to consumers for individual purchase – it likely could have been served to consumers via restaurant menu items or a grocery store’s prepared menu items (sushi platters – etc.) Making things a little more complicated – MMI notes that the product may have passed through multiple distributors and may not be clearly marked as to its origin.

So far, the FDA is reporting 116 illnesses believed to be linked to this contaminated tuna ranging from Washington DC to Louisiana. So far there have not been any deaths linked to this contamination and only 12 individuals have had to be hospitalized due to illness. However, the FDA notes that there is usually a 30 day lag between people becoming ill and the illness being reported to the FDA, so these numbers are likely to rise.

With the inability to confirm where this product ended up, it may be in your best interest to avoid raw yellowfin tuna from your favorite sushi place or grocery store for the time being. You can read more on this recall HERE.

Yesterday, Dole foods announced they are recalling over 756 cases of bagged lettuce due to the threat the product could be contaminated with salmonella. The company claims that the (possible) contaminated products were shipped to Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

(In a cruelly ironic twist – a majority of those same states are part of the yellowfin tuna recall too. Talk about a double whammy of contamination!)

The contaminated bags have a ‘Use by’ date of 4/11/2012. So far, no illnesses related to this possible contamination have been reported. For more on this outbreak (including UPC codes for the possible contaminated bags) look HERE.

The popular saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” has been around for years. The premise is simple; eating an apple everyday will keep you healthy and out of the doctor’s office. On the surface, it always seemed like this slogan was a simple way to subtly advertise the benefits of healthy eating. It turns out this slogan may not only be true (we’ve known apples are good for you for a long time after all) but it actually may be UNDERSELLING the apple. In fact, the apple seems to be the doctor repelling, weight loss causing super fruit that no one talks about. Check out more (including new research results) on how to eat healthy and lose weight with the simple apple HERE.

Wonder Fruit (Cape optional)

One major candy company was in the need of a brand refresh and decided to take things in an unusual direction; divorce. Check out the full details on how one major brand is tearing up their image and name in order to generate a little buzz HERE. (Somehow, I get the feeling things will all ‘work out’ in the end – but frankly, I don’t really care either way!)

Finally this week, we’ll continue or theme of featuring Kitchen Daily’s “Best Of” lists. We’ve looked at instant coffee, peanut butter, jelly – now the Kitchen Daily spotlight moves over to a favorite late night / movie time dish of many; microwave popcorn. Check out who reigns supreme in their taste tests HERE.

That’s all the news that’s fit to blog about this week. As I mentioned earlier, we’re going back to our “old” format this week (probably for this week only) and featuring three recipes. I’ll be cooking on Tuesday and Thursday and Maggie will bring her recipe to the blog on Wednesday. It’s sure to be a great week of cooking! Stop in tomorrow night to see what I have cooking. Until then,

~Cheers

A Simple Fix For Breakfast or Dinner

2012-04-11T18:23:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! It’s well established that one of our all time favorite ‘themes’ to use in our recipes is Mexican. From the simple taco to casseroles and soups, if there’s a way to move in the great flavors from the Mexican cookbook into a recipe we like to try it once.

Tonight, I’m moving the Mexican flavor profile into another new category (for the blog anyway) – breakfast. Tonight’s recipe asks a simple question. What happens when you take the flavors of a taco (specifically chorizo tacos) and combine them with a classic breakfast food? Let’s find out together, shall we?

The Recipe: Egg & Chorizo Tacos

What You’ll Need:

¼ Pound Ground Chorizo Sausage
6 Eggs
Fresh Cilantro
4 Flour Tortillas
Mexican Cheese (Optional)

This certainly isn’t the first appearance of chorizo on our blog. In fact, we’ve used just about every variant of the spicy sausage available. From soy to traditional, it’s all been incorporated in some form. The ONLY variant we hadn’t used was ground chorizo – until tonight. Outside of the obvious difference (I.E. it’s ground) there is little difference between ground chorizo and traditional chorizo sausage. Ever grocery store varies slightly, but odds are you will find ground chorizo in your grocer’s sausage or Mexican section (near the tortillas)

To begin, add the chorizo to a large (12 inch) non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chorizo, stirring regularly, until it begins to brown. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes. At first, it will be a little hard to determine when the chorizo is actually ‘browned’ as the sausage is predominately a reddish-orange hue. (Due to the paprika in the sausage) However, as it cooks, the sausage will darken slightly and actually start to look just like browned hamburger.

While the chorizo browns, crack your eggs into a medium mixing bowl and lightly beat with a wire whisk until they are combined. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can add a light sprinkling of Spanish cheese into this egg mixture to add a little variety to mixture.

(Side Note: This recipe could very easily be coverted to an omelte by adding a little milk to the egg mixture and omitting the tortillas shell entirely.)

Once the chorizo has evenly browned, carefully add the egg mixture into the skillet – making sure to evenly distribute the eggs across the entire skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the mixture to simmer until the eggs set (I.E. become firm to the touch). If you find that the eggs are not cooking evenly (depending on the quality of your skillet, the edges could set well before the center) reduce the heat to medium low – that should lower the heat at the edges of the skillet, preventing the eggs on the other portion from overcooking. (You may have to scramble the eggs slightly to expedite the process.

Once the eggs have set to your desired level, serve the mixture into warmed tortillas (see note below) and top with a pinch of fresh cilantro and a dash of cheese (optional). Serve and enjoy!

(Note: If you prefer a crispier tortilla, toss them onto a lightly oil grill pan on high heat for about 3 minutes. That should give the exterior of the tortilla a nice crispy consistancy while keeping the natural soft pliability of the tortilla in place).

The Results:

The beauty of tacos is that they’re are almost always a quick and easy recipe, making them great for weeknight meals or just an easy “craving fix”. At the same time, they can be amazingly complex and versatile; adapting to any flavor combination or situation you can conjure up.

These tacos continue that traditional. While they were amazingly easy to prepare, they managed to create this great flavor mash-up of both breakfast and dinner. The spicy chorizo was neutralized nicely by the fluffy eggs, creating the perfect blend of seasoning and heat. The Mexican cheese was not originally called for in this recipe, but I’m glad I added it as it created a whole new layer of flavoring to enjoy.

That’s all we have for you this week. We’re back next week with brand new recipes – I’ll actually have a full day off next week, meaning my recipe is sure to be highly ambitious (I tend to get that way when given the whole day to cook). As always, we’ll start the week off with a trip Around The Culinary World. Until then,

~Cheers

Add Another to the Tasty Total

2012-04-10T18:53:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! We've had our fair share of mac'n'cheese adaptations here on the blog. Whether it's been baked or as a pizza crust, we've explored the endless variations of this classic American dish. Tonight, I'm exploring yet another version of this dish, one that will have fans of spicy dishes of our blog very excited. I am also excited about this dish, as it will not only incorporate our friend, mac'n'cheese, but another tried and true partner of the blog.

The Recipe: Chili-Cheese Mac
Original Recipe Found In: Cooking Light, April 2012

What You'll Need:

1 Teaspoon Canola Oil
3/4 Pound Ground Round
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Cups fat-free, lower sodium Beef Broth
1 Cup Water
1 (10 ounce) can mild diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, undrained
8 Ounces uncooked Elbow Macaroni
1/2 Cup Fat-Free Milk
4 Ounces 1/3-less-fat Cream Cheese
4.5 Ounces finely shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar Cheese

*Note: Since we don't want our mouths to be completely on fire whilst eating this dish, we opted for diced tomatoes sans green chiles. We figured the dish would have a milder taste without the green chiles.

I think the reason why there are so many adaptations of the classic mac'n'cheese recipe is that one: it's a versatile dish. You can add almost anything to it and it will add an extra 'oomph' to the standard fare. Throw peas in it for an extra serving of vegetables or add tuna for a bit of different flavor (my favorite - thanks Dad!), it will still be great. And two: it's easy to change it into something completely different and yet have that same mac'n'cheese appeal. A four cheese pasta dish could have some exquisite name, but in the end, it's still noodles with cheese. Anyway, enough waxing about the dish, let's get cooking!

To start, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the beef, garlic powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and chili powder and cook for three minutes, crumbling up the beef so it gets cooked evenly. Add the broth, water, and tomatoes. Bring this combination to a boil. Stir in the macaroni and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes or until the macaroni is done cooking.

Getting ready for the macaroni noodles

Next, add the milk and cream cheese to a saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Cook for four minutes or until the cheese has melted. You'll want to keep an eye on the saucepan - if the cheese and milk get overheated, you'll have scalded lactose products and not a very good smell arising from the kitchen. After this combination is throughly combined, remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly stir in the cheddar, careful again not to burn the cheese. After both pots are done cooking, add the cheese sauce to the macaroni mixture and toss to coat well. Serve and enjoy!

Homemade cheese sauce!

The End Result:

Oh, my, tasty! I originally thought that with all the spices going into this dish it would be too hot to handle. But actually it's incredibly flavorful and very tasty. It definitely had a unique flavor that leaves normal mac'n'cheese in the dust. Making your own cheese sauce is something quite to behold too and it won't leave a 'processed' taste in your mouth. Everything seems fresh and not from a box. I would make this again with some additions to make it even more of a better dish.

Join us tomorrow as Tyler tackles a not-so standard Mexican regular. Until then,

~Cheers!

Around The Culinary World

2012-04-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone! Welcome to another Monday and a brand new edition of Around the Culinary World. For those who are new to the site, we like to highlight a few culinary based stories each and every Monday, just to keep up with what’s happening in the culinary world. This week features a plethora of stories across the culinary news – there’s sure to be something for everyone to enjoy. Let’s dive into the culinary news for this week!

About a month ago, we talked about the fraudulent word of olive oil and how legitimate producers were being forced out of the market by lower quality products advertising themselves as high end (or extra virgin) olive oil. There’s even a book covering the topic – “Extra Virginity: The Sublime & Scandalous World of Olive Oil”. Recently, the Journal of Food Science took a look at the food industry as a whole and found that there are quite a few products that are heavily copied or highly fraudulent. Using the foodfraud.org database, the April issue of the Journal of Food Science composed a list of the most ‘adulterated’ food ingredients / products. Check out the full list HERE. Obviously, olive oil tops the list, but there are quite a few other products here that could surprise you.

Odwalla Milk brand has announced a nation wide recall of their chocolate protein ‘monster’ drink after reports that some consumers are suffering allergic reactions to the product. It seems the milk might have been contaminated with peanuts or some other tree nut during production, prompting allergic reactions from those who suffer allergies from the legumes. This recall affects all products with the ‘best by’ date on or prior to May 23. Read more about this recall HERE.

Easter and ham go together like turkey and Thanksgiving. It’s likely that a large majority of Easter gatherings yesterday had some form of baked or roasted ham on the table for dinner. Equally likely is the large quantity of leftover baked or roasted ham today. So, what do you do with that leftover Easter ham? Kitchen Daily has composed a short list of recipes featuring all sorts of uses for that extra pork in the refrigerator. Check them out HERE.

A few months ago we shared the story regarding a change in a San Francisco law that prevented Burger King and McDonald’s from including toys in their kid’s meals. Critics argued that the inclusion of the toy was a way to entice children to purchase the low quality food, thereby contributing to the obesity problem that America’s youth are currently facing. McDonald’s responded by simply ‘charging’ for the toy (by adding .10 to the cost of the meal, then turning around and donating that .10 to their Ronald McDonald charity) At the time, I commented that while the concept was a nice idea (attempting to reduce the consumption of fast food by children) the method to do so was misplaced and probably a bit of an overreach.

Since that time, a lawsuit was placed in the state of California, challenging the right of McDonald’s (specifically named in this lawsuit) to give away toys with their Happy Meals in the state of California. Once again, the company was accused of using the toys as a way to lure children into their restaurants and purchase their food. However, on Wednesday, a San Francisco judge threw out the lawsuit, effectively ending the quest to ban toys in kid’s meals in California.

My 2 cents on this story are pretty straightforward. Yes, children should be encouraged to avoid a reliance on fast food. No, I don’t think banning toys from the meals will make any difference in this movement. First and foremost, the fast food producer will simply “charge” for the toy to skirt around the new law. Secondly, the children are not making these purchases, their parents are. So, in order to slow the consumption of fast food by children, I believe the movement has to start by targeting parents – not kids. Education for both parents and kids about the quality of food are a great way to start. Banning toys seems like the wrong way to fix what is otherwise a good idea.

Finally, continuing in our recent trend of “best of stories” we have a product that makes an appearance in quite a few kitchens across the world; instant coffee. Yes, the simple to brew pick-me-up is a popular (if not critical) element in the average worker’s morning routine. With great popularity comes great competition, and the instant coffee market greatly reflects that. There are literally hundreds of instant coffee choices in each and every super market and corner store across the planet. So, which brand of instant coffee rises above the rest? Check out the taste test results HERE.

Without this, much of America would fail to function before 11 AM

That’s all the news that’s fit to blog about this week. We’ve got a unique collection of recipes to share this week. Maggie will start us off on Tuesday with a brand new recipe that plays into her ‘wheelhouse’ but adds a new twist. I’ll follow her on Wednesday with a Mexican dish that I am very eager to try. It’s sure to be a fun week of cooking, so be sure to stop in Tuesday night to see what’s on the menu. Until then,

~Cheers