That's Interesting-A Cooking Exploration of the Culinary World

Discovering myself as a chef

2017-02-18T02:38:00.002-07:00

Lately,
diving into my background about my roots and where did I come from has been eye opening. To be candid, I thought I had a great childhood. Talking with a professional, realizing I had what seemed like a great childhood. I didn't I was brought up as the child that could be use to get sympathy or attention for a parent. Its been a ground shaker to look back on everything and realize that most of my true self isn't there it was forced in the image of someone else.
Now comes the time for self discovery, to succeed where I was suppose to be a failure. Where I have been portrayed as the bad child, the selfish child/ adult, the one who tries and never will succeed, the kid that is only good as long as the parent gets the acolytes from their associates. I was a twin, my twin died at birth. I am the survivor. I do not want pity, I do not want people to feel sorry for me, I screwed up a lot growing up because I thought I had to make the parent happy or fail. I have lost many a friend for it. I can say I am sorry and didn't know better but I can't change the past. I can move forward and now learn from the past.
I have been binge watching Chef's Table on Netflix. I have truly found my calling. I am meant to feed people and make them happy. I want to experiment food and I want the best ingredients. I think farm to table needs to be revisited. That good food some come from the ground and be fresh. That people have the right to have good clean healthy food. That families should take the time to sit at a table, electronic free and have great flavorful food and have a conversation with each other. I aspire to be as OCD as Nancy Silverton, and have the fire like Blue Hill farm Chef, To create unique and decadent, flavorful food that pops when you see it and blows your mind when you taste it. I do this for me first, my children second and the people who eat the food last.

This journey may take years, but I hope you read with me as I go. Failure and success alike. Failure is going to happen. I will create crappy dishes that just are not going to work, but its a step to the next production to make it better.

thank you for listening.

Blueberry Polenta Scones

2017-01-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since I have taken the time to sit down everyday and post something fun on here. I think with the new year coming of 2017 its time to get back into the habit of writing.

Update on Chef: I am just about done with my B.S degree and have been working in management to expand my horizons and learn to be a better boss. We have moved cross country again and are back in the high dessert country of Utah. Where life as usual is challenging with the climate and the population.

I have been doing a lot of Vegan and Vegetarian cooking. Love the Thug Kitchen Cookbooks. They put out a some great food. I have been slowly cooking my way through their books. I wanted to share this recipe with you. It is theirs all the credit to them. As a non vegan/ vegetarian, I would have to put some kind of drizzle on it, but these are really good. I do use them quite a bit.

Brown Sugar Blueberry Polenta Scones
By Thug Kitchen

makes 8 i usually multiply this recipe by 3

1.5 cup whole wheat pastry flour or AP flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup blue berries fresh or frozen

Heat oven to 425 degrees F
Mix together flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together milk, oil, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the milk mixture. Your going to do the biscuit mix. Mix until its combined but do not over mix.

Dump out on to a cutting board and press into a rectangle. About 1 1/2 " thick and 8" long. make sure you dust your cutting board with flour so the dough doesn't stick to it. Halve lenghtwise and then crosswise into 2 inch wide scones. Brush with Almond milk then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until they look golden on the bottom. 12-15 minutes. Let them cool 10 minutes.

This is not a make ahead recipe. Use it the day you make it. they go really soft the longer they sit out.

I like serving them with chocolate hummus. Its seems like a weird combo but it works really well together.

I hope this to the first of many more writings to come

Happy Eating

Private Chef

2015-05-30T09:33:00.002-07:00

Hey all,

So while I wait for the new restaurant to open. I am doing side work as a private chef. If any of you need advice please ask . I am still doing the Talk to Chef system as well as using Thumbtack in the Utah area for picking up events. Check it out at Thumbtack.com and look me up. If you have had my food in the past, please leave a review of how I am doing.

Thanks

Review for Thumbtack

Biscuits

2015-05-01T10:08:00.003-07:00

Biscuits every where and which do I eat? That is the all timing question. I have been recipe testing biscuits and would like to share a few of the biscuits I have tested out. They are a good dense biscuit that you would use for biscuits and gravy. Still working on the that perfect one that I need for my project. In the mean time I can share my exploits with my readers, if you all are still there.

Credits go to a book called Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree

Sour Cream Biscuits
2 1/4 cup self rising flour
1 1/4 cup sour cream divided
Softened butter for brushing

Heat the oven to 450.
In a large bowl combine the flour and sour cream. You want to make a well in the center of the flour and that is where you add the flour. You want to use a rubber spatula pulling the flour into the sour cream .Mix until the just incorporated. The sticky dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too dry and the remaining sour cream, if too wet add more flour. Lightly sprinkle a board or clean surface with some of the reserved flour. Turn the dough out on the board and sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour. Fold in half and pat out into a 1/3- 1/2 inch thick round. Fold in half a second time . Pat out in to a 1/2" round and then fold in half again. This time pat out into 3/4 inch round . If you want a giant biscuit pat into a 1 in round. You want to use a 2 1/2" cutter. place the biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. After 4 minutes rotate pan,check to make sure that the bottoms are browning as well. Continue baking for another 4-6 minutes until they are lightly brown. When biscuits are done, remove from the oven and brush with butter.

Gluten Free Bread

2015-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Seeing the posts on facebook about how unhealthy food can be or that some one isn't posting healthy enough food makes me want to post a few recipes. As a chef, we are taught many recipes. When cooking first became big and Auguste Escoffier and Julia Child started doing recipes, they were rich and had butter and a lot of salt. That was the way of cooking then. People didn't care so much about their health. Now today, people are so much more health conscious. There are certain diseases that involve food intolerance. I am a chef because I love to cook. If that means changing a much loved original recipe so that someone with an intolerance can experience that same great dish, so be it. Food is an international language, people need not to judge people because of what they post. If you don't like the recipe, change it, make it your own .

That being said, my little cousin can't have gluten. So I am posting some recipes that he might be able to use. They are gluten free, just don't know if he will like them . I hope that others can also use these.

Sandwich Bread
3 cup GF flour blend. ( I posed the blend in a prior posting)
2 pkgs (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water , plus additional as needed
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cider vinegar

line a 9x5 loaf pan with foil. dull side out. Extend sides of foil 3" over sides. Spray with non stick cooking spray and then dust with flour blend.

Whisk 3 cups flour blend, yeast, xanthan gum, and salt in a large bowl of stand mixer. Whisk 1 cup warm water, eggs, oil, honey, and vinegar in a medium bowl until well blended.

Add oil mix to flour mix. Beat a low speed with paddle attachment until batter is smooth, shiny and thick. Add 1tbsp water at a time, if necessary. Beat at med- high speed about 5 minutes. Scraping sides of bowl.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the batter reaches the top of the pan. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Baker 30-50 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Internal temperature should be 200 degrees F. Remove to wire rack to cool

Yes, bread can sound hallow. Its weird hearing it at first, but its like a "thunk" Do take it out of the loaf pan, if you don't the sides become soggy and do not support the weight of the bread. Let it sit for 5 min out of the oven, the dump on to a wire rack so that if firms up.

Happy Cooking

Swiss Chicken

2015-03-20T08:38:00.001-07:00

Searching threw the numerous posts on Pinterest, looking for an idea for dinner. I come across someones version of Swiss Chicken. I figured I would give it a go and see how it would come out. Its a hit with my family. The best part is that you can make this ahead of time and freeze it for a later time that you want a dinner just to heat and eat. I have taken the recipe and make a few changes to it so that it has a little better flavor. Its ok to use some canned products but you have to have food that tastes good.. The canned soup just has a blah taste and makes the dish boring.

4-5 (16oz/1lb) chicken breasts
pinterest says to use canned chicken, which I am against.
1 can of condensed chicken soup
1/2 cup of milk
pinterest said 1/4 cup
6-8 slices of Swiss cheese
I would try Munster, or Pepper Jack depending on how much flavor
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 -1/2 cup bacon bits
1 box of stuffing mix
1/2 tbps butter or more

Make sure that you spray your pan before placing food in it. Saves on cleaning time, unless you use a disposable pan.

Place the chicken breast in first. Then in a separate bowl combine the soup, milk and garlic powder and stir until spreadable. You want to be able to pour it and spread it with a spatula. I added a little Sandwich sprinkle ( penzey's spices) for some extra added flavor. Then layer the cheese over the chicken. Spread/ pour the soup mix over the top of the cheese. Finally add the boxed stuffing mix. I would prefer my own stuffing mix,but you can get just the bread crumbles and use those if you do not want the flavored mix. Melt the butter for about 15-20 in the microwave and then pour it over the stuffing mix and add the bacon crumbles.
At this point you can either freeze it or cook it. If your cooking it, pre heat the oven to
350 degrees. Cook the Swiss Chicken for 60 minutes, until a thermometer comes out reading 165 degrees F let rest 5 minutes and serve.

Happy Eating

Yea, 200 ..

2015-03-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have finally reached my 200 post on here. Its taken a few years but I want to get better at posting. It seems that I need to have more recipes and food facts for everyone to read about . Along with the time to sit and write about it all . Thank you everyone who has read me and keeps reading me when I have the crazy times to sit down and post food. March is Pi month . I will make an effort to post pie recipes this month and have yummy treats for all of you..

Happy Eating.

Gluten Free Pizza

2015-03-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since I have posted. I have working hard on my degree with creating menus and recipes. Nutrition class has been a challenge. Today I have been working on a gluten free pizza dough. I thought of doing this for my little cousin who can't have any kind of gluten. There are many new foods these days that have taken in the sensitivity to those who are gluten free.

GF Pizza

1 ¾ cup GF flour blend (I will include the one I used at the end of recipe) plus additional for surface working

1 ½ cup white rice flour

2 tsp sugar

1 package of active dry yeast

1 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp xanthan gum

1 ¼ cup warm water about 100 degrees

2 tbsp olive oil

Topings : homemade or GF pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, fresh vegetables

Directions:

Whisk flour blend, 1 ½ cups rice flour, sugar, yeast, salt, Italian seasoning, baking powder and xanthan gum in a large bowl of a stand mixer. Add warm water, slowly and beat on low speed. A soft dough should form. Add oil and beat 2 min more.

Turn dough one on floured surface and knead about 2 -3 minutes and form in to ball.

Pam Spray a bowl and place dough in a bowl covered and let rest for 30 minutes in a warm place. Dough should double in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line pizza pan with parchment or foil. Punch down dough, and place in center of pan and spread out. Dough should be about 1/8 “ thick.

Bake 5-7 minutes or until crust just begins to brown.

Top crust with pizza toppings and cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is slightly brown.

GF Flour Blend

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup sorghum flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot

¾ cup Chickpea flour

1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes

This makes about 5 cups of blended flour

Happy Eating

Spiced Fruit Stuffing with Pork Chops

2015-01-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is what I am making for dinner tonight. I will attach a photo later after I plate it pretty.

Another crock pot recipe that takes a little bit of prep but smells delicious coming from my crock pot. We are pork lovers in this family. Very busy family as of late with training a new puppy along with other activities around the house with the kids. Once the stuffing mix is all together its very easy to throw into the crock pot and go.

1 cup of diced dried fruit and raisin mix ( just used the dried fruit I had around the house)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice
3 tbsp margarine or butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon ( I used 2 tsp)
1/8 tsp nutmeg ( I used 1 tsp)
1 - 6oz pkg herb seasoned stuffing mix
1- 4oz boneless pork loin chops about 1/2" thick ( I used the pork should blades I had)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large sauce pan combine dried fruit, broth, 1/4 cup apple juice, margarine , cinnamon, nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stir in stuffing mix Remove from heat.

Arrange pork chops in bottom of 4 qt slow cooker. Pour remaining 1/4 cup of apple juice over pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Top with stuffing mixture.

Cover, cook on low setting for 5-6 hours.( My slow cooker is weird it cooks fast so it cooks for me in about 4 hours)
Remove stuffing from cooker, place in serving bowl, stir gently, serve with pork

Post picture later

Happy Eating.

Cowboy beans

2015-01-12T13:14:00.001-07:00

This recipe is from the current place I work. I have yet to try it because there is so much sugar in it for me. I have cut down the quantities so that it could be made in a home kitchen. The original recipe is for a half hotel pan which is 8"x6"x6". The home size would fit a 2qt sauce pan maybe.

Cowboy beans
2 cans of butter beans, drained
2 cans of red kidney beans, drained
1 large can of bushes baked beans
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar,packed
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1 lb of bacon, diced in 1" pieces and made crispy
1-2 lbs of ground beef cooked
1 medium yellow onion small diced
1-2 tps ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. dump into a large baking dish and bake at 350 F degrees until heated through. Then serve.

That is it. It is that simple for this recipe. If anyone makes it please let me know how it is.

Happy Eating

New Year New Food

2015-01-12T13:06:00.003-07:00

I didn't make my 200 posts by the end of 2014. That falls on me for not being consistent with writing or having the time to keep up with blogging. Trying to find my way in the culinary world and where I belong in life.
Ate a Chinese fortune cookie today "if you feel you are right, stand firmly by your convictions." I usually do but I found having to keep a job here in Central Wisconsin. I have to dumb down my standards because of the type of owners here. They all think they know better and serve food that they think is good. One guys prices are high for mediocre food. One guy served everything frozen and canned and said that the customers didn't know any better so its ok. Its not ok. Chef Katie would be kicking my ass if she had seen half the stuff here. I can just hear her now.
Central Wisconsin is not the place to go for good food. People are mean, cheep, and cut corners at every turn. I am stuck here for now. So I dumb down what I do, to get a pay check and make it. I wish I could be a private chef here and make better money, but people are too cheep thanks to the restaurant owners, supper clubs and other places that make it that way.

This year I want to focus more on better food, writing more, and sharing the food I love. Ill even share the cut corners that the places I have worked use. This is all in hopes that I get more people to read me and share me. I know I am good at cooking food. I need to validate it for myself. I have yet to be able to do that. I had my cake business threatened by a local, who turned me over to the state. I got lucky and a warning to shut down or get fined. So my confidence in being a great chef and cook has been shaken.
Thank you to the few readers who have listened to me and read me. It is appreciated that there is some one out there who reads. I hope to have more for you to read in the future..

Happy Eating
Chef Lisa

Deep Fried Cookies/ Angel Wings

2014-12-09T11:11:00.001-07:00

The recipe I will be posting is from Food Network Mag. I do something very similar to this. I use a whiskey in my recipe. I plan on trying this recipe to see if it comes out similar to what I make. The recipe I make has been in my family for at least 3 generations. It makes 9 dozen. This recipe only makes about 21 cookies.

Making these cookies brings back memories of working in the kitchen with my mom and just having fun as a child making cookies at Christmas time. Our kitchen would have cookies of all kinds all over the place. This year its a little sad that she is not here to share the cookie making event as usual.

Angel Wings- FNM
1 cup All purpose flour
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp fine grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 30 oz jar coconut oil
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Combine the flour, sour cream, egg yolks, honey, lemon zest and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium-high speed until dough comes together and begins to pull away from the bowl. About 3-4 minutes. Turn out on to a floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.. Form into a ball and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Roll out dough on a floured surface into a 12 x12 in square. Dough should be about 1/8 in thick. Cut into 7 strips then cut each strip cross wise into thirds. you will have 21 rectangles. One at a time, make a 1 in slit lengthwise down the center of each rectangle. Lift the short end and thread it through the slit, then pull out, twist in the middle so it looks like a bow.
Heat coconut oil in a pot over med heat, until a deep fry thermometer reads 350 F. Fry 5-7 cookies at a time, turning until deep golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Toss with confectioner's sugar and store in air tight container.

My original recipe uses 12 yolk, granulated sugar and whiskey. It seems that these cookies might be heavier than the recipe that I have.

Happy Eating

Chef 911

2014-12-09T10:49:00.001-07:00

I have been looking for ways lately to help people with their passion to cook. I know that I am trying on getting better about blogging. I have had life changes like being stuck in a state that really isn't known for its culinary food or experiments.
I found this group Talk to Chef that helps people all over the world with culinary questions. Its kind of the 911 for home cooks. Your able to live video chat with a chef and get the answers to you dish problems. Or how to cook something. Its not a substitute for culinary school but in a pinch when you need help there is a Chef there to tell you how to fix it or how to make it. I am new to it and below is my link for it. Try it out and let me know what you think of the program.

You don't pay for the advice, but if you think it was worth the time you spent with the chef, you leave them a tip.

Here's the link
http://talktochef.com/ lisa-zaehler

Cheesy Potatoes

2014-12-05T18:29:00.001-07:00

Working in a little supper club as of late. Not where I would like to be but its a job and I get to cook. It seems that the trend with a few places I have worked in Wisconsin all have some sort of recipe for Cheesy Potatoes. Each has their own name and kind of potato. I wanted to share with you one of the recipes as of lately. This one uses hash browns. You can also use cubed American fries, or breakfast potatoes. It all depends on how you want the texture to have .

This recipe has been adapted for home use.

2 bags of frozen hashbrowns
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
8 oz of sour cream
4 cups of mild cheddar cheese shredded
1 tsp of Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together. When mixed it will look like its a big sticky mess. Spray a 9x9 or 8x8 with cooking spray. Dish mixture in to the baking dish. Bake for 35-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Top should be light brown. Serve warm. This can be made a few days ahead of time and held uncooked until needed ..

Happy Eating.

Rustic Bread

2014-10-23T12:38:00.001-07:00

As usual time has gotten away from me writing on a regular basis. I missed September completely and just about missed October, which is my favorite month because of all the yummy treats that I get to create.
Sorry readers, I have been going back to school to get my BS degree and its has its days where it sucks the life out of you and you wind up getting lost in it.

I found this bread recipe in a taste of home book. I make it plain but it calls for cranberries and oranges or cheddar cheese. I love bread. It that comfort food that is always best warm with butter. Every time I find a new bread recipe I just have to try it out and see how it holds up. No pictures of this one. Seems as soon as I make it, its gone.

I did vary from the instructions, but the end result was still warm yummy delicious bread.

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 3/4 cup water about 75degrees
3 .5 cups of flour ( I used bread flour)
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cornmeal

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in water. I add just a pinch of sugar to feed the yeast. In a large bowl, mix 3.5 cups of flour and the salt together. Using a rubber spatula, mix the yeast mix into the flour mixture until smooth. Cover and let sit 1 hour. Do not knead.
Punch down dough, then turn out onto a floured surface, Pat into 9in square. Fold dough into thirds forming a rectangle 9x3. Fold rectangle into thirds again forming a 3 in square. turn dough over, place in greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour or until doubled in size.
Punch down and repeat the process. Return dough to bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Line a pan with parchment paper and sprinkle cornmeal . Turn dough onto a floured surface. Gently knead 8 times and shape into 6 in round loaf. Place in prepared cookie line sheet cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough has expanded in size. about 1.25 hours.
Pre heat oven to 500 . Using a sharp knife, slice across the bread dough making grooves. Not very deep about 1/4 in deep. Bake on lowest rack about 25 min. Make sure you cover the dough tightly with tin foil.Then reduce oven heat to 450. Remove the tin foil and cook another 25-35 min. Until the outside is a deep golden brown. remove to cool.

Now to add ingredients to it. Before kneading you want to add 4 oz of shredded cheddar or 4 oz of dried cranberries and 4 tsp of grated orange zest.

When I did this, I skipped half the steps. I let it rise the first time in the bowl, then the second time. Then I would shape it into a large baguette, and place it on the cornmeal sheet. When I was ready to cook it I transferred it to my oven cooking stone that was already heated. I set my oven at 450. for the entire time. I let the out side get a dark golden color. I temped it out at 190 degrees.
Result came out a large puffed up baguette. Very good . Just simplified the steps for me. If you try it the way I wrote it, let me know how it comes out..

Happy Eating

Oktoberfest Food

2014-08-25T11:03:00.001-07:00

When you start to see Oktoberfest, its the sign that fall is coming. Even though the weather is still hot and muggy where I am at, fall is still on its way. I love cool weather foods. Hot pretzels, sauerkraut, good beer.. I found a couple of good recipes that I have tried and liked and I am going to share with you. Pork Schnitzel and Beer cheese spread. Not as good as you would find in authentic German restaurant but good enough, that my kids clean their plates.

Pork Schnitzel
1/2 cup All purpose flour
2 tsp. seasoned salt I use Penzey's 4s
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tsp. paprika
6 pork sirloin cutlets (about 4oz ea)
6 tbsp canola oil
Optional sauce
Dill sauce
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup (8oz) sour cream
1/2 tsp dill weed double if dried

In a shallow bowl, mix flour, salt, and pepper. In a second shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk until blended. In a third bowl, mix bread crumbs and paprika.

Pound pork cutlets with a meat mallet to about 1/4" thick. Dip in flour mixture then egg mixture then crumb mixture. Make sure you coat both sides. Pat the coating to make sure it sticks.

In a large skillet, heat oil to med-high. Add pork and cook 2-3 minutes. Don't crowd the pan cook pork in batches. Cook until golden brown. Remove put on plate and keep warm.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, and broth until smooth. Add to same skillet as pork and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. About 2 minutes, or until thickened.
Reduce to low heat, stir in sour cream and dill. Do not boil just make sure its heated through.
Serve with Pork

Beer Cheese Spread
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, either shredded or cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard. I like Dijon
1 small garlic clove ,minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2/3 cup German beer
Assorted crackers or soft pretzels

In a food processor, pulse cheese until finely chopped. Add Worcestershire sauce,mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. With the processor running slowly add the beer in a steady stream until it reaches spreading consistency. Transfer to serving bowl. Refrigerate until served.

Hope you like the beginning of fall recipes.. More to come soon.

Happy Eating

Mu Shu Chicken

2014-08-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

I love Chinese food. My all time got to try at every restaurant I find is Egg Drop soup, or some places call it flour soup. I can tell a good from a bad and its a comfort food to me. That being said. I found this recipe and it looks so much more healthier than Mu Shu Pork. I have it built into my menu plan for this week to try it out. If any of you decide to try it out, let me know how it comes about. I would love to hear feed back from you all on this .

2 tbsp peanut oil or canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
4 cups thin sliced cabbage(shredded)
1-10oz bag of shredded carrots or about 4 carrots shredded via slicer or processor
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 lb cooked chicken thighs, shredded or if you prefer white meat, 2 chicken breasts
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3 cups brown rice warmed

Heat the oil in a large non stick skillet over med-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the cabbage and carrots and cook for about 4 minutes or until just wilted.
Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add eggs. Cook, stirring constantly until scrambled. Mix with the vegetables, add the chicken and continue cooking until meat is warmed through. Drizzle with soy sauce, toss to coat and serve over rice.

Happy Eating

Photo taken from Parents Magazine.

Healthy Freezer Meal

2014-08-14T14:58:00.002-07:00

Being a busy chef and mom, there are nights I just don't want to cook. I love it when I can pull something I have made ahead of time out of the freezer and fix it in 20 minutes. Being healthy is also good. I am a diabetic and I need to eat healthier. It doesn't always happen but its a constant goal of mine that I keep working at daily. I like to expose my kids and family to healthy dishes too. This encourages them to eat better and be more well rounded when eating food out side of the house.

Broccoli Chicken Skillet
1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1tbsp olive oil
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of broccoli soup
1 cup stuffing mix
1 cup milk
1/4 cup raisins
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup (4oz) shredded Colby cheese

In a large skillet, saute the chicken, broccoli, carrots and onion in oil for 6 minutes. Or until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink.
Stir in the soup, stuffing mix, milk, raisins and pepper. Cook uncovered over medium heat or 8-10 minutes. Until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from heat, cover and let stand

*****
Before adding the cheese, cool casserole, cover and freeze. To use: partially thaw casserole in refrigerator over night, let stand on counter 30 minutes before heating. Pre heat oven to 350, cover casserole with foil and bake 20-30 minutes. About 10 min longer if you don't let it stand on the counter. To temp it out to make sure it is thoroughly heated. Thermostat should read 165 F. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Bolognese

2014-08-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Its got a funny name, but its been called many things. A lot of people call it ragout. I like a dish like this because there is not a lot of sauce and you taste more of the individual ingredients in the dish. Pappardelle is a wide fat noodle. It can be substituted with any form of pasta in this dish.

1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 slices of thick cut bacon, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground pork
1 cup dry red wine
2 bay leafs
2- 14 oz cans of beef broth
1 1/2 cup canned tomato puree, or about 3 tomatoes blended
1 lb pappardelle or mafaldine pasta
Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oil in heavy large pot over med-high heat. Add bacon, saute until beginning to brown about 6 min. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme; saute 5 minutes. Make sure to add the garlic at the end so it does not burn. Add veal and pork, saute until brown and cooked through. Break up the meat with a fork. It takes about 10 minutes. Add wine and bay leaves. Simmer until liquid is slightly reduces about 10 min. Add broth and tomato puree. Reduce heat to med-low, simmer until sauce thickens, stirring often. It takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Boil pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.

If it is fresh pasta, it wont take long to cook, but the water should be boiling and very salty. It if is packaged pasta. cook according to directions.
Meat can be made one day ahead of time and you can substitute veal for ground beef.

Happy Eating

Fondue Its coming back

2014-08-10T16:37:00.001-07:00

A popular party dish in the 60's and 70's has made its way back to the party scene. Fondue getting its name from the French word fondre which means to melt. Having old Recipes updated to better than ever dishes. The restaurant in Salt Lake City called the Melting Pot is one of these up in coming places that brings the old party fondue to a new level.

First is the classic fondue; cheese. Usually a soft cheese like Swiss or Gruyere with is melted with wine, garlic and spices. To make a mixture which is a smooth blend for dipping pieces of bread into. Sometimes in other countries is topped with shaved truffles. Just about everything can be dipped into a cheese fondue. If you were to find a cheese fondue in Italy, it would be made with Fontina cheese, milk and eggs. It would be called a Fonduta.

Next fondue everyone likes is a dessert fondue. That the buffets in America stole and call chocolate fountains now. Its chocolate mixed with heavy cream and sweet liqueurs. Usually you dip fresh fruit or pound cake in them .

Third type of fondue is from France and is called fondue borguignonne. It uses heated pot in which oil is heated and bits of beef fillet are dipped into.

Here is a simple Fondue recipe for those who like Brie.

Brie and Mushroom Fondue
1 cup water
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped shallots
1 lb ripe Brie cheese, well chilled, rind trimmed and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup dry white wine.

steamed quartered red potatoes, steamed asparagus, green beans, bite size pieces of french bread

Bring 1 cup of water o a boil in a small sauce pan. Add porcini mushrooms. Remove from heat and let stand until mushrooms have rehydrate, about 20 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer porcini to work surface and coarsely chop. Reserve soaking liquid.
Melt butter in heavy sauce pan over med heat. Add Shiitake mushrooms, saute until tender about 3 minutes. Add Shallots, saute for 1 minute. Add porcini and soaking liquid, leaving sediment from liquid behind. Increase heat to high. Simmer until liquid evaporates about 3 min.
Toss Brie with cornstarch in a large bowl to coat. Add wine to mushrooms. Bring to a simmer over med heat. Add cheese to mushrooms in 3 batches., whisking until mixture is smooth and just begins to simmer.Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to fondue pot .Set pot over candle.

Meatless food for a meatless dinner party

2014-08-07T09:31:00.001-07:00

My family is a meat and potato kind of family. every once in awhile I like to make dishes that have no meat. Vegetarian dishes can be just as filling as meat dishes. My husband always jokes it would be great with a side of meat too.
One of my moms favorite things to eat was a Tamale. I would remember her going into the little hot dog joint in the next town over and ordering me a hot dog and her self two tamales. So this is for her, but with out the meat.

Meatless Tamale Pie
1 lb poblano chilies
2 tbsp olive oil
4.5 cups frozen corn kernals
1-2 jalapeno chilies, seeded, fine chop
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
3/4 cup reserved tomato juice
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1- 2lb butternut squash, peeled ,halved lengthwise, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/2 thick slices
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
7 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tomatoes, sliced
Roast Poblano over an open flame until blacked. place in paper bag let sit 10 minutes then peel,seed and coarsely chop.
Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a heavy skillet over med-high heat. Add corn kernels and cook until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes. Add jalapenos, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in roasted poblano chilies, canned tomatoes 1/2 cup reserved juice from canned tomatoes, green onions and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Cook squash in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp- tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Mix cheeses in medium bowl.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil 15x10x2 baking dish. Combine 5 cups of water and 1 1/2 tsp salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornmeal and remaining 2 cups of water in another bowl. Gradually whisk cornmeal mixture into boiling salted water. Reduce heat to med-low, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in yogurt.
Spread 2/3 of cornmeal over bottom of prepared dish. Arrange squash over cornmeal. Sprinkle squash with slat and pepper. Sprinkle 2 cups cheese over squash. Spoon corn kernel mixture evenly over cheese. Spread remaining cornmeal evenly over corn kernel mixture. Arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup juice from canned tomatoes over top. Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole.
Bake casserole uncovered until heated through and top is golden brown. About 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes garish with Cilantro.

Can be made one day ahead of time. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Rewarm with foil at 350F until heated about 30 minutes.

This would be a great main dish. You can serve this with guacamole and chips, a salad with a vinaigrette.

Happy Eating

Dairy Free Soups

2014-07-31T17:00:00.002-07:00

Its been awhile since I have posted about Dairy Free food to make. I think I am over due.
I have 2 classic soups that most people love and you can normally find in most restaurants. Knowing that dairy free is a hard choice because of healthy or allergy.

Tomato Bisque. Now I know a few readers are allergic to tomatoes, so that being said; tomatoes can be substituted with Roasted Red Peppers. It will have more of a smoky flavor because of the roasting but still good.

Tomato Bisque
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper chopped
1 tbsp milk free margarine
3 med tomatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup of water
1 cube chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 salt ( taste before adding salt, bouillon can be salty)
1 1/2 cup tomato juice ( in substituting you would add more water with chicken flavoring and add more red pepper)
*corn starch slurry to thicken if desired

Saute onion and pepper in margarine. Add tomatoes, water, bouillon cube, dill and salt. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Then let cool. Beat in blender until thoroughly combined. Add juice and blend one minute more. Pour in bowls. If using cornstarch to thicken, return to pot on stove and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch and boil for 2 minutes or until soup thickens.

Makes 4 servings

Most people like a good Clam Chowder. Dairy Free people can't have it. I found a way so that they can have a good Chowder..

First you need the Potato Soup base for all chowder recipe
3 medium potatoes, peeled and dice
2 cup chicken bouillon or chicken stock
Add potatoes to bouillon/ stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Blend on high until it liquefy.

Clam Chowder
1 cup Potato Soup Base
Clam Juice
1 6.5 oz can clams, drain and rinse ( fresh is good too)
2-3 med potatoes, peeled, diced and par baked. ( meaning you cook them so they still have a little crunch left
Salt
Pepper
1/2 lb bacon
1 bundle of thyme
2 bay leaves
* if using fresh clams 4 dozen little neck or cherry stone clams scrubbed
1 large onion cut into 1/4 " dice
2 tbsp flour*****

In a large skillet render you bacon down, slow and low heat. Just as it starts to get crispy pull it out and put your onion in there and saute until translucent. Add potato cubes and cook another 5 minutes.Sprinkle flour over potato onion mixture and stir to combine. Add clam juice. At this point add your Potato Soup Base, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are cooked. About 10-15 minutes. Add clams. Taste and re season if needed. Add hot sauce if desired.
*** For Fresh Clams****
Place the clams and 1 cup of water in a pot and cover. Cook over high heat and cook for 6-7 minutes. Uncover and remove open clams and continue to cook unopened clams.. Strain liquid through a coffee filter and reserve.

***** If there is a gluten allergy, follow all steps except flour and then if the chowder is too thin, add cornstarch to thicken

Happy Eating

Keep Moving Forward

2014-07-31T16:33:00.001-07:00

"Keep moving forward" is a quote from Walt Disney. I love that quote and from time to time I have to remind myself that everything happens for a reason. Having set backs and a lot of them are life. Especially being a Military wife and mom.

Most recently, I had an amazing job interview lined up. Restaurant was everything that I have trained for in my culinary career. Downfall, it was 80 miles away, and that was just in one direction. I would have been driving 160 miles a day to and from work. Add that to a 12 hour work day and there is no time left for the kids and barely enough time to sleep. I was pretty upset. I had taken time and planned out the perfect courses of food to knock their socks off right down to the minute details.

Mom had always told me when one door closes there are bound to be more that open, I just have to look for them. After my pitty party last night, I started looking at other options. I found a few. I still have a couple local interviews to attend, I still have a few places I can call to look into renting for my make shift bakery. I also decided that maybe its time I finish my degree.

I have an associates degree in cooking, but looking at the growing job market, more and more people want a Bachelor's Degree. So I have decided to go back and get my Culinary Management Degree. Then I can start working on becoming a Certified Pastry Chef. I needed to start setting goals for my self again.

I found that we are here another year in Wisconsin. So I must set goals not loose sight of why I became a chef or the goals. I became a chef because I love to cook, I love to share my experiences with people and I like to see people happy when they eat my food. I am proud of what I have cooked and created.

I wish my mom could be here to share the ever growing experiences I have. I know that she is watching me from above and supporting my choices.

Thank you all for listening.

Fettuccine with Bacon

2014-07-27T07:28:00.002-07:00

In our house hold we have a pasta night. Trying different dishes all the time. There are so many ways to eat pasta. Also there are so many different kinds of pasta. I usually try to make the pasta from scratch but that doesn't always happen. Bacon is another favorite in the house so this recipe is a perfect mix.

1 (7oz) bottle roasted red bell pepper, drained
2 bacon slices, raw chopped
1 cup sliced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 cups cooked fettuccine about 8 oz
2tbps grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cut bell peppers into 1/4 in wides strips
Cook bacon in a large skillet. Cook until crisp. Then add onion and garlic, saute 1minute. Add bell pepper, peas and broth. Simmer 1 min. Stir in pasta, cheese, salt and pepper.

Serves 4 : serving size is 1 1/3 cup.

Happy Eating

5 ingredient fix dinner

2014-07-26T07:22:00.001-07:00

Ever want a dinner that looks fancy but don't have the time to follow all the steps? I found these chicken bundles look fancy but they are only 5 ingredients. When I make them, people always think I took a lot of time and put a lot of work into it. They take about 15 minutes to prepare and 20 to cook so if you have company coming over, this is a quick dish that you can put together and it looks good.

Chicken Bundles
4 chicken tenderloins
1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup spreadable spinach and artichoke cream cheese
4 slices Muenster cheese, halved
1 egg
1tbsp water

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, set aside. On a lightly floured surface roll puff pastry into a 14 in sq. Cut into 4 squares.
Spoon 2 tbsp of cream cheese mix in the center of each square, top with Muenster cheese and chicken
Whisk egg and water, lightly brush over edges. Bring opposite corners of pastry over each bundle, pinch seams to seal. Place seam side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Brush with remaining egg mixture.
Bake at 400 for 22 minutes until golden brown.
If you worried about the chicken temp it out.. Temperature for chicken should be 160 degrees. F

Happy Eating