Just Chow, Bella!

Big News for Ms.Just Chow Bella!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:09:00 +0000

I first would like to appologize for my spotty blogging lately, I realize I have not been posting with the frequency that I normally do but I think I have a good excuse... I'm PREGNANT! Thats right, Chow Babies, I have a little bun in the oven which has been wreaking havoc on my taste buds and stomach alike. I am just about 7 1/2 weeks but the little guy or girl is not yet as crazy about food and cooking as mom. The very odor of cooking food right now is almost too much for me to take, thus the lack of inspired recipes or culinary comentary.

I hope you excuse my temporary absence and if you feel like sharing any morning sickness remedies that have worked for you BRING IT ON!!!! I am also interested in hearing about some of your recipes for anything you may have enjoyed in the queesy early days of your pregnancies. I am really struggling with any kind of meat or protein though I know I need to incorporate more somehow. Mom suggested casseroles- do any of you have some good ones that you'd like to share? Your contributions will be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks so much!!!
CHOW!

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Egg Lemon Soup)

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:31:00 +0000

I grew up eating this soup in the fabulous Greek restaurants and at friend's homes that made up my diverse neighborhood. It has become a favorite of mine and reminds me of home every time I make it. I love this soup no matter the weather though its especially comforting when its chilly out. It is easier than is looks and will make a beautiful addition to your recipe box.

Serves 6-8

2 tbsp evoo

2 c carrots chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

4 quarts low sodium chicken broth

6 lemons- juiced

2 b/s chicken breast

3 c orzo

4 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Add evoo, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf to a large stock pot. Sweat over medium heat until onions become translucent. Add chicken stock and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer until chicken is cooked thru. Remove chicken from soup and shred using 2 forks. Return to the soup. Add orzo and set timer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until they are light yellow. Temper eggs by whisking and slowly trickling soup broth into the mixing bowl. Do this until you have added about 2 cups of hot broth to the eggs. At this point they should be properly tempered. When timer goes off, add the egg mixture into the soup while stirring constantly. Soup will froth up a bit, that’s ok, just keep stirring for about 1 minute or so. Cook another couple of minutes or until orzo is al dente. Remove from heat and serve.

Soup freezes well if there is extra. Just store in an air tight container and freeze for up to 6 months.

CHOW!

Chicken with Yellow Rice

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:13:00 +0000

This is an old family favorite in our house. My mom used to make this when we were growing up and we always looked forward to the nights we were having Chicken with Yellow Rice. The recipe could not be any easier and the result is something so saturated with deep wholesome flavor it will have everyone thinking you spent hours slaving over a hot stove. My mom made hers by boiling a whole chicken, then picking it and using the stock in place of water in the rice. I have tweeked it just a bit as I use whatever chicken cut I find on sale in the supermarket that week. For this particular batch, chicken thighs were on sale at my grocery store for $.89/lb so I bought those and roasted them as opposed to boiling. Either was you do it, the outcome remains the same- a delicious complete meal with for well under $2 a serving. Beat that!

Chicken with Yellow Rice
Serves 4-6
6 Chicken Thighs
Adobo or seasoned salt
1 Family Sized Bag of Vigo Yellow Rice
EVOO
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 qt of low sodium Chicken Stock
dash cayenne pepper
Italian parsley, chopped
Sour Cream (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375. On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange the chicken thighs, drizzle w olive oil and season with Adobo. Bake thighs for about 30 minutes or until cooked thru and juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let them cool. You can stick em in the refrigerator to speed the process if you'd like. When chicken has cooled, pick the bones and reserve you meat. Be careful to discard any fat or skin. No one wants to eat that in thier rice.

In a stock pot, drizzle 2 tbsp EVOO, add onion and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add chicken stock in place of water per package directions. Bring to a boil and add rice. Just about 10 minutes before rice is done, add chicken and dash of cayenne pepper. Stir to incorporate and add another splash of your chicken stock to keep everything moist. Cook until rice is tender. Right before serving add parsley and stir one last time.

Serve Chicken with Yellow Rice into bowls and top with a dallop of sour cream and hot sauce if you prefer. A side dish of black beans with chopped onions goes perfectly with this if you family likes their legumes.

CHOW!

Perfectly Peanut Buttery Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Last night the hubs felt like doing (or should I say making) something sweet for his adoring wife. Upon the two of us perusing recipes and trying to decide exactly what treat I wanted to eat, we settled on classic Peanut Butter Cookies. These came out simple and perfect, just like grandma used to make. We prefer bigger cookies so while the original recipe says it yields 36 it made only about 14 for us. These are perfect for curling up on the couch with someone you love and sharing an ice cold glass of milk for dunking. Super simple and loaded with peanutty-ness, you cant' loose!

Peanut Butter Cookies
(from David Lebovitz’s Room for Dessert)
makes 36 cookies (*Note: Only made 14 larger cookies for us using a heaping tablespoons worth of dough for each ball)

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp.
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (*we used chunky cause we like it!)
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Beat together butter, sugars, and peanut butter in the bowl of a standing mixer for 2 minutes at medium speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg.

Mix in the dry ingredients until the dough starts to come together.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll them in sugar and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Mark the tops with a fork, crisscrossing and pressing down slightly.

Bake for 9-10 minutes until edges start to brown. Cool 5 minutes on sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

Pan Seared London Broil with Sharp Cheddar Grits

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:31:00 +0000

What's not to love about a dinner that's cheap and easy?! This whole meal is done in about 12 minutes start to finish and costs only about $2 a serving. Though the price tag is low, this recipe sets the flavor bar high and is fit for just a quick weeknight fix or for a night with company whey you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen all night. There are many recipes out there that call for marinating London Broil in an attempt to tenderize it a bit. My trick is just to cook the meat high and fast, searing the outside and keeping the inside tender and juicy. My husband was convinced that this wasn't London Broil but a sirloin of some sort.

This is also a really nice way to introduce people to grits and almost always convert the non-grit eater into a believer. I am always amazed by how many people I encounter who say, "Eww.. I hate grits!" and upon further conversation I come to find out that either they've never had them or they have had just traditional water boiled grits. My husband is a Yankee, New Jersey born and bred. When we started dating he REFUSED to try grits. He assured me that he had in the past and he hated them. After some convincing he have them another shot and LOVED them. He now asks for them. As do many of my Yankee friends whom I have taken pride in converting. Growing up down south grits we just sort of a staple. I was never actually really crazy about grits in the traditional breakfast sense- boiled in water with salt and butter basically just taste like styrofoam to me. It wasn't until I grew up and began experimenting with their preparation that I started this new found love affair with them making them a permanent staple in my weekly repertoire. I prefer my grits savory as opposed to plain or sweet (my brother eats them with syrup..yuck!) In most instances I use my grits as a substitute to mashed potatoes or rice. More something salty and starchy to make a tasty side dish with my main course. I ALWAYS cook my grits in chicken stock (I won't even make them if i don't have it) and the sky is the limit from there. I have been known to add cheese, veggies, ham or bacon, etc. I use my grits as a blank canvas on which I can create whatever I'm in the mood for.

My sharp cheddar grits are a great way to get hooked on grits. Give them a shot with this fabulous London Broil and I might just convert you too!

Serves 4

Sharp Cheddar Grits

1 c. Quaker quick grits (NOT INSTANT!!!)
3 c. Low sodium chicken stock
2 tbs butter
1 c. milk
pinch of Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 c shredded sharp cheddar
dash paprika
1/4 c green onion

Add chicken stock and butter, garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper to a pot over medium heat. Once liquid starts to boil add grits and stir with a whisk for the first 2 minutes. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook another 5 minutes stirring here and there. After 5 minutes, add milk whisk to incorporate. Add green onion and cheddar and whisk well. Let sit another 2 minutes or until milk is absorbed and grits are cooked thru (shouldn't feel like sand when you bite them but not like mashed potatoes either).

London Broil

2 lb London Broil
2 tbsp evoo
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbs butter

Get a skillet hot over medium high heat. Dress the London Broil with olive oil and all of the seasonings and lemon juice. Put in pan and cook over medium high for about 4 minutes per side dependent on thickness. You want the temp to be medium rare. Don't stab the meat with a fork or knife but instead push it with your finger and test for doneness. (If you are not familiar with the finger poke for meat temperature, click HERE!) Remove the meat just past rare and place on a plate. Add butter to the meat and let it melt over top. Let rest for 10 minutes. It will continue to rise in temperature anywhere from 5-10 degrees. Slice against the grain and serve with your grits.

CHOW!

Nutella Cookies... You'll think you died and went to Hazelnut Heaven!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Hello everybody! Upon further review I have come to the conclussion that I may have gone a little nutty on Nutella yesterday. Don't get too excited- I still think its total crap that they are trying to pass off the chock-full-o-sugar spread as a nutritious breakfast option. However, I decided that maybe I was a bit harsh and should show Nutella a little love by giving you all an example of something that Nutella is extremely good for- DESSERT! While a granola bar it is not, it is undoubtedly delicious and creamy which makes it a perfect ingredient for sweets and treats. So, I set out on the internet to find a recipe to showcase just what Nutella is workin' with. I saw many options, most of which sounded yummy enough but I knew I had found The One when I stumbled up on one of my fellow blogger's posts for Nutella Cookies.

San Francisco blogger, Alpineberry posted the recipe that she concocted in an attempt to settle an on going argument of the ages had between she and some European friends- 'Which is better, Nutella or Peanut Butter?' Half way through the Nutella Cookie ingredient list I started to salivate - cocoa powder, chocolate chips, toasted hazelnuts and of course....Nutella. It just sounded so right that I felt there was no way I could go wrong. I began whipping up the recipe at once and before I even knew it I was totally falling in love with this dough.

I should note that it is very stiff, which scared me a bit at first. Most of you know that I am much more a cook than a baker and when I observed the stiffness of this dough I was concerned I has already screwed something up. After double checking the recipe I felt confident that I followed Alpineberry's instructions to the tee and vowed to have faith and proceed. Next, I spooned out tablespoon sized hunks of the dough onto cookie sheets and plopped in the oven. In just 12 minutes the smell of chocolate and toasted nuts was wafting through my apartment so much so that I was just waiting for my neighbors to beat the door down and demand cookies...or else! Luckily there was no aggression from the neighbors but if there were I think I may have been inclined to duke it out to protect these little gems. I pulled the cookies out of the oven and let them rest just a bit on their sheets, each of them looking pregnant with chocolate chips and nuts. It took a lot to restrain myself and let them cool properly but I just had a hunch that they would be worth the wait. OH WERE THEY EVER! So unbeleivably good. These cookies came out like something I would expect to buy in a gormet food shop and spend $8 for a dozen. They are so thick and almost fudgy but crisp enough on the outside that they held up just fine to my husband's Lebron James-eque milk dunks.

Thank you so much to Alpineberry for giving us this one of a kind recipe. This is one that is going into my recipe arsenal to be utilized for years to come. I do hope that all of my Chow Babies will follow the leader and make these heavenly little morsels for yourselves. You can thank me later! ; )

Nutella Cookies
source: http://alpineberry.blogspot.com/2006/08/nutella-cookies.html
(makes ~30 cookies)
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
7 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp.
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted & skinned hazelnuts, coarsely chopped ( note:I substitued almonds as that's what I had on hand)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.

Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.

CHOW!

Nutella, its not just for dessert anymore!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Upon perusing the internet this weekend and catching up on all of the latest food happenings like I do, it has come to my attention that my beloved Nutella is making a media push to put a new spin on the brand by portraying it as (get this...) HEALTHY! Most of the hubbub is in response to a ad campaign and commercial that aired throughout out the US, UK and parts of Europe that feature a mother lovingly spreading the chocolate hazelnut spread on slices of toast for her adoring little offspring's breakfasts. Mom's assures the audience that Nutella is " a delicious hazelnut spread that [she uses] to get her kids to eat healthy food. Mom goes on to proclaim that this spread, with 52 hazelnuts in each jar, is both "wholesome and nutritious". The commercial ends with both kids feverishly chomping down on a piece of toast slathered with the spread while eyes rolling back in their heads as the sugar high crawls up over their little bodies and finally sets in. I am incredibly disturbed by this.
Before beginning my rant, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I have had a lifetime love affair with Nutella which reaches back through generations of my family. That being said, I can proclaim with the utmost confidence that it is unarguably two things- 1. Delicious. 2.The opposite of health food. Still, when it's sugar and hydrogenated oil laden chocolaty goodness call my name I normally succumb to the temptation and answer by slathering spoonful after spoonful of it onto a just ripe banana or the occasional croissant. However, I am GROWN! And I sure as hell don't kid myself that this might be good for me nor do I eat if for breakfast or any other nutritionally significant meal.

This commercial is a prime example and yet one more reason why the kids in our country are battling obesity and adolescent diabetes in epic proportions. Why epic kickball games and hide and seek 'til dark have given way to marathon sessions of Xbox and PS3. All because the media is doing a hell of a job convincing moms and dads who may not be the most nutritionally savvy that a product like this is something that would be completely appropriate breakfast for our little ones. SHENANIGANS!!!

Let this serve as my public service announcement- Nutella is about as healthy as a hot fudge brownie sundae with extra whipped cream on top for breakfast. However, like a brownie sundae, it is incredibly yummy and makes a wonderful dessert or treat to be eaten on special occasions and in COMPLETE moderation. I urge you to please keep in mind that it is just that- a treat- NOT a breakfast. So, moms and dads, please bypass the Nutella for breakfast and or lunch for that matter for your kiddies and seek out a more nutritious option to nurture their growing bodies, brains and bellies.

PS. I sincerely apologize for the over use of capitalization though I feel pretty passionate about this and felt it would help portray my outrage. ; )

CHOW!

Zesty Chili Queso Dip- Football Fare in a Flash!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:00:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite football fixes that keeps the crowd cheering for more yet its super easy and simple to whip up. What fun is football Sunday if you have to be the host and slave over a stove all day? No fun at all. This one is ready in 5 minutes, contains only 3 ingredients and I promise you that your fellow fans will be begging you for more.
Note: 9/10 people who have eaten this proclaim that it tastes exactly like the Queso dip you get from Chili's in the little skillet. Whats not to like?!

Ingredients
1 can Hormel Chili with No Beans
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes w chilies (liquids drained)
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

In a sauce pan, add chili and Rotel and heat to a simmer. Once mixture is warmed up, cut cream cheese into large chunks and add. Stir constantly until cream cheese melts and blends completely. Pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

CHOW!

How do we look?!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:51:00 +0000

If you haven't already noticed, the site got a bit of a makeover today. In an attempt to improve your experience I have made a couple of tweeks. The background color has changed from black to white and the font has increased in size,which will hopefully make it a little easier on the eyes while reading my titillating posts. The recipes have also been sorted by category on the right hand side under "Recipe Index" for quick reference. Here you will find all of our recipes categorized by main protein, (ie. chicken recipes, beef recipes, etc.), ethnicity, or method of preparation (ie. grilling). I certainly hope you life what we have done and if not, tell me about it! As always I welcome your feedback and strive to make the site as much to my Chow Babies's liking as possible. Hope you like!

CHOW!

Chock Full of Lovin' Chunky Chicken Stew

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:48:00 +0000

This dish is a product of having a little imagination with the ingredients I had on hand and my affinity for the elusive one pot meal. I wasn't in the mood for soup but rather something a little more hearty and this is what I got-love in a bowl. It was AWESOME! Totally simply yet rich and deep in flavor. Lots of fresh veggies so its not just good but good for ya! Kind of like if Chicken Cacciatore met Chicken and Rice Soup and they fell in love and had a delicious, simple yet devilishly handsome baby they would name it Chock Full of Lovin' Chunky Chicken Stew. This one is great for either a busy weeknight or a Sunday family dinner. What makes it even better is that the cost of the meal per serving is very inexpensive (probably about $2.50 a serving if you are shopping your sales like a good kid) as it uses only 2 chicken breasts for 4 people and the veggies are interchangeable so you can just use what you have.

Frozen veggies do great with this as do fresh if you need to clean out the fridge. I served mine over fluffy white rice but it would easily hold up to egg noodles, pasta, or maybe polenta would even be really cool. Give it a try and put your spin on it. Make sure to let me know what you think!

Serves 4
3 tbs evoo
1 red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leave
5-6 basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp oregano, rub in you palms before adding
3 stalks of celery
2 c frozen baby carrots
2 c chopped zucchini
3 c chicken stock
14 oz can diced tomatoes, canned, don’t drain
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lemon, juiced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Healthy pinch of salt
Pepper

In a large soup pot on medium high heat, add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Sweat until translucent. Next add tomato paste and bay leaf, basil and oregano, stir to incorporate. Add remaining vegetables, chicken stock, tomatoes, lemon juice salt and pepper and bring up to a simmer. Add chicken breasts and make sure they are covered with liquid. If they aren’t, add more chicken broth. Raise heat to Medium High and let simmer for about 30-40 minutes stirring periodically so nothing sticks to the bottom. Cook until chicken pulls apart easily using 2 forks and liquids reduce by 1/3. Consistency shouldn’t be soupy but stewy.

Meanwhile, prepare white rice as per package instructions.

Serve stew over hot white rice.

CHOW!

Apple Cider Cranberry Crunch Mmmuffins

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Is it wrong to have passionate feelings about a muffin? Cause if it's wrong then I don't want to be right. Don't judge me! I whipped these babies up last night using a recipe from recipezaar.com that I adapted quite heavily. The result- possibly the perfect muffin. My muffins are sweet and spicy and they made me smile. They are super soft yet just dense enough to hold together really well when you bite in. The base recipe for the batter is my new go to for all things muffin and sweet bread. Totally versatile and delicious too. I used apple cider, apples, and cranberries for mine but just about any fruit would do really well with this batter.
You could easily use bananas, blueberries or just about any other fruit that you have on hand. Just replace the cider with milk and the fruit with whatever your little heart desires!

The preparation is super simple and requires only 1 mixing bowl which I love. The fewer dishes to wash the better! Also, I hand mixed them so no need for a fancy mixer here. These muffins are sure to please for both skilled bakers and those who are baking challenged (like myself). Give them a shot and I assure you they will not disappoint.

PS. The scent that filled the air while these little gems were baking was intoxicating. It is an added bonus that will have you salivating way before you pop them in your mouth. Who needs Glade when you have eau de Cider Muffin!?

Makes 12 muffins

Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ tsp cinnamon

1 beaten egg

2 cup apple cider or apple juice reduced by ½ to yield 1c

1/4 cup cooking oil

¼ c dried cranberries

½ apple diced

1 tsp vanilla extract

Streusel

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons cold butter

¼ c chopped pecans

Directions

FOR STREUSEL: Stir brown sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Set aside.

FOR MUFFINS: Lightly oil twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center. In a small mixing bowl combine egg, 1c. reduced apple cider, vanilla and oil; add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just till moistened. (The batter should be lumpy.). Fold in fruit.

Spoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Sprinkle tops of muffins with streusel.

Bake in a preheated 400° F oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove muffins from pans; cool slightly on racks.

CHOW!

Baked Chicken Quarters with Garlic Grits and Gravy- A cheap skate dinner never tasted SO good!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

As part of my effort to save a buck I have broadened my horizons pertaining to the meat that I eat. Pre-recession, my husband and I rarely ate dark meat chicken, we were a boneless skinless pair but times they are a changin' and thus, I have changed my grocery list to scale back a bit. I have written before about some of my dinners on the cheap and this one definitely fits that bill. It's homey, satisfying as heck and the whole dish cost me about $1 a serving which, in my book, makes it all the tastier!

Chicken thighs and legs are an untapped resource in our supermarkets. My supermarket often has thighs or leg quarters (thighs attached to legs) for right around $1/lb. FUR REAL!!! How could you pass up a deal like this? Dark meat is also richer in flavor and although it does have a higher fat content it also has more vitamin B, iron and protein than white meat. So live a little, save a couple bucks and try some dark meat- who knows, you just might like it!

Baked Chicken Quarters
4 chicken quarters (can use thighs or legs too, I would use 2 per person)
2 tbs EVOO
sprinkle of seasoned salt
fresh black pepper

Set oven to 400. After rinsing and patting chicken dry, place in a baking dish. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with season salt & pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until you can poke the bone with a knife and juices run clear.

Meanwhile....

Garlic Grits
1 c. Quaker quick grits (NOT INSTANT!!!)
3 c. Low sodium chicken stock
1 tbs butter
1 c. milk
salt & pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Add chicken stock and butter,garlic powder, salt and pepper to a pot over medium heat. Once liquid starts to boil add grits and stir with a whisk for the first 2 minutes. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook another 5 minutes stirring here and there. After 5 minutes, add milk and whisk to incorporate. Let sit another 2 minutes or until milk is absorbed.

Gravy
Chicken Drippings
1 c. chicken stock
1 c. milk
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour

Add chicken drippings, chicken stock and milk to pan and heat over medium high heat. Add butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat to a simmer mix flour with just a couple tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Pour slurry into skillet and whisk. Gravy should thicken enough so to coat the back of a spoon. If still to thin add more slurry.

Plate chicken, grits and top with gravy.

CHOW!

Nothin' says lovin' like fresh BREAD in the oven!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:31:00 +0000

Nothing is as intoxicating as the smell of fresh bread wafting in the air. I was inspired by my husband's offer to make meatballs and sauce for Sunday dinner and figured the only thing that could possibly make that meal a little better would be to bake fresh bread. That being said, I know nothing about baking bread. My father once said to me, "There are two types of people in the world, cooks and bakers." I am certainly NOT a baker. I cook with passion and for me that rarely means measuring and even if I do measure, I'm not great at making it exact. I typically toss in a little of this a little of that and see where the dish goes. Baking is such a different discipline. I will admit that I was a bit apprehensive maybe even nervous to try my hand at baking bread. There is so much that can go wrong, the yeast isn't active, the bread doesn't proof, did I let it rise long enough, etc. I am happy to report that it went smoother and more easily than I had anticipated.

I was setting out to make something a little rustic- a crusty on the outside, doughy on the inside loaf of bread- something like what you get at Carrabba's. I came across a recipe on the web that sounded like what I was looking for. I put on my apron, rolled up my sleeves and got to it. The bread making as a whole was considerably more simple than I had anticipated. The biggest challenge for me was the patience factor. There was a lot of working then waiting then working then waiting. Probably a good exercise for me as I tend to be a little on the high strung side.

All in all the bread came out ok. I wasnt blown away but then again, could be more my fault than the recipe's. I was hoping the bread would be a little more elastic on the inside. It was definitely very crusty but never quite browned the way I had hoped. I also had an issue cutting the slits in the top of the bread. The moral of the story is that I am satisfied with my bread making ability. I look forward to trying again with a different recipe. I found the kneading and waiting almost therapeutic- half stress relief and half exercise to make me slooooow down.

If you've never made bread, try this recipe. It was forgiving and all in all came out a-ok.

Carrabba's Style Bread
source: http://www.recipelink.com/mf/14/25921

Makes one (8 to 9 inch) round loaf (JCB note: a bit confused here because at the end the recipe calls for a 9x5 load pan- so is it round or square???)

1 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
pinch of sugar
1 1/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons lukewarm water at 110 degrees F (43C)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
olive oil to grease the bowl

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the 1 1/2 tablespoons of lukewarm water. After 5-10 minutes you will see the yeast start to activate by bubbling and foaming.

Put 1 cup of the flour in a large bowl and add the yeast mixture. Start mixing and gradually incorporate the salt and shortening. Add the remaining flour and, as the mixture starts to absorb the water, begin adding the remaining water until a ball of dough forms. If the dough is too wet, knead in an extra tablespoon at a time until the dough is "tacky". Be careful not to add too much flour and make the dough too firm. You want it a little sticky and moist. Add just enough flour to make it possible to handle but still a little difficult. Place the dough onto a floured board and knead for a few minutes to a nice, smooth consistency.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a draft-free place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for about 4 minutes. Place it on a greased loaf pan 8x5 or 9x5-inches, oil the top of the dough and loosely cover with plastic wrap again. Let the dough rise a second time for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230C).

Gently remove the plastic wrap and, with a razor or very sharp knife, make 2 slashes in a crisscross shape across the top using a quick motion.

Place the dough in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. (Do not open the oven door for the first 30 minutes of baking).

Turn the heat down to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is deep brown on top. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack.

CHOW!

There's nothing crummy about Crumbs!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:50:00 +0000

After a perfect low key date night with the hubs on Friday night we topped it all off by popping into one of my favorite commercial bake shops in the city- Crumbs (37 East 8th St, New York, NY). Crumbs is famous for their cupcakes offering 30+ varieties as well as additional cakes and brownies. One cupcake is easily enough for two though I dare you to go there and not eat one all by yourself. Its nearly impossible. There are dozens of flavor combinations and sure to be something that seems as if it were perfectly concocted just for you. My husband always gets the Carrot Cake Cupcake. I like to mix it up and see where the mood takes me.

This particular night I opted for the the Squiggle- at first glance it appears to be a knock off of a best traditional hostess cupcake if it were on steroids. It is triple the size and ice not with the sugary fondant-esque frosting of the hostess, but instead a deep rich chocolate ganache. Inside is a silky french vanilla butter cream surprise just waiting for you to bite deep down into it. The cake is dark chocolate and just about as moist as you could hope for.

They also have other favorites like Red Velvet, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Grasshopper and Vanilla Coconut. Rest assured that no matter what your taste is, Crumbs has ya covered.

Crumbs is a treat for all whether young or old. There is something about eating a big fat cupcake with a big fat cup of milk that just makes ya feel like a kid again. For 10 minutes you can forget about the office, forget about how many calories you are eating, forget about your troubles and just dig in! Crumbs is yet another reason why I LOVE New York.

CHOW!

Italian Hot Chocolate- Now THAT's Amore!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:58:00 +0000

photo source: luckytastebuds.wordpress.com

I am headed into the city tonight to meet the hubs, take a stroll and shoot some photos. There is no time of the year that I love to do this more then in these cool, crisp, early fall evenings. There are no formal dining plans but instead we will stop by our favorite taco truck, Il Idiolo on the corner of 6th Ave and 3rd St, load up with tacos, tamales and a jarritos or two (fruit punch flavor of course!) and head over to the High Line for a little picnic alfresco. What could be better than sitting out in the open air on top of the bustling city and sharing carnitas with your beloved? Nothing...almost... except maybe to sit out in the open air on top of the bustsing city share carnitas with your beloved AND THEN top it all off with some Italian Hot Chocolate that you packed in your thermos and lugged all the way in from Jersey.

This is a simple recipe for hot chocolate adapted from one I found on Allrecipes.com, made from scratch given an Italian twist by adding a nip or two of Disaronno Amaretto. Its a sweet and rich treat that is sure to make a perfect fall night just a little bit more fabulous by warming you tummy and imparting a little fun at the same time. Now THAT'S amore!

Italian Hot Chocolate

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
6 oz Disaronno Amaretto

Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.Top with 1.5 oz of Amarreto.

CHOW!

Chicken Pot Pie, OH MY!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Celery and carrots and chicken,OH MY! Nothing screams homey and cozy like a steaming hot chicken pot pie. As the temperature continues to drop and the leaves are falling from the trees, there is nothing like coming home where its warm and toasty to smell a fresh baked casserole in the oven. This one is easy to make for a large group and super cost effective. From start to finish the whole casserole can be done in about 40 minutes. Get creative and throw in whatever veggies you have on hand, the more the merrier!

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

2 Chicken Breasts-diced in to 1’ cubes
1 12 oz bag mixed veggies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 ½ c milk
¼ c chopped onion
2 handfulls of sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic- smashed
2 stalks celery- chopped
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of pepper
1 tbsp evoo

For crust
3 c Bisquick
1 ¾ c milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, add oil, garlic, onion and sweat until translucent. Add chicken breast, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper. Cook over medium high heat until chicken is cooked thru. Add veggies and simmer about 5 minutes. In a 9x13 baking dish, add 2 cans of soup and milk, whisk together in pan until incorporated. Add contents of the skillet to the baking dish and mix to incorporate.

Prepare Bisquick as per package instructions. You want the batter to be looser than you would use for biscuits but thicker than pancake batter. Like a thick cake batter. Spread this on top of the pot pie filling in the pan. Brush top w a little milk for color.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

CHOW!

Well, Aren't You a Peach Hand Pie!?

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:34:00 +0000

With the remainder of my hand picked fruit from the farm last weekend I made Peach Hand Pies. I am not going to kid any of you and tell you what a breeze the whole process was. It wasn't. In fact, if I am calculating total hours spent producing these little guys we are probably talking somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 hours or so, fruit picking time included. After all of that labor, blood, sweat and tears (none of that went in the pies, relax!) I had to stop and ask myself- 'Was it all worth it?' The answer to that is, 'Abso-freakin-lutely!!!' Immediately upon removing from the oven, I iced these little beauties and felt my mouth salivate as the glossy icing fell upon their perfectly golden brown crusts.With one bite I was transported back to being 8 years old, on the playground of Harmony Leeland Elemantary School in my after school program in Mableton, GA. For snacktime we would get these declicious little hand pies which were a little soft and still warm from sitting int he Georgia heat. They were just heavenly and these one's are a very close 2nd. I think the only way they could be better is if I were somehow 8 years old again, hanging upside down from the monkeybars in the playground back in Mableton.

So they are labor intensive but they are also remarkable gratifying. Sometimes its fun to make yourself slow down a bit invest some time and love into what you make. I know that I too often get wrapped up in doing everything as quickly and efficiently as possible but doing that all the time leads to us speading down the road of life at mach speed and missing all the awesome stuff on the side of the road as we zoom by. Like peaches!

I used a very simply pie dough recipe for these but you are welcome to use whichever you like. This is definitely a weekend recipe to be made while having a drink and taking some much deserved time to slow down. This delicious little hand pie promises to be just the reward you need for working so dang hard!

Ingredients:

3 large or 4 large ripe peaches, peeled and diced small

2 tbs lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar

Dash cinnamon
pinch salt
3 tablespoons flour

For Dough:

2 ½ c flour

½ tsp salt

1 c butter

½ c ice water

For Icing:

1 ¼ c Confectioners sugar

3 tbsp milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Dough Preparation

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Divide into 2 halves, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Take on half of the dough out of the refrigerator and place on a floured counter top or workspace. Roll our using a rolling pin until dough is about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut 5 inch rounds in the dough. I used one of my bowls for this, you can use whatever you have that might be in the 5” range. You can also make mini-pies using a 3 1/2” biscuit cutter. Place rounds to the side on a plate and put back in the refrigerator.

Filling

After dicing peaches, place in a bowl. Add flour, sugar, salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, and flour. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Place in refrigerator and let sit about 15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and strain fruit thru a wire strainer to remove excess liquid. Put drained fruit back in the bowl.

Begin assembling your pies by placing a large spoonful of filling on one side of the dough round, leaving about ½ inch space from the edge. Using your finger, moisten the edge of the fruit side of the dough, pull other side over and press to seal. Next, take the backside of a fork and press on the edge of the pie to make sure it’s sealed really well. Repeat until all of the pies are filled.

Using egg wash made of 1 yolk and 1 tbsp water; brush the tops of the pies. Then cut a couple of slits in the top of each for ventilation.

Bake for appx 15 minutes or until they tops are golden brown. Let cool a bit, maybe 5 minutes, and then drizzle icing over top.

(For icing, combine confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.)

CHOW!

Nana Says, "Eat down your cabinets and fatten up your wallet!!!"

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:07:00 +0000

After fruit picking this past week at Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ we have had an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. Often times I forget that I am normally cooking only for 2, my husband and myself, and not 10 thus we eat a lot of left overs or share with whom ever will eat it- neighbors, co workers, friends, the dog, etc. Our fruit picking expedition was no different. I picked about 14 large white stone peaches, equally as many Macintosh apples and approximately 4 lbs of veggies ranging from tomatoes to peppers. Though I often have delusions of cooking for an army when in fact its only a couple of lone soldiers, there is one mission critical rule that was drilled into my head by mom and Nana at birth- NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY!

In my family food waste is a mortal sin, punishable by lectures opening with a reminder of how many starving children there are in Africa and closed by stressing that money doesn't grow on trees. I'm sure many of us have heard a similar message but mine carried all the more weight when coming from a grandmother who made "Bone Soup". I'm not joking. If there were a carcass left over, you better believe it would be tossed in a pot, boiled in water and accompanied by whatever vegetables, beans and/or pasta were on hand. The crazy thing is, it was normally delicious and as you went for your 2nd bowl, Nana took pride in reminding you that "You wanted to throw it away...tisk!" She was right, too often we buy more than we eat and we dispose of the excess, confident that we can just buy more. Thank God for most of us that has, in the past, been true but just because it is our reality does that mean it should be? I think this ideal of convenient disposal is beginning to earn a little more thought from a lot of us as our Nation is financial boiling water. We are starting to think just a little bit more like our parents and grandparents and really think hard about how we can squeeze just one more wear our of that pair of jeans, one more wash out of that old washer and dryer or just one last pot of Bone Soup out of that chicken carcass.

I have a homework challenge for you all, should you choose to accept. Try something that I do once a month or so and "eat down your cabinets". This doesnt not mean that you gnaw on your mahogany cupboard doors in a fit of desperation, though what you do in your home is your business.. .I wont judge. What I mean is to take inventory off what you have and with out buying more food, cook what you have on hand. You will have to replenish your staples- bread, milk and eggs and possibly some produce. But see if you can make a weeks worth of meals with out making your usual trip to the grocery store. I have made this into an art form and here is how I do it.
1. Grab yourself a sheet of paper and a pen and make 7 boxes on that paper. Each box is going to be the menu for a night.
2. Head to the freezer and take inventory of the meat you currently have in your inventory. Write one of the meats in each box.
3. Inventory the fridge and the cabinets and challenge yourself to build meals using what you have based around the protein already in your fridge. If you get stuck or need ideas, email me! I love the challenge of coming up with something out of nothing and once you do it, you will love it too!
4. Stick to it and NO EATING OUT! I promise that you have enough food on hand to have dinner for a week. You just have to get creative. If you need to supplement a bit then thats ok, but try and keep it minimal and challenge yourself to eat up as much as you can of what you already have.

Think of the food in your cabinets and refridgerator/freezer as depreciating assets that you have already invested in. If you dont utilize those assets the assets gradually depreciate and before you know it your investment has plummeted to a value of $0. Dont let that happen. Your pantry is stocked with your hard earned dollars. You wouldnt throw your paycheck in the trash can, so why throw out your food that you have allowed to go bad simply because you didnt anticipate its decline?

I am interested to see how this goes for all of you. I have managed to save probably $100 a month or so by doing this. Dont waste anything! Save all leftovers and if they arent enough for lunch then make them into something thats ample. Keep me posted on your progress... I know you can do it. Make me and Nana proud!

CHOW!

Chicken Fajita Salad -Part 2 of The Roast Chicken usage

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:48:00 +0000

After roasting that delicious chicken yesterday I got to thinking about what I would come up with for recipe number 2 using said chicken. I got to thinking about methods of cooking and ingredients we use. I don't know about the rest of you but I know I get on kicks for different styles/flavors of food. This week I'm feeling very Latin in palate. No real reason for it, I just like the way the spice of Latin food wakes up my taste buds when the get sleepy. We can all fall victim to using a rotation of 10 or so ingredients which is fine, but sometimes we owe it to ourselves to mix it up a bit. Think outside of the box a little. So, I came up with a Chicken Fajita Salad using the meat I picked and saved from yesterday's roast chicken. Lemme just tell ya- this salad came out 10 times better than I ever even dreamed. It was so delicious, so fresh, so flavorful. JUST what my palate was asking for. I opted to broil the veggies as I don't have a grill in my cozy little Jersey City apartment so I went for the next best thing and used my broiler. I had some bell peppers, jalapenos, and onions from a trip to the u-pick farm last weekend and this was such an ideal way to use the bounty of my harvest.

The recipe is really quite simple and can be super cheap if you just use what fresh veggies you have on hand. I used a simple mixed lettuce complete with romaine and radicchio. Tough enough to hold up to the heat of my roasted veggies and chicken. You could easily put this recipe on a tortilla and have tradition fajitas but why not have a salad?! Your tongue will never notice how healthful this meal is but your waistline might!

Chicken Fajita Salad
2 c cooked chicken (from last nights roaster)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 bell peppers
1 red onion
1 jalapeno
6 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
2 limes
extra virgin olive oil
mixed salad
4 tbsp sour cream
hot sauce

Set oven to broil. Cut up your peppers and onion to 1/8 inch slices. Place all veggies on a baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and salt an pepper to taste, mix w hands to make sure veggies are covered. Place in broiler for about 15 mins or until veggies are soft. Meanwhile, add drizzle of olive oil to a skillet, add chicken juice of one lime and cumin. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 5 mins, just long enough to warm chicken thru.
For dressing: put sour cream, juice of one lime and hot sauce in a bowl, mix with a fork. Place in fridge until ready to serve.
Pile lettuce in your bowl. Top with roasted veggies and chicken. Drizzle with dressing.

CHOW!

Save a little cheese in the supermarket and I ain't talking about swiss: Garlic and Herb Roast Chicken Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:06:00 +0000

photo source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3285/3012037526_9d8552f702.jpg

In these tough economic times we are all looking for a way to save a buck. One easy way to cut a corner is to be smarter about the groceries you buy. I read my grocery circulars almost religiously and the first thing I scan the pages for is to see what meat is on sale. There is huge savings to be had by hunting for a sale in the meat department and stocking up when the store has a deal. I challenge myself to not pay over $2.00/lb for all of my meat. To some that sounds impossible, but its really easier than you think. You just have to educate you self and build your meals around the bargains that you find as opposed to just picking random meals. That being said, you DON'T need to sacrifice quality or taste to save a buck. A great cost savings in the supermarket is to buy whole chickens as opposed to boneless skinless chicken breast. A whole roaster can be found for as little as $.87/lb. where as chicken breast is normally in the neighbor hood of $4.99/lb. I stock up on whole chickens because the options are just infinite. Not only is a whole chicken sort of a blank culinary canvas, but it can also be used to feed you and your family for several days at a time and not just one meal.

Here is a great recipe for a very simple roast chicken. As with most of my recipes I encourage you to add or omit what sounds good to your or just work with what you have on hand. As long as you have butter or olive oil, salt and pepper you can roast a delicious and satisfying chicken.

Here is my recipe for Herb and Garlic Roasted Chicken. IMPORTANT: after serving, DON'T THROW THE CARCASS/LEFTOVERS AWAY! Instead, just pick the remaining meat off the bones- there is more than you think- and wrap it up and put in the fridge for later. We are going to use those tomorrow in a recipe that will show you just how far you bird can fly!

Herb and Garlic Roast Chicken

1 tbsp sage

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

1 tablespoon thyme

1 tsp ground bay

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Good pinch of kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. After rinsing chicken, inside and out, place chicken, breast side up, a roasting pan. Measure all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until blended. Using your index finger, loosen space between the skin and the flesh of the bird. Do the same on the legs by cutting a small slit in the top of the leg .Wiggle around until you have loosened the skin all the way down to the thigh. Using a teaspoon, spoon oil/herb combo in between skin and flesh. Do this all around the bird leaving about ¼ of the oil. Use the remaining oil on the exterior of the chicken and coat well. Sprinkle a bit more kosher salt and black pepper on top. Pop in the oven and let cook until done. This is normally about 20 minutes per pound of chicken. A standard sized chicken about 1.5 hours. To be safe, use a meat thermometer and cook until the temperature cooks to about 180.

Baste the chicken every 30 minutes or so with the drippings from the roasting pan. If skin begins to brown too much before the bird is done, just cover with tinfoil. When chicken is cooked thru, remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Use drippings to make gravy- click here for GRAVY 101.

CHOW!

Turn up the heat with Spicy Chicken Chipotle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:36:00 +0000

Who among us couldn't use a little spice in their life? Lets be honest- we all could. I know I certainly get into the dreaded dinner rut where each meal seems to blend into the next, none particularly standing out from the one before. I am constantly on the hunt for something that is flavorful and interesting while still being cost and time effective. Soup often fits that's bill for me and this one certainly does just that. This soup is the perfect answer to livening up a weeknight meal. Its quick and easy but laden with robust taste all topped off with a kick. The soup has a tomato/chicken base and lends really well to adding just about anything you want to throw in be it fresh veggies or any kind of meat or even shellfish. Get creative with it and make it your own.

At the very least, use it as an excuse to put your Gypsy Kings playlist on repeat, crack open a Negra Modelo and salsa around your kitchen while the aroma of this sopa picante fills the air! Who knows, it just might get your special someone feeling spicy too!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb Chicken B/S Breast- cut into chunks

2 tbsp olive oil

6 c. chicken broth

½ can chipotles in adobo (Use whole can if you like it super spicy)

½ onion

3 cloves garlic

½ c chopped cilantro

3-4 limes juiced

3 c cooked rice

4 c tomato sauce

1 c frozen corn

Salt and pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

Optional: Sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced avocado

First, begin cooking your rice according to package directions.

In a large pot, add olive oil, bring to medium heat and cook chicken. Meanwhile, add onion, garlic, and chipotles into food processor and puree. When chicken is nearly cooked thru, add lime juice and use to deglaze the pan. Next add chipotle puree, cumin, dash of salt and pepper and stir. Allow to cook until chicken is completely cooked thru. Add chicken stock and tomato sauce, rice, corn and cilantro. Stir to incorporate. Allow to simmer about 30 minutes or until the soup reduces a bit.

Serve with a sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese and a dollop of sour cream or avocado slices.

Shanghai Cafe- Chinatown, NYC

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Located at:
100 Mott St
btw Canal St & Hester St
New York, NY 10013

I have to be honest, Shanghai was not our original target while wandering thru Chinatown in pursuit of dinner. We were in fact headed to one of our hidden gems with the world's most amazing Roast Pork. Only one problem, upon entering said "gem" we were told there was no more pork. Instantly, varying degrees of shock and horror fell over our crew. Some angry, some just confused but all of us incredibly disappointed that we wouldn't be feasting on the succulent pork that had been so desperately long for. Being the savvy New Yorkers that we are, we resorted to plan B- go to the OTHER Roast Pork restaurant...went there- no pork! At this point we were all convinced it was either some big conspiracy or a pork shortage epidemic. There was only on thing to do from here- plan C. Enter Shanghai Cafe.

The interior is laden with neon lights with an ultra modern and clear acrylic table tops. A friend of ours who had eaten here before was kind enough to order for the table. (A good thing too because many of the items are in Chinese and even the ones in English I'm not sure I understood). We started with the scallion pancakes. Robust in flavor, crisp on the outside and delicate on the inside. Nice starter.

Next we had a crispy noodle dish topped with a brown sauce, chicken, shrimp and veggies. Very tasty and pleasinig texture. The noodles were soft in the places where they were covered with sauce yet crisp around the edges. Following that a crispy fried dumpling stuffed with pork and veggies.

The next served didnt come on a dish at all but instead in stack of bamboo steamers. The "juicy buns" as they are called for us anglos, are steamed dumpings filled with a pork stuffing accompanied by a little juicy suprise. SOUP! Thats right- like magic, there is soup inside the dumpling. You bit off a little corner of the soft and supple steamed dough and viola! There is soup inside. The soop is a pork consume- perfectly salty and rich. This dish was by far my favorite of the entire meal as I think we made evident after ordering a total of 3 full baskets of them. They were delicious and just heaven sent on a cool fall night. Both meaty and light they are the perfect answer to a quick bite on a Fall night in Chinatown.

I feel it only fair to warn you all that these little juicy buns are highly addictive. Since eating them on Friday night they are all I think about. I think its a safe bet that I will be back in the Chinatown at some point this week to devour them again!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME....Seven Layer Dip?!?!?!

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:01:00 +0000

That's right kids, it's Sunday and in the Fall, Sundays mean one thing- FOOTBALL!!! I thought I'd feature a football favorite recipe each Sunday during football season to help out all of us who get perplexed by what to bring to the game day party. For today, I figured we'd go with a time honored classic and nothing says classic game day fare like 7 Layer Dip. I found this one on allrecipes.com and altered it just slightly by adding ground beef and omitting the lettuce it called for (it wilts...ewww) I think its a fairly standard rendition with spicy ground beef, beans, sour cream, cheese and veggies. Its everything a sports fan is looking for all layered into on delicious dish. So put on your favorite jersey, grab a chip and dig in!

source: allrecipes.com, September 2009
Ingredients
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 lb lean ground beef
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, drain off grease and add back to pan. Add taco seasoning and water and cook until meat is coated. Set aside and let cool.
In a large tray (I like to use a disposable aluminum for easy clean up) add ground beef and top with refried beans.
Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, and green onions over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.
Serve with tortilla chips.
CHOW!

Just Peachy and Plummy Crisp

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Fall is in the air as we had our first wave of cool weather here in the New York Metro area this week. As I blog, I am wearing a sweats and my socks curled up on my couch with the doors open and breeze blowing for the first time in what seems like ages. I just love this time of year! Fall is my season. Being that I'm notoriously hot blooded, Fall sees to it that I'm cool and comfortable even without air conditioning at all times, the changing leaves paint the landscape and provide a feast for the eyes, and cooking becomes richer, heartier, and more soulful. Nothing is a better fall desert than a still warm fresh out of the oven baked fruit crisp with a big ol' scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. I have made crisps using this same recipe with just about every fruit you could imagine, but I think this one is my favorite. So why not take some time this weekend to slow down a little, slip into something cozy, put on some Coltrane and whip up a Peach and Pear Crisp for the ones you love? Both their tummies and their hearts will thank you!

Filling:
3 Ripe Peaches chopped small (note: add 2-3 if using larger dish)
2 Plums
1/4 c purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 c quick oats
½ c butter- room temp
¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
For the Filling: Mix all the ingredients together. Place intoa greased 9x9 inch baking dish (note: add 2 or 3 more pieces of fruit if using a 9x13 dish. )

For topping: Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Slice butter into pads and pinch into mixture. Using hands, blend the butter into the mixture until it forms pea/marble size lumps. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over filling.

Bake crisps for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

CHOW!

Benny's Caprese Burger

noreply@blogger.com (JMo) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:01:00 +0000

This recipe is entirely my husband's. Not unlike most great inventions, it was born of desperate hunger while using the available resources. At a friend's BBQ my husband stumbled upon a Caprese Salad tray- the traditional tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Like a moth to a flame my husband was drawn to the tray instantly, like an self respecting Italian might be. He began snacking on the perfectly ripened Jersey tomatoes, fresh water packed mozzarella, and pungent basil when something else caught his eye- PROSCIUTTO!!! And what could be better than the aforementioned ingredients with prosciutto??? Perhaps a perfectly char grilled HAMBURGER! A light bulb went off- it was if God had sent him all of these amazing ingredients so he could build this killer burger to share with the world. So here we are, with just a tad of tweaking by his witty wife, we have Benny's Caprese Burger. My only real add here way to turn the basil into a basil/garlic aioli but the beauty is in the details, right? This burger is just awesome- even if you don't have a grill (we certainly don't in our 700 sq.ft. Jersey City apartment) you can use a grill pan or even just a good ol' screamin' hot frying pan. No matter how you go about it- just eat this burger. You're welcome in advance!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sirloin (don’t use any higher fat that 80/20)

2 tsps Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

1/4 lb prosciutto (or about 8 thin slices)

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella packed in water

1 fresh RIPE tomato (preferably Jersey or Florida beefsteak- none of the flavorless grocery store types allowed!!!)

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Hamburger Rolls

For Aioli:

¼ c lite mayonnaise (you could use full strength but I’m watching my girlish figure- ha!)

Handful of fresh basil leaves- maybe 25 leaves? More if you really like basil

3 garlic cloves

Pinch of salt

Fresh ground pepper

In a mixing bowl add ground sirloin, garlic powder, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix just until incorporated, do not OVER blend the meat mixture. Evenly divide the beef into 4 portions by making a cross with the side of your hand in the bowl.

Next, in a food processor, add your mayonnaise and basil and a dash of salt. Pulse until basil is broken down. If you don’t have food processor, don’t fret! Just chop the basil and garlic as finely as possible and mix into mayo. Place in refrigerator to chill until you are ready to dress the burger.

Meanwhile, heat your grill (or frying pan) to medium high heat. Grab a hunk of your hamburger and portion in to a patty about a ½ inch thick. Put in pan and repeat with the remaining mixture.Cook to temperature, for Medium rare about 2 minutes each side, 3 for medium, 4 for medium well, and 5 for well.

While you are waiting for the beef to cook, dress your buns with the basil mayonnaise and place patty on the bottom bun. Add a slice of fresh mozzarella, 2 slices of prosciutto, tomato and a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Top with your other bun and dig in!

CHOW!