Fear Ye No Carb

Lemon Poundcake

2010-02-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Stole this from my college roomie's blog. She is a ninja with the baked-good.

Cake
16 Tbs (8 oz) unsalted butter, plus 1 tbs, softened, for pan
1 ½ c (6 oz) cake flour, plus 1 tbs for pan
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ c (8 ¾ oz) sugar
2 tbs zest plus 2 tsp juice from 2 lemons
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
½ c (3 ½ oz) sugar
¼ c fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray 9x5” loaf pan with Pam with Flour.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter

In food processor, process sugar and zest until combined. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined. With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in steady stream. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325F and bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Combine lemon juice and sugar in small saucepan, bring to boil stirring occasionally, simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack, poke all over with skewer, then brush on glaze

Butternut squash lasagna

2010-02-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

When we were being inundated with autumn squash this past fall, I needed to find creative ways to prep it. I don't remember where I heard of this idea or how I came up with it, but I made it last week and decided it was blog-worth.

Ingredients

Sauce

1 medium butternut squash - pealed, seeded, and cubed

milk

salt

pepper

Filling

Part skim ricotta (1 medium container)

1 egg

bacon - chopped, cooked, and drained

1 teaspoon rubbed dried sage

salt and pepper to taste

Nuts and bolts

No boil lasagna noodles

Smoked gouda cheese-shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Prep sauce: Steam squash until soft - about 15 minutes, whir in blender with milk, salt and pepper adding enough milk to make smooth

3. Fry bacon, drain

4. Mix ricotta, bacon, egg, salt, pepper, and sage

5. Construct lasagna in large baking dish: sauce, no boil noodles, then ricotta, repeat

6. Top with shredded gouda

7. Bake until bubbly - about 45 minutes

Couscous stuffed peppers

2009-08-10T11:28:00.001-07:00

Source: SELF

This is so good, and used several items from last week's CSA box. The stuffing recipe made way more than 4 pepper-worth, so we just ate the rest as a side.

Ingredients

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup couscous
4 large bell peppers, mixed colors
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 oz zucchini, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
6 oz yellow squash, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350, and spray baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Boil broth, add couscous, remove from heat and cover

3. Cut the tops off peppers, and remove seeds and membranes. Boil peppers in a large pot for 5 minutes. Drain upside down. Place in baking dish.

4. Saute onions and squash with salt, oregano, and fennel seeds over medium heat until soft.

5. Remove onion / squash mixture from heat and stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, couscous, and feta cheese.

6. Fill peppers will couscous mixture, bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Zucchini Fritters

2009-08-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Source: Nigella Lawson, Cookstr

Sorry, no pics. Ate these too fast.

I substituted smoked gooda cheese for the feta. I know, smoked gooda doesn't resemble feta at all, but I love it and I had a huge chunk of it from Sam's club so I was going to use it, damn it! It was delicious and I make no apologies. This is a great use for zucchini and summer squash while it is in over-abbundance. BTW, these would make an awesome little appetizer if made bite-sized.

Ingredients

4 zucchini (approx. 1½ pounds)
5–6 scallions, finely chopped
9 ounces feta cheese
small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
small bunch fresh mint, chopped, plus extra to sprinkle over at the end
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon paprika
scant 1 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper
3 eggs, beaten
olive oil for frying

Instructions

1. Grate the zucchini and spread out on paper towell to drain about 20 minutes

2. Mix herbs and cheese, add flour

3. Add egg to flour / herb / cheese mixture, and then mix in zucchini

4. Heat oil in pan, plop in zucchini mixture, and fry until golden brown

Veggie burritoes

2009-06-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Made these last night with some CSA produce and cilantro from my back porch. Yummy!

Filling ingredients

4 medium yellow squash, chopped

1 large white onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well

1 teaspoon cumin

salt to taste

Rice

1 cup long grain rice

salt

zest from one lime

Filling instructions

1. Saute squash and onion until just soft over medium heat

2. Add tomato, cumin and salt and cook about 2 or 3 minutes

3. Add black beans and heat through

Rice instructions

1. Cook according to instructions on package

2. After cooking, stir in lime zest

Assemble burrito on flour tortilla with rice, veggies, and top with guacamole and grated cheese.

Easy Guacamole

2009-06-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in like, what? 6 months? It's alright. I lost my blogging mojo, but I imagine I'll come back from time to time at the very least to post a recipe.

I love guacamole as a topper to all things, and B who "didn't like avacados" when I met him is now obsessed with guacamole. I know, right? What kind of Mexican is he?

Anyway, this is easy, fast, and healthy. I like my guac chunky, so no purree-ing, just mixing.

Ingredients

2 ripe Haas avacadoes, chopped

1 tomatoe, chopped

1/4th red onion, diced fine

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice from one lime

salt to taste

Instructions

Mix and eat, silly

How to eat?

Chips, atop chicken or steak, in quesadillas or burritos

Grandma Bea's Nut Bread

2008-11-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

One of the Christmas traditions on my mom's side of the family was the making of the nutbreads. I don't know how many batches she makes in any given year, but she usually wraps them up and hands them out as gifts. This year, I decided it was time for me to partake in this tradition.

I THINK this recipe was written, or at least adapted by my Grandmother. It's not trivial, but it makes 8 loaves, so the work goes a long way. One could serve these with dinner, as a dessert option, or for breakfast. YUM.

Ingredients

Bread

6 EGG YOLKS (SAVE EGG WHITES FOR NUT FILLING)

1 WHOLE EGG

1 CUP (2 STICKS) MELTED UNSALTED BUTTER

1 TABLESPOON MELTED SHORTENING

8 OZ. SOUR CREAM

3 PKG. DRY YEAST

1 CUP WARM MILK

1 CUP SUGAR

1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

6 TO 8 CUPS FLOUR

0.5 tsp salt

Filling

2 LB. GROUND WALNUTS

6 EGG WHITES

1/4 CUP HONEY

1 CUP SUGAR

1 CUP (2 STICKS) MELTED BUTTER

2 TEASPOON VANILLA

2 TEASPOON CINNAMON

0.25 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Soften the yeast in the cup of warm milk. Mix in cup of sugar

2. Wisk together flour, baking powder, and salt

3. Beat eggs

4. Mix sour cream, melted butter, and shortening into eggs

5. Mix yeast mixture into egg mixture

6. Slowly encorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients

7. Allow dough to rise until doubled for about 1 hour

8. Preheat oven to 350

9. Grind nuts in food processor

10. Mix filling ingredients in order listed

11. Punch down dough

12. divide dough into 8 portions

13. Roll out each portion dough into 10 in. x 10 in. square

14. Spread one eight filling over portion of dough

15. Roll up like a jelly rolld

16. Place rolls close together (not touching) on a greased baking sheet

17. Poke holes in top of rolls with fork

18. Bake 30 minutes at 350

Leek Asparagus Frittata

2008-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

Fast. Easy. Relatively healthy. Versatile.

Source: Bon Apetite

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 12-ounce bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms
8 large omega-3 eggs
1 cup diced Fontina cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat broiler

Melt butter in heavy broilerproof 10-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add leeks and sauté 4 minutes

Add asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl

Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine. Cook until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese over

Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve

Sage rubbed pork chops with cinnamon apples and stir-fried grated sweet potatoes

2008-11-19T04:51:00.000-08:00

I know, it's been two months since I've had an entry. Bad Natalie. Fall was a whirlwind. My busy September and October took their toll on my waistline and wallet. I'm pretty sure that I put on 3 or 4 pounds, but refuse to step on a scale. Additionally, Christmas with all of its expenses is quickly approaching which includes two plane tickets to Mexico City to visit the in-laws plus a live in house-sitter to take care of our two kujos and our 20 lb. attack-cat. Cha-ching. I promise to take lots of food pics and report from Mey-heee-koe. And if any of you have any suggestions about where to eat in Mexico City, drop me a line.

So, my point is that the next six weeks I vow to be cooking at home. More specifically I vow to be making relatively healthy meals so that I don't look like a Baluga next to my beautiful, older, skinny, sisters-in-law.

On the the recipes!

Pork Chop with Cinnamoin Apples

Source - Cooking Light

Now stop that internet! Don't gag at the mention of cooking light. True, some of their recipes are aweful, but there are some goodies in there.

Ingredients

Dry Rubbed sage

salt

pepper

4 boneless pork loin chops

1 tsp butter

4 peeled sliced apples

1 Tblsp brown sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, coat with sage

2. Cook pork chops in large skillet

3. Melt butter in skillet

4. Add apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and a dash of salt

5. Saute until just soft

6. Serve apples atop pork chops

Grated stir-fried sweet potatoes

Source: The Minimalist, NY Times

So I saw this idea for stir fried sweet potatoes one of Bittman's articles. Love that guy. This is my new favorite way to prep sweet potatoes. I changed the seasoning because I didn't want to add more butter to my meal, and because I didn't want to over-do it with the sage (see recipe above). So, I took his suggestion and just sprinkled with a bit of soy sauce.....SOOOOO GOOOOD. The taters were all carmelized, and savory, and a little sweet. Can't wait for my leftovers tonight.

My ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt

1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Instruction

1. Heat oil in large skillet

2. Toss in taters, sprinkles with salt and soy sauce

3. Stir occaisionally until done (maybe 5 minutes)

Zucchini pizza with bacon and tallegio

2008-09-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Source: Jaimie Oliver

I totally dig Jaimie Oliver, the tv chef personality, and yet I don't think I've ever made any of his food before. I don't remember where I saw him do this pizza, but he has at least one show dedicated to pizza making, and this version was one quarter of his "pizza four ways". Truth be told, we just really needed to use up some CSA zucchini, and the thought of grilled zucchini, stir fried zucchini, soup with zucchini, or zucchini bread kind of made me want to stick a knife in my hand. So I remembered his pizza; add bread, tomato sauce, expensive cheese, and bacon to anything and it will make you want to lick the hot pizza stone (warning, you just might do that when you've come to the end of your pizza and you think, oh crap it's all gone).

Ingredients
1 premade whole wheat pizza crust (or make your own if you're not like me and aren't making this after work while you're already famished)
a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce
1 large zucchini, sliced extremely thin (I use a vegetable peeler)
1-2 pinches chile flakes
3 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
a bunch of tallegio cheese (fontina if you can't find tallegio)
olive oil for drizzling

Instruction
Preheat oven to 475
Build pizza on pizza stone or baking pan in this order: crust, sauce, zucchini, bacon, chile flakes, cheese
Drizzle with olive oil
Bake until cheese begins to brown (10-12 minutes, but will depend on your crust situation)

Vegetable Casserole

2008-09-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

Please, do not judge me before reading the recipe. I know what "casserole" conjures in you head. Something mushy, salty, and flavorless in a pfaltzgraff baking dish. Something laden with cream of mushroom soup with crunchy fried canned onions on top. But alas, this is nothing like that so take your pre-conceived notions elsewhere. And, AND, it's got an Italian name, Tortiere di Verdure al Forno, so see? This would not be consumed aside jello salad with marshmallow fluff.

This dinner was inspired by a recipe from Mary Ann Esposito, who used to (maybe still does, not sure) have a cooking show on PBS when I was a kid. Her cooking is very homey and comforting.

This casserole is a snap to put together, is great as a light main course or as a side, and must must must be eaten with some quality bread for dunking in the cheesy wine sauce that sits at the bottom of the pan that is reminiscent of fondue.

Ingredients

1 T butter

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices (Russet)
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 medium yellow squash, sliced thin
1 cup grated Pecorino cheese (or combo of cheeses, such as a nice cheddar or gruyere)
2 tablespoons dried oregano (I used Herbs de Provence)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup white wine (or more)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Butter baking pan

3. Layer potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and squash sprinkling with salt, herbs, and cheese as you go

4. Pour wine into one end of pan

5. Bake covered with foil 30 minutes

6. Bake uncovered until cheese is bubbley

Red wine risotto with peas

2008-09-03T05:06:00.000-07:00

Source: Giada DeLaurentis

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet. We make it all the time. I guess I probably haven't posted it yet because risotto is just one of those dishes that you really don't need a recipe for. You kind of just toss in what you got and what you like. But I really do like this particular combo of red wine, which gives the dish a beautiful rich hue and the bright green peas. And I know that Giada is just a food tv personality, but I've got to say that I genuinely enjoy many of her recipes. Most of the time her recipes are light without much, if any butter and cream and they are almost always incredibly easy. And to top it off, not in this recipe, but in many of her other recipes she is very heavy handed with the lemon. Any gal that uses a lot of acid in her cooking is a gal after my own tastebuds.

Note, once you learn the basic risotto method, you can make up your own versions. The gist is this: soften your onions / garlic in fat, add the rice and toast, add some wine until absorbed, then add hot liquid about 1/2 - 1 cup at a time, only adding more when the previously added hot liquid has been absorbed. This slow addition of liquid will allow the rice to release its starches and your texture will be velvety smooth.

Mmmmm....risotto.....so yummy....so versatile.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups chicken broth,preferably homemade but can substitue low-sodium boxed or flavorful veggie broth to make vegetarian
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish (I always add more)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat your broth in a sauce pan, keep it warm and covered.
2. Melt butter in a separate large pan over medium heat, sweat onions until transluscent, add garlic, saute 1 minute.
3. Stir in rice until transluscent, about 1 minute.
4. Add red wine, stir until absorbed, about 1 minute.
5. Add 3/4 cup hot broth, reduce heat to low to the point that the broth and rice are just simmering. Allow liquid to be absorbed, stirring occaisionally (about 5-8 minutes).
6. Repeat addition of broth until broth is gone and risotto is nice texture.
7. Stir in peas and parsley. Season to taste.
8. Garnish with parmesan and serve hot.

Corn Fritters with sriracha dipping sauce

2008-08-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure that one of the reasons I like our local Asian-fusion restaurant, PM, is their heavy use of the spicy Thai chile sauce, sriracha and their tendency to prepare many foods tempura style. I do not deep fry, ever. It is less of a health conscious decision and more of a I am clumsy and copious amounts of hot oil is a bad bad bad idea for me. So today, I had some corn to use up before my next CSA delivery, and as I've noted previously, I don't love corn on the cob. Cooked by me, it is generally alright, nothing special. Cooked by other people, I find it inedible because it seems like most folks are trying to create creamed corn on the cob and way way way over cook the stuff.

Anyway, I was thinking corn and I was thinking sriracha. A few google searches later, thanks to this guy, I decided on corn fritters. I pulled up a basic corn fritter recipe from Allrecipes.com and used a dipping sauce similar to engineering dude, but with some honey added in. Let me tell you, the sweet / spicy / savory combo never ever fails. Usage of sriracha is not for the faint of heart, but I like my food spicy. So if you can take the heat, I recommend you start dipping everything and your mother in this sauce.

Ingredients Fritters
6 ears fresh corn
4 eggs
0.5 cups all-purpose flour
0.5 teaspoon salt
canola oil for frying

Dipping sauce
equal parts low sodium soy sauce and sriracha
honey to taste

Instructions
1. Cut corn kernels from cobs
2. Mix corn, beaten eggs, flour, and salt
3. Drop batter into pre-heated oil (about 1 inch deep in cast iron skillet)
4. Cook to brown on each side

Dipping sauce
Mix

Note: the chicken in this pic was quite unremarkable. I was trying to go for something akin to this recipe by Michael Simon. But, duh, of course it didn't because there was no frying and no butter. But the spice "marinade" which I used as a rub was decent. The star of dinner, though were the fritters. B said "I could eat a million of these things". Poor poor fried-food deprived man.

Update: Note to all, this dipping sauce was even a little too spicy for me. I recommend starting with soy sauce and adding the sriracha to taste.

Zucchini / mushroom tacos with our without chorizo

2008-08-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Source: Rick Bayless

This recipe goes out to all of you ladies (or men...I shouldn't be presumptuous) who might enjoy some sausage in your tacos. Or, for those of you who do not enjoy sausage in your tacos, you may omit and it'll still be delish. Who am I to judge? Spanish and Mexican chorizo differ significantly. Spanish sausage is firm (eh hem) and pre-cooked. Mexican sausage is more similar to Italian sausage and is not pre-cooked. This is a nice way to use late summer squashes in an unexpected way.

Ingredients
4-6 oz. chorizo
1 medium white onion, sliced
4 oz. mushrooms of your choice
1 canned chipotle in adobo (not 1 whole can...one individual pepper)
1 T adobo sauce
1 15 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
2-3 medium zucchini or late summer squash (I used zephyr because I had it)
salt to taste
fresh corn tortillas
queso fresco

Instruction
1. Remove casings from sausage, brown over medium-high heat
2. If necessary, drain fat from pain leaving sausage
3. Add onions, saute until translucent
4. Add mushrooms, saute until almost cooked through
5. While mushrooms cook, blend together tomatoes (drained) with chipotles and adobo
6. Add to pan, stir, cook 3 or 4 minutes
7. Add zucchini, cook until just tender
8. Salt to taste

Serve atop warm fresh tortillas with crumbled queso fresco

Okra!

2008-08-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't uploaded pics of dinner from last night, but it was a southern produce feast. I was raised a Yankee, so the world of Southern produce is still new to me. One of the items on the menu last night, Okra. I like okra. I like it fried, in gumbo, and pickled however I was not prepared or in the mood for any of those preparations. So after a bit of internet searching, I discovered that many folks really like it roasted. Who knew, roasted okra? Roasting is just about my favorite way to prepare most veggies, so I thought this was right up my ally. And, since there is no cutting involved you can avoid the gross okra slime, which somehow disappears during roasting. AND, since the veg has a nice built-in handle, they make a great finger food.

Ingredients
Okra
Olive oil
course salt (kosher or sea)
Any other seasoning you like (curry powder, cayenne, etc)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Wash and pat dry whole fresh okra
Toss to coat in olive oil
Sprinkle generously with salt and seasoning
Roast 20-25 minutes

Corn Soup

2008-08-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Source: Bon Appetit August 2008
Here's a confession; I don't really love corn on the cob. I like it if it is REALLY excellent corn, but only one delivery of my super awesome CSA met my straight up corn standards. I think it is years of braces that did it for me. That said, I love the flavor of fresh corn and this recipe captures it in a soup. Unfortunately, I made it as a main course, and it is really more of an appetizer. After straining it, it is really smooth and velvety but not hearty enough to stand alone. But the lightness of the texture with the sweet corn flavors makes it an EXCELLENT summer appetizer. OR, it would be a nice side to a good salad. Make this with the last of your summer corn.

Ingredients
Soup:
3 cups whole milk
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut from cobs, cobs broken in half and reserved
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 cups water
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 bay leaf
Ground white pepper

Garnish:
2 thick bacon slices, diced
1/3 cup fresh corn kernels cut from about 1/2 ear of corn
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Pinch of cayenne pepper Crème fraîche,* stirred to loosen

Instructions

1. Cut kernels off cob, set kernels aside. Bring milk to a boil with cobs, remove from heat, cover, and let steep while you cook veggies.

2. Sweat onion in butter until translucent, add corn kernels, carrot, celery, garlic and cook until soft. Salt veggies.

3. Add 2 cups water, herb sprigs, bay leaf, and

milk with corncobs. Increase heat and bringto boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low,and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.

Discard corncobs, herb sprigs, and bay

leaf. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches,puree soup in blender until very smooth.Strain into large bowl, pressing on solids toextract as much liquid as possible. Seasonsoup to taste with salt and white pepper.DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead.Cover and chill.

For garnish:

Cook bacon in small skilletover medium heat until crisp. Using slottedspoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.Transfer to small bowl. Mix in corn, greenonion, and pinch of cayenne. DO AHEAD:Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Rewarm soup over medium heat.

Divide among bowls. Sprinkle garnish over,drizzle with crème fraîche, and serve.

* Sold at some supermarkets and at specialty

foods stores.

milk with corncobs. Increase heat and bringto boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to low,and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.

4. Discard corncobs, herb sprigs, and bayleaf. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches,puree soup in blender until very smooth. I used a hand immersion blender. Strain into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. It would help if you had one of those cone shaped sauce strainers, which I do not.

5. Season soup (liberally) to taste with salt and white pepper

For garnish:

Cook bacon and drain. Mix in corn, greenonion, and pinch of cayenne. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle garnish over,drizzle with crème fraîche, and serve.

Bailey's Chocolate Cheesecake

2008-08-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Source: My friend Betsy....don't know where she got it

My former coworker, Betsy is wonderful in many many ways. I think of her as wise in most of the ways of life and I forsee in my future that I will be emailing her with all child-care related questions. She is also a very good baker and would make all of the birthday cakes. This made frequent appearances as it was often requested. It is an incredibly rich, delicious cheesecake. It will spoil you and you will never be able to eat restaurant cheesecake again.

Ingredients
Crust
1-2 C chocolate crumbs
1/4 C melted butter
1/2 t cinnamon
Mix and press into 9-10 inch springform pan

Filling
3 - 8oz packages of cream cheese softened
1 C sugar
1 - 8oz of sour cream
8 oz semisweet choc chips melted
3 eggs
1/3-1/2 C Baileys Irish Cream
2 t vanilla

Instructions
Cream the cream cheese and sugar and then add eggs. Beat well then
add sour cream, choc chips, Bailey's and vanilla. Pour over crust.

Bake 325 for 50-60 minutes

Neglect officially over and Carrabbas

2008-08-12T07:44:00.001-07:00

July and the first part of August was a whirlwind. Between traveling for work, deadlines for work, and a beach vacation, I just had to let this site slide a bit. But I'm back and will be posting recipes regularly again now.

I took our busy schedules + a defunct kitchen due to new counter top installations to use a gift certificate we had lying around. Like my fellow Nashville food blogger, Lannae, Carrabba's offered me a $50 gift card to go, try their restaurant, and write about it. When I got their email, I was rather hesitant, because I felt like maybe I was "selling out" but B knocked some sense into me reminding me that we are poor scientists and who were we to pass up free food. Touche.

So off we went deep into suburbia (Cool Springs location) to Carrabbas. What I knew about Carrabbas previously was that it was a chain Italian restaurant and that they sponsor a 10K in Raleigh every year, to which I say yeah to them. Funny thing is, I am REALLY anti-chain, so I thought it was sort of funny that they sent me, of all people, this gift card. We arrived late-ish (for me) around 7:30, and had about a 10-15 minute wait. I was surprised that it was so crowded on a Tuesday night, especially considering the place is huge.

So onto the food, we started with calamari, which was actually solid. It wasn't chewy, and it wasn't greasy, so kudos to them on their frying skills. I thought it was under-seasoned, B thought it was over-seasoned, so we came to the conclusion that the seasoning was unequally distributed. And, the portion was kind of ridiculous...not an appetizer for two people, probably intended for more like 4-6 people. We each had a salad. I had a house salad, which was a major disappointment: not very good romain lettuce, canned black olives, some under-ripe tomatoes, some dried cheese sprinkles, and bottled dressing. Bleh. B had a Ceasar salad, which was unremarkable. Then onto main courses. Due to the size of the appetizer, we feared the size of our entres, which proved to be more reasonable. I had manicotti, which was decent, but not spectacular. But then again, it's cheese, it's noodles, it's tomato sauce. How can you go wrong. B had a baked pasta florentine, which was similar to manicotti, but stuffed with chicken, spinach, and cheese. He preferred my dish.

In conclusion, Carrabbas was pretty much what I expected. It was decent, but unspectacular food that was not extraordinarily expensive, but not a bargain either. The service was good and the ambiance contrived, but fun for little ones. B and I would not spend our own money there. BUT, the restaurant was decent, and seems like it would be kid friendly, so if that is your stage in life, then it wouldn't be a bad choice.

Delicious summer veggie soup

2008-07-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Another Tuesday, the night before Wednesday CSA delivery equals empty out fridge. this week, we made soup and it was deeeelightful, I am sure never to be replicated. Of course, if I were you, I wouldn't really follow this recipe. I'd just toss what you got in a pot. I hope your bounty is as super sweet as mine.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 carrots cut into chunks
2 zephyr squash, cubed
1 pint pear shaped teeny-tiny tomatoes
2 small green heirloom tomatoes, cubed
1 bag dried tortellini
1 can canelli beans, rinsed
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup wax beans

Instructions
Heat oil over medium high heat
Sautee shallots and carrots in olive oil until shallots are translucent, add pinch of salt and pepper
Toss in squash, salt the squash, saute 2-3 minutes
Toss in tomatoes, salt, saute another 2-3 minutes
Add chicken broth and bring to a biol
Add in tortellini, bring back to a boil,
Add canelli beans and wax beans, reduce heat to low-medium, simmer gently about 10 minutes until tortellini is done
Add salt
Garnish with fresh basil if you have some

Creme Fraiche and Redemption

2008-07-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

I made a chicken dish this weekend that I found via the Wednesday Chef blog with a lemon and creme fraiche sauce. Basically, you sear the chicken and then finish cooking it in the oven. Then make a sauce by de-glazing the pan with lemon juice and lots of creme fraiche. And I've got to say, that while I love creme fraiche as an accent ingredient, I just didn't love the sauce. It was just a little bit too much and too rich for my taste. Just personal taste I guess.

I also successfully made a basic chocolate mousse recipe, which I topped with beautiful berries from the Nashville farmer's market. Not a big deal you say? Everyone can make chocolate mousse. I was recently reminded by my mother that my childhood best friend and I attempted to make chocolate mousse several times for our French class as young teenagers quite unsuccessfully. I believe we finally settled on mixing chocolate pudding with cool whip. But a failure I am no more. TAKE THAT FRENCH KARMA! Whose your bitch now?

PS: The chocolate mousse recipe was a bit boring....not really sure what it was missing....maybe some cinnamon would do the trick. Or maybe my displeasure with most foods this weekend had everything to do with the heat. The only thing that tasted DELICIOUS to me were the gorgeous heirloom tomatoes I picked up at the farmer's market....sliced with a little salt and olive oil. It doesn't get better than that in July.

Summer Ice Box Pasta

2008-07-09T14:47:00.001-07:00

I threw this together last night with items we were trying to use up from our last CSA delivery. We get a new delivery on Wednesday, so sometimes Tuesday night it's a fun chore to figure out how we can throw together what we have left over.

What we had on hand were some long, thick green beans with purple speckles, I don't know exactly what they were, tomatoes, garlic, and some nice Greek feta that gets moldy pretty quickly.

It is imperative to use the proper pasta method, which allows for the flavor of the sauce to permeate the pasta. Otherwise what you get is bland pasta with sauce sitting on top with a weird texture contrast. I'll describe it for those of you who aren't familiar. If you're a proficient cook, I apologize for the detail. Some of my friends and family have probably never learned to cook pasta this way, so I thought it might be fun to explain it to them. It makes such a world of difference.

What I was thinking about when I cooked this up was Italian style green beans cooked in 'maters and what I got was much much better! We loved it so much that there is no picture as evidence.

Ingredients
1 lb whole wheat angel hair pasta
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1-2 cups green beans trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes OR 1 large can good quality diced / or whole tomatoes (San Marzano are my favorite)
2 T fresh basil or 1 t dried basil
kosher salt
4 oz. feta cheese
kosher salt
pinch sugar

Instructions
1. Fill VERY large pot with cold water, cover and bring to boil. More water is better.
2. While the water heats up, heat oil in a large skillet over medium- high heat.
3. Add onion, saute until translucent.
4. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute. Add large pinch of salt to onion-garlic mixture.
5. Stir in green beans, add large pinch of salt, and saute about 2 minutes until start to turn bright green.
6. Stir in tomatoes (if using canned, include liquid). If using dried basil, stir in now....otherwise wait.
7. Season with 2-3 pinches of salt and one pinch sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let simmer.

8. Your pasta water should be boiling. Season LIBERALLY with salt....I'm talking a good handful. If you don't season your pasta water, your pasta will be bland.
9. Add pasta to water, stir well. Cook until about 2-3 minutes shy of being done...which in the case of whole wheat angel hair is only about 3 minutes.
10. RESERVE 2-3 CUPS HOT PASTA WATER, strain pasta. Don't worry about getting all the water out. That water is going to add body and flavor to you sauce.
11. Transfer partially cooked pasta to skillet with sauce and toss well. Spoon in 2-3 ladles of pasta water and let the pasta water blend with sauce and become absorbed into pasta until pasta is al dente (taste it to know if it's done).
12. Move pasta and sauce to very large bowl, season with another 2 pinches of salt.
13. Crumble feta over pasta and stir well.

What you'll get by adding the salt a little bit of time is that every part of your sauce will be well seasoned, it won't be salty I promise. By finishing the cooking of the pasta in the sauce, the flavor of the sauce will be permeate the pasta. And the combination of the starchy pasta water, plus the feta will make a delightfuly velvety texture that you can't replicate by cooking sauce separately and just dumping it on pasta. That would end up a watery mess.

14. Consume pasta.

An aside: my personal blog is about to spill into my food blog a bit here. Using this method always makes me think of my dad. If you knew my dad, you'd be scratching your head right now because he didn't cook, at all. His idea of cooking was boiling hot dogs. So, my mother makes this really delicious Italian sausage tomato sauce that is one of my husband's favorites. My parents really love B, so when we visit, my mom will frequently have either pasta with the sauce or a baked pasta dish using the sauce awaiting us. Upon our arrival, we were always tired, but happy to be in their home and very happy to get some food and my parents would sit down with us even if they had already eaten. One of these nights, my father felt it necessary to explain to me that it is important to finish cooking the pasta by mixing it with the sauce. I have no idea where he learned that, but it makes me laugh to think about that.

He and I had a lot in common in our lives, but our taste in food was not one of those things. Yet somehow, many of my memories of him and everyone who has been important to me are totally wrapped up in food. And this is one of the reasons I take so much care and effort to make sure that what we eat has been prepared with love. An unhealthy relationship with food? Perhaps.

Picky Eater's Grilled Chicken

2008-07-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

So we had some neighbors over for dinner on Saturday night. Somehow we ended up in a neighborhood of people who are absolutely nothing like us, which is just fine by me. All of our immediate neighbors are empty-nesters, mostly native to TN. This actually turns out to be an ideal situation because most of these people have lived life enough to be decidedly un-fussy.

I happen to know the male half of the couple that came to our place for dinner is very picky and has pretty different taste than us. His wife teases him because he thinks Italian food is exotic. What the heck was I going to feed him. We eat almost exclusively foreign-inspired cuisine, don't eat much meat, and almost never make southern food. Plus, I didn't really want to cook indoors.

So, I went with grilled chicken, which seems pretty universal for non-vegetarians at least.

This recipe, Peruvian Grilled chicken, is from Gourmet. I felt like the ingredients were fun enough to satisfy B and myself, but tame enough for the non-adventurous neighbors. It was, indeed, delicious. It'd be great for kids.

Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika for a little oomph)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), quartered

Accompaniment: lime wedges

Instructions
Marinate chicken:
Blend soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and oil in a blender.

Put chicken in a large sealable bag and add marinade. Seal bag and marinate, chilled, 8 to 24 hours.

Grill chicken:
If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom and lid of grill. Light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When coals are lit, dump them out along opposite sides of bottom rack, leaving a space free of coals (the size of the quartered chicken) in middle. When you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill rack directly over coals for 3 to 4 seconds, coals will be medium-hot.

If using a gas grill, preheat all burners on high, then reduce heat to medium-high.

Discard marinade, then pat chicken dry. Oil grill rack, then grill chicken over area with no coals (or over a turned-off burner), skin side down first, covered, turning over once, until cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes (add charcoal to maintain heat).

Cooks' note: If you aren't able to grill outdoors, chicken (quartered) can be roasted in middle of a 500°F oven in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan with 1 cup water 30 minutes, then tented with foil and roasted until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes more.

Chicken / Veggie / anything you want fried rice

2008-07-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

Alrighty folks. Let's talk about home made fried rice. This is a fantastic time of year for fried rice because it is a quick, adaptable dish that you can make without turning on your oven. If you're like me and are the recipient of lots of seasonal veggies, either from your garden or a CSA, you'll be looking for some fun things to do with them.

BUT, you need to remember that I am Croatian / Hungarian / German / English. This is SOOOO far from authentic, but good none the less. The method for making fried rice couldn't be simpler, the key is good ingredients, of course. I'll show you what I made tonight going through step by step, but please be creative and use any veggies, protein, spices that you like.

Ingredients for tonight's rice
1 cup dry jasmine rice cooked according to directions on package
canola oil
1 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed small (omit if want vegetarian)
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
two crookneck yellow squash, cut into small cubes (use anything on hand: carrots, cabbage, peppers, etc)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 eggs
0.5 cups frozen green peas
Tamari
kosher salt
1-2 teaspoons butter

Instructions

1. Cook rice on stovetop according to directions

2. Pre-heat large wok or skillet over medium-high heat

3. Salt cubed raw chicken liberally

4. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to wok, add chicken.

5. When chicken is brown and cooked throgh, remove from skillet
and set aside

6. Add another tablespoon canola oil to wok, add onions, garlic,
and ginger. Sprinkle with pinch of salt and cook until translucent.

7. Add squash to wok, cook about 2-3 minutes.

8. Add red pepper flakes.

9. Push veggies to exterior of wok, add two beaten eggs and cook,
stirring, until just scrambled and solid.

10. Add in froze peas, give a good stir to distrubute.

11. Add cooked rice and chicken to wok.

12. Sprinkle with good quality soy sauce (I use tamari) until top layer is coated well. Stir well.

13. Finish rice off with 1-2 teaspoons butter.

Pork Tenderloin with Port Sauce

2008-06-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Source: "James" via Martha Stewart via my mother

Note, this recipe isn't on her site anymore, so I can't link it.

This is my second favorite way to prepare pork tenderloin. My very favorite is pork with balsamic vinegar from Marianne Esposito, but this recipe is much quicker and really really good. It's a great weeknight dinner. Best of all, I almost always have the ingredients on hand!

Ingredients
2 Tbl olive (or vegetable oil)
2 pork tenderloins - (1 lb ea)
Coarse salt -, To Taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup port wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbl butter - (1/4 stick), Unsalted
1 Tsp red-wine vinegar, or more to taste

Instructions
1. Heat oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat.
2. Remove silver skin from pork tenderloins, pat dry, season with salt and pepper and slice crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
3. Brown medallions in oil. Transfer to a warm platter; set aside.
4. Remove skillet from heat. Discard fat, and add port; return skillet to heat. Deglaze sauce, scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits from bottom of pan. Continue cooking until sauce is reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
5. Add broth, and cook until sauce is lightly syrupy, about 4 minutes.
6. Whisk in butter, a little at a time, gently shaking pan while whisking. Stir in vinegar. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Spoon sauce over pork, and serve immediately.

Super Easy Peach-Blueberry "Cobbler"

2008-06-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Source: Betsy

Tomorrow marks the start of July, which is the beginning of blueberry season here in the south. To celebrate, I'm posting one of my favorite blueberry recipes. It is not your traditional fruit topped with biscuit topping cobbler. It is a little more cake-like, but not all that sugary sweet. Best of all, this recipe could not be easier. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients
1 1/2 C self rising flour
1 1/2 C sugar
1/1/2 C milk
1 stick butter melted
add in some cinnamon and nutmeg
A bunch of sliced peaches (maybe 4-6 cups)
A bunch of blueberries (one or two pints)

Instructions
mix it up and dump the fruit on top. Bake 350 ~ 1 hour.

Restarant review: PM

2008-06-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Subtitle: Fried Pickles, WHO KNEW?

I'm feeling very guilty, food blog-o-sphere for neglecting this blog. I am currently having several issues. First, because it is the height of summer, my diet is filled with very simple things that you really don't need to hear about. Sliced cucumbers with vinegar, oil and salt, grilled chicken breasts with balsamic reduction, grilled yellow squash with olive oil, etc. Exciting eh? Second, I don't feel much like writing. Third, I haven't uploaded photos recently.

I DID make beer butt chicken this weekend, which was good, but not spectacular. I think it has the potential to be excellent with a bit of tweaking. I dare not post that entry without the pics. What fun is beer butt chicken without beer in a chicken's butt?

A recent meal, which we really did enjoy quite a bit was a visit to PM. I know, I'm way late for jumping on the PM band wagon. But you've got to cut me some slack, we've only been in Nashville for about a year. So many restaurants, so little money. And so many have been a disappointment that I am hesitant to try new places sometimes.

So the husband and I went on Saturday evening with three friends. We met at 7 pm, and JUST beat the dinner rush. The patio is really nice, though the larger tables were full, so we sat inside. It's a casual place that has a definite college campus vibe, one I personally dig. We had read some reviews suggesting the service wasn't great, but our waiter was awesome, genuinely friendly, attentive, fun, and knowledgeable.

As I've mentioned before, I don't dig the umami scene, so I was really excited about their fairly extensive vegetarian menu. Plus, two of the five of us are vegetarian, so this was a great place. We ordered a smorgasbord of big plates, small plates, and appetizers, so I really can't go into everything we ordered. I'll just touch on highlights and disappointments.

Highlights
Sweet potato bisque- Unfortunately for you vegetarians, this soup apprently has a bit of sassage in it, so it's not for you. It was perfect, a little sweet, a little spicy, and SMOOOTH. I would've licked my bowl if I were at home.

The famous burger - I didn't try this, but my husband loved loved loved it. He felt guilty about order the burger with such a cool menu, but had to try it since it has become a legend in Nashville.

Fried pickles - My vegetarian friends ordered these, who I might mention are so NOT southern. They are Indian, so didn't really have a history with friend pickles. Actually there was not a southerner at the table so none of us expected much. But, wow were they delicious. I think the pickle slices were butter, not dill. It was a perfect little bite of tangy, sweet, juicy, crispy goodness. My Mexico city native husband, who DESPISES pickles loved these things. Get ye to PM and order fried pickles, I say.

All of the desserts we tried - Green tea ice cream, Lychee sorbet, and Thai pudding. All delicious and not too sweet. I had green tea ice cream, but I think my regular is going to be Thai pudding.

Disappointments
Now, when I say disappointments, I don't mean I didn't like these things. Everything was good, but I won't order these things again, because they weren't perfect.

Tempura vegetables - They were a nice mixture of veggies, and were fried very well, but they weren't salted after frying. Tempura needs a little bit of seasoning. The sauce was more sweet than salty, so it just wasn't perfectly balanced.

Lump crab wontons - Good, but unremarkable.

There was more, but I won't go on anymore. I'll let you make up your own minds.

Sichuan-style Shrimp

2008-06-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Foolproof Chinese Cooking via Epicurious.

I was looking for something to make for dinner last night that was quick, didn't heat up my kitchen with the oven, and had my favorite protein, shrimp. Love me some shrimp. This was a great option because it also has garlic, which I just got a head from my CSA yesterday and I could throw in some extra veggies from my CSA delivery. And I promise you, that if you go to the ethnic aisle of your grocery store, or better yet K&S, and start playing with some of their sauces you'll be less tempted to patron the by-in-large crappy Chinese restaurants here in Nashville (there are a few exceptions). Seriously, stir frying is so easy, quick, adaptable, and healthy.

Note, I was not a good foodie, and didn't go to K&S for my ingredients. I went to Publix because I was in a hurry. They didn't have Chinese black vinegar, so I substituted cider vinegar. Regardless this was delicious. Also note that I love love love love love tomato paste in a tube. No opening a can, no throwing away what's left, just squeeze into your pan.

I also threw in some onion with the garlic and ginger and broccoli with the shrimp. Serve with rice.

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
2 tablespoon finely chopped scallions
1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili bean sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Cilantro sprigs, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions.

2. Stir-fry for 20 seconds, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp for about 1 minutes.

3. Add the sauce ingredients and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes over a high heat. Serve at once.

The start of no cook season

2008-06-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

In the summer, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven, and thus begins my season of "I don't want to cook" season. I still want to eat well, and don't mind preparing food, but turn on the oven and roast veggies, I don't think so. The oven makes the house too flippin hot, even with AC. This is TN afterall.

So, my posts may be a little bit more infrequent because you don't want to hear about chopping up some veggies and tossing them with a nice vinegar and salt. Last night, for example, we used tomatoes and cucumbers from our CSA to make a salad with some nice, expensive Greek sheep / goat milk feta along with some pita bread and hummus. A good dinner, yes, but not exactly a recipe.

I assume many of you feel the same way I do about turning on the oven in 95 degree heat. So, here is an awesome Bittman minimalist article from last summer on some quick summer meal ideas. I hope it inspires you the way it has inspired me.

Nothing new

2008-06-09T08:24:00.001-07:00

Due to my husband's recent wisdom tooth surgery, I didn't do much cooking this weekend beyond making lots of semi-solid items. Our weekend was a beige extravaganza filled with scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, milk shakes, and smoothies. I suppose I could make solid food for myself, but making mushy food takes a lot more effort than making nice crisp food, so I just don't have the motivation to make two sets of everything.

Grilled "Halibut" with Lima Bean and Roasted Tomato Sauce

2008-06-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

There are oh so many things that I miss about Chapel Hill (NC). I could go on and on with the list, but I'll save that for another day. Chapel Hill is only a couple hours from the beach, so we could get really incredible seafood for a reasonable price. Maybe I just haven't found a decent fishmonger yet, but I am just not thrilled with the quality of fish I can get here. And, fish is so friggin EXPENSIVE here. I was all ready to make this recipe as is, only to find halibut was $22 a pound at Whole Foods. I just can't talk myself into spending that much money on a piece of fish for a quick weeknight dinner just to cover it in a flavorful sauce. So I bought trout.

The trout itself was just alright. I know it would've been way better if I'd used Halibut as the recipe called for. And, I forgot to buy basil. Regardless, the sauce was super super yummy and should be put on everything: Pork, shrimp, maybe beef (though I'm not down with beef....I'm just not into the umami scene), chicken, pound cake....just kidding. Wanted to see if you were still reading.

Anyway, the recipe was great. The execution was less than perfect.

One more quick story. I picked this recipe because both B and I LOVE roasted tomatoes and lima beans. Every once in a while, when speaking of succotash, B has an ESL moment and calls it sasquatch. Tee Hee.

Source: Jonathan Waxman in Gourmet 2005

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes (preferably heirloom; 2 lb total)
3 garlic cloves, cut lengthwise into slivers
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lb fresh lima or fava beans in pod, shelled, or 10 oz frozen baby lima beans or shelled edamame (soybeans; 2 cups), not thawed
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 (6-oz) pieces halibut fillet (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick)

Instructions
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.

Core tomatoes, then halve crosswise.

Stud the cut side of each half with garlic slivers, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in a lightly oiled shallow baking pan, then drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast until just soft and wilted, 15 to 20 minutes.

While tomatoes roast, cook beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes.

Drain in a colander and cool slightly, about 10 minutes. When beans are cool enough to handle, gently slip off skins. Coarsely chop beans and roasted tomatoes, then toss with basil, remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and lemon juice (to taste).

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. When charcoal turns grayish white (about 15 minutes from lighting), hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack to determine charcoal heat. It is medium-hot when you can hold your hand there for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce to moderate setting.

Pat fish dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Grill on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using gas grill, turning over once, until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.

Serve fish topped with bean and roasted tomato sauce.

Prove me wrong

2008-06-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Okay people, my CSA had delivered its first bunch of beets to us. Thing is, neither I nor B like beets. However, in the spirit of the CSA, I would like to at least TRY and like them. I need your help. How can I prepare them that will turn me into a beet-loving convert?

Am I looking in the wrong place?

2008-06-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Is it my imagination or does Whole Foods not carry Creme fraiche?

Tacos Al Pastor

2008-05-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Tacos Al Pastor are a childhood favorite of my husband's. They are pork tacos served in taquarias across Mexico but are thought to have originated from Labanese imigrant's shawarma. The pork is slow roasted on a spit, much like lamb served in greek gyros, with a pineapple atop so that the juices run down and coat the pork as it cooks.

This cooking method has prevented me from ever trying to replicate the taco. Obviously, I don't have the equipment for it. But the May issue of Bon Appetite and then the June issue of Gourmet both featured recipes trying to replicate the flavors of Al pastor using a backyard grill. Hooray!

I chose to try the recipe from Bon Appetite, and it was fantastic. I chose to pair it with a mixed green and fresh pea salad with a lime vinagrette, Rick Bayless's Guajillo salsa, fresh corn tortillas from La Hacienda here in Nashville, and a chilled Rhone Rose.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that these were slammin. My husband claims they are the best he's had outside of Mexico. He'll frequently order Al Pastor at various Meixcan joints, and we're always disappointed, but not these!

Ingredients
large white onion, halved
1 pineapple, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup guajillo chile powder ( I used 2 T arbol chile powder, because I had it on hand)
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles and 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo from canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 2 1/2-to 3-pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Corn tortillas
Lime wedges
Instructions

Coarsely chop 1 onion half.

Coarsely chop 2 pineapple rounds, discarding core; cover and chill remaining pineapple.

Place chopped onion and chopped pineapple in blender. Add orange juice and next 7 ingredients; puree marinade until smooth. Marinate pork in fridge at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).

Grill remaining pineapple until warmand slightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes perside.

Grill pork with some marinadestill clinging until slightly charred andcooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side.Transfer pineapple and pork to worksurface; chop pineapple into 1/2-inchcubes, discarding cores. Chop pork.Transfer to platter; toss to combine.

Meanwhile, finely chop remaining

onion half and place in medium bowl.Add cilantro; toss to combine. Grilltortillas until warm and slightly charred,about 10 seconds per side.

Serve pork-pineapple mixture with

onion-cilantro relish, Smoky Two-ChileSalsa, and lime wedges.

Test-kitchen tip: To make your own

guajillo chile powder, finely grind about6 large dried seeded guajillo chiles in aspice mill to yield about 1/4 cup powder.

Grill pork with some marinade still clinging until slightly charred and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer pineapple and pork to worksurface; chop pineapple into 1/2-inchcubes, discarding cores. Chop pork.Transfer to platter; toss to combine.

Meanwhile, finely chop remaining onion half and place in medium bowl. Add cilantro; toss to combine. Grill tortillas until warm and slightly charred,about 10 seconds per side.

Serve pork-pineapple mixture with onion-cilantro relish, Salsa, and lime wedges.

Red Lentil Soup

2008-05-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

I know. May in Tennessee is not technically soup season. However, I came across this recipe a few months ago in the NY Times. At the time, I had thought you could only find red lentils in ethnic markets. While I live about a mile from Nolensville Rd., the meca of ethnic food in Nashville we've been very very very busy this spring and have had a hard time scheduling another errand. About two weeks ago, a random woman asked me to help her find quinoa at Whole Foods (I apparently look like I know my carbs....don't know how I should feel about that). I led her to the bulk aisle and found quinoa in the top row. And HARK, right next to it was red lentils. I am constantly buying things from the bulk section and I never noticed them because the top row is above my head. So I bought some and made this soup.

This soup actually works in warm weather because of the flavors. Lemon and cilantro freshen it up. B loves lentil soup, but I generally have mixed feelings about it. The color of normal lentils is less than appealing, and I find many versions are too thick and rely too much on the flavor of bacon with no other complexity. This soup was really incredible. It fixed all of my lentil soup "Issues". I encourage all of you to make it. Serve with some grilled pita or naan and a side salad made from this season's fresh greens and radishes.

Source: Melissa Clark, NY Times

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.

5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Mango Fruit Salsa

2008-05-16T17:42:00.001-07:00

Is it obvious that the weather has turned warm here for good? Warm to me means MANGO (insert man in shiny pants slapping his bottom). MANGO. And I am all about the yellow mango, aka, champagne mango, aka Ataulfo mangos. You can find them in whole foods and even Publix, Teeter, or Kroger when they are in season like RIGHT NOW. They are smaller and more tart than a normal mango. I really love a lot of acid in my food. Always have and always will. I first had yellow mangos when I visited my husband's family for the first time in Mexico City. They probably just thought of me as "the crazy lady who doesn't speak Spanish by the fruit bowl". And now they probably think of me as "the crazy daughter in law who doesn't speak Spanish by the fruit bowl....but she has been making a lot of Mexican food." I'd like to say it is in preparation for our future children....to learn their heritage....ah but it's more like because there is a lot of great produce is Mexico and I dig that.

My grad school roomie, Brandi, originally found this recipe. Isn't it funny how people in our lives affect what we eat. I associate each one of my roomies with a distinct style of eating / cooking and each has left a definite mark on how and what I cook. Don't remember where this recipe comes from, but everyone I know requests it. Eat it with chips, or by the spoon, or by the bucket.

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small mangoes, cubed
3 kiwis, cubed
0.5 red onion, diced
kernels 1 ear of corn, blanched and cut off cob
0.25-0.5 cups cilantro chopped
Juice 1 lime
salt to taste

Instructions
Mix and shovel into mouth

Eggplant Method Confirmed

2008-05-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

So last week, I finally got around to making eggplant parmigiana ala Dave Grecco. Indeed, pealing the eggplant and slicing paper before frying gives the texture a major upgrade. Even, B, who had previously claimed not to like eggplant devoured the dish. The downside, it's more labor intensive and messier, but worth it if it means I get to add it back into our repetoire.

Mango-Jicama and Cucumber Salad

2008-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Soooooo good for summer.

Source, Rick Bayless via foodtv.

Ingredients
2 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) mangoes, peeled, flesh cut from the pit and sliced into 1/2-inch "fingers" or wedges (see technique below)
1 medium (about 1 pound) jicama, peeled and cut into long 1/2-inch-wide "fingers" or wedges
1 long seedless "English" cucumber (or 2 regular cucumbers), cut into long 1/2-inch-wide "fingers" or wedges
1 teaspoon pure ground chile (buy pure guajillo or ancho chile in a Mexican grocery, make it yourself, or substitute a little cayenne)
Salt
2 limes, each cut into 6 wedges

Instructions
Cutting the mangoes: Peel the mangoes, then cut the flesh from the pits: A mango pit (to which the flesh clings tightly) is flattish and oval, more-or-less a smaller version of the mango's overall shape. To cut the flesh off the pit, stand a mango on one end and slice the flesh from one side of the pit. Turn the mango around and slice the flesh off the other side. You'll be able to get a couple thin slices of flesh off the pit on each end. Cut the large pieces into long 1/2-inch-wide "fingers."

Salad: In pointed Sno-Cone cups (you'll need a snow-cone holder or a glass to support each cup) or in paper cups or glasses, combine a portion of mango, jicama and cucumber "fingers" or wedges (they will be standing in the cups). Mix the chile and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sprinkle over the "salads." Serve with lime wedges for each guest to squeeze over the pieces as they eat them.

Variation: Cut the mango, jicama and cucumber into cubes instead of "fingers," and mix together in a large bowl. Juice the limes (rather than cutting them into wedges) and drizzle over the mixture. Sprinkle with the salt and chile, and serve on a buffet or pass this at the table.

Fish Tacos with Guac

2008-05-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this isn't really a recipe at all as much as it is an idea for a dinner. Fish tacos is just one of those dishes that lends well to winging it

Ingredients
Fish
Firm white fish (I used mahi)
Lime
olive oil
salt
pepper

Guac
2 haas avacado, cubed
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup white onion finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Corn or Flour tortillas

Instructions
1. Marinate fish in lime, olive oil, salt, and pepper 15-20 minutes
2. Grill
3. While fish grills, mix together ingredients for guac
4. Grill tortillas 15 second on each side, just until starting to brown a bit
5. Serve fish and guac atop hot tortillas

Sweet-Hot Bbq Tater Fries

2008-04-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

These were in the same feature from which I got the spicy turkey burger recipe. They were really really delicious. I cut back on the brown sugar a bit, because I prefer the spicy over sweet. But you really can't beat a sweet / spicy combination. Go heavy on the fresh rosemary!

*Photo from www.epiciruous.com
Source: Bon Apetit

Ingredients
2 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, each slice cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Additional olive oil

Instructions
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place potatoes in 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Add 1/4 cup oil, chopped fresh rosemary, brown sugar, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper to potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Brush grill lightly with oil. Place potatoes on grill, spacing about 1 inch apart. Grill until potatoes are tender and slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes total. Transfer potatoes to bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

2008-04-30T07:06:00.001-07:00

Turkey burgers are one of those dishes that has the potential to be really really bad, especially if you are trying to be health conscious and use extra lean ground turkey breast. The burgers tend to turn into hockey pucks. Normally, I just wing making the burgers, but yesterday I decided to try an actual recipe and was very very pleased with the results. You mix salsa and fresh cilantro into the meat of these burgers and it makes them lighter and more moist. I liked these so much that I think I'll be tempted to make them again this weekend. Serve with a side of spicy grilled sweet potatoes.

Source: Bon Apetit

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
1 cup mild salsa, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon chipotle-flavored hot sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 crusty rolls, halved horizontally, toasted if desired
4 lettuce leaves

Instructions
Mix ground turkey, 1/2 cup salsa, shallots, cilantro, 3 tablespoons oil, hot sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Shape turkey mixture into four 3 1/2- to 4-inch-diameter patties.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add burgers; cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low. Sauté until burgers are cooked through, about 4 minutes, turning occasionally.

Arrange roll bottoms on 4 plates. Place lettuce, then burgers on roll bottoms. Top each burger with 2 tablespoons of remaining salsa, then roll tops.

Tomatillo-Sauced Enchiladas with Spinach and Mushrooms

2008-04-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

Source: Rick Bayless Mexican Everyday

This recipe is phenomenal. Make this recipe, that's all I can say. Also, you can omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth to make it vegetarian. Neither really add much to the flavor, they just beef up the protein content. The key of the dish is really the yummy yummy sauce.

Ingredients
garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (I used 2 serranos, 1 jalapeno would work too), stemmed and quartered
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters
3/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil, or bacon drippings
2 cups chicken or veggie broth
8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 large red onion, thin sliced
10 ounces spinach
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (optional)
Salt
12 corn tortillas
3 tablespoons Crema, sour cream, heavy cream or creme fraiche
1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 cup Queso Fresco or feta

Instructions

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. With a food processor or blender running, drop in the garlic and chiles one piece at a time, letting each piece get finely chopped before adding the next. Add the tomatillos and cilantro; process until smooth.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil or bacon drippings in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the puree and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of thick tomato sauce, about 7 minutes. (The more you cook it the richer and sweeter it will be). Add the chicken broth and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

While the sauce is simmering, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil or drippings in a very large skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring nearly constantly, for a couple of minutes, until they begin to brown. Add about three-quarters of the onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for another minute or two, until the onion looks translucent. Add the spinach and optional chicken and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or so, until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt. Cover to keep warm.

Lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet and spray or brush lightly on both sides with oil or bacon drippings, then stack them in twos. Slide the tortillas into the oven and bake just long enough to make them soft and pliable, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and stack them in a single pile; cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Stir the crema into the sauce. Taste and season with salt (add the sugar here too if you’re using it). Holding a tortilla by the edge dip it into the sauce, then lay it on a plate. Spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons filling down the center, roll up and lay seam side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with 2 more tortillas, arranging them on the same dinner plate. Douse the enchiladas with about 1/4 cup of the warm sauce, sprinkle with a quarter of the crumbled cheese and garnish with some of the reserved onion and cilantro sprigs. Assemble the rest of the servings, and carry to the table without hesitation.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

2008-04-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

These are really not authentic at all, but are wonderful. I got the recipe from my college roommate, Robin who got it from her mother, so I don't know the original source. Regardless, this dish epitomizes comfort food to me.

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1 16 oz. can tomatoes, diced, undrained
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1.5 T. Chili powder
.5 t. oregano
.5 t. cumin
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
12 oz corn, drained
.5 c. sliced black California olives
1 c. ricotta
4 oz. chopped green chilies, drained
2 c. shredded cheddar (8 oz.)
10 6" corn tortillas.

Instructions
Sauté onion and garlic in oil.
Add tomatoes & next 4 ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce, simmer uncovered for 25 min.
Place 1 c. sauce into greased 9 x 13 cake pan.
Add black beans, corn, olives to remaining sauce.
Combine ricotta, chilies, & .75 c. cheddar.
Fry tortillas in .25 c. oil, 5 seconds per side. Put 2 T. cheese mixture in each tortilla, roll, place in pan.
Spoon remaining sauce over them, bake at 350 (F) covered for 20 minutes. Uncover, add the rest of the cheese, and bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Strawberry Almond Pie

2008-04-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

I love fruit and am a fruit purist. I love it in its natural form without any adornment. My husband grew up in Mexico City, where they have the most amazing fruit. His family was thoroughly amused that I pretty much parked myself next to their fruit bowl and shoveled in Ataulfo mangos, little bite sized plums, and miniature bananas by the dozen.

So because of my love of fruit, I have a love-hate relationship with fruit pies. I really hate overly sweet pies that are more goo than fruit. I started making this pie during strawberry picking season after my roommate and I went strawberry picking and I could not possibly eat the strawberries before they went mushy. And I am just not a fan of frozen strawberries or strawberry jam.

This recipe is great. The "goo" is made from crushed strawberries, so it honors the fruit. The almond extract also adds a nice bit of richness. I usually cut back on the sugar in the recipe as I like my desserts not overly sweet.

And for you chocolate dessert purists out there (ehem, KRISTA) who do not believe that fruit is dessert, this pie makes an excellent breakfast.

Source: Allrecipes.com
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups crushed pecan

shortbread cookies

1/4 cup blanched slivered

almonds

1/3 cup butter, melted

6 cups fresh strawberries,

hulled

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In small bowl, stir together all crust ingredients. Press on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
3. Mash enough strawberries to equal 1 cup. In 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in mashed berries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a full boil (8 to 15 minutes). Boil 1 minute; remove from heat.
4. Stir in salt and almond extract; cool 10 minutes. Fill baked crust with remaining fresh strawberries; pour cooked mixture over fresh berries. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and walnuts if desired.

Eggplant Parmigiana

2008-04-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a risk publishing this recipe, because I've never made it. However, after seeing this on tv last night, I'm almost positive it's going to be awesome. Normally I wouldn't even use a recipe for eggplant parmigiana. There's really nothing to it. But this guy who was on Bobby Flay's Throwdown had a super interesting way of prepping the eggplant. B doesn't like eggplant, but I think he doesn't like the chewiness of the skin. This method gets around that issue by peeling the eggplant and then slicing it very thin longways with a deli meet cutter (I'll try a mandolin). The result is thin slices of eggplant that he fries, dips in marinara and uses like lasagna noodles. BRILLIANT. Be creative and use whatever kind of cheese you want and whatever sauce you want. I can't wait to make this.
Source: Dave Grecco via Foodtv.

Ingredients
Oil
2 large eggplants
All-purpose flour
4 eggs
Bread crumbs (recommended: Arthur Avenue Italian Deli)
1 quart marinara sauce (recommended: Arthur Avenue Italian Deli)
8 ounces sliced dry mozzarella (recommended: Arthur Avenue Italian Deli)
4 ounces grated Romano (recommended: Arthur Avenue Italian Deli)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and heat oil in a large pan, Dutch oven or deep-fryer.

Peel the eggplant and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Coat each side of the eggplant with the flour.

In a separate bowl beat 4 eggs and dip the eggplant into the egg to coat both sides. Then take your bread crumbs and do the same to coat each side.

Once the oil is hot, put the eggplant in the hot oil and fry until golden brown. You can also use a deep-fryer and leave in for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Once all of the eggplant has been fried, get a rectangular baking pan and start the layering by adding the marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan, then the eggplant, more sauce, fresh mozzarella, Romano cheese, and continue to layer until you have reached the top of the pan. Top off with sauce, mozzarella, and grated Romano

Place the eggplant into the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes.

A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Chicken Salad Balsamic

2008-04-21T07:11:00.001-07:00

I believe that my grad school roommate, Brandi originally found this recipe to take on a picnic. It is a really nice alternative to standard chicken salad because there is no mayo to spoil in the heat. It's light and refreshing, perfect for summer.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

3 cups diced cold, cooked chicken

1 cup diced apple

1/2 cup diced celery

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, apple, celery, onion and walnuts.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil and pour over the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes, mix again and chill.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

2008-04-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

My coworkers have been begging me to make them cheesecake for a while. I finally caved as a bribe to get myself out of a meeting. I picked this recipe from Epicurious.com, and it was a fantastic recipe.

Notes: Make sure all ingredients are at room temp for smooth filling.
Next time I make this, I will probably go with a traditional graham cracker crust.
Grease sides of spring form well to prevent the top from cracking.
Bake in a water bath for 30 minutes, turn oven off and let the cheesecake cook in oven 2-4 hours before putting in fridge.
I did not make the sour cream topping, and it didn't need it.

Ingredients

For crust
70 vanilla wafers (8 1/2 oz), finely ground in a food processor (2 1/3 cups)
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For filling
20 oz cream cheese (2 1/2 eight-ounce packages), softened
8 oz mascarpone cheese at room temperature (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

For topping (again, I didn't make this)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Make crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.

Stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl.

Reserve 1/4 cup crumb mixture for sprinkling over cheesecake, then pat remainder onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan (about ‿ inch thick). Put pan in a shallow baking pan and bake until golden, about 10 minutes.

Cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. Leave oven on.

Make filling while crust bakes:
Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and salt and mix at low speed until combined. Pour into cooled crust and bake until cake is set and puffed around edge but still trembles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly in springform pan on rack, about 20 minutes. (Cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.) Leave oven on.

Make topping:
Stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.

Bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes.

Run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

Cooks' notes:
• Cheesecake can be chilled, loosely covered, up to 3 days.

• Cut cake with a long, thin sharp knife dipped in a tall glass of hot water.

Cool completely on a rack, about 25 minutes. Leave oven on.

Make filling while crust bakes:
Beat cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Make topping:
Stir together sour cream, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl and spoon over cheesecake, spreading gently and evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge.

Bake cheesecake until topping is set, about 10 minutes.

Run a thin knife around edge to help prevent cracking. Sprinkle top with reserved crumbs and cool completely in pan on rack, then chill, loosely covered, at least 8 hours.

Salmon with Puffed Pastry and Pesto

2008-04-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make this for a while, and finally got around to it yesterday. This recipe couldn't be easier. It's really really fast so would make a great after-work dinner. I can't wait to make it once tomatoes are in season.

Photo from www.foodtv.com
Source: Food Network - Giada De Laurentis

4 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

A call for my readers

2008-03-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

For the half dozen people who actually read this blog, I have a request. We got a nice gas grill last year as a belated wedding gift. This spring / summer, I would like to take full advantage of the grill, but do not enjoy eating the typical burgers / dogs / bland grilled chicken breast.

Any creative ideas for grillin' that you'd be willing to share?

(PS, we are adventurous eaters, but I don't do beef. Other than that, we'll eat anything). AND...we've joined a local CSA, so we'll have plentiful fresh produce all summer.

Pizza on the Grill

2008-03-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

As spring moves into full swing, B and I will be firing up the grill more and more. I'm not a big burger and dogs fan, so I'm always looking for fun ways to use the grill. Grilling pizza is very fast, and is way better than you can make in the oven. I use the dough from this recipe, courtesy of Allrecipes, and then top with anything I want. We like to do this when people come over. Prepare the dough ahead of time, and then everyone can gather round the grill and create their own.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package active

dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 pinch white sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh

basil

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup roasted red peppers

2 cups shredded mozzarella

cheese

4 tablespoons chopped fresh

basil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, and mix in sugar. Proof for ten minutes, or until frothy. Mix in the salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic and basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again.
2.	Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Form each half into an oblong shape 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick.
3.	Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Carefully place one piece of dough on hot grill. The dough will begin to puff almost immediately. When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over using two spatulas. Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, 1/8 cup sliced black olives, and 1/8 cup roasted red peppers over crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons basil. Close the lid, and cook until the cheese melts. Remove from grill, and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the second pizza.

Tarragon Chicken Salad

2008-03-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

As much as I don't like mayonnaise, I do love a good chicken salad. I tend to like my chicken salad with just enough dressing to moisten the salad, and I like a little bit of acidity. This is a pretty basic recipe. I've taken Martha Stewart's classic chicken salad and adapted it a bit. Serve on good whole wheat bread or over a bed of mixed greens.

Ingredients
4 cups poached chicken breasts, cooled and shredded
1/2 cups green onions, diced
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
1 cup diced celery
2 Tbsp fresh diced tarragon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Mix chicken, onion, grapes, celery, and tarragon
2. In another bowl, mix dressing ingredients
3. Add dressing to chicken mixture
4. Add salt and pepper to taste

Spicy City Chicken

2008-03-03T06:50:00.001-08:00

Source: Food tv

This is one of those recipes I would have never tried. On the food network, it only has two reviews, one of which is not great. And, the sauce is rather rich with some butter and cream. So, I have to give credit to Bernardo for finding and making this one. It has become in high enough favor to enter our normal rotation.

The chicken is very basic, but the sauce makes the dish. It has a flavor I would not have predicted from the ingredients list. It is very complex and aromatic with just enough acid from the vinegar. Serve over a bed of basmati rice with grilled pineapple. As I sit here entering the recipe at 8:55 am, I am hungry just thinking about it. Warning, this is a weekend meal. The sauce takes quite a bit of preparation.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 shallots, diced
4 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves separated
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped with seeds
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock or canned broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 pounds boneless chicken breasts and thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 scallionsMake the sauce by melting butter in a skillet. Cook shallots and mushrooms until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add cilantro stems and 1/2 the leaves, jalapeno peppers, and cumin, lower heat and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Turn heat to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and return to a boil. Remove from heat. Puree in a blender, strain, and return to heat.

Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl. Pour one cup pureed sauce into egg mixture to temper. Then combine egg mixture and puree, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick and smooth. Keep warm.

Preheat broiler or prepare grill. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper, since sauce will be spicy. Mix oil and lime juice in a small bowl and brush chicken and scallions with it.

Broil or grill thighs about 12 minutes, breasts about 9 minutes, and scallions about 2 minutes per side. Always grill chicken skinside down first.

Arrange grilled chicken over a bed of Basmati Rice and spoon sauce over all. Garnish with the remaining cilantro leaves and scallions, and serve immediately.

Pan Fried Fish

2008-02-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, I have noticed that dudes love Alton Brown. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a lot of his recipes too, but I can think of several guys who don't cook much and don't watch cooking shows, but love that guy. It's got to be his flame-painted mixer. It speaks to their testosterone.

Anyway, Bernardo originally picked this recipe and it has become a favorite. We usually use rainbow trout, but you can really use your fish of choice. We usually serve with broccoli and rice pilaf or cous cous.

Ingredients
1 large or two small skin-on fish fillets, about 8 ounces (rainbow trout, small salmon, brown trout)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoon Canola oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons capers, drained
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions
Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat.

Season fish on meat side with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. When pan is good and hot, add Canola oil followed immediately by 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as foaming subsides, place fish in pan with the skin side down. Jiggle pan for the first 10 seconds to keep the fish from sticking. Cook until golden crust forms on meat. Carefully turn fish away from you and again jiggle pan for the first few seconds. Cook until skin turns golden brown. Remove to a warm plate.

Pour out the cooking fat, add remaining butter and quickly fry the capers. Remove pan from the heat, add lemon juice to pan and swirl. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

Pasta Puttanesca

2008-02-11T12:58:00.001-08:00

Saw this recipe on Ellie Krieger's "Healthy Appetite" on the food network about a week ago. Made it, loved it. I don't know how closely it resembles the traditional Italian version, but it was great. It could be made vegetarian if you omit the anchovie paste. Just maybe add a little extra salt (not too much because the olives and capers are salty).

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably "no salt added"
3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula
1/4 cup grated ParmesanBring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.

Instructions

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional analysis per serving	Calories: 283
Total fat: 6 grams	Saturated fat: 2 grams
Protein: 12 grams	Carbohydrates: 47 grams

Pear, leek and gruyere turnovers

2008-02-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Bon Appetit via the Savory notebook. It is really really yummy. I used the spiral method as described in the savory notebook to utilize all of the puff pastry and because it seemed like less work. One recipe was not quite enough for a crowd, so I would recommend doubling the filling if you're cooking for more than four people.

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped leeks
1 6-7-ounce firm but ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese, packed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until leeks begin to brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in pear and sugar. Increase heat to medium; sauté uncovered until any liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; cool. Stir in cheese and chives.

Place puff pastry sheets on work surface. Using a 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan or bowl as aid, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet. Roll out each pastry round to 5-inch circle. Place leek mixture on half of each pastry round, dividing equally. Brush pastry edges with egg glaze. Fold pastry over filling, pressing to adhere. Press edges with fork to seal. Brush turnovers with egg glaze. Pierce pastry in several places with toothpick. Place on baking sheet. Chill 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400º. Bake turnovers until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.

Chicken in Tangy Escabeche of Caramelized Onions, Carrots, and Jalapenos

2008-01-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, this is what we're having for dinner tonight. This recipe is from our favorite American-born Mexican cuisine chef, Rick Bayless (Everyday Mexican). It's always funny to me that my husband is native Mexican, and we go to a white dude from the midwest for authentic Mexican recipes. Anyway, we love this recipe because it is easy, heathy, and has an awesome balance of sweetness, spicey-ness, and acidity. It's one of our weeknight go-to recipes. We serve this with roasted red potatoes.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Salt
3 (2 pounds total) chicken breast halves, bones and skin intact
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 large white onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 large carrots, peeled if you wish and sliced 1/4 inch thick on a diagonal
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar is traditional)
2 to 4 canned pickled jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions
1. In a small bowl, combine the black pepper, allspice, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the chicken breasts.
2. Heat the oil in a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Lay in the chicken, skin side down, and cook, turning once, until richly browned, 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.
3. Add the sliced onion and carrots to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is browned, abut 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute, then add the remaining seasoning mixture, the vinegar, jalapenos and broth.
4. Nestle the chicken pieces skin side up in the onion mixture, cover the skillet (a cookie sheet works if your skillet doesn't have a lid) and simmer gently over the medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Taste the broth, and season with additional salt if you think it’s appropriate.
6. Transfer a piece of chicken to each dinner plate, spooning a generous portion of the juicy vegetable mixture over the top. Dinner’s ready.

(Photo is from www.greatfood.ie)

Pork in Balsamic Vinegar

2008-01-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite favorite favorite pork recipe. My mother has been making it for years, and when I was in college, she typed up the recipe for me and printed it out on her dot-matrix printer so I could make it for myself. I never knew the source until this Christmas. I was laying in bed while at my parent's house, reading a cookbook (yes, I read cookbooks...in bed....it is strange) and came across the recipe. It was in one of Mary Ann Esposito's cookbook. My mom used to watch her cooking show, Ciao Italia, on PBS when I was a kid. Her recipes RULE, so I highly recommend her. Here is Maiale con Aceto Balsamico.

MARINADE
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1/2 cup Colavita™ Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup dry white wine (preferably Frascati)

To make the marinade, in a skillet, combine the onion and cider vinegar and simmer until the onion is soft. Add the rosemary, sage, parsley, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, peppercorns, and extra-virgin olive oil. Stir well, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels and rub it all over with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

In a frying pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Transfer the meat to a baking dish and add 1/3 cup of the wine to the dish. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked to 155º to 160ºF. Midway through the cooking, add the remaining 1/3 cup wine to the pan.

Transfer the meat to a deep nonmetal dish just large enough to hold it. Pour the marinade over the meat, and let it marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or up to 3 days.

Bring the meat, in the marinade, to room temperature before serving. Cut it in thin slices, arrange on a serving platter, and spoon some of the marinade over the slices.

Note: This dish can also be reheated in the marinade and served warm. Either way, it is a winner.

This recipe is from CIAO ITALIA by Mary Ann Esposito, published by William Morrow and Company Inc., in 1991.

Carrot Cake

2007-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

I made this for Bernardo's birthday a couple years back. There is a lot of oil in it, but I don't make cake to be healthy. I found the recipe on epicurious.

Ingredients

Cake
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups finely grated peeled carrots (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (about 1/2 ounce)
1/2 cup raisins
Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots, chopped pecans and raisins.

Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer. Spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Using icing spatula, spread remaining frosting in decorative swirls over sides and top of cake. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.) Serve cake cold or at room temperature.

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples

2007-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

I like this stuffing recipe a bit better than the roasted veggie recipe. I think it provides better balanced flavors, but it obvioulsy is not vegetarian. I'm going to make this for Christmas this year. This is from the Food Network.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter,
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon rubbed sage, crumbled
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
4 cups cornbread croutons
4 cups white bread croutons
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brown sausage in an ovenproof saucepot that has a lid. With a slotted spoon, remove sausage from the pot and pour out the drippings. Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, until softened. Add apple and cook, until softened. Add herbs and stir. Return sausage to pot. Add croutons and chicken broth and bake stuffing in the oven at 375 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Corn Bread Dressing with Roasted Fall Vegetables

2007-12-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

I made this stuffing for Thanksgiving. We had some vegetarians coming over, so I wanted to pick on that could be made vegetarian. I also love roasted vegetables, so thought this would be good for two dishes in one. It was delicious, but maybe a little sweet. Don't let that deter you in trying this. Nothing beats roasted vegetables. I use Jiffy Cornbread mix for the corn bread, but you could make from scratch or buy pre-made. To make vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Ingredients
1 10-ounce bag pearl onions
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices peeled carrots (about 3/4 pound)
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices peeled parsnips (about 3/4 pound)
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled rutabagas (about 3/4 pound)
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
1 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried crushed rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes Cornbread for Dressing
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Directions
osition 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Cook onions in small saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes; drain. Cool slightly; trim and peel. Place onions, carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1/3 cup oil over and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Place mushrooms and garlic on another rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with remaining 1/3 cup oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast root vegetables until tender and brown around edges, stirring every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Roast mushrooms and garlic until tender, stirring once, about 30 minutes. Place root vegetables and mushrooms in large bowl. Place garlic in small bowl; mash with fork until pureed. Add pureed garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage to vegetables; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Vegetable mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool vegetables, cover, and chill. Bring mixture to room temperature before continuing.

Place cornbread cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Let bread cubes stand at room temperature to dry slightly, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2- inch oval baking dish. Add cornbread cubes to vegetables; toss to distribute evenly. Add eggs; toss to coat. Drizzle with melted butter; toss to coat. Add broth and stir to combine (mixture will be very moist). Transfer mixture to prepared dish.

Bake dressing uncovered until lightly browned and crisp around edges, about 45 minutes.

Chicken Caesar Salad

2007-12-19T11:04:00.001-08:00

Technically speaking, this is not a traditional caesar salad. There is no raw egg or anchovies in the recipe, but the vinagrette works really well. It's a much healthier version of the salad as it gets its creaminess from emulsifying the mustard with lemon, worcestershire, and olive oil and then mixing it with some parmesan. The saltiness of the anchovies is substituted by worcesteshire, which has anchovies in it (Sorry to the vegetarians who had been eating wocesteshire under the belief that it is vegetarian. It is not.)

You won't believe how yummy this is. Everytime we make it, Bernardo and I say "Holly Cow. How can a salad be so delicious?".

FYI, Bernardo is credited with finding this recipe in Cooking Light.

Ingredients
Salad:
1 (2-pound) whole roasted chicken, skinned
11 cups torn romaine lettuce (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 cup red bell pepper strips

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 cups plain croutons
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
To prepare salad, remove chicken from bones; shred with 2 forks to measure 3 cups meat. Combine chicken, lettuce, and bell pepper in a large bowl.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine oil and next 7 ingredients (oil through garlic) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Pour over salad; toss well. Sprinkle with croutons and cheese; toss gently to combine.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

2007-12-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Technically speaking, I do not use a recipe to make mashed potatoes. However, this recipe from Gourmet resembles what I usually improvise as the most delicious mashed potatoes on the face of the planet (providing you use enough butter and salt). Most importantly, it's got a description of the proper mashed potato method.

Ingredients
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (preferably large)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup whole milk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Special equipment: a food mill fitted with medium disk, or a potato ricer

Directions
Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and add 5 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes in a colander, then return to pan and cook over moderate heat, shaking pan occasionally, until dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and keep hot, covered. Heat milk, butter, white pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in saucepan over moderate heat until butter is melted.

Force potatoes through food mill or ricer into hot milk mixture in pan and gently stir with a large heatproof rubber spatula just until combined.

Cajun Jambalya

2007-12-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm not normally a huge Emeril fan, but he is the king of cajun so I use his recipe for Jambalaya. I purchase the spice mix. Most grocery stores carry his line of spices. Serve with a side of cornbread.

Ingredients
12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
4 ounces chicken, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced
Salt and pepper

Directions
In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Creole Seasoning
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

2007-12-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

I love sweet potatoes. Bernardo does not. This is a recipe that we feel equally enthusiastic about. These were also a favorite of many at my last job as I would bring them to potlucks. Serve with just about any meat. Sweet, spicey, and smokey make for a delicious flavor combination. This comes courtesy of Alton Brown. TAKE NOTE: the instructions call for 1 individual chipotle pepper, NOT a whole can of peppers. Using an entire can would make these almost ineddible. If you are very adventurous, you can use two peppers MAX.

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 whole canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Put cubed potatoes into steamer basket and place steamer into a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of basket. Allow to steam for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add butter to potatoes and mash with potato masher. Add peppers, sauce, and salt and continue mashing to combine. Serve immediately.

Feta Spinach Bites

2007-12-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

I got the idea for this recipe from a cooking light recipe, but simplified it significantly. I love spanikopita, but HATE dealing with phyllo sheets. I found nifty little pre-formed phyllo cups in the freezer section of my grocery store and began making these. This is another one of my standard recipes when I want to take an appetizer to a party.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 generous pinch salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 10 oz. packaged frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 large egg, beaten
1 box (15) Athenos phyllo cups
1 container crumbled feta cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat
3. Saute onions until translucent
4. Add garlic, cook 1 minute
5. Add thawed, dried spinach and salt, saute 3 or 4 minutes until heated through
6. Transfer spinach mixture to bowl allow to cool for 10-15 minutes
7. Add egg to spinach mixture, mix
8. Spoon spinach mixture into phyllo cups, top with crumbled feta
9. Bake until feta begins to brown (15-20 minutes I THINK, but don't really remember, so check them from time to time).

Stuffed Mushrooms

2007-12-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of my go-to recipes when I want to take an appetizer to a party. Goodness knows holiday parties are plentiful this time of year, and I find myself needing an arsenal of recipes. These are extremely simple. They would also make a nice side-dish. I found this recipe on Everyday Italian on the food network.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, mint, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.

Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

2007-12-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

These were common at Christmas time growing up in Pittsburgh. They are simple, buttery treat and aren't extremely sweet. I got this particular recipe from Bon Apetite.

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half; form each half into ball. Wrap separately in plastic; chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and cinnamon in pie dish to blend. Set cinnamon sugar aside.

Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough. (Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature; reserve remaining cinnamon sugar.)

Sift remaining cinnamon sugar over cookies and serve.

Coffee Cookies

2007-12-16T15:27:00.001-08:00

Brandi brought these home from a cookie exchange once. They have quickly become one of my standards.

Ingredients
0.5 cup butter, softened
0.75 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 Tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsp hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
0.25 tsp salt
2 cup flour

Direction
1. Grate chocolate fine, set aside
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Mix in egg, blending well.
4. Stir in dissolved coffee, vanilla, and grated chocolate.
5. Mix salt into flour.
6. Stir flour into wet ingredients, knead briefly.
7. Form unchilled dough into 2 inch balls.
8. Place 4 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Bake at 350 in to 1/3 of oven 10-12 minutes, until edges are slightly dark.
10. Smoosh down warm cookies with spatula and then cool.

Butterscotch Treats

2007-12-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

These are a yummy no-bake cookie that I usually make during the holidays. They're a big hit with the nephews. I got the recipe from Brandi.

Ingredients
12 oz. butterscotch morsels
7 oz. dry roasted peanuts
4 TBSP peanut butter
5 oz. can chow mein noodles

Directions
Heat morsels and peanut butter until smooth.
Add noodles and peanuts to mixture.
Spoon onto wax paper.
Let cool.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2007-11-11T15:04:00.001-08:00

I got this recipe from my former co-worker, Kelly. These cookies have a very cake-like texture and are not particular sweet. Think pumpkin pie flavored scone-cookie hybrid.

Ingredients
Cookies
1 stick room temperature butter
1 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 C packed canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Icing
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 C powdered sugar
1 TBS packed pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Cream butter and sugar
3. Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla to butter and sugar
4. In a separate bowl, wisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon
5. Mix flour mixture with wet ingredients adding a little bit at a time.
6. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Bake 10-15 minutes (until tips get a little brown)
8. While cookies cool, mix together icing ingredients.
9. Ice cooled cookies.

Vegetabe Stew

2007-11-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

I don't always love Rachel Ray, but I really like this recipe. I like the potato pancakes that are in the original recipe, but they sort of push it beyond the quick category. So, I usually make this and serve on a bed of plain couscous.

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound, 16 to 20, crimini mushrooms, halved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can chick peas, garbanzo beans, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, in puree
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

In a medium pot over moderate heat saute garlic and mushrooms in extra-virgin olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add zucchini and onion to the pot and season vegetables with salt and pepper. Saute another 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, tomato and chopped rosemary. Bring stew to a bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

The BEST Apple Pie

2007-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

I originally got this recipe from my college roommate Robin. She is an incredible baker. This is the best apple pie you'll ever eat, and the crust is much easier than a normal pie crust. Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

This is from the September '96 issue of Bon Appetit (Apple Pie Hubbub with Cinnamon Streusel Topping)

Crust:
6 oz (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
1.5 oz (6 tbs) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
7 1/4 oz (1.5 c) flour

Filling:
2 lbs baking apples, peeled, cored, cut into .5" slices
1/4 c sugar
3 tbs butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
5.5 oz (1 1/4 c) flour
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
5 oz (1 1/4 sticks) chilled butter, cut into small pieces

For crust: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first four ingredients in large bowl, beat until fluffy. Add flour, beat just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Press dough over bottom and up sides of 9" pie pan. Freeze until firm, about 10 min.

Bake crust 10 min. Using rubber spatula, press up sides of crust if beginning to fall. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 20 min. longer. Cool completely on a rack.

For filling: Toss apples with remaining ingredients. Transfer filling to crust, mounding in center.

For topping: Mix all but butter in medium bowl. Using fingertips, rub in butter until moist clumps form. Sprinkle topping over filling, pressing gently to compact.

Bake until topping is golden and apples are tender, covering crust edges with foil if browning too quickly, about one hour. Cool to room temperature.

Tortilla Soup

2007-11-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

A Mexican Recipe from a German you ask. Yes, this soup is delicious. Be sure to add all of the garnishes. You can make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken stock with a good vegetable stock and omitting the chicken breast. I blend the soup using an immersion blender.

Ingredients
2 ears fresh corn, husks removed
4 or 5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 small onion (about 3 ounces), peeled, trimmed, and quartered
1 small jalapeno pepper, trimmed and seeded
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
2 large ripe tomatoes (1 pound), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 quarts chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
2 corn tortillas
1 ripe avocado
1 large chicken breast, cooked, boned, and skinned
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Using a large knife, carefully scrape the kernels off the corncobs and set aside, reserving the cobs.

Using a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or a large knife, coarsely chop the garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper, and corn kernels. Reserve.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil. Add the squares of tortillas and cook over low heat until they are slightly crisp. Stir in the chopped vegetables and simmer just until the vegetables are coated with the oil. Do not brown.

Add the tomatoes, the tomato paste, and 2 teaspoons of the cumin and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes to maximize the flavor. Slowly pour in the stock, add the corncobs, and cook over low heat until the soup is reduced by one third.

Discard the corn cobs and puree the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor until smooth. At this point, the soup can be passed through the fine strainer, if desired. Return to a clean pot and season with salt, pepper, and additional cumin to taste.

Prepare the garnish: Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the tortillas into thin strips and arrange on a small baking tray. Bake until the strips are crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel and dice the avocado. Cut the chicken into thin strips.

To serve, add the chicken and avocado to the soup and reheat over low heat. Ladle the soup into 6 to 8 warm soup bowls and garnish with the baked tortilla strips, Cheddar cheese, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Balsamic-Glazed Tuna

2007-10-28T15:15:00.001-07:00

My friend Meagan always teases me about my balsamic vinegar obsession. I am borderline obsessed. Balsamic is a great way to add low calorie zing to anything from bread to salad to meat to strawberries. This is my favorite way to prepare Tuna. I like to buy Ahi and prepare it a bit rare to retain moisture. Serve with rice and steamed snow peas.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 1/4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions

Preparation

Place a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle pepper and salt over fish. Place fish in grill pan; cook 3 minutes on each side until medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.

Combine broth, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon glaze over fish; top with green onions.

Chicken with Lemon-Caper Sauce

2007-10-28T13:43:00.001-07:00

This is one of our standbys. Fast, yummy, and healthy.

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1/3 cup extra-dry vermouth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper evenly over chicken. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from skillet. Set aside; keep warm.

Add 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, vermouth, lemon juice, and capers to skillet, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 2 minutes). Stir in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken.

4 servings

Thai fish curry

2007-10-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

As a quick after work meal, I will frequently make Thai curry. In that case, I buy jarred red or green curry paste, cook some protein in it, add coconut milk and some veggies and finish cooking. In this recipe, you make your own curry paste, which really is much more yummy. It's better than the thai curry you'll get at your local Asian fusion restaurant (though not as good as a really authentic restaurant). I usually use any firm white fish that looks good. Serve with my favorite, jasmine rice. FYI, this recipe only makes two servings.

Ingredients
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro stems
2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass (from bottom 6 inches of stalk)
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 large garlic cloves, halved
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 pound 1 1/2-inch-thick sea bass fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup bottled clam juice
Minced fresh cilantro
Freshly cooked rice

Preparation
Blend first 8 ingredients in processor to dry paste, stopping frequently to scrape down sides of work bowl. (Paste can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.) Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
2 rounded tablespoons spice paste; stir 1 minute. Add fish and cook
2 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs. Add coconut milk and clam juice and simmer until fish is cooked through, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer fish to plate. Boil liquid until reduced to thick sauce, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Return fish to sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad

2007-10-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

We made this salad from Food and Wine magazine's website last week using shredded grocery store rotisserie chicken, so it came together really quickly. I substituted romaine lettuce for nappa cabbage as I'm not a cabbage fan. I just loved it. Next time we make this, I'll probably buy rice paper rounds and turn the salad into sumer rolls. To prepare vegetarian, simply omit chicken and substitute fish sauce with soy sauce. It will still be delicious. Brandi if you're reading this, you would love this!

ACTIVE TIME: 45 MIN
SERVES: 4

Chef Way The Banhs like to poach the chicken for this vibrant dish, then toss the salad with a homemade scallion oil.

Easy Way To save time, use store-bought rotisserie chicken and skip the scallion oil; the salad already gets plenty of flavor from the spicy, vinegary dressing and abundance of fresh herbs.

ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 serrano chile with seeds, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Salt
4 cups finely shredded green cabbage (from 1/2 small head)
2 carrots, finely shredded
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (from 1/2 chicken)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

directions

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, water, chile and garlic and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Let the dressing stand for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the shallots on paper towels; reserve the oil for another use. Sprinkle the shallots with salt and let cool.
In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, red onion, cilantro, mint and shredded chicken. Add the olive oil and the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the peanuts and fried shallots and serve the chicken salad with lime wedges.

Christy's Vegetarian Chili

2007-10-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am posting this specifically with Nate and Steph in mind. With their busy schedules, their dislike of cooking, and their return to being poor students it hurts me to think of what they are eating these days. I got this recipe from our friend, Christy, and have made it for Nate and Steph. It's number two on their favorite dinner at our house list.

This is very very easy, cheap, and makes a lot of food. You could make this on a Sunday, let it cook while your studying, and have home cooked food for the first half of the week. Plus, there are so many flavor packed ingredients in this dish, you can omit anything you don't have or like.

Thanks for the recipe, Christy!

(makes ~ 5 quarts)

Ingredients

1/4 C olive oil (or whatever oil you have on hand)
1 C diced green onions
1 C sliced carrots
1½ C diced white onions
1½ C diced celery
½ C diced green pepper
¾ C black olive wedges (3¼ oz can)
3 C sliced mushrooms
2 C sliced zucchini
2-15oz cans tomatoes+juice
2-15oz cans tomato sauce or puree
½ C salsa
½ C diced green chilies
1-15oz can drained kidney beans
2-15oz cans pinto beans
1 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t chili powder
1 t dried chili flakes
¾ C parmesan cheese
6 oz grated cheddar and jack cheese

Preparation

Saute veggies in oil
Add tomatoes spices and beans cook until hot
You can also put everything in a crock-pot for several hours—flavors will meld and get stronger.
Add cheese before serving.

Slow-Cooked Chicken with Tomatillos, Potatoes, Jalapenos, and Fresh Herbs

2007-10-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is another one of Rick Bayless's recipes from Mexican Everyday. If you are at all interested in authentic Mexican cuisine, I encourage all of you to buy this cook book. Rick Bayless has been traveling Mexico for decades learning of their regional cuisines. This book is his attempt to pair down the traditionally labor intensive dishes to dishes that are accessible to the home cook. Being a bit of a health nut, all of his dishes are very nutritious.

I'm a little bit ill right now with a cold, and this dish is exactly what I needed. Being one of the few slow cooker recipes I truly love, it is low maintenance and perfect for a weekend dinner. Also, the consistency of the dish ends up as somewhat of a thick stew. I love the balance of the tangy tomatillos with the rich chicken thighs, sweet onions, and velvelty texture of my favorite potato, the yukon gold.

It's time to bust out your crock pot and MAKE THIS DISH.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1.5-2 lbs. skinless chicken thighs (bone in or out)
1 cup cilantro leaves or 1/3 cup epazote leaves
4 medium red skin or yukon gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I use yukon gold)
1 1/4 lbs. tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup sliced canned or jarred pickled jalapenos
2 TBLSP jalapeno pickling juice

Preparation
1. Spread the onion over the bottom of a slow-cooker. Sprinkle with salt.
2. Continue with layers of the potato slices, chicken thighs, cilantro or epazote, and then tomatillow sprinkling salt evenly over each layer before moving to the next (this is the only salt in the dish, so make sure to add enough).
3. Scatter the jalapeno slices over everything, then drizzle on the pickling juice.
4. Cover and slow-cook on high for 6 hours.

Marinara Magnifica

2007-09-27T19:31:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite spaghetti sauce in the world. It is rich, tangy, a little bit sweet, and a little bit spicey. It cooks for a long time, but prep is easy which makes it perfect for a Saturday or Sunday. The recipe makes alot, so I usually freeze batches to thaw and reheat. You'll never want to return to jarred sauce again. (Source, Alysha via Cooking Light)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sugar. Cook 30 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Tangy Chicken Fajitas

2007-09-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is from allrecipes.com. It is one of a small handful of recipes that Bernardo found and makes himself. Authentic? No. Delicious? Yes. This is one of our go-to recipes. In reality, we don't marinate it for more than 20 minutes as it is usually an after-work meal. We serve with a full buffet of toppings: cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, rice, and sour cream.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 (.7 ounce) packages dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced

DIRECTIONS

In a large glass bowl combine the oil, vinegar, lime juice, and dry salad dressing mix. Mix together. Add chicken strips, onion and bell pepper. Cover dish and refrigerate. Marinate for 3 to 6 hours.
In a large skillet, heat oil. Remove chicken, onion and bell pepper from marinade and saute in oil until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear) and onion is translucent.
Serve on warm flour tortillas with toppings.

Scampi on CousCous

2007-09-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I've made many many times from my favorite food tv chef, Giada Delaurentis of "Everyday Italian". I don't love most of the chefs on the food network, but her food is generally quick, easy, heathful, and delicious. this dish is no exception. The couscous can be a little bit labor intensive, but the flavor is unbelievable. The dish is tangy, light, and complex. Being that I am familiar with the recipe, I purchase ez peel shrimp, and owning a submersion blender to blend the couscous broth, it takes me only about 35 minutes to make the dish. Just do-able after work. The couscous is also a great way to sneak veggies into a finicky child or spouse.

Scampi on Couscous

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed, plus 2 garlic cloves minced
2 (8 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes in their juice
1 (8ounce) bottle clam juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
2 cups plain couscous
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnishIn a large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When almost smoking, add onion, carrot and 1 clove smashed garlic and saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, clam juice and white wine. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Carefully pour tomato mixture in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if needed - you want to end up with a broth. Check for seasoning.

Return broth to the pot. Add 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 2 cups couscous. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let rest for 10 minutes, allowing the couscous to absorb all the liquid. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the 2 cloves of minced garlic. Heat the oil, making sure not to burn the garlic. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stirring occasionally, cook the shrimp until they start to turn pink, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp or they will become tough. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, red pepper and chopped parsley. Check for seasoning.

To serve, mound the couscous in the center of a platter and top with the shrimp.

Natalie's Special Shrimp Pasta

2007-09-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

I created this pasta dish as an homage to my favorite pizza at Brixx in Chapel Hill. I felt like having the ingredients one night, but didn't feel like making pizza dough, so I decided to turn it into a pasta sauce. I usually just kind of throw it together, so do not take the amounts listed literally. Do, however try it as it is quick and delicious. So delicious that I have no picture. We ate it too quickly. You can also omit the shrimp if you are a vegetarian. The goat cheese will melt over the hot pasta and make a creamy sauce.
Ingredients
1 lb pasta (I use whole wheat spaghetti)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup roasted red peppers chopped and drained
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
1/2 - 1 pound shrimp shelled and deveined (I buy ez peel for ease)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (less or more depending on how spicy you like it)
Salt (preferably kosher)
goat cheese (small log)
2-3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
Preparation
1. Bring large pot of water to boil, salt liberally
2. Add pasta
3. While pasta cooks heat olive oil in very large skillet over medium high heat
4. Add sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes and large pinch of salt-cook 2 or three minutes
5. Add shrimp, cook about 2 minutes until JUST opaque, reduce heat to medium
6. Pasta should be 1-2 minutes short of being done
7. Strain slightly undercooked pasta (reserving some pasta water) and add to skillet and toss with peppers, tomatoes, and shrimp
8. Spoon in 2 or 3 ladles (2 cups) of pasta water skillet
9. Finish cooking pasta with peppers, tomatoes, and shrimp until liquid has been absorbed
10. Remove from heat
11. Crumble goat cheese and basil over pasta and mix well
12. Serve and garnish with parmesan if you so desire

Roasted Vegetable Panzanella

2007-09-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Roasted Vegetable Panzanella is probably in my top 3 favorite recipes. I made it first for Nate and Steph. It is rather time consuming, so it is really a weekend dinner, but worth every moment of preparation. SOOOO Good. Using good bread and cheese is key. I usually use regular balsamic b/c that's what I have on hand and I never chop capers. Why chop capers, they are already so small.

1 large garlic clove
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 (12-inch) lengths of crusty baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes (12 cups)
3/4 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (preferably white)
3 tablespoons capers (packed in brine), rinsed, drained, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (19-oz) can cannellini beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 lb lightly salted fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/3-inch dice
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Arrange oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife, then transfer to a small bowl and add 1/2 cup olive oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well. Put bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoons garlic oil, tossing to combine, then divide bread between 2 large shallow baking pans, arranging in 1 layer. Toast in oven, stirring once or twice, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave oven on.

Gently toss tomatoes with 1 tablespoon oil (not garlic oil), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then arrange in 1 layer on a large shallow baking pan. Toss green beans in same bowl with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, then arrange in 1 layer in another large shallow baking pan. Roast vegetables, switching position of pans halfway through roasting and shaking pans once or twice, until tomatoes are very tender but not falling apart and beans are just tender and browned in spots, 12 to 16 minutes. Cool vegetables in pans until ready to assemble salad.

While vegetables roast, add vinegar to remaining garlic oil along with capers, sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and whisk to combine well.

Put green beans, tomatoes (along with any pan juices), toasted bread, beans, mozzarella, and basil in a large bowl, then drizzle with dressing and stir to combine well. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature to allow flavors to develop, then stir just before serving.

Grilled Salmon Vera Cruz

2007-09-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Rick Bayless is one of our favorite chefs, and conincidentally a Chicago restaurant owner (our three regular blog readers and commenters are all IL natives). He cooks classic and updated Mexican cuisine, but not what you think of Mexican. His dishes are frequently light, quick, and flavor packed. Tonight, we made this grilled Salmon which lived up to our expectations of his recipes. We served with a side of grilled quash. I only used 2 salmon steaks tonight, and plan use leftover sauce over grilled chicken tomorrow. For you vegetarians, this sauce would be nice over a mixture of grilled summer veggies and a bed of white rice.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the grill and the salmon
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
7 cups diced (1/2 inch) ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup pitted, roughly sliced green olives (preferably manzanillo olives)
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
3 pickled jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
Salt, to taste
6 salmon steaks (7 to 8 ounces each), about 1 inch thick

1. Prepare the sauce: Place oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes, chopped thyme, lemon zest, and half of the olives, capers, and peppers. Simmer briskly, stirring, for about 5 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in 1 cup water and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Cool.

2. Preheat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire and let it burn just until the coals are covered with gray ash and very hot. Reduce the heat on one side of the gas grill to medium-low or set up the charcoal grill for indirect cooking by banking all of the coals to one side, leaving the other half of the grill empty. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill and let the grate heat for 5 minutes.

3. Oil the grill and both sides of each salmon steak; sprinkle fish with salt. Cook the salmon over the hottest part of the grill for about 4 minutes, until nicely browned underneath. Carefully flip over the fish onto the cooler side of the grill; cook 2 to 4 minutes more for medium-rare.

4. Spoon the sauce into a deep platter and nestle the fish in it. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour to bring together the flavors of the fish and the sauce.

5. To serve, sprinkle the fish with remaining olives, capers, and peppers; garnish with the thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 460 calories, 15g carbohydrates, 42g protein, 25g fat, 110mg cholesterol.
Nutritional Breakdown: New Wellness, Richmond, Va

Wecome to my food blog

2007-09-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Welcome to my recipe blog. I don't think I have to explain why I've made this. FYI, I will only post recipes AFTER I've made them and given the Natalie stamp of approval. Bon Appetite.