Friday, September 28, 2007

Japanese Night

Menu:
Edamame with Sea Salt
Salad with Ginger Dressing
Tuna Tartare
Salmon Sushi

I am just going to post about the tuna tartare as that's really the only part of the meal that involved any skill. The salmon looked a bit "iffy" at the supermarket so instead of risking food poisoning, I picked up salmon sushi from a local sushi restaurant to complement the homemade tuna tartare.
This was another Ina Garten original :) The link to the original recipe follows, however on the food network website the serving size is for 50 people. I found my recipe in her "Family Style" cookbook with a serving size for 6-8 people (looks more like 3-4 people...)http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28673,00.html
Review: While I thought the recipe was inherently very good, I felt like it was way too heavy on the lime. Next time, I will increase the soy sauce and decrease the lime juice to see if it improves the flavor.

Tuna Tartare
Serves 6-8

3/4 pound very fresh tuna steak
4 tbsp olive oil
Grated zest of 1 lime
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp wasabi powder
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
6 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
2 tsp minced fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1 ripe Hass avocado
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

The Best Drink Ever!


Cassis a L'eau
(original recipe from Barefoot Contessa http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31987,00.html )

This drink was so good! I saw Ina make it on Barefoot Contessa and couldn't resist trying it that same night...I am a sucker for drinks made with raspberries or currants! It was so refreshing and absoulutely delicious. It reminds me of a drink called Ribena that my sister and I used to drink when we were children in England. Maybe that's why I like it so much!

My modified recipe:
1 ounce of creme de cassis (blackcurrant liquer)
fresh chilled water
ice cubes
fresh raspberries

Put ice cubes in a glass (I used a Riedel "O" wine glass and it was a good size), and pour in the creme de cassis, add water to taste...approximately 3/4-1 cup. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries Enjoy!

I you need even more reasons to try this drink, check out this link http://www.theartofdrink.com/blog/2006/01/creme-de-cassis-may-benefit-your-mental-health.php

Friday, September 21, 2007

Restaurant Quality Dinner



Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto
I really thought this recipe was phenomenal...so incredibly easy...it took about 15 minutes from start to finish, and the end result was restaurant quality in looks and taste. A real keeper! I used pecans instead of almonds, as thats all I had in my fridge and I omitted the tomatoes as I hate them :) As usual, I halved the recipe.
For the original recipe from Giada DeLaurenttis click on the link. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35039,00.html
2 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
2 (4-6 ounce) pieces salmon
2 Tbsp pecans (or almonds)
2 Tbsp purchased pesto
2 tomatoes, sliced (optional)
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 2 pieces of puff pastry. Also, place the 2 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the sliced nuts. 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.

Close But No Cigar

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got the recipe for these cookies from a cooking board (thanks, katie102006). I have to say that while they were very good and very easy to make, they were not the best cookie I have made. In my opinion, the award for the best cookie recipe is a tie between the Mrs. Field's cookie recipe and a recipe a friend gave me....I've never found a cookie recipe to beat these two! Let me know if you would like the recipes!

Ingredients:
- 2 c plus 2 Tbps all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
- 1 c. light or dark brown sugar, packed (I like light for the color)
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
- Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips to taste.
- Roll scant 1/4 cup dough (I do a little more) into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface.
- Place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each dough mound.
- Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes.

Note: I usually hit the 18 min mark and they look underdone, but pull them out. By the time they cool they'll be perfect and chewy.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

My First Slow Food Dinner


I recently became a member of a great organization called Slow Food that promotes the pleasures of the table as well as protecting the heritage and traditions of food. Please check out the link below to see if there is a local chapter where you live!
"Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 (In Itay) to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world." http://www.slowfood.com/

The Wilson Popanoe Avocado Dinner
Menu
Avocado Gazpacho
Bonterra 2006 Viognier

Jumbo Lump Crab Ceviche with Avocado Tartar
Bonterra 2006 Sauvignon Blanc

Plantain Encrusted Hog Snapper with Avocado Salsa
Bonterra 2005 Chardonnay

Chef Ferrer's Berry and Avocado Panna Cotta
Bonterra 2005 Muscat

A Bit of Barefoot Contessa

Parmesan Chicken

This really is the most delicious and easy chicken. However, for some reason I have a fear of over-cooking chicken and as a result, we often find ourselves in the unfortunate situation of sitting down to undercooked chicken...which ultimately puts me in a rage and causes me to have to put the chicken back in the skillet to finish cooking....its a bit of a sore subject, actually! This exact scenario happened with this dish (to no fault of the recipe!). I realize that while I did pound the chicken, I hadn't pounded it thinly enough so the coooking times in the recipe didn't work. The good news is that in the end, the chicken was cooked perfectly and we both really enjoyed our meal. The Lemon vinaigrette over salad greens is the perfect accompaniment. I highly recommend a mix of green leaf lettuce and arugula, as the flavors worked well together.

This recipe is from the "Barefoot Contessa:Family Style" cookbook, but the recipe is also online.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_70294,00.html
I halved the recipe so that is what I am going to give here.

Parmesan Chicken
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 extra-large egg
5/8 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs ( 1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
unsalted butter
good olive oil
salad greens for 3
lemon vinaigrette (see below)

Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts until they are a 1/4 inch thick. Combine flour, salt and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the egg with 1/2 Tbsp water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken breasts with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
Heat 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2-3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken, if necessary. Toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette. Serve with extra grated parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Whisk together.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Rosh Hashanah Dinner

My Dinner Menu
Matza Ball Soup
Roasted Chicken
Sephardic Spinach Patties
Honey-Glazed Carrots
Cinnamon-Apple Cake



I roasted two chickens at 375 degrees F for approx. 1 hour and 40 minutes (20 min/lb), basting every 20 minutes. I stuffed them with lemon halves, onion halves, rosemary, bay leaves and salt and pepper. I used a combo of butter and olive oil on the outside and salt and pepper.

These carrots were really delicious, tender and just slightly sweet. They even worked well in leftover matza ball soup for lunch the next day along with shredded chicken. This recipe is originally from Faye Levy's International Jewish Cookbook, but I found it in a family cookbook.
Honey-Glazed Carrots
1 lb carrots
1 cup of water
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Combine carrots, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add sugar, honey and oil and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until carrots are very tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Watch so mixture doesn't burn. Add grated lemon rind and remove from heat. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Unfortunately, the pic of the spinach patties didn't turn out so you will just have to take my word for it that they were really good :) I think next time I will use regular bread crumbs as the matza meal had a bit of a funny taste! I used the optional nutmeg and garlic and also added 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese into the mixture, but of course, you can leave that out depending on your adherence to kosher guidelines. Here is a link to the recipe on http://www.epicurious.com/ ( a great recipe website!). http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/233358

Sephardic Spinach Patties (Originally published in: Olive Trees and Honey, 2005 By Gil Marks)
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed, cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry, or 20 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
About 1 cup matza meal or fine dried bread crumbs
About 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges for serving

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and, if using, the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, matza meal, salt, pepper, and, if using, the nutmeg. Stir in the eggs. If the mixture is too loose, add a little more matza meal. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.
2. Shape the spinach mixture into patties 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with tapered ends. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties, turning, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.

Variations
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Cheese (Keftes de Espinaca con Queso): Add 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Muenster, Swiss, Gouda, or Cheddar cheese; or 1/4 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese.
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Walnuts (Keftes de Espinaca con Muez): Substitute 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped walnuts for the matza meal.
Italian Spinach Patties (Polpettine di Spinaci): Add 3/4 cup raisins soaked in white wine for 30 minutes, then drained, and 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts.


The dessert I made is a cinnamon-apple cake that I used to make in grad school. It is a cooking light recipe that is really delicious. It is very moist and has great flavor. I always reduce the cooking time to about an hour and used slightly less sugar.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1571493

Cinnamon Apple Cake
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup (6 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups chopped peeled Braeburn apple (about 2 large)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating at low speed until well blended.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and chopped apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour the batter into an 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
Cut into 12 wedges, using a serrated knife.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Slightly Less Sinful



Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese
(adaptation from a Cooking Light recipe)

I really enjoyed this recipe as it had a more sophisticated flavor that traditional mac&cheese. I'm not a big fan of reduced-fat cheddar, so instead, I used 4 ounces of a full-fat cheddar, monterey jack, and colby blend and 1 ounce of asiago. I would have liked the cheese flavor to be a bit more pronounced, so next time I will experiment with more pungent cheeses....I'm thinking of even using a bit of blue cheese. I used about 1/2 cup less pasta as I was afraid there wouldn't be enough sauce but I probably would have been fine using all of it. A drizzle of white truffle oil would be fabulous in this...I might omit the worcestershire sauce, however.

Ingredients
4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl; toss well.

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 252(29% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 5.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 14.5g; CHOLESTEROL 27mg; CALCIUM 312mg; SODIUM 536mg; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.9g

Spinach + Cheese = YUM!

Spinach and Cheese Timbale
("Cooking with Joy")

This is a healthy, delicious way to get anyone to eat more greens. I am content with half of it for my dinner, but last night we had it with leftover turkey burgers. This recipe takes about 5 minutes to put together but needs about an hour and a half in the oven...which is the only downside. Make sure it gets brown around the sides as thats the best part.

1 cup 1% cottage cheese
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except spinach and blend with an electric mixer. Add spinach and blend thoroughly. Pour spinach mixture into a greased 1-qt casserole dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly.
1/2 timbale = 310 cal, 34g PRO, 14g CHO, 12g F
Serves 2-3.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

A Healthier Burger

Last night, I made corn (see previous post) and tried out a new recipe (thanks, Joelen!) that had great reviews on a cooking board I frequent. Due to a camera failure (ok-human failure!) there is unfortunately no picture....next time I make this I will post one.
I usually find turkey burgers to be rather plain, dry and uninspired. These burgers, however, were great! I think its the cilantro that really makes them special. They couldn't be easier to make. I used extra-lean turkey and my husband commented that while he liked them, he thought they would be even better with a bit more fat so next time I will try lean ground turkey instead.

Cilantro Turkey Burgers
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 half large red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt olive oil

In a bowl, grate onion. This allows it to add moisture to the turkey and even cooking.
To the grated onion, add turkey, cilantro & spices.
Combine thoroughly without over handling.
Shape into 4 patties.
Heat up grill pan or grill.
Add oil to lubricate grill pan/grill.
Cook on grill pan/grill pan until juices run clear.

Monday, September 3, 2007

A New Creation



This weekend, I created a new sandwich that quickly became a favorite!

2 slices rustic white bread
Oven Roasted turkey breast, sliced thinly
Monterey Jack cheese slices
Red onion, sliced thinly
Romaine lettuce
Garlic clove
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and pepper

Toast bread. While still warm, rub both sides liberally with a garlic clove. Layer cheese, turkey, red onion and then lettuce on one slice of the bread. On the other slice, drizzle liberally with olive oil and red wine vinegar and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Serves 1

Best of Both Worlds



We decided to boil the corn for 6 minutes and then rub them with a pat of butter, sprinkle them with salt and pepper (and chili powder if you want a kick) and put them under the broiler to get the great charred flavor we love from the grill. We turned them every few minutes so they got charred all over. Delicious and so quick and easy!
My contribution, however, was just ok for me. I made Tequila-Lime chicken from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook. It had great flavor, but its just hard for me to get excited over grilled chicken anymore. If you love grilled chicken, I recommend you try it and judge for yourself.
Here is the link to the original recipe. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_23368,00.html
Don't worry if you can't find skin-on boneless chicken breasts...just ask your butcher to de-bone some for you.