tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78554039288423858422024-02-20T02:36:45.771-08:00In the Kitchen with NellMy food blog will showcase my culinary successes, flops and everything in between. Follow me as I begin my journey from a beginner cook to(hopefully!)a self-taught pro!Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-15355198481397469212010-05-23T04:23:00.001-07:002010-05-23T04:58:01.448-07:00Braised Leeks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI7DjpFjqmVKSyN_49r3LIQwaRM27S6sZLIk5smj2p9E5MjRJvRVHJSTvnkehqU093ipRlbLi8q-kSFUVU-ol4VBfRy2sMReR1OSrNTvn-HLQ05fc1OknuITQenLILxKltT5WOhRnH4Y/s1600/leeks.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474431460510379698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI7DjpFjqmVKSyN_49r3LIQwaRM27S6sZLIk5smj2p9E5MjRJvRVHJSTvnkehqU093ipRlbLi8q-kSFUVU-ol4VBfRy2sMReR1OSrNTvn-HLQ05fc1OknuITQenLILxKltT5WOhRnH4Y/s320/leeks.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJI7DjpFjqmVKSyN_49r3LIQwaRM27S6sZLIk5smj2p9E5MjRJvRVHJSTvnkehqU093ipRlbLi8q-kSFUVU-ol4VBfRy2sMReR1OSrNTvn-HLQ05fc1OknuITQenLILxKltT5WOhRnH4Y/s1600/leeks.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I am sad to say that until last night I had never braised a vegetable. Wow...was I missing out! D grilled salmon filets and I sprinkled them with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese after they came off the grill and then served them on a bed of braised leeks....let's just forget the salmon as it paled in comparison to the leeks...which were, for lack of a better word, divine!<br />Braising is a slow cooking technique that can be used for meats or vegetables. In the case of vegetables, they are "cooked for short period of time in hot butter or another fat, then simmered partially covered in the cooking liquid until they are soft and the liquid is reduced to a sauce-like consistency." (The Joy of Cooking) This technique yields a deep, creamy and delicious flavor. I seriously could not get enough!<br />D and I both agreed that this would go wonderfully with filet mignon and mashed potatoes...now that would be a luxurious meal!<br /><br />The recipe I used was from a cookbook called "Salmon", by Diane Morgan. I halved the recipe as there were only two of us.<br /><br /><strong>Braised Leeks</strong><br />serves 2<br /><br />2 Tbsp unsalted butter<br />4 medium leeks or 3 large, white and green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1/2 inch slices<br />1 cup low-sodium chicken broth<br />kosher or sea salt<br />freshly ground pepper<br /><br />In a 8 or 10-inch saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the leeks and saute, stirring frequently, until they just begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. (Reduce the heat to low if the leeks begin to darken and get crisp at the edges.) Add the broth, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat so the borth is barely at a simmer, partially cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced and the leeks are very tender, 35-45 minutes. (The leeks should be very moist but not souply at all). Uncover and raise the heat to reuce the liquid, if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-75871276693586720122010-03-26T03:02:00.001-07:002010-03-26T03:13:17.024-07:00Dark Chocolate Bark<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1TzXiOTcptIjCLv2r10Iqw1s0hhAtbcGEwZtz7ZoSMeU_PZHw7Z4a8GtbYEHTm1fr4c-jWsxLSUheyD30CbfHVzr7Ubbel0EBbrm4EM7YxBmYqryGpQ9e0V7Q_b_jJknUiKvQEr_1pg/s1600/chocolate+bark.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1TzXiOTcptIjCLv2r10Iqw1s0hhAtbcGEwZtz7ZoSMeU_PZHw7Z4a8GtbYEHTm1fr4c-jWsxLSUheyD30CbfHVzr7Ubbel0EBbrm4EM7YxBmYqryGpQ9e0V7Q_b_jJknUiKvQEr_1pg/s320/chocolate+bark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452881022507744194" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwhn2HwpmFknPa4hvwoPVqT7O1CR1ntluJmfCmw9QyT_RPPJaN2eDff3vB9wfR8NA3UA4P4vTznzizFGRdyqH-ZMoT6VnGbaIngbBKNsYoxwg5B972hAbkq5SNE-ytld-4jca0MmQ2xA/s1600/chocolate+bark2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlwhn2HwpmFknPa4hvwoPVqT7O1CR1ntluJmfCmw9QyT_RPPJaN2eDff3vB9wfR8NA3UA4P4vTznzizFGRdyqH-ZMoT6VnGbaIngbBKNsYoxwg5B972hAbkq5SNE-ytld-4jca0MmQ2xA/s320/chocolate+bark2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452881130150262962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This was my first dessert post-cleanse. I wanted to make something relatively healthy but still a bit indulgent. This dark chocolate bark loaded with healthy dried apricots and toasted chopped cashews and a sprinkle of good french sea salt did the trick. I kid you not...6 people ate over a pound of this...not one piece left! I think it was the salt and the sweet combo that really put this over the edge!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Winter Dried Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark</span><br />(Adapted from December 2007, Bon Apetit recipe)<br /><br /><div style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;" id="TixyyLink"> <li>1 1lb very good dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips<br /></li> <li>2/3 cup mixed toasted unsalted nuts (such as cashews,walnuts, pistachios, pecans)</li> <li>2/3 cup mixed dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, quartered apricots)</li> <li>6 quarter-size rounds crystallized ginger, thinly sliced ( I omitted this)<br /></li> <li>1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt ( I doubled this)<br /></li><br />Line small baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in medium bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth. Pour melted chocolate onto foil, spreading with offset spatula to thickness of scant 1/4 inch. Scatter nuts and dried fruit over chocolate. Sprinkle with ginger. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Peel off foil. Cut chocolate into irregular pieces. Serve bark slightly chilled.<br /></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-29511452257726473662010-03-26T02:54:00.000-07:002010-03-26T03:01:19.175-07:00Green Drink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD5Bq3htAJutvDw16AQDEfpWHhb3OhnF6duxdRke5UNb97_7FUMVg5Yc95-4qQUplQSXIWD7MDLNKCIMFkd8yMkqN6y2tPQwtnhBC6Afp6JCSm7jMc5AAgmNd8Ldjt1kc3kxLGfvO_qM/s1600/green+juice.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBD5Bq3htAJutvDw16AQDEfpWHhb3OhnF6duxdRke5UNb97_7FUMVg5Yc95-4qQUplQSXIWD7MDLNKCIMFkd8yMkqN6y2tPQwtnhBC6Afp6JCSm7jMc5AAgmNd8Ldjt1kc3kxLGfvO_qM/s320/green+juice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452879947958597746" border="0" /></a>As promised, here is the blended green drink. I also add a splash of freshly squeezed OJ at the end. I like to drink this cold. You can drink half and save the other half for the next day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Blended High Green</span>- for 2<br />(from http://www.artofnourishment.blogspot.com/)<br />Please choose organic and when possible locally grown produce.<br /><br />2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped<br />4 hearty leaves of Laciento kale, torn<br />1 c celery, chopped<br />1/2 apple, sliced (I really like Gala apples. You could also use pears)<br />1/2 lemon, peeled<br />knob of ginger, peeled (you control the kick by how much you use!)<br /><br />Place all ingredients in your blender, add about 2c filtered or spring water. Blend from low to high for about 30 seconds. You can either drink it as is like a smoothie or strain it for a smoother texture.Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-74786920954851896212010-03-20T06:23:00.000-07:002010-03-20T06:43:52.654-07:00The End of The CleanseIt is Saturday morning and my cleanse is officially over! While it was a great experience, I am happy for it to be over! I am ready to start chewing again :)<br />I lost just over 4 lbs, discovered a new appreciation for green juice and am recomitted to my healthy lifestyle. I plan to continue the daily salad and green juice.<br />Here was the menu for the last couple of days:<br /><br /><strong>Day #3</strong><br /><strong>High Green Juice</strong><br /><strong>Pear Nectar-</strong>pear, filtered water, star anise, ginger, raw honey, Himalayan crystal salt<br /><strong>Spinach Salad</strong> with Pumpkin seeds<br /><strong>Orange Gingerade</strong>- orange, ginger, filtered water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt<br /><strong>Beet Ginger Soup</strong>-beets, filtered water, almonds, celery, ginger, cumin, coriander, sea salt<br /><strong>Brazil Nut Cacao Milk</strong>-Brazil nuts, filtered water, raw cacao, lecithin, raw buckwheat honey, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, sea salt<br /><br /><strong>Day #4</strong><br /><strong>High Green Juice</strong><br /><strong>Strawberry Goji Tonic</strong>- strawberries, filtered water, pau darco, goji tea, goji berrie, vanilla, raw honey, sea salt<br /><strong>Spinach Salad</strong><br /><strong>Grapefruit Pomegranate</strong>- grapefruit, filtered water, pomegranate seeds, aloe leaf, lime, raw honey, himalayan salt<br /><strong>Vanilla Almond Milk</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Day #5</strong><br /><strong>High Green Juice</strong><br /><strong>Papaya Nectar-</strong>papaya, filtered water, lime ginger<br /><strong>Spinach Salad</strong><br /><strong>Lemon Goji Gingerade-</strong> lemons, goji berries, filtered water, ginger, flax oil, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, himalayan salt<br /><strong>Cashew Milk</strong><br /><strong></strong>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-62441199693658006432010-03-18T03:07:00.000-07:002010-03-18T03:20:04.986-07:00Juicing with your Blender<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HP-9aK18dpirBsc-KvLpvorwzsDuMa_FDcX9NxRS1iXoUTV6YVJFCMZ66w2SZWK9Ecc6Au-TruLMzWvUObRxcL2jyK-qdJDuyAN0vbeH5w1tnJkljOK72G3x9_BEfdBm7ASsGiFha9o/s1600-h/group_all_colors300.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449916329584594354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HP-9aK18dpirBsc-KvLpvorwzsDuMa_FDcX9NxRS1iXoUTV6YVJFCMZ66w2SZWK9Ecc6Au-TruLMzWvUObRxcL2jyK-qdJDuyAN0vbeH5w1tnJkljOK72G3x9_BEfdBm7ASsGiFha9o/s200/group_all_colors300.gif" /></a> During this cleanse, I've been kicking myself that I sold my champion juicer when I moved....granted it was about 9,000lbs and a real pain to clean but still! The thought of going out now and buying a $5 juice aggravates me!<br /><div>Fortunately, I found out yesterday that you can make great juice in your blender...a regular blender at that! You don't have to own an expensive high-powered Vita-mix. The woman who is running the cleanse realized at the last minute that her juicer wasn't working properly so was forced to use this method for our juices. She actually said she preferred this method as a bit of fiber from the fruits and vegetables are retained and it imparts a nice texture in the juice.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>You need:</strong></div><div>Blender</div><div>fine mesh strainer/nut bag /paint strainer bag ( available at home depot)</div><br /><div><strong>Method:</strong></div><br /><div>1. Take your fruits and vegetables and remove all large pits or seeds and chop up. Remove peel if necessary as well.</div><br /><div>2. Put all into blender with a small amount of filtered water (just enough to get the fruits and veggies to blend)</div><br /><div>3. Turn on the blender and let it whirl!</div><br /><div>4. Once fully blended, pour juice through strainer or bag into a container and voila! Fresh juice!</div><div> </div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-20052771827664248942010-03-17T01:59:00.000-07:002010-03-17T02:27:24.022-07:005 day Cleanse<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5in7_Yn0Vi3Iti1MHtuIpIS9h10rRYDf3q95sUc4PO8eGFHiHJoNbampoM2MzV80i71TXvycz23rIfWP9WkGj3OuA2FoDqh_kY5etKzLvlvQQKLyuPDlpbRRG_uGW0mzSoK7CWLSngXE/s1600-h/broccoli.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5in7_Yn0Vi3Iti1MHtuIpIS9h10rRYDf3q95sUc4PO8eGFHiHJoNbampoM2MzV80i71TXvycz23rIfWP9WkGj3OuA2FoDqh_kY5etKzLvlvQQKLyuPDlpbRRG_uGW0mzSoK7CWLSngXE/s200/broccoli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449531300923998434" border="0" /></a>Well I am back after a couple weeks away...was in Mexico for a week then hurt my back and it was too painful to sit at my computer. I am back now and on day 2 of a 5 day cleanse. All is going well so far. The first day I had a bit of fatigue and nausea in the afternoon but felt fine yesterday and woke up feeling good today.<br /><div>Primarily, I'm doing this cleanse to boost my health and also to reduce my out of control cravings for chocolate. I've also noticed that my taste buds have been craving more salt and sugar so hopefully this cleanse will re-set things a bit and get me back on track.</div><br /><div>An added bonus is that I've lost 3 lbs so far :)</div><br /><div>This cleanse consists of juices, a salad, a raw soup and a nut milk every day. Everything is made fresh daily, is raw and organic!</div><br /><div> </div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > MENU: Day 1</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> #1 <span style="font-style: italic;">High Green Juice</span>: Romaine lettuce, celery, kale, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger, E3 Live</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />#2 <span style="font-style: italic;">Strawberry-Goji Tonic</span>:strawberries, filtered water, pan darco, goji tea, goji berries, vanilla, raw honey, Himalayan crystal salt</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />#3 <span style="font-style: italic;">Spinach Salad</span> with mixed herbs, sunflower sprouts, pumpkin and </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1268816767_10" style="font-family:arial;">sunflower seeds</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />#4 <span style="font-style: italic;">Orange Goji Gingerade</span>: Orange, ginger, filtered water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />#5 <span style="font-style: italic;">Creamy Carrot Soup</span>: carrots, filtered water, cashew, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cardamom, Himalayan crystal salt</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />#6 <span style="font-style: italic;">Cashew Milk</span>: cashews, filtered water, vanilla, lecithin, cardamom, Himalayan crystal salt</span><br /></span> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">MENU: Day 2<br /><br /></span>#1 <span style="font-style: italic;">High Green: </span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">Romaine lettuce, celery, kale, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger, E3 Live</span></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:130%;" ><br />#2 <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; font-style: italic;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1268817396_5">Papaya</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Nectar</span>: Papaya, filtered water, lime, ginger<br />#3 <span style="font-style: italic;">Spinach Salad</span> with mixed herbs, sunflower greens, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1268817396_6">mung bean sprouts</span>, pumpkin<br />and <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1268817396_7">sunflower seeds</span><br />#4 <span style="font-style: italic;">Lemon Goji Gingerade</span>:lemon, goji berries, filtered water, flax oil, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt<br />#5 <span style="font-style: italic;">Zucchini Bisque</span>: Zucchini, spinach, filtered water, pumpkin seeds, chives, parsley, Himalayan crystal salt<br />#6 <span style="font-style: italic;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1268817396_8">Vanilla Almond Milk: </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1268817396_8">sprouted almond, filtered water, lecithin, vanilla, Himalayan crystal salt</span></span><br /><div> </div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-62239830923360280782010-02-21T03:43:00.001-08:002010-02-21T04:00:56.526-08:00Chicken for a Crowd<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Chicken Marbella</span></strong><br />(adapted from The Silver Palate cookbook)<br /><div>serves 8-10 people</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yb6dtdXuZqIJIIG01tFAykvFvKYbxMs4NNEqrA0BoK9hko12tGdsWzeKMwnTUi_pDrm7FJGQ2gv0G-6O6MhvLK3WO21Z2al-NiMa7ugvWCkvTLs4DVPBzjOU2OLSEUIBbKHbmsG_LNk/s1600-h/chicken+marbella2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yb6dtdXuZqIJIIG01tFAykvFvKYbxMs4NNEqrA0BoK9hko12tGdsWzeKMwnTUi_pDrm7FJGQ2gv0G-6O6MhvLK3WO21Z2al-NiMa7ugvWCkvTLs4DVPBzjOU2OLSEUIBbKHbmsG_LNk/s200/chicken+marbella2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440663937126075586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Chicken Marbella is one of those legendary recipes that you always seem to come across...I think it was very popular in the 90's for entertaining as it serves a large crowd and can be prepared the day before. I first had this dish at a high school graduation party.<br /><div>While it wasn't <span style="font-style: italic;">as</span> fabulous as I remembered, it was still very good! However, next time I make it, I would adjust a few things...</div><div>1. cut down on the amount of oregano</div>2. Use a mix of green and black olives and double the quantity<br /><div>3. Double the quantity of prunes<br /><br />I served this with steamed broccoli, and Israeli couscous that I made with half water, and half chicken stock. I then add sauteed shallots and garlic, fresh parsley, lemon juice, salt, pepper and Herbamare seasoning. Delicious!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASwo9yIM_JkqH7uVdpVhecFPCfXt4BrzhH9VRxDYnyupkhblRKvKJHlDIChZ9Ap0y0_f4iciMBJjycpQuGPUMHXzT1MXI6XFnPVEnYOQHX4oBMItC5wLcyc56On4GAbTiqsYFFkF9-34/s1600-h/chicken+marbella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASwo9yIM_JkqH7uVdpVhecFPCfXt4BrzhH9VRxDYnyupkhblRKvKJHlDIChZ9Ap0y0_f4iciMBJjycpQuGPUMHXzT1MXI6XFnPVEnYOQHX4oBMItC5wLcyc56On4GAbTiqsYFFkF9-34/s200/chicken+marbella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440664734876990274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />See below for the original recipe-<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><br />5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved<br />1 bulb garlic, finely puréed<br />1/4 cup dried oregano<br />Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste<br />1/2 cup red wine vinegar<br />1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil<br />1 cups pitted dried plums<br />1/2 cup pitted green olives, or a mix of olives such as Greek, Moroccan, or French<br />1/2 cup capers with about a tablespoon of their juice<br />6 bay leaves<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<span style="font-style: italic;"> (I cut this back from 1 cup)</span><br />1 cup white wine<br />1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Method:</span><br />1. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Cover it with the garlic, oregano, coarse salt and pepper, vinegar, olive oil, dried plums, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Rub the chicken well with the marinade and refrigerate, covered, ideally overnight, but at least for 2 hours. <p>2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.</p> <p>3. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in 1 or 2 large, shallow baking pans and spoon the marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around but not on them.</p> <p>4. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with the pan juices.</p> <p>5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, dried plums, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Serve the remaining pan juices in a separate bowl.</p></div><div> </div><div> </div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-16268125837999681922010-02-14T10:54:00.000-08:002010-02-14T11:23:06.920-08:00Vegetable Chili and Spoon Bread<span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span>I remember eating this dish when I was in elementary school and high school. To be honest, I was never a big fan as the tomatoes grossed me out and I was a tad fearful of the zucchini chunks. Fortunately, my taste buds have gown up slightly...I still pick out oversized tomato pieces but I now enjoy the zucchini and the spoon bread is as divine as it gets. Spoon bread is similar to corn bread but much softer with more of a pudding like texture. I figure that the chili is so healthly that a little spoon bread on the side is a acceptable indulgence.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs9HAC3hRtY2kS1-N-pJKqeSqM_OaqA_p3GLVMkaZmqAYnOrbkpyzH-ew1aELUlb0fYnK_IH9o4TwPWJD4hHI8O3juijy9iLqwu7qa-Z6qSdxSsWELcMeqFNPvMgsjYw9QvmUYaAWozs/s1600-h/vegetablechiliandspoonbread.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438180164883087026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs9HAC3hRtY2kS1-N-pJKqeSqM_OaqA_p3GLVMkaZmqAYnOrbkpyzH-ew1aELUlb0fYnK_IH9o4TwPWJD4hHI8O3juijy9iLqwu7qa-Z6qSdxSsWELcMeqFNPvMgsjYw9QvmUYaAWozs/s200/vegetablechiliandspoonbread.jpg" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Vegetable Chili</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>serves 6</em></span><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />1/2 cup olive oil (very uncessary, I use less than 1/4 cup)<br />2 onions, roughly chopped<br />3 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />2 red peppers, cored, seeded and cut into squares<br />2 zucchini, cut into cubes<br />1 Tbsp chili powder<br />1 Tbsp ground cumin<br />2 14oz cans peeled whole tomatoes ( save yourself the trouble and use 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes)<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />1 15oz can kidney beans, drained<br />1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained<br />1/2 cup chopped parsley<br />1/2 cup chopped coriander<br />2 Tbsp lemon juice<br /><br />-Heat the oil in a deep casserole over moderate heat and add onion, garlic, and red pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and continue to saute for 3 more minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes, roughly chopped, with their juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir in chickpeas and kidney beans.<br />-Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until vegetable are tender. Lastly stir in parsley, coriander and lemon juice to give the dish a fresh taste.<br />- Serve with spoon bread.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Spoon Bread</strong></span><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br /><br />3 cups milk<br />4 oz butter<br />1 cup corn meal<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp sugar<br />3 eggs, separated<br /><br />-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the corn meal, salt and sugar and whisk. Cook for 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then beat in egg yolks. Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold until the mixture. Bake in a buttered dish for about 45 minutes, until risen, golden and crusty. Serve immediately.Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-68853207846492197522010-02-14T10:35:00.000-08:002010-02-14T10:53:36.556-08:00Cherry SquaresI got this recipe a long time ago from a friend's Polish grandmother. These are a cinch to make and are delicious...well honestly, they should be considering the rude amount of butter and sugar in them. Sorry P, I know this doesn't fall into the "clean eating" category but I made them for a Superbowl party so it doesn't count right?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqoc8RaB6pYpp9vjqMbpd6VFlbSYE6133sxeCf8OD0TJFmrFMbUVa4XIuvIFMjRY1gwOyU9DemY2EEzJxwek1WoSMfe3csLy_tlBLyr37nGt-HgNjXPZt5lIzxjDTJJX9P-27vgGqF_E/s1600-h/cherrysquares.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438173689388220754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqoc8RaB6pYpp9vjqMbpd6VFlbSYE6133sxeCf8OD0TJFmrFMbUVa4XIuvIFMjRY1gwOyU9DemY2EEzJxwek1WoSMfe3csLy_tlBLyr37nGt-HgNjXPZt5lIzxjDTJJX9P-27vgGqF_E/s200/cherrysquares.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />1 cup unsalted butter, room temp<br />2 cups sugar<br />4 eggs<br />2 cups flour, sifted<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 14-15oz can sour pitted cherries<br /><br />-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br />-Drain the cherries and set aside.<br />-Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and sifted flour.<br />-Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.<br />-Press cherries into the top ( makes sure to use the whole can!).<br />-Bake for 45 minutes until done.<br />-Sprinkle with powdered sugar.Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-18715656265917520132010-01-21T12:02:00.000-08:002010-01-21T12:40:58.860-08:00Ground Beef Wellington<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHt1Gp2tMquqyqj8x-7zNKueIdKH-LH0Gg1LyRYBANprfdQeaKtgytakmBq3hVmisDlHHP-Az8WG2Heo8OpEOh3QM1NQCAVgDVwEPjybkhE0HXDZhAKJq8Yg68R3D8z1-pWjj7XLFtqg/s1600-h/ground+beef+welington5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 150px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429286243764850546" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHt1Gp2tMquqyqj8x-7zNKueIdKH-LH0Gg1LyRYBANprfdQeaKtgytakmBq3hVmisDlHHP-Az8WG2Heo8OpEOh3QM1NQCAVgDVwEPjybkhE0HXDZhAKJq8Yg68R3D8z1-pWjj7XLFtqg/s200/ground+beef+welington5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div>This is my 2nd recipe from Jamie Oliver's cookbook, "Jamie's Food Revolution". All I can say is YUM!! Basically sauteed veggies and rosemary, a little egg and ground beef wrapped in delectable puff pastry. I have such a weakness for pastry. I got lazy and didn't make anything else to go with it, but a salad and some boiled or mashed potatoes would go nicely.<br /><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Warning:</span></span> This does not reheat well....the meat isn't nearly as nice and the pastry gets a big soggy. It does make a huge amount so unless you are cooking for 4-6 people, I would make individual ones and freeze whatever you don't need. Also, cut back a bit on the rosemary unless you love it! Derry loved it...gave it 5 stars out of 5, but did say you would have to be in the mood for a hearty meal.<br /></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br /><div style="font-weight: bold;">(serves 4-6)<br /></div><strong></strong><div> </div>1 medium onion<br />1 large carrot<br /><div>1 stalk of celery<br />1 potato<br />2 garlic cloves<br />2 portabella mushrooms<br />4 sprigs fresh rosemary removed from the stem and chopped fine<br /></div><div>olive oil<br /></div>very large handful of frozen peas<br /><div>1 lb of ground beef, organic if possible<br /></div>1 large egg (preferably organic/free range), beaten<br />flour, for dusting<br /><div>2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted if frozen<br /></div> <div>Sea salt and pepper</div><br /><div> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and chop the onion, carrot, celery, and potato into 1/4 inch-sized-dice. Finely grate the garlic. Clean and rough;y chop the mushrooms so they are about the same size as the other veggies. Place all the veggies into a large frying pan on a medium heat with 2 lugs of olive oil. Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks, finely chop them and add them to the pan. Saute for 8 minutes or until the vegetables soften an color slightly. Put vegetables in a large bowl and add peas. Mix well and allow to cool completely. Crack the egg into a cup and beat it up. Add the ground beef to the bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper and half the beaten egg. With clean hands, mix well.<br /><br />Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and lay the puff pastry sheets one on top of the other. Roll out the pastry so its roughly a rectangle 12x16 inches. Dust with flour as you go. Turn the pastry do the long edge is in front of you and place the ground beef mixture along this edge. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit88OjTe0I8l_Jhps6v8Fd6CA1Gd9GEf4SQuZPt4JTG43bRh2RQbcLRUP_doqFyWwCnUjAriRDbjNTjitASluTzi0x_vbDtNK-QtCvhq1SveCpIcZcbgT2ok-HtzPvbsZFzJ89TPIGqYs/s1600-h/ground+beef+welington.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 150px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429287710761767074" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit88OjTe0I8l_Jhps6v8Fd6CA1Gd9GEf4SQuZPt4JTG43bRh2RQbcLRUP_doqFyWwCnUjAriRDbjNTjitASluTzi0x_vbDtNK-QtCvhq1SveCpIcZcbgT2ok-HtzPvbsZFzJ89TPIGqYs/s200/ground+beef+welington.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mold it into an even, long sausage shape. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little of the beaten egg. Roll the beef up in the pastry until completely covered. Squeeze the ends together. Dust a cookie sheet with flour and place your Wellington on top. Brush all over with the beaten egg. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClshx5e0EnzUawz5qsQ6w5VcW7vnrIasj4TnVFsy4ZqeIgG-4HsvQsqdpVhzpMKlTmSgRNXDA9PiWiZ_gn3GUMsto8b1SaEdA84Lnwh1rQEr4_t2NQzLx3BsyLdiSOfBney70UsPOXEc/s1600-h/ground+beef+welington2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 150px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429287957842831266" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClshx5e0EnzUawz5qsQ6w5VcW7vnrIasj4TnVFsy4ZqeIgG-4HsvQsqdpVhzpMKlTmSgRNXDA9PiWiZ_gn3GUMsto8b1SaEdA84Lnwh1rQEr4_t2NQzLx3BsyLdiSOfBney70UsPOXEc/s200/ground+beef+welington2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour until golden.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFmFyVcTUOWPcVzsX58YEMn66vAV0n7m3inFb_cTKJC-GhsguYaFbHnHg0SwTLLsM367TPTiFAzM74Tj3bctXyC1cT3NVVUyohl3paJGsy4Ea-348ahWYj-S5nf0T6_wVLR43nTy7wdw/s1600-h/ground+beef+welington3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 150px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429288263699235442" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFmFyVcTUOWPcVzsX58YEMn66vAV0n7m3inFb_cTKJC-GhsguYaFbHnHg0SwTLLsM367TPTiFAzM74Tj3bctXyC1cT3NVVUyohl3paJGsy4Ea-348ahWYj-S5nf0T6_wVLR43nTy7wdw/s200/ground+beef+welington3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_UdWfJUQ-Qn0dNzVJyNTZXyQJ7fesAqzuqjSrbFnrICvuIei3ApDEDwS6nTC4RqKTnLXEW05FxtywTm8LJNG2onqrEhZeyZp8eAnefkOnzQfuTz_INcglEEze2TKWYYOjndmPtITf2w/s1600-h/ground+beef+welington4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; float: left; height: 150px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429288570197730322" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_UdWfJUQ-Qn0dNzVJyNTZXyQJ7fesAqzuqjSrbFnrICvuIei3ApDEDwS6nTC4RqKTnLXEW05FxtywTm8LJNG2onqrEhZeyZp8eAnefkOnzQfuTz_INcglEEze2TKWYYOjndmPtITf2w/s200/ground+beef+welington4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-40467906476546122382010-01-17T14:03:00.000-08:002010-01-18T09:58:50.408-08:00Roast Chicken Dinner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbN6-5yea-cM8dJBZP3HRgWQx2X_bIHlEz51ZCz3kOwAJ_yjCWtpBStsX9mjHGMVprTyuvz1MdNfdMHH-lGcxxFzdPtUG8gLp1X8VyUT67Fj4r40Rxaqk_SQMFaMTWFBIKXtR_V7sows/s1600-h/roast+chicken+dinner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbN6-5yea-cM8dJBZP3HRgWQx2X_bIHlEz51ZCz3kOwAJ_yjCWtpBStsX9mjHGMVprTyuvz1MdNfdMHH-lGcxxFzdPtUG8gLp1X8VyUT67Fj4r40Rxaqk_SQMFaMTWFBIKXtR_V7sows/s200/roast+chicken+dinner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428127260974673954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love a roast chicken dinner. It has to be one of my all-time favorite meals. Which is why its so silly that I have a fear about cooking it. I think my expectations are so high that it paralyzes me!<br />I have tried a number of different methods and I think I have finally found the one I'm going to stick with. I used Jamie Oliver's method from his new cookbook "Jamie's Food Revolution". I made roast chicken, roasted veggies and a damn good gravy! What was so great is that it came out perfectly and was relatively simple. I rinsed, dried and seasoned my chicken that morning...apparently improves the flavor.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Roast Chicken<br />serves 4-6<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients:</span><br />4 1/4 lb chicken, preferably free-range, organic<br />2 medium onions<br />2 carrots<br />2 sticks of celery<br />1 head of garlic<br />olive oil<br />sea salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />1 lemon<br />a small bunch of rosemary<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkG78B_hmxBUuR3y3dolJ_Zn-ffhRQcDB3iiLNZmQVdxhgeOT7GXow5nFCD19cS21Jrxfj6CGefB7YzdltJZ05oh4xDJCEJr7libs0E9HmjfYB8cOiBdfyTgcH5u-HbpzmUkmmx6VSk8/s1600-h/roast+veggies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkG78B_hmxBUuR3y3dolJ_Zn-ffhRQcDB3iiLNZmQVdxhgeOT7GXow5nFCD19cS21Jrxfj6CGefB7YzdltJZ05oh4xDJCEJr7libs0E9HmjfYB8cOiBdfyTgcH5u-HbpzmUkmmx6VSk8/s200/roast+veggies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428126956374661762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Directions:</span><br />Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven<br />• Preheat your oven to 475°F<br />• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them<br />• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled<br />• Pile all the veg and garlic into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil<br />• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird<br />• Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife (if you have a microwave, you could pop the lemon in these for 40 seconds at this point as this will really bring out the flavor)<br />• Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the rosemary <strong><br /><br /></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lfMvdi1kH4YLl-3eBak9paTEzSwDtQ1hiGmW5OvZJ0bKxlM_ayMHroeu8F3JgnPa3xGMB7iuPViNdrJQKE7c4XN-dr1adYf67X5eLgrafHTTensOoY8BJlbo88AKXKPPR0COtkUWCK8/s1600-h/raw+chicken+and+veggies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lfMvdi1kH4YLl-3eBak9paTEzSwDtQ1hiGmW5OvZJ0bKxlM_ayMHroeu8F3JgnPa3xGMB7iuPViNdrJQKE7c4XN-dr1adYf67X5eLgrafHTTensOoY8BJlbo88AKXKPPR0COtkUWCK8/s200/raw+chicken+and+veggies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428127114841587186" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><br /><strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To cook your chicken</strong><br />• Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven<br />• Turn the heat down immediately to 400°F and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 30 minutes<br />• If you’re doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them – get them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking<br />• Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them burning<br />• When cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board and cover with foil to rest for 15 minutes or so<br />• Now is the time to make your gravy<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gravy </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ingredients:</span><br />As well as your roasted veg from the roast chicken recipe, you’ll need:<br />1 heaped dessert spoon plain flour<br />a wine glass of white wine<br />1 liter chicken broth preferably organic<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:<br /><br /></span>• When you come to make your gravy, your chicken will be covered and resting and you’ll have your tray of chicken juices and vegetable trivet in front of you<br />• Using a spoon, carefully remove 90 per cent of the hot fat from the tray by angling it away from yourself and scooping off the fatty layer that settles on top<br />• Put the pan back on the stove over a high heat<br />• Add the flour, stir it around and, holding the tray steady with a tea towel in one hand, use a potato masher to mash all the veg to a pulp – don’t worry if it’s lumpy<br />• You can rip the wings off the chicken and break them up into the tray to add more flavor at this point<br />• When everything is mixed and mashed up, add the alcohol to give a little fragrance before you add your stock (the alcohol will cook away)<br />• Keep it over the heat and let it boil for a few minutes<br />• Pour the stock into the tray, or add 1 liter of hot water • Bring everything in the pan to the boil, scraping all the goodness from the bottom of the pan as you go<br />• Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until you’ve achieved the gravy consistency you’re looking for<br /><br /><strong>To serve your gravy</strong><br />• Get yourself a large jug, bowl or pan and put a coarse sieve over it<br />• Pour your gravy through the sieve, using a ladle to really push all the goodness through<br />• Discard any veg or meat left behind<br />• At this point you’ve got a really cracking gravy, and you can either serve it straight away or put it back on the heat to simmer and thicken up<br />• Depending on which meat I’m serving it with, I’ll add a teaspoonful of horseradish, mustard, redcurrant jelly, cranberry, mint or apple sauce – you certainly don’t have to, but I think the little edge of complementary flavor you get from doing this is brilliant<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roasted Potatoes, Carrot and Parsnips</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Serves 4-6<br /></span>2.5 lbs potatoes<br />6 parsnips<br />6 carrots<br />1 bulb of garlic<br />3 sprigs of fresh rosemary<br />sea salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />olive oil<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions:</span><br />• If you’re cooking these separately and not as with my perfect roast chicken, preheat your oven to 400°F<br />• Peel the vegetables and halve any larger ones lengthways<br />• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled, and bash them slightly with the palm of your hand<br />• Pick the rosemary leaves from the woody stalks<br />• Put the potatoes and carrots into a large pan – you may need to use two – of salted, boiling water on a high heat and bring back to the boil<br />• Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add the parsnips and cook for another 4 minutes<br />• Drain in a colander and allow to steam dry<br />• Take out the carrots and parsnips and put to one side<br />• Fluff up the potatoes in the colander by shaking it around a little – it’s important to ‘chuff them up’ like this if you want them to have all those lovely crispy bits when they’re cooked<br />• Put a large roasting tray over a medium heat and either add a few generous lugs of olive oil or carefully spoon a little of the fat from the meat you’re cooking<br />• Add the garlic and rosemary leaves<br />• Put the vegetables into the tray with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir them around to coat them in the flavors<br />• Spread them out evenly into one layer – this is important, as you want them to roast, not steam as they will if you have them all on top of each other<br />-Put them in the oven 45 minutes before the roast chicken is done. After you take the chicken out, move the veggies to the top shelf to finish cooking for the last 15 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-69714888300977316822010-01-17T12:43:00.000-08:002010-01-17T13:12:20.631-08:00Moroccan Chicken PotpieI came upon this recipe when I was searching for a recipe for B'stilla. A Moroccan dish that I first had at Marrakesh, a fantastic restaurant in Philadelphia. B'stilla is traditionally made with pigeon, however chicken is often substituted. It is a savory pie with a subtle sweetness from the spices and layers of phyllo-like pastry. Seriously...what's not to love?<br /><br /><div>B'stilla is a tad time-consuming so I chose to make this recipe instead as the flavors and concept were similar.</div><div>D and I both loved this dish...I believe he gave it 5 starts ( out of 5!). It's great the next day even though the pie crust isn't as crispy. I doubled the spices as some reviewers suggested and thought it was perfect. I also used regular raisins as I couldn't find golden raisins. Obviously from the picture, I don't quite have the hang of making pastry look nice yet...all things in time.</div><br /><div> </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvMZAZPwrgPDEMxpnRWrRV2bQyBHuACX9nTBBac0BIRHScyBKyznb9HliT7XTHB4L60DJWYMRfXzPp3SVlMTUEJDcN8rJeWu8mTDmRb5qJNklZMocNVr4Sh4G3FBfkXJYTCReYLnvBgU/s1600-h/moroccan+chicken+potpie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvMZAZPwrgPDEMxpnRWrRV2bQyBHuACX9nTBBac0BIRHScyBKyznb9HliT7XTHB4L60DJWYMRfXzPp3SVlMTUEJDcN8rJeWu8mTDmRb5qJNklZMocNVr4Sh4G3FBfkXJYTCReYLnvBgU/s200/moroccan+chicken+potpie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427818947149093394" border="0" /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghmNHXZ9vlUvNsmOjdnk-5Gw3zVHwuA7QlDJa5zrt3Prg8ksm9Vr0rkZF8X_KUG9WSV90q8WGCnFGJAjWsmTqMe0-AfoIzJySdogeJQ9KIBiXOehmEjiYsZAciZO630Po8u5Z9W-QWso/s1600-h/moroccan+chicken+potpie2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghmNHXZ9vlUvNsmOjdnk-5Gw3zVHwuA7QlDJa5zrt3Prg8ksm9Vr0rkZF8X_KUG9WSV90q8WGCnFGJAjWsmTqMe0-AfoIzJySdogeJQ9KIBiXOehmEjiYsZAciZO630Po8u5Z9W-QWso/s200/moroccan+chicken+potpie2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427819165269793506" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Moroccan Chicken Potpie</span><br /></strong></div><em>Adapted from Bon Apetit-December 2007<br /><br /></em>1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes<br />1 teaspoon paprika ( I used 2 tsp)<br />1 teaspoon ground cumin (i used 2 tsp)<br />1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( I used 1/2 tsp)<br />1 lemon<br />3 tablespoons butter<br />1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes<br />1 cup imported green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped<br />1/3 cup golden raisins ( i used regular raisins)<br />2 tablespoons all purpose flour<br />1 cup low-salt chicken broth<br />1 refrigerated pie crust (half of 15-ounce package)<div><em></em> </div><br /><div> </div>Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix chicken cubes with paprika, cumin, and cinnamon in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half; remove seeds. Using small spoon, scoop out enough pulp and juice from between membranes to measure 2 tablespoons. Add to chicken mixture; stir to blend. <p>Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, olives, and raisins. Sauté until onion is almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken mixture and stir 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over; stir 1 minute. Add broth and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Transfer filling to 9-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish. </p> <p>Place pie crust over dish and seal dough edges to rim of dish. Using small paring knife, cut several slits in pie crust. Bake pot pie until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling thickly, about 20 minutes. </p><div> </div><br /><div> </div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-6187964001107832532009-12-02T14:47:00.000-08:002009-12-03T12:52:39.874-08:00Thai Salmon CakesI've been wanting to make this recipe for a while. It's in my new favorite cookbook, "Quick and Easy Thai" by Nancie McDermott. I was originally turned off this recipe though as it calls for canned salmon....I had a bad experience in college with canned salmon when I didn't realise it wasn't boneless and had to throw out an entire pot of salmon curry...wasn't too happy about that. My friend, C, assured me however that the wild salmon that she buys at costco is boneless and skinless and I should have no problem. So off I went to costco today to get the salmon...I also found a 2-pack of organic blue agave nectar for just over $7, a bottle of resveratrol and a bag of ground flax to add to our smoothies....was very happy about that.<br />I thought this was really delicious, quick and healthy! D gave it 5 stars! I served this with steamed broccoli and non-fat greek yogurt mixed with a bit of red curry paste.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJghbBy9Q2YZbnyXMc7aHrT0ER3odsSvRLIDvG0KvtQtPEWtcWsIpVJy7qRcGxmPY5xD09nZ-sSDMapIwhg0Noa-0sjR2tRiwkSD9Ov9MAV5oqJC3ZYwiTs7u5VUxIrMCbypo2ICnhoM/s1600-h/thai+salmon+cakes.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411112567246723250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJghbBy9Q2YZbnyXMc7aHrT0ER3odsSvRLIDvG0KvtQtPEWtcWsIpVJy7qRcGxmPY5xD09nZ-sSDMapIwhg0Noa-0sjR2tRiwkSD9Ov9MAV5oqJC3ZYwiTs7u5VUxIrMCbypo2ICnhoM/s200/thai+salmon+cakes.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />1 -14.75 oz can pink salmon (I used 2-6 oz cans of boneless skinless wild salmon)<br />1/2 cup bread crumbs<br />1/4 cup finely chopped onion<br />1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro<br />1 egg<br />1 Tbsp red curry paste<br />1 Tbsp fish sauce<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp pepper<br />3 Tbsp vegetable oil ( I used coconut oil and you could use much less)<br /><br />-Drain salmon well, place in a medium bowl. Add bread crumbs, onion and cilantro. In a small bowl, stir and mash the egg, red curry paste, fish sauce, salt and pepper until failry smooth. Add to the salmon mixture and combine everything well. Shape into patties and set aside.<br />-Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a bit of the salmon mixture sizzles at once. Gently add half the salmon patties and cook, carefully turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter and cook the remaining patties the same way. Serve hot or warm.<br /><br />Serves 4 ( or 3 if using 2- 6 oz cans)Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-33478482199242075682009-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:002009-11-23T10:49:58.687-08:00Savory PalmiersAs we are hosting Thanksgiving this here, I wanted to make some hors d'oeuvres for people to enjoy with a glass of wine before the main event! I always think that a warm nibble is cheerier so I decided to try out some savory palmiers. It's basically puff pastry filled with pesto or other savory fillings.<br /><div><div></div><div>For the test run, I just used pesto and parmesan cheese. However, when I make then for Thanksgiving, I will add toasted chopped walnuts, goat cheese and maybe some sun-dried tomatoes too. I thought these were delicious but I think they'll be even better with more goodies inside :)</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2carBhBbaFLWrfC0vpzklBPNDSUycHuX6wjznABE6bgW-eCSpSeGMDx4AdS7KHUYWysEfISCv9bdUECVHiR6sWRCXZIQctsbK28SP0U6RcV3b418zIeP5wmo_X_EvwbRCUzGnfr8fa4/s1600/savory+palmiers1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407366254621681890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2carBhBbaFLWrfC0vpzklBPNDSUycHuX6wjznABE6bgW-eCSpSeGMDx4AdS7KHUYWysEfISCv9bdUECVHiR6sWRCXZIQctsbK28SP0U6RcV3b418zIeP5wmo_X_EvwbRCUzGnfr8fa4/s200/savory+palmiers1.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguf5rV1GWdaKWnxlsqmkOGSG8-P4-piwFXC-I6JO4NObohW6t2kKZeeBpldjxJ30kT39IDBOqm7128OnAMhhKLkSQfKY0xjzEd2OyXTP44GVO1seOuEX_egpTG-zNWlynGvWTLM73NRsE/s1600/savory+palmiers2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407366530104149010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguf5rV1GWdaKWnxlsqmkOGSG8-P4-piwFXC-I6JO4NObohW6t2kKZeeBpldjxJ30kT39IDBOqm7128OnAMhhKLkSQfKY0xjzEd2OyXTP44GVO1seOuEX_egpTG-zNWlynGvWTLM73NRsE/s200/savory+palmiers2.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVxHRHYhdq5Yvt2kNQHRd1tzVfZSfBZnmis-i80JtvEZLZi06-noyzdoKMI-4p0GWXCX-Qiwx-6S_q0Vj3g4AXU81GUwy7kDDPyZvTBTUlr5MrhBexVf8mElMqGSoC96N-Dlkg-5RjCM/s1600/savory+palmiers3.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407366668304816802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVxHRHYhdq5Yvt2kNQHRd1tzVfZSfBZnmis-i80JtvEZLZi06-noyzdoKMI-4p0GWXCX-Qiwx-6S_q0Vj3g4AXU81GUwy7kDDPyZvTBTUlr5MrhBexVf8mElMqGSoC96N-Dlkg-5RjCM/s200/savory+palmiers3.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This recipe is from Ina Garten's cookbook, "Back to Basics".<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Ingredients</strong> </div><div></div><div>1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted for 40 minutes ( you should have 2 sheets)</div><div>1/4 cup prepared pesto</div><div>1/2 cup goast cheese, such as montrachet</div><div>1/4 chopped toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)</div><div>1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomaties packed in oil, drained</div><div>sea salt (optional)</div><div> </div><div></div><div>-Lightly flour a board and unroll a sheet of pastry. Using a rolling pin, roll it out to 9 1/2" x 11 1/2".</div><div>-Spread the pastry with half the pesto, cheese, tomatoes, nuts and salt.</div><div>-Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway in to center. Fold each side in again until the edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly.</div><div>- Place roll on a parchment paper or silpat covered cookie sheet, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 40 min. Repeat with other pastry.</div><div>- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.</div><div>- Cut the prepared rolls into 1/4 inch thick slices, and place then 2" apart on the cookie sheet.</div><div>-Bake 14 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-25651905490004389162009-11-20T02:36:00.000-08:002009-11-20T02:54:42.020-08:00Slow Food PotluckI had a Slow Food Board Meeting the other night and we were all asked to bring something for a potluck dinner. As I had a busy day and also had to drive an hour to the meeting, I needed something that would easy to make and get better as it sat. The solution....?<br /><br /><strong>Marinated Raw Kale Salad with Red Onion, Cannellini Beans and Tomatoes<br /></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qezhZZ3zyFlyepL4TRv4czrx6mlKQFShUEyX7sSw4x1kH_HSaF3NpZAwlip8yOq0go6Xdk88LUkolzDnqvz0p8sGUbClViBJl4Jk_n50EOCVRb1J3Ib4TPfZ3apsVOCz9rJO1Ke4IdE/s1600/kale+salad.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406133858372310322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qezhZZ3zyFlyepL4TRv4czrx6mlKQFShUEyX7sSw4x1kH_HSaF3NpZAwlip8yOq0go6Xdk88LUkolzDnqvz0p8sGUbClViBJl4Jk_n50EOCVRb1J3Ib4TPfZ3apsVOCz9rJO1Ke4IdE/s200/kale+salad.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Salad Ingredients</strong>:<br />1-2 bunches of kale, washed, rib removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces<br />3/4 red onion, thinly sliced<br />1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<br />2 plum tomatoes, diced<br />Juice from 1-2 lemons<br />1/4-1/2 cup olive oil<br />sea salt<br />1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (or bragg's)<br />2 garlic cloves, minced<br />pinch cayenne pepper<br /><br />-Put kale in large bowl, and pour lemon juice, olive oil and seal salt over kale. Massage leaves with your hands for a few minutes to allow to salt and lemon juice to soften the kale.<br />-Mix in the soy sauce, minced garlic and pinch of cayenne.<br />-Add beans, onion and tomatoes before serving<br /><br /><br /><em>This can sit for hours before serving as it just gets bettter! It will also last in the fridge for a couple of days.</em>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-41211483829314371232009-11-15T08:58:00.000-08:002009-12-03T12:53:43.630-08:00Fall is Here!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKT8Pr6vO5GM8RfHWYw8MripHQPBpCXFovgMz8iErEoOShS-X8LKcbIi-dPE1rKk9d0h0PfAm3Hx4rMSH8jcv8DQ4P-WBc7IEYaAg3pyJklRVDAXTYfdajES_3xH1O5WIME5yZz1qxKE/s1600-h/pumpkin.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 147px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 141px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411115966678951442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKT8Pr6vO5GM8RfHWYw8MripHQPBpCXFovgMz8iErEoOShS-X8LKcbIi-dPE1rKk9d0h0PfAm3Hx4rMSH8jcv8DQ4P-WBc7IEYaAg3pyJklRVDAXTYfdajES_3xH1O5WIME5yZz1qxKE/s200/pumpkin.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I might not be in New England anymore, and fall in S.Florida only really means that the temperature is in the mid-70's, but that's enough for me to break out my boots and make one of my favorite fall dishes. Pumpkin Barley Risotto with Turkey! I'm not going to repost the recipe as I already did last year but check my earlier post and get ready to add this one to your list of favorites.<br />Tomorrow morning-pumpkin smoothie!</div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-15772972647283680862009-11-15T03:09:00.000-08:002009-11-15T04:05:09.447-08:00For "P"After some prodding from my dear friend, P, who recently started her own fantastic blog (goodcleanfuneating.blogspot.com), I have decided to return to the world of blogging....even if she and I are the only ones that look at each others blogs! So this one is for P, who seems to like a green smoothie as much as I do. It really is a great way to add a extra serving or two of veggies without compromising any flavor of the smoothie.<br />This mornings smoothie is not pretty to look at, which I why I did not take a picture of the end result. It is however, quite delicious and ridiculously high in anti-oxidants.<br />Pics to come as I can't seem to download pictures right now.....<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />unsweetened vanilla almond milk<br />handful organic baby spinach<br />half a banana<br />one packet Sambazon acai puree<br />half a scoop of green vibrance greens powder<br />half a scoop of vanilla Spiru-tein protein powder<br /><br />Blend and enjoy.<br /><br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 96px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 129px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404299765091978258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEMmAJHwg5-kWKveMwTskdBfAOew3-7zva7WWzCy1dqdYVuZKUUYEbSjfNuB9tk-LJ1upFbBSpnchgfsBcwYYaaHZOQZagi8kNoWvDyE55-XKvpU24oVmXwx8E0x3QZ78a4hodxwR82Q/s200/green+vibrance.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div>I love adding green vibrance to my smoothies as its so good for you! A wonderful client gave it to me a few moths ago, after I had complained about the horrific taste of many greens powders. <a href="http://http//www.vibranthealth.us/?p2=/modules/vibranthealth/products.jsp&category_id=86">http://http//www.vibranthealth.us/?p2=/modules/vibranthealth/products.jsp&category_id=86</a><br /><br />I also like adding the acai puree when I don't have a lot of fresh fruit i the house as its a great hit of anti-oxidants. <a href="http://http//www.sambazon.com/products/smoothiePacks/">http://http//www.sambazon.com/products/smoothiePacks/</a></div></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-45143376563862143172009-02-05T10:59:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:49:52.535-08:00Mac & Cheese "Broccolissimo"!This recipe comes from "Macaroni & Cheese" by Marlena Spieler. I am fully aware that there's really nothing healthy about this recipe but the addition of glorious green broccoli made me feel slightly better about my indulgence. This was really very good....creamy and cheesy without being overly rich or claggy. A glass of crisp pinot grigio or two and some roast chicken rounded out this meal nicely. You could make this healthier by doubling the quantity of broccoli and cutting back on the pasta, and you could use whole wheat pasta.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircmD02CeJ4F9qnos-jSaBf748MzvRPkpUcmYhbPUtSQfuflFZCiFICHLRnu0VXBkYcsxbAayDmNuuyMqUvsOtdMb_6uHOnEywcXrvyen_Ezy9I7YRY2CIm_3jB20KuEHkJynMRzR_GQ4/s1600-h/IMG_1901.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299396166354615778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircmD02CeJ4F9qnos-jSaBf748MzvRPkpUcmYhbPUtSQfuflFZCiFICHLRnu0VXBkYcsxbAayDmNuuyMqUvsOtdMb_6uHOnEywcXrvyen_Ezy9I7YRY2CIm_3jB20KuEHkJynMRzR_GQ4/s200/IMG_1901.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJF3fHSCGCbybxPfB0kN_thyphenhyphenWnfakvZh10La9prtIWRR3DyQ3cbyuYKt4PncBBKFmiJYqduhyH2n0dgW7LlxZl3Nly5U9O_xevSIDd5ococb2RAUPnOzEigWKLDU62pL2H6bJP3WrqMM/s1600-h/IMG_1910.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299396166744515570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJF3fHSCGCbybxPfB0kN_thyphenhyphenWnfakvZh10La9prtIWRR3DyQ3cbyuYKt4PncBBKFmiJYqduhyH2n0dgW7LlxZl3Nly5U9O_xevSIDd5ococb2RAUPnOzEigWKLDU62pL2H6bJP3WrqMM/s200/IMG_1910.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA9Rffv8urk6zLxzAegogS96DKHuyHglJFSCeuA1YxUqSlioUfgUv1y0LW94IY5aPt01RjVPkdmdO2eKslAtl6hRLZ8yTG__QScLO13yU6yvdiItUYzdedGgRUAMjEYu5c69t1v9Ov_E/s1600-h/IMG_1906.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircmD02CeJ4F9qnos-jSaBf748MzvRPkpUcmYhbPUtSQfuflFZCiFICHLRnu0VXBkYcsxbAayDmNuuyMqUvsOtdMb_6uHOnEywcXrvyen_Ezy9I7YRY2CIm_3jB20KuEHkJynMRzR_GQ4/s1600-h/IMG_1901.JPG"></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA9Rffv8urk6zLxzAegogS96DKHuyHglJFSCeuA1YxUqSlioUfgUv1y0LW94IY5aPt01RjVPkdmdO2eKslAtl6hRLZ8yTG__QScLO13yU6yvdiItUYzdedGgRUAMjEYu5c69t1v9Ov_E/s1600-h/IMG_1906.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299396170628446658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilA9Rffv8urk6zLxzAegogS96DKHuyHglJFSCeuA1YxUqSlioUfgUv1y0LW94IY5aPt01RjVPkdmdO2eKslAtl6hRLZ8yTG__QScLO13yU6yvdiItUYzdedGgRUAMjEYu5c69t1v9Ov_E/s200/IMG_1906.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Ingredients:</span></strong><br />1-2 heads of broccoli cut into florets and stems into bite-size pieces<br />8 ounces of small shell pasta<br />2 Tbsp unsalted butter<br />2 Tbsp flour<br />2 cups hot, but not boiling, low-fat milk<br />salt to taste<br />dash of cayenne<br />grating of fresh nutmeg<br />8 ounces Appenzeller or similar tasty firm cheese, grated<br />2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, grated<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Directions:<br /></span></strong>Steam broccoli and set aside. Cook pasta in salted water until almost al dente and set aside. <em>(I did both of these things in the afternoon and then popped them in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner)</em><br />In a heavy, non-stick saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook for a minute to get rid of the raw flour tatse. Remove from the heat and add the milk all at once. Stir with a spoon or whisk to remove any lumps. Return to medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg. <em>(I also added pepper)</em> Set aside a few tablespoons of cheese for the top of the casserole and stir the rest into the sauce until melted.<br />Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of a large shallow baking dish, then in layers, add the pasta, broccoli, and the remaining sauce. <em>(I added some sauce as I layers the ingredients just to make sure everything got some cheese!)</em> Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.<br />Bake until hot and bubbling, and the cheese has melted and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. <em>(as the recipe didn't specify what oven temperature to use, I did 350 degrees F then under the broiler for a minute or so to brown in more)</em> Serve immediately.Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-12627132274316303682008-12-20T04:17:00.000-08:002008-12-20T04:52:04.791-08:00Winter Wonderland<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281846069612100290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTgy1m_gvAKdcyCP7c4g_YInECobpuMjF7UaZnCoIdDMZ_sQvJLaaXjFl5OhIOPSSCKya-pPlDMZ2c247fveBU7cIgNoS4dDoOWVCddXWKkzq5WouQEQtXq0XI8SbOhYXfqq2v-_nW1s/s320/IMG_1815.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281846250514232866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhxbHT5ZiRWK-7Mp648rXMq9z-zKwSbHqkZmNJdfYqMgcx-4zyFYVF_Ie-LofQF4xVoKOssPu86Psudot0wCdii4BzheRCSK4Q1V68lu6qrc9dcEie6GT_P771VGOvYrW6hc5ev39sa0/s320/IMG_1820.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281846434354942530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejSl3KMnnl-we65SHpXLlesrZBmj3-pkRiPsFiAn1wOWSmgjL29YpsqIFdc-Bv7CY83WBcnx50Uzs7GjSwQ0i2vJWl-p5RWoEX9NKHKH3Tw01qZCmvgeM3M9BM8HtoEFZH0tQqWeTKHQ/s320/IMG_1821.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div> As I forgot to take pictures of the yummy dinner we made last night, I thought I would entertain you with pictures of the snowstorm instead :)</div><div>Dinner last night was Parmesan-panko baked chicken, oven roasted broccoli and watercress salad with a roasted tomato dressing courtesy of Tyler Florence....I was napping during this part so can't take any credit for the dressing! In fact, to be honest, the only thing I did do was the broccoli! Here are the recipes anyway...The chicken was delicious and perfectly cooked even though it did look slightly anemic....we choose a lower oven temp so the kitchen wouldn't fill with smoke! Check previous posts for the oven roasted broccoli recipe.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Roasted-Tomato Dressing</strong></div><div> </div><div><em>Ingredients</em></div><div>1 pint cherry tomatoes<br />1 clove garlic, smashed<br />Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1/4 cup for the dressing<br /><a class="cimotif" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: green; BORDER-BOTTOM: green 2px dotted; TEXT-DECORATION: none">Kosher salt</a> and freshly ground black pepper<br />1 tablespoon red wine vinegar<br />1 teaspoon sugar<br />Handful fresh parsley leaves<br />2 bunches hydroponic watercress (feathery variety) </div><div><br /><em>Directions</em><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br />Take a roasting dish and lay the tomatoes out with the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and juices are slightly caramelized.<br />Remove from the oven and place in a blender with all the pan juices. Add the red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, sugar, parsley, and salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Set aside to cool. in the refrigerator. Once cool, drizzle the roasted tomato dressing over mounds of watercress.</div><div><br /><br /><strong>Parmesan-Panko Crusted Chicken</strong> (From Ana Pump's, "Summer on a Plate")</div><div> </div><div><em>Ingredients</em><br />3 large skinless/boneless chicken breasts</div><div>3 Tbsp peanut oil</div><div>1/2 cup mayonnaise</div><div>1/4 cup dijon mustard</div><div>1 1/2 Tbsp honey </div><div>1 1/2 cups panko or dry bread crumbs</div><div>2 Tsp kosher salt</div><div>1 tsp black pepper</div><div>1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese</div><div> </div><div><em>Directions</em></div><div>Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (we used 425 degrees F). Brush a metal sheet pan with 1 Tbsp of the peanut oil and set aside.</div><div>Combine the mayo, mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Mix together the panko, salt, pepper and parmesan on a large sheet pan. Cover both sides of the chicken breasts, first with the mayonnaise mixture, then generously coat each breast wuth the panko mixture. Place the chicken on the oiled sheet and drizzle with the remaining peanut oil. Bake 20-25 minutes ( depending on what temperature you choose).</div><div></div></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-59695156709073643132008-12-10T08:15:00.000-08:002008-12-10T08:17:01.508-08:00I'm back :)Exactly 11 months after my last post, I am back! Keep an eye out for more regular posts :)Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-5056784631946777972008-01-10T02:16:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:29:15.109-08:00My Dream KitchenMy dream house is basically Ina Garten's home in East Hampton....however, its her kitchen that I would really love to have one day. It is traditional and functional yet fresh and modern (without being stark) and the green walls are to die for! These are the best pictures I could find...please let me know if you come across better ones! <strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhyvPZElotGdryCeM0WcX0hngAeCL3uao5-Z2C4uolTWuqnl_oSIq56E3dzSWF6e7GYWDW-0DRKN3qgjvuS3ZmmiOsNLhnbBktCnoktgTsnA91Gof51b4pX6KGjVka3B2Otr4CBqTICY/s1600-h/Ina2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153793951609656978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="115" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhyvPZElotGdryCeM0WcX0hngAeCL3uao5-Z2C4uolTWuqnl_oSIq56E3dzSWF6e7GYWDW-0DRKN3qgjvuS3ZmmiOsNLhnbBktCnoktgTsnA91Gof51b4pX6KGjVka3B2Otr4CBqTICY/s200/Ina2.jpg" width="208" border="0" /></a></strong> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzz-1poeaoWxkl6bCdSMe8DBuHWaMdlpwe81KnwIq6LfGTDhOAvz8AzfK5vief09LFwbwWkEty7d9ss-j4dBOx3mo71ZN4jKj-gwuWON3VTNIzDxlD1InMj87jXmLSM3kmWrD4bl9TIs/s1600-h/Ina.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153800583039162194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzz-1poeaoWxkl6bCdSMe8DBuHWaMdlpwe81KnwIq6LfGTDhOAvz8AzfK5vief09LFwbwWkEty7d9ss-j4dBOx3mo71ZN4jKj-gwuWON3VTNIzDxlD1InMj87jXmLSM3kmWrD4bl9TIs/s200/Ina.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><br /><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhyvPZElotGdryCeM0WcX0hngAeCL3uao5-Z2C4uolTWuqnl_oSIq56E3dzSWF6e7GYWDW-0DRKN3qgjvuS3ZmmiOsNLhnbBktCnoktgTsnA91Gof51b4pX6KGjVka3B2Otr4CBqTICY/s1600-h/Ina2.jpg"></a></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Ina walls:</strong></div><div>The walls in my kitchen are, in fact, not wallpaper, but rather they're painted. There used to be a striped wallpaper that I liked but it was discontinued, so a friend who's a decorative painter offered to paint the same stripes. You might want to look at books of wallpapers from Clarence House or Canovas in New York City to see if they have something similar. </div><br /><div><strong>What are the materials in Ina's kitchen?<br /></strong>My kitchen has white painted wood cabinets, the center island has a black honed granite countertop and the back counters are black Formica. The floors are black and white linoleum tile. The refrigerator is Sub Zero, the 2 dishwashers are Bosch, and the 8-burner stove is Viking.</div><br /><div><strong>Other Kitchens I love:</strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvhGWQJ-D7gllb91RW4pCDFnwB_9Tth9oPKxkCe-cztX6rOq_kHEyR56oC6PYLSuQpTQmf8aJpninhbfLHDBnA5hCXpNSYgOeyx0CjwA_F9pKTdg2NuPi-2SaJpuETlSiPc_xdGP51Jo/s1600-h/of=50,590,436.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153800222261909314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvhGWQJ-D7gllb91RW4pCDFnwB_9Tth9oPKxkCe-cztX6rOq_kHEyR56oC6PYLSuQpTQmf8aJpninhbfLHDBnA5hCXpNSYgOeyx0CjwA_F9pKTdg2NuPi-2SaJpuETlSiPc_xdGP51Jo/s200/of=50,590,436.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEcitNCawsEugt9iaOnjVivfDSDngJDWQ5ubhXy8tNvZmpVUG4ae9ys-4NJ0A43JT7vQLwrREk5eKjxtZqzu8QiK6DPW7Yzw-3XJe_3OLMAb9lIsDHzSlznIUJIJ4DYqsWb_siieD6vk/s1600-h/kitchen4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153800222261909282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEcitNCawsEugt9iaOnjVivfDSDngJDWQ5ubhXy8tNvZmpVUG4ae9ys-4NJ0A43JT7vQLwrREk5eKjxtZqzu8QiK6DPW7Yzw-3XJe_3OLMAb9lIsDHzSlznIUJIJ4DYqsWb_siieD6vk/s200/kitchen4.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEXMOzLxfnpfm-AGaNHcAWuBz0lpEnf2BeKQ9DjJ5mvECuUGF7IgL7fYox827Z3qTPxab9zNEcBshonrPO1hbV5fE0oatdhUjc6EOGXQ2E87bAZi6jvDKMSp8V3KdHPZV7vqrrwxLrrM/s1600-h/kitchen6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153800222261909298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEXMOzLxfnpfm-AGaNHcAWuBz0lpEnf2BeKQ9DjJ5mvECuUGF7IgL7fYox827Z3qTPxab9zNEcBshonrPO1hbV5fE0oatdhUjc6EOGXQ2E87bAZi6jvDKMSp8V3KdHPZV7vqrrwxLrrM/s200/kitchen6.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9kC6dtkAmeLILF2jdltJ1rffs2GOVbh4sQPwFb-xrqpmcuDRFZpMgFdxudsRIXrDpcgBLhzJWDQOkbsWto8nLfBeYP7PDpq7psoWUjqeIph-nDA1QlbwaTV6V20DE4UlAMbyq7jt1eo/s1600-h/2dbjou.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153800217966941970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd9kC6dtkAmeLILF2jdltJ1rffs2GOVbh4sQPwFb-xrqpmcuDRFZpMgFdxudsRIXrDpcgBLhzJWDQOkbsWto8nLfBeYP7PDpq7psoWUjqeIph-nDA1QlbwaTV6V20DE4UlAMbyq7jt1eo/s200/2dbjou.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pKkdkbhGyihbaBb6v9C0ddGGQRTXTuz9SF7xf8V9qMGdTrIEG7GRFuCyYdYES9FXPhzk1DrvVhagY03-B90I22fyXrgpjrRkrmGBcEqm-ay4XjrQQJHD5iJfn5mjhU14_CSTxARvpEk/s1600-h/classic.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153800217966941954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pKkdkbhGyihbaBb6v9C0ddGGQRTXTuz9SF7xf8V9qMGdTrIEG7GRFuCyYdYES9FXPhzk1DrvVhagY03-B90I22fyXrgpjrRkrmGBcEqm-ay4XjrQQJHD5iJfn5mjhU14_CSTxARvpEk/s200/classic.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-57061948956377103382008-01-10T02:07:00.000-08:002008-01-10T02:15:13.681-08:00Healthier Brownies, part 2In a previous post, I tried making brownies with pumpkin puree..yum! Now the the second experiment....brownies made with garbanzo beans, eggs and agave nectar...no butter, flour, or sugar!<br />These were actually quite good! I took them out after 40 minutes to maintain fudginess (good idea!). Next time I would add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or nuts to the batter for some interest. The brownies could not have been easier to make, they rose beautifully, and were a breeze to cut. I cut mine into small squares and stored them in the fridge (they taste more chocolatey this way). If you don't have agave nectar or are having trouble finding it you could use brown rice syrup or raw sugar.<br /><br /><strong>Garbanzo Bean Brownies</strong><br />1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips<br />2 c. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed<br />4 eggs<br />¾ cup brown rice syrup<br />1/2 tsp baking powder<br /><br />Heat oven to 350 degrees.<br />In a small bowl melt chocolate chips in microwave for 2 minutes.<br />In a blender or food processor, combine beans and eggs.<br />Add brown rice syrup, baking powder, and chocolate, process until smooth.<br />Pour batter into a 9” or 8X8” non-stick pan. (or spray a glass one with cooking spray)<br />Bake for 45 minutes.Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-81647484858531938812008-01-10T01:49:00.001-08:002008-12-09T10:29:15.344-08:00Roasted Garlic Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO-8QUk_1ZYX9oMl4k_E3ZaSz99550dDDHlBG-ElRbZYNhKpPbI-EJXOrjFnCQV7G5HJKGj32N0EGNykxbACOsR9BS1oaQlR_9aukAloGtAmLzEQiqovOkRC1RYo3OQUB1dbrfVlEnh8/s1600-h/IMG_1471.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5153783136882005618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGO-8QUk_1ZYX9oMl4k_E3ZaSz99550dDDHlBG-ElRbZYNhKpPbI-EJXOrjFnCQV7G5HJKGj32N0EGNykxbACOsR9BS1oaQlR_9aukAloGtAmLzEQiqovOkRC1RYo3OQUB1dbrfVlEnh8/s200/IMG_1471.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This soup uses a horrifying number of garlic cloves...40 something, I think. However, as most of them have been roasted, the end result is much milder and smoother than you might expect. The squeeze of lemon and parmesan cheese at the end really brings this soup to a whole new level! Even for non-garlic lovers, this is an outstanding. The only change I made was to substitute half and half for the whipping cream.</div><div><strong>Beware:</strong> you may get a bit of indigestion from consuming this much garlic, so keep your portions small!</div><div></div><div>This soup is originally from Bon Apetit, February 1999, but as with a lot of my recipes, I found it on epicurious.com. <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100669">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100669</a></div><div></div><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div>26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)</div><div>2 tablespoons olive oil </div><div><br />2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter</div><div>2 1/4 cups sliced onions</div><div>1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme</div><div>18 garlic cloves, peeled</div><div>3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth</div><div><br />1/2 cup whipping cream</div><div>1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)</div><div>4 lemon wedges </div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong><br />Preparation</strong></div><div>Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 26 garlic cloves in small glass baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic between fingertips to release cloves. Transfer cloves to small bowl.<br />Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add roasted garlic and 18 raw garlic cloves and cook 3 minutes. Add chicken stock; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan; add cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.)<br />Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve. </div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-36459355974596645092007-12-30T03:20:00.001-08:002008-12-09T10:29:15.667-08:00Christmas Dinner<strong>Menu:<br /></strong>Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream-<em>Gourmet, October 2004</em><br />Potatoes Dauphinois Madame Laracine-<em>Bistro Cooking, Patricia Wells</em><br />Steamed Green Beans<br />Citron Fromage<br /><br /><strong>Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream</strong><br /><div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72dXp7Y0nn9WMMbsmQ9q7yObvf5ELpcYeafhey2pf0h_PdhUCViO1hKEUenSWsg7iyH4RlbMq2w5HBQ_3e2f6hNrsneFnACVkBUNtbKCVqDn3mG3R5yVGW-2gKtkd0qIMLRGQlUpQ6Gk/s1600-h/beef.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150125650106914386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72dXp7Y0nn9WMMbsmQ9q7yObvf5ELpcYeafhey2pf0h_PdhUCViO1hKEUenSWsg7iyH4RlbMq2w5HBQ_3e2f6hNrsneFnACVkBUNtbKCVqDn3mG3R5yVGW-2gKtkd0qIMLRGQlUpQ6Gk/s200/beef.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzITysP-0ACGnXRCjM-Gmy0J3oTE9jDoTYv0Jv4SWeT_X1XVwYdpigBX_EizP60bHpMWz3QY5e9d-_KBUs5qpjlN79FvE_zHOEKuLSId7n_HiWgNDcdCc6DMOkmHaoITZb_oSqbSDx8c/s1600-h/beef.jpg"></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>This Christmas we decided to change up the menu a bit. We all agreed that this recipe was fantastic! It is the new Christmas dinner meal!<br /><strong>A few notes :</strong><br />1. We made the sauce ahead of time..it takes a lot longer to reduce than the recipe says. We then refrigerated it and then brought it out to come to room temp a few hours before serving. To thin it out a bit, I microwaved the sauce on 50% power for 15-30seconds. This is a thick sauce.<br />2. If you like your beef medium to medium rare, I recommend you take it out of the oven at 125 degrees F.<br />3. Use about half the amount of black pepper...it will have enough kick!<br /><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230745">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230745</a><br /><br /><strong>For sauce</strong><br />1 head garlic (1/4 lb; about 2 1/2 inches in diameter), left intact<br />1 teaspoon olive oil<br />3/4 teaspoon salt<br />2 cups heavy cream<br />1/4 cup drained bottled horseradish<br />1/8 teaspoon white pepper </div><div><br /><strong>For tenderloin<br /></strong>1 (3-lb) center-cut beef tenderloin roast, tied<br />1/2 cup cracked black pepper<br />2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon<br />2 teaspoons salt<br />3/4 teaspoon cornstarch<br />3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled<br />3/4 teaspoon garlic powder<br />3/4 teaspoon paprika (not hot)<br />1 tablespoon olive oil<br />Special equipment: a roasting pan with a rack; an instant-read thermometer<br /><br /><strong>Directions:<br /></strong><em>Make sauce:<br /></em>Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off and discard top fourth of garlic head. Drizzle exposed garlic with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then wrap head tightly in foil. Roast garlic until tender, about 1 1/4 hours, then open foil and cool. While garlic roasts, simmer cream in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Squeeze garlic into a small bowl, discarding skins, and mash together with horseradish, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt using a fork. Stir garlic mixture into cream, then chill until ready to use.<br /><em>Roast tenderloin:<br /></em>Increase oven temperature to 475°F. Pat tenderloin dry. Stir together pepper, bouillon, salt, cornstarch, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Rub oil all over tenderloin, then sprinkle with spice mixture, rubbing it into meat. Put tenderloin on rack in roasting pan and roast 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 425°F and cook until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 130°F, 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare. Let beef stand on rack in pan 10 minutes before serving. Cut beef into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with garlic horseradish cream.<br /><strong>Cooks' note:</strong> Garlic can be roasted and squeezed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.<br /><br /><strong>Potatoes Dauphinois<br /></strong>3 pounds baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled and very thinly sliced<br />2 cups whole milk<br />3 <a href="http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa081197.htm">garlic</a> cloves, minced<br />3/4 teaspoon salt<br />3 imported bay leaves<br />Freshly ground <a href="http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa010300a.htm">nutmeg</a><br />Freshly ground black pepper<br />1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream<br />2 cups (about 5 ounces) freshly grated <a href="http://homecooking.about.com/cs/cheeseinformation/a/swisscheese.htm">Gruyére cheese</a> </div><br /><div><br /><strong>Instructions<br /></strong>Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.<br />Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with the milk and 2 cups of water. Add the garlic, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so that the potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring from time to time, until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the potatoes to a large, 14- by 9- by 2-inch gratin dish. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, pepper, half the creme fraiche, and half the cheese. Cover with the remaining potatoes, and sprinkle again with nutmeg, pepper, and the remaining creme fraiche and cheese.<br /><br />Bake, uncovered, until the gratin is crisp and golden on top, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.<br /><br />Yield: 6 to 8 servings<br /><br /><strong>Citron Fromage (Lemon Mousse)<br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFlE_8ei8GrrzGK_9y2EtB58vnHWGZw4plVvPjywiYo7oG2jGh93aJ1P55NXoCCwfx19XkCeHbf6Ufc6QQ9FI7Z1CG20i0uru6Mt4hPCNOzKi06eTejp9Dc6DRa4t7MBNxcmR7RJRBKE/s1600-h/IMG_0013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5150126547755079266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFlE_8ei8GrrzGK_9y2EtB58vnHWGZw4plVvPjywiYo7oG2jGh93aJ1P55NXoCCwfx19XkCeHbf6Ufc6QQ9FI7Z1CG20i0uru6Mt4hPCNOzKi06eTejp9Dc6DRa4t7MBNxcmR7RJRBKE/s200/IMG_0013.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Juice and rind of 2 large lemons<br />1 level Tbsp powdered gelatin<br />3 eggs<br />4 oz caster sugar<br />¼ pint double cream<br />Garnish:<br />¼ pint whipping cream </div><br /><div><br />Sprinkle the gelatine over 2 tbsp of water in a small pan and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a large bowl and the whites into another. Finely grate the rind from the lemons, and mix it into the egg yolks, together with the sugar. Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice into the soaked gelatine. Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously. Do not allow to boil, and once the gelatine has dissolved immediately remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the eggs yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Slowly pour in the dissolved gelatine, whisking all the time. Continue to whisk the mixture until it is cool and beginning to thicken. Lightly beat the double cream and fold into the mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then blend them in evenly and lightly. Spoon the mousse into a serving dish or individual dishes and chill until set. Pipe whipped cream over mousse. </div></div>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855403928842385842.post-71937442196453464062007-12-16T13:24:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:29:15.908-08:00Roasted Tomato Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEG00bnZaop9pOJBVVuXJXxA83fcaT2Lv9_QmLhWMRDugA8QG6w3NbKUFB4BQVYspTLMQEEKZn4ilQymHA72qhJkEOl6oZS4httCvZNwWfQAu6KA_V2BYxBSUyDGm_KXI5yJlOrJ02wfA/s1600-h/IMG_1461.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144684910090393122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEG00bnZaop9pOJBVVuXJXxA83fcaT2Lv9_QmLhWMRDugA8QG6w3NbKUFB4BQVYspTLMQEEKZn4ilQymHA72qhJkEOl6oZS4httCvZNwWfQAu6KA_V2BYxBSUyDGm_KXI5yJlOrJ02wfA/s320/IMG_1461.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This soup is excellent, though quite rich....sweet, savory and complex...I really love how the cognac adds a whole new dimensionof flavor! I would cut back a bit on the brown sugar next time. I used slightly less heavy cream (I just couldn't bring myself to use 1/2 a cup), and about 1 1/2 Tbsp cognac instead of 2 Tbsp. I also used 1 small onion as I didn't have shallots. To puree, I used an immersion blender instead of a regular blender.</p><p><strong>Cooks Illustrated Cream of Tomato Soup</strong> </p><p>from "The New Best Recipe"<br /><br />2x 28oz. cans of whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained. 3 cups of juice reserved.<br />1.5 TBL packed dark brown sugar<br />4 TBL unsalted butter (1/2 stick)<br />4 large shallots, minced<br />1 Tbl tomato paste<br />pinch of allspice<br />2 Tbl AP flour<br />1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock<br />1/2 cups heavy cream<br />2 Tbl brandy or sherry<br />salt and cayenne peeper to taste<br /><br />1.) Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Seed the tomatoes and arrange them on a single layer on the foil, and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar. Bake until all liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to color (about 30 minutes). Let the tomatoes cool slightly, then peel them off the foil; transfer to a small bowl and set aside.<br /><br />2.) Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foamy. Add the shallots, tomato paste and allspice. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened (7-10 minutes). Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined (about 30 seconds). Whisking constantly, gradually add the chick broth; stir in the reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavors (about 10 minutes).<br /><br />3.) Strain the mixture in a medium bowl; rinse out the saucepan. Transfer the tomatoes and solids in the strainer to a blender; Add 1 cup of the strained liquid and puree until smooth. Combine the pureed mixture and the remaining strained liquid in the saucepan. Add the cream and warm over low heat until hot, (about 3 minutes) off the heat, stir in the brandy and season with cayenne to taste.<br /><br />Serve immediately.<br /><br />The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days. Warm over low heat until hot. Do not boil.</p>Nellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15214546499615217439noreply@blogger.com1