In the Kitchen with Nell

Braised Leeks

2010-05-23T04:23:00.001-07:00

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!
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!
D and I both agreed that this would go wonderfully with filet mignon and mashed potatoes...now that would be a luxurious meal!

The recipe I used was from a cookbook called "Salmon", by Diane Morgan. I halved the recipe as there were only two of us.

Braised Leeks
serves 2

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 medium leeks or 3 large, white and green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground pepper

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.

Dark Chocolate Bark

2010-03-26T03:02:00.001-07:00

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!

Winter Dried Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark
(Adapted from December 2007, Bon Apetit recipe)

1 1lb very good dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips

2/3 cup mixed toasted unsalted nuts (such as cashews,walnuts, pistachios, pecans)

2/3 cup mixed dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, quartered apricots)

6 quarter-size rounds crystallized ginger, thinly sliced ( I omitted this)

1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt ( I doubled this)

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.

Green Drink

2010-03-26T02:54:00.000-07:00

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.

Blended High Green- for 2
(from http://www.artofnourishment.blogspot.com/)
Please choose organic and when possible locally grown produce.

2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
4 hearty leaves of Laciento kale, torn
1 c celery, chopped
1/2 apple, sliced (I really like Gala apples. You could also use pears)
1/2 lemon, peeled
knob of ginger, peeled (you control the kick by how much you use!)

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.

The End of The Cleanse

2010-03-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

It 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 :)
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.
Here was the menu for the last couple of days:

Day #3
High Green Juice
Pear Nectar-pear, filtered water, star anise, ginger, raw honey, Himalayan crystal salt
Spinach Salad with Pumpkin seeds
Orange Gingerade- orange, ginger, filtered water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt
Beet Ginger Soup-beets, filtered water, almonds, celery, ginger, cumin, coriander, sea salt
Brazil Nut Cacao Milk-Brazil nuts, filtered water, raw cacao, lecithin, raw buckwheat honey, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, sea salt

Day #4
High Green Juice
Strawberry Goji Tonic- strawberries, filtered water, pau darco, goji tea, goji berrie, vanilla, raw honey, sea salt
Spinach Salad
Grapefruit Pomegranate- grapefruit, filtered water, pomegranate seeds, aloe leaf, lime, raw honey, himalayan salt
Vanilla Almond Milk

Day #5
High Green Juice
Papaya Nectar-papaya, filtered water, lime ginger
Spinach Salad
Lemon Goji Gingerade- lemons, goji berries, filtered water, ginger, flax oil, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, himalayan salt
Cashew Milk

Juicing with your Blender

2010-03-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

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!

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.

You need:

Blender

fine mesh strainer/nut bag /paint strainer bag ( available at home depot)

Method:

1. Take your fruits and vegetables and remove all large pits or seeds and chop up. Remove peel if necessary as well.

2. Put all into blender with a small amount of filtered water (just enough to get the fruits and veggies to blend)

3. Turn on the blender and let it whirl!

4. Once fully blended, pour juice through strainer or bag into a container and voila! Fresh juice!

5 day Cleanse

2010-03-17T01:59:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

An added bonus is that I've lost 3 lbs so far :)

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!

MENU: Day 1

#1 High Green Juice: Romaine lettuce, celery, kale, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger, E3 Live
#2 Strawberry-Goji Tonic:strawberries, filtered water, pan darco, goji tea, goji berries, vanilla, raw honey, Himalayan crystal salt
#3 Spinach Salad with mixed herbs, sunflower sprouts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
#4 Orange Goji Gingerade: Orange, ginger, filtered water, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt
#5 Creamy Carrot Soup: carrots, filtered water, cashew, cilantro, cumin, coriander, cardamom, Himalayan crystal salt
#6 Cashew Milk: cashews, filtered water, vanilla, lecithin, cardamom, Himalayan crystal salt

MENU: Day 2

#1 High Green: Romaine lettuce, celery, kale, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger, E3 Live
#2 Papaya Nectar: Papaya, filtered water, lime, ginger
#3 Spinach Salad with mixed herbs, sunflower greens, mung bean sprouts, pumpkin
and sunflower seeds
#4 Lemon Goji Gingerade:lemon, goji berries, filtered water, flax oil, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Himalayan crystal salt
#5 Zucchini Bisque: Zucchini, spinach, filtered water, pumpkin seeds, chives, parsley, Himalayan crystal salt
#6 Vanilla Almond Milk: sprouted almond, filtered water, lecithin, vanilla, Himalayan crystal salt

Chicken for a Crowd

2010-02-21T03:43:00.001-08:00

Chicken Marbella
(adapted from The Silver Palate cookbook)

serves 8-10 people

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.

While it wasn't as fabulous as I remembered, it was still very good! However, next time I make it, I would adjust a few things...

1. cut down on the amount of oregano

2. Use a mix of green and black olives and double the quantity

3. Double the quantity of prunes

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!!

See below for the original recipe-

Ingredients:

5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 bulb garlic, finely puréed
1/4 cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cups pitted dried plums
1/2 cup pitted green olives, or a mix of olives such as Greek, Moroccan, or French
1/2 cup capers with about a tablespoon of their juice
6 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar (I cut this back from 1 cup)
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Method:
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.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

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.

4. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with the pan juices.

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.

Vegetable Chili and Spoon Bread

2010-02-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

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.

Vegetable Chili
serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil (very uncessary, I use less than 1/4 cup)
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 red peppers, cored, seeded and cut into squares
2 zucchini, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 14oz cans peeled whole tomatoes ( save yourself the trouble and use 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes)
salt and pepper to taste
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped coriander
2 Tbsp lemon juice

-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.
-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.
- Serve with spoon bread.

Spoon Bread

Ingredients

3 cups milk
4 oz butter
1 cup corn meal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 eggs, separated

-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.

Cherry Squares

2010-02-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

I 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?

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 14-15oz can sour pitted cherries

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-Drain the cherries and set aside.
-Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and sifted flour.
-Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
-Press cherries into the top ( makes sure to use the whole can!).
-Bake for 45 minutes until done.
-Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Ground Beef Wellington

2010-01-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

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.

Warning: 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.

Ingredients:

(serves 4-6)

1 medium onion
1 large carrot

1 stalk of celery
1 potato
2 garlic cloves
2 portabella mushrooms
4 sprigs fresh rosemary removed from the stem and chopped fine

olive oil

very large handful of frozen peas

1 lb of ground beef, organic if possible

1 large egg (preferably organic/free range), beaten
flour, for dusting

2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted if frozen

Sea salt and pepper

Directions:
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.

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.

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.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour until golden.

Roast Chicken Dinner

2010-01-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

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!
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.

Roast Chicken
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 1/4 lb chicken, preferably free-range, organic
2 medium onions
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
1 head of garlic
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
a small bunch of rosemary

Directions:
Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven
• Preheat your oven to 475°F
• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled
• Pile all the veg and garlic into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird
• 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)
• Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the rosemary

To cook your chicken
• Place the chicken on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven
• Turn the heat down immediately to 400°F and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 30 minutes
• 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
• Baste the chicken halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them burning
• 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
• Now is the time to make your gravy

Gravy

Ingredients:
As well as your roasted veg from the roast chicken recipe, you’ll need:
1 heaped dessert spoon plain flour
a wine glass of white wine
1 liter chicken broth preferably organic

Directions:

• 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
• 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
• Put the pan back on the stove over a high heat
• 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
• You can rip the wings off the chicken and break them up into the tray to add more flavor at this point
• 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)
• Keep it over the heat and let it boil for a few minutes
• 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
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until you’ve achieved the gravy consistency you’re looking for

To serve your gravy
• Get yourself a large jug, bowl or pan and put a coarse sieve over it
• Pour your gravy through the sieve, using a ladle to really push all the goodness through
• Discard any veg or meat left behind
• 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
• 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

Roasted Potatoes, Carrot and Parsnips
Serves 4-6
2.5 lbs potatoes
6 parsnips
6 carrots
1 bulb of garlic
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Directions:
• If you’re cooking these separately and not as with my perfect roast chicken, preheat your oven to 400°F
• Peel the vegetables and halve any larger ones lengthways
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled, and bash them slightly with the palm of your hand
• Pick the rosemary leaves from the woody stalks
• 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
• Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add the parsnips and cook for another 4 minutes
• Drain in a colander and allow to steam dry
• Take out the carrots and parsnips and put to one side
• 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
• 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
• Add the garlic and rosemary leaves
• Put the vegetables into the tray with a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir them around to coat them in the flavors
• 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
-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.

Moroccan Chicken Potpie

2010-01-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

I 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?

B'stilla is a tad time-consuming so I chose to make this recipe instead as the flavors and concept were similar.

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.

Moroccan Chicken Potpie

Adapted from Bon Apetit-December 2007

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon paprika ( I used 2 tsp)
1 teaspoon ground cumin (i used 2 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( I used 1/2 tsp)
1 lemon
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup imported green olives, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins ( i used regular raisins)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 refrigerated pie crust (half of 15-ounce package)

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.

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.

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.

Thai Salmon Cakes

2009-12-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

I'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.
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.

Ingredients:
1 -14.75 oz can pink salmon (I used 2-6 oz cans of boneless skinless wild salmon)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 egg
1 Tbsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil ( I used coconut oil and you could use much less)

-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.
-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.

Serves 4 ( or 3 if using 2- 6 oz cans)

Savory Palmiers

2009-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

As 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.

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 :)

This recipe is from Ina Garten's cookbook, "Back to Basics".

Ingredients

1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted for 40 minutes ( you should have 2 sheets)

1/4 cup prepared pesto

1/2 cup goast cheese, such as montrachet

1/4 chopped toasted pine nuts (or walnuts)

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomaties packed in oil, drained

sea salt (optional)

-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".

-Spread the pastry with half the pesto, cheese, tomatoes, nuts and salt.

-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.

- Place roll on a parchment paper or silpat covered cookie sheet, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 40 min. Repeat with other pastry.

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

- Cut the prepared rolls into 1/4 inch thick slices, and place then 2" apart on the cookie sheet.

-Bake 14 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm.

Slow Food Potluck

2009-11-20T02:36:00.000-08:00

I 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....?

Marinated Raw Kale Salad with Red Onion, Cannellini Beans and Tomatoes

Salad Ingredients:
1-2 bunches of kale, washed, rib removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
3/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Juice from 1-2 lemons
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (or bragg's)
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch cayenne pepper

-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.
-Mix in the soy sauce, minced garlic and pinch of cayenne.
-Add beans, onion and tomatoes before serving

This can sit for hours before serving as it just gets bettter! It will also last in the fridge for a couple of days.

Fall is Here!

2009-11-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

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.
Tomorrow morning-pumpkin smoothie!

For "P"

2009-11-15T03:09:00.000-08:00

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.
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.
Pics to come as I can't seem to download pictures right now.....

Ingredients:
unsweetened vanilla almond milk
handful organic baby spinach
half a banana
one packet Sambazon acai puree
half a scoop of green vibrance greens powder
half a scoop of vanilla Spiru-tein protein powder

Blend and enjoy.

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. http://http//www.vibranthealth.us/?p2=/modules/vibranthealth/products.jsp&category_id=86

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. http://http//www.sambazon.com/products/smoothiePacks/

Mac & Cheese "Broccolissimo"!

2009-02-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

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.

Ingredients:
1-2 heads of broccoli cut into florets and stems into bite-size pieces
8 ounces of small shell pasta
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups hot, but not boiling, low-fat milk
salt to taste
dash of cayenne
grating of fresh nutmeg
8 ounces Appenzeller or similar tasty firm cheese, grated
2 ounces Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Steam broccoli and set aside. Cook pasta in salted water until almost al dente and set aside. (I did both of these things in the afternoon and then popped them in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner)
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. (I also added pepper) Set aside a few tablespoons of cheese for the top of the casserole and stir the rest into the sauce until melted.
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. (I added some sauce as I layers the ingredients just to make sure everything got some cheese!) Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake until hot and bubbling, and the cheese has melted and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. (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) Serve immediately.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-20T04:17:00.000-08:00

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 :)

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.

Roasted-Tomato Dressing

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, smashed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1/4 cup for the dressing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Handful fresh parsley leaves
2 bunches hydroponic watercress (feathery variety)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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.
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.

Parmesan-Panko Crusted Chicken (From Ana Pump's, "Summer on a Plate")

Ingredients
3 large skinless/boneless chicken breasts

3 Tbsp peanut oil

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 cups panko or dry bread crumbs

2 Tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

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.

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).

I'm back :)

2008-12-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Exactly 11 months after my last post, I am back! Keep an eye out for more regular posts :)

My Dream Kitchen

2008-01-10T02:16:00.000-08:00

My 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!

Ina walls:

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.

What are the materials in Ina's kitchen?
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.

Other Kitchens I love:

Healthier Brownies, part 2

2008-01-10T02:07:00.000-08:00

In 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!
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.

Garbanzo Bean Brownies
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
2 c. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
¾ cup brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl melt chocolate chips in microwave for 2 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, combine beans and eggs.
Add brown rice syrup, baking powder, and chocolate, process until smooth.
Pour batter into a 9” or 8X8” non-stick pan. (or spray a glass one with cooking spray)
Bake for 45 minutes.

Roasted Garlic Soup

2008-01-10T01:49:00.001-08:00

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.

Beware: you may get a bit of indigestion from consuming this much garlic, so keep your portions small!

This soup is originally from Bon Apetit, February 1999, but as with a lot of my recipes, I found it on epicurious.com. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/100669

Ingredients

26 garlic cloves (unpeeled)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 1/4 cups sliced onions

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

18 garlic cloves, peeled

3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)

4 lemon wedges

Preparation

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.
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.)
Divide grated cheese among 4 bowls and ladle soup over. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon wedge into each bowl and serve.

Christmas Dinner

2007-12-30T03:20:00.001-08:00

Menu:
Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream-Gourmet, October 2004
Potatoes Dauphinois Madame Laracine-Bistro Cooking, Patricia Wells
Steamed Green Beans
Citron Fromage

Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Horseradish Cream

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!
A few notes :
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.
2. If you like your beef medium to medium rare, I recommend you take it out of the oven at 125 degrees F.
3. Use about half the amount of black pepper...it will have enough kick!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230745

For sauce
1 head garlic (1/4 lb; about 2 1/2 inches in diameter), left intact
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup drained bottled horseradish
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

For tenderloin
1 (3-lb) center-cut beef tenderloin roast, tied
1/2 cup cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Special equipment: a roasting pan with a rack; an instant-read thermometer

Directions:
Make sauce:
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.
Roast tenderloin:
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.
Cooks' note: Garlic can be roasted and squeezed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Potatoes Dauphinois
3 pounds baking potatoes, such as russets, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 cups whole milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 imported bay leaves
Freshly ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
2 cups (about 5 ounces) freshly grated Gruyére cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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.

Bake, uncovered, until the gratin is crisp and golden on top, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Citron Fromage (Lemon Mousse)

Juice and rind of 2 large lemons
1 level Tbsp powdered gelatin
3 eggs
4 oz caster sugar
¼ pint double cream
Garnish:
¼ pint whipping cream

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.

Roasted Tomato Soup

2007-12-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

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.

Cooks Illustrated Cream of Tomato Soup

from "The New Best Recipe"

2x 28oz. cans of whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained. 3 cups of juice reserved.
1.5 TBL packed dark brown sugar
4 TBL unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
4 large shallots, minced
1 Tbl tomato paste
pinch of allspice
2 Tbl AP flour
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbl brandy or sherry
salt and cayenne peeper to taste

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.

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).

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.

Serve immediately.

The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days. Warm over low heat until hot. Do not boil.

Healthier Brownies

2007-12-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

I read about this recipe and couldn't resist trying it, even though it calls for a brownie mix ;) I am sure you could substitute your own dry ingredients for the brownie mix if you feel so inclined!

These are so fudgy and rich and they just taste chocolately, not like pumpkin at all! I feel healthier already with all those flavenoids and anti-oxidants!!

Pumpkin Brownies
1 box brownie mix ( I used double chcoloate Ghiradelli brownie mix)
1 can pumpkin puree ( I used Libby's)

Mix together and pour into a greased 8x8 pan and baked at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes...they will be soft.
Let them cool and put in the fridge covered with foil for a few hours to get super fudgy!

Here is the next healthy brownie recipe I am going to try...let me know if you try it before I do!

Garbanzo Bean Brownies
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
2 c. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs
¾ cup brown rice syrup
1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl melt chocolate chips in microwave for 2 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, combine beans and eggs.
Add brown rice syrup, baking powder, and chocolate, process until smooth.
Pour batter into a 9” or 8X8” non-stick pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.

(courtesy of Christi Collins)

Mastering The Art of French Cooking

2007-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

As a gift, I received Julia's Child's, "Mastering The Art of French Cooking", vol 1 and 2. I am so excited about this, so to celebrate I decided to cook the first recipe in her book....thank goodness it was only Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)!
I was a little skeptical of this recipe as you basically just dump the 1 lb of potatoes and 1 lb of leeks into 2 quarts cold water with 1 tbsp salt, simmer for 45 minutes until soft, puree with an immersion blender or put through a food mill and add a few Tbsp of heavy cream to finish. I was expecting it to be bland but it was really delicious and comforting.

Lesson #3 with Becky

2007-12-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

French Bistro Meal

Cheese Soufflé
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 Tbs. Madeira wine
2 1/2 egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar

Preheat an oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. In another saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When foaming, add the flour and whisk until blended. Cook, whisking, for 1 minute; do not allow the mixture to brown. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Continue whisking, regularly scraping the bottom and sides of the pan, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook for a few seconds more until thickened and smooth, and then remove from the heat. Let cool a little.In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually whisk the hot sauce into the yolks, and then add the cheeses, salt, pepper, a sprinkling of cayenne and the Madeira. Stir to mix well. Set aside.Place the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl. Add the cream of tartar and, using a clean whisk or beaters, beat until soft peaks form and hold their shape. Spoon about one-fourth of the egg whites into the cheese sauce and, using a rubber spatula, stir gently to blend. Then gently fold the remaining egg whites into the sauce just until incorporated. Spoon the mixture into an ungreased 2 soufflé dish and bake until puffed and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.Remove the soufflé from the oven and carry it immediately to the table before it begins to fall. (I made them in 2 ramekins and cooked them
for 25 minutes)

Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce
1 cup beef stock or canned beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy

1 tablespoons drained green peppercorns in brine Boil stock in small saucepan until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile cook steaks. Transfer steaks oven (do not clean skillet). Add chopped shallots to same skillet and sauté 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add reduced beef stock, 1 cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons Cognac and green peppercorns. Boil until mixture thickens to sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Season sauce to taste with pepper. Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

Broccolini with sautéed shallots and toasted pine nuts

Blanch one bunch of Broccolini in salted water take out and put in ice water immediately in a large sauté pan sauté shallots in olive oil salt and pepper add the Broccolini and sauté till desired doneness about 6 minutes. Add the juice of half a lemon and the zest of half a lemon and cook for 1 more minute. Toss in Pine nuts that have been toasted before hand till golden brown.

Pate a Choux- Cream puff pastry
2 Large Eggs
1 large egg white
5 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 10 pieces
2 tablespoons whole milk
6 tablespoons water
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sifted unbleached all purpose flour

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray large (12-by 18-inch) baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper; set aside. Beat eggs and egg white in measuring cup or small bowl; you should have 1/2 cup (discard excess). Set aside.
Bring butter, milk, water, sugar, and salt to boil in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring once or twice. When mixture reaches full boil (butter should be fully melted), immediately remove saucepan from heat and stir in flour with heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until combined and mixture clears sides of pan. Return saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, using smearing motion, for 3 minutes, until mixture is slightly shiny with wet-sand appearance and tiny beads of fat appear on bottom of saucepan (temperature of paste should register 175 to 180 degrees on instant-read thermometer).
Immediately transfer mixture to food processor and process with feed tube open for 10 seconds to cool slightly. With machine running, gradually add eggs in steady stream. When all eggs have been added, scrape down sides of bowl, and then process for 30 seconds until smooth, thick, sticky paste forms. (If not using immediately, transfer paste to medium bowl, cover surface flush with sheet of plastic wrap sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and store at room temperature for up to 2 hours.)
Fold down top 3 or 4 inches of 14- or 16-inch pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip to form a cuff. Hold bag open with one hand in cuff and fill bag with paste. Unfold cuff, lay bag on work surface, and, using hands or bench scraper, push paste into lower portion of pastry bag. Twist top of bag and pipe paste into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch mounds on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 to 1 1/4 inches apart (you should be able to fit about 24 mounds on baking sheet).
Use back of teaspoon dipped in bowl of cold water to smooth shape and surface of piped mounds. Bake 15 minutes (do not open oven door), then reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden brown and fairly firm (puffs should not be soft and squishy), 8 to 10 minutes longer. Remove baking sheet from oven. With paring knife, cut 3/4-inch slit into side of each puff to release steam; return puffs to oven, turn off oven, and prop oven door open with handle of wooden spoon. Dry puffs in turned-off oven until centers are just moist (not wet) and puffs are crisp, about 45 minutes. Transfer puffs to wire rack to cool. (Cooled puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours or frozen in zipper-lock plastic bag for up to 1 month. Before serving, crisp room temperature puffs in 300-degree oven 5 to 8 minutes, or 8 to 10 minutes for frozen puffs.)

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Whisk the sauce gently so as not to create tiny air bubbles that can mar its appearance. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

¾ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into three pieces
table salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Bring heavy cream, corn syrup, butter, and salt to boil in small nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Off heat, add chocolate while gently swirling saucepan. Cover pan and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and whisk gently until combined. (Can be cooled to room temperature, placed in airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. To reheat, transfer sauce to heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Alternatively, microwave at 50 percent power, stirring once or twice, 1 to 3 minutes.)
I added 1/2 tsp instant coffee.

Pumpkin Barley Risotto with Turkey

2007-12-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

This is a great fall/winter dish when you are craving something warm and filling. This traditional dish is made healthier by substituting some of the white rice for barley, a whole grain. In addition, there is a healthy dose of pumpkin puree which is very high in anti-oxidants.
Changes to the original Recipe: I always add scallions and grated sharp cheddar at the end for some extra flavor, as well as a pinch of pumpkin pie spice.

From Every day with Rachel Ray, October 2007

Ingredients
1 quart chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup long-grain rice
¾ cup pearl barley
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
⅓ pound ground turkey or ground turkey breast
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Salt
Grated cheddar cheese
Scallions

Directions:
In a small pot, warm the chicken broth over low heat. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the rice and barley and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the grains with the nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice and stir in half of the warm broth. Cook until the broth bubbles, about 5 minutes. Then add the turkey, crumbling it as you drop it into the skillet, and cook until the liquid is absorbed by the grains, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, allowing the broth to be fully absorbed before adding more. Cook until the barley is tender, about 18 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Cook over medium heat until just heated through, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and top with grated cheddar cheese and scallions.

Cooking Class #2

2007-11-28T02:17:00.000-08:00

I loved the first cooking class, but I wanted to be challenged a bit more and try some new dishes so Becky and I devised a healthy, very "Florida" menu that definitely tested my knife skills!

Menu:

-Tilapia Ceviche with Mango
-Watercress salad with Pomegranate seeds and a light lemon vinaigrette
-Spice rubbed Roasted Organic Chicken Breast with a Citrus vinaigrette
-Tropical Fruit Salsa

-Papaya milkshake with crème de cassis

Check back soon for the recipes!

My First Cooking Class with Chef Becky Clark

2007-11-28T01:43:00.000-08:00

I received a wonderful birthday present this year...three cooking lessons with a private Chef. Her name is Rebecca Clark and she comes from the Northeast so it was a great match. Check out her website. http://www.beckycooks.com/

Menu:
-Romaine hearts with sliced pear, maytag bleu cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds, finished with a cider vinaigrette
-Pan Seared Halibut Steak with a shallot and port wine reduction
-Roasted asparagus with shallots
-Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla ice cream

Pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Raw pumpkin seeds

Roast in at 350 degress F in a baking dish until toasted.

Cider Vinaigrette
Cider Vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

Use a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of vinegar to oil (according to your taste). Combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and then slowly pour in oil to emulsify.

Halibut
Halibut steak
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Olive Oil

Put olive oil and butter in a heavy( not non-stick) skillet that has been heated. Season the fish and then pan sear until crusted on both sides. Don't move fish in the pan during this process. Finish in a roasting pan in the oven.

Port wine reduction sauce
1 small shallot or half of a large one
2 cups Port
1 Table Spoon Champagne vinegar
2 Table Spoon Brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper

Using the same pan that you pan-seared the fish, saute the shallot, deglaze the pan with the port, whisk in vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper and reduce until syrupy.

A Complete Barefoot Contesssa Meal

2007-10-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Menu:

Chicken Piccata

Herb Roasted Onions

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

For all the recipes, click on this link : http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ig/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9971_53162,00.html

Comments:

I have made this a few times now. The chicken always comes out perfectly...just make sure to pound it thinly enough or it won't cook through. I reduce the amount of lemon juice in the sauce a bit as its too piquant for my taste. The herb roasted onions are delcious are very easy!

Japanese Night

2007-09-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

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

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

Tuna Tartare
Serves 6-8

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

The Best Drink Ever!

2007-09-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

Restaurant Quality Dinner

2007-09-21T12:39:00.001-07:00

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

I really thought this recipe was phenomenal...so incredibly easy...it took about 15 minutes from start to finish, and the end result was restaurant quality in looks and taste. A real keeper! I used pecans instead of almonds, as thats all I had in my fridge and I omitted the tomatoes as I hate them :) As usual, I halved the recipe.

For the original recipe from Giada DeLaurenttis click on the link. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35039,00.html

2 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon

2 (4-6 ounce) pieces salmon

2 Tbsp pecans (or almonds)

2 Tbsp purchased pesto

2 tomatoes, sliced (optional)

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 2 pieces of puff pastry. Also, place the 2 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the sliced nuts. Bake for 10 minutes.
To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

Close But No Cigar

2007-09-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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

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

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

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

My First Slow Food Dinner

2007-09-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

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

The Wilson Popanoe Avocado Dinner
Menu
Avocado Gazpacho
Bonterra 2006 Viognier

Jumbo Lump Crab Ceviche with Avocado Tartar
Bonterra 2006 Sauvignon Blanc

Plantain Encrusted Hog Snapper with Avocado Salsa
Bonterra 2005 Chardonnay

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

A Bit of Barefoot Contessa

2007-09-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

Parmesan Chicken

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

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

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

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

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

Whisk together.

Rosh Hashanah Dinner

2007-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Slightly Less Sinful

2007-09-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spinach + Cheese = YUM!

2007-09-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Spinach and Cheese Timbale
("Cooking with Joy")

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

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

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

A Healthier Burger

2007-09-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last night, I made corn (see previous post) and tried out a new recipe (thanks, Joelen!) that had great reviews on a cooking board I frequent. Due to a camera failure (ok-human failure!) there is unfortunately no picture....next time I make this I will post one.

I usually find turkey burgers to be rather plain, dry and uninspired. These burgers, however, were great! I think its the cilantro that really makes them special. They couldn't be easier to make. I used extra-lean turkey and my husband commented that while he liked them, he thought they would be even better with a bit more fat so next time I will try lean ground turkey instead.

Cilantro Turkey Burgers

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

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

A New Creation

2007-09-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

Best of Both Worlds

2007-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

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

Simple, Healthy and Delicious

2007-08-29T11:24:00.001-07:00

If you haven't tried quinoa yet, I highly recommend it. It is a really great grain...high in protein and fiber and really delicious. It can be a bit hard to find but any health food store or Whole Foods/Wild Oats should carry it. Quinoa is great hot or cold.....check back soon as the next quinoa post will be a cold quinoa salad!

Quinoa with Sauteed Broccoli and Carrots

1 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable broth
1-2 cups broccoli florets
2 carrots, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
soy sauce
salt and pepper

Combine quinoa, water and vegetable broth in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, saute broccoli and carrots in olive oil and garlic. Cook vegetables until al dente. Season vegetables and quinoa with soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Serves 2-3.

Pseudo-Mexican Night

2007-08-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Menu:
Black Bean Burgers
Homemade guacamole
Sweet Potato Fries

Spicy Black Bean Burgers
original recipe: Bon Apetit 1995
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/654

1 15-ounce can black bean, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion or shallot
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp salsa
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Tabsaco sauce
a dash of cayenne
salt and pepper

Using a fork, mash beans in medium bowl. Mix in onion, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons salsa, cumin, cayenne and hot pepper sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Using moistened hands, shape bean mixture into four small patties.
In a frying pan, put a small amount of olive oil and brown patties on each side. Serve with salsa and guacamole. We always eat these as is, put you could also serve the burgers in toasted hamburger buns or enlgish muffins.

2 Servings; can be doubled.

Broccoli Puree

2007-08-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe but I changed mine up a bit due to the fact that I didn't have cream cheese, the right kind of potato or enough broccoli and I didn't want to steam the veggies separately as I figured that was a waste of time. I thought this was absolutely delicious and I felt much better about eating mashed potatoes as they were full of green veggies.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30883,00.html?rsrc=search

Nell's Broccoli Puree

3 Yukon gold potatoes
2 handfuls of broccoli florets
approx 1/3 cup grated parmesan
splash of chicken stock
2-3 Tbsp lowfat sour cream
salt and pepper

Cut potatoes into quaters and steam with broccoli so they finish at about the same time. Put potaoes into a bowl and mash very well. Puree broccoli, splash of chicken stock, parmesan, sour cream, salt and pepper in a food processor (I used my mini-prep). Add to mashed potatoes and mix well. You may need to warm it up a bit in the microwave to bring back up to temperature.

Serves 2.

Southern Pecan Fried Chicken

2007-08-22T16:23:00.001-07:00

This recipe is from one of Lee Bailey's cookbooks. My mom used to make this a lot in the summer when we brought dinner to the beach. My sister and I loved this chicken so much we actually fought over it...I've even been known to eat the leftovers for breakfast ;)
This chicken goes really well with a potato dish...vinaigrette-based potato salad in the summer and mashed potatoes in the winter!

2 lbs chicken breasts (cut into 2-4 strips per breast)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups pecans
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
light olive oil

1. Marinate chicken strips in buttermilk for 30 minutes.
2. In a food processor, combine all dry ingredients and pulse (leave some chunky pieces of pecans!)
3. Pour dry flour mixture onto a plate and dip chicken, pressing nuts into tho chicken with your hands.
4. Let chicken rest in the fridg for 30 minutes.
5. In a large frying pan, pour in 1/2 inch of light olive oil. Heat until hot over med-high heat.
6. Carefully put chicken in, 2-4 minutes per side until golden brown
7. Drain chicken on paper towel. Enjoy warm or cold!

serves 4-6

Dinner Party Menu

2007-08-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

sorry, But I don't have any pics...I thought it might be a bit off-putting to my guests if I starting photographing their food :)

Hors D'Oeuvres: Hummus doctored up with toasted pine nuts, cumin and olive oil (thanks Felic!), baby carrots and crackers

Appetizer: Arugula and baby spinach salad with apple, toasted walnuts, and shaved manchego with champage vinegar dressing, and balsamic glaze drizzled on the plate.

Entree: Roasted Wild Coho Salmon with a balsamic reduction (see recipe below), roasted broccoli with garlic and parmesan and mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with sour cream.

Dessert: Lemon Cake ( see recipe in previous post), fresh raspberries and blueberries

I thought everything turned out really well excpet for two things...
1. I don't think I reduced the balsamic sauce enough for the salmon as it was a litle thin when poured over the salmon. It had a great flavor though so it didn't matter too much.

2. I need to work on my mashed potatoes... I don't often make them and while they seem like a simple enough thing, mine never quite turn out the way I want... suggestions?

Roasted Salmon with a Balsamic Reduction
(an adaption of a recipe from Bon Apetit, July 2007)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/105288

Sauce:
1/2 cup good balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tspsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to about 1/3 cup, about 17 minutes. Watch the sauce carefully as it can burn! Can be a made a few hours ahead and slowly rewarmed before using.

Salmon:
4, 6-ounce filets of wild salmon
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat the oveen to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place salmon on sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for abotu 20 minutes. Drizzle balsamic sauce over the salmon and serve!

Salem's Gourmet Taste

2007-08-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

too cute not to post....Salem loves his spoonful of Fage greek yogurt in the morning!

Exceptions to Every Rule...

2007-08-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I am a bit of a purist when it comes to food. I usually don't go for anything that's been made from a boxed mix. As a rule, I like things made from scratch from all natural ingredients...however, rules are meant to be broken and I certainly break my rule for this cake. You might as well throw out all your recipes for lemon cake as you will never need or want another one!

Lemon Bundt Cake

4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup apricot nectar
3/4 vegetable oil
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix
2 lemons
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat eggs well with a hand mixer, add sugar-beat, add apricot nectar-beat, add oil-beat, add cake-mix and beat at a medium speed for 2 minutes until all lumps are gone.
3. Put in greased bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes.
4. Grate lemons and squeeze juice. Mix with the powdered sugar and let stand.
5. Remove cake from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
6. Transfer to serving plate and slowly drizzle lemon glaze over the surface.

British Comfort Food!

2007-08-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Comfort food for me is really any combination of starch and cheese...depending on the day it could be macaroni and cheese, cheddar cheese and marmite on an english muffin or risotto...obviously not the healthiest food choices around but they really hit the spot when you need it! Another variation on this theme is the classic Welsh Rarebit...basically melted cheese sauce on toast which you put under the broiler until is gets brown. Yum! I have memories from my childhood of eating this dish with my mom. Maybe that's why I like this dish so much :)

Welsh Rarebit

1 tbsp butter

4 oz cheddar cheese, grated

dash of prepared Colman's mustard (or just use dijon)

1 Tbsp guiness or whatever beer you have on hand

Freshly ground pepper

1 egg, separated

2 pieces of hearty toast

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cheese, mustard, beer and pepper. Stir. Take off the heat once the mixture is smooth. Stir in the egg yolk. Stiffly beat the egg white and fold into the cheese mixture with a metal spoon. Pour over the toast and put under the broiler until brown. Serve with a green salad.

Serves 1 hungry person or 2 not so hungry people :)

The Best Broccoli Ever!

2007-08-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

ok, so the idea for this recipe came from dsjohn76..thank you! I don't have exact quantities as I eye-balled everything.

Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli florets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic cloves, sliced
salt and pepper
Parmeggiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, and season liberally with S&P. Lay slices of garlic around and on broccoli. Roast for 15-20 mintes until edges are just starting to brown and broccoli is tender but still firm (does that make sense?!).
Once out of the oven, generously shave parmesan (I used my microplane) over the top and enjoy!

A Delicious Way to Eat Your Greens

2007-08-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

As a holistic health counselor, it is my job to help people live healthier, happier lives! Most people don't eat enough green vegetables and they really are superfoods. So....I am going to be adding really delicious recipes to help encourage people to eat more vegetables. Of course, life is about balance so there will be some chocolate dessert recipes to help even things out!

This chickpea stew is from the July/August 2007 edition of the Nutrition Action Health Letter.

Spicy Chickpea and Greens Stew

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 large carrot, small dice

1 large onion, small dice

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (adjust if you don't like it too spicy!)

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb spinach (washed in a lettuce spinner and rough chopped)

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Small bunch basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat (I used my large Le Creuset dutch oven and it was perfect). Add 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and saute the carrots until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Stir in the red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and garlic. Simmer until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated.

3. Stir in the spinach. Simmer over medium heat until tender, about 5-10 minutes if using regular spinach (2-5 minutes if using baby spinach).

4. Add the chickpeas. Roughly chop the basil and stir into the stew, along with the remaining oil.

5. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4...or 3 hungry people :)

2007-08-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my food blog! I will be posting recipes, reviews of cookbooks, reviews of cookware and basically anything relating to food, and cooking. I hope you enjoy my culinary adventures!