Braised Leeks

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.

Green Drink

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

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

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

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

Vegetable Chili and Spoon Bread

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.

Roast Chicken Dinner

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.

Mac & Cheese "Broccolissimo"!

This recipe comes from "Macaroni & Cheese" by Marlena Spieler. I am fully aware that there's really nothing healthy about this recipe but the addition of glorious green broccoli made me feel slightly better about my indulgence. This was really very good....creamy and cheesy without being overly rich or claggy. A glass of crisp pinot grigio or two and some roast chicken rounded out this meal nicely. You could make this healthier by doubling the quantity of broccoli and cutting back on the pasta, and you could use whole wheat pasta.



















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

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).

Christmas Dinner

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.

Cooking Class #2

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

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

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!

A Bit of Barefoot Contessa

Parmesan Chicken

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

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

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

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

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

Whisk together.

Spinach + Cheese = YUM!

Spinach and Cheese Timbale
("Cooking with Joy")

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

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

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

Best of Both Worlds

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

Simple, Healthy and Delicious

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.

Broccoli Puree

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.

The Best Broccoli Ever!

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!