The word Yuca is a double entendre for me. There is Yuca the Caribbean root vegetable I grew up eating, and the acronym Y.U.C.A. meaning Young Urban Cuban American. I tried to pick a name for my blog that would encompass who I am in a few words. When I dream, it sometimes happens in English and sometimes in Spanish. This principle of duality holds true in my waking life which I hope to share here with you via my recipes, writing, photographs, and any other medium I think up on a whim.
This is by far one of my favorite breakfast foods. But done wrong, can be pretty disgusting- almost resembling dog food. If you don't believe me, go buy a can of corned beef hash at the grocery store and see what I mean. Anywho, this recipe uses simple ingredients and is pretty easy to make. Check out the recipe below.
Ingredients: I package corned-beef brisket cooked and cubed 2 large russet potatoes 1 onion 1 garlic clove 2 tsp. parsley, chopped 2 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp paprika salt and pepper to taste (I used garlic salt for this dish)
Take the cubed up beef and pulse in a food processor until you have small pieces but you don't want to overdo it because it'd look like corned beef dust not hash. I cooked the brisket in a crock pot the evening before, cubed it up, and stored it in the fridge over night. Next wash the potatoes and cut into small cubes. Add one tbsp. of butter into a non-stick pan and turn on med. high heat. Add the potatoes once the pan is hot. Allow for the potatoes to cook, tossing frequently. Add the paprika and some salt and continue to cook. Once the potatoes begin to brown a bit, transfer to a foil lined cookie sheet and bake to ensure even cooking for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Next finely chop you onion and garlic clove and begin to saute in the pan. When the onions become translucent, pile them on top of the potatoes and set aside. Lastly add the remaining butter to the pan and turn on med-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the corned beef and allow for it to brown until some bits are nice and toasted. This should take about 7 minutes or so. Lastly combine the onions, garlic and potatoes and add the parsley. Combine well and transfer to a nice platter. Top with a few fried eggs and enjoy this hearty breakfast!
Here is another way to use that same ol' boring chicken breast. Using rice flour to coat the chicken worked out really well. Also lightly pan-frying the chicken makes this dish not so bad for you. I tried to reduce the carbs a bit by substituing rice flour for regular flour. I also used blue agave nectar instead of honey or sugar for the dressing primarily because it is very low in the glycemic index and tastes great. A little goes a long way though- its super sweet stuff. I guess the only place you'll really get carbs here is in the rice flour, dried fruit, and the juice from the pomegranate which isn't much. Enjoy!
For the Chicken: 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 egg 1/2 cup rice flour 2 tsp herbs de Provence salt and pepper to taste 4 tbsp. canola oil
First butterfly your chicken breasts evenly. Take a piece of plastic wrap and place over the sliced chicken breast. Using a meat mallet, begin to lightly pound the chicken until it is very thin. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle with the herbs de provence, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat and egg and coat the chicken in it. Next dredge the chicken in the rice flour. Using a non-stick pan, pour about 2 tbsp. of canola oil and allow for it to get hot (on med. heat). Place the chicken on the pan and repeat until all of the chicken is cooked, adding a little oil as necessary. Remove from the pan once the chicken is nice and golden brown.
For the Salad: 1 bag of spring greens 1/2 small red onion sliced 1 avocado 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup dried cherries 1/3 cup almonds 1/4 cup pecans
Open the bag of greens and place on a pretty platter. Slice your onion into really thin rounds and cut up the avocado too. Add to the platter. Lastly sprinkle the dry fruit and nuts generously onto the plate.
For the Vinagrette: 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp. blue agave nectar (I used this to keep this dish low carb, but you can use honey instead) 1 small garlic clove 4 tbsp. walnut oil (this is not a must, be it does impart a lovely taste. You can use grapeseed or canola instead if you don't have walnut oil on hand) 4 tbsp. light or reduced fat mayo 1 pomegrante (juiced- all i did was cut it in half and squeeze into a bowl through a sieve but buying pomegranate juice would probably be easier- if you do this add about 1/4 cup of juice) salt and pepper to taste
In a mixing bowl add the vinegar, blue agave nectar, walnut oil, and pomegranate juice. Next add the mayo and whisk vigorusly to break up clumps and incorporate well. This will take a minute or two. The reason you use the mayo is to give the dressing a little body. If you prefer a more liquid dressing you can omit the mayo altogether. Run your garlic clove through a press or microplane and add to the dressing. Lastly, add the salt and pepper and whisk one more time to make sure everything is combined well.
Finding new ways to eat vegetables for many people can be quite challenging. Eating vegetables as your main meal is really under-rated too. I have been trying to cut out the refined carbs and sugars from our diet and incorporate more veggies with our meals. So far so good I must say. I prepared a spaghetti squash dish and a purple cabbage ( I made the cabbage because my husband is not a fan of squash at all) dish that was delicious and perfect for those watching their figure. They were pretty much the same recipe I just switched out the cabbage and squash for both dishes.
Spaghetti Squash/Cabbage 1 small spaghetti squash and or 1/2 head of purple cabbage 1 onion 2 tbsp. butter or olive oil 3 garlic cloves 4 green onion stalks 1 package turkey bacon (you can use veggie bacon if you want to make this meal vegetarian) 1 lemon (juice and zest) 1/2 tsp. nutmeg salt and pepper to taste
If you're making the squash the first thing to do is pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Then you'll cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and the gooey stringy parts, season with sea salt and put on a roasting pan. Transfer to the oven and allow it to cook through. Next take a foil-lined cookie sheet, spray it with cooking spray and lay the turkey bacon strips on the pan. Also put this in the oven. You might have to do this in two batches because I don't think one package of bacon will fit on one pan. While the bacon and squash are cooking, begin dicing your onion and mincing the garlic. Using a large skillet or wok, add the butter or oil and allow it to get hot. Transfer the onions and garlic to the pan and begin to saute. Once the onions are cooked through, remove from the heat. By now your bacon should be done. Remove the strips from the cookie sheet and transfer to your cutting board. Chop it up into bitesize pieces. Take the squash out of the oven and using a fork, begin to "rake" up the strings, transferreing it to the pan with the onions and garlic. Combine well and add the turkey bacon. Now would be a good time to add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow the dish to simmer for a few minutes on med. heat. While that's going on, zest a lemon, and juice. Add the zest and juice to the pan and incorporate well. Lastly, slice the green onions and combine with the rest of the ingredients, reserving a handful to garnish. If you were feeling adventurous you could add capers, or mushrooms to this dish- I would have but didn't think of it until after the dish was done.
If you were making this with cabbage, all you would do is slice the cabbage so that it kind of looks shredded, and saute after cooking the onions and garlic. You would make the dish the same way as the squash from this point forward.
So I was getting quite sick of my current workout play list. That can be really frustrating since music is what gets me through my workout. I created a new play list and have been listing to this on my last few runs.
Mardy Bum- Artic Monkeys Sukie in the Graveyard- Belle & Sebastian Faith (George Michael cover)- The boy least likely to Liar- Built to Spill I Am the Man- The Czars Bang Bang You're Dead- Dirty Pretty Things I don't want to know- The Donnas Let's Dance (David Bowie cover)- The Futureheads Skip to the End- The Futureheads Silver Lining- Rilo Kiley Rec Center- Kid Casanova Knock 'Em Out- Lilly Allen LDN- Lilly Allen M79- Vampire Weekend Just (Radiohead cover)- Paul Ronson f. Alex Greenwald Young Folks- Peter Bjorn & John Pull Shapes- The Pippettes She just wants to move- The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Ize of the World- The Strokes Incinerate- Sonic Youth Crazy Times- Team9 vs Gnarls Barkley vs Prince Playhouses- TV on the Radio Four Long Days- Voxtrot Nausea- Beck Hei Voce- Gilles Peterson Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood- Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah Dear Old Greenland- Andrew Bird Uprising- Muse
As I mentioned in my previous post, Brandon and I went to this great little place in Panama City Beach called Sheesha Cafe. Although we were glad to be back home, we kind of have the post-vacation blues. It's like you look forward to going away for so long, and then it finally comes and when it does it flashes by. I thought I'd make a meal reminiscent of one we had while we were on vacation to help ease the back-to-reality sucker punch we were feeling. This is a great way to make something different and exciting with ground beef too- if you're sick of hamburgers or meatloaf.
Drizzle the 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a non-stick pan and allow it to get hot. Add the ground beef and allow it to brown. Making sure to break up clumps. Drain any excess fat. While the beef is browning, dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the meat. Season the beef with the spices and let it continue to cook. Lastly, finely chop the parsley and throw it into the mix. Squeeze the Lemon juice and combine well.
For the Tabouli: 3 bunches flat leaf parsley 1 cucumber 1/2 a small red onion 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed. ( I omitted this ingredient this time because I was out, But I always add them) 1/2 cup cooked cous cous, quinoa, millet, or bulgar 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint 4 green onion stalks 1 lemon (juice) 1 garlic clove minced salt to taste 3 tbsp. olive oil
First prepare one of the grains I listed above according to package directions and set aside when done. In food processor or by hand, finely chop the parsley and mint. Peel the cucumber and cut into spears, removing the seeds. Cut the cucumber into small pieces and add to the a bowl with the parsley and mint. Next finely dice the red onion and green onion and add to the bowl. Quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds and add to the bowl. Lastly whisk the olive oil, lemon and minced garlic and pour into the salad. Add salt and blend well.
For the humus 3 cans chickpeas- rinsed and drained 2 tbsps tahini 1 lemon (juice) 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup water salt to taste
Add the chickpeas to your food processor along with the tahini, water, lemon juice and olive oil and blend well. Next run the garlic through a press or microplane and add to the mix. You don't want to add the garlic whole because you could end up with a big chunk. Continue to blend in the food processor until the mixture is nice and creamy. Put into a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil. Season the top with a little sumac or paprika.
For the pita bread:
6 cups all purpose unbleached flour 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp. salt 4 tbsp. butter, melted 1 tbsp garlic powder 2 2/3 cups water 1/4 cup canola oil 2 tsp baking powder 1 packet active dry yeast
Add the ingredients to your bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Mine said to add all of the wet ingredients first then add the dry ingredients. Turn the machine on to the dough setting and allow the dough to do it's thing. Once the bread machine stops, remove the dough and break off pieces about the size of a lemon and roll into a ball. Flatten them with your hand and with a rolling pin, begin to roll them out. I like mine kind of thin but you can make them a little thicker if you like. In a large non-stick skillet add a little oil and turn on med-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the dough and allow for it to cook. You should see air bubbles form. Flip it over once you have a little bit of browning on one side.
Tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce) 1 1/2 cups thick Greek yogurt 2 large cucumbers (seeds removed) 1 tsp. fresh chopped mint
Add the yogurt to a bowl. Next peel the cucumber, cut it and remove the seeds. Grate the cucumber or finely chop and add to the yogurt. Finely chop the mint and add to the yogurt as well. Serve chilled.
I know it seems like a lot of work, but actually the food processor is your best friend when making this meal. You can really have this meal done in 30 minutes (with the exception of the bread dough, but all you do for that is dump the ingredients into the machine and walk away till it's done).
I have been away from the blogging world for a while. I just got back from vacation, but prior to that, things at work were crazy as I was trying to get everything ready before we I left. My life will be pretty hectic at work until the middle of November because our department is hosting a fairly large event. But I digress. Brandon and I headed to Panama City Beach again this year to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. An observance we keep every year in the fall.
We had a great time. The beach was gorgeous. We layed out and listened to our ipods. At one point Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison came on and I just kept tapping my foot against the sand. Nothing like a nice day at the beach. Man do I miss having an ocean nearby. The the condo we stayed at was really nice too.
This year we actually had a few really good meals. We discovered this little hole in the wall Indian Restaurant called The Curry Pot. It was beyond awesome. The Mattar Paneer was AMAZING! I also recommend the lamb curry and the Mango Lassi. If you're ever in Panama City Beach check them out- the food is awesome.
We also discovered this little place called Sheesha Cafe. They make some awesome gyros and tabouli. So yummy. The owner was such a nice guy too. I hope his business takes off- especially since the dining in Panama City beach is not that culturally diverse. Most restaurants there are tourist trap places which are never good.
Besides going to the beach and shopping, we looked forward to brewing some awesome coffee and watching the Golden Girls. The TV selection kind of sucked. I guess because there are a ton of old retirees, they looped golden girls and I love Lucy all day pretty much. It was like being in a time warp but in a good way.
So I am no chef or culinary prodigy, but I've definitely have a passion for cooking for as long as I can remember. I've poured over cook books, watched countless food shows, and have cooked hundreds if not thousands of meals throughout my life. I've picked up a few tricks along the way and thought I'd share some of the stuff I've learned in this post.
1. Having extra sharp knives is a must. I can't stress enough the importance of having sharp knives. You don't have to spend a fortune on knives. Now don't get me wrong, if you want to invest in a quality knife set, I am all for that. But the fact of the matter is that with time and use, even the best knife will become dull. I personally spent $12.99 on my favorite knife at Target which I use for mostly everything. Having a knife sharpener in your arsenal will make prepping so much easier. Have you ever tried to slice a pepper with a dull knife? Not fun my friends. Not to mention that if your knife is sharp, you will have a lot more precision and speed. Here is a challenge for you. If you have a knife that is dull, invest in a good knife sharpener ( I have this one). Take an onion and cut it in half. Try cutting one half of the onion in very thin slices with your dull knife. Then wash, dry and sharpen your knife and try slicing the other half in the same way. You will be amazed at the difference.
2. Kitchen Must-haves I am the type of cook that doesn't really plan ahead much. Unless I've been asked to make a specific dish, I usually decide what to make right before making it. Part of the reason I am able to do this, is because there are a few staples that I always have on-hand. Below is a list of things you will find on any given day if you raid my kitchen:
Garlic
Onions
Bell Peppers
Lemons
Butter
Spinach
Milk
Eggs
Chicken Breast
Fish
Tomato Paste
Chicken Stock
Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White wine
Capers
Parmesan and mozzarella cheese
Turkey ham
Pasta (usually one short and one long, like linguine and Rotini or Cappelini and Farfalle)
Canned beans (black, cannelini, chick peas, and pinto)
Rice ( I have a drawer just for rice which includes short grain brown, long grain white, Arborio, basmati, jasmine, and parboiled) but I am a freak so as long as you have one variety (like a normal person would) you should be fine.
Flour (I usually have a bag of whole wheat flour and regular unbleached white flour)
Leavening (baking powder, baking soda, and yeast)
Canola oil
Bread crumbs
Vinegar (white, apple cider, balsamic, red wine and rice wine)
Honey
Brown sugar
Dried herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, basil, herbs de provence, oregano, and cilantro)
Fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, dill, cilantro, and sage (in the fall especially)
Cornmeal and polenta
3. Appliances no kitchen should be without: The small appliance I use the most by far is a food processor. There are so many things you can do with this thing it's amazing. Surprisingly enough, the other thing I use quite a bit is my bread maker. When I bought it originally, I thought that it would be stored in the cabinet and I'd only use it once a year, but i have to say, it is one of the best inventions ever made. You dump all of the ingredients into the canister and in about 2-3 hours time you have fresh bread. A couple of cool things to add to your collection might be a mandoline, a microplane (a fine grater and a course grater), a box grater, hand or stand mixer, a good sieve and colander, and last but not least a nice grill pan.
Garnishes are important: I am sure you have heard the saying " You eat first with your eyes". This saying is so true. Its amazing what a few chopped fresh herbs can do to a dish. It usually only takes a minute or two to garnish a dish, but it's worth every second. You shouldn't reserve garnishes for special occasions or when you have company over. Life is too short to wait for these opportunities. So the next time you're making a nice meal, think about it's presentation and how taking time to make sure your dish looks great can add something special to the meal.
Oil and Smoke point: How many of you have ever tried to fry something in extra virgin olive oil? If you're like me and have attempted this before, you know that it's only a matter of time before the smoke alarm starts going off. There are so many oils available in the stores that you probably are overwhelmed by the choices. But never fear, here are a few rules to go by.
A. Extra virgin olive oil should be used for lightly sauteing, dressing a salad or drizzling over something. There are many grades of olive oil which range in flavors from robust and fruity to green and grassy. EVOO has a low smoke point which means that it does not tolerate high heat well. Stick to other oils such as canola for deep frying,
B. Canola, Vegetable, Corn, or Peanut oils are great for frying, and sauteing. These oils typically do not impart much or any extra flavor to your food, so it's a nice neutral oil to use when you don't want to alter flavors. These oils however, are probably not good for things like dipping bread in (with balsamic) or flavoring salad dressings. If you want to use an oil that is neutral but good for drizzling over humus without imparting that strong olive oil taste, try using grape seed oil. It's really good for you too- it's higher in the EFA's than olive oil.
C. Coconut oil has gotten a really bad rap over the years.
The reason is that it is a saturated fat- (a saturated fat will be solid at room temperature). But not all saturated fats are bad for you. There is a huge difference between trans-fat and saturated fat. Coconut and Palm oils (especially in their raw state) are actually very healthy oils. Coconut oil is high in Lauric acid which has anti-microbial properties. Not to mention that coconut oil is extremely high in E. The health benefits of using this oil are amazing. One of the cooking benefits of coconut oil is that it's smoke point is extremely high. This oil is often used for Stir frys or cooking popcorn kernels because of its ability to withstand heat.
D. Exotic oils- go ahead try them.
Usually these oils are use to enhance or finish off a dish. White or Black truffle oil, sesame oil, chili oil, walnut oil, almond oil.... so many it makes your head spin. In my experience, a little of this stuff goes a long way. All you really need is a few drops and that should do the trick. It's a good thing too, because some of these are SUPER expensive.
E. Oils as supplements:
There is a lot of debate regarding which oil is best to fulfill the EFA daily requirement. Some say Flax is the best way to go, others debate that wheat germ oil (or vitamin E capsules) are more easily absorbed by the body. Others take fish oil capsules. There are mixed formulas specifically for women (I take a mixture of flax, borage, and evening primrose and mix it in plain yogurt) and combination for men. The reason why it is so important to take these is because EFA's cannot be created in the body naturally. EFA's are important for regulating metabolism, and supporting the reproductive, cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. It is a good idea to take some form of Essential Fatty Acids as a supplement daily. One to two tablespoons a day is enough to satisfy the requirement.
I am thinking of making this an on-going post. These things usually come to me while I am cooking, so I have put a notebook in the kitchen to write down my thoughts. Until next time- happy cooking!
I remember one time when I was a kid, we drove up to Orlando and stayed with my mom's uncle who lived in that area when we visited Disney World. I must have been like 12 or 13. At the time my mom's uncle was in a relationship with a lady who had a son. She had baked these bars and I seriously thought I had died and gone to heaven when I ate one. I remembered them the other day and decided to research the dessert. I didn't know what they were called or how they were made but I finally found the recipe after all these years. The other thing I remembered was that the lady's son had a crush on me and kissed me while I was sleeping- gross. That was so weird- I couldn't wait to get out of there! My brother was cracking up and teased me the rest of the trip. Here is the recipe for those cherished bars.
Two packages of graham crackers (there are three packages in each box) 1 1/2 sticks butter 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup milk chocolate chips 1 cup chopped nuts ( I like almonds but only had pumpkin seeds) 1 can condensed milk 1 cup flaked shredded coconut
Run the graham crackers in a food processor to form crumbs. Melt the butter. Transfer to a bowl and add the butter and sugar and incorporate well. Take a 13x9 pan and pat the graham cracker crumbs down to form a crust. Pack tightly to make sure the bars are solid when they're done. I like to use a large cookie sheet so that the crust isn't super thick. Next sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts on top of the crust. Open the can of condensed milk and drizzle all over evenly. Make sure you save about a third of the can. Next add the shredded coconut and finish drizzling the rest of the condensed milk over the bars. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the coconut is nice and toasty. Allow cool before cutting into squares.
I must say this dish is not only delicious, but is perfect for a "cocktails and hors d'oeuvres" party. It's substantial enough to serve a a super bowl party just the same with an ice cold beer. How ever you serve them, I am sure they will be a hit. The recipe for the flank steak was meant to be as a stand alone item, but morphed into the crostini at the last minute. You can serve the flank steak with some roasted potatoes and a nice crisp salad and that would be a great meal too. My only complaint is that I had to take these pictures at night, and did not get very clear images- they looked a lot better in person.
Ingredients for the steak: 2 lbs flank steak 1 onion 4 cloves garlic 1/3 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup canola oil 2 tbsp. herbs de Provence 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. pepper
In a food processor, blend the garlic and onion until a paste is formed. Take a gallon size zip block bag and add the paste. To this add the lemon juice, canola oil, herbs, salt and pepper and combine well. lastly, add the flank steak to the bag and coat well. Make sure to press out the excess air from the bag, and allow the meat to marinade for at least 4 hours. If you can leave it overnight, that's even better. Turn on the grill to high and place the flank steak on it. Allow the pieces to brown a bit before turning. Save the marinating liquid. Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and pour the marinating liquid into it. Cover tightly with foil and cook the meat for 3 hours on 300 degrees. At the end of the the three hours, the meat should be super tender and falling apart. While the meat is still in tact, transfer to a cutting board and slice against the grain to form strips. Transfer back into the pan with the juices.
Ingredients for the Aioli: 1 cup low-fat mayo 1 clove garlic 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tsp fresh thyme 1 tsp fresh parsley 2 tsp fresh tarragon 2 leaves fresh basil 1 tsp salt
Roughly chop the garlic and herbs and run in the food processor until the bits are small. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt until all of the herbs are blended well.
Ingredients for the Crostini: 2 lbs flank steak (cooked according to above method) 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves 1 large red onion 1 loaf french bread 1 cup mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup lemon-herb aioli
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the bread into rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Spray each piece with a little Pam. Bake until the the bread is a little bit toasty, but don't toast all the way, because we will assemble the crostini and put them back in the oven for a few minutes. Next take the bread and spread with the aioli. Place a few spinach leaves on the crostini, and add a strip or two of the flank steak. Sprinkle a little bit of mozzarela cheese on top. Repeat this until all the crostini are assembled, and put in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. While that is crisping, begin to slice your red onion in very very thin rounds. then cut them into quarter strips. Remove the crostini tray from the oven, and top each piece with some sliced raw red onion.
This cake is so rich, but at the same time, its not a very dense cake so it helps balance it out. The batter seemed a bit thin when I poured it into the pans, but turned out to be the perfect consistency.
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 1 1/3 cups cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup strong coffee 1/2 cup canola oil 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup Disaronno amaretto liqueur
Combine all of the wet ingredients. Next add the flour, baking soda, baking powder salt and sugar to the mix and blend well. Pour the batter into two 8" round pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Once baked, transfer to a cooling rack. With a pastry brush, lightly brush the liqueur over the cake and allow it to seep in.
For the Chocolate Frosting: 2 sticks butter 1 8 oz. bar cream cheese 4 cups powdered sugar 1 cup cocoa powder 1/3 cup half and half 1 tsp. vanilla
Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Blend well with an electric mixer. Begin to add the powdered sugar in batches. Add the half & half and vanilla extract. Lastly, add the cocoa powder and combine well.
Once the cakes are cooled, place on your cake plate and frost to your liking. I wanted a more rustic looking cake so I just frosting the middle and top layer.
I know I made a pizza not that long ago, but this is a different take on the classic. Who doesn't love pizza for breakfast? There are no objections in our household!
Pizza Ingredients: 1/2 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce ( I use Emeril's "Kicked up Gaahlic") 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes 1 cup Cheddar Cheese 1/2 mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup crumbled turkey bacon 1/2 cup turkey ham, cubed in small pieces 1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves 4 eggs
Roll out the dough and place in a pizza pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spread the sauce on the dough and begin adding the toppings, the cheese should go first though. Once you have added the rest of the toppings crack the eggs directly on top of the pizza. Place them evenly apart so each piece will have some egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.
Of all the dishes I've posted... this is my favorite. Unfortunately, when I posted the original recipe, I still had my old camera which took sub-mediocre pictures on a good day. I made the dish again tonight and decided to post the recipe again with new, clearer images. This time I made the canape bread from scratch and topped it with the same ingredients listed in the original recipe. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as Brandon and I have. A chilled glass of Prosecco pairs beautifully with this.
Last week I participated in a blog-hop post to which the theme was your favorite kid's photo. Unfortunately, that day I didn't have the photos that I wanted to post with me. Over the week, I looked through a few pictures and thought I'd share a few that I didn't post last week. There are still a few I haven't found, but I can always post those later. If you click on the actual pictures you can see them a bit more clearly. Since they're old photos they didn't scan very well.
Here is an old photo I remember my grandmother had in a frame in her house. I think it was at a wedding, but I can't remember who. I was 4 here I think. And by the looks of it, probably up to no good. In this picture I am with my grandmother, posing before trick or treating.
If you notice in this picture my bangs are missing, it's because I took a pair of scissors and decided it was time for a hair cut.
Ah, I remember the summers as a child. This picture tells a lot. My mom used to buy us those kiddy pools in the summers. I loved them, but always wished I could go to my neighbor's (PJ's house) to get in their real pool. I got into a lot of trouble this day because my grandmother was leaning over and I pushed her into the pool.
We used to go to the beach quite a bit in the summer. As you can tell I became a pro at soaking up the sun. This was on that same summer vacation to the beach. This was my brother Ozzy. Have you ever seen such a fat baby? He looked like he was being choked by his double chin. Again I know I am biased, but he was so cute. This is my other brother Eric. He was a character. He seems quiet and subdued in this picture, but man did he have a personality on him. He once threatened my mother after she put him in his car seat with "you'll pay for this captain planet" as he raised his fist in the air.
This was the classic "I didn't do it" face. ha ha. And again, notice my brother and his double chin. I was quite the chubster myself.
I think this was at Disney. Before either of my brothers were born.
This was at St. Augustine. We were obviously older here, but I thought i'd end the post with a picture of the three of us. We used to squabble quite a bit, but in the end we really did get along.
There are a few places I really miss eating at in Miami. My life would be complete if they'd open a Chicken Kitchen , Beverly Hills Cafe, Casa Larios, and lastly, the reason for my post- A Divine Delicacies cake shop. Since I am so far away, I often try to replicate my favorite meals from these places. Most of the time to no avail. I mean usually the stuff comes out OK, but its not the same as what I crave. This exercise in futility has kept on happening when I try to re-create the vanilla rum cake from Divine Delicacies, (there are a bunch of other cake shops in Miami that have the same recipe like Cake Designs by Edda amongst others). Anywho, the cake is really really dense. I think they soak it in a vanilla-rum simple syrup because it is extremely moist. I can't determine if the butter cream they make is all butter or a combination of butter and shortening. Anyway to make a long story short, I attempted again to make my favorite cake and fell short. I mean it was good, but it wasn't the original. Now granted, I know I need cake like I need a hole in the head, but I find that if I get a very strong craving and don't satisfy it, it ends up being worse. So I made the cake, shared a piece with Brandon and threw the rest out. I know, I know, its a waste, but if I don't do this, then I am tempted to keep eating it. The beauty of having Divine Delicacies around is you can buy cake by the slice. I guess that could be problem too if you go too often but that's when you employ self control. Anywho now that I've rambled on and on, here is my attempt #4 over the last year.
So I took the cake recipe from this Post and doubled the recipe. I thought using a pound cake recipe would be more like the density of the original.
Ingredients for the cake: 2 sticks butter (room temperature) 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 can condensed milk 2 cups unbleached flour, sifted 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda 4 eggs
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture with a mixer until it turns a light shade of yellow. Next add the condensed milk and beat well. Add the flour in 5 parts and blend well. Add the eggs one at a time and blend. Grease and flour two 8" round pans and pour the batter evenly amongst the two. The batter should be kind of thick, so you might have to use a spatula to smooth it out and make it even. Put in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes. Poke the center of the cake with a toothpick, and if it comes out clean, then its done. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow to sit until cool.
While the cake is baking, make your simple syrup. 1 cup sugar 2 cups water 1 cup rum 3 tsp. vanilla extract.
In a sauce pan, bring the water and rum to a boil. Add the sugar and vanilla and allow it to reduce until it resembles the consistency of corn syrup- just not quite as thick. Allow it to cool.
Once the cake is done, cut each layer in half so you'll have a 4-layer cake. If you have a cake leveler this would be a good time to whip it out. Once you have the four pieces, take a pastry brush (I use silicone so the bristles won't stick to the cake but any will work) and begin brushing the simple syrup over the layers. Allowing it to soak through and repeating until the cake looks moist. Set aside.
Now for the frosting... 2 sticks butter (room temperature) 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3 tsp. vanilla rum (or regular white rum if you don't have flavored rum) 6 cups confectioner's sugar 1 tsp. salt
Beat the butter and shortening until smooth. Next begin to add the sugar one cup at a time. Beat well. Add the vanilla rum, vanilla extract and salt and continue to beat until smooth. Voila your frosting is done.
Assembly:Place the bottom layer on your cake plate and spread frosting evenly on the top of the layer. Add a layer of cake, then frosting until you get to the top of the cake. Pile a generous amount on the top and begin to smooth over the edges and sides. Do a crumb coating and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes to allow it to set. Do the final coat and decorate as you wish. I am really an amateur, but you can smooth the sides with your cake spatula and add some kind of decorative border if you like.
Since I don't have kids just yet, I think i'll just post a couple of my favs of when we were kids. There are a few other pictures I wish I would have brought today, but I left my album at home where there is no scanner.
This was me at 3. If you knew me then, you'd know I was up to no good. Just check out that look on my face. It screams- I am scheming something and it probably involves lots of bubbles or hiding in the dryer. This is my brother Ozzy when he was in kindergarten. I know I am biased but he was such a cute kid. ;)I know this isn't really a kid picture, and I've posted this photo before, but I just can't get over our 80's clothes. Not to mention my dad had the whole "Tony Montana" look going. I am surprised he wasn't sporting the gold chain. You probably can't tell, but my brother has frosting all over it. ha! Also did you notice my elegant stance? I mean I was always such a graceful child- ha ha. This week's Blog Hop theme is Favorite Kid Photos. You can have one or more of your favorite photos your kids, grandkids, someone else's kid or even YOU when you were a kid. Funny, precious, heartwarming... your favorite!. Here is a sample post based on this theme:
Brandon has been working on making a "cover's" song list for a while. I can only take credit for a few contributions, but this was all him. I know I am somewhat biased, but in my humble opinion, the list is superb. Have I ever mentioned how much I love this man??? This is going to be an on-going list since we just add stuff as we think of it. There are a million other songs I am sure we've left out.
1. A Quick One, While He’s Away – Green Day (Who)
2. Across the Universe – Rufus Wainwright (Beatles)
3. Against All Odds – the Postal Service (Phil Collins)
4. And I ran – Love is All (Flock of Seagulls)
5. Ballad of Big Nothing- The Foxymorons (Elliott Smith)
6. Be My Baby – We Are Scientists (Ronnettes)
7. Beautiful – The Zutons (Christina Aguilera)
8. Billie Jean – Chris Cornell (Michael Jackson)
9. Blackbird- Elliott Smith (The Beatles)
10. Bohemian Rhapsody – Flaming Lips (Queen)
11. California Dreamin – Jose Feliciano (Mamas and the Papas)
12. China Girl – Iggy Pop (David Bowie)
13. Close to Me – Why? (The Cure)
14. Crazy – Of Montreal (Gnarls Barkley)
15. Crazy – Raconteurs (Gnarls Barkley)
16. Darling Nikki – Foo Fighters (Prince)
17. Dear Prudence – Siouxsie and the Banshees (The Beatles)
18. Desolation Row – My Chemical Romance (Bob Dylan)
19. Do the Strand – Scissor Sisters (Roxy Music )
20. Don’t Walk Away Renee – Ida (Left Banke)
21. Dreams – Yo La Tengo (Fleetwood Mac)
22. Drive Me Wild – Foo Fighters (Vanity 6)
23. Fade into You – Run Run Run (Mazzie Star)
24. Faith – The Boy Least Likely to Succeed (George Michael)
25. Fantasy – Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy (Mariah Carey)
26. Feeling Good – Muse/My Brightest Diamond (Nine Simone)
27. Folsom Prison Blues – Dead Heart Bloom (Johnny Cash)
Of course I meant turkey bacon, but the real trick to making this burger a hit is making sure you invest the the time to season your meat well. My favorite way to cook this is out on the barbecue grill so it gets that flame grilled taste. Serve with sweet potato fries for a little extra added beta carotene. So lets get started shall we?
Before you do anything, go turn on your grill if you have one. Spraying the the rack with cooking spray made for grilling, before lighting.
In a mixing bowl combine the meat with the grated onion and garlic. Crack the egg into the mix and add the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Season with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well. Divide the meat and begin forming your patties.
Slice your hamburger buns and begin chopping your toppings. I thinly sliced an onion, tomato and avocado. Now would be a good time to cook a few strips of
Put your patties on the grill and allow to cook untouched for about 4 minutes. Whatever you do, do not press down on the patties. That will dry out the burger. Flip them over only once and allow them to cook to the desired doneness. Top with a slice of cheese. Remove the patties from the grill and begin assembling your burger.
Place the patty on the bottom piece of the bun and top with the bacon. Top with the onion, tomato, avocado and any other condiments you like. For me I like to add pickles, ketchup and mustard.
For the fries: 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and julienned 1 tbsp canola oil sea salt
Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Assemble the fries on the sheet and drizzle the canola oil evenly over the them. Bake at 400 degrees flipping midway. Remove once the fries are crisp.
It all started with an email from my husband this morning. We both are avid Amazon.com fans and respectively have wish lists set up on the site. I present to you specimen A: For the sake of keeping the integrity of the conversation, I will display it exactly as it happened.
B:The reviews on this wolf t-shirt are funny: “Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women. Cons: Only 3 wolves (could probably use a few more on the 'guns'), cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark.”LOL.
Me:What the???What is this??
B:I sent you an email with a wolf t-shirt on Amazon where the reviews are hilarious
Me: OHHHH ok I hadn’t gotten this far down on my email list yet.Ha Ha so funny.This looks like something napoleon dynamite would wear.
B: Here's another Gem. “Continuing with my work day, I counseled many clients. What a difference a shirt makes. Its powers extended to them and cured many many problems. Depression: go buy a 3 wolf moon shirt, Anxiety: let the wolves protect you and keep you safe, Ego-dystonic Lesbianism: find a man with said shirt, Schizophrenia: Only do what the wolves say, ignore all other voices. I could go on forever.” Hahahahaha, I LOL’d for real on this one.
B: While not as funny as the others, I wrote my own review:
“Recently bought this shirt and while I have not yet experienced its full power, strange things have already started happening. A few weeks after ordering I noticed the payment never cleared my bank account. I contacted the local branch and explained my situation. They researched my transaction on their system and asked to put me on hold for the branch manager. After several minutes on hold, the branch manager answered the phone, asked a few questions and then whispered "Welcome to the Three-Wolf-Moon Wolf Pack, this one is on us. Spread the word." I immediately got goosebumps and as I hung up the phone I could hear in the distance the gentle cries of the three wolves. I feel good things are on the horizon for me!”
Me: Hey I just noticed that you don’t have this on your wishlist.I added it to mine. Lol
B: Nice, you want to get some for when we go see New Moon? We can both wear them!
Me: LOL… I actually thought of that.This whole conversation is thoroughly amusing.
B: I WANT IT, his and hers. And very appropriate “New Moon” with werewolves, the Three Wolf Moon shirt, it will be sweet. When is the movie out? I know its tacky but …
Me: I just checked your wishlist- Why do you want a Velcro rubber tourniquet?
B: It’s a part of my survival gear, in case a bear bites off my leg, BOOM, tourniquet.
That was the end of our email discussion, but really you should check out some of the reviews on this piece- cheap entertainment for hours!
I am so glad to have a good friend to share this obsession with (not to mention a mom, brother and husband who are also hooked). I was beyond thrilled when Jessica showed me her blog post today! This was us at the twilight party I hosted recently ;)
Fritattas are a good breakfast to make on a weekend. They're easy to make and you can make a lot of it or a little depending on the number you're serving without doing any extra work. They're also a good way to get some veggies into your diet- I made this one out of veggies and it was delicious. I served it with some home fries and some lean turkey sausage and bacon to complete the meal. We didn't eat again until dinner!
Veggie Frittata: 6 eggs 1 small onion 1 bag spinach 1/2 a red pepper 3/4 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese salt and pepper to taste
Dice all of the veggies and saute them until they're tender. Remove and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk in the eggs, veggies cheese and salt and pepper and pour into an oven-safe pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cook on low heat until the frittata is almost cooked through. At this point, put it into the oven and cook at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
For the Home Fries: 2 large russett potatoes 1 onion 1/3 cup parsley 2 tsp. paprika 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese olive oil- to drizzle over the top Salt and pepper to taste
Slice the potatoes into rounds ( I used a sharp knife but a mandolin works well too.) Make sure the slices are even. Next dice the onion and mix with the potatoes. Take a foil-lined cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Add the potatoes and onion to the pan and season with the paprika, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and take off the foil. The potatoes should be tender now. Add the cheese and parsley and combine well. Allow the potatoes to cook uncovered until they're slightly crisp.
So I logged on to my my blog as I usually do. I was surprised to find a very sweet comment from my friend Des of FoodTravelDiva. She passed on the Kreative Blogger award to me ;) I thoroughly enjoy reading her blog and am so grateful for her encouragement! Thank you so very much for this Des. The Yuca Diaries started off as a way to chronicle my recipes and remember them for later use- (I often make up recipes as I go along, and since I wouldn't' write them down, they'd be lost somewhere in the recesses of my brain.) I am so glad to have met such wonderful people who share the love of food and cooking that I do.
Here are the rules: 1.Thank the person who has given you the award-goes without saying 2.Copy the logo and place it on your blog 3.Link to the person who has nominated you for the award 4.Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting 5.Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers 6.Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate 7.Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated
1. I love to cook. I think my interest started in pre-k. I was nicknamed “ la cocinera” by my teachers at the age of 3 because I would tell the them I was going to make Arroz con Pollo. Then I would tell them the step by step process which was pretty accurate for a three year old. I remember I was the only kid who would check out cook-books from the school library in third grade.
2. I am fully bi-lingual (English and Spanish)
3. I crave change ALL the time. If it were up to me, I’d pick up and move to a new city every 6 months. In fact, we’ve only been in Texas for a little under three years and I already have ants in my pants to move again.
4. I sing in the shower really loud when I am home alone.
5. I have a lot of useless info in my brain… I love to research things to death. Even things I am not particularly interested in. Really random facts fascinate me- things like how things work, where things are located, and what causes them to happen.
6. My Great-grandmother and I were born on the same day, 80 years apart.
7. Even though I’ve never been to Cuba, I feel so blessed to call myself Cuban American. It is really etched into my identity and thought process. It’s the only way that I can explain having this strong sense of nostalgia, for a place I have only seen in faded photographs. Faded photographs, and the places I’ve made up in my mind as my grandparent’s recounted stories of their youth.
Last night's dinner was one I made because I needed to use up the rest of the pizza dough I made, along with some veggies that I needed to use before I did groceries this week. It was like a home-made hot pocket. This dish had kind of a French bistro feel to it maybe because the roasted veggies were inspired by the dish served in Ratatouille (even though Ratatouille is not what was served in that movie- check out this cool blog post I found on the subject- Ratatouille Conspiracy.
On a separate note, Just check out the gorgeous color of the roasted vegetables. I was the only one who ate the beets since Brandon nor my mom care for them. That's ok- more for me to have!
Use the left over pizza dough, referenced in my previous post for this recipe.
Ingredients: Pizza dough rolled out to about 1/8" 1 head broccoli 1 red onion 2 lbs sliced turkey 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Olive Oil
Cut the turkey into cubes. Dice the broccoli and onions well. Combine the turkey, cheese, broccoli and onions in a bowl. Next portion out the dough. Put about a half cup of the filling into sections of the dough, folding over to create a pocket. With a fork, pinch the sides to seal. Cut a slit on top of each pocket and brush with an egg wash. Drizzle olive oil into a cookie sheet and place the pockets on top to bake. Bake until the crust is golden and flaky.
I used zucchini, tomatoes, and red onions. If i had eggplant and summer squash I would have put these in too.
For the roasted veggies: 2 large zucchinis 3 tomatoes 1 red onion 1 tsp. herbs de Provence 1 tsp. sea salt 1/2 tsp. pepper olive oil to drizzle over the top
Slice the veggies into rounds and begin assembling in a baking pan. I stacked them against each other to create a pretty tray. You could alternate between veggies, or do all of one then all of the other till you've used up all the veggies. Sprinkle with the herbs and salt and pepper. Drizzle the top with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour.
I also served this with Roasted beets. All I did was wash the beets and wrap them in foil. I baked for about 30 minutes. Once cooled enough to touch, I removed the skin. Make sure to wear gloves when handling unless you want to have pink hands for the next week. Slice and serve plain.
I have not posted anything in such a long time. My mom arrived last Wednesday from Miami. Although I am thrilled she's here, it has not been a good week. The day after she arrived, three burglars came into the house and had a gun. My mom was home alone and heard a really loud noise from the back of the house. She went to investigate and was met with a pointed gun and three delinquents. Thankfully my mom started screaming like a mad woman and they left before doing any damage- other than leaving her seriously shaken, and breaking the lock and patio door frame. Several trips to home depot, about 6 hours of paid labor to fix the door, and a bill of about $650.00 everything is back to normal. About 3 days after that, I came down with the most awful flu I can remember having in a LONG time. I started feeling sick on Monday night and today is Friday and I am still feeling sick. My week has been filled with rising and falling temperatures, horrible headaches and the most painful sore throat I ever had. I went to the Doc. and she told me it wasn't Strep so I guess that was the silver lining. Why am I posting all of this you ask? Well, the truth is that I had been on a food blogging kick. I was posting a lot more frequently and really enjoying it. I kind of feel bad that I've fallen of the blogging wagon (and shhhhh- the workout wagon went to hell too). Here is my feeble attempt at a come-back. I hope you guys enjoy this! Who could turn down a piece of home-made pizza?
Pizza Dough Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose unbleached flour 3 cups whole wheat flour 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp. salt 1 tbsp garlic powder 2 2/3 cups water 1/4 cup canola oil 2 tsp baking powder 1 packet active dry yeast 1 1/2 tbsp. cornmeal
Add the ingredients to your bread machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Mine said to add all of the wet ingredients first then add the dry ingredients(with the exception of the cornmeal- that's for later). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. I turned the bread machine on to the the dough setting and let it do its thing. The pizzas I made had a really thin crust. To achieve this, roll out the dough till it is about 1/8" thick- make sure to flour your surface and your rolling pin so that the dough does not stick. Next take your pizza pan and add a little canola oil to the bottom. With a pastry brush, make sure to get all of the bottom of the pan coated. Take the cornmeal and sprinkle evenly over the pan. After that, take your pizza crust and drape over your pan. When you roll it out, you want to try and roll it into a similar shape of the pan you're using, leaving about a 1/4" overlap so you can create a crust. Once you position the dough in the pan, fold the edges over and lightly pinch to secure. Take your silicone brush and spread an even layer of olive oil over the top. At this point you're ready to bake it in the oven for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven to begin adding your toppings.
Toppings For pizza #1 2 hand fulls mozzarella cheese 1 handful shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese 1 small white onion 6 cloves garlic extra virgin olive oil
Topping For Pizza #2 2 hand fulls mozzarella cheese 1 handful shredded (not grated) Parmesan cheese 1 small red onion 1 ripe tomato, diced 6 black olives, sliced 1 tsp. dried oregano extra virgin olive oil
While your dough is pre-baking, you can begin to cut up your toppings. This pizza was not your traditional one since I did not include a sauce. I added a little olive oil after removing the pan from the oven. I made two varieties, one with just cheese, garlic and onions. The other had red onion, garlic, tomatoes and olives. After you assemble each pizza, drizzle with some olive oil and bake until the crust is somewhat crispy and the cheese is bubbling.
This dish is extremely easy. Not to mention a good way to get extra veggies in the morning. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which helps prevent several cancers (especially prostate), as well as protect the skin from free-radicals. The lycopene in tomatoes is more potent when tomatoes are cooked, so eating this dish is a good way to get some antioxidant action at the start of your day. If you're trying to watch your carb intake, simply omit the tortilla. So here's how you make it.
Ingredients 4 eggs 1 cup chunky salsa (home-made is best, but store-bought will work too) 5 sprays of Pam (or enough to coat the pan) 1/3 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese 1 tsp. light sour cream 4 corn tortillas 2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
Spray the pan and place it on the burner over med- low heat. Once the eggs are cooked on one side, flip them. Next pour the salsa over the eggs and sprinkle the cheese on top of them. Warm the tortillas and put them on a plate to wait for the egg to cook. Roughly chop the cilantro. Remove the eggs from the pan and place each egg, a top a tortilla. Top with sour cream and cilantro. For those that like it hot, add a dash of hot sauce.
I've had these meatballs before when Patyence has made them, and they're awesome. I had a craving for them and called her up yesterday for the recipe. I wrote them down on my post-it pad at work and left them there like a dummy by mistake. I made them today, and since I didn't have the recipe on hand, I kind of winged it. They came out very close to hers except I forgot to add the hot sauce to the meatball mix, so I added it to the sauce instead. I decided that I wanted to cut down on carbs today, so I made "Zughetti" instead of pasta. Basically this is zucchini cut in fine julienne strips and sauteed to appear like pasta (get it?? zucchini + spaghetti= "Zughetti").
For the Meatballs: 2 1/2 lbs. lean ground turkey 1 small onion 3 garlic cloves 1 egg 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried or fresh parsley 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1/4 cup milk 1/3 cup bread crumbs 1 tbsp. olive oil (for cookie sheet) salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and add the olive oil to coat. Move around to coat all sides. Take the onion and garlic and grate half of it into a medium size mixing bowl. Finely dice the other half of the onion and add to the bowl. To this add the ground turkey. Next add the herbs,and begin to combine with your hands. Crack the egg into the mix and add the milk. Blend again. Next add the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and once again, blend with your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Now you are ready to begin forming the meatballs. I like mine kind of on the small side. about the size of a walnut. As you form them,put them on your cookie sheet and repeat until all of the mixture is gone. Bake for about 20 minutes.
For the Meatball sauce 2 garlic cloves 1/2 a small onion 1 cup ketchup 1 small can tomato paste 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce 1/2 tsp. pepper
Finely dice the onion and grate the garlic. In a med. saucepan, add a little olive oil and begin to saute the onions and garlic. Once they've cooked down a bit and become tender, add the ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar and brown sugar and whisk. Next add the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and blend well. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes and add the water. blend well and season with a little pepper. Don't add salt as the Worcestershire sauce is quite salty. Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the sauce over them,making sure to coat all of them well. Allow them to cook for an additional 10 minutes.
For the "Zughetti" 2 large zucchinis 1/2 a small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp. olive oil 1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley. salt and pepper to taste
Finely julienne the zucchini. Dice the onions and grate the garlic and add to a pan with the olive oil. Season the onions and garlic with a little salt and pepper and turn the heat up to med. high. Once the pan is really hot, add the zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. You don't want to over cook so you can have an "al dente" feel to the zucchini. Lastly add the parsley, reserving about 1 tbsp. to garnish. With a pair of tongs, gently toss the zucchini and serve.
8 Things I Am Looking Forward To: 1. Seeing my momma next week. 2. Getting curtains and accessories to decorate. 3. Hitting the elliptical 4. Having a nice Friday with Papo. 5. Going on a hike next week. 6. Looking for paint swatches. 7. Putting up the pool for this HOT summer 8. This week's episode of True Blood.
8 Things I Did Yesterday: 1. Went to work. 2. Had lunch with Julia. 3. Went to the gym. 4. Talked on the phone with my brother, mom and friend (not at the same time). 5. Took a nice bath 6. Went to dinner with Brandon, Beyssa, and London. 7. Watched some TV in bed with Brandon 8. Thought about putting my clothes away, but went to bed instead.
8 Things I Love: 1. Brandon 2. My Family 3. Listening to music 4. Cooking 5. Sleeping in on the weekend 6. A few very close friends 7. This 4-10 schedule 8. Having free time with those I love
8 Things I Wish I Could Do: 1. Be consistent 2. Be a better Christian 3. Play the Piano 4. Lose weight 5. Read more 6. Visit family more often 7. Know how to cut and style hair 8. Play the guitar
8 Shows I Watch: 1. True Blood 2. Big Bang Theory 3. Rate My Space 4. So You Think You Can Dance 5. No Reservations 6. American Dad 7. Top Chef 8. Project Runway
This dish is one that you can make when you have a small group of guests coming over or for a nice hearty meal to share with your loved ones. Sun-dried tomatoes make everything taste great, add a little garlic and white wine and you'll start to have the beginnings of a great meal. This dish is one you'll want to make time and time again and so will your family and friends. I started thinking about what I could do with chicken breasts. I knew I felt like eating mashed potatoes, so I started with that and then developed this recipe with ingredients I had in the fridge. So here's how you make it. Ingredients for the chicken: 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 jar sun dried tomatoes 2 containers button or cremini mushrooms 1 container reduced fat feta cheese ( I think it's 8 oz.) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 onion 3 cloves garlic 2 tbsp. milk 1 cup white wine 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 1 cup flour 4 tbsp. butter salt and pepper to taste
Wash and pat the chicken breast dry. Butterfly the breasts and place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken. With a meat mallet, pound the breasts until they're about 1/8 of an inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat until all of the chicken breasts are done. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a pan add 2 tbsp. of butter, slice the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat. Throw in the boxes of mushrooms and saute. Roughly chop the sun dried tomatoes and add to the pan. After cooking for about 8 minutes, add the white wine. Allow this mix to cook for 15 minutes. on medium heat. Add the milk and blend well. Remove from heat and add this mixture to a mixing bowl. Crumble the feta and add to the mix. Add the Parmesan and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs too. Blend well. Now take your chicken and form pockets by fastening each side with toothpicks. Spoon a generous amount of the filling. In a shallow dish combine the flour, remaining bread crumbs, salt, and pepper and blend well. Lightly dredge the chicken in this mix and place in a baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken is done. Take the remaining butter and melt. Pour over the chicken and put in the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Ingredients for the Whipped Potatoes: 8 large potatoes peeled and cubed 1/2 cup chicken stock or water 3 cloves garlic 3 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup half& half 1/2 cup milk salt and pepper to taste
For the whipped potatoes, boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender. Once cooked, drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Warm the stock and half&half and reserve. Add the potatoes to a food processor and begin adding the stock, butter and chicken stock. Adding more liquid as needed. In a small saucier finely mince garlic and add to the pot with butter and allow to cook until the garlic becomes softened. Add to the the mashed potatoes and mix well. You might have to blend this in batches so it will fit in the food processor and then mix both batches before serving.
I made a little tomato-garlic sauce to go on top of the chicken as well. The ingredients for the sauce was a can of tomato paste, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup white wine and a splash of milk. I let it cook down a bit and stirred it well.
Steam some fresh asparagus for a few minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. If you like you can also drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, but that's totally optional.
Let me warn you about these brownies. They're like the most fattening thing you could possibly eat. I mean really, they're probably half of your caloric intake for the day- and I say this only semi-kidding. But the good thing about them is that they're so rich you really wouldn't really want to eat more than a few bites. You'll also get some anti-oxidant action from the super dark chocolate in them. I have to confess, I felt so guilty after making them that I ended up throwing them away in an impulsive moment after only eating 2 bites. Brandon was OK with that too (he had one piece). They were quite decadent but should only be eaten in extreme moderation.
Ingredients: 1/3 cup butter 4 oz. high quality dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa) 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder (the darker the better) 1 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese 3 eggs 3 tbsp. strong coffee 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup unbleached flour 1/2 tsp. salt
Ganache top: 6 oz. high quality dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa) 6 tbsp. heavy cream 1 tbsp. butter
Preheat oven to 325°F. In a small pot, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds allowing the chocolate to melt. Add the sugar and chocolate. Whisk the in the mascarpone, eggs, coffee, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter. Pour batter into a 9x12 pan. I line the pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool on a cooling rack. While this is going on, make your ganache by heating the cream and butter in a microwave-safe dish for about 2 minutes. Add the chocolate chips to this and allow to sit without moving for about 30 sec. With a fork or baby whisk, blend well. Once the ganache is nice and shiny, pour it evenly over the brownies and allow to cool. Place the brownies in the fridge for about 20 minutess before cutting.
This is my take on the most indulgent and sense pleasing curry I've met lately. If you can get past the long list of ingredients, you'll see it was totally worth making. I have to say that of all the curries, the Thai ones usually tend to be my favorite because I think the flavors go really well together. The coconut milk in most of them adds a subtle hint of coolness, which pairs really nicely with the spicy curry paste. Not to mention all of the fresh herbs used as well. Really the list of ingredients seems intimidating, but you can always omit some of the stuff or substitute. If you can't find mushroom sauce, you can always use Tamari or thick soy sauce. You can leave out the lemongrass too, but I personally really like the flavor it imparts. Any who... now that I've rambled on and on... here is the recipe for this rock-the-casbah dish.
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 yellow onion 1 small red pepper 3 cloves garlic 1/8 tsp ginger 2 cans coconut milk 2 tbsp. mushroom sauce (you can find this at the Asian market or ethic section of your grocer) 1 lemon grass stalk (about 3 " of from the bottom of the stalk) 1 tbsp. red curry paste 2 tbsp. gourmet quality curry powder (like not McCormick) 1 tsp. Thai fish sauce 2 tsp. brown sugar 2 limes 2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter (totally optional for my peanut allergic friends) 1 bunch cilantro 5 basil leaves 1 bunch scallions 1 tbsp. canola oil
First take your chicken breasts, rinse them well and slice into short strips. Take a wok or deep pan, add 1 tbsp canola oil and turn on high heat. Once the pan is Super hot, throw in the chicken and saute.
Begin dicing your onions and slice your red pepper in thin and short strands. Next grate or mince the ginger and garlic. Once the chicken is cooked, put in bowl or dish and set aside for a little bit. Put the wok back on the stove and turn the heat to high. Once the pan is hot, add the onions, red pepper, garlic and ginger and saute for about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, Stirring occasionally so that it doesn't brown.
To this, add the two cans of coconut milk. Take your lemongrass stalk and with a meat mallet or rolling pin, smash it down a bit to release the flavor and toss into the wok. Now we are ready to add the curry paste and peanut butter. Make sure you incorporate this really really well. You DO NOT want to have a clump of straight- up curry paste smack you in the back of the throat-just take my word on this one (my sinuses are still running this morning!) Next add the fish sauce, mushroom sauce, curry powder, and brown sugar and blend really well again. You should have the heat on low so that you're lightly simmering. Allow the sauce to cook for a few minutes. While the sauce is doing it's thing, squeeze in the lime juice and blend.
At the very end, take your cilantro, basil and green onions and wash really well. Roughly chop the cilantro and basil and throw it into the mix. Slice your scallions on the bias and put in 3/4 of the bunch, saving the rest for the garnish.
Spelt in my opinion is one of the most under-used and underrated grains in the United States. 9 times out of 10 when I've made this dish, I've served it to folks who've never had spelt, and probably never even heard of it. Spelt looks kind of like brown rice's short and chubby cousin. In fact the first time I saw it, I thought is was barley or a wheat grass seed.
Part of the reason why spelt is somewhat uncommon is because the processing of this grain is difficult as a result of its tough husk. Other grains such as rice are not that difficult to process so that is why they're more readily available. Having said this, I believe the processing is totally worth the trouble as it has significantly more protein than wheat or rice, and tons of fiber. It's also a lot higher in b-complex vitamins. Those with gluten sensitivities should be able to eat this without any problems too as it is more easily assimilated by the body and much lower in gluten than wheat.
Below is a recipe for Spelt Grain and Wild Rice Pilaf:
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup spelt grain 1/2 cup wild rice 6 cups chicken stock 1 small red onion 1 leek 2 carrots 2 ribs celery 3 garlic cloves 1 packet organic veggie soup mix (use one with no MSG) 1 lemon 2 tbsp. good extra virgin olive oil 1 cup fresh chopped parsley Sea salt to taste
The first thing you do is wash and drain the spelt grain and wild rice. Keep them separate though since the spelt needs more cooking time than the wild rice. After they're drained well, add the chicken stock to a pressure cooker reserving 2 cups for later. You can make this dish if you don't own a pressure cooker, but it will just take a lot longer. Cook the spelt on Med. heat in the pressure cooker- you should hear the steam engine sound coming from the pot. If you're cooking it in a regular pot, bring the stock to a boil and after about 5 minutes of cooking on high heat, cover the pot with a lid and bring the heat down to low.
Cooking spelt is a lot like cooking brown rice except it needs a little more time to cook. You'll have an "al dente" kind of bite to this grain as it never really gets as tender as rice. It's a lot chewier that rice is, but in a good way.
While the spelt is cooking, finely dice your carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Next you'll start working with the leeks- Make sure to wash the leeks really well because they accumulate dirt and sand in the crevices of the stalks. After washing it well, begin to slice into small pieces. I slice in rounds and then chop the rounds up a bit. Add some olive oil and add the carrots and celery. These will take longer to cook than the other veggies. After cooking for about 5 minutes, add the rest of the veggies to the pan.
Next check on your spelt. It should be looking pretty good right about now. Carefully remove the pot from the heat and allow the pressure to decompress by running cold water over the lid. Don't open the pot until the pressure latch has lifted. Give the spelt a stir and add the wild rice and veggie soup mix. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes. After it's done cooking remove from the heat. All of the liquid might not have evaporated, but that's OK as long as the spelt and wild rice is cooked through. Drain the spelt and wild rice, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
Next take a deep pan and drizzle with olive oil. Turn the heat to med. high and allow the pan to get hot. Add the spelt and wild rice mix and begin to saute, mixing often. After sauteing for about 10 minutes, add the veggies and combine well. Next take the juice of a lemon and squeeze into this mix. Combine well and serve on a nice serving dish. Top with your roughly chopped parsley- be liberal with this, it adds great color and flavor!
I can't even begin to tell you how many a' Sunday morning breakfast has gone from the pan to the trash can when attempting to make pancakes. There are a few things that I am really particular about like popcorn- microwave popcorn doesn't' count (this deserves it's own post in my opinion since its probably my favorite snack). Pancakes are another one of those foods. I hate pancakes that are super thick and cake like. I like them fluffy light and somewhat thin. I also don't like them too brown. When I told Brandon that I was making pancakes the other day for breakfast he said "um... just serve me some cereal" that should give you an idea of what my pancakes have been like in the past. I have found by trial and error (focus on the error) the perfect recipe for the perfect pancake. What's my secret you say? Rice flour!!! Yes that's right just plain ol' rice flour. I substituted half the amount of regular flour for rice flour and that was the trick. So here's how you make it:
Ingredients: 1 cup unbleached flour 1 cup rice flour 1 egg plus one egg white 1 1/2 cup 2% milk 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 tsp. good vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 4 tbsp. butter- melted 1 tbsp. canola oil
In a bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and milk and combine well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well. Next add the butter and oil and combine. Do not over mix though because it will make the pancakes kind of tough.
Put a non stick pan on the stove on med. high heat. Once the pan is hot, take a ladle and pour the batter onto the pan. Allow little bubbles to form on the top before flipping. reapeat until you have a nice stack. Serve with real maple syrup.
Two Thursdays ago I joined the gym at work. I've been going during my lunch break or after work and it really feels awesome to release some steam. I am a fan of the elliptical. The first day I did it, I almost died within the first 15 minutes but realized i had left my headphones at work. That weekend I updated my ipod and created a workout playlist. I made sure to pack my headphones and can you believe I did a whole hour on the elliptical?? I can only attribute this to my awesome workout list. Seriously, the time flew and I did intervals based on the speed of the songs. Some of the stuff on here I wouldn't listen to normally, but the beats are great to rock out to and burn some mega calories.... without further ado... here is my list.
1. Supermassive Black Hole by Muse 2. Starlight by Muse 3. Mansard Roof by Vampire Weekend 4. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa by Vampire Weekend 5. La Tortura (Shaketon mix) by Shakira 6. Would that make you love me by Robin Thicke 7. I feel it all by Feist 8. Crazy by Gnarles Barkley 9. The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani 10. Oye el Consejo by Ibrahim Ferrer 11. Hangover Days by Jason Collett 12. Trick Me by Kelis 13. Lost in the woods by Pete and the Pirates (this one is super fun to run to, I really put it in high gear on this one) 14. Mr. Understanding by Pete and the Pirates 15. The one you love by Rufus Wainwright (this one is good to bring your heart rate down a little bit after the Pete and the Pirates tunes) 16. Mercy by Duffy 17. Is this Love by Clap your hands and say Yeah 18. Heavy Metal by Clap your hands and say Yeah 19. Bust your windows by Jazmine Sullivan (If this one doesn't give you a 'tude I don't know what will) 20. One night stand by Jazmine Sullivan 21. My Foolish Heart by Jazmine Sullivan (these three songs by Jazmine Sullivan should kick you into high gear again) 22. My life would suck without you by Kelly Clarkson 23. I do not hook up by Kelly Clarkson 24. Womanizer by Britney Spears 25. Who Knew by Pink 26. Please don't leave me by Pink 27. You only live once by the Strokes ( I love this one!) 28. Hung up by Madonna (after the previous song, your heart rate should be low enough to pick up the pace to this one) 29. Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado 30. Say it right by Nelly Furtado 31. Mr. Brightside by the Killers 32. Work That by Mary J. Blige 33. Just Fine by Mary J. Blige (these two are pretty fast and compared to the last two) 34. Just a girl by No Doubt 35. Hella Good by No Doubt 36. Damaged by Danity Kane (I am embaressed to admit this is on here but I have to keep it real) 37. Just Dance by Lady Gaga 38. Poker Face by Lady Gaga 39. All night long by Robin Thicke 40. Wanna Love you Girl by Robin Thicke 41. Get Myself into it by the Rapture 42. Pieces of the people we love by the Rapture 43. Somebody told me by the Killers 44. Love Sex Magic by Ciara 45. Calabria 2008 46. Red Light by the Strokes 47. Red Morning Light by Kings of Leon 48. An Honest Mistake by the Bravery 49. Unconditional by the Bravery 50. All Over Now by Eric Hutchinson ( a happy tune to end your workout on a great note!)
And now your thighs will thank you! Yeah Boiiiiiii!!!!!
This meal is a great way to eats loads of veggies, and enjoy them. I tried to really lower the fat and calorie count by limiting the butter and using reduced fat items. I also used whole wheat lasagna noodles for a little added fiber. You would never know you were eating a reduced fat lasagna unless I told you. So here's how you make it.
Ingredients: 1 pkg. whole wheat lasagna noodles 2 carrots 2 heads of broccoli 10 cups fresh spinach (or about 4 cups cooked spinach) 1 small onion 4 large garlic cloves 1/4 cup flour cooking spray 2 tbsp. butter 1 cup reduced fat grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese 6 cups 1% or 2% milk 3 tbsp. cream 1/2 sleeve reduced fat Ritz crackers 1/2 tsp. nutmeg salt and pepper to taste
The first thing to do is bring water to a rolling boil in a deep pot. Liberally salt the water and add the pasta. Next, finely dice the onions and add to a non-stick pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray and add the onions, allowing them to cook on medium heat. Next julienne the carrots so you have little matchstick pieces. I have this really nifty tool that looks like a peeler, but juliennes instead. While this is going on, take a pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, drop the broccoli and blanch for about 2 minutes. You don't want to cook it longer than that because the veggies will continue to cook after the lasagna is assembled, and no one likes mushy veggies. Take the brocoli out of the pot and cut in small pieces. in the pan with the onions, add the spinach and allow it to cook well. After it has shrunk down and released most of it's liquid, drain and add the other veggies. Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You might need to add a little more cooking spray to the veggies so they don't stick. Next take your zester and grate about 2 or 3 cloves of garlic into this mix. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes and then set aside. In a saucepan add the butter and flour and create a roux. Add the milk and cream and whisk well. Once the sauce is incorporated well, grate the garlic clove and nutmeg and blend. To this, add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and allow the sauce to thicken. Turn off the heat. Periodically, check on the noodles and drain once they're al dente. Maybe a little firmer than al dente since they'll continue to cook in the oven. Now you're ready to assemble. Place a ladle of the sauce to the bottom of your pan, and begin to line with the lasagna noodles. Next take a liberal amount of veggies and spread evenly over this mix. Add a light layer of mozzarella and a little more sauce. Next add another layer of noodles and continue assembling. You should end with a layer of noodles on top to which you'll add a little sauce. The thing I love about this lasagna is that the veggies still have a little bite to them. Cooking veggies too much removes a lot of the valuable antioxidants and minerals from them. If you like you can eve skip the blanching process all together. I just blanch the broccoli because its quite fibrous, but it certainly wouldn't be the end of the world if you just threw the pieces in raw and allowed them to cook in the oven. In a zip lock bag, add the Ritz crackers and crush with a rolling pin. Add them to a pan and spray with a little pam. Add these crumbs to the top of your lasagna and bake for about 30 minutes.
Some of you may have read in my last post that I made a Tiramisu for Mother's day. I know I am a little over due but I guess it's better late than never huh? I had to modify the recipe a little bit because I did not have brandy or Marsala wine. So here's how you make it.
For the Sabayon and Cream mixture: 10 large egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup sweet vermouth (you can also use Marsala or brandy) 2 cups whipping cream 6 tbsp. sugar (for the whipping cream) 2 8 oz. containers of Mascarpone 1/4 cup water 1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin ( I used kosher gelatin)
Using a double boiler, bring the water to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the eggs and sugar to a pot and with a hand mixer (or by whipping by hand) begin to beat the eggs and cream together. After beating for about one minute, add the Vermouth. Keep on beating this mixture. You'll do this for what feels like an eternity- but its actually only like 8 minutes. This part is really important because you want to make sure the eggs are cooked and no one gets sick from salmonella poisoning. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula frequently. After about 8 minutes, put this mix in a container and refrigerate until completely cooled.
In a separate bowl, begin to whip the cream until it forms nice peaks. Remember to add the sugar while whipping. next take your sabayon from the fridge and begin to genlty mix with the whipping cream. To this add the mascarpone and begin to fold into the mix. Lastly, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water and add to this cream mixture.
More ingredients you'll need: 2 packages lady fingers 1 1/2 cups espresso 1/2 cup coffee liquer 1/4 cup Disaronno 2 tbsp. sugar
To assemble take a 9x13 pan and begin laying the lady fingers on the bottom of the pan. The method of assembling a tiramisu is a lot like how you would make a lasagna. Once the lady fingers are in place, mix the coffee, liqueurs, and sugar. Take a tablespoon and begin to soak the lady fingers. I would say that two spoonfuls of this mixture per lady finger is good. Once all the lady fingers in this layer are soaked, spoon the cream mixture over them. Next lay another layer of the lady fingers and repeat the soaking process. You can make as many layers as you like. I only did four layers. Two layers of lady fingers and two of cream. You should always end with a cream layer on top. Refrigerate for at least four hours or over night. Right before serving, dust with instant coffee and good quality cocoa powder. And there you have it folks- Tiramisu de-mystified and delicious!
This year for Mother's Day I wanted to make something for Patyence. I asked her to pick a meal she'd like me to make and she picked Salmon Piccata, and a salad. She didn't pick side, so I thought herbed linguine would match well. Since the theme was Italian, I also made a Tiramisu for dessert. This deserves a separate post. I will be posting it soon.
The salmon Piccata was done exactly as I did when I made the Turkey Piccata dish- except I didn't pound the salmon fillets as that would destroy the flakiness not to mention shape of the fish. Either way, here's the recipe for the Salmon:
8 pieces salmon- filleted, skin removed 1 cup flour 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil or light olive oil (not extra virgin it tastes too strong for this in my opinion 3 tbsp. capers 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup white wine 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp. lemon zest salt and pepper to taste
Season the fish with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In a skillet, add butter and oil and allow to get hot on med. high heat. When hot, add the salmon and cook through until nicely golden brown. Set aside on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the pieces have been cooked and transfer to the cookie sheet. Next take a little more butter and add to the skillet with 2 tbsp. of flour and make a roux. Once the flour has browned a bit add the white wine and chicken stock and whisk until the liquid and roux are well incorporated. To this, add the lemon juice and capers and stir in well. Let the sauce cook until the wine has evaporated and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Once done add the sauce to the cookie sheet, making sure you coat the bottom too. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the salmon. Bake in a 35o degree oven until its cooked through and warm- about 15 mins.
For the linguine: 1 box linguine 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. Olive oil 1 large shallot 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/3 cup fresh parsley 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese 1/2 cup white wine Salt and pepper to taste
Boil the pasta until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, slice the shallots and garlic and saute in a large pan with butter and olive oil once the shallots and garlic are tender, add the white wine and allow it to cook down a little bit before tossing the pasta in. To this add the parsley, salt, pepper and cheese and combine well.
For the salad: 1 head romaine lettuce 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1/2 a small purple cabbage 2 carrots 1 bottle hearts of palm
Chop the romaine lettuce and cabbage well. Julienne the carrots and slice the hearts of palm. Assemble the salad by adding the lettuce, then pile the cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and heart of palm. Serve with your favorite salad dressing.
Chicken Breast is one of those things everyone has on hand, but if you're anything like me, you can get stuck making the same way all the time. I thought I'd try making something new and exciting. I came up with Sweet & Sour Chicken served with brown rice and steamed edamame. It was really tasty, and I tried lightly pan frying instead of creating a thick batter and deep frying, like most recipes call for.
Ingredients: 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 1 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup rice flour 1 can pineapple chunks (juice reserved) 1/3 cup pineapple juice 1/3 cup ketchup 1/3 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup pineapple juice (from the can) 1 onion 1/2 small red pepper 1/2 small green pepper 1/3 cup canola oil
The first thing you do is wash and pat the chicken breasts dry. Next cut into cubes and put on a plate. In a large freezer bag, add the rice flour and cornstarch and coat the chicken well. Add the canola oil to a large saute pan and allow it to get hot. Add the chicken in batches shaking off the excess cornstarch mixture. Allow the pieces of chicken to cook, untouched for about 3-4 minutes before turning. Repeat this process until all of the chicken is cooked. Set the chicken aside. In a mixing bowl combine the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar and whisk all of the ingredients together. Cook in a pan on med. heat and stir occasionally. This should cook for about 12-15 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, cut your onion and peppers into large cubes saute in a hot pan with the pineapple chunks. Add the chicken to this mixture after cooking down the veggies for a few minutes. Lastly, add the sauce and combine well. I served this with steamed edamame and short-grain brown rice.
I kind of feel like I'm cheating a little bit by posting this since there really wasn't a whole lot of cooking involved in making this, but it's a quick, easy, and nutritious meal that I thought was worth sharing. I also didn't make my own salad dressing, but it was Monday night- I needed a breather.
Ingredients: 1 handful baby spinach 1 carrot finely julienned 1/4 cup shredded cabbage 1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced 1 green onion stalk, sliced in rounds 2 tbsp. home-made croutons (recipe follows) 1/2 an avocado sliced 3 pieces breaded chicken strips, cubed ( I just used the target brand and baked them) 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced 1/4 shredded cheddar cheese Top with 1000 Island dressing or whatever dressing tickles your fancy.
Wash all of your veggies well. Next put the eggs to boil in a pot. In a foil-lined cookie sheet, place the pieces of chicken and bake according to package directions. Peel your carrot and finely julienne the pieces. Slice the green onion in rounds. Next, cut the cherry tomatoes. You can skip this step if you like. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and cut into chunks. When the eggs are done boiling, put them in an ice bath to cool them off and peel after several minutes of soaking in the cold water. Slice your avocado, and remove the croutons from the oven when ready. Begin to assemble your salad. First pile the spinach leaves, then set the cabbage, avocado, carrots, and tomatoes in little piles on top of the spinach. To this add the cheddar cheese, chicken chunks, egg, and green onions. Next add the croutons and salad dressing and voila.
If you want to add a little extra healthy crunch, try adding pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
For the Croutons:
2 slices regular whole wheat sliced bread cooking spray 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese garlic powder and salt to taste
Cut the bread into small cubes and spray with cooking spray. Season the bread with the salt, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven until the pieces are nice and crunchy. You should take the pan out and toss the bread to ensure even baking throughout the cooking process.
Every spring we celebrate the Passover and Spring Holy days. Patyence and I always plan the meal ahead. She usually makes the desserts and I usually make the meal. This year while we were planning, I came up with three possibilities of what the meal could be and we took a vote. The first option was an Italian themed meal with a red-wine braised brisket, risotto, and a wilted spinach salad. The second option was a Greek-themed meal which would consist of a Greek-herbed roasted brisket, unleavened pita bread, Spanakopita, spelt & wild rice pilaf, tabouli, humus, and lemon roasted potatoes, or the last option would have been a traditional brisket, with garlic roasted mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus and a green salad. After a nearly unanimous vote, the Greek theme won. So here's the first portion of the meal- the brisket. It was so delish. Adding the mustard towards the end really let the herbs stick to the meat and create a flavorful crust. I will be posting some of the other recipes soon.
For the herb seasoning: Fresh Oregano Fresh Rosemary Fresh Parsley Fresh Mint Fresh Thyme 1 small Onion 15 Cloves Garlic 2 Lemons- juice and zest 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1/3 cup olive oil Coarse Sea Salt Pepper
Wash all the herbs and remove them from the stems. Put in a food processor along with the juice of the lemons and the zest of the lemons. Grate the garlic and add to the food processor. Chop the onion into small chunks and add to the food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil and mustard. Add the olive oil to the paste after you remove it from the food processor. The mustard will be added much later on after the meat is almost half-way cooked.
Wash and trim the meat of all the fat. Put in a roasting pan and cover each side with the herb mixture and olive oil. Bake on 300 degrees for about 4 hours. About half way through, collect the drippings and whisk in the mustard. Pour the drippings back onto the meat and allow to continue cooking.
Once cooked, remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
I've been kind of bored with our room's furniture. Maybe because I still have to put up curtains in there and change out the horrid ceiling fan. Or maybe because I just get bored easily period. At target the other day I saw cutest stuff and I just thought I'd try changing the accessories to see if it would help. I changed out the bedspread and lamps and we bought a new TV for our room and I must say I definitely changed the "feel" of the room for under $250.00 (not counting our TV). Now I have another bedspread and lamps in case or when I get bored again.
These days I have been eating lots of soups. Mainly because ever since I had the lapband surgery, eating can be very difficult. This recipe is really easy and you can make it in about 15 minutes. Its low-fat and filling too. So here's how you make it:
Ingredients 1 box chicken stock (32 oz.) 1 large can crushed tomato 1 small can tomato paste 1 large onion 4 garlic cloves 1/3 red pepper 1/3 green pepper 2 limes 2 tsp. olive oil 1 1/2 tsp. cumin 1 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro 1 bay leaf 2 corn tortillas 1 tsp. canola oil 1 tsp. reduced-reduced fat sour cream 1 tbsp. sliced scallions Salt to taste
The first thing I did was dice up the onions, peppers, garlic and cilantro. Don't worry about chopping it perfectly because you'll throw everything in the blender later. In a medium size pot, I sauteed the veggies in olive oil until they became tender and added the cumin. Next, I added the chicken stock and crushed tomato and tomato paste. Lastly, I added the bay leaf and lime juice. I let this simmer over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. Add salt to taste.
While the soup was simmering, I lined a small cookie sheet with foil. I then took the corn tortillas and with a pastry brush, brushed them with canola oil. I cut them into slices and lined them on the cookie sheet. I baked until nice and golden brown on a 400 degree oven.
Next I added the soup and all of the veggies into the blender and mixed on high speed until the soup was nice and silky. Be sure you remove the bay leaf before doing this. Also blend really well so you have a really smooth soup. Pour in a bowl. Add a dollop of sour cream, and top with the scallions and tortilla strips. Enjoy!
There are a few recipes I've come up with for days when I didn't defrost anything to make, need to clear some stuff out of my pantry, or have run out of most other ingredients and need to do groceries. This is an example of one of those recipes. Really the ingredients are pretty basic, and most of it is stuff you probably have in your pantry and fridge right now. I have made several variations of this dish, including a salmon cake, and a tuna cake too. The recipes are a little different, but basically the same concept. I typically make this version with turkey-ham but I didn't have any so I used turkey bacon (yes we're a kosher household). The sauce on top of the cake really makes this ordinary meal a lot more elegant and tasty. So here's how you make it.
Ingredients: 2 large cans chicken 9 strips of turkey bacon (or about 1 cup cubed diced turkey ham) 1 serving instant mashed potatoes (prepared following package directions) 1 cup milk (or whatever the instructions on the mashed potatoes say) 1/2 stick butter 1 large onion 5 cloves garlic 6 stems scallions 1 cup cheddar-jack shredded cheese (really any shredded cheese will work) 1/3 cup bread crumbs (plus more for dusting when forming patties) 3 eggs 2 tsp. Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste ( I like to add a generous dash of pepper to this dish)
First line a cookie sheet with foil and place bacon on it and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.
They shouldn't be too crispy at this point because they will continue to cook once in the pan and in the cake itself.
Next dice up an onion and grate or mince the garlic cloves.
Add the butter to a non-stick skillet and add the onions and garlic. You can season them with salt and pepper if you like at this point.
Next drain the cans of chicken and roughly chop it.
Remove the onions from the pan and put the chicken in. Allow the chicken to brown a bit.
Next cut up the turkey bacon...
and add it to the pan where the chicken is. Add the onion and garlic in too.
Combine these ingredients well and brown a little more on medium heat.
Next put these ingredients in a large bowl.
Finely slice your scallions and prepare the instant mashed potatoes according to the package instructions.
Add the scallions to the mixing bowl.
Add the Dijon mustard.
Add the eggs in too. Blend all of this well with a spatula. Don't do it with your hands unless you've allowed the chicken-bacon-onion mix to cool down a bit. I burned my hands a little yesterday- not fun.
Next add the cheese.
And the breadcrumbs...
Now you will form the patties and once they're formed, just lightly dust them in bread crumbs. Do not egg and batter them, as it will create too thick a crust for this flaky cake. But that's just my humble opinion. Place the patties on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
I served this dish with sauteed green beans, carrots, red onion, mushrooms and garlic. I also made a cheddar and chive cornbread. (I used the instant cornbread mix and just doctored it up a bit) And lastly, here is the recipe for that glorious sauce...
Ingredients: 1/3 cup honey 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 tbsp. low fat mayo 2 cloves garlic 1/3 cup grapeseed oil 1/4 cup water 1 tsp. garlic salt 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 lemon (the zest and juice of a whole one) 1 tsp. cider vinegar
In a bowl combine the honey, mustard, and mayo. Whisk really well to avoid little mayo clumps. You really have to put your back into this because no-one likes a clumpy sauce. Then add the water, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and lemon zest and whisk briskly again. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Serve over the cake or use as a salad dressing.
Monday was our 7 year anniversary. 7 years... Wow! Time flies when you're having fun. These last 7 years have been awesome with Brandon and I hope we continue to have many more years of love and happiness. To celebrate the occasion we did a couple of really fun things like go to the Ft. Worth zoo and dinner and a movie. Which I might add was really cool- we saw Coraline in 3-D. It was awesome and creepy at the same time. The timing of spring break at the university where I work was awesome. We had Thursday and Friday off so Brandon took those days off too. I posted a few pics from our anniversary extravaganza(or something like that). Oh yeah and the last picture is probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen. It was like we were caught in a time warp and somehow were back in Hialeah or little Havana. (In case you missed it... make sure you read the titles...)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, using a mixer,whip the butter until it becomes a lighter shade of pale yellow. Incorporate the sugar and beat until you see the mix cream up a bit. Add the eggs one at a time and mix and continue to blend. I mixed it on med. speed for about 4 minutes. Next, add the flour and cream and blend and add in the vanilla extract and mix well. Butter and flour your baking pans and pour the batter into the pans. Please note, the batter will be pretty thick so you'll have to smooth it out so it's even in the pans. Make sure to tap the pans to get the air bubbles out. Bake for 40 minutes on the middle top rack of the oven. Remove the cake from the pans when done and transfer to a cooling rack.
This cake came out really buttery and moist. It's also really dense. I decided to create a simple syrup mixture with 1/2 water 1/2 sugar and 1/3 cup white rum. I boiled it a bit to dissolve the sugar. With a pastry brush ( I like the silicone ones so the bristles don't stick to the cake), soak the cake with this mixture, making sure to soak the edges too.
For the Frosting: 2 sticks butter 1 cup vegetable shortening 1 8 oz. cream cheese package 8 cups confectioner's sugar 2 tsp. vanilla extract
In large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Next whip the cream cheese and shortening until this is all combined. Add the sugar one cup at a time and blend. Add the vanilla extract and blend as well.
To assemble the cake, place one cake on a cake dish, and put frosting on the top. Add the second cake and frost the top and sides. Create a crumb coat and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to allow the frosting to set. Next take more of the frosting with a spatula and frost the rest of the cake, smoothing the sides and top. Decorate as desired.
Many of you who know me well, know that I am not a baker. I really really have to be in the mood to bake. Well to my surprise, I felt like it this weekend. I made Carrot Cake. I must say, this was delsih. I can only brag about this because I know this was probably a fluke and if I try to re-create it, it probably won't come out the same. Anywho this recipe rocked. If you're a fan of carrot cake, this recipe will be sure to please. Go on... try it out. It's decadent!
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups of unbleached flour 1 cup white sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 1/4 cup canola oil 3 cups grated carrots 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained 1/3 cup black currants 1/3 cup golden raisins 1 cup dried grated coconut 1 tsp. vanilla extract 4 eggs
For the Cream Cheese Frosting 2 sticks butter 2 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese 6 cups confectioner's sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350°. Next combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Next add the oil and blend with the ingredients. Add the eggs and combine well. To this add the vanilla extract, currants, raisins, coconut, pineapple, and carrots and combine. Pour the mixture into two round greased 8" baking pans and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Once baked, transfer the cakes to a cooling rack.
For the frosting: Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until it's nice and smooth. Next add the butter and blend well with the mixer. Add the confectioner's sugar in batches until it's combined well. Next add the vanilla and lemon juice and blend.
Place one cake on a cake dish and top with frosting. Make sure the loaves are cool, otherwise the frosting will melt and make a mess. Add the other cake on top of the frosting and begin to frost the sides and top. Smooth over with an icing spatula. Garnish the top of the cake with baby carrots.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't disappeared. I have just been sucked into the black hole that is Twilight. I may not cook or post anything for a while because I am a hot mess these days... I went to bed at almost 2 a.m. last night because I couldn't put it down. And I am just starting book 2. Oh heaven help me!
I absolutley love the chicken pot pie soup from Jason's Deli. In fact, every single time I go there, this is what I order. Unfortunalty, it's like 8 bucks a bowl... which can add up over time. I decided to try to make my own version and this is what I came up with:
Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts, cubed and grilled (you can buy the previously cooked chicken if you want to save some time) 3 red potatoes 1/2 a bag of frozen peas 2 carrots, diced 2 ribs celery, diced 1 large onion, diced 2 shallots, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 boxes of chicken stock 1/3 stick butter 2 tbsp flour 1/2 cup cream Salt and pepper to taste 1 box frozen puff pastry, thawed
The first thing you do is saute all the veggies with butter (except the peas and potatoes) on medium heat and season with salt and pepper. Put them in a bowl. Next saute the chicken breast and also put in the bowl once cooked. In this same pot, melt the butter and create a roux with the flour. Once you cook the flour a bit, add the chicken stock- you may have to whisk it a bit to remove any clumps of flour. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and add to the chicken stock and allow for the potatoes to cook a bit before adding the veggies you cooked and the chicken. Combine all of the ingredients well. Allow the soup to thicken and at the very end add the peas and cream. Blend the soup well. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Lastly, cut the puff pastry into squares, and butter the tops. Add two sheet on top of each other and bake according to package directions, until the pastry is nice and flaky. Serve the soup in a bowl and top with the puff pastry square- Enjoy!
So last night for dinner I made grilled flank steak on the bbq, chimichurri, black bean and rice and Key lime pie for dessert. You can put chimichurri on anything and it will make it taste good- let alone a nice juicy and tender piece of flank steak cooked over burning fire.... YUM! So here's how you make this dish:
For the flank steak Marinade: 4 cloves garlic 2 limes 3 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp dark brown sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil Blend all the ingredients well and place in a shallow bowl big enough to hold the steak overnight or at least for 4 hours in the fridge Turn on your grill to the highest setting- you want it SUPER hot before you place the meat down. Make sure to shake off the excess marinade and put the meat down on the grill on an angle so you get the nice grill marks. Let it cook for about 4 minutes and without flipping over yet, slightly rotate the beef to get criss-cross marks (thanks PW for this trick). Cook for another 4 minutes on this side. Flip over and do the same. Flank steak tends to be somewhat thick, but if your piece looks thin to you, you might want to cook it for less time to avoid overcooking. Overcooked flank steak is not pretty friends. In fact, it's pretty awful because it gets extremely tough. After the meat is cooked, remove it from the grill- WITH TONGS!!!! You don't want to pierce it with a fork because this will make all the juices run out, rendering the meat dry. You have to let the meat rest for a few minutes before you slice it thinly against the grain.
For the beans (short-cut, make- after- a -long -day -at work- version): 2 cans black beans 1/3 cup water 1 tsp. cider vinegar 2 bay leaves 1/4 green pepper 1/4 red pepper 1/2 a large onion or one whole small onion 4 large clove of garlic 3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 dash garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste
Finely dice the peppers, onion and garlic and sautee with olive oil in a pot. Once this mix has become tender, add the cans of black beans and water. Add the bay leaves and cider vinegar, allowing the beans to simmer over med-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and serve over white rice.
For the Chimichurri: 3 bunches flat leaf parsley 1/2 a white onion 6 large cloves garlic 1 lemon 2 limes 1/8 tsp sugar 1 tsp. cider vinegar 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Thoroughly wash the parsley. In a food processor, grind the parsley well and set aside in a large bowl or tupperware. Next add the onions and garlic to the food processor. Combine until it becomes a fine paste. Strain this over a tight mesh sieve to remove the excess water from the onion and add to the bowl with the parsley. Next add the juice of the lemon and limes, the salt, oil, vinegar and sugar and combine well. Allow to set overnight. Serve over juicy steak.
Today stinks... I woke up with a migraine, took more than half an hour to find a parking spot at work and lost one of my new earrings on the way into the office. The scariest part is that the day is young. It's only 10:00 a.m. It could be worse I guess... look at the poor kid below.
So I just got back from a week in my Hometown of Miami. It's amazing how fast it went. It felt like every single moment of my time there was programmed. The whole time I was there I was missing Brandon since he stayed home. I got to enjoy some of the things I miss most about Miami like spending QT with my mom. Seeing my brothers and cooking dinner for the fam. Having breakfast every morning with my grandma and mom and talking about all sorts of things... silly and serious alike. Meeting my friend Gaudy's baby and hanging out with Ana and David like old times. I had a lot of time to think about things... amidst the hustle and bustle of seeing family and running around like a mad woman, I was able to reflect on a few things weighing on my mind. I am glad I got to see the ocean and visit my 93 year-old grandma. Not to mention eating my beloved Chicken Kitchen!!! My mom picked me up at the airport and handed me an ice cold coconut with a straw- yum the perfect start to a great time in the M.I.A.! I could have spent two more weeks there to see several people I was unable to see since time slipped through my fingers.... Having said that, I was so glad to come home. The anticipation of waiting for the plane to land, see Brandon and be in my own home was almost unbearable. All in all it was a good trip, but now I am back to the reality of waking up to the sound of the alarm clock and being at work all day... Miami where art thou? Here are a few pics from my trip...
At Village Tavern with my aunt Cristy and the whole gang belowFishing in the Florida Keys with Ana, David, my mom, and Jacob At Lunch with my mom and Ana
So I totally pulled a "Rachel Ray" with my version of this dish. Typically, Fricase de pollo (chicken Fricase) is made with bone and skinned chicken pieces which are browned and later braised in the sauce. But Brandon really likes white meat, and all I had on hand was skinless chicken breast. I know this may be somewhat sacrilegious to those who feel the best taste comes from the skin and bones, but quite frankly something about finding little pieces of bone amongst the sauce kind of grosses me out. It's a lot healthier this way too. So this is why I cubed up the chicken and sauteed it with a little salt, pepper and olive oil and basically made the recipe like I always do. So here's how you make it:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (washed, patted dry, and cubed)
1 large onion
1 small green bell pepper
5 cloves of garlic
3 bay leaves
3 large potatoes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried currants ( I didn't have regular raisins on hand)
1/3 cup manzanilla olives (these are the green pimento stuffed ones) 1 cup dry white wine 1 can tomato sauce 2 tbsp. Ketchup 1 cup water 3 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. sugar salt and pepper to taste
The first thing you should do since it takes the longest part is peel the potatoes, cube them and put them on a foil lined cookie sheet, drizzled with olive oil to bake until nice and crispy. My grandma just fries the pieces but I really wanted a healthier version of this recipe. Besides I really don't like to fry- it stinks up the whole house. After you have browned the chicken pieces, you set them aside and finely dice the onion, green pepper and garlic. Once they become tender, you would throw the chicken back into to the pot (with all the juices left on the plate) and add the wine, tomato sauce, olives, raisins, currants, ketchup, water, sugar, vinegar and bay leaves to the pot. Allow to simmer. Add the crispy potatoes once the sauce has reduced to a thicker consistency. Blend well and serve with white rice.
On Tuesday night I wanted to surprise Brandon with a romantic candle-lit dinner at home. He's been working late since they're allowing employees to work 4, 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days. He mentioned he would be leaving around 7:00 so I knew I had a couple of hours to plan a nice romantic meal. I decided to make Parmesan-herb crusted salmon whipped cauliflower, a salad with home-made dressing and chive, green onion, and Parmesan buttermilk biscuits. I set out the nice china and and glassware and put out a bottle of Prosecco. I lit the candles and turned off all the lights and played classical music in the background. He was very surprised when he got home and found this nice meal waiting for him. Unfortunately, I was too tired to take pictures that evening and we ended up eating all of the salmon, so I made the same thing (since I had the crust mixture left over) but I made it with Cod since it was all I had on hand. We had such a nice meal together with no distractions- no TV or phone or computer- NOTHING. It was a lovely evening.
Herb crusted Salmon: 1 lb salmon steaks, skin removed 1/3 cup light mayonnaise 2 tbsp. dried chives 2 tbsp. dried parsley 3 tbsp. lemon juice 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (not the grated Kraft kind, the kind that comes in a bag in the refrigerated section) 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs plus more for topping the fish 1/2 stick butter Pepper to taste. I didn't add salt because the Parmesan cheese is salty.
Pat dry the salmon steaks. Take a foil-lined cookie sheet and lightly butter the pan to avoid sticking. Place the salmon steaks on the pan. In a bowl or Tupperware, mix the mayo, herbs, cheese, bread crumbs and lemon juice until you have a nice paste. Spoon this mix over each piece of fish and spread evenly. Coat the top of the fish with Panko breadcrumbs. Cut small slivers of butter and put several pieces on top of the fish to allow the topping to brown evenly. Bake on a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Broil on low heat for 2 minutes watching closely to avoid burning, to allow the top to brown.
For the Cauliflower (adapted from the south beach diet cookbook) 3 heads of cauliflower 2 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup fat-free half and half 1 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese salt and pepper to taste
Boil the cauliflower and drain when fork tender. In a food processor, throw all of the ingredients in and blend until the mixture is nice and creamy. Put in a casserole dish and top with Mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is hot and bubbling.
For the biscuits: 1& 1/4 cup chilled buttermilk 1 stick butter 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives 2 cups flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tbsp. dried chives
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Combine buttermilk and chives in a bowl. Add all of the dry ingredients to the buttermilk. Next add the cheese and combine well. Add the butter to form a sticky paste. Using an ice cream scoop, add the mixture to the muffin pan. Brush the tops with butter and sprinkle a little coarse salt to the top. Bake until nice and golden brown-about 20 minutes. Make sure to test the center with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.
I know it's a bit overdue since Thanksgiving is over- but it should be Thanksgiving everyday in my book. This Thanksgiving as I was cooking I really thought a lot about the things I am thankful for. There are so many blessings to be thankful for and I just wanted to list a few of them.
I am thankful for our beliefs and for our Loving God who is the giver of the many blessings in our lives.
I am thankful for my extraordinary husband- for the laughter, friendship and unyielding love he has always given me.
I am thankful for our health.
I am thankful for my family and friends.
I am thankful that Brandon and I both have jobs, a beautiful home, and cars that get us to and fro.
I am thankful for a fridge full of food and a stocked pantry.
I am thankful to live in a country where we can exercise religious freedom.
I am thankful that Brandon and I have health insurance (I know it sounds silly but millions go with out this).
I am thankful that I have such an amazing mom to which I am very close to.
I am thankful for the beautiful planet we live in, for its gorgeous landscapes, plants, and animals.
I am thankful to be Cuban-American.
I am thankful for my brother Eric, who takes care of my 93 year old grandmother and is the sweetest guy in the world.
I am thankful for the great relationship I have with my brother, Ozzy.
I am thankful that I still have 3 living grandparents whom I share great memories with.
This year I have delegated the potatoes to Patyence who is making that and the glorious desserts only she is capable of making ( I am NOT a baker!!!). But last year I served this dish- Martha Stewart's Lemon Thyme Potato Gratin. It's so yummy you should try it! So here's how you make it:
6 Large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes 3 tbsp. fresh Thyme 3 tbsp. grated lemon zest 2 cups heavy cream 3 tbsp. butter dash of nutmeg on each layer of potatoes salt and pepper to taste
The first thing I did was slice the potatoes through a mandolin. Then once the potatoes were sliced, I began layering the potatoes. You assemble this kind of like a lasagna. Place the potatoes, then brush with butter, add salt, pepper, lemon zest, thyme and nutmeg to each layer. Go easy on the nutmeg because it can be overpowering, actually now that i think about it, I added it to every other layer. Once you've layer everything pour the cream over the potatoes. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
This year I wanted to lighten up some of the sides since the green bean casserole is pretty fattening. So I decided to not make the same thing I made last year- whipped sweet potatoes with pecan praline topping. As yummy as this side is, it is SUPER fattening. I remembered that I liked the recipe Brandon's mom always makes so I called her up and asked her how she made her sweet potatoes. I then told my mom how I was making them and she said she made a similar recipe one year and had a really cute presentation. So here's what I am planning on making. I will post pictures after I make it.
Ingredients: 6 sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed evenly) 3 tbsp. butter 1/2 cup dark brown sugar plus more for dusting 8 oranges
Boil the sweet potatoes and drain them when they're fork tender. Put the potatoes in a mixing bowl and mash using the juice of the oranges. Make sure when you juice the oranges, you're gentle because we will be using the orange halves to scoop the mix back into the orange shell. Blend the butter, orange juice and brown sugar until nice and fluffy. If you like a smoother consistency, you can run this mixture through the food processor. Make sure to remove the pith from the orange halves and scoop this mixture into the shells. Place all of the oranges in dish and sprinkle with dark brown sugar. Ummm is it Thanksgiving yet????
One of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes is green bean casserole. I made this last year and it was a hit, so I think it deserves and encore. This year I am modifying the recipe a bit because although it tasted great, it was way too labor intensive. Last year I made EVERYTHING from scratch- the fried onion strings, the cream of mushroom soup, trimmed the fresh green beans... it was great but what a mission. This year I am taking a few shortcuts. Instead of making the onion strings, I am using French's onions. And instead of trimming and chopping fresh green beans, I will use frozen pre-cut beans. I am still making the cream of mushroom since I can't bring myself to use condensed soup- it gives me migraines and that's the last thing I want on thanksgiving. So here's how you make it:
Ingredients 3 bags frozen green beans ( I prefer french cut, but I coulden't find them this year) 1 large can of French's onion strings 3 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. butter 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (cremini are the same as baby bella) 2 cups sliced button mushrooms 1 pinch nutmeg 2 cups milk 1/3 cup heavy cream 3 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 1 dash of garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste
The first thing I do is slice all of the mushrooms and saute them in butter. I let all of the liquid render from this and set the pan aside once thoroughly cooked through. Next I make a roux with butter and flour and add the milk and cream. I whisk it well to avoid clumps and add salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg and allow the mix to thicken. Next I add the mushrooms and liquid to the pot. I let this cook down until its thick. If I were eating this as a soup alone, I would skip this part but the last thing anyone wants is a watery green bean casserole! While all of this going on, put a pot with water to boil and cook the green beans for about 3 minutes. Drain them well and set aside. Once the mushroom soup has cooked down, take a casserole dish and begin spooning the mushroom soup, green beans and French's onions. Mix well and top with more onions. Bake until everything is bubbling and hot for about 25 minutes on 350 degrees.I will post pictures of this version after I make it , but here is what it looked like last year:
So this year I am planning on trying Tyler Florence's Chestnut Sausage dressing. I was watching a food network special and he made this dish- it looked AMAZING. Plus Brandon confessed that he's been eating dressing all his life but he really doesn't like it- at least not the stove-top kind. So this is motivation to try something new. The only changes I am making are to use turkey sausage (since we don't eat pork) and to dice up onion and add it to the mix. I will have pictures after I make it but here's the recipe for now.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 9 by 11-inch baking dish.
In a food processor puree the carrot, onion, celery and sage until you have a fine pulp. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage in a little olive oil. Once you have a nice brown color and the fat has rendered - about 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetable pulp to the pan and saute until most of the moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the mixing bowl with the sausage and also add the bread crumbs and chestnuts.
Mix together chicken stock, cream and egg. Pour this wet mixture over the dressing mix. Season and fold everything together. Pour out into the roasting dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the top (if it gets too brown before the 30 minutes is up, tent with foil).
Last year I tried a new recipe for the Thanksgiving turkey and I think I am going to do the same this time around. Brining turkey makes such a difference- it really comes out much juicer. Another trick I do is I roast the turkey breast down so that all of the juices flow into the breast. In the last 45 minutes of cooking I flip it to brown the skin. Another thing I really like about this recipe is that the herb-citrus butter give it a nice color when you cut into it. So here's how you make it:
For the brine (I am approximating the measurements) 3 gallons water 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon Juice 1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1 & 1/3 cups kosher salt 8 garlic cloves grated 1/2 cup whole peppercorns
Wash the turkey well and remove the innards. Make sure you wash the cavity really well too. Add water to a container large enough to completely submerge the turkey, I use a HUGE mixing bowl and cover it with Plastic wrap but some people use a cooler. Add all of the brine ingredients to the water. Next add the turkey and tightly cover with plastic wrap. I actually take a garbage bag and cut the edges off and put that on top of the turkey/ brine mix, then I wrap the top. If you're using a cooler, use a lid. Leave in the refrigerator overnight.
For the herb-citrus butter: 1 bunch sage 1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley 1 sprig rosemary 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 3 tbsp lemon zest 6 garlic cloves- grated ( I use a microplane) 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 3 tbsp kosher salt 2 lbs butter
In a food processor add the butter and begin to cream until it's soft. Next add the herbs, salt and grated garlic. Add the lemon and grapefruit juice and lemon zest. Mix in the food processor until all of the herbs have been thoroughly chopped. Take the tureky out of the brine solution and pat dry. Next put it on a roasting pan. Take the butter mixture and put under the turkey skin. Cut small slits into the bird and scoop the butter in the pockets. Smear over the skin- all over the turkey. Save about 1/3 of the butter for basting during roasting. Add the leftover Rosemary, sage, parsley and thyme into the cavity of the bird. Next peel an onion and cut in half- add to the cavity of the bird. Lastly add the lemons juiced previously and add to the cavity of the bird. Tie the turkey legs together with Butcher's twine. Tuck the wings under the bird. Roast for 4 1/2 hours on 300 degrees (this is for a 16 lb bird). Baste every half hour. Flip the bird over during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Raise the temperature to 350 to allow the skin to brown. Remove from the oven and place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. The temperature should read at least 165 degrees. Allow the meat to rest- do not touch until the meat has rested otherwise the juices will run out and leave the turkey dry. Save the drippings for the gravy. Carve and serve on a platter.
OK, so let me just come out and say I don't like to fry food. My brothers always make fun of me because I bake everything- very different to what we grew up eating in a Cuban household. But every now and then the culinary angel and devil on my shoulder fight, and the dark side wins. This time it was SOOOO worth it! It all started when I was watching cooking shows stored on my DVR. I started watching an episode of Tyler's Ultimate and that was it for me. This episode was fish and chips and it looked AMAZING. I wanted to stick my hand into the TV and grab a piece. I tried to put off the craving for a few days but the longer I waited the worse the craving got. To make a long story short, I caved and this is what I ended up with. Golden battered fish, hush puppies, home-made buttermilk Cole-slaw, home-made tarter and cocktail sauce. Serve with two COLD coronas and lime. Man was that a good day... the only unfortunate thing was that it was Sunday and the weekend was about to be over but I hardly noticed since I started to fall into a food-induced coma after this meal. So here's how you make it: (Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence) Ingredients for the fish: Canola oil, for deep frying 2 cups rice flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 3 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 1 (12-ounce) can soda water 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 (8-ounce) cod fillets cut in 1/2 on an angle 1/2 cup rice flour, for dredging 2 tbsp cornmeal
Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Combine soda water and egg and pour into the flour mixture. Whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the rice flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry the fish and chips for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Remove the basket and drain the fish and chips on paper towels; season lightly with salt.
Ingredients for Hush Puppies: 1 cup yellow cornmeal ¾ cup self-rising flour 1 teaspoon Sea Salt ½ teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon cayenne ½ cup onion1 bunch chives, finely chopped 1 egg, whisked 1/4 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese 1 cup buttermilkDirections: Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees F. Mix all of the ingredients together and form into little balls. Fry until golden brown and crunchy.
Ingredients for cole slaw: 1 bag Cole slaw greens ¼ cup finely diced onions 1/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup milk ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup buttermilk 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tbsp. poppy seeds Juice of 1 lemon
Directions: Mix all of the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl along with the salt and pepper. Whisk until nice and creamy. Next add onions and the bag of greens and combine with the dressing. Add the poppy seeds and incorporate well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. I personally think it taste better the next day but that’s just me.
For the tartar sauce mix 1/2 cup mayo and 2 tbsp. dill relish. And for the cocktail sauce mix 1/2 ketchup, 1 tsp. horseradish and 2 tsp. lemon juice. Phew! That sure was a lot of cooking!
Brandon and I trekked over to Ikea two Sundays ago to buy a computer chair to replace his that broke. And on the way there we saw all of the pretty leaves changing color. The family had come over the day before and Patyence made some of her yummy Bahamian Curry this inspired me to create a root veggie curry the next day because I didn't get quite enough. The smokiness of the curry and the creaminess of the coconut milk make this dish a keeper. Add a little cayenne and it will blow your socks off. Umm I want some right now! So here's how you make it:
Ingredients: 1 large sweet potato 3 large carrots 2 large potatoes 1/2 med. butternut squash 2 ribs celery 3 cloves garlic 1/2 red pepper 1 large onion 10 button mushrooms 1 can coconut milk 1 bunch scallions 2 tbsp. curry powder 1 tsp. paprika 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tbsp. tomato paste 2 cups chicken stock 1 can chick peas- drained and rinsed Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the garlic, onions, and red pepper and saute in a pot with olive oil. Once the veggies are tender, add the coconut milk, chicken stock, sweet potato, potato, carrots, butternut squash, curry powder, paprika--- everything except the button mushrooms and scallions. Let the potato, carrots, and other veggies cook until fork tender and add the sliced mushrooms and scallions. Serve over Basmati rice or crusty bread drizzled with olive oil. YUM!
Ok ok... I know I took this title from Perez Hilton, but I had an epiphany the other day when I was watching Dick Morris speak. I knew he reminded me of someone but I couldn't put my finger on it, and then it dawned on me... I love Dick Morris, I'd like to have him over for dinner and I hope he doesn't get offended if I he ever sees this (YEAH RIGHT ha ha) but doesn't he look like Lefou from Beauty and the Beast?
If you want to make a hearty soup that's loaded with protein and flavor, pasta e fagiole is the soup for you. Eat this with Tyler Florence's Italian inspired grilled cheese and you will never look at the soup and sandwich combo the same again. So here's how you make it:
Pasta e Fagiole: 1 quart chicken stock 2 lbs ground turkey or beef 1 egg 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 2 onions 1/3 cup fresh parsley 1/3 cup bread crumbs 6 garlic cloves 1 can butter beans 1 can red kidney beans 1 can canelli beans 1 sprig rosemary 1 can tomato paste 1 can tomato sauce 2 carrots 2 celery stalks 1 pinch dry oregano 1 Parmesan rind- optional (if you save these this would be a good time to use it) 2 cups egg noodles or any short pasta you like like elbow 3 tbsp. olive oil salt and pepper to taste
First take your ground beef or ground turkey and mix with the shredded Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, rosemary, eggs, salt and pepper and fold all ingredients together well. Saute the ground beef until fully cooked through and set aside in a bowl.
In the same pan (to make sure you get all the yummy goodness that's left behind in the pan) add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery and allow to cook until cooked through but not mushy. Next transfer this and the ground turkey to a soup pot. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and incorporate well. let it simmer and add the chicken stock, Parmesan rind, dried oregano and egg noodles. Add the egg noodles and then add the beans. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes on med. heat. Once the soup has reached the thickness and consistency you want, turn off the heat and serve. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
For the grilled cheese 2 slices of artisan bread 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp pesto 3 or 4 slices of thick sliced fresh water- packed buffalo mozzarella 1/4 small onion sliced very thinly and caramelized salt and pepper to taste
Take 1 tsp of butter and saute the onions until caramelized make sure to season with salt and pepper. Then just assemble the sandwich by spreading the pesto on both sides of the inside of the sandwich, adding the onions and cheese. Then grill on med low heat until the outside is nice and toasty and the cheese is oozing.
We are on Vacation and our apartment has a full kitchen so we decided to save some money and eat in every once in a while. Today was one of those days. But eating in doesn't mean it has to be boring. Maybe I was inspired by our ocean view or our fancy dinners of late... but this meal was so good, I almost forgot we didn't go to a restaurant. I personally think turkey is one of the most underrated meats anyway so I decided to change up the classic chicken piccata and use turkey cutlets instead. So here's how you make it:
Ingredients (for the turkey piccata) 1 pkg. sliced turkey breast 1 cup flour 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil or light olive oil (not extra virgin it tastes too strong for this in my opinion) 2 tbsp. capers 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup white wine ( I used prosecco because it's all I had on hand- the fizz dies when cooked) 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes: 6 large potatoes peeled and cubed 1/3 cup chicken stock 3 cloves garlic 3 tbsp. butter 1/3 cup half& half salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Green Beans: 1 bag frozen french cut green beans 1/2 a small onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp. olive oil salt and pepper to taste
To make the turkey, rinse each breast and pat it dry. Next take two pieces of plastic wrap and place the turkey between the sheets. Pound until the breast is 1/8th of an inch thick. Next season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In a skillet, add butter and oil and allow to get hot on med. high heat. When hot, add the turkey and cook through until nicely golden brown. Set aside on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the pieces have been cooked and transfer to the cookie sheet. Next take a little more butter and add to the skillet with 2 tbsp. of flour and make a roux. Once the flour has browned a bit add the white wine and chicken stock and whisk until the liquid and roux are well incorporated. To this, add the lemon juice and capers and stir in well. Let the sauce cook until the wine has evaporated and the sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Once done add the sauce to the cookie sheet, making sure you coat the bottom too. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the turkey breasts. Bake in a 35o degree oven until its cooked through and warm- about 15 mins.
For the mashed potatoes, boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender. Once cooked, drain well and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Warm the stock and half&half and add to the bowl along with the butter and salt. With an electric mixer, whip until nice and fluffy, adding more liquid as needed. In a small saucier finely mince garlic and add to the pot with butter and allow to cook until the garlic becomes softened. add to the the mashed potatoes and mix well.
For the green beans blanch them for 2 minutes and drain well. Dice the onions and mince the garlic and sautee in a pan until they become soft and slightly browned. Add the green beans and sautee, adding salt and pepper as need.
And there you have it folks a lovely and romantic meal without having to tip a waitress or wait for refills.
1. Diamonds on the inside by Ben Harper 2. Hello Kitten by Hefner 3. I heard something by Charlemagne 4. Stockholm Syndrome by Yo la Tengo 5. After Hours by the Velvet Underground 6. Seaside by the Kooks 7. Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car by Iron and wine 8. Walk the Line by Johnny Cash 10. Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns and Roses 11. Vampire Forest Fire by the Arcade Fire 12. Heard Somebody Say- Devendra Banhart 13. Sideways by Lets go sailing 14. Shine like a new pin by Camera Obscura 15. You only live once by the Strokes 16. Storm by Jose Gonzalez 17. No right angles by Ben Lee
I have been feeling quite uninspired. I really hadn't put my finger on it, but I think today it dawned on me, two of my favorite things have been missing from my life. Music and food. Let me explain. I don't think I've ever mentioned it here, but most people that are close to me know that I had the lapband surgery last year- actually it was a year ago today, now that I think about it. Since my surgery I haven't lost all that much weight because it turned out, that aside from my love of food, I also have a thyroid problem which was undetected until about a month and a half ago. I only found out because I couldn't explain why I wasn't losing weight despite the drastic slashing of my daily caloric intake. So after a little prodding by my doc, she discovred this problem. So to make a long story short, i;ve been on meds for the thyroid and I also had the lapband adjusted recently to see if I could kick start my weight loss. I am thrilled to say it worked, however they made the band too tight so now I really can't eat hardly anything. For the last month and a half, perhaps a bit more, I have not really eaten anything solid with the exception of a good day I had and ate half a chicken finger. To say that I have been grumpy is a huge understatement. I watch food network and just gawk. The last month of my life has been pretty miserable. Going to bed hungry blows. But the good news is that I have lost a total of 47 lbs to date.
The second thing that is missing from my life was music. Usually I would listen to my ipod on the way to work and on the way back home, but ever since i've been carpooling with Brandon, we really don't listen to too much beacuase we end up talking about our day, and before we know it we're getting home. Then its time for me to make a dinner I won't be able to eat and shower, hang out, do stuff around the house. Before I know it, it's time to go to bed and start all over again the next day.
Two days ago my life changed. I finally dowloaded Pandora. For those of you who are unfamiliar with pandora, it's an online radio station that chooses music for you based on what you enter. So for example, say you are a fan of Feist, well you would add her to your list, and Pandora will find music that sounds like that. It shuffles it for you and it allows you customize your stations based on genres if you like. Its really cool- I have it playing in the background at work and listen to music all day. I was really bored with my ipod, and really hated having to update it all the time. This has solved this problem and allowed music back into my life again. Now if only I could eat a stinkin' baked potato life would be grand.
One of my favorite Iron chefs is Masaharu Morimoto. I love his knife skills and how clean he is when he cooks. I also love how he always makes the yummiest looking fish. On Saturday night we did groceries, and to our surprise, Sam's club had the most beautiful Tuna steaks ever... they were a bit pricey, but we couldn't resist. So to make sure the fish was eaten at its freshest (after being bought that is), I decided to make it tonight. Originally I was going to make sushi, but felt like making a more whimsical interpretation of the dish. I seared the tuna and served it with Sushi- inspired rice cakes. It was a meal that Brandon asked me to repeat again soon. It fact, right after he ate it, he said " babe, you have to blog this recipe so you'll never forget it". So this is how you make it:
For the Tuna Marinade: 3 cloves of Garlic 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup canola oil 1 lime 3 Tbsp. Huy Fong brand "Sriracha" hot sauce (the one with the rooster on it) 1/3 cup water 1 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 1/2 tbsp Mirin
Run the garlic through the micro plane and mix all of the ingredients. Leave the tuna marinating over night or at least 4 hours.
For the Rice Cakes:
1 1/2 cups Sushi Rice 2 cups water 2 green onion stalks 1/2 red onion 3 toasted nori sheets 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar 1 hass avocado
Prepare the rice according to package directions. After the rice has cooked and set a bit, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Next finely slice the red onion and add to the rice. Slice the green onion on the bias (small pieces) and add to the bowl. Next take the sheets of Nori and with a pair of kitchen shears, begin to cut little it into little pieces. Add to the rice. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well. In a non-stick frying pan, add 1/2 a tsp. of canola oil to the pan and turn the heat to med. high. Take a ring mold and lightly grease the sides so that the rice does not stick. Begin putting the rice mix into the ring mold and press down to make it compact. After it is well formed, add it to the pan. Let the cakes cook until a crisp layer is formed. Gently flip the rice cake over and cook until the other side crisps. Transfer to your serving dish. Slice an avocado and place on top of the rice cake.
Lastly, take a non-stick pan and add 1 tsp. of toasted sesame oil. Take the tuna steaks out of the marinade and sear on either side for about 1-1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow it to rest for 3 minutes. Sliced thinly and serve next to the rice cakes.
Whatever you do, do NOT throw away the marinating liquid. I repeat, DO NOT THROW AWAY THE MARINATING LIQUID!! This stuff is AWESOME and totally makes the dish so much tastier. After you remove the Tuna from the hot pan, take the marinating liquid and cook it down until it turns to a nice deep glaze. The brown sugar in the sauce will cause it to caramelize beautifully. I served this on the side and it was so good- really HOT, but good. It made my lips tingle. Lastly, sprinkle some black sesame seeds over the tuna and serve to your salivating dinner companions.
If I had to eat one kind of cuisine for the rest of my life besides Cuban, it'd be a toss up between Greek and Italian. I absolutely love how fresh Greek food is. Brandon and I visited Phoenix Arizona and ate at this restaurant called "My big fat Greek Restaurant" and it was amazing. Did I already mention how much I love Greek food??? Anywho... I was inspired last weekend so I made a greek inspired Feast. I did veggie kabobs, chicken and beef tenderloin marinated with olive oil, lemon, rosemary and oregano, Tzatziki (yogurt cucumber sauce), humus, lemony wild rice pilaf, and a greek salad topped with yummy feta... Check it out!
You ever have one of those days when you can't decide what to make? I defrosted some ground turkey and didn't want to make the usual meatloaf. Then I remembered the dish someone had ordered at this Italian restaurant Brandon and I went to on Friday night. Spaghetti Bolognese is what it looked like to me, but at the time I had my sights set on something else on the menu. But today is a different day, and Spaghetti Bolongese is the perfect end to a perfect, albeit short, weekend. So here's how you make it. (I took the recipe from Emeril live and modified it a bit).
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 cup extra dry vermouth
1/2 cup evaporated milk
In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir the celery, carrots and garlic into the pot and cook until the vegetables are wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey to the vegetables, stirring to mix and break up the meat, and cook u
This is by far one of my favorite breakfast foods. But done wrong, can be pretty disgusting- almost resembling dog food. If you don't believe me, go buy a can of corned beef hash at the grocery store and see what I mean. Anywho, this recipe uses simple ingredients and is pretty easy to make. Check out the recipe below.
sage
