CURIOUS EATS

My First Fried Oysters of the Season

2011-11-07T06:01:00.002-05:00

Fried Oysters are so simple to make and they make such a great snack! I love the crunchy texture of the fried panko with the creaminess of the oyster.

1 pound drained oysters
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tbsp of salt
1 tsp of cracked black pepper
1 quart of canola oil

Get 3 bowls ready for oyster dredging. In one bowl place the flour, in the second bowl place the egg and mix thoroughly with the milk, 1/2 tbsp of salt and the black pepper. In the third bowl add the panko crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of salt. Starting with the flour, dredge each oyster through the flour, dip in the egg mixture and then coat in the panko mixture. Once the oysters are coated allow them to rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while the oil is heating up. I think this rest period helps the panko coating dry a bit which results in a crunchier coating.

While the oysters are resting, heat the oil. You know the oil is ready when you stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and little bubbles are created around the end of the spoon. Fry the oysters in small batches being careful not to overcrowd. (Overcrowing will cool the oil down.)

My condiments of choice for oysters is pretty simple, as seen here. A slice of lemon and a smear of hot sauce.

Yummy Soft Pretzels

2011-11-04T11:07:00.002-04:00

Gosh, it's been soooo long since I've last posted. (Sorry!!!) I've been wanting to come back because this blog has been a lot of fun for me but life always seems to take hold. Finally I decided there is no time like the present to share with you some of the deliciousness I've been cooking.

Over the last year a German friend has taught my husband and I how to make sausage. This same German friend has also introduced me to his homemade soft pretzels. I don't have his recipe but Sunday for football I decided to experiment. The pretzels turned out phenominal. I have a idea for a twist - no pun intended - that I hope to share with you in the near future.

These pretzels were quite easy because I used pizza dough that I had in the refrigerator. I think I've mentioned to you before that I like to keep pizza dough on hand for pizza, stromboli, bread, etc. Dough that has been fermenting for 4 days or longer actually has much more flavor than dough made the day you use it. I took some aged dough, made the pretzel shapes and then followed Alton Brown's soft pretzel recipe for boiling and baking.

1/2 batch of pizza dough
10 cups of water
2/3 cup of baking soda
1 egg
1 tbls of water

Section your fermented pizza dough into 3 ounce portions. Shape the pretzels by rolling them into a long snake. Then create the pretzel shape. Next prepare a baking sheet with alluminum foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Prepare a small bowl of egg wash by mixing 1 tablespoon of cold water with one egg.

Bring 10 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add 2/3 cup of baking soda to the boiling water and mix. Gently place one pretzel in the water. Cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pretzel and place on your prepared baking sheet. Once all of the pretzels have been cooked in the boiling water, brush the pretzels with the egg wash. Place the baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until brown.

Enjoy with your favorite mustard.

Pan Seared Scallops in a Red Pepper Cream Sauce

2010-10-28T07:01:00.000-04:00

The pepper sauce that makes the bed for these scallops combines red bell peppers with hot peppers to get the desired spiciness of the sauce. I was in the mood for a little heat so I used more hot than mild peppers. It's important to adjust to your personal preferences. Using all red bell peppers for this recipe will result in a sweet pepper sauce.

Seared scallops are one of our favorite seafood dishes, it seems obvious to say, if they are cooked right. It's my opinion, the best way to enjoy scallops is if they have crispy seared sides that highlight the creamy tenderness of the scallop. To achieve a nice sear it is essential to use very little oil and to cook the scallops quickly using a hot skillet.

Pan Seared Scallops in a Spicy Red Pepper Cream
serves 2

Red Pepper Cream Sauce
2 cups of roughly chopped peppers (a combination of red bell peppers and spicy peppers depending on your desired level of heat)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pan Seared Scallops
6-8 large sea scallops
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp olive oil

Add all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan to simmer for 5 minutes.

Place all the seasoning ingredients for the scallops in a small bowl. Mix to combine with a fork. Pat each scallop dry with a paper towel and then press each side of each scallop into the seasoning bowl.

In a large skillet hot on high heat. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Move the pan around to even coat with the oil. Reduce the heat to medium high. Place the seasoned scallops in the hot skillet. After 3 minutes turn the scallops. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of the scallops.

Spoon about 1/2 cup of sauce on each plate and top with the scallops. Garnish with pepper slivers.

Curried Cauliflower and Butternut Squash

2010-10-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

Recently, I had some friends over for dinner, one of which is a vegetarian. As you probably have noticed by reading this blog, I love meat. The challenge: create a vegetarian meal that is enjoyable and satisfying to all, even the meat lovers.

I made palak paneer which is a favorite comfort food in my house but I wanted to offer a few sides for a little variety. I ended up making this roast cauliflower and squash dish along with a salad and the palak paneer. My friend Anna tasted this dish and immediately exclaimed, 'This cauliflower is delicious!' I love Anna's enthusiasm!

It was good and definitely a 'make again' dish.

Curried Cauliflower and Butternut Squash
1 head of cauliflower
1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons madras curry powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of honey

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a sheet pan.

Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Butternut squash can be a tough nut to crack. The skin is tough but very easy to peel if you have a sharp blade on your peeler. If you have any trouble you may be trying to use a peeler that's been in your utensil drawer for ten years and it may be just plain dull. If this is the case, go out and get yourself a new peeler. If you love butternut squash as much as I do you'll definitely want a peeler that can handle the job. I love finger food so one of my go to sides is Butternut Squash Fries.

Once you have the squash peeled, cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. Place the cubes on the alumnium foiled sheet pan

Cut the head of cauliflower into bite size pieces. Toss the cauliflower with the cubes of butternut squash.

In a bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Drizzle the mixture over the squash and cauliflower.

With your hands, toss the squash and cauliflower to evenly distribute the spice mixture. This won't be entirely possible because of the crevices in the cauliflower. The spices will distribute even more while cooking.

Place in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Flip once during cooking. Starting at about 25 minutes, check for doneness by pricking the cauliflower and squash with a fork. Cooking times may vary depending on your oven. Both the squash and cauliflower should be tender when pricked.

Simple Locally Grown Roast Chicken - Comfort Food!

2010-10-25T07:34:00.001-04:00

At the Farmer's Market this week, I picked up a whole chicken from a local farm, King Family Farm. Roast chicken is normally a staple in our house but I realized I haven't roasted a chicken in quite a while. I was craving not only the tenderness and wonderful flavor of roast chicken but also the smell that emanates from the oven as it's cooking.

I marinated the chicken 24 hours prior to cooking. I firmly believe that marinating meat far enough in advance (12-24 hours) is essential in maximizing the moistness of whatever meat I'm cooking along with imparting the flavor of the meat with whichever seasoning I've chosen. Many of you may say, 'that is so much work!' but really I'm really wondering if it makes cooking easier. When I went to roast this chicken I simply took it out of the bag that I had been marinating it in, placed it on a baking dish and roasted it. This made it super easy to get it started roasting as soon as I got home from work.

Simple Locally Grown Roast Chicken

3 pound locally grown, whole chicken

Marinade
1 1/2 tbsp coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 beer

Marinade the chicken prior to cooking, preferably 24 hours. To marinade, place the chicken in a gallon sized ziplock bag. Add all the marinade in the bag and shake to thoroughly coat the chicken. Place the bag on a plate and store in the refrigerator.

When ready to roast the chicken, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chicken from the bag and place in a baking dish. Allow the chicken to rest on the counter for about 30 minutes to take the chill of the meat. This will aid in a faster, more even cooking of the bird.

Bake for about 1hour and 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. When the bird is fully cooked you should be able to stick a fork where the leg joint is and the juices will run clear. Prior to cutting and serving, remove the chicken from the oven, cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute ensuring the chicken remains moist.

I love the chicken wing on a roast chicken. Too Yummy!

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The Highest Compliment

2010-10-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

What an amazing experience.

Friday night I attended the 'Roger Waters-The Wall, Live' concert in Columbus. I was sitting in front of two gentleman that, prior to the concert, were giving the couple sitting next to me advice on where to eat. Honestly, there aren't a lot of places in Columbus that impress me but one restaurant, Big Fat Greek on Fishinger, is amazing. Of course it was difficult to just sit there and not offer my opinion. I tried to restrain myself.

During a break in the concert, they began the discussion again. I interjected with my suggestion of Big Fat Greek. One of the guys looks at me quizzically. I told him that it was on the corner of Fishinger and Route 33, next to Ursus Artspace. I then told him that I sell my handmade pottery in Ursus and kind of just stumbled onto the restaurant. (It looks like a fast food joint from the outside but once you enter, you'll realize it is so much more.

Anyways, without me saying anything more other than the fact that I sell my pottery there, he says, 'I bet I have a few of your pieces.' and he starts describing the glazes.

I pull up my website for Cracked Thumb Pottery and he exclaims, 'Yes, I have 4 of your pieces!'

Hello! This is a small world. What a compliment to run into somebody at a packed concert who admires my pottery. Wow!

Make a Good Decision.

2010-10-23T17:15:00.006-04:00

I feel like it's time to get my soapbox out. I'll say up front, I am not perfect. I make a lot of mistakes. I have a lot to learn. We all need to work on becoming more aware and making better decisions.

Do you remember the post on Snowville Creamery milk?

Today I was in the grocery store and watched as a woman was choosing Horizon milk when that brand sat right next to locally processed Snowville Creamery milk. Just because a milk is labelled organic does not mean it is the best milk. Snowville Creamery milk is minimally processed at the lowest temperatures possible. A lot of organic milk is processed at the same high temperatures that non organic milk is processed. This results in a significant loss in the nutritional and flavor values of the milk. Snowville Creamery creates a milk that does have a shorter shelf life but a ton more health benefits. Forget the nutritional difference, the flavor factor is the best benefit. Pour yourself a glass today and find out for yourself!

Read my previous post to find out more about the nutritional benefits.

Check out the Snowville Creamery's website to find out if a store near you carries this wonderful milk!

Obtaining Locally Grown Meat

2010-10-23T06:33:00.000-04:00

The book by Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Food Life, had a tremendous impact in the way I look and think about food. In this book Barbara discusses the way her family strictly limited the foods they consumed to those produced locally, with few exceptions. After reading the book, I realised that I needed to make more of an effort to move away from the mass produced products that flood our grocery stores.

In my concerted effort to consume more locally grown and raised food, I wanted to identify local farmers as a source for meat products such as pork. I was able to find a few such farmers that were raising animals in a humane environment on sustainable farms a little way from our house. We purchased a pig from a farmer 20 minutes away and a lamb from a farmer less than 5 minutes away.

One thing we have learned from the years of processing venison is that it is always preferable for us to process the meat ourselves to as much of an extent as possible, without relying on a processing facility. There are a lot of reasons for this preference: you ensure the animal is indeed the animal you purchased from the farmer, there is more control in the cuts of meat that you end up with, and you can take steps to eliminate waste.

A few weekends ago we processed the pig. For this pig we asked the processing facility to simply half and quarter the pig, leaving us to cut the pig into the various cuts.

Next time, I think we will make every effort to take it from the farmer and process the meat all ourselves. Farmer's in our area often have issues with the local processing facilities. They either don't process the animal in the cuts requested or they grind a vast majority of the meat.

Don't get me wrong, ground meat is convenient and delicious in dishes but I'd prefer to have it the freshest I can get by grinding it myself, when I need it. Also, I want to maximize the amount of large cuts of meat, which I can grind later if needed. There will always be some scraps of meat during the butchering process. However, It was surprising too see how few scraps we had to grind compared to what we would have had if we had a processing facility process the entire animal.

After butchering the pig, I took the scraps and ground them and separated the meat into one pound portions to put in the freezer for future use. I only had four, 1-pound packages of ground meat. I guarentee you if we would of had our local processing facility process the meat we would of had at least 50 pounds of ground meat. Processing yourself is hard work but I think it's easy to see the benefits.

Tomato Jelly and the Athens Farmer's Market

2010-10-22T07:36:00.002-04:00

In Athens, Ohio we are extremely fortunate to have a wonderful farmer's market. In 2006, Audobon Magazine, ranked the Athen's Farmer's Market as one of the top 10 finest in the country. Living here in Athens, it is easy to see why the market has received such high accolades.

Strolling through the market, under a clear blue sky, with the sun shining down on a Saturday morning is mood altering. Too see the numerous vendors presenting beautiful, healthy products, and fresh, locally grown produce is purely inspiring. Inspiring from the sense of both finding ways to incorporate such beautiful ingredients in healthy meals but also to make more of an effort to grow more food on my own property.

Last Saturday, I came across Lynda who was selling really unique jams and jellies. In particular, this tomato jelly, peeked my interest. I'm not sure if it was the brilliant red of the jelly or the beautiful packaging. The farmer that made the jelly told me people have said it reminds them of strawberry jelly. One customer in particular told her that he likes to spread it on his hamburger bun.

I'm looking forward to finding ways to use this, whether it's on crackers with goat cheese or spreading it on a chicken breast and then baking it.

Cuban Panini with Pork Au Jus Sauce

2010-10-21T06:33:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had a Cuban Panini? If not, I would highly recommend that you make an effort to get one on your plate soon. Cuban sandwiches or panini's are made with a combination of roast pork, grainy mustard, pickles and cheese.

The Rosemary and Garlic Infused Ham Roast was a perfect roast to use in one of my favorite sandwiches, the Cuban Panini. I reserved the juice from the bottom of the pan as a little extra treat, Au jus sauce for dipping the sandwich into. I don't think my husband could get enough of this flavorful sauce.

Cuban Panini with Pork Au Jus Sauce
Loaf of focaccia bread
mayonnaise
grainy mustard
slices of Rosemary and Garlic Infused Ham Roastthin slices of dill pickles
swiss cheese
olive oil for brushing on the focaccia loaf

I'm not providing quantities here for the list of ingredients because that is entirely dependent on the size of your focaccia loaf. This is a really simple sandwich to put together. Cut the focaccia loaf in half horizontally. Slather the inside of one half with mayonnaise and slather the inside of the other half with a grainy mustard. On the bottom half begin layering ingredients starting with slices of the ham roast, pickles, then another layer of cheese. Place the top of the loaf on top. Lightly brush both sides of the loaf with olive oil.

Place the sandwich in a panini grill on medium heat and grill for about 5-7 minutes until the sandwich is warmed through, the cheese is melted and you have beautiful grill marks on both sides.

Spicy Garlicky Popcorn

2010-10-20T18:55:00.000-04:00

In an effort to lighten up I love making popcorn for dinner. This is especially nice on a day when lunch was particularly heavy. Such a day presented itself a few days ago. I was looking for a way to make the popcorn a little special compared to the standard microwave popcorn that is super easy.

I air popped the popcorn and then made a yummy garlicky spicy butter. Very satisfying.

Spicy Garlicky Popcorn
Air pop 1 cup of popcorn kernels

3 tbsp butter
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 tsp finely crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste (about 1 tbsp)

In a small sauce pan slowly melt the butter on simmer. Once the butter is melted add in the garlic, red pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Simmer on very low to infuse the butter with the garlic for about 2 minutes. Drizzle the garlic butter over the popped popcorn. Toss the popcorn with your hands or utensils to evenly distribute the butter.

Rosemary and Garlic Infused Ham Roast

2010-10-20T06:01:00.000-04:00

When cooking with pork I prefer pork butts (the cut from the front shoulder) because the fat content provides for a flavorful, moist piece of meat. The last time I cooked a piece of ham roast I ruined it. I didn't realize that it requires a much different cooking technique compared to the pork butt that I am much more familiar with.

The ham roast does not have as much fat marbling as a pork butt roast which in turn makes it a much drier piece of meat. This requires cooking the roast at a higher temperature for a much shorter period of time. I will say, this time I perfected the roasting of a ham roast. This roast was extremely flavourful and moist. It was cooked right to the point when the very center is still a little pink, ensuring in was not dried out.

Rosemary and Garlic Infused Ham Roast

2 1/2 pound ham roast

Marinade
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 beer (don't use a light beer folks!)

Marinade the roast 12-48 hours in advance. If you marinate on the longer side of this time frame, the roast will likely be a much moister piece of meat because the salt addition will serve to help brine the meat. Cut each garlic clove into 3 pieces. With a sharp knife, create slots within the roast and insert a piece of garlic. Place the roast in a gallon size baggie. Add the remaining ingredients. Close the bag, shake it and massage the roast with the seasoning to make sure it is evenly coated. Refrigerate.

When ready to begin roasting the ham roast, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a stoneware baking dish, place the ham roast. Add enough of the marinade to ensure that the roast is sufficiently lubricated. Pour about 1/2 of the beer over the roast to ensure it has enough moisture during cooking. Roast for about 50 minutes until it reaches about 155 degrees in center. When you remove the roast, cover tightly with aluminum foil. This will allow the roast to continue cooking with carryover cooking and the temperature of the roast will actually increase about 5 degrees. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy next to your favorite sides or on your favorite sandwich.

Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Butter Cream Frosting

2010-10-19T17:33:00.001-04:00

Back to the Green Goddess get together this weekend at my sister's house. She served us this beautiful Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Buttercream Frosting on Saturday night. My sister baked and cooked for at least two days in advance of our visit. She's recorded the menu on her blog, 'Season to Taste'.

She served this cake along with an a gluten free Almond Lemon Yogurt Cake topped with an Almond Cream Cheese Frosting that was positively too die for yummy. Too see the entire menu of the weekend, see the 'Goddesses Are Coming' menu.

Baked Ham and Egg Cups

2010-10-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I visited my sister for an annual 'Green Goddess' weekend. A few years back, my sister and her friends started the 'Green Goddess' weekends in a way to keep connected with friends and enjoy each others company while indulging their culinary obsessions. Basically, this means this weekednwe had a lot of great conversation while eating great food and sipping on great wine.

My sister spent a lot of time and energy to make sure we were all fed really well. One morning she made us these wonderfully tasty eggs and ham cups. You can see the recipe she used on her blog, Season to Taste.

Calzone: Grilled versus Baked?

2010-10-04T11:05:00.000-04:00

Grilled pizza can often have a lot more flavor and texture than oven cooked pizza. One of the secrets to good pizza is cooking at a very high temperature which sometimes can be difficult in a regular oven. Recently I made grilled burritos for a football tailgating party. (I'll have to share this recipe later.). The burritos were a huge hit and it got me thinking why not try grilled calzones.

I was curious whether or not the calzones could be cooked long enough on the grill to make the filling hot and bubbly without burning the dough. Or would the dough be cooked on the outside with the inside luke warm and the dough not all the way cooked leaving a doughy texture?

I was a little timid, and hungry, so I made an oven baked calzone and a grilled calzone. This way if the grilled version didn't turn out I wouldn't be left trying to figure out an alternative for dinner. Also, I was able to taste test to see which method created the most flavorful calzone.

The verdict - both were delicious but the little bit of char on the grilled calzone really added a whole other level of flavor and smokiness.

Calzone: Grilled versus Baked?

Use the same recipe for dough that I used in my 'Friday Night Pizza' post. Divide the dough into 4 balls.

Toppings (This is personal preference so use whatever you like.)

6 grilled hot italian sausages
1 1/3 cups of marinara sauce
2 cups grated provolone
1/2 cup grated parmesean

Roll out each ball of dough. Sprinkle some provolone cheese on each of the rolled out dough. Placing the cheese on the dough before the sauce will act as an extra layer of protection from keeping the calzone from getting soggy. Next, spoon about 1/3 cup of marinara sauce over each being careful to spread it out evenly. Slice the sausages and place evenly over the marinara sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining provolone and parmesean cheese.

Beans to warm your soul...

2010-10-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

Dried beans have always intimidated me. I've just never been successful with them. Even after soaking overnight they always seemed to be 'crunchy' and they would take forever to cook. But, in my heightened awareness of the local food movement along with the knowledge of how much our energy and environment is impacted when we rely on the mass production and distribution of foods, I've decided to make more of an effort.

It's so easy to get home from work and pop open a jar of beans, heat on the stove and serve. In the back of my head I also recognized if I could figure out how to use dried beans they would probably taste better when compared to beans from the can. I control the sodium level. Most canned beans are preserved in a briny, solution that is often just plain slimy. Even after rinsing they still have some of that briny flavor.

Now, I'm not trying to even attempt to claim that I'm not going to use canned beans anymore. I love beans and sometimes the convenience of the can will win over. I will, however, make an effort to use more dried legumes in favor of the canned version.

This recipe was born because I had a few ham hocks from a local farmer. The ham hocks were relatively small and not very meaty so I did add a few slices of bacon at the end just to up the porky happiness. If the ham hocks you find are meaty, I would not add the bacon (or you can if you want!) The final dish is a tasty, creamy, comfort food.

Stewed Cannellini Beans with Ham Hocks and Bacon
1 pound dried cannellini beans
1 pound ham hocks (get meaty ones if you can)
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup of chopped Italian leaf parsley
bacon crumbles from 3 slices of crispy bacon (optional)

Soak the beans overnight in enough water so that the beans will be covered once the beans double in size.

Simmer the ham hocks in 2 cups of chicken broth in a lidded stockpot for about an hour.

Drain the soaked beans and add them to the simmering ham hocks. Add the remaining chicken stock and salt. Simmer with the lid on for about an hour, stirring occassionly. When I made these I wasn't concerned with maintaining the purity of the shape of the bean so I kind of smashed them with the back of my wooden spoon each time I went in to stir. Smashing increases the creaminess of the final bean dish. Simmer the beans for about another hour. Once the beans have been simmering for about 1/2 hour, remove the ham hocks. Try to get as much meat off the ham hocks, chop the meat, and return the chopped meat to the bean pot.

The night we enjoyed them, I served the beans atop a bed of wilted swiss chard with some beautiful smoked pork left over from the weekend. Yes, I do like pork.. :)

Don't be afraid to make extra beans. This is one leftover that never goes to waste in our house. I love having a little bit of these for breakfast. Nothing more comforting than getting a little warm comfort food in your belly first thing in the morning. Also, it does a good job of carrying me through the morning until lunch.

Fried Cauliflower with a Indian Style Curry Tempura

2010-10-02T17:15:00.001-04:00

I can't remember where I saw a recipe similar to this but I think it was from a Jamie Oliver show. Normally, I'm not a fan of tempura's because I think they seem 'bready'. The insiration for this dish used turmeric to season the tempura. I loved the idea of seasoning the tempura. Why stop with turmeric? Tumeric has a very mild flavor. I decided to try it with more indian flavors to make more of a curried flavor. I ultimately settled on turmeric, garam masala, and a touch of paprika. I think hot madras curry is what I will try next.

Fried Cauliflower with a Indian Style Curry Tempura
1 head of cauliflower

Tempura Batter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of beer
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika

Cut the cauliflower florets into bite size pieces.

Whisk the ingredients of the tempura batter together. The batter should be not be too thick but not so runny that it doesn't adhere to the cauliflower. Test by dipping a piece into the batter to see if enough batter clings to it. If it's too runny or too thick, adjust by adding more flour or beer.

Heat frying oil in a heavy stockpot until it reaches approximately 350 degrees. Test that the oil is hot enough by dipping a piece of cauliflower in. If it doesn't bubble it isn't hot enough. Once the oil is hot enough use a chinese spider strainer to dip the cauliflower into the batter and then place the battered pieces into the fry oil. Fry in small batches for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per batch. Remove the fried cauliflower and allow to rest on a paper towel covered plate to remove extra oil. Sprinkle with salt.

This is perfect served with a sambal aoili. Mix 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with 1 1/2 tsp of sambal hot sauce.

Jazzed-Up Butternut Squash Pie

2010-10-01T16:48:00.001-04:00

The butternut squash plants were super prolific this year. It's perfect because this winter squash can store for 3-4 months easily. Plus the squash is so versatile. Some of my favorites (besides this delicious dessert) are oven baked B-nut squash fries, butternut squash ricotta ravioli in a browned butter sage sauce, butternut squash gnocchi, thyme butternut squash bread, or B-nut squash and potato au gratin. There are so many other ways you can use the squash to create delicious dishes. I intend to use my stash to create lots of exciting meals.

What's your favorite way to use the Butternut Squash?

This recipe is fun because I've added a surprise ingredient that just seemed to go well with the squash - Smoked Paprika.

Jazzed-Up Butternut Squash Pie

Pie Filling
1 large butternut squash - cooked
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 inch cube of fresh ginger, skin removed and minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Pie dough
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp ice cold water

The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so I made the dough first. In a food processor, pulse the butter, salt and flour together until the flour and butter are combined into pea sized crumbles. Pulse in the water a tablespoon at a time being careful not to overwork. The texture of the dough should be slightly crumbling. Pull together into a ball and wrap with saran wrap. Place in the refrigerator and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. This could be made a day in advance.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, add the evaporated milk, eggs, and butternut squash. Puree. Add the remaining ingredient.

When the dough has rested enough, roll it out and place in a pie plate. If you have extra dough, wrap tightly in a freezer bag and use later.

Pour the filling into the pie dough covered pie plate. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is not

This tasted great warm out of the oven but it was a little soft. Once you chill the pie it will hold its shape a little better. I'd suggest eat a piece warm and then eat another piece the next day cold to see which way you like it best!

Mongolian Beef

2010-07-01T12:35:00.000-04:00

This was the first year I've been successful at growing green onions. They are beautiful so I was inspired to make a favorite, Mongolian Beef.

Mongolian Beef is by far one of The Hub and I's favorite Chinese dishes. One of the Chinese restaurants in town makes an absolutely spectacular version of this simple dish. This restaurant makes it so much more flavorful than a lot of the other Chinese restaurants that we've had because the meat has a slight char flavor from the caramelization of the meat versus an almost steamed texture that I've gotten from other restaurants.

This is one of the first Chinese dishes that I've worked at perfecting. Making this type of dish in the home kitchen can be problematic because most home stoves can not create the high level of BTU's that are used in commercial kitchens. To compensate I first sear the meat on a screaming hot grill. During this flash grilling the intent is not to cook the meat but to caramelize and sear the surface. The other key is to cook the ingredients in batches while wokking. Crowding the wok will cause the meat to steam instead of caramelize.

Marinade: 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp of soy sauce

1 1/4 pound of chuck roast
2 medium onion cut into slivers
1 large bunch of green onions - sliced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp chiu chow oil (I use Lee Kum Kee brand)
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 cups of steamed rice

Cut the chuck roast into thick 1 1/2 inch strips. Cutting the roast into strips will create more surface area than the roast kept whole. Marinade the chuck roast for about 30 minutes in the olive oil and soy sauce.

Get your grill screaming hot and sear the strips of beef on each side for about 1 minute per side. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a plate. Allowing the beef to rest before cutting will allow the meat's juices to redistribute and will eliminate the juices from draining out of the meat.

Slice the strips into small pieces. The beef should be very pink in the middle still.

To a hot wok, add 1/2 tbsp of the chiu chow oil along with 1/2 tbsp of the canola oil. Stir fry the grilled meat pieces in batches for about 3 minutes per batch. Add 1/2 tbsp chiu chow oil and 1/2 tbsp canola oil to each batch. For this amount of meat I will typically stir fry the meat in 3 batches. When each batch has been stir fried for about 3 minutes, remove to a plate.

Once all the meat has been stir fried and removed to a plate, add the crushed red peppers and 1/2 tbsp chiu chow oil to the empty wok. Toss in the onions.

Stir fry for about 5 minutes until the onions are caramelized. Toss in the already stir fried beef and the green onions. Stir fry for another 2 minutes or until the beef is heated through.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Pickled Beets - Summertime Pleasure!

2010-06-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Pickled Beets are amazing. Last year I became obsessed with beets. It's sad that I let so much time go without beets in my life. I say that because my mom used to make beets but until last year I haven't had them since childhood. That is time wasted.

But, no worries. I am making up for lost time.

Pickled beets have the most amazing texture - smooth and firm. It's hard to believe they're not candy. We've already canned a big batch of beets this year and I made sure to include a lot of onions. The Hub and I were always fighting over the onions in the batch from last year so I had to make sure we had a bunch. Plopping a few hard boiled eggs into each jar won't hurt either - until you've eaten the 2 eggs and there's none left. ;)

If you forgot to grow beets this year, don't fret. Run over to your local farmer's market (or grocery store if you're really desperate) and buy some.

15-20 medium sized beets
1 pound of onions
3 1/2 cups of white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups of beet water (cooking liquid)
1 tbsp kosher salt
a dozen hard boiled eggs

Prep your beets. Cut the stems off about 1 inch from the top. Trim the root off. The reason why you want to cut the stem an inch from the top is to ensure the glorious beet color doesn't leach out during cooking. Place the beets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about an hour.

Once tender when pricked with a fork remove from heat by using a slotted spoon to pull the beets out of the hot water. Save 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid Let cool until they are cool enough that you can handle them. Now cut off the top and peel the skin. Slice the beets into about 1/4 inch thick slices.

Slice the onions.

Prepare your lids and jars (about 6). Do this by running them through a scalding hot water bath.

Bring a large canning pot filled with water to a boil.

In a separate pot bring the beet cooking liquid, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil.

Carefully pack the jars by layering the onions and beets. Be careful not to touch the edge of the jar. Fill to about 3/4 inch from the top. This can be accomplished most easily with a canning funnel.

Pour the liquid over the tops, covering the beets completely until the liquid comes to about 1/2 inch from the top. Cover with the sealing lid and screw on the top. Carefully lift the jars with canning tongs into the boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes. Remove and let sit on a towel covered area on your counter. Allow to sit until the seal is made. You can tell the jar has a seal when the center of the lid is impressed and not 'clickable'.

Serve as a wonderful snack, breakfast treat or as part of your antipasta tray during your next football party.

Beet Green Lasagna with a Bechemal Sauce

2010-06-23T12:01:00.002-04:00

We recently made a batch of pickled beets. I was really surprised at our harvest this year as last year was a little disappointing. Well, when you harvest beets, we're also harvesting beet greens. Nobody in our house is too disappointed with that since it's one of The Hub's favs.

To give you an idea of exactly how many beet greens we had to use up, the greens filled 4 (FOUR!!!) plastic grocery bags that were packed. I'm pretty proud of myself because none went to waste. This recipe was one of my more creative uses since mostly we just wilted the greens as I did in this recipe and ate them plain.

For a little more decadence and elegance I highly recommend trying this instead of wilted greens alone.

Beet Green Lasagna with a Bechemal Sauce

10 ounces of lasagna noodles
2 pounds of beet greens
1 tbsp olive oil
3 anchovies
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
8 ounces Gruyere cheese
4 ounces provolone cheese
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook lasagna noodles in a pot of salty water for 4 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Cut the greens in batches to create ribbons of beet greens. Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add the crushed red peppers and the anchovies mixing with a wooden spoon until the anchovies have dissolved into the oil. Add the greens in batches depending on how much the pan can hold until all the greens are wilted. Remove from the heat.

Make the bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a saute pan and slowly stir in the flour. Allow the butter and flour mixture to gently cook for about a minute. Slowly stir in the cream and stock until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Create an assembly line with the ingredients - cheese, lasagna noodles, beet greens and bechamel sauce.

In a baking dish begin assembling the lasagna. To avoid sticking on the bottom start with a spoon full of bechamel sauce spread over the baking sheet. Next layer the noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. With your fingers, spread 1/3 of the beet greens evenly over the lasagna noodles. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over the beet greens and then spoon more bechamel sauce over the cheese. Continue layering the lasagna, beet greens, cheese and bechamel for 2 more layers. The lasagna should be topped with a layer of noodles, bechamel and cheese.

Cook at 375 degrees until bubbly and golden, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes to allow to set.

Flatbread with Anchovies and Basil

2010-06-22T12:01:00.001-04:00

Looking for that quick and easy dinner idea that is full of flavor but EASY?

Well, I came up with this little treat one evening when I wasn’t in the mood to cook. We had recently gotten home from vacation, the garden needed weeding, the carpet (which was really dog hair) needed removed and in general life was really overwhelming trying to keep up. I did eventually get caught up on getting my life back under control. (Theoretically. ;) Even though this recipe was an afterthought, I’d definitely make it again.

The recipe here calls for Greek style pitas which are thicker and softer than the pocket style pitas. They are great for pita wraps and pizzas. Very tasty indeed!

Flatbread with Anchovies and Basil
4 Greek style pitas
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves - chopped
1 can of anchovies
2 cups provolone cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil to make cleaning super easy. Brush each side of each pita with the olive oil. Bake for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is slightly crispy.

Flip the pitas and top the crispy side with the chopped basil leaves. Top with the cheese and divide the anchovies among the four pitas. Bake for another 5-7 minutes until the cheese is warm and bubbly.

Place each pita on a cutting board and cut into eights. Serve with a light salad topped with a simple vinaigrette for a more rounded meal.

Refreshing Icy Basil Tonic

2010-06-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

Next time you're encountered with a sweltering hot summer day and you need a little pick me up try this icy cold beverage. Sipping on this drink will make you forget about the heat and will put some extra bounce in your step.

3 cups ice
2 shots of gin
4 large leaves of basil
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1 1/2 cup of diet tonic

Throw it all in a blender. Blend until the ice cubes are completely ground. Pour into a tall glass and top with a little basil top.

Close your eyes. Sip, slowly....

Fennel and Beet Salad with Queso Fresco and Snapped Peas

2010-06-19T07:52:00.000-04:00

I am having the most delectable harvest of beets this year. It is hard to describe how pleased I am. It seems like I won the lottery because I have lots of beets AND beet greens. Both are soooo amazingly yummy. In an effort to please the husband I roasted beets for a salad. The Hub is used to me coveting the beets for my batches of pickled beets (which are also amazing – especially canned up and saved for a fall football game snack!) so he rarely gets beets simply roasted without being pickled

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in the A16 cookbook. I embellished quite a bit with other ingredients I had on hand. Not only was this a beautiful dish but it tasted great the evening I made it for my folks and it was excellent as leftovers. (I’m not a fan of leftovers so that’s saying a lot.)
Fennel and Beet Salad with Queso Fresco and Snapped Peas
2 bunches of beets
1 fennel bulb
1 cup freshly shucked peas
½ cup crumbled queso fresco
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp of red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a small sheet pan with tin foil. Cut the stem of the beets about an inch from the top of the beet. Trim off the roots. Wash thoroughly to remove any soil. Place the beets on the sheet pan and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the beets. Rub the beets with your hands to make sure the beets are covered with the olive oil. Pull the tin foil around the beets to lock in moisture. Roast for about an hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough so that you can handle them.

Cut the tops off and remove the skin. Slice the beets into approximately ¼” slices.

Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 ½ tbsp of red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss.

Cut the fennel fronds off the fennel bulb along with the root. Discard the fronds. Thinly slice the fennel bulb and place in a bowl. Drizzle with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, ½ tablespoon of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and toss.

In a small sauté pan toss the peas in a ½ tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Plate the dish by laying the beets down on plate flat while slightly overlapping the slices. Next, layer the fennel slices over the beets. Top with the sautéed peas and queso fresco.
This is a perfect salad to serve when you are entertaining. Great combination of flavors and textures. Delightful!

Lemon Verbena Cake with a Blueberry Jam Glaze

2010-06-18T07:12:00.001-04:00

I’m not typically a sweets person but every now and then I find the calling to get in the kitchen and bake. I love lemony desserts. When I saw the recipe for 'Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon and Thyme’ on the Pioneer Woman’s blog I couldn’t resist.

I’ve tried this recipe in a multitude of forms – mini muffins, regular muffins and cakes. My favorite for sure is the cake form. I’ve not had the greatest luck with making a cake from this recipe that looks perfect. The middle tends to fall. I’ve adapted the recipe with the addition of baking soda which seems to help somewhat. Either way, looks aside, every time I’ve made the recipe, in whichever form, it’s been very tasty and extremely moist! The moistness and intense flavor are the reasons I continue to experiment with this recipe. This recipe is also incredibly easy to make!

This time I made a cake and changed the recipe up with lemon verbena instead of thyme.

The lemon verbena herb variation is my favorite experiment because the herb intensifies the lemonyness. Is 'lemonyness' a word?

For a glaze, I spread a blueberry jam on top. The glaze completely compliments the intense lemon flavor.

Lemon Verbena Cake with a Blueberry Jam Glaze
1 tab of room temperature butter
1-⅓ cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Grated Lemon Zest
2 whole Eggs
¼ cups Olive Oil
⅔ cups Whole Milk
1 cup Flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoons Salt
1 tablespoons of finely chopped lemon verbena

Glaze
½ cup of blueberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl whisk together the sugar and lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs, olive oil and milk. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisking the dry ingredients will serve as a sifting agent to eliminate clumps within the flour.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Avoid over mixing. Once the dry and wet ingredients have been combined, fold in the lemon verbena into the batter with a spatula.

Pour the cake mixture into a 9” cake pan. Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes depending on your oven.

Allow to cool.

In a microwave, warm the jam for about 30 seconds. Drizzle over the cake and serve. Your guests will love this cake!

A16 - A truly memorable experience!

2010-06-17T08:52:00.003-04:00

It’s been a week since we returned from an exhausting vacation out to the west coast, San Francisco, specifically. I became increasingly interested in the San Francisco food scene once I purchased and read the book A16. The chefs at A16 have gone through a thoughtful, investigative journey through the Campania region of Italy to understand the ingredients and culture of the region. The other key reason why A16 kindled my interest in the San Francisco food scene is the way A16 chefs live by the concepts of the local food movement by cultivating relationships with local farmers to provide the meat and produce for the restaurant.

Honestly, as much as I love the A16 cookbook, I was nervous to go there. I was nervous that I would be disappointed and it wouldn’t live up to the high expectations that I had. The opposite happened. The experience was definitely one of the best dining experiences I’ve had.

My husband and I visited during lunchtime right when the restaurant was opening. We were guided back through the long narrow restaurant, past the bar area to the dining and kitchen area. The kitchen area is completely open to the dining area so we could see all the preparation taking place for future meals. Finished very minimally with little decoration, the restaurant’s ambiance is dependent on the connection between the wait staff and the preparations taking place in the kitchen.

When we arrived Liza Shaw and another chef were deboning ducks to prepare for a stuffed duck dish that was to be served at a Napa charity auction the next day. Liza is one personable lady. She answered all my questions and seemed to be having a great time herself. Refreshing to see someone having so much fun while they work.

Known for their pizza and meatballs, we figured these would be good items to order. Both were amazing. The chefs only use San Marzano tomatoes to make a simple yet full flavor sauce. I only cook with San Marzano but my husband and I think I must cook them too much because I’ve never been able to coax as much flavor out as they did. We ordered the Romano pizza which has no cheese on it. It was delicious. The absence of the cheese allowed the flavors of the sauce, olives and anchovies to come through. The meatballs were tender beyond belief and bursting with flavor. Through lunch we asked the server to choose the wine for us. The wine was excellently paired.

I’m typically not a dessert fan but the dessert at A16 was a knock out. We ordered both the ‘chocolate budina tart with sea salt and olive oil’ and the ‘Strawberry Gelatina and Basil Granita with Mascarpone Mousse’. The strawberry gelatina dessert was by far the most creative use of taste, texture, and temperature that I have had to pleasure to experience. Served in a canning jar, the bottom was filled with a strawberry based gelatin and then topped with the mousse which was then topped with the icy, crunchy, bright green basil granita. A spoonful that had a little of each layer was heaven.

I’ve had that Strawberry gelatina dessert in my head since our visit. I sent a comment through A16’s website letting them know how much I enjoyed the experience and asked for the recipe. Low and behold, Lori, the pastry chef emailed me last night with their batch recipe! What super nice people!

If you live or visit San Francisco, I would highly recommend that you seek out a meal at A16 on 2355 Chestnut Street.

Bodacious Beets and Beet Green Pizza

2010-06-02T09:32:00.001-04:00

Beets are so underrated. There are tons of recipes using beets in salads but so often when I talk about my love of beets people will look at me like I’m crazy. Maybe they’re just under rated where I live. Maybe in the Metro cities more people are accepting of this root vegetable. Or maybe I feel this way because I truly started to really appreciate them last year so I think everyone else should too. Either way, find a way to bring beets into your life and onto your plate.

As beets are growing it is so wonderful to run outside, clip off some leaves and make a simple side of wilted beet greens. Wilted beet greens sautéed with a little bit of crushed red pepper and garlic make a WONDERFUL pizza topping!

Most of the recipes that you’ll find out there using beets in salads will have you roast the beets, de-skin and slice to go with fresh arugula or grapefruit slivers or fresh feta cheese. Lots of combinations can be discovered because quite frankly they are all pretty tasty. I love to make pickled beets too.

Last year I didn’t have a ton of luck growing my own beets because I planted the seeds too close and I didn’t thin the seedlings enough. It is really important to allow each plant enough room to grow a 2-3 inch round root. Obviously, when you thin beets it is a perfect opportunity to use the tops in a baby green salad or if the leaves are large enough an impromptu wilted green burrito. This year I started with a few rows that I planted on March 1st. Then I planted a few more rows in April and then again in May so I could ensure a continuous crop.

Beet Green Pizza

1 recipe of pizza dough (click to go to previously posted recipe for the dough)
3/4 - 1 pound of provolone cheese depending on cheeseness preference (I prefer Boar's Head brand cheese)
1 1/2 pound of beet green leaves
1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
1 tsp of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a saute pan with the olive oil and crushed red peppers. Stack the beet green leaves on top of each other and cut into roughly cut slices. Add the greens to the skillet and saute just until the greens are wilted. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle a pizza stone lightly with cornmeal. Roll out the dough to the size of your stone and place on top. Spread the pizza sauce, evenly distribute the greens and top with cheese. Cook in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. (Check frequently because ovens can vary quite a bit.

Enjoy a healthy, delicious pizza!

I’m Back! Ready to share the summer with you!

2010-06-01T07:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I apologize that I’ve been slacking on the posting lately, but when I get home from work I feel like my life is a whirlwind of things that need to get done or be tended to.

First, remember that gorgeous new puppy that joined our family in March. Well, let’s just say, he is a bit high maintenance. And, we discovered I’m not the most nurturing type, at least from the perspective of having to constantly watch and clean up after the little tiny thing. When he’s finally resting in his cage I end up taking the time for a much needed rest. He’s growing up fast and we’re all into more of a routine so I’m not feeling quite so frazzled. Can you imagine if I had kids? Scary to think... Bear looks all cute and sweet here but don't let him fool you!

Perennial and vegetable gardens have also been consuming my time. I really ramped it up this year to improve our harvest. I added a new garden that is about 20’ by 50’. We amended the soil well with mushroom compost and sand tilled into the ground.
In this new garden we planted jalapenos, japanese eggplant, butternut squash, yellow squash, zucchini, beets, green beans, dill, carrots, radishes, and snow peas. All the plants are growing great so I think the amended soil will prove to be well worth it.

Our fenced in garden has horrible soil and gets the harshest sun exposure. For this garden we brought in a mixture of mushroom compost, sand and mulch. I’m hoping the mulch addition will help this garden retain moisture therefore being gentler on my little plants. We have planted sun loving varieties of vegetables that really withstand the sun, such as, sweet corn, cayenne, habanero, poblano, and hot hungarian wax pepper along with tomatoes and cucumbers.

In another smaller garden that's up against the house I've planted a variety of herbs such as lemon thyme, thyme, lemon balm, sage, tarragon, and lemon verbena. This garden was planted on March 1st with many vegetables that can be started in the cooler season.

In this garden I've also planted beatuiful 'bright lights swiss chard', romain lettuce, fennel, beets, rhubarb, kohlarabi and glorious peas. I've never grown kohlarabi and fennel before so I'm pretty curious to see how these plants turn out.

The kohlarabi plants are gorgeous. I've heard they are great in salads or roasted.

Swiss Chard is one of my all time favorites along with peas. The swiss chard I planted is the 'Bright Lights' variety and is known for the brightly colored stems and veins that run through the plant.

Swiss chard and peas are so versatile, and beautiful while they are growing.

One can cook peas and chard in a variety of ways or simply saute them with a little butter, salt, and pepper for a little vegetable side. Both are prolific growers and the more you pick the more they will continue to grow.

I’ll continue to share my garden with you in future posts along with passing on ideas of ways to take advantage of a hopefully bountiful harvest.

Snowville Creamery - Washington Post Article

2010-04-08T09:40:00.001-04:00

(**Photos are from the Washington Post article.)

Snowville Creamery, a local success story, is expanding into the Washington DC market through Whole Foods. Washington Post ran a really great story on the local creamery.

Great milk. Great story. Check out their website to find out where you can get their milk.

Warren and Victoria Taylor began the crusade two years ago to bring fresh, minimally processed milk to local markets. The milk is minimally processed so that it retains more nutritional value that most other milk. Snowville Creamery’s milk is not homogenized resulting in a rich, luscious milk where the cream floats to the top. Besides the more complex flavor, milk that comes from cows that are grass fed is higher in fatty amino acids called linoleic acid. Studies have shown that linoleic acid may protect against cancer. Additionally, Snowville Creamery only uses milk that does not contain artificial bovine growth hormones (rBST).

Consumers have completely embraced this company. When tasting Snowville's milk many people are taken back by how surprisingly good it tastes. Snowville's motto, 'Milk the way it used to be.', is exactly how their customers are saying it tastes. Warren can even tell stories of the milk bringing tears to the eyes of his customers that feel a little nostalgia over how good the milk is and how it reminds them of thier childhood.

Great work Warren and Victoria!

Smoked Salmon with Chili Powder & Brown Sugar

2010-04-07T17:46:00.001-04:00

Smoked Salmon can evoke strong emotions of pleasure in me. I simply love it. We eat it often in our house - for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Regardless of what type of smoked salmon, cold smoked and brined or heat smoked, the salmon can be refreshing and comforting all at the same time.

While I had the smoker out this weekend to cook the corned beef we had for dinner, I also threw on a salmon fillet to enjoy through the week. If I'm going to go to the effort of smoking I will almost always try to smoke salmon to enjoy another day.

Smoked salmon is so versatile. It can be eaten hot or cold, a million different ways. Today, I'm enjoying it served cold with a simple salad.

1 1 1/4 pound fillet of salmon
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Rub the seasonings into the salmon.
Place on a smoker that is maintained between 300-350 degrees. Smoke for 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the thickness of your fillet. (The thicker the fillet, the longer it should cook.)

Idea: This smoked salmon is great in a frittata.

Smoked Corned Beef

2010-04-06T17:01:00.000-04:00

There isn't anything too complicated with this roast but I wanted to share it with you anyways because it was that good. Sunday, I enjoyed the warm weather by smoking this beautiful corned beef roast.

I say it wasn't complicated and I mean it. I seasoned the roast by usng the packet of spices that comes with most corned beef roasts. The special part was the smoking. When the weather is breezy and balmy I love to get outside, get the smoker out, and smoke some luscious meats. I got my charcoal going at about noon and smoked the roast until about 5 o'clock. Pretty much all that is required of you is to make sure you keep a batch of charcoal going so the smoker temperature doesn't go below 300 degrees. Not much labor required at all.

I got a lot done while this roast was getting it's bath of smoke. Gardens are weeded, plants are planted, and puppy is played with. All and all a good way to spend the day.

Grilled Potatoes with Rosemary & Olive Oil

2010-04-04T21:10:00.000-04:00

I've grilled potatoes a lot. But I've never done them directly on the grill. Works great and pretty damn good to boot!

6 red skin potatoes
1/2 cup chopped rosemary
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Microwave the potatoes for about 5-6 minutes. Don't forget to prick each potato with a fork so they don't explode. Allow to cool slightly.

Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Drizzle with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary.

Get your grill hot. Gently place the slices on the grill and grill on each side for about 3 minutes.

Pull that ketchup bottle out of the fridge. Squirt some on a plate and start dipping. ;)

The Perfect Lunch - Afghan Snowshoe Nan with Creme Fraiche, Capers and Gravlax Salmon

2010-04-03T17:13:00.004-04:00

I am so lucky. Our farmer's market is amazing. We have a local pizza joint that makes all kinds of flatbread to sell at the market. My all time favorite is Afghan Snowshoe Nan. It is heavily dosed with a sprinkling of nigella seeds and has horseradish in the dough. If you ever have the opportunity to try it - DO! It has a wonderful complex flavor and texture.

This is what I threw together for lunch before I went out to garden. Refreshing and satisfying.

(I made this for my lunch so it was a 1 serving dish.)

2 ounces of gravlax salmon
1 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tbsp capers
2 pieces of afghan snowshoe nan

Spread the creme fraiche on the nan. Top with the salmon and capers.

***I think I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow. I love this nan!

Italian Pinwheels

2010-04-02T12:06:00.000-04:00

The Hub has been working like CRAZZZ-EEE! As a doting wife, I failed miserably last Saturday. When he got home after a full day (on a SATURDAY!!!) he was hungry and I had nothing for him. I felt so inadequate so on Sunday I had these yummy pinwheels ready for him when he got home from a another full day.

The pinwheels taste great but were a bit messy.

1 sheet puff pastry - thawed
2 links of italian sausage - diced
2/3 cup of tomato sauce
2/3 cup of provolone
flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Dust your counter top and unfold your puff pastry sheet. Roll it out making sure the crease marks don't separate the sections. Spread the tomato sauce leaving on of the edges lengthwse without sauce. Sprinkle the sausage dices evenly over the area of the pastry with sauce. Do the same with the cheese. Starting on the side of the puff pastry that has the sauce spread up all the way to the edge begin to roll the ingredient covered pastry up into a log. Slice the log into 3/4 inch slices. Cover a quarter sheet pan with tin foil. Place each slice down on the sheet pan and bake for about 7-10 minutes depending on your oven.

Homemade Fettucine Noodles with Spinach, Bacon, and Grilled Halibut Carbonara

2010-03-29T21:10:00.000-04:00

About 10-12 years ago I dabbled with my hand crank pasta maker. At some point I pretty much said forget it. I wasn't thrilled with the work to make super soft noodles.

For some reason I've been wanting to try it again. Saturday night I made the most exquisite homemade pasta. (My sister tells me I shouldn't always claim that each of these recipes I'm posting is fabulous. I should be more critical. I agree but what happens when I think each recipe IS really good? Lyndie, REALLY, this one is awesome ;)

The tricks - hand kneading the pasta dough and cooking it for only about 2 minutes. It seemed effortless. I guess the Hub was watching me make it because he even commented on how easy it looked.

Pasta Dough
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 tsp kosher salt
extra flour for dusting

Fish
2 8 ounce grouper fillets
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper

Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Parmesan finely grated on a microplaner
2 egg yolks
1 cup reserved cooking water from the pasta
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 red onion
2 slices thick cut bacon - chopped
2 cloves garlic minced

Begin to make the pasta dough a few hours before you plan to enjoy. Pile the flour and semolina on the counter. With your hands, toss in the salt. Create a well in the center and add in the eggs. With a fork, slowly combine the flour with the eggs by pulling the flour over and folding into the eggs. Once the dough looks roughly combined pull together into a ball. Wrap in saran wrap and allow to rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Once the dough is done resting, place on a lightly floured surface and knead until the texture of the dough is even in consistency and smooth. Lightly flour as needed to avoid the dough becoming too sticky.

Flatten the dough with the heel of your hand enough so you can run the dough through a pasta roller. With a hand crank pasta maker, roll the dough from the thickest setting to about setting 6. I was able to create 4 sheets about 18 inches long. Once you have the sheets rolled out, run the sheets through the fettuccine cutter on the pasta machine. **If you don't have a pasta roller. Hand roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Roll the sheet up and thinly cut the roll into strips.

As you roll the pasta through the machine, wrap the noodles around your hand to create a ball and place on a towel. At this point you can allow to dry for 24 hour, store in a plastic bag, and use anytime in the future. Or use immediately.

Sprinkle the grouper fillets with salt, pepper and paprika. Grill on medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet. Once you remove the fish from the grill tent the plate with tin foil to seal in the heat.

Bring a pot of water to boil with 2 tbsp kosher salt. Once the water comes to a boil, drop in the pasta and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the pasta from the water and strain making sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.

In a skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic. Once the onions are transparent, add the spinach to wilt. Add in the cooked strained pasta, Parmesan cheese, bacon, and reserved cooking liquid. Turn the heat off and stir in the egg yolk, folding through the pasta. Grate more Parmesan on top if desired.

Busy, Busy BEE

2010-03-28T22:13:00.004-04:00

Yup, that's me. I love this food blog thing but for some reason I haven't been able to get myself to the keyboard lately.

I've been travelling, potting (clay), and dealing with a newborn. That is a new born puppy. Whoa!!!! Stop in your tracks before you think about getting one of those things (puppies).

Unbelievable. I took the week off work to get the puppy acclimated. I have no idea where the week went besides cleaning, picking up poop, picking up pee, walking the dog, and doing it all over again. Literally. I was not prepared for the level of responsibility I would have for this other little guy.

I'll get through it...hopefully. But, I do respect mothers even more than I already did.

BBQ Smoked Pork Pizza with Red Onions, Poblano Peppers, and Smoked Provolone on Grilled Cornmeal Pizza Dough

2010-03-25T15:58:00.000-04:00

I don't know what can be more satisfying than getting outside to smoke meat as soon as the weather starts to warm up. This past weekend we had temps in the mid 60's -low 70's. How better to celebrate than with smoking a pork butt? It was delicious!

It was a large butt so we had a lot left over. Smoked pork is leftover's best friend. I can think of a ton of ways to use it up. This time, the creative juices were flowing. BBQ pizza isn't exactly new. But if you jack it up a few notches with smoked provolone, poblano peppers, and a cornmeal pizza dough, your taste buds will take notice.

Dough
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 cup luke warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1 cup white bread flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt

Toppings
1/2 pound smoked provolone - shredded (I'm able to get smoked provolone in one of our local stores.)
3 cups smoked pork - chopped into bite size pieces
1 poblano pepper - cut in slivers
1/2 red onion - cut in thin slices
about 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Famous Dave's - one of the most wonderful BBQ sauces I've ever come across)
1 tsp olive oil

In a large bowl add the water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. With a fork, gradually add in the cornmeal and 1/2 a cup of bread flour. Mix with the fork, mixing in the same direction to build the gluten. Add the salt, 1/2 tbsp olive oil and remaining flour. As always when building a dough, amounts of flour may vary depending on the moisture content of the flour and humidity in the air. Mix for about 3 minutes. Gently add in the remaining flour stopping if the dough appears to be dry and is not absorbing the flour. Once you've combined the ingredients, knead the dough with the heel of your hand right in the bowl for about 1 minute. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil and rub over the dough ball. Allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hour.

In a saute pan on medium high heat, drizzle the olive oil. Toss in the pork pieces and cook until heated through. Toss in the onions and peppers and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Heat your grill. Roll out the dough. Once the grill is hot gently layout your dough on the hot grill top. Grill for about 3-4 minutes. Time may vary depending on the heat of your grill. The dough will move very easily once it is ready to be flipped. Cook on the other side for another couple of minutes (2-3). The grilled pizza crust should be golden brown. Place the crust on a sheet pan.

Heat the oven on broil.

Spread the BBQ sauce over the crust. Evenly top with the pork, onions and poblano peppers.

Spread the cheese evenly over the pizza. Place in the oven on broil, on the bottom shelf so that the pizza is not directly under the broiler. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Check frequently because each oven will cook at a different pace.

Have your friends over for a dinner party. This will surely be a hit!

Maryland Lump Crab Cakes

2010-03-16T21:45:00.001-04:00

The Hub was travelling this weekend. I'm so glad he's home. Crab cakes are one of his favorites so I planned to baby him a little.

I never realized how easy crab cakes are to make - And, so much cheaper to make at home compared to eating out!

Maryland Lump Crab Cakes

16 ounces lump crab meat
1/3 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
10 saltines or butter crackers - crushed
1 egg
2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp butter

In a small bowl mix the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon salt and pepper. Place the crab meat in a small bowl and gently filter through the crab meat with your fingers to make sure there are no shells. Add the bread crumbs and parsley. Gently fold in the the egg mixture. Divide into 4 equal crab cakes, flattening and compressing each one in your hands.

In a skillet with a lid, melt the butter on medium heat. Gently add the crab cakes, cover and cook for about 4 minutes. Gently flip the crab cakes and cook without the lid for another 3 minutes. Serve with your favorite spring vegetable.

Chicken Sausage Calzone

2010-03-14T15:45:00.002-04:00

You know you are an obsessed Foodie when you go to visit people and you request to go check out the different supermarkets. Is that rude? I hope not because I'm guilty. I visited my Sis last weekend and she made a really yummy pizza on Friday night that had a delicious chicken sausage on one of them.

Chicken in sausage? I may be a snob but until that night I've not had a chicken sausage worth trying. Typically they are dry and bland. But, she surprised me with deliciously tasty sausage stuffed with chicken, spinach, fontina and roasted garlic. AHHHH! Maybe we have found the answer! It had Garlic in it! Anything with garlic can't be that bad right!?!

Then I asked her to take me to the source. I'll be damned. It was Costco. So we went to Costco and I got myself some sausage to bring home. We also went to an amazing Latin American supermarket. I'll have to share more on that later.

All week I've been dreaming of encasing that sausage in a calzone pocket stuffed with cheese and tomato sauce. I was not disappointed. It was really good.

Dough
(This dough can make 4 calzones. I made 2 and put the remaining dough in the fridge for another use later in the week.)
1 cup warm water
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup white bread flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
plus all purpose flour for dusting
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp olive oil

Mix the water, sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes. With a food mixer, mix in the 1 cup of bread flour. Add the salt and oil. Mix in remaining flour slowly. Remember, weather can impact how much flour a dough can take. Use your instincts. Stop adding flour when the dough is still a little sticky but not sticking to the side of the bowl. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

Stuffing for Calzone
1/4 cup of tomato sauce per calzone
1 sausage per calzone - sliced
1/2 cup Really Good Provolone per calzone (I like the Boars Head brand.)

1/2 cup Parmesan
1 egg
Cornmeal for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute the sausage in a skillet for about 8 minutes.

Grate the cheese.

Cut the risen dough in half. At this point I put 1/2 the dough away for later use. I took the remaining half and cut it in half again so I had two little balls. Allow the balls to rest for about 5 minutes.

Roll each ball out into approximately 8-10 inch discs.

On the half of each disk add 1/4 cup of cheese, spoon over the tomato sauce, sausage slices, and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Fold the other half of dough over, press down and crimp with a fork.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with about a tbsp of cold water.

Lightly dust a pizza stone with cornmeal. Place each calzone on the stone and brush with the egg mixture.
The egg mixture will help you get a perfectly browned crust. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Once baked, sprinkle with finely grated parmesean cheese.

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

2010-03-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

Tomatoes. They aren't in season but I came across some Roma tomatoes that looked like they actually had flavor. With temperatures coming up over 70 degrees, I was looking for teaser to summer. What could be more perfect than fresh tomato bruschetta?

4 large Roma's - diced
1/3 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
1/4 jalapeno - minced
1/4 cup red onions - small diced
juice from 1/4 lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1 loaf of crusty bread - sliced
olive oil for drizzling

Combine the Roma's, parsley, jalapeno, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Let sit for about 15 minutes so the flavors can blend together.

Drizzle olive oil over the bread and place under the broiler until toasted (3-4 minutes.

Serve the toasted bread slices on a platter with the tomato topping as a dip or go ahead and top each slice with the topping and then serve.

You'll have some happy guests if you serve this at your next get together!

Homemade Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmades)

2010-02-25T13:01:00.003-05:00

Do any of you out there consider stuffed grape leaves or dolmades comfort food? I do. Man o' man are they good.

How I got such a taste for these is beyond me as I've never had them growing up. I bet most people have never even thought to make them at home but it's so easy. Dolmades are perfect for a meze platter, light lunch, or a quick snack. I couldn't even tell you which way I prefer, served hot or cold, because both ways are great.

Homemade Stuffed Grape Leaves

1 16 ounce jar of grape leaves
1 pound of ground lamb/venison
1 medium onion - chopped
1 cup basmati rice
Juice from 1 lemon
1 lemon - sliced thinly
2 cups chopped parsley
1 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt

Place two skillets on separate burners on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil in each skillet. In one skillet, place the venison and break it up into small pieces with the edge of a wooden spoon. Cook the venison until browned. Remove from heat. In the other skillet, saute the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir in for about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and simmer on low, covered for about 10 minutes. Let the rice rest for about 5 minutes.

Combine the venison, rice mixture, juice from 1 lemon, salt and parsley.

Drain the jar grape leaves. Spread out one grape leave. Place approximately a rounded tbsp of the rice on the stem side of the grape leave. Fold the stem edge over and then fold in the ends. Wrap the remaining part of the leaf as tightly as possible around the rolled mixture. Continue until all the leaves are used and the rice mixture is gone.

Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil on the bottom of a heavy pot. Pour 1/3 of the can of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Line the pot with the grape leaves in two layers. In between layers add another 1/3 of the can of tomatoes along with a few slices of lemon and top with the remaining third of the can and lemon slices.

Simmer in a covered pot for about 45 minutes. Enjoy hot or cold.

Spicy BBQ Grilled Shrimp

2010-02-23T05:31:00.000-05:00

As often as we eat shrimp I am shocked, dismayed actually, that I've not coated shrimp with BBQ sauce before. And I call myself a cook? What?%$#@*

Moving on...Grilling and shrimp go together like no one's business. BBQ sauce on shrimp with a little blue cheese dressing to dip in is heavenly. Try it, you'll like it!

Spicy BBQ Grilled Shrimp

2 pounds of extra jumbo shrimp
1 cup of hot BBQ sauce
lemon for garnishing
blue cheese dressing for dipping

Marinate the shrimp in the BBQ sauce for about 20 minutes. While you're waiting for the shrimp to marinate, get your grill screaming hot. (We like nice grill marks ;)

Carefully place the shrimp on the grill. Grill for about 2 minutes per side. Shorter time if your shrimp isn't extra jumbo. Serve with a side of blue cheese dressing for dunking.

Black Bean Dip with Flour Tortilla Strips

2010-02-22T06:59:00.001-05:00

I love dips. Something about being able to eat with your fingers makes eating more fun.
Black Bean Dip with Flour Tortilla Strips
2 cans of black beans - drained and rinsed
1 cup of chicken stock
2 cloves of garlic
1 poblano - chopped
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 tbsp tabasco sauce (the vinegar flavor of tabasco is key to perking this dish up)
1 tsp salt
sour cream for garnishing
2 flour tortillas
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder

In a small pot simmer the beans, stock, garlic, poblano, tabasco and salt for about 20 minutes. Place the beans in a blender and blend until smooth.

On a sheet pan place the tortillas. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and chili powder. Bake for about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into bite size triangles.

Smoked Turkey with Roasted Chilies Enchiladas with Verde Sauce

2010-02-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

I got so excited when it was time to eat dinner last night that I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish. This picture of the enchiladas, right before they were put in the oven, will have to suffice. It so dark it's a horrible pic. Sorry. I considered not blogging about it but that would have been a waste as this dish is so easy to make but so amazingly flavorful!

Actually I've been holding back a little because I made a dish similar with pork instead of smoked turkey last weekend. No pics from that dish either because I brought it over to a friend's house and it was devoured lickity-split. The main thing to remember is the type of meat doesn't really matter as long as it's moist. It doesn't hurt if the meat is smoked or grilled too.

Friday the weather was spectacular. The sun was blazing causing all the icicles to melt. I got to thinking about a turkey, leg, thigh and wing I had in the freezer from a T-bird that I quartered around Thanksgiving time. I froze what I wasn't using. (By the way this was a fabulous idea because the turkey pieces that I put in the freezer to be enjoyed later were unbelievably good.)

Anyways, back to Friday. I had been dreaming of making another enchilada dish because that first one (last weekend) was so amazing. I thawed my turkey meat, set the smoker up and went to town getting the meat smoked for my dinner for the following evening. I added charcoal and wood chips to my shopping list because I've decided we don't do this enough. It was really fun (and good!).

So Friday I smoked the meat for about three hours and then put it in the oven in a casserole dish with the chicken stock, sealed with tin foil and baked at a low temperature to get the turkey to a moist, fall-off-the-bone state.

Once cooled I removed the meat from the bones and tendons, poured the juices over top and put in a Tupperware for dinner on Saturday.

Saturday I thawed some roasted chilies that we froze during the summer months. (Another really good thing to do if you're up to it!)
Around dinner time I chopped an onion, threw in the chopped chilies, and smoked turkey meat.

Grate the cheese.

Wrapped the mixture in tortillas with a little cheese and placed the enchiladas in a casserole dish. I poured a jar of Herdez brand Verde sauce over top evenly and then sprinkled with cheese. Bake and enjoy! Delish!

About 2 pounds of smoked turkey meat (I used a thigh, leg and wing)
1 large onion - roughly chopped
2 cups of roasted, coarsely chopped chilies (a mixture of ancho, poblano and jalapenos)
8 ounces monterey jack cheese shredded
8 fat free flour tortillas (or regular, I prefer fat free)
1 jar of Herdez Verde sauce (or your favorite brand)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Smoking the meat - you don't have to do it but it really is good. I smoked the meat on our smoker for three hours using a combination of apple and hickory wood chips. I then finished the meat for another two hours in the oven. (See note above.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

When I was ready to pull my casserole dish together I heat a skillet on medium high heat. Add the olive oil and toss in the onions. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Add the chilies and turkey meat. Once it is heated through pull the skillet off the heat and allow to cool a little for easier handling.

Place about a cup of the meat, onion, chili mixture on each tortilla with a light sprinkling of cheese. Wrap and place in the casserole dish. Continue until you have used all the meat mixture and filled all 8 tortillas.

Drizzle the Verdes sauce over top evenly. Sprinkle the cheese that is left. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Peppered Scallops with Asparagus

2010-02-20T07:01:00.001-05:00

Such a simple dinner. When asparagus so tender it-makes-your-eyes-roll-up-in-your-head arrives in the store, does that mean it's spring? Irregardless of all the white stuff laying on the ground and the icicles having off our roof I think it does.

How do you pair something with the asparagus when it's that good? It's hard but scallop's sweet, delicate flavor might cut it. Maybe...

8 scallops
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 bunch FRESH asparagus
1 tsp butter
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 lemon wedges

On a small plate combine the tbsp of black pepper, 1 1/2 tsp salt and sugar. Dry the scallops with a paper towel. Press each side of each scallop into the black pepper blend. Heat a skillet on medium high with the olive oil. Place the scallops in and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the scallops as it finishes cooking

While the scallops are cooking heat a skillet with a cup of water. Cut the ends off the asparagus and place in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes. Finish with the butter, juice from a lemon wedge, salt and pepper.

Healthy Soup - Week 7: Soup for the Soul

2010-02-19T12:36:00.000-05:00

We had a pretty critical moment this week. The Hub was sick. Monday he woke with a bad cold. By Tuesday he was in pretty bad shape but the worker bee that he is - he went to work. I received an email from him mid day: 'I want a spicy, brothy soup with noodles for dinner.' Hmmmm, a man after my heart? Well, yeah, he already has that.

I haven't mentioned this to him but I'm convinced the craving came from watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain where Anthony was expounding about the virtues of hot asian style soup with slurpy noodles. Yum.

My version...

Red Curry Broth with Baby Bok, Mushrooms and Chinese Noodles (plus a little cayenne for love..)
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup red curry paste
2 inch cube of peeled ginger - minced
5 garlic cloves - minced
6 baby bok choy - sliced thinly
12 cremini - sliced
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1 pound of chinese noodles - cooked al dente.

In a soup pot simmer the garlic and ginger. After about a minute stir in the curry paste and 1 cup of broth. Once the broth is combined add the remaining broth, the boks, cremini slices, cayenne powder, salt and fish sauce. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Finish with the honey and sesame oil. Ladle in bowls and top with noodles. Inhale the wonderful aroma and dive in.

In Memory of My Sweet Dog

2010-02-18T16:35:00.001-05:00

Famer-Bamer
1997 - 2010

Fame - The girl is in my heart.

Fame has the most playful spirit.

I had to let her go today but she's in doggie heaven playing in a creek with her friends Esie and Rocky.

Rocky and Esie - don't expect her to share.

May you rest in peace, Famer.

Esie and Rocky may be fun but Fame will really miss playing circle in the backyard with her Daddy and kickin' Dude's ass.

Lemon Dill Baked Salmon

2010-02-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

Have you ever thought of healthy food as comfort food? You will groan in pleasure when you taste this salmon. Not only does salmon have tremendous healthy qualities but this recipe makes the salmon melt-in-your-mouth yummy. I really like to pick out a large fillet because then I can pretty much ensure there will be leftovers. I'd be hard pressed to say which way I like this better: hot with a nice vegetable side or cold over a bed of baby greens with a light vinaigrette. Either way, trust me, you'll be glad you made it. Feel good food at its best.

1 1 1/2 pound salmon fillet
2 lemons
1 1/2 tsp dried dill
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the lemon into thin slices.

In a baking dish layer 6 lemon slices. Lay the salmon on top, skin side down. Drizzle the top of the salmon with olive oil. Then sprinkle with the dill, salt and pepper.

Top by layering the remaining lemon slices.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Test for doneness by lightly pulling the salmon with a fork at the thickest part to make sure it gently flakes. Be careful not to overcook so the salmon does not dry out. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
Remove the top lemon layer.

Enjoy! Remember leftovers can be great served with crackers, cream cheese and capers; with a salad; or, on a sandwich.

Chicken Parmesean Sandwich

2010-02-14T12:36:00.000-05:00

The other night I was on my own for dinner. Everything I could think of cooking seemed to require too much effort. Then I discovered a leftover chicken boob in the fridge....

My brain went into overdrive and pretty soon I had the most delicious chicken parm sandwich on my plate. Sometimes the simplest dinners can be the most rewarding!

1 cooked chicken boob
2 slices of your favorite bread
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1-2 slices of cheese
a few olives for garnish.

Toast the bread. Warm the boob in a skillet. Top with the sauce and cheese. Cover and heat until the cheese melts. Slap the boob, sauce, and cheese between the bread. Lift to lips.

P>S> Happy Valentines Day!!!

Crusty Rosemary Bread

2010-02-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

We've had quite the snowy week here in Ohio. Lots of school closings, power outages, sled rides, snow ball fights, and snowmen erected. Fun stuff! I don't have kids but my guess is parents have whipped out the hot chocolate and marshmallows almost every day this week.

All well and good, but, my memories of my childhood on that snow day was the yeasty smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. Upon the bread cooling but still warm, my mom would cut thick slices and slather with room temperature butter. Decadence.

1 tsp active yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
extra flour and cornmeal for dusting

Prepare the dough in the morning of the day you plan on enjoying it. Mix the yeast, water and sugar. Let rest for a few minutes so the yeast can activate. Add in the remaining ingredients. Mix with a fork until fully combined. The dough will be shaggy. Cover and set aside for at least four hours. After four hours has passed turn the dough out on a lightly flour dusted surface. Need the dough about 20 times. Dust a little cornmeal on the counter. Place the dough on the cornmeal. Dust a little more on the top of the bread.
Cover with a slightly damp towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 -2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a heavy enameled pot in the oven to preheat. Once the pot has preheated for about 20 minutes, place the dough in the pot and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Fried Mushrooms with Oelek Mayo

2010-02-10T15:45:00.000-05:00

Have trouble perfecting that delicious fair food - fried breaded mushrooms? I've discovered the trick. Saute - Season - Bread - Fry. Sound simple? It is, you'll love it!
Fried Mushrooms with Oelek Mayo
1 pound large mushrooms - quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (something truly great happens when black pepper and mushrooms come together)
1 tsp salt

Heat a saute with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and toss to lightly coat with the oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Saute for about 4 minutes or until most of the mushroom surface looks like it has come into some contact with the heat. The mushrooms should be firm still. Set aside to cool slightly.

Breading
2 cups panko
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 egg
2 cups milk
4 cups of canola or peanut oil

Grab two plastic bags. In one bag, place the panko. In another bag place the flour, salt, and paprika. In a bowl large enough to toss the mushrooms around mix the egg and milk.

Set up an assembly line. First toss the mushrooms in the flour. Shake as much flour off as possible. Place in the egg mixture and roll around to coat. With a fork or a flat whisk remove the mushroom, allow to drain, and place in the panko. Coat in the panko and place on a baking sheet or plate . Repeat until you have coated all the mushrooms.

Heat the oil to between 350-365 degrees in a heavy sauce pan. Have a sheet pan lined with a paper bag or paper towels ready to drain the mushrooms once they come out of the oil. Add the mushrooms in batches to the oil being careful not to add too many mushrooms at a time so that it cools down the oil. Fry each batch for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and allow to drain on your paper lined sheet pan. Lightly salt immediately after removing from the oil

Serve with your favorite sauce. Mine happens to be Oelek hot sauce and mayonnaise: 1/2 tbsp oelek and 3 tbsp mayonnaise.

Spanakopita Triangles

2010-02-08T07:33:00.000-05:00

I love spinach. I love phyllo pastry. I love Feta. Together I love them even more.

Spanakopita Triangles
Makes about 11 triangles, 3 WW pts/serving
2 10-ounces boxes of frozen chopped spinach
6 ounces feta - belgium if you can find it
1 tbsp dried dill or 3 tbsp fresh dill
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp of butter + 1 tbsp olive oil
thawed phyllo dough
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Thaw the spinach and with your hands squeeze out all the water. Place the spinach on a chopping block and roughly chop to eliminate the potential for stringiness. Once the spinach is chopped, place in a bowl and stir with a fork to reduce any clumps of spinach. Place the feta in the bowl and use the fork to break it up and mix with the spinach. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate.

Melt the butter and mix in the olive oil. Carefully making sure to cover the phyllo dough with saran wrap so that it does not dry out, place 1 sheet horizontal in front of you. Brush with the butter and olive oil mixture. Spoon about 1/4 cup of spinach mixture onto the lower left corner of the phyllo sheet. Folding lengthwise fold the phyllo sheet in half over the spinach mixture. Take the part of the sheet that has the spinach mixture. Fold it over. Continue folding to create little triangles. Brush both sides of the triangle with the butter mixture. Place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake for 6 minutes and then turn the triangles. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes so that both sides are golden.

Healthy Soup - Week 5: HOT Habanero Venison Chili

2010-02-07T10:21:00.002-05:00

A few years ago, one of the galleries that carries my pottery had a chili event. Buy a bowl, fill it with chili for free. All the artists contributed a chili to the event. One of the chili's was habanero flavored. It was wonderfully infused with the flavor and scent of the habanero but wasn't overbearing in heat. That chili has haunted me ever since. I absolutely love the distinct flavor of the habanero. This is my version of that amazing chili I tasted that day.

HOT Habanero Venison Chili
12 servings, 5 WW pts per serving (not counting the condiments)2 lbs ground venison
2 tbsp olive oil
1 28 ounce can of tomato puree + 1 can full of water to rinse out the can
2 cans red beans - rinsed and drained
1 large red onion - diced
32 ounces vegetable stock
2 good quality beers (not lite beers here please)
2 tbsp chopped pickled habaneros
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked chipolte powder
1 tsp ancho chili power
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp tabasco

In a heavy soup pan saute pan heat the olive oil. Saute the onions for about 4 minutes. Add the venison and saute, breaking up the venison into small pieces. Cook until the venison is browned about 7 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients and let simmer for an hour. Serve with your favorite chili condiments like cheese, sour cream, cilantro or tortilla chips.

Panaag Curried Mussels and Clams

2010-02-05T13:55:00.000-05:00

As you probably can tell by how often I post about curries - I can't get enough. I really wish I could make my own curry paste but unfortunately I can't source the peppers where I live. We do have a fabulous international market that stocks great ingredients. Some of my favorite pantry items are the canned curry pastes made by Maesri. Sure, fresh would be best but when that is not available this is definitely a great option. Looking at the ingredient list, there are not chemicals and preservatives or artificial flavorings but whole food ingredients like peppers, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass.

This dish will warm your heart on a cold and blustery day!

Panaag Curried Mussels and Clams
2 dozen medium neck clams
1 pounds mussels
Crusty bread for dunking in the sauce
lemon wedges

Panaag Curry Sauce
1 4-ounce can panaag curry (Maesri Brand)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp honey

In a large saucepan with a lid, combine the curry sauce ingredients with a whisk. Once the curry sauce is heated through, add the clams, top with the lid, and steam until each clam opens. As the clams open pull them out of the saucepan with a set of tongs and set aside. Place a lid or piece of tin foil over to keep them warm. Add the mussels in the sauce and repeat the process of steaming the mussels, removing the mussels as they open.

To plate, place a combination of mussels and clams on a deep plate or bowl. Spoon the sauce over the shellfish.

Serve with some crusty bread and lemon wedges.

Crab Stuffed Lobster

2010-02-03T15:15:00.001-05:00

Valentines Day is quickly approaching. I wanted to make a special dish that could give you some ideas on how to cook your Special One an incredible meal. I went to the store and decided what to make based on what looked the freshest - Lobster and Crab Meat. How about a stuffed lobster? Hmmmm - yum!

There were two grades of crab meat: 'Special' and 'Lump'. I asked what the difference was between the 'special' and 'lump' and learned that the 'special' grade had a finer texture and not as big of pieces as the 'lump' grade. The price was great so I decided to give it a try. Boy, I'm glad I did because this crab was so deliciously sweet - in a good crab way.

I was really excited about the lobster because I've not had it recently but I've got to say, that crab meat was spectacular. I would highly recommend making this stuffed lobster. But if you don't want to splurge on lobster AND crab you could just make the crab stuffing and make crab cakes. We used the extra crab meat in crab cakes and it was divine as well.

Crab Stuffed Lobster
1 2 pound lobster
lemon wedges and melted butter for dipping
Crab Stuffing
1 pound can of 'Special' grade crab meat
2 pieces of whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Toast the 2 slices of bread and leave in the toaster while you finish with your prep.

Cut the lobster in half cutting through the head first. Remove the insides from the cavity. Rinse.

In a bowl, add the crab meat, mayonnaise, egg, kosher salt and pepper. In a small processor, pulse the toast to a small crumb. Add the crumbs to the crab meat mixture. Gently mix together.

Spoon the crab mixture into the lobster cavity. Place both halves of the lobster in a baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter.

Your special Valentines will love you even more after this dish!

Mustard Glazed Steamed Trout with Capers

2010-02-01T08:04:00.000-05:00

After a beautiful weekend full of a little bit of indulgences it's time to treat your body good with a healthy comfort food. This trout will send your taste buds into orbit!

Baked Trout
1 pound trout - cut into three pieces
1/2 cup white wine

Mustard Sauce
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp dijon style mustard
1 cup white whine
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a tin foil lined baking dish place the trout with 1/2 cup white wine. Bake for 10 minutes to lightly steam the fish.

Simmer all ingredients for the mustard sauce in a little sauce pan. Once the fish has been cooked, plate the fish and spoon the sauce over. Very good comfort food!

(served here with wilted swiss chard and parsleyed cannelini beans)

Grilled Caesar Salad

2010-01-31T21:45:00.000-05:00

Five ingredients. How simple. Soooo sooo so good.

Grilled Caesar Salad
1 head of romaine
8 anchovies
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove - minced
juice from 1 lemon

Cut the head of romaine in half. Brush with the tsp of olive oil.

In a bowl, place the anchovies, the tbsp of olive oil, garlic and the lemon juice. With the back of a fork, mash the anchovies and garlic to puree.

Heat your grill on high. Place the romaine cut side down and grill for 3 minutes. Plate and drizzle the dressing over the grilled lettuce. Top with the remaining anchovies.

Put a fork in one hand and a sharp knife in the other. Cut of a bite size piece. Place in mouth. Try hard not to roll your eyes in pure pleasure!

Healthy Soup - Week 4: Palak Chicken

2010-01-31T17:01:00.006-05:00

Well, we made it through the first month of 2010.

I'm having a pretty amazing, lazy day - besides my hike this morning. Now, I'm filtering through pics from the week and realized I've been holding out on you by not posting more. I better start sharing!

Remember back during the first week of our weight challenge I promised to post a healthy soup each week? Well, I meant for this recipe to be my soup entry - and it is - but honestly it was more like a stew. A very delicious stew. You probably do not want to wait to cook this. It's that good. (Lyndie - I used less olive oil in the soup so I'm sure you and Terri will smile at memories of more!)

Palak Chicken
6 servings - 4 WW pts/serving + 4WW pts for 1 cup steamed rice
1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach
1 onion - diced
3 cloves of garlic - minced
32 ounces of chicken stock
2 chicken breasts
1 cup of unsweetened soy milk (or cream if you don't care about the calories)
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Marinate the chicken breasts in 1 tbsp olive oil and soy sauce for 30 minutes. Cook the chicken for 18 minutes turning halfway through the cooking. Set aside to cool.

In a heavy stock pan drizzle the 1 tsp of olive oil along with the garlic and crushed red. Toss in the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in the remaining spices. Cook, stirring to incorporate the spices for about 2 minutes. Squeeze the water from the spinach. Chop the spinach to reduce the stringiness. Add in the chicken stock and soy milk. Bring back up to temperature. Cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Toss in the chicken. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy with some flat bread wedges or rice.

Heavenly Macaroni and Cheese

2010-01-29T14:15:00.001-05:00

I've been working hard at making new habits for a healthier lifestyle but I've got to say, sometimes a girl just needs to splurge a little. Okay, maybe this was a big slurge. But it certainly did cure those cheesy cravings! The blend of cheeses used along with the seasoning gave this a much more complex flavor than your ordinary mac and cheese. Feel free to make a double recipe. I made a small batch to limit temptation!

Heavenly Macaroni and Cheese
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (or your favorite pasta)
3 tbsp butter
1 small onion - diced
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 pound fontina cheese - cut in small cubes
1/2 pound white cheddar - grated
3 ounces parmesean - grated
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp whorsteshire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 tsp olive oil

Toast the bread and leave the slices set in the toaster to dry out.

Heat a saucepan on medium and melt the butter. Once the butter is melted saute the onions until they are translucent. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk. Add in the stock, cream, salt, whorsteshire sauce, dry mustard, white pepper and black pepper. Once the milk mixture is heated through slowly add the cheese, stirring occassionly, reserving about 2/3 cup for the top.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the macaroni according to package directions cutting the cooking time by 2 minutes to ensure a firm pasta once the dish has been baked. Be sure to salt the water. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and fold the cheese sauce through the pasta. Pour into a small baking dish.

In a food processor, pulse the toast slices to a coarse crumb. Add the crumbs to a bowl, drizzle with a tsp of olive oil, and mix in the reserved cheese.

Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the pasta.

Cook until bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to allow to cool for a little bit.

Sweet Snow Pea and Cabbage Stir Fry with Catfish and Chinese Noodles

2010-01-26T18:22:00.004-05:00

I can't remember ever using fish as the protein in stir fry. It sounded good but the fish couldn't be a flaky type of fish or it would just shred during the cooking process. My first choice would be monk fish. Monk fish is a firm, white fish that holds together well in soups and stews while being wonderfully flavorful. Unfortunately, I haven't seen monk fish in the market lately.

The other day my eye caught the catfish display at the seafood counter. I thought catfish would be the perfect type of fish for the stir fry dish I had been thinking about creating.

The peas and cabbage ended up being incredibly complimentary to the catfish.

Lesson learned: Be willing to substitute and go with the freshest ingredients you can find.

Sweet Snow Pea and Cabbage Stir Fry with Catfish and Chinese Noodles
8 ounces of snow peas
1 small head of Napa cabbage
1 pound catfish nuggets
4 ounces of dry Chinese noodles
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
2 inch cube of ginger - peeled and minced
5 green onions - thinly sliced
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp canola or peanut oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Slice the cabbage into thin strips. Cut the catfish nuggets into bite size pieces.

In a bowl, toss the catfish in the sesame oil and soy sauce. Sprinkle on the cornstarch to make a thin coating.

Cook the noodles according to package directions.

In a wok on high heat add the oil. Cook the fish quickly in 2-3 batches until the fish is golden, about 2 minutes per batch, removing to a plate when done. Once the fish has been cooked and removed from the wok, add the peas and chili garlic sauce to the wok. Stir fry the peas for about 2 minutes.

Add in the cabbage, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce. Stir fry for about 3 minutes.

Toss in the fish, sprouts, and green onions, stir fry with the veggies.

Serve stir fry over the noodles and top with a little more chili garlic sauce for extra heat.

Southwestern Bean and Corn Dip

2010-01-25T18:11:00.002-05:00

Ok, there is absolutely nothing special in this dish. So how can it be so amazing and fresh tasting. Let's just say - it hit my spot. I initially made it for a healthy snack before yesterday's football games but it served me well today when I scooped some leftovers in a tortilla wrapper with some lettuce for a quick lunch. So easy, so common, but ohhh, so good!

Southwestern Bean and Corn Dip
6 servings, 3 WW pts/serving
1 can black beans - rinsed and drained
1 can corn - rinsed and drained
1 poblano pepper - diced
3 green onions - thinly sliced
2 cups salsa
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the beans, corn, pepper, green onion, and salsa. Pour into a small casserole. Top with cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 6 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita bread. Toasted pita bread was great for a healthy alternative.

Grilled Lime Shrimp

2010-01-25T10:46:00.000-05:00

We eat a lot of shrimp. It's delicious,low fat, and I can have it ready for dinner in no time. Grilling shrimp adds so much flavor but the lime zest in this recipe really added punch!

Grilled Lime Shrimp
1 pound of jumbo shrimp
zest from 1 lime
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Toss the shrimp with the zest, salt and pepper.

Preheat your grill on high. Flash grill the shrimp for a minute on each side. Enjoy!

Chile Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash with Jalapenos

2010-01-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

This time of year you'll see a lot of butternut squash recipes. Unfortunately there isn't enough talk about how good they are for you. In my book the butternut squash is a power food and I'm always looking for ways to use them more. If you like sweet potatoes you'll love this squash. The squash has a lot less starch than the potato. Actually when you compare the squash to the potato, the squash is literally half the calories and carbs. The squash is packed in vitamins and minerals.

Ok, so that's all well and good, but the Butternut Squash also tastes amazing and is very versatile to cook with. This recipe is great the day you make but it also carries well as a leftover!

Chile Spiced Roasted Butternut Squash with Jalapenos
6 servings, 2 WW pts/serving
1 butternut squash
2 jalapenos
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

With a vegetable peeler, peel the squash. Cut the ends off. Cut the squash in half and with a spoon, scrap out the seeds.

Cut the squash in long 1/2 inch strips.

Then cut the strips in 1/2 inch cubes.

Thinly slice the whole jalapenos.

Drizzle the oil on a sheet pan that has been covered with alluminum foil for easier clean up. Place the squash cubes and jalapenos on the pan. Sprinkle with the seasonings. Toss to coat.

Place in the 400 degree oven and cook for about 18 minutes. Turn halfway through the cooking. Place the squash in a serving bowl and serve.

Healthy Soup - Week 3: Venison, Sauerkraut Soup with Wilted Kale

2010-01-23T10:59:00.001-05:00

After my smelt post, ya'll probably think I'm odd but what can I say? I'm an adventurous eater! Who ever heard of sauerkraut soup? I was reading Craig Claiborne's cookbook and saw a recipe for sauerkraut soup. I've adapted Craig's recipe with different cooking techniques and with the embellishment of the kale and rare venison.

Venison, Sauerkraut Soup with Wilted Kale
6 servings, 2 WW pts/serving!!!

6 cups beef stock
1 can of san marzano tomatoes - chopped
1 pound venison
1 bunch of kale
1 bag of sauerkraut
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper

Venison Marinade
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce

Place the sauerkraut and tomatoes in a covered heavy pot and place in the oven at 375 degrees. Cook for 45 minutes.

Marinade the venison for at least 30 minutes. Grill the venison for 1 minute on each side. Let rest for 5 minutes and then thinly slice.

Put the pot with the sauerkraut on the stove top and add the stock and seasonings. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the kale and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve up your soup and top with the rare venison.

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-01-22T18:22:00.002-05:00

A few weekends ago I made this pot pie and forgot to share with you. Don't leave men alone in the room with this. It WILL come up missing. Too bad I couldn't have seconds!

Roast Chicken
1 2.5-3 pound chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper
1 beer

Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter - cut in small cubes
5-6 tbsp very very cold water

Pot Pie Filling
chicken from 1 roasted chicken
1 medium onion - diced
3 celery stalks - diced
3 carrots - peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
2 garlic cloves minced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper

Place the raw chicken in a roasting pan. Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the beer in the bottom of the pan so the chicken will have plenty of liquid to cook in. Roast the chicken in a 400 degree oven for an hour and 15 minutes or until the juices run clear. Let cool.

In a food processor, place the flour and add the butter. Make sure the butter is very cold. Pulse until you get small pea sized crumbles. Slowly add the very cold water. Too ensure the water is super cold I'll make a glass of ice water and set it aside so it's ready when I want to add the water. Be careful not to add too much water as this will make a less flaky crust. Form the dough in a ball. Press to flatten. Wrap in saran wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Once the chicken has cooled, remove the chicken from the bones and pull the pieces into small bite size pieces.

In a pot, add the olive oil and butter. Once melted, add the onions, salt, pepper, white pepper, garlic, celery and carrots. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the flour as a thickener, cooking for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock 1 cup at a time stirring in between. Let simmer for about 30 minutes to thicken.

Add the chicken and peas. Simmer until hot.

Divide the dough into 2/3 - 1/3 sections. Roll out each pie dough piece to 1/4 inch thick. Place the larger piece into the bottom of a casserole dish draping the crust up and over the dish. Pour in the chicken filling. Top with the smaller crust. Press the dough pieces together. Crimp the edges with the fingers or a fork.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35 minutes until the top crust is golden brown. In a small bowl, whisk an egg. Five minutes before the pot pie is down brush with the egg mixture. Return to the oven and finish baking.

Gloriously Crispy Smelt

2010-01-22T07:21:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am so intrigued to hear what all of you think of this dish! When I told a few of my friends that I was planning on making this I would get a blank look because they had never heard of smelt. Once I told them what smelt is, they would wrinkle up their nose in disgust.

Call me crazy but I have wonderful memories of my mom making this for us when I was a kid. When I was in the local market this week the seafood department was carrying them. I scooped up a pound and even though I had no idea how my mom cooked them I was determined to give it a try. Let's just say my husband WAS NOT thrilled. He was praying that I would burn them. :) I didn't, and the biggest reward was that HE LIKED THEM!

The best way I can describe smelt is that it is a delicious crispy fish version of a fresh fry. Bonus - They are rich in calcium and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. High in calcium because you are literally eating the fish bones and all. Just a few inches long, the smelt are so small you eat the whole thing.

I'd love to hear what you think of smelt. Shoot me a comment. Have you eaten them before? How did you have them cooked (most common is smoked, broiled, or fried)? Did you like them?
Gloriously Crispy Smelt
4 servings, 3 WW pts/serving
1 pound raw smelt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/8 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp kosher salt
4 dashes of Tabasco
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Simple Cocktail Sauce
1/4 cup of ketchup
1 1/2 tsp horseradish
juice from a wedge of lemon

Preheat broiler.

In a bowl, toss the smelt with the kosher salt, Tabasco, and black pepper. Once the fish have been tossed with the seasoning, sprinkle over the flour and cornmeal. Toss to coat.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle the olive oil over the foil. Evenly spread the smelt over the foil. Broil for about 8 minutes. Turn the smelt a few times during cooking to crisp up both sides. Serve with a simple cocktail sauce or ketchup, and lemons.

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-01-21T06:05:00.002-05:00

I love to order lettuce wraps when I go to Chinese restaurants but I always question how healthy they really are. When you make them at home you control the fat and the flavor. I think these are better than any restaurant version that I've eaten and they are a lot more economical. Taste these and you'll want to make them every week!

The spicy, salty, citrus flavors are a perfect compliment to the cool, crisp lettuce leaves. Traditionally a bibb or butter lettuce is used but I prefer the crispier romaine lettuce for this dish. No fork necessary!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
4 servings, 4 WW pts/serving
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
10 shitake mushrooms (about 3 ounces) - cut into slices
1 inch cube of ginger - minced
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 carrot - peeled and diced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 jalapeno - cut in half, seeds removed, then sliced
1/2 cup cilantro - finely chopped
5 green onions - sliced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp garlic-chili paste
2 tsp canola oil
1 lime - cut into 8 wedges
head of romaine lettuce - rinsed and dried

Prep all your vegetables and have ready before you start wokking. Cut your chicken into small pieces (1/4 - 1/3 inch).

In a cool wok, place 1 tsp canola oil and bring up to temp over high heat. Stir fry the chicken with the garlic-chili paste for about 5 minutes on high until the chicken is no longer pink.

Remove the chicken from the wok and place on a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tsp of canola oil in the wok. Add the carrots and 1 tbsp fish sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes. Bring the heat back up to high. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapenos, shitake mushrooms, green onions and oyster sauce. Stir fry for 3 more minutes.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp of bean sprouts, fish sauce, cilantro, and juice from 2 lime wedges.

With a spoon, scoop the mixture into whole romaine leaves. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

(**Note - when I provide the WW points, I have entered the recipe into Weight Watcher's Recipe Builder to determine points per serving.)

Skinny Parsley Hummus

2010-01-20T05:57:00.001-05:00

Hummus is such a healthy and satisfying snack. It's healthy made the traditional way but I was trying to reduce the calories so I could nibble away without any worries. I substituted chicken stock in place of the olive oil. I have to admit I thought this substitution would change the flavor and make it so it wasn't satisfying but it was really good. No sacrifice in taste necessary!

Skinny Parsley Hummus
6 servings, 1 WW/serving
1 can of garbanzo beans(chickpeas)-rinsed and drained
1 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp tahini
1/3 cup chicken stock
juice from 1 1/2 lemons
1 clove of garlic
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tortillas for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all ingredients in a food processor and give it a whirl. Process until smooth. Texture is a personal preference. If you prefer it chunkier, process the hummus less.

Very lightly brush one side of a tortilla. Salt and pepper the tortilla and bake for 5 minutes or until golden in a 400 degree oven. Remove the tortillas from the oven and cut into wedges.
Also can be served with carrots, celery, pita bread or crackers.

Calamata Olive Bread

2010-01-19T06:01:00.001-05:00

The first time I had olive bread I was visiting my sister. I'm not sure why I found it so surprising because I've seen ingredients other than yeast, flour, and water incorporated in bread. Olives seem to be the perfect compliment to bread and I'll tell you I couldn't get enough.

My local grocery started carrying olive bread but I'm really not a fan of it. When I've tried it from the grocer the olives don't taste fresh and the bread was dry. I love to make bread so I worked at creating my own recipe. This way I know there are no preservatives, the olives are fresh, and the bread is extremely moist.

I prefer to make the starter the day before I'm actually cooking the bread but you can make the starter as little as six hours in advance. Bread flour is really critical to making good bread. Bread flour has as a higher gluten content which helps to create a chewier, better structured bread.

Calamata Olive Bread
2 cups bread flour
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup of chopped calamata olives
1 tsp active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
cornmeal for dusting

In a bowl, mix the lukewarm water, the yeast, and the sugar. Stir. After the yeast has started to activate, about 5 minutes, mix in 1 cup of flour. Stir together until the ingredients are well incorporated.

If you are making the above starter a day in advance cover with saran wrap and set aside. If you are making the starter within 6 hours of cooking, set in the microwave on the lowest power (P10) for one minute to give the starter a little nudge.

Once your starter has sat over night or for 4 hours, incorporate the olives, salt, and remaining cup of flour.

Coat your hands with a little oil and knead the dough in the bowl. Sprinkle some cornmeal on your counter and lay out the dough.

Cover with a damp towel and let rise for about 2 hours.
After an hour and 15 minutes of your dough rising, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I like to make this bread in a heavy pot. Place the pot in the oven during the oven's preheat so the pan is hot. Once the dough is done rising, about 2 hours, place the dough in the pot and place in the oven. Cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Be careful because this is dangerously good!

Apricot and Blue Cheese Cups

2010-01-18T06:43:00.001-05:00

I've had this appetizer in my head for a long while and finally got the opportunity to try it! It was splendid!

Apricot and Blue Cheese Cups

8 dried apricots - sliced thinly
1/2 cup of blue cheese - crumbled
honey
9 wonton skins

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a mini muffin pan with a high quality cooking spray or use a paper towel with olive oil to rub the oil on the pan. Press the wonton skins into the the muffin pan. Divide the cheese between the cups. Sprinkle the sliced apricots on top. Drizzle each cup with just a little honey. Bake on 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. These will go from 'not done' to 'burnt' quickly so watch them carefully.

Linguine with San Marzano Marinara, Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms

2010-01-17T07:14:00.001-05:00

I'm not a fan of jarred tomato sauces. In my opinion jarred sauces are flat and dull probably from being over processed. I'd much rather make my own. That holds true whether I need a sauce for pasta, pizza, or anything else for that matter. A little time and very little effort can yield beautiful results.

You hear chefs say all the time, 'use the best ingredients you can find'. Too me that is so true especially with when making marinara sauce. The key ingredient - San Marzano tomatoes.
San Marzano tomatoes are known as the best tomatoes in the world. Wikipedia has some great information on the San Marzano tomato so check it out if you want to learn more. Canned tomatoes should be a staple in your pantry, year round. The tomatoes are canned at the peak of freshness, maximizing the flavor.

This sauce will make your tastebuds squeal in delight with the tangy well-rounded flavors.

Linguine with San Marzano Marinara, Fried Onions and Mushrooms
Sauce
1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

Open the can of tomatoes and place them in a cool pan. Squeeze the tomatoes through your fingers to break up the whole tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are broken apart somewhat add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for about an hour.

4 cups mushrooms - sliced
1 large onion - sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan
1 pound of pasta (I prefer linguine but use your favorite)

In a screaming hot pan, add the olive oil. Toss in the mushrooms and onions. Don't stir right away allowing the mushrooms and onions to nicely brown. After about one minute start stirring, flipping the vegetables over to brown thoroughly. Remove from heat after about 4-5 minutes.

Boil one pound of pasta according to package directions.

Plate the pasta with approximately 2 cups of cooked pasta. Microplane some Parmesan over the pasta. Spoon about a cup of the sauteed mushrooms over your pasta. Top with sauce, grate some more Parmesan and parsley and Enjoy!

Healthy Soup - Week 2: Broccoli Cheese Soup (with Soy Milk!)

2010-01-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

Who would think of Broccoli Cheese Soup as healthy? Traditionally, this soup is laden with calories from cream and cheese. With a few substitutions, you can have the luxurious mouth feel of the creamy cheesy soup you crave while keeping it healthy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Soymilk

1 bunch of broccoli
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups soy milk - unsweetened
1 large onion - chopped
2 carrots - diced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup flour
8 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese

Cut the broccoli top 3 inches from the top. Dice the stem part and chop the broccoli top to small enough pieces that will fit nicely on a soup spoon.

Spray a soup pot with an organic olive oil cooking spray. Heat the pot on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients to mix in the salt and pepper. The salt will help draw out the moisture in the onions. Saute for about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add in 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Stir. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Cook and stir frequently until the flour has turned to a light golden color. Add the rest of the chicken stock. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Add the soy milk and cheddar cheese. Simmer for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with a slice of crusty bread.

Pork Potstickers

2010-01-13T14:36:00.001-05:00

I've made potstickers so many times only to have the filling be hard or tough. I can't remember where I heard to add the soft tofu but it really helps to make a tender potsticker. These are wonderful served with a variety of your favorite Asian sauces. One of my favorites is a combination of soy sauce, scallions and chili oil.

Pork Potstickers
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup of soft tofu
1/2 cup green onions - sliced
1 clove of garlic - minced
2 tbsp of ginger - minced
1 egg
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp hoisen sauce
package of round wonton skins
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp of olive oil

Gently mix the pork and tofu to incorporate. Stir in the green onions, garlic, ginger, egg, and sauces, stirring as little as possible to ensure a tender potsticker filling. Place a teaspoon of filling in each wrapper. Dip your finger in the cornstarch mixture and wet the edge of half the wonton wrappers. Fold the other half over the filling and go along the edge, pinching the two edges together to create a seal. Continue filling the wrapper until filling is gone.

Frying the wontons should be done in batches to avoid overcrowding in the skillet. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potstickers and 1 cup of water. Simmer on low until the water evaporates and the pan becomes dry about 8-10 minutes.

Low Fat Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-01-12T21:07:00.001-05:00

These stuffed mushrooms are the ultimate healthy, high flavor snack. In an effort to change my eating habits I'm looking for ways to cut the fat while keeping all the flavor elements that I'm a fan of in the dishes I love.

Low Fat Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
8 servings, <1 WW pt/shroom
8 large mushroom(s)
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 Tbsp light cream cheese, room temperature
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 ounce of Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup of panko bread crumbs

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and place the mushrooms top down on the pan.

Mix the artichoke hearts, lemon juice and cream cheese. Divide the artichoke mixture between the eight mushrooms.

With a micro plane, finely grate an ounce of Parmesan cheese.

Divide the cheese between each mushroom. Sprinkle each with the panko pressing down so the toppings won't fall off.

Cook for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

10 Weeks of Soup - Week One: Healthy Pork Tortilla Soup

2010-01-10T11:03:00.003-05:00

Remember that 10 week weight loss challenge I told you I committed to earlier in the week? Well my theory is I need to eat lots of soup! Soup imparts a warming, comforting feel that makes you feel well fed even if you didn't consume a lot of calories. Under the Weight Watcher program, broth counts for zero points. Obviously you can jack up the calorie load pretty easily with ingredients like cream and cheese. But, if you stay clear of these 'weight loss evils', or at least use sparingly, you'll be able to create some really healthy soups.

For each of the next 10 weeks I will give you ideas for healthy satisfying soups. I'll at least post one soup a week and some weeks more. I've got a few really interesting ones up my sleeve. (what? sauerkraut in soup? you'll see...)

For week one I thought I'd share the soup we enjoyed earlier in the week. There really aren't tortillas in this soup but I used corn flour to impart the flavor of tortillas. Now be sure you are using corn flour and not corn starch. Corn flour is a finer ground version of corn meal. If you don't have or can't find corn flour use corn meal.

Healthy Pork Tortilla Soup
Servings - 5, WW pt/serving - 4
6 cups of pork broth (if you can't find pork broth - chicken broth will work fine)
1 1/2 cups lean cooked pork
1 can of red beans - drained and rinsed
1 can of sweet white corn - drained and rinsed
1/4 cup of corn flour
1 1/2 cup celery - diced
1 1/2 cup onion - diced
1 1/2 cup carrots - diced
2 chipolte in adobe sauce - finely minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 green onion - cut into slices
1/2 cup of cilantro - chopped

Chop the celery, onions, and carrots into small diced pieces.

Chop or pull the cooked pork into small pieces.

In a soup pot on medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the celery, onion, and carrots with 1 tsp of salt. The salt will help pull liquid from the vegetables to aid in cooking. Saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn flour and cook for another minute. Add in the remaining ingredients and let simmer for about a half an hour.

Garnish with cilantro and green onion slices.

Swiss Chard with Fontina Flounder

2010-01-09T07:50:00.001-05:00

Ahhhhhh,,,,,the first meal since New Year's that wasn't using leftover ingredients! I love wilted greens! These greens are actually from summer. I chopped, sauteed and froze them. My swiss chard garden went crazy this last summer and I had to do something with the greens. This is a perfect way to harvest if you have a lot.

Cheese is definitely something I'm having difficulty figuring out how to incorporate in my new eating habits. I'm learning to just use less. I think this dish is a really great example of how to add cheese for extra deliciousness factor while keeping it real.

Swiss Chard with Fontina Flounder
2 servings - 8 WW points per serving

2 6 ounce flounder fillets
6 cups swiss chard - roughly chopped
1 tbsp cream cheese
1/8 pound fontina cheese - grated
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
lemon wedges

Sprinkle the flounder with salt and pepper on the side facing up. In a skillet, add the olive oil, and heat a skillet on medium high. When the skillet is hot, add the flounder with the seasoned side face down. Sprinkle the side facing up with additional salt and pepper. Cook on the each side for about 3 minutes.

In another skillet place the swiss chard. Cook for about a minute and then add the cream cheese. Stir until it is thoroughly combined. Add salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Curried Pork and Mushrooms

2010-01-08T13:45:00.004-05:00

I've been a little quiet this week but there has been a lot to sort through - first week after the holiday, started a 10 week weight loss challenge, and joined Weight Watchers. You're probably thinking, 'Oh boy, no more food blog for her!' Hell no! I'm eating pretty darn good while going under my allowed points each day.

Pretty impressive? Not really. Cooking light is pretty fun and easy once you get going. Just a little creativity, the right ingredients and I guarantee you will be able to whip together an extremely flavorful and satisfying meal while losing weight.

Are you struggling with coming up with ideas for low fat terrific meals? Send me your questions and I'll give you some ideas.

One of the keys to creating a meal that is satisfying is using plenty of spices.

Curried Pork and Mushrooms
1 1/2 cups of cooked pork cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups mushrooms - quartered
2 scallions - finely sliced
1/2 cup cilantro (optional)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cayenne
lime wedges

Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Brown the mushrooms for about 4 minutes. Add pork, salt, tumeric, garam masala, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir. Add the broth. Stir to incorporate the seasoning well in the broth. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, cilantro, and scallions reserving a little cilantro and scallions for a garnish. Serve with steamed rice and lime wedges

Venison Tenderloin Sashimi

2010-01-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Last year we were cooking up some of our asian favorites and The Hub had the idea to try a version of sashimi with rare cooked venison. It turned out extremely delicious and our friends that were sharing with us enjoyed it as much as we did. This was one of the first recipes we enjoyed this year after hunting season.

Sashimi is very much about texture. It is important to cook sushi grade rice so that it is sticky. This will enable you to create small oval shaped balls of the rice that will serve as a bed for the protein of your choice. Sashimi is commonly served with raw tuna or salmon with wasabi, pickled ginger, and a soy dipping sauce.

There are four very important elements to making good venison sashimi:
1. Use the freshest meat possible (If frozen use immediately upon thawing.)
2. Use a tenderloin cut to to ensure the meat is tender
3. Flash grill the meat quickly to cook the tenderloin rare while getting some grill marks on the outside.
4. Sticky sushi grade rice

Venison Tenderloin Sashimi
Tenderloin Marinade
1 pound of venison tenderloin
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic

Sticky Rice
1 1/2 cup sushi grade rice
3 cups of water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Condiments
wasabi paste
pickled ginger
soy sauce or other asian dipping sauce

In a microwave, warm the vinegar for about 30 seconds and add the sugar to dissolve.

The rice in this dish is served cold so cook it in advance. Bring the water to bowl in a pan. Once the water is boiling add the rice and salt. Stir. Bring the heat down to low and cook the rice until you can see little holes on the top of the rice. The holes are created from the steam of the cooking rice - about 10 minutes. If you aren't used to cooking rice watch it careful to not burn it. I prefer to not stir the rice while it cooking because I think you lose the integrity of the texture. If you are unsure of whether or not it is done use a spoon to move the rice away so that you check the moisture level on the bottom of the pan. Once there is just a little moisture, stir in the vinegar/sugar mixture, stirring as little as possible and put the lid on. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to finish cooling, about an hour.

Marinate the tenderloin for 15-30 minutes.

On a hot grill, flash grill each side of the tenderloin - one minute per side, maximum. Remove from the grill and let rest for at least five minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.

Once the rice is cool, remove from the refrigerator and create small oval balls of rice using your hands to compact.
It helps to moisten your hands with water to avoid the rice from sticking to much.

Once you've made the balls with the rice, slice the tenderloin in thin slices and place a slice on each rice ball.

Serve with condiments of wasabi paste, pickled ginger, and soy dipping sauce.

Herb Roulade

2010-01-04T17:36:00.000-05:00

This recipe is great for parties. Serve this at your Super Bowl Party and you will be sure to have Fans.

Herb Roulade
1 8 ounce package cream cheese - softened
4 ounces Roquefort cheese - softened
1 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley
3/4 cup basil leaves
1 garlic clove - minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes - finely chopped

Garnish
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Beat the cream cheese and the Roquefort cheese. Spread cheese mixture on parchment paper to a 8x8 inch square. Cover and chill for at least an hour.

In a food processor, process the spinach, parsley, basil, garlic and olive oil.

Grate the Parmesan, chop the walnuts, and chop the tomatoes.

Once the cheese mixture has chilled, spread the herb mixture over top leaving 1 inch of one side free from the toppings. Sprinkle the Parmesan, walnuts, and tomatoes over the herb mixture. Slowly roll the mixture up to create a log like roll. Right before serving roll in the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped parsley. Serve with an assortment of your favorite crackers.

This recipe is adapted from Southern Living magazine.

Auntie Barb's Sauerkraut Balls

2010-01-03T13:51:00.001-05:00

These little sauerkraut balls are so delicious. When my Aunt Barb would make these my family would devour them. I borrowed the recipe so I could make them this weekend. The crispy outside and the creamy tart inside are so delicious together. Only problem is one recipe didn't make enough because I love them for leftovers and my friends and I ensured there weren't any left.....

Auntie Barb's Sauerkraut Balls
1 bag of sauerkraut
4 ounces of cream cheese - room temperature
1/4 pound corned beef
1/4 pound ham
1 small onion diced
2 tbsp of butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup flour

1 cup flour
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 cup panko

Drain and squeeze out the moisture from the sauerkraut. Place in a food processor and process until the sauerkraut is finely chopped.

Remove from the processor and set aside. Process the corned beef and ham until finely chopped.

In a skillet on medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the onions for about 3 minutes. Add the meat, dry mustard, and salt.

Saute for another 3 minutes. Add the sauerkraut and combine with the meat mixture. Saute for a few more minutes. Incorporate the 1/2 cup of flour, reduce heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of milk. Add the cream cheese and mix until melted.

Reprocess the entire mixture for about 30 minutes.

Form into 1 inch balls.

In one bowl place the cup of flour, in another mix the milk and egg, and in another bowl place the panko. Roll each ball in the flour mixture and shake as much off as you can. Place the flour coated ball in the egg mixture and then the panko.

Heat oil to about 325 degrees in a heavy pan. Fry each ball until golden about 1 1/2 minute per batch.

Oh my goodness. If I didn't have a conscience I'd get up and make more now..... :)

Pho Bo - Beef Pho Soup

2010-01-02T12:36:00.001-05:00

A few months ago I heard about the Vietnamese soup called Pho. It sounded delicious but I had never eaten it before and we don't have Vietnamese restaurants in Southeastern Ohio. I was at a loss to figure how I could make it if I've never tasted it before. Sure I could read a recipe but I really felt that I needed to taste it to truly conceptualize what it should taste like.

Well, I did some research and found a Vietnamese stall in the North Market in Columbus. I'm sure there are more Vietnamese restaurants in Columbus that I could've tried but this was convenient because I was meeting a friend there. What I learned is that Pho is more about the experience than the nourishment. Beef Pho is a beef based broth that has been enhanced with onions, ginger, fish sauce and spices. The spices are different than you'd expect. Star anise, cloves, and cinnamon are the warming spices of Pho.

I forgot to pick up star anise but a while back I found a Pho seasoning mix at our local international market so I used one of the spice bags.
I always like to use whole spices so I was a little nervous to use the spice packet but I was very pleased at the flavor it imparted so I would definitely use it again.

The flavors in this soup are unlike any other asian soup I've ever tried. The bean sprouts add wonderful texture. When all the ingredients are put together the soup is harmony in your mouth.

If you are unfamiliar with Pho I challenge you to find a Vietnamese restuaurant to try it or make it yourself. It will be an experience you will want to repeat.

Pho Bo - Beef Pho Soup

Broth
8 cups of high quality beef broth (preferable homemade)
1 inch cube of ginger - minced
1 1/2 cups of beef from the cooked rib bones that were used for the stock
1/4 cup of fish sauce

Soup bowls
1/2 pound lean beef/venison sliced thin
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Garnishes
1/2 cup green onions - thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves - roughly chopped
1 serrano sliced thin
lime wedges
sprigs of thai basil
hoisen sauce
sriracha sauce

The first thing I did was make homemade beef broth. I'm sure you could use store bought broth but for my first time I wanted the integrity of a broth I made myself. I simmered beef rib bones all day with the seasoning packet and onions. Once the broth was ready I strained it and seasoned it further with ginger and fish sauce. After pulling the ribs from the broth I pulled off the meat to use later in the soup.

While the ginger was simmering in the soup I prepared the remaining ingredients. There are quite a few components in Pho so it does require quite a bit of prep time. The soup is pulled together as you bowl it up.

Use fresh rice stick noodles if you can find them.

If not use dried rice stick noodles. The fresh packaged noodles I used are specifically made for Pho.

Cook according to package instructions, drain and set aside.

Thinly slice red onions and place in cold water for 15-30 minutes. This will remove some of the harshness of the onion flavor along with crisping up the slices.

In a bowl ladle the broth with ginger, beef from the rib bones and noodles. Typically a piece of a tender lean piece of beef is cooked rare and then sliced thin. The meat should be cooked very rare because most of the cooking of the meat happens once you place the thin slices in the broth. We have some wonderful cuts of venison available to us so I sliced an uncooked venison tenderlion very thin and added the uncooked meat to each bowl. This turned out wonderful as the texture of the venison slices was as tender as butter.
The hot broth cooked the meat to a tender perfection. Sprinkle in some fresh cilantro, thinly sliced onion and green onions.

The soup is then served with garnishes on the side.
One of the garnishes that I was unable to source is Thai basil. If you are able to get Thai basil definitely try it because when I was served Pho at the North Market I thought it was a wonderful taste component. The other garnishes the soup is served with on the side are bean sprouts, lime wedges, green onion, thinly sliced serrano chili, cilantro leaves, hoisen sauce and sriracha sauce. I prepared plates with the garnishes before I bowled up the soup to make sure the soup remained hot when we were ready to eat.

The hoisen is meant to dip the meat slices in and the other garnishes are there for each person to add to their soup to their individual taste.

Ohio University Marching 110

2010-01-01T10:58:00.003-05:00

Congrats to being Invited to march in the Rose Bowl Parade!

Happy New Year to all of you!

I've got the feeling it's going to be a Good One!

To Love, Friends, Family, and New Beginnings!

Stuffed Ham Roast

2009-12-30T09:36:00.000-05:00

With all your effort to make New Year's Eve perfect don't forget to give a little time to make New Year's Day special, a perfect opportunity to connect with your loved ones. I mentioned my plans earlier this week, spend the day with The Hub relazing and sipping on Vietnamese Pho soup. Last weekend I made a more traditional New Years Day dinner so I could give you some more traditional ideas for your meal.

This roast is a little more elegant than the standard simply because of the stuffing. It's all very easy so you can spend your time with your family or guests.

I used a ham cut for the roast. This was not a cured ham but rather the cut that is used to make the cured ham. If you aren't able to find this roast pick up any other type of roast as long as it is deboned or you can debone it relatively easily. If you choose a loin cut reduce the cooking time by 30 minutes.

Stuffed Ham Roast
5 pound ham roast
1 cup chicken broth

Coating/Marinade
7 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Stuffing
1 pound swiss chard
1 1/2 cup dry stuffing mix (prefer Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasonedd Bread Crumbs)
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp dried sage
2 celery ribs - diced
1/4 cup diced red onion

If your roast has a bone - debone the roast. Once you have a roast without a bone, you will need to butterfly the roast. Don't worry! This is easy! Give the roast a slice down the middle halfway through the roast. You will basically cut each side in half horizontally being stopping before you cut all the way through the meat. Turning your knife sideways with the edge of the blade to the left so that it is parallel to the counter. Cut through the roast to open it up on the left side being careful to stop about an inch before you cut through the meat. Do the same to the right side. Now you should be able to open up the roast so there is double the surface area and it is laying flat on your cutting board.

Mince the garlic cloves. Lie the roast on a saran wrap. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 the mixture over each side of the pork.

Wrap the saran wrap around the pork and let marinade in the coating for about 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Melt the butter for the stuffing in a saucepan. Once melted add the celery, onions, and sage. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add the stuffing mix stirring until combined. Place in a bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to stuff the roast.

Wilt the swiss chard greens and set aside to cool in the refridgerator.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

About 3 hours after marinating the roast in the garlic coating remove from the refridgerator. Spread the butterflyed roast out so it lies flat. Place the wilted greens on half of the roast. Place the stuffing mix on top of the greens. Pull the other half of the roast on top of the stuffing side the pork. Place in a roasting pan with the chicken broth on the bottom of the roasting pan so the pan is not dry. Cover the pan with tin foil to seal in moisture

Cook the roast in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hour. After one hour of cooking remove the tin foil to allow the roast to brown. Once the roast has finished cooking remove from the oven and cover with the tin foil to seal in the heat.

Let rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Slice and serve the roast. Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Triangles

2009-12-29T14:30:00.001-05:00

This is a great New Year's appetizer. I love the crisp flaky exterior of the puff pastry with the warm creamy vegetable filling!

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Triangles
1 sheet puff pastry
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound of shitake mushrooms (about 10)
1 bag baby spinach
1 cup of Gruyere cheese
1 egg - beaten

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw a sheet of puff pastry. Lightly flour your surface. Unfold the pastry and cut along the crease to create three 3-inch wide strips. Cut each strip into three equal pieces so you have nine squares. With a rolling pin, roll each square to thin it out retaining the square shape.

Remove and discard the shitake mushroom stems. Slice the mushroom caps into thin strips.
In a skillet, place the oil and saute for about 4 minutes. Add the spinach.
Cook until the spinach is completely wilted - about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

On each square place about a tablespoon of cheese.
Divide the mushroom/spinach mixture between the nine puff pastries. Top with any remaining cheese. Fold the puff pastry over and crimp with a fork to seal in the filling.

Lightly brush each pastry with the egg mixture.

Place in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower with White Cheddar Cheese and Dill

2009-12-28T11:01:00.002-05:00

Cauliflower is a forgotten vegetable for me. I like it but I commonly don't think of it as an option. Cauliflower is a very nutrient dense food that is low in carbohydrates. I roasted the cauliflower with some chicken stock and cheese. Next time I make this I think I will cut the cheese amount at least in half. This was extremely tasty but I think it would be just as good and obviously more healthy without it. The cauliflower wasn't as strong in flavor as I remember.

Roasted Cauliflower with White Cheddar Cheese and Dill
1 head of cauliflower with the white florets cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp dried dill weed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup black pepper
4 ounces white chedder cheese grated.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the cauliflower in a baking dish. Drizzle the broth over the cauliflower. Toss. Sprinkle the dill, salt, and pepper along with 1/2 the grated cheese. Toss. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of the cheese over top.
Bake in an oven heated to 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

The Perfect New Year's Day Cocktail

2009-12-27T13:42:00.003-05:00

Yes, I did mean New Years Day. Last year, The Hub and I had the best New Year's Day. We spent the day relaxing. I made these tasty cocktails to start along with some Asian soup to warm our souls. It was so special. I thought you'd appreciate it if I shared this recipe so you could plan to pick up the ingredients. Make this special drink for a special someone on a special day.

I'm planning on making last year a tradition. This year I'll make these cocktails with an Asian soup that's new to me, Vietnamese Pho soup.

Grapefruit-Gin Sour
Juice from 2 grapefruit
Juice from 1/4 of a lemon
2 shots of Tangeruay Gin
2 shots of simple syrup
1 cup ice cubes
2 tbsp sugar

Simple Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Simmer the ingredients for the simple syrup until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.

Once the syrup is cool. Reserve 1 tbsp grapefruit juice. Combine the ingredients for the drink. Shake until frothy. Fold a 1/2 paper towel in half and place it on a plate. Pour the reserved tbsp of juice on the towel. On another plate place the 2 tbsp of sugar. Dip your glass in the juice on the towel and then dip in the sugar to create your sugared rim. Split the beverage between 2 glasses.

Venison Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce

2009-12-26T08:26:00.002-05:00

Remember that Delicious Tzatziki sauce I showed you how to make earlier in the week. Well the sauce did double duty for me. I was able to use the leftover sauce in these grilled venison gyros. I can't even describe how amazing venison is combined with this sauce.

There are many styles of pita bread. For this recipe I used a pita that was new to me. It's wonderfully crispy and almost a little too crispy to make a wrap with so if you can, go with a more traditional Greek style pita bread. (The crunchy pita was perfect for the dip from my earlier post.)

Venison Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (serves 2)
3/4 pound of venison medallions
2 pitas - Greek style preferred
4 green onions or 1/4 red onion cut in slices
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Marinade the venison in the soy sauce and olive oil for at least 1/2 an hour.

Heat your grill to high. Once the grill is heated place the medallions on the grill. Flash grill for about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side. Venison is really meant to be rare so be careful not to overcook. Once done, remove and let rest for a few minutes covered in foil so they stay hot.

Once you flip the venison to the second side place the pita bread on the grill and cook for 20-30 seconds per side to lightly toast.

Slice the medallions and arrange 1/2 down the middle of each pita bread. Place 1/4 cup of tzatziki sauce down the middle of each along with a sprinkling of green onions.

This is so simple - you'll be amazed at how good it is!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T11:15:00.001-05:00

Szechuan Pepper Fried Shrimp with Crispy Green Onions

2009-12-24T08:26:00.001-05:00

Szechuan peppers are one of my favorite spices. The flavor is very unique. No relation to peppercorns or peppers, szechuan peppers are actually the emptied husk of a tiny seedpod. When using fresh szechuan peppers it is easy to overpower a recipe so I am quite careful to start with a little and add at the end of cooking if the flavor isn't strong enough for my preference. The freshest szechuan peppers I've tried were from Penzeys.

My first encounter with this wonderful spice was actually in a wonderful Chinese restaurant in North Carolina. The spice was incorporated into a batter fried calamari dish that had charred green onions. I'm not particularly a batter fried fan when I cook at home so I use cornstarch to create a crust. I didn't have calamari so I used shrimp. Both are delicious so use what you have.

Szechuan Pepper Fried Shrimp with Crispy Green Onions
1 1/2 pound of shrimp - shells and tails removed
1/2 cup of cornstarch
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
4 cups canola oil
4 green onions - thinly slice
1 tbsp oil - canola or olive oil

In a large bowl toss the shrimp with 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Once the shrimp are coated in the sesame oil and soy sauce, dust the cornstarch over the shrimp and toss to coat.

Heat the oil to about 325 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. The oil is hot enough when the the oil bubbles a little around the end of the spoon.

Drop the shrimp in the oil in small enough batches that you don't cool down the oil (about 8 shrimp at a time). Cook the shrimp until a light golden color - about 1 1/2 minutes per batch. Don't overcook the shrimp. Shrimp are so wonderfully delicate when they are cooked properly. Pull the shrimp out and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Continue cooking until all shrimp have been fried.

As you are cooking the shrimp heat a tbsp of oil in your favorite wok. Once the oil has reached the smoking point drop the green onions into the wok. Stir fry occasionally. I like to let the onions be still in the wok a little because this will allow the onions to char slightly. Once the onions are crispy, toss in the fried shrimp and drizzle over the remaining amount of sesame oil and soy sauce. Writing this post is driving me nuts, maybe I need to make this again this weekend.....

Stir Fried Szechuan Pepper Potatoes

2009-12-24T08:04:00.000-05:00

I was reading food blogs this week and came across a new-to-me blog, Soup Belly, that made Sichuan Stir Fried Potatoes. When I initially read the blog post I thought the recipe used szechuan peppers but in actuality the name of the recipe is referring to the Sichuan province of China. I still need to go back and make this recipe because it does look good.

It did give me the idea however to use Szechaun peppers to season a wok stir fried potato dish. It turned out very pleasant and I would definitely make this dish again.

Szechuan Pepper Potatoes
3 large russet potatoes
3 garlic clove - thinly sliced
1 small onion - diced
3 green onions - thinly sliced
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp szechuan peppers
1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Cut the potato in half. Quarter each half of the potato lengthwise and then cut in half. Continue until all the potatos are cut.

Place the potatos on a plate and microwave for about 2 minutes to give the potatos a cooking head start.

Heat the canola in a wok with 1/2 the garlic and 1 tbsp of szechuan peppers.

Once the oil is hot add 1/2 the potatoes.

Stir fry the potatoes in 2 batches cooking each batch for 8-10 minutes. After the first batch is done remove to drain on a paper towel. Continue with the second batch adding the remaining garlic slices and szechuan peppers prior to adding the potatoes. Once all the potatoes are cooked add them back to the wok along with the remaining ingredients: onion, green onion and sesame oil. Stir fry for about 2 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Serve with srirachi sauce.

Duck with Orange Brandy Glaze

2009-12-23T11:14:00.003-05:00

Wow - was this a stressful dinner to make. The stress was self imposed because it really wasn't too difficult. I was stressed because I had already bought the duck so I was committed and after doing research it sounded impossible to make a duck that wasn't swimming in fat.

I relied on the cookbook, The Best New Recipe: All-New Edition by Cooks Illustrated Magazine to guide me through. Have you had a chance to pick this cookbook up and read it? It's great because the writers will take a dish and cook it various ways to test which cooking method makes the most flavorful result. They have also taste tested ingredients to guide you on which brands or products taste the best. For something like a cooked duck, which I've never cooked, it was a great resource. Although what caused me to be in a tizzy, is all the stories of the end product, in most cooking methods, being duck swimming in fat. But lets be fair. Following the guidance of the steam and roast cooking methods DID result in a very good dinner so I'm glad I had the resource.

Duck isn't something I would do often, mainly because of how much waste there was. After trimming excess fat I probably threw away as much fat in weight as there was meat in weight. Seemed wasteful but again, it was really good so cooking a whole duck is probably perfect for a special dinner once a year. I started with a whole duck and cut the bird into each piece: breast, wing and leg/thigh. Duck is probably much more economical and less wasteful if you are able to buy the individual pieces.

I didn't follow all the directions. Specifically I reduced some of the cooking time and temperature. I made up my own version of a yummy glaze that I thought would pair nicely with the duck flavors.

Duck with Orange Brandy Glaze
1 3 pound duck

Glaze
1/4 cup of orange marmalade
1/4 cup of brandy
salt and pepper

The writers of The Best New Recipe experimented with straight roasting, boiling and then roasting, and steaming and then roasting. Of all these methods the method that they said rendered the most fat out of the duck was the steaming/roasting version so this is what I did.

Cut the duck into sections keeping the leg/thigh together in once piece. Place a roasting rack in a metal roasting pan. Fill the bottom with water right up to the bottom of the rack so that the duck is not sitting in the water. Place the duck sections on the rack. Cover the pan with a piece of tin foil large enough to ensure a tight seal all the way around the pan. Place the pan on a burner on medium heat. Steam for about 35 minutes. After the 35 minutes of steaming, CAREFULLY loosen the seal. Slowly let the steam escape being careful not to burn yourself.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the ingredients for the glaze and place in a microwave for 20 seconds to loosen it up.

Place the duck pieces on a foil lined baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes brush the duck with the glaze and roast for another 10 minutes. The recipe from the cookbook cooked the duck longer, at a higher temperature, and instructed that you pull the breast meat out and allow the legs to cook for additional time. By looking at the duck during the cooking stage I thought that would cause the leg pieces to be overcooked. I adjusted the cooking time and temperature and I'm glad I did. I was able to get the crispy texture on the skin and the meat was incredibly moist.

Battle Duck was WON! :)

I Love Food Presents!!! :)

2009-12-22T21:39:00.003-05:00

Tonight when I got home from work my garage door opener wouldn't work. I got out of the car and went to the front door to find a 'igourmet' box of goodies that instructed to open immediately because of perishables.

My heart started beating in excitement! Yes, I don't usually get food gifts. As soon as I got into the house I ripped into the box and I found this wonderful selection of cheese.

The background is my twin sister is spending the holidays in London with her husband, child, and friend. She sent me an array of English style cheeses. I honestly can't wait to enjoy them. I'm sure we'll have friends popping in and out this weekend and now I'll have something to feed them!

Thank you Sis-tah!

Tzatziki Sauce

2009-12-22T07:46:00.001-05:00

Tzatziki sauce has always been one of my favorite sauces or dips. In the middle east this is commonly served as a sauce with gyros but I love it as a dip with pita chips. The dip is very refreshing served cold with a combination of yogurt and cucumbers with lemon juice and garlic. Even though this is usually served as a dip or with gyros it's also a great sauce accompaniment to a grilled vegetable burrito or wrap. Greek style yogurt is much thicker than American style yogurt.

If you can't find Greek style yogurt place plain yogurt in a cheese cloth and strain for a few hours.

Tzatziki Sauce
1 cucumber
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 cup greek style yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbsp lemon juice - approximately juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic - minced
4 pieces of pita bread
2 tbsp olive oil

Peel and deseed one cucumber.
Lengthwise cut the cucumber into thin strips.

Cut the thin cucumber strips in the opposite direction to create small cubes. Depending on your preference you may want to shred the cucumber instead of cubing. I prefer the chunkier texture. Place the cucumber in a small strainer and sprinkle the salt on top.

Mix the salt through the cucumber cubes. Let sit for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes lightly squeeze the cucumber cubes to release extra water.

Mix the cucumbers with the remaining ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

Cut the pita bread into triangles. Place a piece of tin foil on a baking sheet with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Toss the chips in oil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or until crisp.

Fancy Rice Krispie Balls

2009-12-21T10:01:00.000-05:00

In preparation for New Years I'm trying to make a few things ahead that I can put in the freezer and pull out New Year's day. One of my colleagues brought in a few dessert balls that inspired these little desserts. Fortunate or unfortunate, I'm not quite sure, I didn't read the direction prior to making I just did what I thought. Turns out her dessert wasn't rice krispies with marshmallows at all. These turned out really good so maybe this is one of those times when a mistake leads to a good discovery. I made two different kinds: berry and chocolate.

Berry Rice Krispie Balls
1 package of large marshmallows
3 tbsp butter
6 cups of rice krispie cereal
1/2 blackberry jam
1 12 ou package of white chocolate
3 tbsp canola oil

In a pan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and jam. Heat on low heat stirring often to incorporate the marshmallows and the jam. When the marshmallows are completely melted add the rice krispies and stir to thoroughly coat the cereal. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Pour the mixture on the paper and spread out. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour until firm.

In a small bowl combine the white chocolate chips and 2 tbsp of canola oil. Microwave for about 30 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth.

Once the krispie mixture has become firm, coat your hands in canola oil to prevent sticking while you make the balls. Make 1" balls until you've used all the krispie mixture. Pour a small spoonful of white chocolate over each. Place the balls back in the refrigerator to allow the white chocolate to firm up.

Chocolate Krispie Balls
Follow the ingredients and directions above, omit the jam and use semisweet chocolate chips instead of white chocolate.

Kiser's BBQ Shack in Athens, Ohio

2009-12-19T12:41:00.005-05:00

I would say I'm not a huge BBQ fan. Why? Because most of the time it's not done right. So often when I hear BBQ I think of that wonderful piece of meat that is so flavorful only to be smothered in a sweet, thick overpowering sauce that is so strong you can't even taste the meat.

Now if your in the same boat as I am, Kiser's BBQ Shack will redefine what you think of as BBQ. Kiser's BBQ Shack shook up the Athen's restaurant scene earlier this year when Sean, the owner, opened his BBQ pit in a small nondescript mall on East State Street.

You can tell when you come across someone that's just finished a lunch or dinner there. There is the typical dreamy look on their face with a relaxed smile. Usually the first thing they'll say is 'I just ate at Kiser's' with a little rub of their belly. The restaurant is full of happy patrons so I hope you can find a seat!

Seriously, I've had most of the BBQ meats on the menu. I think the only thing I haven't had is the brisket. The only reason why I've not had the brisket is Sean likes to tease us Athenians and only serves the brisket on Wednesday and Sundays. I've just not been fortunate enough to make it there on one of those days of the week. I think this Wednesday I'm going to have fix that.

The pulled pork is so amazing moist. The chicken wings are fall of the bone good of smoky chicken happiness. Kiser's has a few different sauces but my favorite is the Caroline sauce. It's a vinegar based sauce that wakes up all the pork goodness.

I haven't even mentioned the coleslaw. My Hub and I are kind of coleslaw afficianados. We honeymooned up in Maine which serves up a coleslaw that's creamy thick and sweet. Not a fav of mine. Kiser's coleslaw is so fresh. It has the perfect crunchy tanginess. The fries are all handcut and I've heard the beans are out of this world but haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Smoked Teriyaki Salmon

2009-12-17T12:16:00.002-05:00

This salmon recipe started with my sister. Years ago while visiting her in Florida she made a delicious salmon with a teriyaki glaze. I remember my husband went crazy for it. I can't remember exactly how she cooked the salmon but she either grilled or baked it. I wanted something a little different so I decided it would be pretty tasty if I smoked the salmon using my indoor smoker with the teriyaki glaze on top while it smoked.

The salmon turned out wonderfully moist with a sweet/salty taste from the teriyaki. For the teriyaki glaze recipe, see my previous post on 'Steamed Halibut with a Teriyaki Glaze'

Smoked Teriyaki Salmon
1 1/4 pound of fresh salmon
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/2 cup of teriyaki glaze
2 green onion sliced thin
1/2 cup of Cherry smoking chips

Marinate the salmon in the vinegar for 15 minutes.

Prepare your smoker. Place the smoking chips in the bottom of the main pan. Cover the small pan that sets into the main pan with tin foil to catch the drippings. Place the rack on top of this pan.

Once the fish has marinated, place the salmon on the rack. Spread the teriyaki glaze over the salmon fillet and sprinkle half of the onion slices over top the fillet. My salmon was quite thick so I covered the smoking pan with a large enough piece of tin foil to ensure that I could get a good seal all the way around so that no smoke would escape. If you have a thinner fillet just slide the lid that came with the smoker over it the way you would normally. Cook on the stovetop on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Again, I had a thick cut fillet. If your fillet is thinner you may want to check on it in 15 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes. Sprinkle the remaining fresh green onion slices over the salmon. Cut the 1 1/4 pound piece into 4 pieces and serve.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

2009-12-16T20:57:00.003-05:00

After a long weekend vacation, during which we consumed a lot of wonderful food heavy in calories, I couldn't wait to get a veggie fix. I combined ginger julienne slivers and garlic slices. The end product was extremely flavorful and well balanced.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

2 cups of broccoli tops cut in medium sized pieces
1 inch cube of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the broccoli and 1 tbsp of salt, cook, blanching the broccoli for about 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. This technique will help you retain the beautiful green of the broccoli without overcooking.

Heat a wok with the canola oil. Once the wok and oil comes to a smoking point, add the broccoli. Stir the broccoli immediately. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, and red pepper. Stir fry for about 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce, stir and serve.

Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island

2009-12-15T13:34:00.000-05:00

Sullivan's Island in South Carolina is by far our favorite vacation spot. We rent a house on the ocean. This time the house we rented is absolutely spectacular. Sullivan's Island gives you the best of both worlds. You have the ocean to enjoy but you also have the proximity of the big city, Charleston.

Poe's is a wonderful bar grill with great food. I've never had a bad meal there. It's fun in the warmer months because you can sit at the bar inside or outside.

This time we came with friends and family to watch the football game. My aunt ordered a burger and I ordered fish tacos. They looked so good we decided to share. It was way too much food but it was absolutely delicious.

The burger was topped with a wonderfully creamy blue cheese and buffalo shrimp. The fish taco had a citrus marinated mahi mahi fish with shredded cabbage. If you're ever in the neighborhood check it out, you won't be disappointed!

Black Bean Soup

2009-12-14T07:01:00.000-05:00

The cold weather we are getting calls for a warming soup to keep our souls warm. Black bean soup is that hearty dish that everyone will go back for seconds.

Black Bean Soup
1 pound bacon - cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion - diced
5 celery ribs - diced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
4 16-ou cans of black beans - rinsed and drained
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup picked jalapeno
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Saute the bacon until it is crisp in the olive oil. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and celery to the bacon grease. Saute for about 7 minutes. Add in teh cumin, chili powder, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Saute for a few minutes. Add the beans and stock. Simmer for about an hour. When you are ready to serve, add the jalapeno, cilantro, and the cooked bacon to the stock.

Olive Puff Pastry Spirals

2009-12-13T07:54:00.005-05:00

This makes the perfect quick and easy snack. I always have olives from the olive bar in our fridge. This inspired me to figure a way to incorporate the olives in an appetizer.
Olive Puff Pastry Spirals

1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
8 ounces sliced sopresseta
1/2 cup olive (variety) - chopped
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese - shredded
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Unfold the sheet of puff pastry. Chop the olives. With a spatula sprinkle spread the mustard across the pastry lengthwise. Line the slices of sopresetta lengthwise along 1/2 of the puff pastry. Sprinkle the olives and Gruyere cheese over the sopresseta.

On the side of the pastry sheet that has the olives and cheese start rolling the pasty up slowly. You will end up with a long roll of filled pastry dough. With a serrated knife cut 1/2 inch pieces.

Place the spirals flat on baking sheet. Cook for about 7 minutes.