A New York Foodie

Sweet Potato Cakes with Black bean and Corn Salsa

2011-12-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a really long time since I posted. During the past year I have had some personal challenges going on in my life so I was not very interested in posting on this blog. My camera also decided to break, well actually I think it's the memory card so I will be buying a new one. My husband took this picture with his I-phone. Not as good as a regular digital camera but it will do. I hope to be posting more recipes on a semi regular basis once I get my camera back in working order.

Anyway, on to the recipe. I found this recipe while I was looking for some Latin recipes. My favorite foods are still Latin and Asian. I never thought that Latin food involved sweet potatoes but this recipe looked really wonderful. I found it at The Yuca Diaries I think you will enjoy it as much as myself and my family did.

Sweet Potato Cakes with Black bean and Corn Salsa and garlic cream

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the sweet potato cakes:

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

2 eggs

1 cups flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

4 tbsp. butter (I used canola oil)

1 green onion stalk, sliced into thin rounds

1 pinch cumin

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

salt to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees/ Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Next add the mashed sweet potato to a deep mixing bowl. Next add in the eggs, butter and green onions. Combine all of the wet ingredients, before adding in the dry ingredients. Once all of the ingredients are in the same bowl, combine well, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place a dollop of the mix onto the surface of the cookie sheet- it should look like the size of a lemon (in diameter). Flatten them down a little with your spatula and bake for 25-30 minutes.

For the salsa:

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup corn kernels, thawed

5 strips turkey bacon, diced (I left this out as I didn't have any)

1/4 cup red onion finely diced

1 tomato cubed

1 stalk green onion, plus more for garnish

1-3 garlic cloves, grated

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/8 tsp. cumin

salt to taste

Add the corn, tomatoes, black beans, onions, garlic and green onions into a bowl. Cook the bacon in the oven at 400 degrees until it is crispy. Slice the bacon into thin pieces and add to the bowl. Next add in the lime juice, olive oil, black pepper, cumin and salt and combine every thing well.

For the garlic cream:

2 tbsp light mayo

2 tbsp. light sour cream

1 garlic clove grated

1 tsp. fresh lime juice

salt to taste

Combine all of the ingredients well. Making sure to remove any lumps- you want a velvety smooth cream.

Enjoy!

Chinese Orange Chicken

2010-11-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

I love Chinese orange chicken and I decided to make it since my older son is home from the university for Thanksgiving weekend and he loves Chinese food. I found a recipe online that didn't look too difficult to make even though it has a lot of ingredients. Although it was very time consuming so only make it when you have a lot of time to spare. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Chinese Orange Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups oil for frying
1 cup cornstarch (for coating chicken)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Some chopped green onion for topping

For the Marinade:

1 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
A few drops sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
A few drops sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced (can use powdered)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt to taste

Directions

Marinate Chicken

Combine the ingredients for the marinade.
Add chicken and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make Sauce

In a small to medium sized pot add chicken broth, a few drops of sesame oil, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.
Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes.
Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger and garlic
Stir in cornstarch and water mixture until sauce thickens, then season with salt to taste.
Check sauce for the desired thickness. If it is too runny for you then you can add a bit more corn starch and water.
Set sauce aside and keep warm.

Cook Chicken

Take chicken out of marinade, shaking off the excess and toss cubes in the 1 cup cornstarch.
Shake off excess cornstarch and place on a plate.
Heat up the 3 cups oil in a pot or wok.
When oil just begins to smoke, add the first batch of chicken cubes and deep-fry until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
Reheat orange sauce and add fried chicken cubes.
Mix until well-coated.
Place the chicken servings on two plates and sprinkle sesame seeds and green onion on top.
Serve with side of white rice and vegetables

Enjoy!

Bruschetta

2010-08-23T12:24:00.000-04:00

Bruschetta

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Italian semolina bread sliced into 1" slices

6 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 clove of garlic

1 tbsp. chopped shallots

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

splash balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (approx 200 degrees Celsius). Slice the bread into 1" slices and lay out on a sheet pan. Place the bread in the oven for 5 minutes per side. Rub the raw garlic on one side of the bread. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, basil, shallots, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the bread slices and serve.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Cakes with a Grain Mustard Remoulade

2010-08-21T11:34:00.000-04:00

I was watching Robin Miller the other day on Quick Fix and she was making these shrimp cakes that looked really great so I tried them last night. They weren't difficult to make at all and they tasted really good.

Shrimp Cakes with a Grain Mustard Remoulade

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Olive oil
Cooked shrimp, about 2 lbs*
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons seasoned dry bread crumbs (more if needed)
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grain mustard remoulade:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grain mustard

* I just sauteed the shrimp with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, about 3 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper and some paprika and then I took the mixture and put it in a food processor as I thought it would be easier to shape into cakes.

Directions

Heat nonstick skillet with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and set over medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, with a spoon, combine shrimp, mayonnaise, egg, bread crumbs, chives, salt, and black pepper. Mix well and shape mixture into 4 cakes, each about 1-inch thick.
Place cakes in skillet and cook 3 minutes per side, flipping with a spatula, until cooked through and browned. Remove.
While cakes are cooking, in a small bowl, with a spoon, combine mayonnaise and grain mustard. Mix well. Serve shrimp cakes with remoulade spooned over top.

Enjoy!

Arroz con Leche (literally translates to Rice with Milk but this basically is Mexican Rice Pudding)

2010-08-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

I was watching Mexican Made Easy the other day with Marcela Valladolid and she was making Mexican rice pudding that looked so good. It is made with three different types of milk; whole milk, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Needless to say, it is extremely rich and creamy and delicious.

Arroz con Leche

Serves 4

Ingredients

7 cups water
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup golden raisins
Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Directions

Put the water, rice, and cinnamon stick in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and cook until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Strain out the liquid, discard the cinnamon and reserve the rice. Return the rice to the saucepan. Stir in the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick, about 20 minutes. Add the raisins, and stir well. Transfer the pudding to a serving bowl. Dust the top of the pudding with ground cinnamon and serve.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Grilled Potato Packets

2010-08-09T19:15:00.003-04:00

I got this recipe from Pam of Sidewalk Shoes and they looked really easy and really good and they are. I served them with my Tuscan Lemon chicken and an Arugula, red onion and mango salad.

Rosemary Grilled Potato Packets

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 large potatoes sliced thin (I left the skin on)

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

Lay the slices of potatoes on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and lay a rosemary sprig on top. Close up the packet and grill for 30 minutes (15 minutes per side)...and that's it....real simple!

Enjoy!

Asian Lettuce Cups

2010-08-07T20:30:00.000-04:00

I was looking through the new issue of Cooking Light Magazine and I came across this recipe that looked really good and easy to make so I figured I would try it. I changed it around a little bit. You can make it with ground beef as well or even ground pork would work well....whatever ground meat product you have in your freezer is fine.

Asian Lettuce Cups

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 cups coarsely chopped shiitake mushroom caps (about 1/2 pound)(I used regular mushrooms)
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
12 Boston lettuce leaves
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)(I used sweet chili sauce which is a little bit hot but more on the sweeter side)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Place mushrooms in a large bowl. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic, and ginger to pan; cook 6 minutes or until turkey is browned, stirring to crumble. Add a bit of soy sauce...about 1-2 tsp. Add mushrooms, green onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the turkey mixture and add a bit more soy sauce. Stir.

2. Combine hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spoon a couple tablespoons of the turkey mixture into each lettuce leaf. Serve sauce with lettuce cups.

Enjoy!

BBQ Burger with Chipolte mayonnaise

2010-08-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

I was going through an old issue of Food Network magazine and I saw a recipe for chipolte mayonnaise that looked really good to put on top of my burgers. I usually don't have my burgers with anything but a bit of salt and then I bbq them but tonight I mixed into 2 lbs. ground beef some salt, pepper, about a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup of bbq sauce. Topped them with the chipolte mayonnaise, red onion, tomatoes, and some cilantro.

BBQ Burger with Chipolte Mayonnaise

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonaise

1 chipolte pepper in adobo sauce, minced and seeds removed (you can leave them in if you want but it will be real hot)

splash of lemon juice

Enjoy!

BBQ Maple rubbed chicken tenders

2010-08-05T14:38:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a real quick dinner last night so I just took some McCormick Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple seasoning and rubbed it on some chicken tenders and then grilled them. They came out great and were really easy to make.

BBQ Maple Rubbed Chicken Tenders

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 lbs. of boneless skinless chicken tenders

1/2 jar of Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple seasoning

Directions

Rub seasoning on both sides of the chicken tenders and grill for approximately 3 minutes per side or until done.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Curry with Peanut Dipping Sauce

2010-08-02T19:35:00.003-04:00

I was watching Robin Miller the other day and she was making this chicken curry and it looked really good. It was very good. The chicken was moist and tender and very flavorful. The peanut sauce was really good as well. This recipe can definitely be cut in half as it makes a lot.

Grilled Chicken Curry with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Serves 5

Ingredients

For grilled chicken curry:
Cooking spray
5 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each(not pictured)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Olive or canola oil, as needed to loosen

For peanut dipping sauce:
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Heat a stove-top grill pan or griddle with cooking spray to medium-high heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and olive oil, as needed to loosen mixture. Mix well with a spoon and brush mixture all over both sides of chicken. Place chicken on hot pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from heat and place on plate.

For the dipping sauce:
While the chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, peanut butter, lime juice, and sugar. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Enjoy!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

2010-08-01T10:22:00.000-04:00

This dish comes from Ina Garten but I changed it around a bit. It was really good with lots of flavor. The longer you marinate it, the better it will be. I will definitely be making it again.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken cut into pieces
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

salt
1 lemon, halved

Ingredients

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.
Prepare gas or charcoal grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the grilled lemon halves.

Enjoy!

Mango, Jicama and Radish Salad with Peanut Dressing

2010-07-28T08:07:00.000-04:00

I was watching Simply Delicioso the other day on The Cooking Channel and Ingrid was making a salad with Jicama. I have heard of it but never had it. It is sometimes referred to as a Mexican apple as it has the crunchiness and texture on an apple. It is very difficult to peel it though and I had to actually cut off chunks of it. I figured I would try it and the peanut dressing looked really good. I left out the radishes in my salad though.

Mango, Jicama and Radish Salad with Peanut Dressing

4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (I used dark)
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Salt
8 large radishes, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise(didn't use)
6 cups mixed baby greens, washed and dried
1 large or 2 small mangoes, peeled, fruit cut off the seed and cubed
2 cups peeled and cubed jicama (cut into about 1/2-inch cubes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (not pictured)

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk the peanut butter and lime juice until smooth. Add the brown sugar, vegetable oil and some salt and whisk until combined. Add enough water to thin the sauce and give it a dressing-like consistency, about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Place the radishes, greens, mangoes, jicama and cilantro in a large bowl and toss together.
Drizzle with the dressing, toss using tongs to coat and serve.

Enjoy!

Veracruz-Style Tilapia ("Pescado A La Veracruzana")

2010-07-27T15:16:00.000-04:00

Tonight we are traveling to Mexico to the state of Veracruz which is on the southeastern part of the country right by the Gulf of Mexico so fresh seafood is abundant there. This recipe supposedly comes from that area. I, however, got this recipe from Marcela Valladolid of The Food Network
I took a picture of the whole pan because the fish falls apart very easily so I didn't want to move it because it would have gotten messed up. I will just warm it up when we eat.

Veracruz-Style Tilapia ("Pescado A La Veracruzana")

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets or other white fish fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with juice
1 Anaheim chile, stemmed, seeded and cut into thin strips (I left this out as I used the tomatoes with the chilis already in them)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup pitted and halved green olives
1/4 cup capers, drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish fillets on both sides with salt and black pepper, to taste. Saute the fillets until they are opaque and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a glass baking dish where they fit snugly.
In the same saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Anaheim chile, bay leaf and oregano and bring the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and let the sauce simmer until the chilies soften, about 6 minutes. Uncover the pan, add the olives and capers, and cook until the flavors combine, about 4 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
Pour the sauce over the fish in the baking dish. Bake until the fish is heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, discard the bay leaf and serve.

Enjoy!

Potato Salad with a Horseradish Mustard Dressing

2010-07-26T15:45:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from Bobby Flay of The Food Network The original recipe calls for 16 lobster claws which I won't be using so I am just basically using his dressing for the potatoes as it sounded really good. I love potato salad and I am trying to find new ways to make it.

Potato Salad with a Horseradish Mustard Dressing

Serves 8

Ingredients

5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (I used both gold and red)

1 1/2 cups good-quality prepared mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
1/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green part
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (I used cilantro as I don't care much for tarragon)(not pictured)

Directions

Place potatoes in a large pot of salted cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until just cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes, but varies based on size of potatoes. Drain, let cool slightly, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place potatoes in a large bowl.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, vinegar, and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatos and stir gently until combined. Fold in the scallions and tarragon or cilantro and re-season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad

2010-07-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a grain originally planted by the Incas who held the crop as sacred. It has an extremely high protein content and a good source of fiber as well so it's very good for you. It goes wonderful in salads as you will see from my golden sunshine salad which I got from Ingrid Hoffmann. This recipe is actually Bolivian.

Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups quinoa
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned low-sodium broth
4 scallions, light and white green part only, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped golden raisins (I used regular)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice from 2 oranges
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. When done fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

Place the cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Add the scallions, raisins, rice vinegar, orange juice and zest, olive oil, cumin, cucumber and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, then serve.

Enjoy!

5 Spice Grilled Chicken Thighs with a Blackberry Glaze

2010-07-24T13:50:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a blackberry chicken recipe. I like blackberries and always thought that the flavors would go really well with chicken. So I was looking on My Recipes and found a really easy one that uses blackberry preserves and Chinese 5 Spice powder. If you never had Chinese 5 Spice powder give it a try. It's made up of different things such as: cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise which gives it that licorice flavor and yet I still like the way the powder tastes...LOL!! Mixed with the other spices it just works really well. It also has a tiny bit of heat as there are some ground up Szechuan peppercorns in it as well.

5 Spice Grilled Chicken Thighs with a Blackberry Glaze

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (3-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar-free seedless blackberry jam (such as Smucker's)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon water
3/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
Fresh blackberries (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook chicken 6 minutes on each side or until done.
3. While chicken grills, combine jam and next 3 ingredients in a nonstick skillet. Simmer over medium-low heat 8 minutes or until glaze is reduced to 1/2 cup. Drizzle glaze evenly over chicken; garnish with blackberries, if desired. Serve immediately.

Chipolte Meatloaf

2010-07-21T19:45:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a meatloaf recipe and I remembered that there was a good Tex Mex one in my Cooking Light cookbook I served this with my BBQ Succotash and a salad of arugula, fennel, red onion and tomatoes with a light lemon vinaigrette.

Chipolte Meatloaf

Serves 5

Ingredients

1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, depending upon how hot you like it. I used two and it was VERY hot, so next time I will just use one
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey or beef (not pictured)
Cooking spray

TOPPING:
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare meat loaf, chop the chiles. Combine chile, adobo sauce, onion, and next 14 ingredients (through ground turkey breast) in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Place turkey mixture in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes.

To prepare topping, combine 1/4 cup tomato sauce, ketchup, and hot sauce in a small bowl; brush mixture evenly over meat loaf. Cover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Black Bean and Vegetable Stuffed Poblano Peppers

2010-07-20T18:14:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from Pam at For the Love of Cooking. I made mine into a casserole though. They are filled with all sorts of healthy veggies and Mexican cheeses.

Black Bean and Vegetable Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 poblano peppers
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of cojita cheese
1/ cup of orange and yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 small sweet yellow onion, diced
1 cup of frozen sweet yellow corn, thawed
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 large handful of grape tomatoes, sliced
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2 tsp of cumin
Dash of oregano

Directions

Combine the black beans, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, all but 2 tbsp of cojita cheese, oregano, cumin, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Clean the poblano peppers and carefully slit them down the center (be careful not to go all the way through the pepper). Gently remove the seeds from the inside of the pepper. Line a baking sheet with tin foil then place the pepper on top.
Broil until peppers are blackened on all sides. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool for 10 minutes. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the blackened skin VERY CAREFULLY.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a glass Pyrex dish with olive oil cooking spray. Place the roasted peppers in the dish. Carefully stuff each pepper with the black bean mixture. Top each pepper with the remaining cheese.
Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Serve with guacamole and fresh salsa.

Enjoy!

Domino Brownies

2010-07-18T17:23:00.000-04:00

Another recipe from Ingrid Hoffmann....what a surprise....LOL!!! These looked really good when I was watching her show, so since I had a box of Brownie mix in the house I decided to make them.....and how can anything with chocolate be bad. These brownies have a Latin flair as they are made with espresso and chili powder as well as some cinnamon. Again, I'm sorry for the quality of the photos....I will have my camera back tomorrow evening!! The frosting doesn't look like I wanted it to, but the brownies themselves taste absolutely amazing!!

Domino Brownies

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 box brownie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

ICING:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
*1 large egg white(not shown)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the brownie batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the brownie mix, oil, milk, and eggs. Beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed until well combined and the batter is smooth. Sprinkle in the espresso powder, chili, powder, and cinnamon. Beat for another minute to evenly distribute.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan completely.
Combine the confectioners' sugar, egg white, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Beat with the electric mixer on medium speed until it is very fluffy and the consistency of meringue. This will take about 5 minutes. Put the icing into a disposable plastic bag or use a pastry bag with a fine tip. Carefully cut off a tiny piece of the corner, making a tiny hole.
Once completely cool, cut the brownies into domino-size pieces, about 1 by 2-inches. Lay the brownies in a domino game pattern on a serving platter. Carefully, pipe small white dots and a line across the middle of the brownie so they look like domino pieces.

Enjoy!

Arugula, Avocado and Fennel Salad

2010-07-16T20:53:00.000-04:00

Again, another recipe from Ingrid Hoffmann. This is a very light salad that went perfectly with my Arroz con Pollo. I don't know if this is really a Latin salad but it was real good so give it a try as the flavors go really well together. Fennel can taste a little bit like licorice and as most of you know, that is one food that I don't like but the fennel had a more sweet and fresh flavor. It definitely didn't taste like black licorice. For those of you located in the UK and Europe; arugula is also called rocket lettuce. It was really a delicious salad paired with my Arroz con Pollo. I think you will like it as well

Arugula, Avocado and Fennel Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium Hass avocados
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1 fennel bulb, fronds and outer layer removed, cored and very thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 cups arugula, washed, dried, and any long or tough stems removed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Using a knife halve the avocado, remove the pit, then slice. Place the slices in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and toss gently with a rubber spatula to coat. Add the fennel, the onions and the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and gently toss together.
Place the arugula leaves, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the avocados and fennel and toss together. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

2010-07-16T16:13:00.000-04:00

I have been on a Latin kick lately as I just love all the flavors of Latin cuisine. This is another recipe from Ingrid Hoffmann's book Simply Delicioso. I'm sorry that the pictures aren't good quality but my son is away for the weekend and borrowed my camera so I'm taking these pictures from my cell.

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8 serving pieces(not pictured)

1 medium yellow onion, quartered, plus 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned low-sodium broth
1 cup light beer, such as lager
3 tablespoons Adobo seasoning...found in the International aisle of most supermarkets. I use Goya brand
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 cups white rice
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 medium carrots, finely diced
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and quartered (I used frozen)
1 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, ribbed and thinly sliced(I used a whole red and green pepper for the sofrito)
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, ribbed and thinly sliced
1 cup pimento stuffed olives

Directions

Place the chicken, quartered onions, 1 cup of chicken broth, beer, Delicioso Adobo, Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 of the cilantro, and garlic in a large pot or skillet over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool; once cool shred and set aside. Strain the broth into a bowl through a fine-mesh sieve discarding the onion pieces.

Pour the broth into a measuring cup and add water to make 4 cups of liquid. Return it to the pot or skillet and add the rice, peas, carrots, green beans, ketchup, and salt. Stir well and bring to a boil. Let the liquid evaporate to just below the level of the rice, about 10 minutes, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and fully cooked, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and the remaining sliced onions and cook until they're tender, 8 minutes. Shred the cooked chicken meat discarding the skin and bones, and add the chicken to the vegetables. Cook until it is heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and add the chicken and vegetables to the rice mixture. Stir in the olives, sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve.

Enjoy!

Cumin Grilled Pork Chops

2010-07-14T11:30:00.003-04:00

When I first saw this recipe I didn't think the flavors would go well together as this is a Latin dish and it calls for a half cup of soy sauce. To me soy sauce is used in Asian cooking but since I am always open to trying new recipes with all sorts of different flavors except if it has liver, lamb and black licorice in it...LOL!!!, I decided to try it. While I was mixing the marinade it smelled really good so soy sauce does go with cinnamon and cloves. I got this recipe from Ingrid Hoffman at The Food Network I paired this with my Coconut Rice also from Ingrid Hoffmann

Cumin Grilled Pork Chops

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 1-inch thick pork loin chops (not pictured)

Directions

Whisk the soy sauce with the cumin, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the soy sauce mixture and then transfer all of it to a food processor and pulse until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Reserve some marinade

Place the pork chops in a large ziploc bag and marinate for at least an hour. The longer the better.

Grill on medium for about 8-10 minutes per side. Baste with the reserved marinade. I served this with my Coconut Rice also from Ingrid Hoffmann.

Enjoy!

New Potato Salad

2010-07-12T16:37:00.004-04:00

Ina Garten is one of my favorite chef's on the Food Network and I came across a recipe for a great potato salad made with red potatoes which I love. It's a perfect side dish for a hot day or any day for that matter.

New Potato Salad

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 pounds small red potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup good mayonnaise
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar (not pictured)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (I used dried, about 2 tbsp)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing.) Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Sauce

2010-07-10T11:32:00.000-04:00

I was going through my Bon Appetit magazine and saw a great recipe for a Chipolte Cherry Barbecue sauce that sounded really good. I decided to make it and I'm really glad that I did as it tastes great. It would be wonderful with any meat or fish. You can taste all the flavors of the cherry preserves, the chilies, the lemon juice. These flavors really go quite well together.

Chipotle-Cherry Barbecue Sauce

Makes 2 cups

Directions

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cherry preserves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses (I used honey)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (not pictured)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Bring ketchup, cherry preserves, lemon juice, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon peel, chiles, adobo sauce, liquid smoke, onion powder, and cocoa powder to simmer in medium saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.DO AHEAD Sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Chicken Salad

2010-07-09T19:33:00.000-04:00

For the past 5 or so days New York has been in a terrible heat wave. On Tuesday the temperatures in Central Park got up to 103 degrees. We haven't seen temperatures this hot in over a decade. New York in the summer can be very hot but this was ridiculous. Not only did it effect New York, but most of the east coast including Boston, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia. The whole northeast corridor was under a terrible heat warning. A lot of people lost power and some people died, so it was very bad. Today the temperature cooled down to 88 degrees...Wow a cold front!! LOL!!! But the humidity is horrible. Even though I love to cook I just didn't feel like cooking in such heat even with the air conditioner. I also didn't feel like standing outside and grilling in the heat. So the perfect summer meals are salads. They are light and don't require much preparation. I was going through my Bon Appetit magazine and came across an interesting chicken salad recipe. It really was from an advertisement for Newman's Own Salad Dressing. It seemed easy and a perfect dinner during this heat wave. The only difference is that I didn't make my own chicken, I bought a ready made Rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.

Raspberry Chicken Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, skinned
salt and pepper
2 bags prepared mixed greens
1½ cups Newman’s Own® Lighten Up® Raspberry & Walnut Salad Dressing or any other Raspberry Walnut Salad Dressing
orange and grapefruit sections from either a can or a jar (keep it simple and easy)
2 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
red raspberries

Directions

From a store bought, ready made chicken remove the breasts and take the skin off. Slice into 1/2 inch slices
Rinse and dry mixed lettuces and place in a large bowl along with green onion. Lightly dress with Raspberry & Walnut Salad Dressing, and arrange lettuces on dinner plates.
Arrange orange and grapefruit sections, avocado and onion slices, and chicken on top of lettuce. Drizzle additional salad dressing to taste.
Garnish with fresh raspberries

Of course you can make your own chicken if you want and use your own flavorings on it. It's just so much easier with a store bought chicken and I am a big advocate on EASY....LOL!!

Enjoy!

Shrimp with Charred Lemon and Zucchini

2010-07-05T19:43:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone who celebrates, had a great 4th of July weekend!! For the past 2 days it's been unbearably hot here in NYC...with temps in the upper 90s and heat indexes over 100 and it's not supposed to cool down to the 80's until at least Saturday. Hmmmm the 80s is cool...LOL!!!! It's too hot to even stand out and bbq anything but I found a recipe from the Food Network magazine that only takes about 14 minutes under the broiler so that won't make too much extra heat.

Shrimp with Charred Lemon and Zucchini

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 lbs of large shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tails left on

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. grated peeled ginger

1 tsp. paprika

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 medium to large zucchini cut into 2 1/2 by 1/2 inch sticks

1/4 cup chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat broiler. Whisk 1/2 cup olive oil, ginger, paprika, 2 tsp. salt and pepper to taste in a glass bowl. Add half of the dressing to the shrimp and toss to combine. Add the lemon slices to the zucchini and add the dressing and toss to combine. Spread the zucchini on a large foil lined baking sheet. Broil until the lemon and zucchini begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shrimp and broil until pink, about 3 minutes. Turn the shrimp, lemon and zucchini and broil 3 to 4 more minutes.

Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the parsley and a pinch of salt and a small bowl. Divide the shrimp, lemon and zucchini among plates and drizzle with the parsley oil.

Enjoy!

Three Pea Stir Fry

2010-07-03T12:07:00.000-04:00

Wow it's been a while since I posted. My son was away for a few days and borrowed my camera plus I haven't really made anything worth posting. I hope everyone has a very happy and safe 4th of July!!

I really love vegetables so I came across this one from Jaden Hair's book The Steamy Kitchen. Mine was really a two pea stir fry...LOL!!

Three Pea Stir Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 lb. sugar snap peas

1/2 lb. snow peas

1/2 lb. fresh or frozen peas (thawed) (I only used the regular peas and the snow peas)

1 tsp. high heat cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. sesame seeds

1 tsp. sesame oil

Directions

Set a wok or large frying pan over med-high heat. When hot, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar snap peas and fry for 30 seconds. Add the snow peas and the regular peas and fry for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce and sugar. Toss and cook until the peas are tender crisp or to your liking, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and drizzle with the sesame oil.

Enjoy!

Chili Glazed Chicken Wings

2010-06-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

I was looking for an easy bbq chicken wing recipe and I found it in my grilling magazine. It was easy and really good and it went perfect with my Southwestern Potato Salad.

Chili Glazed Chicken Wings

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken drumettes or wings

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. chili sauce

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

For the marinade, in a small bowl, combine, oil, soy sauce, honey, chili sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, crushed pepper and salt and pepper. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chicken and reserve marinade.

Grill on medium-low heat for about 40 minutes or until chicken is done and no longer pink basting with reserved marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Enjoy!

Mesa Grill's Southwestern Potato Salad

2010-06-20T16:23:00.002-04:00

I was looking for a side dish to go with my Chili Glazed Chicken Wings and I wanted a potato salad but not the regular ordinary potato salad as I have had that so many times and it is rather boring. So I looked around and found Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill's Southwestern Potato Salad. Bobby Flay is the owner of Mesa Grill New York which is a Southwestern restaurant here in New York that is on my "to try" list. This potato salad will go perfect with my wings as it has all the great flavors of the American Southwest....Cilantro, Lime and chili powder.

Mesa Grill's Southwestern Potato Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 pounds new potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup prepared mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
Freshly ground black pepper
3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Directions

Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover by 1-inch with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes and drain well. Let cool slightly then slice into 1/4-inch thick pieces and add to a large serving bowl.

Stir together the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour the mixture over the warm potatoes and mix gently until combined, mashing the potatoes slightly. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste, before serving.

Enjoy!

Spanish Rice and Beans

2010-06-16T21:13:00.000-04:00

I am eventually going to be trying to make fusion recipes...Asian Fusion. Tonight I made some Asian dishes....I haven't posted them because I have posted them previously but I am posting a Spanish rice and bean recipe. This is an easy dish that feeds many and is real good...so give it a try. I got it from Ingrid Hoffmann at the Food Channel.

Spanish Rice and Beans

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsps. ground cumin
1 cups long-grain white rice
2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I used a combo of pink beans and kidney beans...you can use whatever combination you have on hand)
1 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles drained
1 cups water
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Stir in the onions, peppers, garlic, bay leaves and cumin. Stir and cook for 8 minutes.
Stir in the rice, black beans, tomatoes, water, vinegar and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Curried Fish with Peppers

2010-06-15T20:09:00.000-04:00

The original recipe called for Tilapia but I don't have any so I will be using Scrod. You can basically use any firm white fish. So let's imagine that you are heading over to Bangkok tonight with all the wonderful flavors and textures that Thai food is known for.

Curried Fish with Peppers

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), sliced (I used all red)

1 tablespoon Fish Sauce, or salt to taste

1 tablespoon Red Curry Paste

1-13.5 oz can Coconut Milk

Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat oil in large skillet over a medium high heat. Add onions and peppers. Stir fry until tender-crisp.
Add Fish Sauce and Curry Paste to vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, until Curry Paste is dissolved. Pour in Coconut Milk and bring to a boil.
Salt and pepper tilapia on both sides (to taste) and place in pan. Spoon vegetables and sauce on top of fish. Turn heat down to an active simmer. Cook 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Fish is done when it's opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork.
Serve immediately with lime and cilantro. This dish goes especially well with a side of Jasmine Rice or Rice Noodles.

Enjoy!

Mango Margarita

2010-06-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

I love margaritas and I especially love mango flavored ones. They are perfect for a summer day. Make up a big batch and have your friends over for a Mexican Party. Ole!

Mango Margarita

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients

6 oz. Margaritaville Mango margarita mix or any other mango margarita mix

2+ oz. Tequila

Directions

Mix ingredients with 1.5 cups of ice and pour into a glass (with or without ice)

Garnish with lime and/or slice fruit, as desired.

Enjoy!

Italian Eggplant Salad

2010-06-12T19:56:00.000-04:00

If you like eggplant, you are going to love this recipe. I have been making this for several years now. The amounts that I give are not exact as you will have to play around with it and taste it. When I first made this recipe I used 3 cloves of garlic....and that was way too much so I cut it down to one. Raw garlic is very strong so you only need a little bit. Of course, if you absolutely love lots of garlic then by all means put it in. Like I said, my amounts are just a guide. This also makes a wonderful dip for crackers.

Italian Eggplant Salad

Makes a lot

Ingredients

6 eggplants
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil (today I used fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Puncture eggplants with a fork, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until soft, turning occasionally. Cool, then peel and mash.
Add the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir and taste to see if it needs more of any of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Lemon, Garlic and Basil Slow Roasted Chicken

2010-06-12T19:51:00.000-04:00

I had a chicken in the freezer that I wanted to use up....seems I have a lot of things I want to use up lately...LOL!!! I got this recipe from Pam at For the Love of Cooking Another one of her great recipes. The chicken was very moist and flavorful and my family loved it.

Lemon, Garlic and Basil Slow Roasted Chicken

Serves 5

Ingredients

5 lb chicken
Juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 leaves of fresh basil, chopped (I used more cause I love basil)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced into large chunks
4-5 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Clean chicken and pat dry. Mix the lemon juice (reserving the lemon halves), minced garlic, chopped basil and olive oil in a bowl then rub evenly over the entire bird. Carefully, lift the skin over the breasts and rub the mixture directly on the breast meat. Place onion and garlic inside the cavity along with some extra basil leaves and the used lemon halves. Sprinkle more salt and pepper on top of the chicken.
Place chicken in a roasting pan.Roast uncovered for 3 1/2 - 4 hours until the juices run clear. Baste after 2 hours, every half hour. I turned up the heat to 350 for the last 45 mins of cooking so the skin would crisp up. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Enjoy!

Beef Stew

2010-06-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

I had some stew meat in the freezer that I wanted to use up so I got this recipe from my friend Mary from Scotland. Another great recipe that she gave me!! Serve this with mashed potatoes....preferably homemade!

Beef Stew

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 lbs. stew meat cut into chunks (I used chuck)

1/4-1/2 cup flour

2 tsp. smoked paprika

3 carrots, sliced thin

1 large leek, sliced

2 shallots, minced

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup red wine

2 beef stock cubes

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large ziplock bag add the flour, pakrika, salt and pepper. Add the meat to the bag and shake until coated. Add oil and butter to a large skillet and saute carrots, leeks and shallots until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and put into a casserole dish. Put coated beef into the skillet and cook until browned. Add beef to the vegetable mixture in the casserole dish, add stock cubes that were soaked in a small amount of boiling water to soften. Add the wine, bay leaves and parsley. Cover and cook for about 2 hours until beef is tender. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes

2010-06-08T19:42:00.000-04:00

I wanted something really easy tonight and sometimes I buy canned soup and make meals out of them. This recipe comes from the Campbell's Soup company. It was easy to make and very flavorful. I served it over mashed potatoes. You can serve it over noodles or even rice. Just be careful as it will splatter all over the stove while cooking.

Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 shallot finely chopped (if you don't have a shallot, use a small onion)

1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cambell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (regular or fat free) or any other type of canned Cream of Mushroom soup

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Heat 2 tbsp oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook 10 mins or until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from the skillet.
Heat remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add shallots or onions and cook and stir 2 mins. Stir soup, water, tomatoes, vinegar and basil in skillet.
Return chicken to skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 mins or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and sauce over either mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. Sprinkle with cheese and thinly sliced basil, if desired.

Enjoy!

Pork tenderloin with a Smoky Barbecue Marinade

2010-06-04T20:24:00.000-04:00

I found this marinade recipe in my grilling magazine and it says it's for chicken but it can definitely be used for pork or even beef. It's really quick and easy to do.

Pork tenderloin with a Smoky Barbecue Marinade

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup

juice from 2 lemons

4 tbsp. cider vinegar

2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions

Mix everything in a bowl and pour over the pork in a zip lock bag....marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, turning occasionally. BBQ pork until no longer pink inside, turning once on the bbq. Let meat rest for 10 mins under foil and then slice. If you want to use the marinade on the side, make sure you boil it for 10 minutes on top of the stove first.

Enjoy!

Easy Sticky Buns

2010-06-01T20:54:00.000-04:00

The other day I was watching the Food Network. (So what else is new...LOL!!) I was watching the Barefoot Contessa, a show that I love cause I think Ina Garten is really great and I have made many of her recipes. She was making easy sticky buns and I thought well I could do that. They really were easy as I am NOT a baker. I just changed the recipe around a bit as when I was reading the reviews on the food network, most everyone said to cut down the butter and turn down the temperature. Actually you can even cut down the butter more than what I did. Ina says to use 1 1/2 sticks, I used 1 stick but I think 3/4 of a stick would be plenty.

Easy Sticky Buns

Yields 12 sticky buns

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Cherry Coke Chicken Wings

2010-06-01T20:42:00.002-04:00

I got this recipe from one of my grilling magazines and it looked really good so I wanted to try it. I think from now on all I will be doing is grilling as the weather has been real hot for a while now.

Cherry Coke Chicken Wings

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 (12 oz) can Cherry Coke or other cherry cola

2 tbsp. chopped ginger

1/4 cup cherry preserves

24 chicken drummettes (not pictured)

salt and pepper to taste in the marinade

Directions

For the marinade in a small saucepan, combine the cola, ginger, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Biol gently, uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1 cup. Cool slightly. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mixture to a small bowl, stir in preserves. Cover and chill until needed.

Place chicken in a zip lock bag, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Seal bag and marinate at least 2 hours, preferably more. Turning the bag occasionally....Drain chicken, discard the marinade.

Preheat grill. Grill on medium heat for 45 minutes, or until no longer pink, turning once. During the last 10 minutes of cooking brush with the remaining marinade.

**I made a separate batch as a dipping sauce but I put in a pinch of cornstarch to make it nice and thick. When you are making a slurry you need to take about a teaspoon of cornstarch and add it to about 1/4 cup of water, mix it up and then add it to boiling liquid. It must be boiling otherwise it won't thicken up.

Enjoy!

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T10:31:00.000-04:00

Today is Memorial Day, and most people have bbqs, parades and get togethers with family and friends. We all have lots of fun on this holiday but in actuality, it is not a happy holiday at all....it is to remember all the brave men and women who died for our country so we can live in freedom. Please take a moment to remember these brave heroes who gave you and I our freedom.

Asian Coleslaw

2010-05-30T19:27:00.000-04:00

I just made a bbq tonight with hamburgers and hot dogs. I bought a bag of coleslaw mix but instead of the old boring coleslaw, I thought that an Asian version would be great as I am on an Asian kick lately. I found this one at Simply Recipes and I changed it around a bit.

Asian Coleslaw

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
4 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (if seasoned rice vinegar is not available, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to regular rice vinegar)
1 16 oz. bag of coleslaw mix
1/4 cup peanuts

Directions

Prepare dressing. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl. Add the vegetable oil and the toasted sesame oil and whisk until nicely smooth. Whisk in the seasoned rice vinegar and do a taste test. Depending on how you like your dressing, how salty your peanut butter is, how seasoned your rice vinegar is, you may want to add a little more vinegar, a little more sugar, or a little salt. (Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing.)
In a large bowl, toss the sliced cabbage, grated carrots, and peanuts together, and any other optional ingredients you care to add (like a little chopped cilantro or green onions). Right before serving, mix in the dressing and the peanuts.

Enjoy!

Margarita Shrimp Salad

2010-05-28T19:19:00.000-04:00

The weather in New York has been really hot lately. Not typical for this time of year as it is still only May. We already have had two days in the lower 90s. Since it has been so hot, I don't like to put on the oven and it's even too hot to stand in front of a hot bbq so I think salads are perfect for this time of year. This one has shrimp and I absolutely love shrimp so I decided to try it. It has all really great summer ingredients and flavors.

Margarita Shrimp Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime zest(not pictured)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 large orange or red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 small red onion, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 cups romaine lettuce OR iceberg lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces(I added some arugula as well)
1 large tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Stir the lime juice, lime zest, garlic and the oil in a 2-quart shallow nonmetallic baking dish or a gallon sized resealable plastic bag. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, turning the shrimp over several times during marinating.

Add the shrimp and marinade to the saucepan and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Let cool for a few minutes. Divide the lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions and shrimp mixture among 4 serving plates. Sprinkle with the black pepper. Serve it with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette which comes from For the Love of Cooking

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar OR red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano

Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth...Let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2010-05-23T22:35:00.000-04:00

This is another Asian dish from Jaden Hair's book, "The Steamy Kitchen". It is a less fattening version as it is not fried. While this was really good, I don't know if I will make it again because when you are stir frying the chicken it makes a huge oily mess all over your stove and counter tops, plus it splattered at me....LOL!!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Serves 5

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks (not pictured)
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks (I used green peppers as that is what I had in the fridge)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions

In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.

Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust

2010-05-22T20:12:00.000-04:00

I was going through my refrigerator and I wanted to use up zucchini that I had so I found a great recipe also from Giada DeLaurentiis It went perfect with my grilled shrimp.

Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 small new potatoes (red or white, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/2 lengthwise (about 1-inch wide by 5 inches long)
Pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool. When cool, cut the potatoes in half.
Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary and let cook until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, season the cut sides of the zucchini and potatoes with salt and pepper. Carefully place the zucchini and potatoes cut side down in the melted butter. Let them cook until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the browed zucchini and potatoes on the baking sheet cut side up. Sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan. Place in the broiler until the cheese is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve.

Grilled Shrimp in Artichoke Tomato Broth

2010-05-22T20:02:00.000-04:00

I wanted to have shrimp tonight for dinner and I was looking at either Chinese or Italian cuisine. Since I had a Chinese curry last night, I decided on Italian and I chose Giada De Laurentiis' recipe. It's light and perfect for this time of year.

Grilled Shrimp in Artichoke Tomato Broth

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Cloves Mined garlic
2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary
3 Tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 Teaspoon Fine sea salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground black pepper
1 Pound Large shrimp, peeled and deveined. Or other fish
3 Tablespoons Olive oil (for broth)
2 Shallots, sliced into thin rounds
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Pound Frozen artichokes, thawed
1/2 Cup Dry white wine
1 1/2 Cups Low-sodium chicken broth
1 Can Diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1/2 Teaspoon Minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions

In a bowl, marinate shrimp in garlic, rosemary, oil, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours
• Broth: Heat in a medium saucepan, 3 tblsp oil and shallots over medium-high heat for one minute.
• Add in artichokes and garlic - 8-10 minutes.
• Add wine and scrape brown bits from bottom of pan.
• Add broth, tomatoes and their juices, thyme, salt and pepper. Boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• While broth is simmering. Grill shrimp. (1-2 minutes per side)
• Spoon broth into bowls and top with shrimp.

Chicken Curry

2010-05-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

When my friend Mary from Scotland came to visit me last year she brought me a curry mix. I never had curry before and when I tried it, I found it to be really good. This particular brand you can't get in the USA but it can be bought in the UK. I haven't seen anything similar as far as a powder mix but I believe there are bottled curries. This one is not Indian, it is Chinese style. It's really good and has just enough spice....definitely not like eating fire...LOL!! It was real good. I served it with a jasmine coconut rice and an Asian salad.

Chicken Curry

Serves 5

Ingredients

3 tbsp. Mayflower Medium curry mix or any other powder mix or Jar mix...for the jar mix you will need to follow the directions for that

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 onion, diced

1 cup frozen peas thawed

2-3 tbsp. peanut butter *this is what Mary does and it makes it taste really good

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

16 oz. water

Directions

Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan. Stir fry the chicken for three minutes or until no longer pink. Add the onion and peas and stir fry for another minute. Remove from the wok/pan and keep warm. Add water. Stir in the curry mix. Whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Add the peanut butter. Reintroduce the chicken, onions and peas. Lower the heat and simmer for two minutes. Stirring occasionally. Serve hot over rice, if desired.

Enjoy!

Bolognese Sauce

2010-05-18T23:08:00.000-04:00

This recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich's book called "Lidia's Italian American Kitchen". Lidia is one of my favorite chefs. I absolutely love her cookbook and have made many recipes from it. This sauce takes at least 2 hours to cook to get the full flavor of the meat. I cooked it for 2 1/2 hours. It's a real old fashioned Bolognese sauce that I think you will love. It's not very difficult to make at all.

Bolognese Sauce

Makes 6 cups

enough to dress about 1 1/2 lbs of dried pasta

Ingredients

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup)

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely shredded (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup minced celery

1 lb. ground beef (not pictured)

1 lb. ground pork (I used all beef)

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes

3 bay leaves

4 cups hot water or as needed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onions, carrots, and celery, season them lightly with salt and cook, stirring until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Crumble in the ground beef and pork and continue cooking, stirring to break up the meat until all the liquid the meat has given off is evaporated and the meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, toss in the bay leaves and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is dense but juicy and a rich, dark red color. (Most likely a noticeable layer of oil will float to the top toward thee end of cooking). This will take about 2 to 3 hours..the longer you cook it, the better it will become. While the sauce is cooking, add hot water as necessary to keep the meats and vegetables covered. The oil can be removed with a spoon and reincorporated into the sauce which is done traditionally.

*the sauce can be made the day before and skim the fat off the top.

Enjoy!

Get the most out of and into your freezer

2010-05-18T08:46:00.000-04:00

I was reading an article in Cooking Light magazine about getting the most out of your freezer. I know I have thrown out things in there cause of freezer burn and I'm sure you have as well. The trick is to pack everything correctly in the right containers and/or wraps. Unfortunately I don't have a big freezer. I have a freezer on the top and both the freezer and the fridge total only 18.2 cu. ft. Not a whole lot of space for someone who loves to cook. My dream fridge would be a professional brand such as Viking or Sub Zero with the french doors and the freezer on the bottom. Some day!!

Here are some tips that Cooking Light recommends.

1. Problem: Cartons of soups and other liquids hog space. Solution: Ladle room temperature liquids into double sealed plastic quart size freezer bags, leaving room in the bag to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes. Place the bags on a jelly roll pan (just in case something spills), and let them freeze flat until solid.

2. Problem: It's too crowded in there. Solution: Stackable square or rectangular plastic containers fit into corners. Round containers waste space.

3. Problem: Fresh fruit clumps together when frozen. Solution: Freeze fruit individually. Spread berries (and any other soft or squishy items-fruits or vegetables, meatballs, ravioli) in an even layer on a baking sheet, making sure none are touching. (Food freezes faster if there's cold air circulating around it). Once items are individually frozen, transfer them to a zip top freezer bag. If you're freezing an especially big batch and don't have much room in your freezer, work in batches.

4. Problem: Freezer burn. Solution: Wrap it right. Choose wraps and containers designed specifically for the freezer: coated freezer paper, thick plastic freezer wraps, double seal zip top freezer bags, and rigid plastic containers with lids that form an airtight seal. Freezer burn is a form of dehydration; air is the enemy. A thin bag or flimsy plastic won't cut it. If you're going to store meats for more than a month, you'll need to doubl wrap the original plastic wrapped trays.

5. Problem: Food turns to mush when defrosted. Solution: Frozen food, especially fruit, will almost always be softer when thawed. But slow freezing causes large ice crystals to form in foods, which makes for especially mush texture. To freeze faster, be sure your freezer is the correct temperature--0 degrees. Get an appliance thermometer and leave it in the freezer.

6. Problem: The power went out. How long will food stay frozen and safe? Solution: Food in a full freezer will be fine for up to 48 hours, according to the USDA food safety guidelines--as long as you don't raise the temperature by opening the door frequently. If your freezer is only half full, you have a 24 hour window of safety. (With less frozen solid stuff inside, the temperature climbs faster). What about foods in the fridge? They'll only last four hours without power. Back in the summer of 2006 there was a blackout in New York and most of the northeast. I lost power for about 24 hours and I didn't open my freezer and everything was frozen solid when the power came back on. The milk in the fridge spoiled so I had to get rid of that but everything else was ok. So if you lose power, just don't open the door and you will be fine.

Ginger Pineapple Fried Rice

2010-05-17T18:57:00.000-04:00

I love the way Pineapple Fried rice tastes and I found a real easy one at Simply Recipes It goes perfect with my Thai Thighs.

Ginger Pineapple Fried Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup cold Jasmine or Basmati rice cooked according to directions on the box and then cooled

3 Tbsp grapeseed, canola, peanut oil, or other high smoke-point oil
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh peeled ginger
5 scallions (white and pale green parts separated from greens), finely chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce (not pictured)
3/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) cored peeled fresh pineapple (labeled "extra sweet")(I used canned)
1 teaspoon dark Asian sesame oil

Directions

Heat a large (12-inch or more) heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When oil just begins to smoke, stir-fry ginger, white and pale green parts of scallions, and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp oil to the pan. Crumble rice into the pan and stir-fry until lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add the other tbsp of the soy sauce. Remove from heat, then add scallion greens, pineapple, and sesame oil, tossing to combine.

Enjoy!

Thai Thighs

2010-05-17T18:55:00.000-04:00

I found this recipe in a grilling magazine and since I absolutely love Thai and grilled foods, I decided to try it. All the ingredients go perfectly together and making them on the grill is for easy cleanup.

Thai Thighs

Serves 6

Ingredients

12 chicken thighs, skinless, boneless (not pictured)

2/3 cup snipped fresh basil

2/3 cup snipped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. brown sugar

12 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. fresh ginger

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 tsp. red curry paste

1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions

Place chicken in a resealable bag. For marinade, in a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the basil, 1/3 cup of the cilantro, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, oil and curry paste. Rub marinade over chicken. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chicken, scrape marinade from chicken and discard.

For a charcoal grill, arrange medium hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place chicken, meat sides down, on grill rack over drop pan. Cover and grill for about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (180F), turning once halfway through grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above.

Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the remaining 1/3 cup of basil, the remaining 1/3 cup cilantro and peanuts. Sprinkle the chicken with the mixture.

Enjoy!

My birthday dinner part 2

2010-05-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to an amazing restaurant called Giondos on the Water located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn right on the East River with fabulous views of Manhattan as you can see from my pictures. The service and food were outstanding and I highly recommend it for any special occasion.

Giondo on the Water

400 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

718-387-7000

Tso's Skinny Chicken

2010-05-12T19:57:00.000-04:00

I bought a jar of General Tso's sauce a while ago but today I thought that General Tso's chicken would go perfect with my cold noodles. Right on the bottle is a recipe for a low fat version of it so I changed the recipe around a bit and I think you will like it.

Tso's Skinny Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (not the thin sliced)(cut into 1 inch chunks)

1 bottle of Asian Gourmet or any other brand of General Tso's Dipping and Grilling Sauce

1 tbsp. canola or peanut oil (not pictured)
2 tsp. sesame oil (not pictured)
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
1 tsp. cilantro for garnish (not pictured)

Directions

Mix the chicken pieces with 1/2 cup of the sauce and refrigerate for about an hour, even more is ok. Heat oil in skillet, add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes, turning frequently until browned. Add one cup of the sauce and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Drizzle with the sesame oil. Serve over rice or noodles. Dip chicken into remaining sauce from the bottle.

Enjoy!

Cold Curry Peanut Noodles

2010-05-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

The new issue of Food Network magazine arrived and I was going through it and there are some really great recipes. I have had cold peanut noodles before but never with red curry paste.

*Disregard the fish sauce as I put it in the picture by mistake

Cold Curry Peanut Noodles

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients

12 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for sprinkling
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
Red pepper flakes or chili paste, for serving (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Shake off the excess water.
Meanwhile, puree the peanut butter, curry paste, vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Toss the spaghetti with the peanut sauce, scallions, cucumber and carrot in a large bowl until coated. Season with salt and stir in some of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce, if necessary. Put in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours. Transfer to bowls and top with more cilantro and pepper flakes, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

2010-05-08T18:32:00.000-04:00

Supposedly this soup is served at Italian weddings...I don't know how true that is as I have been to a couple of Italian weddings and didn't have this soup. I have made it once before and it's really delicious. This recipe comes from Ina Garten and as always her recipes are fabulous and not very difficult either.

*FYI: carrots, celery and onions AKA Mirepoix in French cooking terms

Italian Wedding Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken (I used more than it called for)
1/2 pound chicken or turkey sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving (I only used Parmesan)
3 tablespoons water
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill (not pictured)
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Casserole

2010-05-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to make a spinach casserole for a while now and I found one that is made with artichokes, cheese and breadcrumbs. I found this recipe in the weirdest place....on a register tape from the supermarket. This dish is also very low in fat.

Spinach and Artichoke Casserole

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 (10 oz) boxes of frozen chopped spinach, squeezed out

1 medium onion, diced

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14 oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

16 oz. nonfat plain yogurt (not pictured)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute the onions in the oil and cook, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute. Combine the onions and garlic with the spinach. Fold in the yogurt. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking/casserole dish. Add the spinach mixture to the bottom of the dish. Press the artichokes into the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

*disregard the egg in the picture....I needed it for another recipe and put it in the picture by mistake.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi

2010-05-07T20:02:00.000-04:00

Tonight we are traveling to Italy. I wish...LOL!!! I will be making shrimp scampi. I love shrimp and I just love it made in the scampi style. I got this recipe from Kevin over at Closet Cooking So sit back, relax and imagine that you are in Italy tonight with a nice glass of white wine.

Shrimp Scampi

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 pinch red chili pepper flakes (optional)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined)(not pictured in the ingredient photo)
1/4 cup white wine
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound linguini (cooked)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped, optional)
1 tablespoon parmigiano reggiano (grated, optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the red chili pepper flakes and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked, about 1-3 minutes per side.
4. Remove the shrimp from the pan.
5. Add the wine and lemon juice and zest and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer the liquid until reduced by about half, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the butter, wait for it to melt and turn off the heat.
8. Add the shrimp, pasta and parsley and toss to coat.
9. Serve with a garnish of parmigiano reggiano if you wish.

Enjoy!!

Review: Smoke Jazz and Supper Club and my birthday

2010-05-07T11:27:00.002-04:00

Yesterday (May 6) was my birthday and my husband took me out to a jazz supper club called Smoke. The food was excellent as was the service. I highly recommend it for those of you living in the New York area or anyone coming here for a visit. It is located on West 106th Street and Broadway. Very accessible by subway and there are also parking garages in the area. Unfortunately not very much street parking available. During the week there is a prix-fixe 3 course dinner for $29.95. You get an appetizer, entrée and dessert. There, of course is jazz music every night.

Smoke Jazz and Supper Club

2751 Broadway

New York, NY 10025

212.864.6662

http://www.smokejazz.com/

This is what my husband and I had to eat and drink...LOL!!

I had the cucumber martini to start with and he had the regular martini...then I had a couple more seabreezes so the vodka was flowing last night!!!

Appetizer

Mine

Caesar Salad

His

Seafood meatballs

Entree

Mine

Jumbo Sea Scallops

His

Braised Baby Back Ribs

Side Dishes

Braised rainbow chard with my seabreeze next to it!

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Dessert

Mine

White Chocolate Cheesecake

His

Brownie Sundae

Cappacino

Mango, Tomato and Avocado Salad

2010-05-04T19:41:00.000-04:00

This recipe also comes from the Mexican magazine. It looks fresh and delicious and perfect for another hot day here in NYC. We are having a heat wave. It has been in the 80s for the past couple of days and it's not supposed to cool down until the weekend. I am not ready for such warm weather yet.

Mango, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium mango, seeded, peeled and cut into chunks

1 medium tomato, cut into chunks

1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and cut into chunks

Lettuce leaves (optional)

Directions

In a medium bowl combine mango, tomato, and red onion. For dressing, in a screw top jar combine cilantro, oil, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Pour dressing over mango mixture. Toss gently to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours.

Just before serving, stir in avocado. If desired, serve with lettuce leaves. I think it's great with the lettuce....I used romaine.

Enjoy!

Spicy Grilled Chicken with Baja Black Beans and Rice

2010-05-04T18:07:00.000-04:00

I was standing in the supermarket line the other day and saw a Mexican cooking magazine. I, of course, picked it up to look at it, and it looked great....each recipe had a picture which I love so this way I know what the dish will look like. Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo but I'm celebrating it a bit early so it's Quatro de Mayo....LOL!!!

Spicy Grilled Chicken with Baja Black Beans and Rice

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tsp. Chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika or regular paprika

4 skinless boness chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn (not pictured)

1 (14.5) oz. can diced tomatoes with chilis in them

1 1/4 cups long grain rice, uncooked

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

4 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers

1 cup chopped zucchini

1 tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro(coriander)

Crumbled Cotija cheese (optional) (I used cheddar)

Avocado Slices (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Sprinkle evenly over all sides of the chicken breasts; rube in with your fingers. Set aside.

In a 4 qt. Dutch oven combine broth, corn, undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, beans, and chili peppers. Bring to a boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 12 minutes. Stir in zucchini. Cook, covered for 3 to 5 minutes more or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Stir in cilantro.

Meanwhile, for a charcoal grill, grill chicken breasts on the lightly greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chicken on the lightly greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes, slice each breast half. Serve chicken with rice mixture. If desired, top with cheese and avocado.

Mindless Mondays

2010-05-03T13:19:00.001-04:00

Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

2010-05-03T09:14:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a salad to go with my Chipolte Cherry Ribs and Mexican Rice and again I gravitated back to Pam's site at A Love for Cooking. This is a Southwestern Salad that will go perfectly with my meal. I left out some of the stuff though as I didn't have them on hand.

Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Romaine lettuce (I used a mixture of Romaine and Arugula, (rocket lettuce for my friends in the UK and Europe)
Handful of grape tomatoes
2 green onions, sliced
2 small baby bell peppers - red, yellow or orange, diced (didn't use)
1/2 cup black beans (didn't use)
1/2 cup sweet frozen corn, thawed (I doubled this)
1 tbsp raw or toasted pumpkin seeds (I didn't use cause I didn't have)
1 avocado, diced
2 tbsp cotija cheese (didn't use as I didn't have it)
1 handful of tortilla strips for salads
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (recipe below) to taste

Directions

In a large salad bowl add chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, avocado, bell peppers, black beans, corn, tortilla strips, pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese. Top the salad with the vinaigrette to taste and serve. Enjoy!
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar OR red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano

Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend the dressing. Let the flavors mingle for at least 30 minutes before using.

Enjoy!

Mexican Tomato Rice and Beans

2010-05-02T15:41:00.000-04:00

I was looking for a side dish to go with my Short Ribs with Chipolte Cherries and I know Pam at A Love For Cooking has lots of great recipes. I found a Mexican rice recipe that I thought would go great with it. It's has all the flavors of Mexico which I absolutely love.

Mexican Tomato Rice and Beans

Serves 4-5

Directions

1 cup of white rice
2 cups of water
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1-2 tsp olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped finely (I used hot sauce instead)
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Directions

Bring the water to boil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat, add the rice, cover with lid and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes.
While the rice steams, set a fine sieve in a large measuring cup and drain the tomatoes. Add enough water to the tomato juice to equal 1 cup. Chop the tomatoes very finely.
Heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the black beans, cumin, chili powder, oregano, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomato juice mixture and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans absorb much of the liquid, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cilantro and cooked rice then cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is warm, 1-2 minutes.

Enjoy!