Gypsy Girl Gourmet

Black Pepper and Parmesan Biscotti

2012-01-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

I must have thousands of recipes piled into binders, file folders, ripped out of magazines, and bookmarked in the small cookbook collection I feel is worth taking up space on my bookshelf. I've decided to start pulling a handful of recipes out at a time, trying them, and if they are keepers, they'll get filed in my recipe book. These biscotti are delicious. A nice peppery bite and the salty kick from the parmesan cheese. I cut the recipe in half, but you could easily make the entire recipe, and freeze the formed dough or half baked biscotti for a quick snack when unexpected guests arrive. These would be good on their own, but I'd serve them with a quick white bean dip. The creamy subtle flavor of the dip pairs perfectly!

Black Pepper and Parmesan Biscotti
from Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 T whole black peppercorns
4 cups AP flour, plus additional for dusting board
2 t. baking powder
2 t salt
4 1/2 oz. Parmesan (2 1/4 c)
1 1/2 sticks cold UNsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 L eggs
1 c whole milk

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Pulse peppercorns in a spice grinder, or place in a Ziploc and bang out some aggression until they are coarsely ground. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, 2 cups of cheese, and 1 T pepper in a large bowl. Blend in the butter with a pastry cutter or your finger tips until it looks like course meal. Whisk THREE of the eggs with the milk and combine with the flour, using a fork, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and quarter the dough. Form each into a slightly flattened 12 inch long log. ~ 2 inches wide and 3/4 inches high. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Whisk the remaining egg and brush over the top of the logs. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and black pepper. Bake 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half way through. Remove from the oven, cool about 10 minutes, until easy to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Cut the biscotti into 1/2 inch slices and arrange, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake, turning the biscotti over once, about 35-45 minutes. The recipe says the biscotti will keep in an airtight container at room temperature approx. 2 weeks. Serve along side this delicious white bean dip! Enjoy!

Strawberries and Fresh Whipped Cream

2012-01-17T10:40:00.000-08:00

Strawberries and whipped cream has to be one of the most underrated desserts! So simple, fresh, light and easy to whip together. I bought some strawberries from the local grocery store last week and they are sweeter than candy. Ripe and ruby red, so delicious. I whipped some heavy cream with a bit of powdered sugar and vanilla and dolloped it on top of freshly sliced strawberries. So good!

Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 T sugar

1/2 tspn. vanilla extract

Beat the heavy cream until it starts to thicken. Add the sugar followed by the vanilla and beat until soft peaks form. Do not over beat, or the cream will break and you'll get butter! Which isn't bad, but not with our berries. Dollop over fresh cut strawberries, just before serving. Indulgent!

Sofrito Revisted

2012-01-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

In Puerto Rican cooking Sofrito is a pureed blend of peppers, onions, and garlic. It is used to season just about any dish you cook. I make enough sofrito to last me a few weeks and keep it in the refrigerator because I go through it so quickly, but it can be portioned in ice cube trays and kept in the freezer until you need it. It's a delicious base flavor for spanish rice, soups, Carne Guisado (beef stew), black beans. You name it! It comes together very quickly and saves you the hassle of dicing onions and peppers for every dish you make. Don't even think about the jarred stuff in the ethnic aisle of the grocery store. Try it, you'll love it!

Sofrito

1 large green pepper

1 aneheim chili pepper

1 bunch culantro

1 bunch cilantro

1 head of garlic (about 12 cloves)

1 large yellow onion

Olive oil

If you cannot find culantro just substitute with a bunch of cilantro, making two bunches total for this recipe.

Cut everything in pieces small enough for your food processor or blender to puree. Add just enough olive oil to keep the blender moving. Puree until smooth and store in a jar in the fridge, or freeze in smaller portions until ready to use.

Brickle! Salty, Chocolatey, Toffee! Yum!

2012-01-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

This confection is the most sinful combination of salty and sweet! A salty crunch with the snap of the sweet golden toffee and a melt in your mouth oh so smooth chocolate layer, you'll be reaching for more... and more... and more!

Brickle is very easy to make and will keep in your fridge for quite some time. It can be made on a cookie sheet OR if you can find a square shaped "muffin" pan, you can use that for individual servings. Either works perfectly and is a matter of preference. You may use any chocolate that you prefer. The toffee is rather sweet, so I like using a semi sweet chocolate.

Brickle
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tspn. baking soda
soda crackers
1 package semi sweet, bitter sweet or milk chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare your baking sheet by lining with parchment. Lay a single layer of soda crackers and set aside. Combine the butter, sugar, and baking soda in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter melts. The mixture will foam up. Stir constantly until the foam subsides. Pour the toffee over the crackers making sure to cover each one entirely. Bake for ten minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate evenly over all the crackers. Let the chocolate harden slightly and place in the refrigerator to set. Break apart and store in an airtight container. Sprinkle the chocolate while still warm with any assortment of toppings such as chopped nuts for an added tecture and taste!
Yum!

Flan de Queso (Cream Cheese Flan)

2012-01-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

This is the most delicious, decadent, and simple dessert to make! Flan de Queso is a cream cheese flan which is much creamier than the traditional flan. My dad, who claims he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth will go back to the fridge several times cutting another slice and yet another! For many people it reminds them of cheesecake and is much easier to make. The custard is cooked in a bano de maria (ban marie) which seems intimidating to many people, but is simply pouring hot water into a larger dish that the custard is baked in.

Flan de Queso

1 8 oz. block cream cheese
6 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Start by bringing all of your ingredients to room temperature. Pour one cup of sugar in a small saucepan and put it over low heat watching it carefully until it melts and turns golden. This can be the most tricky part of the recipe, but as long as you use a little patience and avoid turning up the heat, you should be fine. Pour the melted sugar in the bottom of a 9 inch glass pie dish and immediately swirl to coat the bottom. The sugar will harded rather quickly. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing just until combined, followed by the vanilla. Add the condensed milk and lastly the evaporated. Pour the custard into the dish and cover with foil. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan with enough room for the water to make contact with the entire dish. I place the pan in the oven and then pour the water in, about half the way up. Bake about 50 minutes, although most recipes call for more than an hour of baking. Test the flan with a knife and pull out of the water bath when done, otherwise it will continue to cook.
Chill several hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve run a knife around the edge of the flan and place a plate over the top and flip. Let the caramel drip down the sides of the flan and serve!
Que Rico!!

Garlic Germ?

2012-01-04T07:27:00.001-08:00

A quick and simple solution can bring all your dreams of garlicky goodness back!

If you have a problem digesting garlic this could be the reason why! The center core of the garlic is known as the germ. When garlic is very fresh and young, the center germ is much more tender and less bitter than when it ages. Most people shopping in stores aren't getting garlic at its very best and the germ has begun to turn a bit green and takes on a bitter taste, which is also very difficult to digest.
To eliminate this problem simply slice the clove in half using a pairing knife and pull it away and peel it out. You can see in the photo above that the core comes out in one piece and can be pulled away! I did this when cooking for a boss of mine that complained of this very thing . . . . and it made a big difference! Try it out!

Caldo Gallego (White bean and chorizo soup!)

2011-09-28T07:15:00.001-07:00

My family and I took a trip to Puerto Rico this past June. My father was born and raised there, and much of his family still lives there. We had an awesome time doing everything from zip lining to kayaking the bio luminescent bay! Although everyone else might have found these to be the best parts of the trip, mine was being in the kitchen with my Tia Viriginia. She is by far one of the best cooks. The night we were leaving for the airport we went to her house to say goodbye and have dinner. She made this delicious and very simple soup. The dish originated in Spain and made it's way to Puerto Rico along with all the other Spanish influence. This soup will easily become one of your Fall favorites! Que Rico!!

Caldo Gallego

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
black pepper, to taste
1/4 tspn. oregano, dried
3-4 spanish chorizo (not fresh mexican!), cut in half moons
1 packet sazon sin achiote
1/2 8 oz. can spanish style tomato sauce
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 cans Goya brand small white beans
1/4 uncooked white rice, rinsed well!
8 cups LOW SODIUM broth
turnip or collard greens, optional, chopped small
fresh cilantro, chopped

Start by heating a small amount of oil in a soup pot. Add diced yellow onion. Cook 3-5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Cut the chorizo in half moons and add to the pot. Add the bay leaves, sazon, tomato sauce and the rest of the seasoning. Cook until frangrant. Add the broth and greens if you are using and bring to a boil. Once the broth has come to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the potatoes, and the white beans. Cook about 15 minutes and then add the rice. Cook until the potatoes and beans are tender and the rice is cooked completely. Toward the last few minutes of cooking add the fresh cilantro. Do not add more than a 1/4 cup rice as it will soak up too much of the broth. Once the soup is done cooking taste for salt. I don't add any additional salt because the chorizo, sazon, and tomato already have enough.

Potato and Green Bean Salad

2011-06-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of the traditional "American Potato Salad" drowning in mayo. Just like my green salads, I love a good vinaigrette more than the a creamy dressing. This is a fresh, delicious and easy recipe that is perfect for any occasion or time of year. I added blanched green beans for color, crunch, and just because my family loves them! Give it a try, if you love a good potato salad and a delicious vinaigrette, you won't be disappointed!!

Potato and Green Bean Salad

2 lbs. red potatoes (yukon, blue, or fingerling too)
1/2 lb. green beans, stem removed and cut in 1 inch pieces
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
scallion if desired
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1-2 T dijon mustard
salt
pepper
2 T fresh chopped parsley

Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds and put in a pot of cool water. Bring the water to a boil, adding salt, and cook until the potatoes are just tender. About three minutes before you will drain the potatoes, add the green beans. They will blanch in the potato water in that short time.

While the potatoes are cooking, saute the shallot and garlic until tender and fragrant. I don't like raw onion in my food, if you don't mind it, you can skip this and just add it raw.

Assemble your vinaigrette by mixing the dijon, salt and pepper, and vinager together. Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until combined. Mason jars are a great tool for this too!

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain, and immediately add to your serving bowl with the shallot and garlic, while everything is still hot, pour your vinaigrette over, sprinkle with the parsley and toss gently to coat all the vegetables. Garnish with lots of scallions! Yum!

The secret to Guacamole that will change you!

2010-11-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

I have the secret to Guacamole that will change everything you've know about it! Promise!

Go ahead and do a search for Guacamole recipes. They call call for LIME JUICE! Well, I am here to tell you that the simple . . . . smallest little change to make is . . .

are you ready

do you know what it is?

.
..
...
....
.....
......

Replace the lime juice with lemon and I'm telling you you'll have the best Guacamole anyone has tried!

Go try it!

Who says you can't save Hollandaise!

2010-11-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yum! I love Hollandaise. I've tried a bunch of recipes for it, but have to say, the first one I ever tried, from Emeril Lagasse is so far my favorite. The right balance of mustard and lemon with herbs and all that butter! So good.

Even after drenching my eggs in loads of it, I always have some extra and I'm sick of tossing it out! I store it in the fridge and the next day, when I am making a breakfast sandwich, I do this

Smear it all over the bread and once that warm ham egg and cheese hits it, BAM!, it melts and seeps all over and tastes just like Bliss!

You gotta try it!

Hollandaise adapted from Emeril Lagasse:

4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon dijon
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 pound butter, melted and warm
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Fresh Chives

Set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Be sure the bowl is not touching the water or the eggs could scramble! Whisk the yolks, lemon juice, water, mustard, and parsley together. Whisk the mixture until pale yellow and slightly thick.Remove the bowl from the heat and whisking vigorously, add the butter, 1 teaspoon at a time, until all is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and chives!

TIP: Don't overmix! The mixture could separate. If this happens add an extra egg yolk OR a teaspoon of water at a time until it comes together again. It can happen to anyone and most times one of these methods will fix the problem!

Borderline gaudy? Who cares! I love it!

2010-10-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

I did a bit of shopping today in town, which is about a 30 minute drive from where I live. It's funny how where you live really changes how you live. When I first moved to Maui,(which is sooo much smaller than Saint Petersburg, Florida) I had no problem making the 30 minute drive to town on a daily basis. It was a quick run into town. Now, almost four years later . . . it's a task. I don't do it very often and I make sure I get everything I need from Ross, Costco, The "mall", Walmart, etc.
So, today I have to go to town and decided to make my usual rounds to my favorite stores. I picked up a great bottle of Pinot Grigio and remembered I recently broke another wine glass! Ugh! I have an mis-match collection of wine glasses that I pick up here and there and my favorites have been destroyed by my clumpsy rough handling.
I strolled into Pier One Imports and found this glass. It was $8.00, which may not be much to some or even most, but for me . . . it's almost an investment seeing how it'll give me a shelf life of a few weeks before I destroy it!
It's borderline gaudy, seeing how it's covered in flowers, but I love it, I love drinking my Pinot out of it and I love the cute little butterfly!
and the base has some super cute flowers on it too!

If you haven't been to Pier One recently, you should really head over there soon to check out all their gorgeous fall items!
Stay tuned for some of my other recent Pier One Imports obessions!! Salut!

Me My Scale and I . . . check it out!

2010-10-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

Click on over to Me My Scale and I as a great looooooong time friend of mine documents her journey on an 8 week, online, bootcamp style program. It sounds like an awesome program and I know she will see results! Her name is Jessica and she is new to the blog world! Please send her encouragement and pass on the word!
Not only is she going to document the ups and downs, she's also a great cook and will include healthy recipes she's creating in the kitchen to get her skinny on! She's already posted a yummy Chicken dish from Skinny Taste that is a Spanikopita style without all the guilt!

NEW CAMERA AND NEW IDEAS!

2010-09-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

I got a new camera!!!! It's a Canon SD4000. You can find some information here. I love it! Ask my sister Rebecca and my long time friend Jessica how freakin crazy I drove them as I read review after review, text and called them asking questions and looking for them to make up my mind for me before I made a final decision! It was painful! My Nikon is sitting on my dining room table completely disassembled next to a can of gas duster, I thought I could save it. That was not the case. Overall I am so thankful I held out and drove everyone as crazy as I did. The Canon SD4000 has so many great reviews. Every other camera I looked at had great pros but equal cons and I just couldn't go with that!

On to some new ideas . . . . I've always had this idea of a "One Stop Shop" type of website. A couple years ago I decided I'd make that my domain name and started at www.godaddy.com to see if it was available. Of course a name like that would be taken. The website was for sale, but for mucho dinero! Very expensive. I let the name go and hadn't really thought of it much until I eventually started this blog. I've only posted recipes here and although cooking is great passion of mine, or as Nigella Lawson says, an obsession, I find myself not blogging often enough about the concoctions going on in my kitchen. I think I'll approach this blog as a "One Stop Shop" from now on and blog about anything and everything I want. I think it'll hold my borderline ADD attention span!

Stay tuned!

Obsessed with Clean House, the show that is!

2010-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed with the show Clean House on the style network! I tune in with my big mug of coffee and shreik at some of the houses I see! Last night I actually dreamt about it. That's a little much isn't it?

It causes me to take a look around and see if I'm a bit guilty myself! No, of course not! Well, if I took a picture of my dining room table you'd probably call Clean House and beg them to come my way. For now I'll just show you a couple of my cookbooks, magazines, recipe box, and recipe folder along with a candle I was suppose to send my sister for her birthday last week and a calender which is obviously not hung up on the wall where it belongs!

Maybe tomorrow I'll take a picture of the big box filled to the top with old issues of the most popular cooking and home magazines! I've been meaning to get to them, promise!

What's your can't live without collection?

Ivory Hut House Fire!

2010-09-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

Please follow the link I'm providing in this post to read about their story! A great family has lost their home and we're reaching out to the blogging community to provide ANY support you can offer! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Friends of Ivory Hut

Drunken Pasta ala David Rocco . . . yum!

2010-08-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

This dish is delcious. Period. I have been watching Cooking Channel since it aired at the end of March, most shows I don't care for, but David Rocco, La Dolce Vita is a must watch. Yes, it is a bit . . . um. . . . well, comical in the not so funny sense, but totally worth watching. Every recipe he makes puts a fire in me to jump into the kitchen and make whatever he is cookin up! Fast, easy, flavorful, Italian cooking at its raw best. A few fresh and pure ingredients, 10 minutes in the kitchen and . . . taaaaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaaa!

The recipe is for DRUNKEN SPAGHETTI. Oh my. A bit salty, nuty, tangy, creamy, fresh, what else can I say?!?!? delicious!

This is the first time I've cooked with anchovies, I'm hooked. I can't wait to cook with them again. The anchovies smell a bit fishy when they start to heat up, please . . . don't turn away . . . their fishiness turns into salty nutiness. So divine. You would not think anchovy. In case you've been hiding somewhere and haven't heard . . . ceasar dressing is made with anchovy. Anchovy= delicioso!!! Please try them . . have I said it enough?

Okay, so here is the recipe for Drunken Spaghetti. 10 minutes total!!!! Love it!

1 lb. spaghetti

3 anchovy fillets

2 cups red wine (I had Cabernet Sauvignon so that is what I used)

1/2 cup pecorino or parmesean cheese

parsley

4 T olive oil

2 large cloves garlic

3 dried chilis or less than 1 tspn. red chili pepper flakes

black pepper

Heat a pot of water to boiling. Add salt. Add pasta and cook approximately 7-9 minutes. Just before al dente.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet, add garlic, cook till fragrant, add anchovy and mix till dissolved. Add chili pepper flakes, heat till fragrant, if needed, reduce heat to low until pasta is done. Once pasta is just before al dente, use tongs to add to olive oil sauce. Coat with all ingredients. Add red wine, toss and cook until wine is thick and mostly evaporated. Turn off heat. Add parsley and cheese. Serve while hot.

I added mushrooms with the garlic because pasta alone is not enough to fill the bf's stomach. I also took thin sliced beef and seasoned it with parmesean, salt and pepper and rolled it with spinach and a thin slice of mozzarella. I browned this in a skillet, added a little wine and kept warm in oven untl pasta was ready.

Hearty, delicious and sooooo freakin easy!!! A must try!!!

Guilt free vegetable quiche with crispy potato crust

2010-08-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Have any of you heard of the show Cook Yourself Thin? It's the show that features a different woman dying to lose weight, but struggling with letting go of that calorie ladden mac n cheese or fried chicken! It airs on Lifetime every night at 6 p.m. I'll be honest, I love eating healthy, but do not count calories or exercise like I should! Most of the comfort food makeovers they show look delicious and full of flavor . . . . some . . . . not so much!

Quiche is something I'm not too fond of unless it's full of vegetables and less of the custardy egg stuff! The ladies swapped out pie crust for potatoes! I thought it was a great idea and something that would add lots of flavor and quite honestly possibly taste much better than the original.

Verdict? Very delicious and very filling. No guilt since this is around 210 calories per serving!

If you're a fan of quiche and maybe even if you're not, you will love this!

Vegetable Quiche with Crispy potato crust

shredded potato
tspn. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
clove of garlic, minced
zucchini, sliced thin, in half moons, and then again
parsley
salt and pepper
3 oz. cheese (your choice)
3 eggs

Shred some potato into a bowl and season with tspn olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour into a sprayed casserole dish, about 8x8. Make an even, thin layer on the bottom and up the sides just a bit and bake for 20 minutes, until edges begin to brown at 400 degrees.

Saute some onion and garlic until soft and fragrant over medium heat. Add your choice of vegetables. Finish with the parsley. I had zucchini, so that's what I used. Mushrooms and spinach would be great! Italian sausage would be a great addition, although the calories would obviously jump!

Once the crust is done and the veggies have cooled slightly, add your shredded cheese evenly and pour the beaten eggs over the entire thing. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees until eggs are set.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Rice Casserole

2010-08-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty fast and simple casserole. Very flavorful and one I am sure most kids would devour. Many recipes call for cooked long grain rice, but I was afraid it would get too mushy. I opted for short grain rice and added some additional liquid to compensate. It was a great side dish to the steak I had in the fridge. It'd be great with some chicken either on the side, or diced and added right in!

There are short cuts which I'll include below!

Broccoli Rice Casserole

350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes

1 small onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. fresh blanched broccoli (or one 16 0z. package frozen, defrosted)
1/3 cup milk
1 can crem of chicken soup
1 cup homemade cheese sauce (or 8 oz. prepared such as cheez wiz)
1/2 cup UN COOKED short grain rice plus 1/2 cup liquid (or 1 1/2 cups long grain rice)
salt
pepper
cayenne

Saute onion over medium low heat until soft. While you're waiting combine milk, cream of chicken, cheese sauce and additional 1/2 cup liquid (if using uncooked short grain)in a bowl large enough to combine all ingredients and set aside. Add garlic to onion and cook until fragrant taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the broccoli to the pan and toss to coat. Add the rice OFF the heat and toss. Add the broccoli to the bowl and mix until everything is combined. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Pour into greased casserole dish. COVER with foil. Bake until the rice is cooked and the casserole is thick, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes and serve!

Yum!

Lilikoi anyone?

2010-07-28T20:26:00.001-07:00

For those of you who do not know, Lilikoi is passion fruit. It is a delicious fruit that grows on vines here in Hawaii and many other places in the world. There are different varieties of passion fruit, although the most popular is the yellow one. Thick "shell" holding in a tangy and sweet flesh flecked with small black seeds. The seeds are edible and lend a slight crunch which enhances the entire experience. Walking through the rain forest here in Maui you'll see hundreds of these small yellow jewels scattered about the lush green foliage. Crack one open right there and enjoy! I love love love this fruit!!! You can get the frozen fruit puree in many super markets and for sure in Asian and Latin markets, but it is not the same as the fresh fruit. Are you wondering what the point of this post is????
WELL! I have a terrible green thumb. I'm thinking it's due to my lack of "patience is a virtue," virtue. Maybe it's because I live in a small unit across from the beach and although that may sound like paradise for many . . . sitting in a small garden of Eden sounds a lot better to me! I'd love to see vines of lilikoi crawling up huge trees providing lots of shade and showering the ground with beautiful flowers.
Anyway . . . I've never been much of a poet! I cut a fruit open and planted a few starters today and hopefully within two weeks I'll have something to plant in the ground! Since my bf is allergic to bees . . . you should see the picture I have of him when he got stung on the lip! No words can describe it! I may have to get his permission to post it!!!! It's that gnarly! Whoa! Like I was saying . . . the passion fruit need to be pollinated by bees, I cannot plant them here.
Anywho. I poured the fruit of one passion fruit in my wine glass and it's delicious! Can't wait to share with you how I do with the new seedlings!!!

Fondant!

2010-07-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen those beautiful cakes draped with colorful, smooth fondant and thought "I wish I could do that?" Guess what? You can! Yes, you! All it takes is a few ingredients, a couple tools and time. The possibilities are endless. The colors, shapes, designs are infinite!

I've made two cakes so far and am aching to make another one! My friend chose a Las Vegas Casino Night theme for her birthday, which was hosted at a property I manage. It was great fun! I was pressed for time so the cake wasn't as detailed as I would have liked, but it went over well and put that fire in me to take another stab at it!

It took me this long to realize I didn't put a six at the other side of the card! I used the numbers two and six because it was her 26th birthday and on the side of the cake I had the letter "R" and some additional poker chips and cards. It was a lot of fun!

The next birthday party I went to was a Jungle Theme and the birthday girl was dressing in zebra print so I went to work making a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling. Check it out!

The technique is really quite simple. Microwave 16 oz. of mini marshmallows with 2 tablespoons of water for no more than 2 minutes, just until they become soft and start to melt. Pour them out onto the 2 lb.s of powdered sugar. A great tip is to SIFT the powdered sugar first which will help eliminate little balls of unmixed sugar in the end product.

I used one hand for kneading and kept the other hand clean and used a bench scraper to help it along. The mixture is VERY sticky at first, but don't worry, it WILL come together! Try to keep a little powdered sugar on top so your hand hits that first.

You can see that the more you knead the more incorporated it becomes and the stickiness goes away.

Knead it just a little more and your finished fondant will look like this!!

Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap securely and in a sealed ziploc! It will keep for months. Do NOT freeze the fondant. I've read mixed things when it comes to refrigerating the fondant. Some recipes call for a mix of two tablespoons of water and one tablespoon of clear extract. I didn't have clear extract so I omitted that and used water only.

This is a great Fondant tutorial to follow!

Enjoy!

CSN Product Review in the making!!

2010-07-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to have the opportunity to review a product from CSN Stores! If you haven't checked them out . . . well . . . what are you waiting for! One click and you will be hooked. Get comfortable and start browsing. They offer a great selection of dining room tables, modern home furnishings, and of course cookware!

The prices are affordable and the selections are unlimited. There are more than 200 CSN stores to browse! Grab a cup of coffee and get to clickin! You will find all the top brands you love and without a doubt you'll leave with new favorites! I'm going to make dinner for some great people this weekend, the family I nannied for when I moved to Maui. The childrens mother is from Belgium and she LOVES LOVES LOVES Alessi products. She'll be ecstatic when she sees their selection! The selection of products we can find here in Maui is limited, so it's great to have this online avenue!

I know you'll love CSN stores! Check back soon for my product review!

Fresh, ready to use, garlic from your fridge!

2010-06-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

I do not like using the jarred garlic you can purchase in the grocery store. I don't like the flavor and I really dont think it takes much extra time to prepare fresh, especially if you have a hand held grater. That may be the only thing I've ever taken away from Rachel Ray! I know, I know you love her! Sorry, I just can't handle her! Ick!

Anyway, it is very difficult at times, well, more often than not, to find fresh garlic at the grocery store. It is usually black on some parts, not tight together, but has cloves hanging off. Ew! So, when the grocery store has great looking garlic I buy a ton of it. I bring it home and if my bf's kids are around they LOVE LOVE LOVE to peel the garlic in the little contraptions I have, so I let them do it! If not, I go for it. It's fast and easy to do and ensures I always have fresh garlic in the fridge ready to use.

Take your desired amount of garlic cloves. Place in a food processor or blender and pulse until chopped in tiny pieces. Transfer to a tupperware OR glass jar. Add just enough olive oil to make it moist and store in the fridge.

Viola!

Couscous salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

2010-04-22T13:21:00.001-07:00

My camera is broken so I am taking pictures with my phone! I guess it could be worse! My phone actually has a 5.0 mega autofocus . . .I may be the problem, look at the blur! I took 3 years of photograph in high school and absolutely loved it. Now, with a broken camera, I am feelin it could be time to get a new one! With a nice big lense! Lots of megapixels and zoom! Of course my budget isn't going to allow me to go toooo crazy right now, but hmm... birthday's coming soon!
On to the salad! This couscous salad was delicious! I wanted to make it for quit a while and went to my cabinet to get a brand new box out. . . and it was not pretty. Something got at it and I was furious! Couscous isn't cheap here in Maui, not sure about anywhere else? And I was really in the mood for this! It's fast and easy to make, full of vegetables and a yummy lemony vinaigrette to give lots of flavor! I used broccoli the first time, but think crisp blanched green beans would be a better choice. The vegetables still had a little crunch, tang of the feta cheese, sweetness from the cranberries and crunch from the almonds. Soooo yummy! I think I'll go make some more!

Couscous Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

1 cup plain couscous
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 zucchini, diced
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
about 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
1/2 lb. blanched green beans, cut in half or thirds
feta cheese, as desired
1/4 c sliced almonds
1/4 c dried cranberries
fresh parsley

Vinaigrette

1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
pinch cayenne
green onion, optional
2 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1/2 clove garlic or garlic powder

Bring the stock of choice to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the couscous and cover. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until soft. Add garlic. Cook 30 seconds. Add zucchini and cook until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add green beans. Toss to coat with shallot and garlic.
Once couscous has absorbed all the liquid fluff with a fork. Add the vegetables. Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Pour over the couscous. Toss with a fork so all the couscous and vegetables absorb the vinaigrette. Add the almonds, cheese, cranberries, and parsley. Toss once more. Serve at room temperature or cold!

YUM!!!

Zucchini Appetizer from Spryte's Place

2010-04-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I came across the recipe for this Zucchini Appetizer quite some time ago and made it soon after. This is the perfect time to pull it out and share it with all of you! It tastes good, its a great way to use up some of the zucchini you'll have tons of in the months to come, and it's super easy to make!

Head on over the Spryte's Place for the full recipe. I'm sure you'll find something else to try too!!

Cranberry macadamia nut brie wontons w/ Chocolate wine sauce

2010-04-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

I've had my fare share of computer problems lately. Once I finally got my laptop restored . . . my camera decided to take a hit. HOPEFULLY I'll get my electronics working soon so I can become a regular poster! For now, I'll post from the pictures I have on my computer.

These wontons are yummy! If you love baked brie . . . you will love these! I got the idea after I made the Jalapeno Popper Wontons w/ POM sauce and wanted to play around with ideas. I made these for a challenge with The Daring Baker's a while back.

Once you cut the brie into cubes, you MUST freeze it in order for this to work, otherwise the cheese basically disinigrates into the wonton before they come out of the oil. I love the combination of tart cranberries and the sweet macadamia nuts.

The Chocolate Red Wine sauce is yummy and super quick and easy! ENJOY!

Cran-Mac nut brie wontons

wonton skins
dried cranberries (about 3 per wonton)
Chopped macadamia nuts
brie cut into cubes
Oil for frying
small bowl of water to seal wontons
Maple syrup and brown sugar (optional)

To cut the brie into cubes, you will want to pop it into the freezer for about 5-10 minutes to firm up. Cut the brie into cubes. You could either press the cranberries and nuts into the cheese before you freeze it OR wait until you are assembling.
Let the brie freeze until firm.
Lay out your wontons, have your water ready and your oil hot. About 350-375 degrees.
Place the brie, cranberries, and mac nuts in the wonton like so . . .

Dip your fingers into water and trace the outside of the wonton. Fold over and seal. Make sure the wonton is sealed completely otherwise you'll have a terrible mess!
Fry until golden, drain on paper towels. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with brown sugar if desired. Serve with Chocolate and red wine sauce

Chocolate Red Wine Sauce
8 oz. red wine
4 T bittersweet chocolate

Reduce red wine by half. Take off the heat and cool slightly. Stir in chocolate. Serve warm.

I've also varied this by adding some raspberry vinegar. Add a tab of butter at the end. Sweeten with brown sugar. The add ins are endless!

Shrimp Cakes with Chili Lime Butter Sauce- YUM!

2010-03-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

I cannot tell you in enough ways how delicious and easy to prepare these Shrimp Cakes are!
A great friend of mine comes to Maui a few times a year courtesy of having family here and we always go to Sansei Sushi Bar for Karaoke night. We ordered the shrimp cakes and they were delicious! We had to have them again! I went on a search for a recipe similiar to the ones we had at the restaurant and what did I find??The recipe on Epicurious for Shrimp Cakes with Chili Lime Cream Sauce from SANSEI! Whoa hoo!
I though it'd be a great idea to have her over for some wine and the shrimp cakes before heading off, thinking it may even be more cost effective... well, we ordered a bottle of Sake that was advertised, not asking the price (very unusual for me!) It was great so we ordered another one not realizing until the bill came how expensive it was! This is me... after a couple bottles of the expensive sake and a few cheap ones... we were feelin good!

The recipe is simple to follow. comes together in no time and is sooo worth making!SCORE!

Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

2010-01-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

Okay. This recipe is quick and easy. Flavorful but nothing worth the four stars everyone who reviewed it on Epicurious was giving it. Maybe with a bit of tweaking??? I added a couple things myself, but it was still missing.........the WOW factor. The picture above was copied from the Epicurious website. I cannot take credit for that! I used turkey sausage and added a splash of red wine and mushrooms. Other than that, I followed the recipe to a T. The recipe

can be found here. I would love some feedback! Any suggestions to enhance the flavor would be great. I was thinking a bit of lemon zest????

Enough with the COMPUTER DRAMA!!!

2010-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I just had a post not too long ago about being MIA No Longer! And then...... I went MIA! My bf's friend came over to install wireless for his PS3 on my computer. I am fully aware of how to do it, but he was doing for the bf, so I let him have at it. Unfortunately somewhere in there the power cord disconnected as he was doing an update and my comp crashed. I was able to have some computer geniuses retrieve all my information and I just received the recovery disks from Toshiba............. THANK GOD I AM BACK!!! It's been way too long without internet!
Stay tuned for recipes coming soon!

BBQ Sauce with a touch of POM

2009-12-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

The picture isn't so great, I know, but head over to Annie's Eats and you'll find a great photo of the BBQ Sauce she made, which was the base for the one I created. The sauce is made with both tomatoes and vinegars, which I really like. If you have not found her blog, you MUST visit! Her pictures alone are enough to keep you interested!

I added a bit of mustard to mine AND after looking around on My Year On the Grill I was inspired to add a couple tablespoons of POM, which I saw in one of his posts about BBQ Sauce. I still had quite a bit left from the shipment I received from POM Wonderful so I gave it a try. If you love to BBQ you should really check out the blog! The grilling that happens over there is not just your traditional ribs and burgers, he grills everything! I know I've seen many gadgets and grilling ideas I never thought to try, but now can't wait to!

The sauce came out great. The POM gave it a little twist, which I loved and my bf, who doesn't care for BBQ, really enjoyed it on the BBQ chicken and ribs we made that weekend.

Get on over to these great sites!

MIA no longer!

2009-12-02T13:27:00.001-08:00

I have been MIA for a while now... things got very busy, I got addicted to The Twilight Saga, and I got a costly virus on my computer! Everything has slowed down a bit and my computer is up and running!!! It's crazy how much we rely on technology! I'll start posting again and hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

POM Spritzer

2009-10-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

I was watching Everyday Italian on Thursday. Giada was making healthy snacks and one of those was a Pomegranate/Cranberry Spritzer, which was a healthier alternative to soda. I immediately thought of the POM juice I have in my fridge that Kristen at POM Wonderful sent over. You MUST try the juice, and you must visit POM Wonderful !!!
The juice is terrific on its own, but truly amazing when added to drinks and recipes. The health benefits are endless and totally worth drinking something that also tastes great. I have MANY more to come.... the instant I got the e-mail, asking if I'd like to try some... the ideas swirled in my head...add to sauces, mix it with chocolate, and of course mixed into some cocktails!

POM Spritzer

100% POM JUICE
Perrier
Wedge of lime

I used 1 part POM to 3 parts Perrier with a squirt of Lime juice. So refreshing and so delicious! Of course serving in a Champagne glass makes it more festive!

Roasted Jalapeno "Popper" Wontons w/ POM dipping sauce

2009-10-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

OM Jizzles as my bf's daughter would say! If you like jalapeno poppers, you will LOVE these too! My trips to the fried side usually happen late on a Friday night, well maybe I should say Saturday morning, after TOO MUCH TO DRINK! That's when craving for fries, burgers and poppers comes in strong and my conscience takes the back seat! When this idea came to me I could NOT make them fast enough. With Football Season underway, this was the perfect time to try it out!
When Kristen at POM Wonderful asked if I'd like to try POM I couldn't type fast enough to tell her "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!" It was like a confirmation that my blog is out there and people are reading! :) My mind was swirling with tons of ideas and I knew I'd want to make a dipping sauce. Stay tuned for more POM recipes to follow!
I'm telling you....these are delicious! I only made 4 (which I ate just as fast as they fried up) so I could adjust the seasoning and see how I liked the ratio of jalapeno to cheese. It was missing some heat, since I took out all the seeds and ribs and I think I could have left the pieces of jalapeno bigger. Super easy to put together and well worth it!

I started by slicing the tops of the eight jalapenos I had (I'd use a few more for the rest), then slicing them in half and taking all the seeds and membrane out. Leave some of the membrane if you like more heat.

Then I placed them skin side down on a well oiled baking sheet. I roasted them about 15 minutes at 400 degrees until the skins started to brown and blister.

Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Even though I have a "name brand" plastic wrap I had to cover it with foil because my plastic would not stick. I left the peppers for about twenty minutes before I peeled the skins off.

Once the cream cheese comes to room temperature. add the jalapenos (chopped), grated pepperjack, and a pinch of cayenne, paprika, cumin,salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined. Take wonton wrappers out and place one teaspoon in center of each. Moisten edges with water and fold into desired shapes.

Deep fry until golden, let cool, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce! YUMMM!!!

I tried to take a picture of the inside, but I could not get my camera to focus! My favorite fold was the one below, with a big bite taken out of it! It had a good amount of crunch!

Poppers:
12 jalapenos
8 oz. cream cheese
grated pepper jack cheese
cayenne
paprika
cumin
salt
black pepper
wonton wrappers (square)
oil for frying

POM Dipping Sauce:

8 oz. POM
squeeze of honey
dash of mirin
pinch of black pepper
2 tspns raspberry preserves

Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Chill before serving. I totally encourage ALL OF YOU to buy some POM and give it a try!! In my next post I'll include the link to POM Wonderful so you can see all the great health benefits!!!

*Can anyone tell me why I can't get two pictures to be side by side without messing up my text?!?!?!?* THANKS!

Kimchee Fried Rice (Kimchee Bokumbap)

2009-09-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with Kimchee Fried Rice. A few months ago, before the accident that sent my bf's ex into ICU for 3 months, we all met at Tiffany's. It's a Korean Bar and Grill that makes the best food I've had on the Island. Most of the people we were with are regulars there so they ordered what they thought were the best dishes. Mochiko chicken, steak bites, cake noodle, AND KIMCHEE FRIED RICE. When I took my first bite of this, YUM! It's crunchy, spicy, tangy, fresh. I love rice... and I love kimchee.
That was the first and last time I had the dish before yesterday. Just before Memorial Day I was preparing a menu full of the dishes we had just days before, everyone was going to come swim at the pool and drink a few beers by the BBQ. Well, plans changed when everyone ended up flying to Oahu when the accident happened and Memorial Day turned into a day to distract the kids from the chaos we hoped they wouldn't learn of.
Two weeks ago Mom came home and is doing great. Yesterday was the little ones 6th birthday, a gathering planned, and food ordered. Her mom ordered the same dishes we had that night 4 months ago. I picked the order up and decided to buy a tub of kimchee. Once home, I followed a quick recipe for Kimchee Fried Rice and can I just say. . . . . I am addicted and plan of having it for dinner several days this week!
Try it... super easy, flavorful, filling and inexpensive!

Kimchee Fried Rice
Vegetable oil
2 C cooked and cooled rice
3/4 cup Kimchee and liquid, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 T soy
1/2 - 1 t Sesame oil
onion (opt)
green onion

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. If adding onion (or other vegetables) add and saute until soft. Add kimchee and cook 2 minutes. Add rice. Cook as you would in a wok tossing rice with kimchee and kimchee liquid until fully coated. Add soy and sesame oil. Stir one minute more. Remove pan from the heat, add green onions and serve.
The Korean restaurants here serve this with a fried egg on top. This is similiar to the Puerto Rican dishes of left over rice and beans I am use to, but I was happy without the egg.

YUM!!!

Vinegared beef and green beans with paprika and pine nuts

2009-09-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend is not the best vegetable eater, but when I made these green beans he said he could eat them for his entire meal and be happy, that told me something! He is a hardcore meat and potatoes type of guy, but is always willing to try anything I make and is usually quite pleased.

This is a delicious and fairly simple meal to prepare. My dad is Puerto Rican and my mom is a “mix” but usually cooked Puerto Rican dishes for the family, which she learned from my dad’s brothers and sisters. Rice was most often the starch of choice eating it so many different ways.

The steak is marinated in vinegar, black peppercorns, oregano, salt and garlic. I made a pot of white rice, and green beans from a recipe I found in a Tapas book I have. DELICIOUS!

Steak with Onions

2 lbs. beef sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 T salt
6 whole peppercorns
3 T white vinegar (recipe calls for white, but use what you prefer)
2 yellow onions, sliced thin

Crush and mix in a mortar all ingredients above, except beef and onions. Once thoroughly combined, add beef to marinade. Do not marinate beef too long, as vinegar will start to cook the meat, since it is sliced so thin. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions until soft. Remove onions from pan and add the meat to the pan, reservin liquid. Cook about 3 minutes, or until cooked through. Add onions and reserved marinade. Cook a few minutes longer. Serve with white rice and green beans.

Green Beans
2 T olive oil
scant 1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 - 1 teaspoon paprika
1 lb. green beans, blanched for 3 minutes
1 small onion, finely chopped, I use less
1 garlic clove finely chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

Heat oil in pan and toast pine nuts until golden. Drain on paper towel, reserving oil in the pan, and toss with paprika. Saute onion 5-10 minutes, until softened and starts to brown. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds. Add the green beans and cook 3-5 minutes, tossing together with the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off skillet add the zest and juice of the lemon. Add pine nuts. Serve hot.

Steak Bites from Bethenny Frankel

2009-09-12T17:54:00.001-07:00

My friend Amy just moved into a new home. She decided to celebrate with a housewarming / birthday party. It was an intimate gathering of about 5 couples, each of us bringing an appetizer while they prepared the main dishes. I have a stack of recipes I've been dying to try and this was one of them! It was a hit!
I added a bit more horseradish, but didn't spread it on the bread so I could afford a bit stronger flavor. I also did not have low fat mayo or multi grain bread, so I used the fattening stuff!

The recipe was featured in the Rachel Ray Magazine. I'll be making LOTS of finger foods in the next few months. It is football season after all!!!!

My camera is down right now so this picture is from the website! Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Butter Bites from My Tasty Treasures

2009-09-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you have not stopped over to My Tasty Treasures then you have been missing out on some delicious recipes and great humor!
Donna aka FFW (Fire Fighter Wife) was my very first follower and in honor of that I decided she'd be my first post tried from a fellow blogger. I made her Chocolate Chip Butter Bites and they were not only a snap to make, they were gone just as fast. Very good. They reminded me of a shortbread cookie. Of course these are much better having chocolate chips inside and a sweet sugary coating. How good does that sound? You can tell from my picture I did not let them cool before I dipped them in powdered sugar! You must try these!

Thanks to Donna for a great recipe! I can't wait to try another!

Merengue

2009-08-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Growing up we often shopped in the little bodegas, or Spanish markets for special ingredients my mom would need to make the Puerto Rican dishes she'd serve. My sisters and I would always grab a bag... or two... or maybe three of merengue. Little clouds of delicious sugary whipped egg whites. How can something soo simple taste so good.

There are many different ways to make these heavenly pillows, with or without cream of tartar, powdered or granulated sugar, using a syrup or not, but I have found all the recipes I've tried produce mostly the same results.

Give them a try. Serve them plain, drizzled with chocolate, toasted coconut sprinkled on top, or sandwich them together.. yum!

Whisk

Whisk some more... until soft peaks form, gradually adding sugar

Once stiff peaks form

Spoon onto sheet and bake

Merengue:

4 egg whites

pinch of salt

1/4 tspn. cream of tartar

1 1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whip the egg whites with salt and cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar while whipping until stiff peaks form. Spoon by teaspoonfuls onto sheet and bake until merengue easily peel off, about 25 minutes.

The way I am used to making these is with a bit lower heat and much longer cooking time, but you may use the method above.

Sofrito... A Spanish Seasoning Blend

2009-08-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

If Spanish food appears in your kitchen often, this could be a great addition to your seasonings and quite the time saver! This is something my Tio (Uncle) showed my mom how to make when she married my dad, who is Puerto Rican. I've added some anheim chili peppers to give it my own spin. When all the peppers and onion, garlic and cilantro blend together the flavors become much more intense and therefore you only need a 1/4 - 1/2 cup when making something like Picadillo or yellow rice. Store this in the freezer in an ice cube tray or in the fridge, if you use it up quickly as I do. It is SUCH a time savor since you won't be chopping up all the ingredients for every dish!

Sofrito:

2 bunches cilantro
1 green bell pepper
2 anheim chili peppers
1 ENTIRE head of garlic
1 large yellow onion
1/4 cup or so olive oil

Peel garlic cloves, chop peppers and onion in chunks just large enough for the blender to process. Puree all ingredients in the blender until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge OR freeze in ice cube tray. Use desired amount to flavor dishes!

A delicious melty manchego sandwich and some HELP PLEASE!

2009-08-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick little post. If anyone knows what I can do please help! All the blogs I follow have been removed from my dashboard! How did this happen and where did they go? Thanks to anyone who knows how to fix this IF at all possible!

A few months ago I discovered Manchego cheese! I love love love it! I discovered it around the time I decided I would find out as much as I could about the different cuisines from my ethnic background. My dad is Puerto Rican with family from Spain and my mom is Polish, English, Irish, French, and Austrian. That could take a while!

Manchego is a hard cheese, I find it at Costco believe it or not for half the price my local cheese store sells it for. I grate it on my eggs, add shavings to salads, but most of all I love it simply between slices of soft french bread and sprinkled with a few jarred pimientos and of course some serrano ham if you can find it! Prosciutto can be substituted, but I prefer to leave it out. Press it either on a sandwich press OR as I do it in a skillet with a cast iron on top! DELICIOUS and melted and crunchy and just yum! Try it!

Roast Citrus Chicken

2009-08-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

There aren't many things more comforting that Roast Chicken. Growing up my mom would make Roast Chicken on any given day. Now, living far from home and being the cook in my kitchen, the smell of a roasting chicken in the oven is something that brings me back to those childhood days!
The chicken is stuffed with onion, garlic, lemon slices, orange slices, s-n-p, and oregano. The chicken sits on a bed of vegetables and roasts in the oven for about 21 minutes per pound.
Try this chicken... I know you'll love it!

Whole chicken
head of garlic
orange slices
lemon slices
onion
oregano
adobo (a blend of spanish spices)
olive oil
s-n-p

Clean the chicken. Cut the head of garlic horizontally. Slice the onion. Drizzle the cavity of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with s-n-p and oregano. Add some of the onion, a few orange and lemon slices and the entire head of garlic. Pull the skin away from the meat of the chicken with your hand, drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper a teaspoon or so of adobo and add a few slices of citrus to each side. Coat the outside of the chicken with olive oil to help brown the skin. Place the chicken on top of an assortment of your favorite vegetables that you've seasoned. Roast at 350 until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Easy Peasy Pasta

2009-08-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Pasta has to be one of those dishes that we all turn to when we don't have much time or energy. This dish was inspired by an episode of Everyday Italian I recently watched. I was in the mood for pasta and had no desire to cook, which does NOT happen often. This is all I had to do:

3/4 box pasta

salt for pasta water

bunch of basil

2 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper

good quality olive oil

pecorino or parmesean, grated

2 plum tomatoes

zest and juice of lemon

Add lots of salt to boiling water, add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions.

In the bottom of a large bowl drizzle olive oil. Grate or chop garlic depending on how strong you like the flavor, shred the basil, add salt, pepper, zest and juice of lemon. Once pasta is done add to the olive oil with tongs along with 1/2 cup of pasta water (this will combine with oil and cheese to make a creamy sauce). Add cheese and toss. Add tomatoes and toss until combined. Let sit until reaches room temperature for best taste.

I had some shrimp scampi in the fridge which I added since my bf loves it! I would have preferred the pasta without the shrimp.

Enjoy!

White Bean Dip

2009-07-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have not been around to post the past two weeks. With 4 kids around, a friend here on vacation and computer problems in between... it's been a bit difficult.

The other day I made this White Bean Dip from Giada De Laurentis. I have her cookbooks and wanted to try something out. It was delicious. I served it at room temperature. It was much better once it sat for twenty minutes or so. The flavors came together. I used store bought pita chips. Since I didn't have the oregano on the chips, I added a sprinkle to the dip.

White Bean Dip:

1 can cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans), drained

1 clove of garlic, grated or finely chopped

2 T lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/3 cup good quality olive oil

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/2 t oregano

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spoon into a serving dish and serve with pita chips.

The picture is from Food Network, since I did not have my camera with me when I made the dip last minute.

Irish Soda Bread

2009-06-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Five minutes of prep time and 35 in the oven is all it takes to get a delicious loaf of authentic Irish Soda Bread.
I first made this bread around Saint Patrick's Day and it turned out great. You don't have to be a bread baking master to turn out a nice loaf of Soda Bread. The buttermilk gives the bread a nice tang. We consumed almost the entire loaf straight from the oven warm with butter.

Enjoy!

3 1/2 C AP flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Slowly add buttermilk until the dough becomes moist and comes together. Knead for just about one minute. Form dough 6 inches by 2 inches and make cuts across the top. Brush with extra buttermilk and bake on a greased sheet for 30-35 minutes. The loaf should be brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Beef and Broccoli

2009-06-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since I posted and I haven't been able to decide which dish to be my next. Beef and broccoli is very simple to make and very good to eat. There are many variations of the recipe. The one I have come up with combines a bit of several. My bf's kids are some tough critics and they love this dish!

Marinate the meat for 30 minutes

Prepare the marinade in a small bowl:

Have your broccoli ready. If you are using fresh, you must steam it first. I used frozen.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the meat and cook until browned. Add the garlic and ginger, cook until fragrant. Add the sauce and stir to coat all the meat. Add the broccoli. Lower the heat and cook 15-20 minutes until the meat is completely cook and the sauce has thickened. Add chicken stock as needed to loosen up the sauce. Serve on white rice. Yum!

Marinade:
1 1/2 T Rice wine
1 T Water
1 T cornstarch
1 t sugar
1 T soy sauce

Sauce:
2 1/2 T oyster sauce
2 1/2 T Soy sauce
1 T water

3/4 lb. beef strips
1 lb. broccoli
1 clove garlic
small piece grated ginger

BBQ Ribs and Zucchini Gratin

2009-06-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is my second go at this post. I had the entire thing finished and I somehow erased it when I tried to edit the pictures! So, if my pictures are not aligned right, I am not so sure I will change them! Ha!Here I go...

I have been craving BBQ for a while. I think my next craving is hitting the Chinese spot, but that's another post in itself. There is one BBQ joint near my house, but I've never made it there. Living in Maui and having a love for GOOD food do NOT go hand in hand. Ordering a pizza alone costs you 40 bucks with tax and tip! And it is nothing like a slice of East coast pizza. Anyway, I went to the grocery store planning on slurging for a rack of ribs. Guess what?

So I can deal with 15 bucks, but then I am walking out of the grocery store, checking my receipt, a habit I got from my mom and I see it.... $2.99! They only charged me $2.99 for the ribs. What a steal! Quite literally! Whoa hoo!

I take the ribs home, I clean them and coat them with a spice rub of paprika, sugar, black pepper, and garlic salt.

I wrapped them in foil, poured about two shots worth of beer in the bottom and baked at 250 degrees for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat pulls away from the bone when you bend them.

While the ribs cook the BBQ sauce can be made. I never follow a recipe to the T, unless of course I am baking, where there really isn't a choice. I found a few different BBQ sauce recipes and decided to use The Neely's BBQ Sauce for the base. I was not happy with the result and added some extras. I let it cook a bit longer and BAM! Great sauce!
The sauce starts out bright red from the tomatoes and ketchup and darkens as it cooks.

The end result was thick and dark in color, very yummy!

I have to be honest, I have never used the grill all by myself! Yes, I know, terrible, but yesterday I decided I was going to do it. My bf was not home in time to help me out so I grabbed the ribs, my tongs, the sauce and my side kick.

(She is hoping to get in on some of this!)

The ribs go on the grill for about 5 minutes on each side WITHOUT the sauce on medium high heat. Lower the heat on the grill to medium and baste with the BBQ sauce. Don't let them cook more than a few minutes on each side or they will BURN!

The ribs were so tender that the meat came right off the bones
This is the sauce I came up with:

1 C tomatoes, pureed
1 C ketchup
1 C water
3/4 C apple cider vinegar
5 T brown sugar
3 T sugar
1 T lemon juice
2 T worcestershire sauce
DASH A1
1/2 T black pepper
1/2 T ground mustard
1/2 T onion powder
2 T soy sauce
dash hot sauce
dash cayenne
2 t molasses

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir frequently.

I served the ribs with baked potatoes and zucchini gratin:

Chop the vegetables

Saute the shallot and garlic a few minutes over medium heat

Add the zucchini, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until tender. Add flour and cook a few minutes so the gratin does not have a pastey taste. Add the cheeses and milk. Cook until thickened, only a few minutes more. Pour into a prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with extra cheese and panko, and dot the top with butter. Bake 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

The top will be golden.

2 T butter
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 medium zucchini
salt
pepper
sprinkle of thyme
2 T flour
mozzarella cheese
parmesean or pecorino cheese
1 C milk, warm
panko
butter

Chicken Adobo and an Update

2009-05-31T17:24:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend's ex is doing miraculously well! She has pulled through and was taken off the vent and moved to the burn unit from ICU. All the thoughts and prayers sent her way have been working! The children are staying with us and it's kept everyone quite busy!

Okay, I didn't have too much time this week to blog and couldn't decide which recipe to write about next. I finally decided to share my Chicken Adobo recipe. Since moving to Maui I have been cooking a lot of Filipino dishes and "local" favorites. My boyfriend was born and raised here in Maui and says it's the best he's ever tasted. The addition of potatoes def takes it over the top. Don't be afraid of the amount of vinegar, it mellows during cooking.

Ingredients:

8 pieces of bone in chicken
salt and pepper
5-6 garlic cloves
tsp whole peppercorns
1/2 small sweet onion
tsp grated ginger

3 potatoes
2 bay leaves
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
1/4 c water (optional)

Directions:

Salt and pepper your chicken pieces.
Brown in a pot on both sides
Remove from the pot. Saute onion, garlic, and ginger.

Dice the potatoes according to your liking. (see pic below)
Return chicken to the pot
Add potatoes, liquids, bayleaf and peppercorns.
Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender.
Remove chicken and potatoes from the pot.
Combine cornstarch and water together and add to the pot
Bring the liquid to a boil until thicken.
The potatoes soak up the sauce as they cook. Serve with white rice. Yum!

Absent

2009-05-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to blog these next couple weeks. My boyfriend's ex was in a terrible crash and is in critical condition. Keep her in your prayers.

All I can say is.. oh my!

2009-05-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

So Thursday I decided I was going to make short ribs braised and simmered in red wine and lots of vegetables and herbs. I was so excited since I've never made short ribs before. Well, my bf's daughter had an awards ceremony we were going to attend. I turned the ribs off and left them on the stove since we weren't going to be out for long. WRONG!
After the ceremony we went out to a Korean restaurant to eat and have some drinks, the ex, her sister in law, the kids and the bf's co-worker all came along. The food was delicious and in fact this weekend I am trying my hand at Korean style beef, homemade kimchi and mochiko chicken. I'll let you know how it all turns out!
The ex left and took the kids with her and so did the co-worker and his daughter. The trio was left together to share drinks... drinks... AND more! By the time we left the second bar I was far gone! We came home and I guess I decided to turn the ribs back on to feed the bf, since he did not eat while we were out. I took the mashed potatoes I made earlier in the day out of the fridge, started heating everything up and made my way to the bedroom where I PASSED OUT! When I woke I went to the kitchen and saw that I had left the ribs on and the bf woke up at 2 am and turned them off.
I just have to give myself SOME credit because I added the finishing touches to the pot which were cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, and rosemary! Even as completely obliterated as I was. The ribs WERE BURNED TO THE POT and I left the potatoes out, which is was not a great moment! Boy oh boy all that drinking really kicked my ass! Well, I just had to take a picture so here it is!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2009-05-21T10:56:00.001-07:00

There are so many wonderful blogs out there, each with it's own unique style. Some try a new cookbook each month, some stick to the recipes they know and love. Others try their hand at baking. I think I want to do a little of each. I'm going to try each week to post:

1 recipe I know and love

1 recipe I have in my endless stack

1 recipe for a dessert

This week I the dog treats which I know Abby loves will have to do as my know and love recipe. I tried a new recipe for the Chicken I posted yesterday. Today I am going to post a Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe from Ina Garten. I had a bunch of lemons in my fridge and needed to do something with them. I flipped through Ina's cookbook and found the recipe. I immediately went to work with Food Network on in the living room. Just as I was pouring the batter into the loaf pan Barefoot Contessa came on... guess what she was making? Yep! You guessed it! Lemon Yogurt Cake with a blueberry sauce. Too funny!
Anyway, I substituted 3/4 of the yogurt for sour cream and added lemon yogurt instead of plain because that is what I had on hand. DELICIOUS! Moist, not too sweet and very fresh tasting!

Super simple. . . you don't even need a mixer! Just whip out that whisk!

1 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

3/4 C sour cream
1/4 C lemon yogurt
1 1/3 C sugar
3 L eggs
2 t lemon zest
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 C vegetable Oil
1/3 C fresh lemon juice

Glaze:
1 C confectioner's sugar
2 T lemon juice

Sift dry ingredients:

Whisk sour cream, yogurt, 1 CUP sugar, eggs, zest and vanilla

Slowly whisk in flour mixture until incorporated

Add vegetable oil and use whisk or rubber spatula to fold into the batter.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes while you make the syrup.

In a small saucepan combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over the cake while still warm.

Once the cake cools mix confectioner's sugar and lemon juice together and pour over the cake for a nice glaze.

Stress and a mess all for a chicken breast!

2009-05-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Many of us feel like we're ready to perform surgery once we finish scrubbing both our kitchens after working with chicken. Today, I was ready to perform right on my counter! Living in Maui means many of my beloved food items are WAY too expensive living on a budget, especially now a days. A couple weeks ago whole chickens were only 99 cents a pound, so I bought a few and put them in the freezer. I took one out last night and defrosted in the fridge so I could make two dishes this week from one chicken. Panko and Parmesan crusted chicken tonight and chicken adobo, a Filipino dish tomorrow. I think I did a pretty decent job, check it out:

I got two pieces out of each chicken breast and pounded each piece into a chicken cutlet.

Then I dusted each with a little cornstarch, dipped in the egg wash and then into the Panko/Parmesan mixture

Let the chicken sit a few minutes and then sauteed in olive oil and butter. Once I transferred to the oven to stay warm I added a few lemon slices and butter to the pan to drizzle on top.

I didn't put much thought into my side dishes until afterward. I roasted some potatoes in olive oil and crushed rosemary and sauteed some zucchini and mushrooms. The next time I make this dish, I will make garlic mashed potatoes and roasted zucchini! It was a delish dish!

Egg Wash:
2 whole eggs + one egg white
1 1/2 T dijon mustard

Breading:
1 C panko crumbs
1/2 C parmesan
1/2 C pecorino
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper

For all our furry friends out there!

2009-05-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

I have a 5 year old peek-a-poo. She is curled up on her little pink blanket right now. This morning I was playing with her and felt something on her chest.... IT WAS A TICK! GROSS! It didn't bite her so thankfully I got it off in time, not sure how it got there since she has her monthly treatment, nonetheless I felt compelled to share a recipe for super simple dog treats. Abby LOVES them!

Peanut Butter Cookies:

2 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 T Baking Powder
2 T Honey
1/2 C Skim Milk
1/2 C Water
1 C Peanut Butter (sugar free!)

*I use Smart Balance chunky PB which is sweetened with Molasses
*Add chopped carob chips for something extra special :)

Mix the flour and BP together in one bowl. In a second bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Slowly stir into Flour mixture until combined. Turn out onto floured surface and roll to 1/8'' thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutter or just cut into bit size strips. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes on a greased cookie sheet. Remove from the oven and let dry until crisp (this will take a few hours). Store in an airtight container. These are adorable and would make a great gift!

Just want to share

2009-05-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a delicious dinner! My bf's friend caught a fish while spear diving late Sunday night. The fish he caught is a Parrot fish, but referred to as "Uhu" in Hawaiian by locals. The fish was so fresh it smelled of the ocean. I've heard people say to always buy fish that smells like the ocean, but since I don't buy much fish here, I've never experienced this. I ran to the store to grab some stuff while he gutted the fish, that is a sight I wish I could have seen! He stuffed the fish with butter and garlic, vegetables, shrimp and Hawaiian Sea Salt. I made some pasta tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and it was delicious together!
During the day yesterday I made some profiteroles and a mango cream. A recipe I found in a 2005 issue of Bon Appetit. I was not as impressed as others that reviewed the recipe, but you may enjoy it? Mango Filled Cream Puffs
Recipes to come: Parmesean and Panko crusted chicken, lemon pound cake, Chicken adobo and beef short ribs!!

A Taste of the Local Side

2009-05-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the perfect day for blogging. I have cramps from hell and don't feel like doing a damn thing except sitting in this chair and drinking a big mug of hot Kona coffee! Until of course the clock turns to the right time and I can break out the TEQUILA! I've got my trusty assistant at my feet and I'm ready to roll.

The local side of Hawaii is VERY laid back. People here are very family oriented and love to relax. When families get together you can bet there will be a wide variety of local favorites like lau lau, lomi salmon, and poi. There is always ahi poke, which is one of my favorites, chunks of fresh ahi tuna tossed with Hawaiian salt and Maui onion among other flavors. The recipe I have for you today is for Kalua Pork. This is the pulled pork of Hawaii. Usually it is prepared by digging a hole in the ground, making a fire that dissipates and leaves the lava rocks BOILING hot! Add the pig and cover with banana leaves for hours and hours. This version is done in the slow cooker and is SUPER easy to do. Serve it up with any sides you want. This is great on a sandwich or turned into a weeknight quesadilla!

Slow Cooker. 6lb.Pork shoulder/butt. 1 1/2 T Liquid smoke. 1 3/4 T sea salt. fresh ginger/garlic optional

You can use a medium grain sea salt for this. You may add the following to it for more flavor, but not necessary: black pepper, chili pepper flakes, garlic powder, ground ginger

Place the pork in the slow cook with the fatty side up. Pour the liquid smoke and Hawaiian salt all over the top. Grate some fresh ginger and one clove of garlic over the top as well. Get in there with your hands and rub it all around. DO NOT ADD WATER. There is enough fat to baste the meat.

Put the cover on and set the crock pot to low. Leave the pork for 16 hours.

Once the time has passed, shred the meat, remove the bones, turn the cooker to warm and serve for dinner! This is really a delicious dish! Look at that tender meat!

Texas Style Chili

2009-05-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

How many of us stick with the same old school ground beef chili we were raised on? Although I would take a bowl of this homemade chili from my mom's kitchen any day. Let's face it, no matter how good we are in the kitchen NOTHING compares to a dish that brings you back to your childhood.
This chili comes from Bon Appetit October 2008 issue and I'm providing the link for the full recipe. The recipe calls for Beef brisket, but I used beef stew meat. I did not cook it in the oven as directed in the original recipe, but simmered it on the stove for 2 1/2 hours before adding the butternut squash. I used Corona for the beer portion of the recipe because that's what I had in the house. I am sure something like Negra Modelo would add much more flavor!
Eat this over rice or simply by itself.... yum yum!

Any suggestions to another vegetable you think would be equally delicious?

Texas Style Beef Chili Recipe

Pierogi Patience

2009-05-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, here I go, cutting into the first homemade pierogi I've ever made. . . .drum roll....Mmmmmm... that is some good stuff! Excuse me while I consume all five I put on my plate!

Those were delicious! The dough was tender and light. The filling was good, but not great. I have the remainder in the freezer and know just what to do with them!

A guy my boyfriend works with is getting divorced and eats ALL microwavable boxed junk! I think I'll send some his way, do you think he can handle "boil until they rise" and "melt butter?" I sure as hell hope so. Last week I made cinnamon rolls and told him to take some for his kids, he looked at me cross eyed and said "I don't cook!" Um, hello! I already did all the work, put them in the oven for 15 minutes! Of course you do need to know how to turn the oven on! Anyway, here is the recipe and some pictures of the process. Hope you guys enjoy!

Dough: 2 cups flour
1 t salt
1 egg,whisked
2 T sour cream
1/2 C water

The filling recipe is in the text to follow. Very simple!

Sift the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle. Add the egg and sour cream. With a wooden spoon OR your hand start stirring while gradually adding the water. Once the water is incorporated use your hands to gently knead the dough until it comes together and isn't sticky. Cover with a towel and let it rest 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting the potato filling can be prepared. Boil 5 medium potatoes in salted water. I usually add a garlic clove or two and a bay leaf for added flavor. Boil until fork tender, drain well. Transfer to a bowl and IF you have a potato ricer, this would be the time to use it. I used two forks to mash the potatoes. Add 6 oz. cheddar cheese and a little salt and pepper. Filling is done.

Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick and cut circles out with a cookie cutter or a cup. Place one teaspoon of potato in the center of each dough round. Holding in one hand, pull the sides of the dough together, starting in the middle. Pinch the dough closed making sure the filling does not come out. You may want to start with less filling until you get the hang of it. PLEASE flour your cookie sheet or plate before you put the pierogi down, it sure took lots of PATIENCE to peel the pierogi off the wax paper! I didn't realize they were stuck until I had all 22 on the sheet!

Put 5 or 6 pierogi in boiling water and boil until they float to the surface.

You can eat them boiled or you can do what I love to do and fry them in butter! Yum!

Serve with sour cream, sauteed onions and crumbled bacon, or a drizzle of melted butter! Hope you love em!

Family heritage

2009-05-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

One of my newest "obsessions" has been tracing my family history. All four of my grandparents have passed away and so have many of their siblings. This leaves much left up to the bits and pieces I have to put together from my mom and dad and aunts and uncles who can't even agree on their mother's real name. The verdict- I am a European MUTT with a touch of the Caribbean! Polish, English, Irish, French, Austrian, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Taino Indian! Even though I am a mix of rich cultures I grew up predominately eating and experiences the culture of my dad's side, the Puerto Rican side. I can make rice and beans with my eyes shut! I am ready for a culinary challenge, both on the chopping board and in my mouth!

This morning I decided to make pierogi. After writing down dozens of dough recipes I finally decided on one. Super easy to put together and needs to rest only 30 minutes, long enough to peel and boil your potatoes and grate some cheese. I went to the fridge to grab some cheddar and found myself disappointed to find manchego, mozzarella, goat cheese, the processed crap my boyfriend loves and a few others, but no cheddar. I have about as much patience as a three year old and waiting until my COSTCO trip tomorrow is not an option. Living in Maui means the "local" grocery stores don't offer the same variety as the mainland.

Success or failure? Stay tuned!

Shortbread anyone?

2009-05-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

From the time I was eleven my weekends would be filled with babysitting and baking, glamorous, I know! I'd fill cellophane bags with an assortment of baked goods and send my younger sisters around the neighborhood selling the treats for $2.00 each. Believe it or not, they'd come back empty handed! The past few years I've spent my time in the kitchen cooking treats of a different variety, the savory kind.
I'm now revisiting the world of baking and find it just as much fun as it use to be!

This recipe for shortbread comes from this month's Cooking Light magazine with a few slight modifications. The shortbread is light and has a much more flaky texture than your typical shortbread. I added a lemon drizzle once they were cut and cooled.

Vanilla shortbread with Lemon Drizzle

2 C Flour
1/4 C Cornstarch
1/4 t salt
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease either a 9x13 baking pan, or a 9 inch round spring form.
Combine flour, cornstarch, salt in a bowl. Sift. Beat butter in a separate bowl for 2 minutes. Gradually add the oil and mix another 3 minutes. Add vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until JUST combined. Spoon dough into prepared pan and press to an even thickness. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into desired size pieces.

To bump up the lemon flavor add the finely grated zest of one lemon to the dough.

Lemon Drizzle

Powdered sugar
Fresh lemon juice

Mix just enough sugar and juice together to make a drizzle the consistency of heavy cream. Spoon over the cookies just before serving.

ENJOY!