Imagination Culinaire

Spicy Squash & Peanut Soup with Grilled Eggplant, Pesto, Tomato & Goat Cheese Stack

2012-02-01T16:29:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a magnificent food blog, Cara's Cravings. I have yet to find a recipe I would not make. The blog was appealing to me because she creates her dishes as I would. The dishes are simple, healthy and very much in keeping with what comes out of my kitchen. In short, I like her cooking style. I finally got to make my first recipe from her site, Spicy Squash & Peanut Soup. YUM.

So, here are a few notes. It is not spicy. The chipotle pepper adds a nice deepness to the soup without blowing your socks off, or even singeing them. Definitely kid friendly. My kids friendly. Your family may have an extra sensitive pallet. In that case, skip the pepper and add a 1 tablespoon of the adobo liquid. Second note, this recipe takes time. Peeling and chopping a butternut squash is time consuming. I started yesterday afternoon and I kept the squash out and peeled a bit at a time. I get board with tasks like that, so instead of abandoning ship, I gave myself the freedom to do a little at a time. It was brilliant! Nothing in this recipe requires any more then the basic skill set. So if you give yourself plenty of time, it should be a cinch! Go to hyperlink for instructions. One more note, you do have to like food to eat this. What I mean is, this is not an average tasting dish. I feel you do have to like veggies to like this.

What did I serve with it you ask???? Ha ha ha. (Diabolical laugh) Not sure why this has to be diabolical other then I am imagining strumming my fingers together like a mad scientist, gazing lovingly at my awesome eggplant creation.
I found this recipe, or a version of it and did not bookmark!!! I hate when that happens. I know the original was almost just like this one, so if I knew where it was I would give credit. The goat cheese was all me! Ok, so this is so good, it is going on my favorites list right away. It is easy, crazy Delicious and very easy to make. This makes enough for people to have one each. I would double if you are cooking for more.

I would have taken pictures, but I had a new friend over and, well, you know, taking pictures of your food is kinda weird. I need to ease her into my crazy.

Grilled Eggplant, Pesto, Tomato & Goat Cheese Stack

1 Eggplant
3 Beefsteak or Large Tomato cut into large rings
Pesto, home made or store bought.
Goat cheese softened

Cut eggplant into rings. Salt both sides and let sit for 30 minutes. This will draw out water and eliminate bitter flavor.

Put eggplant on grill on grill for about 5 minutes. Smear goat cheese on eggplant, smear a layer of pesto on top of that, add tomato, add another eggplant ring and repeat. Put a sheet of alluminum foil down on grill, put eggplant on and close grill for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and cheese is bubbly.
*I used a George Forman and did the final cooking in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. If my grill worked I would have used that.

10 Tips on Cooking For Large Crowds

2012-01-25T15:31:00.001-06:00

At the company where Mark and I met, a very smart lady, Adina Norrisimplemented a Lunch Bunch. Anyone could join as long as you committed tobringing lunch for everyone when it was your turn. Brilliant! At the time I didnot know how to cook very well, and I certainly did not know how to cook for acrowd. I am certain I got it wrong on several occasions, but then so dideveryone else. Through trial and error, I learned a very important life skill. One note, Adina taught me a ton about group cooking. She would often bring enough food to feed whomever wanted to eat, not just lunch bunch. She would concoct these enormous dishes of fried rice. When I asked he for the recipe she would say, "Recipe? I just put in whatever I had in the kitchen." Impressive skill cooking for 30+ people with nothing more then your kitchen items for ingredients. If you know Adina, this comes as no surprise.
In addition to learning how to cook for large groups of people, the friendshipsthat were formed from eating together everyday were priceless. Long afterI quit working, and Mark was still there, I looked forward to coming up on thedays we cooked and eating with all my old friends.
My mother is another teacher in my journey to cooking. The single mostvaluable lesson she taught me in the kitchen was generosity. Her favoritesaying, "We can always put another rock in the soup!” applies when cookingfor a crowd. We had very little money growing up, but we ALWAYS hadenough to share our table. God always provided that "rock". I havemore memories of our family dinners including other people then not. Whencooking for a large crowd, you can be thrifty, but always have a mindset ofgenerosity.
We are now attending a Bible study, one family brings dinner every 6weeks or so. It’s a breeze for me. Mark and I discuss our many options with noworries. I know there is a game plan that I need to follow in order to serve asuccessful stress free dinner. It most definitely is not perfect every-time,because I am still learning.
Cooking for large groups of people is a challenge. An expensive challenge ifyou do not know what you are doing. I thought I would give few tips, feel freeto add more in the comments section.

1. The List: Make a list. On the right side of the page, listeverything you are going to serve. I mean everything. Main dish, sides,veggies, shredded cheese for toppings, salad dressings. No item is too small ifyou are planning to serve it. On the left side of the page write a task list;thaw meat, chop veggies, shred cheese. I usually add other tasks that I needdone, laundry, empty dishwasher, make the kids a snack. The purpose for this isso you can make an assessment of what things you are going to be doing as wellas cooking. There is nothing like household stuff to derail your cooking time.
2. Start to Finish: Think through the entire process of a recipe. Donot arbitrarily choose to cook something and not think through to thefinish. Imagine your self doing all the steps, if you can see yourself onthe other side, this MIGHT be the one.
3. Ingredients: Is this recipe expensive? Remember, you are going todouble or even triple everything. When I cook for large groups I use twoprinciple ingredients almost every-time: Dried Beans and Ground Turkey. Therecipes available using those to ingredients as your base are endless. (If youwant a few email me) I don't always use both, but I almost always useone.
4. Food Allergies: I like to, whenever possible, cook with thefood allergy person in mind. You may choose not to. In that case, it is alwaysthoughtful to add tons of extra salad. If you have plenty, then thatperson will not feel they have taken another person’s share. Leave dressing andcheeses off salad anytime you cook for a crowd. If you cook with sauces bringthe sauce or spice pack or whatever to the allergy person, they will appreciateit and feel comfortable eating your food.
5. Skill Level: Don't pick a recipe you do not know how tocook. I made Gumbo for the first time for Lola's first birthday. If you don'tknow this, gumbo takes a long time to make and requires a certain skill. I hadnever even heard of rue before and I tried to make it from scratch for 43people. Evaluate what you have to do from start to finish. I know I keep sayingthat, but it is key. You do not want to get half way through a recipe andrealize you have never browned floured meat. (It does require some skill)Eliminate stress. It is stressful to feed large groups, don't add mess ups inthe kitchen to that mix. Try new things, but make sure they are similar tothings you have cooked before.
6. Time Frame: This has been, and continues to be, the hardest skillfor me to master. If I lived by my rule, Start to Finish, I would never have aproblem. Be careful when a recipe gives the time it takes to make. They do notalways factor in the time it takes to chop. Chopping and prep usually takes thebulk of your time when cooking any dish, but it really takes a long time when tripled.If possible, chop all the veggies early, like in the morning. It feels great tojust get in-front of the stove and have everything at your finger tips. Makedesserts the day before. Make casseroles the day before if you can.
7. Crock V. Pot: My mom never used a crock pot. I never used a crockpot. Then my dear friend Laura bought me a crock pot. I use is as much aspossible. When used with the right ingredients, food comes out amazing.However, if the crock pot recipe calls for a 4 hour cook time and you areunable to turn it off in 4 hours, skip it. Many times, if cooked to long,everything falls apart. Remember, crock pot recipes often call for largeamounts of prep work. Be sure to take note when reading the recipe and thinkabout your time constraints.
8. Over-plan: There is NOTHING worse then running out of food. Over plan by at least 4 people. You would be shocked at the amount of food the first few people will put on their plate. From their view they see all the food you cooked and think there is tons and tons, when in reality you have only cooked enough for everyone to have a normal portion. In large groups people eat TONS of food and more then 50% of your guests will want seconds. In addition, most large meals are buffet, so what you consider a normal portion, they may think is small.
9. Eat Last: Always be the last to eat. This gives you the ability to re-fill anything that might have run low, like cheese. Eating last ensures that everyone of your guests gets foods.
10. Build Staples: Start building a library of staple recipes. You will find recipes you use over and over that are easy, inexpensive and crowd pleasers.

Enjoy yourself, have fun. Remember, no matter what you cook, everyone is grateful they are not cooking. Happy cooking.

Lemon Veal Stew

2012-01-21T17:09:00.000-06:00

Yum. I mean, yum-yum-yum. Wonderful, lovely and rich is an accurate description. The flavors are elaborate and unusual. If you are a seasoned foodie this is the dish for you. If you are drawn to simple cuisine, this would be the perfect dish to step out of your comfort zone. It requires quite a few ingredients and, while not complex, does entail prep work.

It would be the perfect thing to serve to guests on a cold Saturday night.

Lemon Veal Stew
21/2-3 Pounds Veal Stew Meat
1/3 Cup Rice Flower (You can use regular as well)
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Red Onion Chopped into strips
4 Cloves Garlic chopped
1 Tablespoon Chopped fresh Tarragon (2 Tablespoons dried)
1 Tablespoon Chopped fresh Rosemary (2 Tablespoon dried)
6 Red Potatoes Chopped into cubes
Juice of 4 Lemons
1 (8 oz) Can Artichoke Hearts
1 Bag Wild Mushrooms (You can use 1lb Button as well)
4 Cups Dry White Wine

Coat veal cubes with flour. Heat olive oil on medium in large dutch oven and add veal, cook long enough to brown on 2 sides, not long enough to cook through. Do not over crowd, work in several batches. You might have to turn down your heat as you cook as your pot will heat up in the process.

Add all other ingredients, to the crock pot. Add veal when you are done browning. Cook on High for 6 hours.
Perfect served with a spicy greens salad. I would like to say that is what we did, but no, it was Ceaser from a bag.

*I did not take very good pictures this time, so I am playing around in Picasa to see what affects I like best.


Prepping the Meat

Sorry Mark, you lost out on the wine this go-round! Good thing, it was AWESOME!

Happy Eating.

Roll With it Baby...

2012-01-18T21:31:00.000-06:00

So, there is a problem with recipe surfing. Sometimes, when you have surfed several recipes on an item, say veal stew meat, you get confused and forget cooking times. I spent a great deal of time yesterday perfecting the perfect combination of veal stew recipes. Cara’s Cravings would be the base, and I would add and subtract other stuff.

I really liked her use of lemon and not wine. I LOVE to cook with wine, Mark on the other hand, always the gracious husband will usually curl his nose and say, “Oh, you used wine.” Not the response I am looking for. I, on the other hand love to use wine when cooking. I love the tangy, rich and deep taste it adds to a dish. However, I am cooking for others not always myself.

I digress. So, today at 3:30 I went to look up the base recipe and low and behold it was a 6 hour crock pot version. Whoops. Veal is defrosted, what to do? Thank you HEB quick-sale beef pinwheels stuffed with feta and spinach.

Defrost beef: Check; Veggie: LOTS of fresh spinach; Starch? , I just happened to have purchased a box of Mac and Cheese for the kids at random. (Pantry staple) HELLO SUPER MAMA!

Since Mac and Cheese from a box is NOT gluten free, I abstained. The kids on the other hand, thought it was Christmas dinner. Every once in a while, I find digression is fun.

HEB Beef Pinwheels Stuffed with Feta and Spinach

Grill on George Forman or regular grill. Babysit till done, about 5-7 minutes.

Sautéed Spinach

1 pound fresh spinach washed ends trimmed

3-4-5-6-7 garlic chopped (Stop chopping garlic when you get tired)

7-8 dried Japanese chilies chopped.

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Heat wok till searing hot. Add garlic and chilies; cook till crispy, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and sesame oil. Toss till spinach is wilted.

Box Macaroni – Nuf said.

The end result of this shifting of dinners was GOLD. Everyone loved everything and I win. The kids did not eat the spinach. I did not offer it to them. There are some things I like spicy and do not want to alter for their delicate palate. They got raw chopped red bell.

Veal stew tomorrow! I promise.

George Forman ROCKS!

Yum

Fresh Spinach

Cooking Garlic and Peppers

Helping Mom

Spinach Stir-fry

I LIKE dinner. (Usually hates dinner but eats)

I always eat whatever Mommy makes with a smile.

Coming Soon

2012-01-18T13:12:00.000-06:00

Sarah Hart called me today and gave me some great feedback about the blog. Specifically, she gave me ideas for future posts. They were brilliant! I have a sneaking suspicion that the envelope, I wrote said ideas on, will travel from the desk, to the counter, to my bedroom, back to the desk and eventually end up in the trash or stashed into some random opening in my bookshelf. Instead I will write ideas on blog thereby killing two birds with one stone. I can dispose of agonizing envelope and hold myself accountable to writing future posts.

Please comment and let me know what YOU would like to read about.

~~Envelope~~ Future Blog ideas:

Good Bones - A discussion about how to pick recipes online or in cookbooks; How to tailor recipes to your ingredient list, cooking skill and time frame.

Kitchen Staples - What consistent ingredients do I purchase every-time I run out, even if I do not have a specific recipe in mind? What can you find on a daily basis in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry. What key ingredients do I think EVERY person needs in their kitchen to cook on the fly.

Leftover ReCreations - How to turn yesterdays leftovers into today's new creations.

Gluetn Free - A discussion about my journey; commercially the options are getting better, but the general public are still uneducated insensitive to food allergy ; how it is not as difficult or limiting as you might think!

How I Shop - My mind and budget in the grocery store. How do I feed my family on budget serving gourmet and gluten free.

Favorite Appetizers - I cannot WAIT to write this one, I will be gleaning from many sources, as this is my favorite thing to eat, period.

So, there you have it, the future. Let me know what interests you. These will all take time and some research, so in the meantime keep your eye out for how my veal stew turns out tonight.

Arise from the Dead and Make: Gluten Free/Dairy Free Italian Turkey Sausage Pasta with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

2012-01-17T15:00:00.025-06:00

No big deal, it has been 5 years since my last post, lets just pick up where we left off.

Holy Mother of all things good to cook. I hit one out of the park. I thought this would be good, I had no idea it would GREAT, like no leftovers great. (I would have doubled had I known)

One of my very favorite things to do is purchase quick-sale or reduced meats. I know there are a few categories of people that find that practice abhorrent. I, on the other hand, have cooked many meals that I could not otherwise afford to eat using this method, and I can add other fun stuff when I get a deal on things I purchase all the time. We have never gotten sick, and I always cook by the date it recommends, even if that means cooking it that night. Germaphobe category people, avoid this practice.
The real reason I like it? The thrill of the hunt. I then go home, look up dozens of recipes online and proceed to mash them up into what I think is the best flavor combination and based on my ingredient list. What to look for when surfing? Recipes with good bones. Uber Meal Planners, another category of people, this practice may not be for you.
If the meat is super weird, and you are a HEB zealot like me, ask the chefs at the Cooking Connection. They always have great ideas and good tips.
Side note: I do have my limits to "super weird". Yesterday took a big, I mean BIG step away when the reduced for quick sale item was sweetbreads..

So, this brings us to dinner tonight. I bought Italian turkey sausage links for $2 yesterday at HEB. All HEB turkey sausage made in house is MSG-free. After much perusal, and very little options online, this is what I came up with.

PREP!

Gluten Free Turkey Sausage Pasta

1 pound of Italian Turkey Sausage Links
3 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 Red Bell Pepper cut as strips
1/2 red onion cut as strips
4 cloves garlic crushed
3 heads of Broccoli, cut florets from stem
1 can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil (Fresh would be AMAZING too)
salt and pepper to taste, be generous.
1 box of gluten free pasta. (shells, rigatoni, macaroni shells) cooked to instructions.
1 cup Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette (Recipe to follow)

Place sausage in crock pot on high. Add enough chicken broth to cover. Slow cook for 4 hours. You can do this step ahead if needed.

When 4 hours are up, remove sausage and cut into rings. Reserve chicken broth for later use. Heat dutch oven with a few tablespoons of olive oil, when oil is hot add sausage rings. Cook until they are a nice crispy brown. Remove and set aside. You can eliminate step one and two and put sausage on grill. The added steps adds juice to the meat and insures no drying.

Add a bit more oil and add onion, garlic and red bell. Cook at a medium heat for about 15 minutes. You want them to cook slow and long so they are soft.

Add broccoli and turn up the heat. After you have sauteed the broccoli for a few minutes, 3-5, add a few tablespoons of chicken broth and a few tablespoons of Vinaigrette. Cover and let steam for 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add canned tomatoes, oregano and basil. Deglaze pan and let simmer for 3 min. Add reserved veggies, meat and 1/2 cup of Vinaigrette. Toss and heat, add cooked noodles and toss more. Add more Vinaigrette if you feel you do not have enough sauce.
Yummy, cheap, gluten- and dairy-free, definitely NOT flavor free

Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup Cooking Sherry
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 cloves garlic
1/2 finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon oregano
1 pinch white sugar (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
Blend the red wine vinegar, honey, mustard, lime juice, pepper, salt, paprika, garlic, onion, oregano, and sugar together in a blender until thoroughly mixed. Drizzle the olive oil into the mixture while blending on low. Chill at least 1 hour before serving

*This makes TONS. Use as marinade for fish, shrimp chicken or beef. Or, novel idea, salad dressing.

Breakfast with the Kids 2

2007-02-26T22:48:00.000-06:00

If there is something that brings my children joy, it is helping me "cook". Here is a great image of Sunday morning. We were cooking French toast, on real french bread by the way, and Eggs Florentine! Yum, yum. I have had to alter my cooking in the morning in order to allow small hands and clumsy arms to help. It is great. I feel like a wonderful mother on these days. They are in Zen states when I let them climb on the stool. I am happy to have them, my darlings.

Not the best picture of me, but who cares, it is about my bambinos and cooking! Don't you love Lola in the tights? They are for 3-6 months, she LOVES them. So, what the heck? It is Sunday morning and it is not like we are expecting the president or anything.

Love you all.

Chipotle Shrimp = A party at Laura's

2007-02-19T10:40:00.002-06:00

There are 3 things I am fairly obsessed with right now; Rick Bayless, chipotle and shrimp. Rick, my man, the man, has never steered me wrong when creating something out of his cookbooks. His brilliant, vibrant recipes are always amazing and fairly easy to prepare. I rarely have to buy something in the ingredient list that is not already a staple in my kitchen.

As far as chipotle, if you have yet to dive into the craze, please, I beg of you, join the crowd. There is a good reason EVERYTHING these days is chipotle. The rich spice and tangy burn are heaven to the taste buds. Of course if you have an aversion to spicy foods, this recipe is definitely not for you. But, I have found when making other recipes with chipotle you can use the adobo sauce and it still gives you the rich chipotle flavor minus the heat.

Shrimp, well, that is a life long obsession!

This past weekend Laura's sisters and mother came into town. She called me days in advance to talk about the menu for Saturday night's get-together. She had already scoped out the chipotle shrimp recipe from Rick's Mexican Everyday cookbook. So, while on the phone with her, we both opened our identical cookbooks and reviewed options. She decided to make Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos as an accompaniment; the shrimp was to be the crowning glory of the night.
So Saturday night came, we got a late start, but that was not to detour her, the shrimp would get made! Shrimp were ready for preparation, everybody was starving (and a little tipsy); when she went into the pantry to get the chipotle chiles...they were gone. Turns out I had ganked them from her about a month ago. (Yikes, sorry Lar.)

A look of devastation crossed her face, what were we to do? There had been so much build-up about the chipotle shrimp, so much anticipation of the dish; it was if the entire night was pulsing toward the heat of the peppers. Well, as all good new boyfriends do, Tom came to our rescue! Quick as lighting, he hopped in his car and jetted to WalMart at 9:30 at night for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Props Tom, you saved the day. After his swift return, as about as swift as one can be at WalMart, Laura finally finishes the dish.

It was all we had anticipated and more, so much more. The flavors satisfied our craving for newness and for comfort. Laura was able to share her culinary genius with her family and we were blessed to partake in not just a meal, but also a work of art.

This is the first of my blog recipes I have not actually made myself. But I trust Laura as I do myself in the kitchen. Besides, all that were present that night feel as if we were in some way participants in the nights events.

The shrimp is spicy hot, the kind of hot that leaves the corners of your mouth burning just a bit. Worth every single bite, and 10 more if you have enough shrimp for everyone.

Rick suggests you serve over white rice. I suggest you serve with a very cold very dark ale!

Chipotle Shrimp

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferable fire-roasted), drained
2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
1-tablespoon chipotle canning sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
About 1 ½ cups fish or chicken broth or water
Salt
1 to 1 ¼ pounds medium-large shrimp (21 to 25 shrimp per pound) peeled and deveined, tail on if you wish
About ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

1. Pour the drained tomatoes into a blender. Add the chipotle chiles and chipotle canning sauce. Process until smooth.

2. In a very large skillet heat the oil over medium. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Pour in the tomato mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add enough broth or water to achieve a light tomato sauce consistency. Taste and season highly with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.

3. Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook stirring nearly constantly, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in a little more broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.
4. Scoop out onto dinner plates and sprinkle with cilantro.

Breakfast with the Kids

2007-02-13T22:33:00.000-06:00

As an adult, I have never been a breakfast maker. I say maker because I LOVE to go out and have breakfast. To be served eggs, sausage, and pancakes at some un-godly hour of the day is luxurious beyond imagination. A treat that is usually only worthy when out of town.
As a parent, as with all aspects of life, things change. I now find myself wakened at 6:30-7:00 am by 2 hungry toddlers asking for eggs, wowa joes (that is Lolanese for cereal), and bacon. I pry myself out of bed, and with my kiddos go searching the fridge for new and exciting ways to fill their tummy with food.
I have found myself exploring nutritious ways to feed my family in the morning. My kids love eggs, boiled, scrambled, fried and poached, anyway I fix them they will devour them with out any regard to the usual finicky nature of toddlers. Eggs are easy, quick and can usually be fixed while the much-needed coffee is brewing. The problem is, I can't morally feed them eggs everyday. So, as I said before, I have stared exploring new things to feed them in the morning.
Pancakes! That’s the ticket! Right!? Wrong. They have no nutritional value, basically demoralized, flat, box birthday cake. Doused in sugary syrup and served half cold they serve no purpose for your digestion other then to distract it long enough to create an even more ravenous hunger pre-pancake.
Alas, I have discovered the Hodgson Mill brand of pancake mix. They sell whole wheat (the real kind), bulger wheat, flax pancakes, all with a wonderful taste that excites the very buds that get high on maple syrup. Plus the pancakes they create are hearty and filling. Add frozen blueberries, nuts, and applesauce anything your heart desires, and they are always good.
Just yesterday morning Moses ate 4, yes count them 1-2-3-4 pancakes. Mark could only stomach 3, and he had a slight tummy ache after that. We like to cover them with fresh strawberries and honey, a perfect substitute for syrup.
Having said all that, I come to the posted picture. I am a sucker for the kids. When my parents call on Saturday morning and say they are bringing dounuts and chocolate milk for the kids, I melt. I remember so fondly those days when my dad and mom would throw us in the car early Saturday morning and we would drive to Shipley’s and eat chocolate covered dounuts and chocolate milk till we were sick. Hannah loved the cinnamon twists, a dounut I have grown to love more then any other.

Lola loves dounuts, Moses does as well, but he has a more sophisticated pallet, Kolaches are his favorite.
As much as I want healthy kids, I want happy kids, so Mon-Fri feed your kids Bulger Wheat pancakes, but when Grandma and Grandpa call and want to bring over Shipley’s, say, "Bring it on!”

Musing About a Night out to Dinner

2007-02-13T22:02:00.000-06:00

The other night we went out with some friends to dinner. After ordering our catfish and hamburger I was amazed at the price of the meal. I was stunned frankly to be spending $30+ on something that I could not only re-create far better at home, but far less expensive. I had two beers for the price of an entire 6 pack!!!
I know this sounds cheap and silly; after all we did get to go out with friends. And there was no cooking or cleaning. Yet for all the fun we had, I was kicking myself for not spending the $30 more wisely and inviting our friends over to our house for dinner. There is nothing more satisfying then entertaining for your friends at home with a deli shish meal of whatever you happen to feel like cooking. (Of course not everyone believes that Hannah!) I love to cook; I do not find it to be a chore in any sense of the word. I lose myself in my kitchen after a long day of chasing after children and cleaning up tiny toys. It is my time to be alone with my thoughts and my creative juices. They tend to be stifled when changing a foul diaper. In my kitchen my "self" comes alive. To cook for my darling husband is wonderful, but to cook for friends, to share my table, that is my greatest joy.
That same night, after chiding myself for not just living in the moment, enjoying the fact that I was work free, my darling said the most amazing thing. We were asked where we like to go out to dinner. To anyone else it would have been an easy answer. Even for people that rarely go out to dinner, they could have picked their favorite places to eat. But we looked at each other in puzzled silence. "Well", I started, "we like Thai..." I wracked my brain for our favorite places to frequent dinner. Mark, perfect match to me, piped in, "I never feel the need to go out to dinner, my wife is a gourmet chef." He is said it so matter-of-fact, there was no question in anyone’s mind that I was a gourmet chef, least of all mine.
Yea! for my Darling.
I love to go out to eat, but I love to go in to eat even more.
Cheers to all my darlings!

Dal

2007-02-08T07:56:00.000-06:00

Yet another fabulous recipe from Passionate Vegetarian! Thank you Crescent Dragonwagon!

Indian food is a culinary roller coaster of joy. To date, I have not had a dish that don't I love. The spices are rich in flavor, exotic and yet, familiar. Familiar of course if you are given to trying new things. Indian is not in any way similar to typical North American cuisine.
If you are looking to start a culinary adventure, dal is a good place to begin. Throughout the Indian subcontinent, a meal is not a meal without dal-a thick, spicy bean stew served over rice.
This is not spicy, but is packed with spices. When cooking this dish, your kitchen will omit smells that are as fragrant as perfume.
I love it, and I think anyone that wants to try new things, will love it too.
One problem you may encounter when making this, is the daunting ingredient list. This is the way I look at it, once you make the initial investment, you are open to cooking hundreds of things you would not otherwise make. All the spices called for here are almost always called for when cooking Indian food. I think, once all these ingredients are in your pantry, you will find yourself looking for recipes that calls for these.
Good Luck.

Dal

5-6 Cups water
2 Cups lentils
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
11/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground tumeric
Pinch of cyenne, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-3 cups hot cooked rice

I served with whole wheat tortilla. Put in a 200 degree oven for about 10 min.

Gigi Hamilton's Really Hot, Really Delectable Mixed Beans with a Lot of Ginger

2007-02-08T07:19:00.000-06:00

I am not sure who Gigi Hamilton is, but I got this recipe from my Passionate Vegetarian cookbook, and this is the title of her recipe. So I thought for copy right reasons, I better give cred.
Moving on.
My friend Sarah commented the other day that one of her favorite things about my blog was the fact that all my recipes were inexpensive to make. It had not occurred to me, but she is right. I like to cook on a tight budget that tastes gourmet!
Well Sarah, here is another one for you. This recipe makes crazy amounts of food and the cost is right at $6 for the entire thing.
A prerequisite for making this recipe is you must like beans. I personally am shocked when I find people that don't like beans. I could eat them everyday myself, plus they are very good for you, and excellent source of protein.
This recipe is, as she states in the title, delectable! I cannot believe how good a few cans of canned beans can turn out. I would recommend this to anyone, anyone that likes beans of course...
If you are not a big spice head like I am, omit chlile and use mild Rotel. (Most grocers have it)
This recipe makes a large batch, but it freezes well. I can't wait to serve it at a party with Hamburgers, an interesting deviation from the usual pinto beans.
Enjoy!

Gigi Hamilton's Really Hot, Really Delectable Mixed Beans with a Lot of Ginger

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Cooking spray
2 Large Onions, chopped
5 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed peeled, grated ginger (yes, 1/4 cup!)
1 small hot chile, seeded or not depending on your wish for heat, diced (optional)
1 can (10 ounces) Ro*tel diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 cans white or navy beans, well drained
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can white hominy
Stems from 1 bunch Cilantro, chopped Cilantro leaves (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick Dutch oven, or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 4 min, then ass the garlic and ginger, and if using, the chile. Saute for about 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and green chile's and cook, stirring often, until heated through.

2. Add all the beans. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, and simmer until the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes. Add the cilantro stems and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

3. Serve hot, accompanied by any cooked grain or bread, sprinkled with cilantro leaves if desired.

La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup

2007-01-17T09:54:00.000-06:00

Ok, if you have ever been to La Madeleine, http://www.lamadeleine.com/,you should know their soup. It is the BEST soup I have ever had. When I first moved back to Houston I visited La Madeleine a few times, but only enjoyed their desserts and coffee. Michelle introduced me to their soup. I have never been the same. There were days when I dreamt about eating the creamy tomato soup. A few years later I started working at the Houston Ballet, and right down the road was a La Madeleine. Lets just say, I did get my fill.
I don't frequent La Madeleine as much as I used to but I still love their soup. So I was thrilled when Laura sent me the copykat link with this recipe. This recipe tastes EXACTLY like their tomato basil soup. It is extremely easy to make. I would say it serves 6-8 small cups and 5 large bowls.
Serve with shredded swiss cheese.

La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup

4 C. (8 to 10) tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped, or 4 C. canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 C. tomato juice and part vegetable stock or chicken stock
12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves
1 C. heavy cream
1/4 pound sweet, unsalted buttersalt to taste
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
Methods/steps
Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan).
Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring over low heat.
Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

Natasha's Greek Salad

2007-01-17T09:37:00.000-06:00

I love Greek Salad! Fresh and full of good veggies, when made correctly it does the body good. My friend Laura recently sent me a link to a great website, http://www.copykat.com/. She sent me the link to La Madeline's tomato basil soup. (Recipe will follow this one) I could not wait to try it. But, I wanted a good salad to go along with it. After some exploration, this is the one I chose. It went perfectly with the soup. It can be served for a few, or if you are expecting company, double the recipe. This could not be more easy or tasty.

Natasha's Greek Salad

Created by admin, September 13, 1999

1 bunch Leaf Lettuce
2 Cucumbers
4 large Tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, chop just the tops.
Garnish
Greek Black Olives ( I used plain black olives)
Feta Cheese
Dressing
1 part Red Wine Vinegar
1 part Olive Oil
Crushed Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 pinches Sugar
Methods/steps
Chop lettuce and onion finely. Chop tomatoes and cucumbers coarsely about 1/2 inch. Combine and garnish to taste.

Lemon Potatoes

2007-01-09T15:05:00.000-06:00

These are perfect when served with the Lemon Greek soup. I like to serve them on the side, with the intent of making them a soup topper. You can eat them any way, and they will be good.

Just remember, if you are using small potatoes not to over cook them. I did that recently and they are not nearly as good as firm potatoes.

Good Luck!

Lemon Potatoes
About 2 pounds waxy red or white potatoes, the smaller the better, skins scrubbed and potatoes cut in half.
1/8 cup chopped parsley
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
The zest of one lemon and the juice of one lemon

1. Place the potatoes in a pot of salted water to cover, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn them down to meduim. Cook at a gentle boil until the potatoes are nice and tender, about 20-40 minutes depending of their size.
2. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot of the lowest heat possible. Add the olive oil, lemon and lemon zest, shaking the pan occasionally, until all traces of the moisture have disappeared, about 5 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve with soup!

Greek Lemon Soup

2007-01-09T14:06:00.000-06:00

There is this great Greek restaurant in the heart of Houston, in Montrose, called Niko Nikos, http://www.nikonikos.com/. They have the BEST gyros and gyro plates. It is often hard for me to deviate from what I know is good on a menu. I try to take everyone I know there, and the more people I take there, the more things I am able to try without abandoning my gyro. Everything I have had from their menu is delightful. From the feta calamari to the spinach and chicken wrap, each dish delights the taste buds. But, the soup, oh the soup is the best thing they serve by far. I say that because I have never tasted anything quite so, perfect to what it should be. The amount of lemon is zesty without being tart, the rice is never overcooked and the smell could cure even the worst cold.

I have been searching for a soup of this kind for some time. I was delighted the other day when I stumbled across this recipe in my How To Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman. It is by no means as good as Nikos soup, but it comes close enough for me. I don’t think there could be an easier more hearty soup recipe. I served it with lemon potatoes, also served at Nikos, my recipe also not as good. But, for something you cook at home, and if you are not Greek, I think you will be proud of yourself. Had I never tasted Niko Niko’s potatoes and soup, I would think this is the best lemon Greek soup ever.

Since the holidays Turkeys have been on sale. I picked up a 10lb turkey and roasted it for dinner a couple of nights ago. Obviously there was tons of meat leftover. I used the body to make stock, and picked the meat off for the soup. The original recipe calls for chicken, which would be good I am sure. Mark and I much prefer Turkey over chicken, so this worked for us. My kids LOVED it. They can't seem to get enough, just thought I would let my kid mommys know.

Good luck. I challenge everyone to make this dish, it is easy, super yummy and a perfect weeknight dinner.

Lemon Greek Soup

6 Cups turkey or chicken stock
1/2 cup long-grain rice or orzo
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 celery stalk, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked bonless skinless turkey or chicken
2 eggs
3 tablespoons greshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if desired
Minced fresh dill or parsley leaves for garnish

1. Place the stock in a large saucepan and turn the heat to mendium-high. When it is just about boiling, turn the heat down to medium so that it is just bubbles. Stir in the rice, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, untilthey are all tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the chicken or turkey. Turn the heat to low.
2. Place the eggs in a blender and whir for 10 seconds; add the lemon juice and blend briefly. With the motor running, drizzle in about 2 cups of the hot soup. Pour the mixture back into the soup, stirring, and cook breifly, until the soup is slightly thickend, just a couple of minutes, do not boil. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may add more lemon juice at this point.

Vegetarian Chickpea Burgers

2007-01-02T07:58:00.000-06:00

Vegetarian can be a bad word in some circles. Weirdoes, tree-hugger, liberal...all these are stero-types some might associate with vegetarians. Vegetarian cooking, when done right, can open both your kitchen and pallet to worlds of culinary bliss. I few months ago I condemned meat from our kitchen and went vegetarian. It was fun. I found when going strictly vegetarian we ate far more veggies and beans. The kids LOVED everything I cooked. The texture and flavor of vegetarian cooking was very pleasing to their young pallet. I am by no means pro-vegetarian, just pro creativity.

I have since re-introduced meat into our kitchen, hello, it was the holidays! But, I have tried to move our dining experience to be less meat focused and more in the mindset where every dish counts. Everything is not centered on the meat, but each thing on the plate has equal importance to our meal.

Here is a quick, and I mean quick, recipe I found in Rachel Ray's new magazine, Everyday with Rachel Ray. I did mix mine up a bit from the original recipe. Her version was a bit blander, using parsley instead of cilantro. Of course many people do not enjoy the pungent flavor of cilantro, and parsley is the perfect substitute. To add more zest use curry powder or cumin in the mix.

Warning, this is not for the faint of heart. If you do not like chickpeas, or if you are in the mood for hamburgers, this is not the dish for you. This is definitely for people that like to try new things.

Make is what you want! Enjoy.

Vegetarian Chickpea Burgers

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* One cipotle chipotle pepper in adobe sauce
2/3 cup packed cilantro
2/3-cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* *4 thin slices of cheese
Dijon mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise, for serving

1. In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, chipotle pepper and cilantro until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl a stir in the breadcrumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the egg and form the mixture into 8 small patties or 4 large ones. ***
2. In a large skillet or grill pan, heat the oil over med. heat. Cook the burger for 4 min, then flip and cook for 3 min. more. Top the patties with the cheese slices for the last minute of cooking. Serve the cheeseburgers on bun with mustard, ketchup or mayo.

* You can use a can of green chilies instead of chipotle.
** Feta is incredible on these
*** Small patties turn out crunchier but they do not fit on buns. Great for low-carb lovers!

Krab Corn Chowder

2006-11-29T16:25:00.000-06:00

I found a version of this recipe in a kids cook book. The original called for canned salmon and no peppers. To tell you the truth, I thought the idea of canned salmon in a soup sounded repulsive. I did however see much potential for the recipe itself. I do not feel like I swiped this from another cook. This recipe is my own, and it is so-so good. This is so good, you could drink it.

By the way, for those of you that do not know, Krab is fake crab meat. It is very inexpensive and very good. I really don't know for sure what it is made of, but its great. Use leftover Krab to make quesadillas for the kids, you can even sneak in some spinach and they will eat it up like crazy.

If you are not a big fan of fishy food, this is definitely the recipe for you. The crab does not taste fishy at all. It is the perfect texture compliment to the corn and the cream.

My good friend Sarah has made it, and loved it. So I have at least one person that I can say agrees and made it in their own kitchen. Her kids loved it, just as mine did.

Serve with Cesar salad and crusty bread.

Krab Corn Chowder

Krab Corn Chowder

1-tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-cup celery, chopped
2 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 12 oz package of frozen corn
1 ½ cups krab meat, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup cilantro (optional)
½ poblano pepper (optional)

1. Sauté celery and onion until onion is clear, about 10 min.

2. Combine all other ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook until warmed through.

Turkey Vegetable Noodle Soup

2006-11-29T16:17:00.000-06:00

OK, I know I should be posting all things Thanksgiving, but I still have yet to clear my refrigerator of the leftovers so I am not really in the mood to talk Turkey. (But, when the butter infused stomachache subsides, I promise I will have some great new things to share)

No, instead I am going to share a few soup recipes. It is about to be cold here in Houston, OK, not for long I am sure, but soup is always in order when its cold. Truthfully, soup is always in order in my kitchen.

To say that I love soup would be an understatement. I love a warm rich broth and lots of vegetables.
I have so many soup recipes I could start a blog just about soup. In my early days of cooking I always used canned broth, then I graduated to bullion cubes, on to organic chicken broth. The organic broth far surpasses any other kinds of broth that you can buy commercially. I was satisfied with the results the store bought broth produced until I started making my own broth. There is really no comparison at all. My mother, also an intense lover of soup, has always made her own broth. No matter what kind of bird we made she always made a quick broth and froze it if we were not making soup that day. I highly recommend making your own broth whenever humanly possible.

I usually do a combination of broth and water, because I don't always have enough broth. Water is a perfectly acceptable substitute if you have some homemade broth, or even the store bought options. I would not recommend making it all broth because soup cooks away so much liquid, it really is a waste.

This recipe is very good. It is the perfect vegetable soup. Not to difficult, and the results are stomach warming. This is a great recipe to make if you want to take something to a friend that has had a baby, or if someone is sick. It is the perfect sharing meal. And, it is the perfect meal to eat at home. Kids love it, or at least mine love it. I encourage you to add whatever vegetables your family enjoys eating.

Turkey Vegetable Noodle Soup

3 Turkey Legs
4 Cups chicken broth
4 Cups of water
1 Onion- cut in half and peeled
3 large garlic clove - peeled
2 Lemons
3 bay leaves
1-tablespoon course salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
3 Leeks – trimmed, green stems cut vertically, white bulbs cut horizontal in strings. Separate into 2 stacks.
3 carrots- chopped
2 celery stalks- chopped
½ cups of whole wheat past noodles
4-5 fresh basil leaves- cut into ribbons
2 springs fresh thyme
2 teaspoons oregano
*you could use herbs de provence in place of the fresh herbs

In large Dutch oven put in turkey legs, onion, garlic, lemon, salt and bay leaves. Fill pot to almost top with broth & water. Bring to a boil. When water is at a boil, turn down to med. Heat and let it cook at a light boil for about 1 ½ hours, or until turkey is cooked through.
Strain broth into another pot or Tupper wear, set broth aside. Discard onions, lemons, and bay leaves. Pick turkey meat off the bone cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In Dutch oven heat olive oil. Add carrots and celery. Sauté for about 7 min. Add white part of leeks and all herbs, continue to sauté for about 3 min. or until the leeks start to turn a clear color. Add green stems of the leeks and sauté for another 3-5 min.*

Fried Plantains

2006-11-19T17:21:00.000-06:00

Fried plantains are so incredibly yummy; I could eat them at every meal! If you must know, they are no diet food, but a perfect treat when eating a good Cuban meal. Truthfully, you could partake of these bad boys with any meal of Latin flavor.

Fried plantains do not require much as far as a recipe goes. Plantains look like large bananas. They are best when the skin is almost totally black, but if you forget to buy them a few days early and you simply must cook under ripe plantains, coat them in sugar before you put them on the pan. When cooking, monitor them constantly. They do not take long to cook. If left unattended, they will burn quickly.

They are suited for cooking as an appetizer or serving with dinner. If you do plan on serving them before dinner, make sure and cook more then you could possible imagine people could eat, believe me when I say, your guests will devour them. I have only done this once or twice, because they do require so much care, I only take the time to make two or three plantains to serve as a small side dish. Make sure you do not crowd the pan, give each piece space to fry.
Enjoy!

Fried Plantains

3 Large ripe plantains peeled and cut into rounds.
2-3 Tablespoons Canola or vegatable oil, you will need to add oil after each batch to prevent sticking.

In a non-stick skillet heat oil to a med-high heat. Add plantains, cook on each side until brown, usually 3-4 min. Have a plate with paper towel in wait, so it can help soak up the grease.

Cuban Black Beans

2006-11-16T14:10:00.000-06:00

As with the Cuban pork roast recipe, this is not my grandmothers. This is a far more complicated, requiring more ingredients. I have even tweaked this recipe a little, for more ease in the kitchen. After tasting the flavor of these beans, I find if very difficult to revert to the original recipe. Although, this recipe takes much more time and requires you to pay attention when cooking. You will not be disappointed by the end result.

Serve with over white rice and blare Cuban music, your guests will feel they have stepped into a Cubano casa filled with love and good food.

Serves 8-10

Cuban Black Beans

1 Pound dried black beans, preferably Goya
8 Cups water
1 Meaty ham bone
1 Head of garlic, peeled and halved crosswise, plus 8 cloves garlic, crushed through a press
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 three slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
One 16-oz can tomatoes, chopped, liquid reserved
1 small bunch cilantro, tied

1. In a large sauce pan, combine the beans, water, ham bone, whole garlic and bay leaves, and bring to a boil, skimming off the froth. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are almost tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a med. heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, for about 3 to 4 min., until bacon renders most of its fat. Add onion, crushed garlic, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 7 min. Add the oregano, cumin, paprika and cayenne and stir for 1 min. Add the wine and cook for about 10 min.

3. Add the contents of the skillet to the beans, along with the tomatoes and their reserved juice and the cilantro. Cook over low heat, stirring once or twice, for 20 min. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook stirring for 1 min.

4. Remove cilantro and the ham bone from the beans and discard the cilantro. When the ham is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, and return to the beans. Remove the bay leaves from the beans and serve the beans over rice.

Recipe comes from: FIESTA , Anya Von Bremzen.

Latino Roast Pork Shoulder

2006-11-16T10:21:00.000-06:00

As some of you may know, my mother is half Cuban. We were very close to our Cuban grandmother growing up. It was a special treat when she would make her Cuban pork roast, black beans, and rice. This was her specialty. I can still remember how her tiny apartment smelled when she cooked this dish. The aromas of cooking pork, garlic and oregano still makes me feel like a child in her kitchen. It meant so much to her to make it for us. She was inviting us with each bite to share in her childhood memories of living in Key West during the depression.

Her father, my great-grandfather, rolled Cuban cigars in Cuba for a living. She actually lived down the street from Fidel Castro's cousin. They were playmates as children. Of course, if you know Gee (that is what we called her), you know she has an opinion on everybody. "I did not like that man, even back then. He was mean!" Compounded with the fact that in his old age he grew facial hair, she had a zero tolerance policy when it came to facial hair.

Over the years my mother took over the pork roast dinner. She makes a mean one. Hers tastes almost exactly like the one Gee made. When I started cooking, it only seemed appropriate that I should take over the tradition of the Cuban pork roast, black bean meal. Every time I cooked it, I was unsatisfied with the results. It hardly ever turned out like Gees, and even when it did I felt the pork roast taste was just a hair fatty and lacked depth. A couple of years ago I bought this great cookbook at Half Priced Books called, Fiesta. When I was reading through it I came across a Latino Pork Roast recipe. Excited, I immediately called together a dinner party with friends, just to have an excuse to make this recipe. You simply must have a reason to cook pork roast, the results are always far too good to just share with your family. Now, I know that family recipes are sacred, and you should never deviate from them...but, this recipe far surpasses that of the past family recipe. Gee's version of pork roast has its place in culinary history to be sure. It is far more simple and is seemingly easier to create. But, it does not always turn out the same. I will leave this version for my mother, and I will of course teach it to my kids, just to pass on the tradition.

I have made this new recipe so many times I have the ingredients memorized, and never once has it not come out PERFECT! Succulent pork in juices taken with a bite of black beans, a bit of rice and a silver of fried plantain, there is nothing closer to heaven then this. Next time you have a party, make this dish! Most of the work you can do the night before, as a matter of fact, I recommend you do it the night before, so you can marinade the meat all night. Although, I have made the marinade a few hours before I cooked the roast and it is still very good. You can also deviate from using shoulder to using other cuts of pork roast, whatever you find that you want to use.

My next blog entry will be the killer black bean recipe and then I will write the plantain recipe. You simply cannot have Cuban pork roast without black beans and rice, plantains, and avocado salad. (Not to mixed up with guacamole)

Try not to be daunted by the ingreidient list. A good cook should have all the things required in this recipe in their fridge or pantry. If you do not have some of these things, think of it as an investment in your future dishes.

This recipe serves 10 people but can be doubled or cut in half, but it never hurts to have this as leftovers.

Latino Roast Pork Shoulder Marinade

1 small head of garlic, peeled, and chopped
1 Tablespoon coarse (kosher) salt
2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
1 Teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1-Tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 sprig fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2-cup limejuice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4-cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves crumbled
4 whole cloves, crushed in a mortar

1 Picnic Pork shoulder (about 7 pounds), trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat
2 cups water, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry sherry (can substitute with red wine)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1. To make the marinade: In food processor or blender, process all the marinade ingredients to a paste.

2. Rub the pork all over with the marinade, place it in a large plastic bag, close the bag tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

4. Place the pork on a rack in a large baking pan. Pour 2 cups of water, the sherry, and the Worcestershire sauce into the pan and roast the pork for 4 hours, basting every 15-20 min. until tender. (Basting this often if not a necessity, but it does make it that better) Cover it loosely with foil if the crust is browning too much.

5. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the foil, if using, and roast the pork another 30 min., until the skin is crispy.

6. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover it loosely with foil, and let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Degrease the pan juices and transfer them to a sauceboat.

7. Carve the pork and accompanied by the pan juices.

Recipe Source: FIESTA, Anya von Bremzen

Laura's Perfect Salsa

2006-11-15T16:41:00.000-06:00

Laura, as you might have noticed is a great cook. Aside from my mother, there is no other person that influenced me greater in the kitchen. She helped me learn how to cook. I don't mean she taught me how to look at a recipe, I mean she taught me how to be a common sense cook.
She has a few recipes that are truly perfection, her beans of course, but her salsa, well, it is heaven. I have never tasted salsa quite so good. And, when you see how simple it is you are going to be astounded that you to can blend such a good creation.
It tastes like it was made from home-grown ingredients. Truly amazing. If you only make one thing from this blog, make this.
Laura thinks the hotter the salsa, the better it tastes. We are having to constantly reign in her jalapeno use. I have to agree, this salsa, the hotter the better! It still tastes wonderful when made mild, so do not let that stop you.
This recipe makes a ton of salsa. You can cut in half if you are just making it for your family.

Laura's Perfect Salsa

1/2 Onion Chopped
2 Cans Rotel Tomatoes (16 oz cans)
1 Jalapeno Chopped (optional or cut in half and remove seeds)
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
1 Teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon comino (cumin powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine onion, jalapeno & juice of one can rotel in blender. Blend until smooth.

Drain second can of rotel and add spices and tomato. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy.

Laura's Perfect Pinto Beans

2006-11-15T14:33:00.000-06:00

This is a fail safe recipe. My best friend Laura shared this recipe with me a few years ago. This is one recipe that I have deviated from only a few times and have never been as satisfied as with her original recipe. As with any dish, I hope you will add more of things you do like, or hold back on things you do not like, make it what you would enjoy. But, I would suggest making it from this recipe first, just to try it out.
I serve it for dinner, at every party, and for no reason at all. I have never had these beans come out bad. (Well, once I put in to much salt...YUCK!) They are so good.
I would recommend always making a full pound of beans. There are so many options as to what you can do with the leftovers. Chalupas, refried beans for breakfast, bean burritos, the list of bean dishes is endless, not to mention cheap. I have found that most main dish recipes that call for beans are extremely inexpensive to make.
You can make these beans as spicy or as mild as you wish. To achieve a more milder bean, leave out the red pepper flakes, or cut the recommendation in half. If you are not comfortable with spicy beans, I would not recommend leaving out the jalapeno at the beginning. It serves as a flavoring agent, not as a heat device. Just remember to remove it before serving, because when eaten it is still very hot.
If you want to make this vegetarian leave out the bacon. It does give the beans a nice smoked flavor, but half the time I don't even have bacon in house. They are delish with, or without meat.
Enjoy, this is one of my favorites things to make since it is so easy and so satisfying.

Perfect Pinto Beans

1 pound of pinto beans (no soaking required)
3 pieces of raw bacon
1/2 Onion
1 Large Jalapeno
Cook 1 1/2 -2 hours on a med-low heat, just a slight boil, just until soft.

Add:
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon comino (cumin powder)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tespoon salt

Stir, cook another 10 min and serve.

Sausage and Sundried Tomato Lasagna

2006-11-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

This Lasagna recipe is much more complicated then that last one. I got the bulk of the recipe from a Cooking Light magazine, and tweaked it just a bit when I prepared it a second time. The original recipe did not call for meat or sun dried tomato's. I feel the addition of both of these ingredients adds wonderful flavor that should not be missed.
This lasagna authentic and absolutely to die for. This dish is recommend for people that already love to cook. It take much time to prepare and requires much love from the chef. You have to pay attention when going forward with each step from preparing the mixtures to assembly, it does make you work.
Do not feel daunted if you want to try something new and exciting in your kitchen, somthig that is absolutely gourmet. I offer you the challenge. You will not be disappointed with the outcome. This dish far exceeds any lasagna I have had at a restaurant, and I know with your love, it will far exceed your expectations.

Italian Lasagna

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
1 ½ Cups Chopped Onion
1 ¼ Cups Spaghetti Sauce (I used some sort of tomato and basil)
½ Cups water
¼ Cups sundried tomato
1 Package (10 Oz) Hot Italian Sausage
1 Can tomato Sauce
1 (12 oz) Carton Cottage Cheese
2 Large Egg Whites
1 Cup Fat Free Ricotta
½ Teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 package lasagna noodles (use the mostly cooked kind to save time)
1 ½ Cups mozzarella cheese

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) Cook noodles according to package and set aside.
3) Heat oil in dutch oven (large pot) over med. Heat. Ass onion and sauté 5 min. until tender. Add sausage and sauté 3 min. until mostly brown.
4) Add spaghetti sauce, water, and tomato sauce, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 min.
5) Combine cottage cheese and egg whites in food processor (or blender); process until smooth. Place cottage cheese mix in large bowl. Stir in ricotta, Italian seasoning and garlic.
6) Spread ½ cup sausage mixture in bottom of a 13X9 baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over sausage miz; top with ¾ cup of ricotta mix; top with 1 ¾ cup of sausage mix and 1/3 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers inding with noodles. Spread remaining sausage mix over noodles. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray.
7) Bake @375 for 40 min. *Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake uncovered for an additional 20 min or until cheese is browned.
8) Let stand 10 min before serving.

Quick Veggie Lasagna

2006-11-15T13:49:00.000-06:00

Lasagna is one of those things that everybody loves and most people are terrified of preparing. I have two lasagna recipes that are both scrumptious in their own right. The one I am posting here is very simple, quick and very very easy. This is a great meal to prepare for a kids party or dinner on a weeknight. It requires little prep. time and fewer ingredients then most lasagnas. Even the most beginner cooks can tackle this and always get it right.
My only tip for this recipe is that you read each step when putting the lasagna together. Do not just read once and assemble again from the first instructions.
Cheers!

Quick Veggie Lasagna

Veggie cooking spray
15-ounce container low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup mashed firm tofu or low-fat cottage cheese
1-teaspoon garlic, chopped
½ tablespoon Italian herbs
½ fresh grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups spaghetti sauce 1 ½ jars (store bought is good here. But, homemade is REALLY good)
12 lasagna noodles
2 cups grated part skim mozzarella cheese
1-¼ cups chopped broccoli or other chopped veggie (I used marinated artichoke)

Preheat oven to 350°F
Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray
Mix together ricotta, tofu, garlic, basil, and Parmesan.
Assemble ingredients in this order:

1-cup sauce, spread on the bottom of the pan
4 noodles, touching
½ of cheese mixture
2/3 cup mozzarella
½ of veggies
1-cup sauce
4 noodles
Rest of cheese mixture
Rest of veggies
2/3 cup mozzarella
1-cup sauce
4 noodles
1-cup sauce
2/3 cup mozzarella on top

Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 50 min. Uncover and bake another 30 min. Let stand 15/20 min.

Turkey Chili

2006-11-15T08:47:00.000-06:00

If anyone knows Mark and I, they know our Turkey Chili. Very few of our friends and co-workers have not tasted this cooperative creation. Mark and started making this chile about 7 years ago. Back in the "Digorno days" as I like to call them. He and I have experimented for years perfecting the ingredients. Afew years ago Mark had the brilliant idea of adding an Ancho pepper! The pepper really adds depth to the dish. They are readily available in most grocery stores. (At least in Texas) If you are unable to get your hands on one, as Hannah was unable to do recently, you can purchase Ancho Chilie powder and add a few teaspoons of that.

This dish cooks perfect for lots and lots of people. Just keep doubling the ingredients and you can make this for over 25 people! I want to warn you, everyone loves this dish. Whether you are making it for 4 or 45, it is a rare day that someone is not cleaning the bottom of the pot with a good piece of bread.

The best way to serve it is with Feta cheese. We stopped serving that when we started making it for Mark's lunch bunch. Feta is much more expensive then say, colby jack. But, if you are making it for yourself or a nice dinner party, I suggest the Feta cheese. It adds and element of sophistication that chili usually lacks.

Enjoy! Please let me know how you like this dish and how you experimented with the recipe in progress.

Turkey Chili

1 Large Red Onion minced
4 Cloves of Garlic minced very fine
1 Chipotle peppers (optional) minced
1/2 Pounds of Ground Turkey
3 Cans of Black Beans
3 Cans of Diced Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons of Chili powder
2 Tablespoons of Garlic powder
2 Tablespoons of Mexican Oregano
1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 Ancho pepper. (The very large dried peppers)
3-4 Tablespoons of Olive oil. (More as needed)

In a very large pot heat oil. Add onions and cook for 3-4 min on med. high heat. Add garlic and chipoltle pepper cook for another 3-4 min until onions start looking clear.

Add turkey, 1 tablespoons of chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of oregano. Cook meat until done, 12-15 min.

While meat is cooking open cans. Add all cans, the rest of the spices, the ancho and the cilantro.
With the cilantro you have 2 options:
1: Chop cilantro and throw it all in this will give a more cilantro taste. This is how I prefer to do it.
2: Wrap the entire bunch with string and pull it all out just before serving.

Heat the Chile through on med-low. When heated, just before serving, pull out ancho chilies, cut up and return to soup.

Serve with green onions, feta cheese, good french bread or corn chips!

Salmon Patties and Spinach Salad

2006-11-14T15:44:00.000-06:00

I simply adore cooking. It is my passion, my very best creative outlet. One of my favorite things in the world is to get a new cookbook. I love reading everything the chef has to say, I peruse the book cover to cover imagining cooking the recipes in the book. I am a total dork I know! But, is that not how each one of you embraces your passion?

This blog is intended to share some of my favorite recipes with all my darlings. I am sure I will add plenty of comments about how my family is, and what is going on in the life of my home. But the real meaning of this blog is for me to be able to write down the meals I made the night before. I have been negligent in documenting my creations and favorite recipes. NO MORE! I will post all things yummy for you to try. Please feel free to send me your own recipes so that I may share with others your culinary creations.

One reason I feel I have done so well in my cooking, is because I am not afraid to try creating something new in my kitchen. This started with my love of new dishes and all food non-regional when eating outside the home. I encourage you to try the dishes I present, even if they seem “weird”, I promise I will let you know if it requires an exotic pallet.

Everyone can learn how to cook. The more you nurture your kitchen, the better your food will be. Cooking can be a very daunting task, and as with dogs, your food can smell fear. Abandon your Mac and cheese, canned spaghetti and ranch dressing; there is an entire world of excellent healthy food to embrace. I promise when you find your inner chef, you will never look at your kitchen the same again.

Here will be my first recipe. It seems fitting that this would be my first recipe to post considering it is one of the first things I ever learned how to cook.
This dish is extremely good and very easy. I have been modifying these patties for years, and last night I feel I perfected it.
This is an extremely kid-friendly dish. If you do like spicy, but want to share with your kids, divide the concoction in half just before you add the fresh jalapenos.
Do not feel daunted if you do not have all the spices. I subscribe to the Rachel Ray mentality, use what you got, and use what you like.

Herb Salmon Patties

1 Can Pink Salmon
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (You can use plain. I prefer spicy or also know as zesty)
1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped
2 teaspoons herbs de provence (you may use any number of dried savory spices here)
1-teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-teaspoon salt
The Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 fresh jalapeno finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil

Mix together. I find your hands make the best spoon when mixing this dish. Make patties about the size of the palm of your hand. You should be able to make around 8 patties.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan to med-low. Add as many patties as the pan allows. Do not overcrowd, they will not cook evenly. Allow them to cook about 5-7 and flip, there should be a nice golden brown cover to them. Cook the second side for the same amount of time.

When first batch is done set on baking sheet and stick in oven to stay warm.

Serve with a nice spinach salad mixed with a few red radishes and 1/2 a red bell. Use balsamic vinaigrette as the dressing. The run off from the vinaigrette is very nice on the patties.