S'oy Ve!

I eat tofu. I know that makes me slightly weird around these parts. I'm okay with that. I'm not a purist. Not a vegetarian. I don't care if you eat 14 cows every week. I'm just not a big fan of meat. Don't like the way it looks or feels or smells and sometimes tastes. That being said I still want to try the pork loin I previously posted. But I digress - as usual.

I typically use tofu to thicken soups or dips and it really can't be detected. But I keep running across recipes for scrambled tofu. The foodie in me screams no way can that be good. But the novelty seeker in me has to try it. The recipes I found were basically the same. Appently turmeric is a key ingredient. I suppose you need to trick your eyes into thinking it's actually an egg product.

So here's the recipe from Andrew Weil's The Healthy Kitchen cookbook.

Ingredients


1 16-ounce block firm tofu
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin (11/2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup sliced green onions, scallions, chives, or 1/2 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Fresh salsa
Corn tortillas

Directions

1. Drain the tofu and crumble it, using clean hands.

2. Saute the garlic and diced pepper with the olive oil in a medium saute pan on medium heat, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the crumbled tofu first, then add turmeric, salt, pepper, green onions (scallions, chives, or onions), and soy sauce.

3. Cook the tofu for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with salsa and warm corn tortillas.

So here's the challenge. Take these ingredients and make them into something edible. Good luck.

The verdict?

Well, it wasn't horrible as I was expecting it to be. It wasn't dance around the room terrific either. I was surprised at how much it looked the part. It really did look like scrambled eggs. It tasted okay. I suppose it might have been much better with the suggested salsa and tortillas. The soy sauce made me think I should be eating it with fried rice. Make sure you season it properly or it will taste awful. I ate a few bites then went to taco bell.

Hyman's Seafood Company

Why did the dish run away with the spoon? Because they experienced Shrimp and Grits and Hyman's Seafood Company and fell madly in love, that's why.

I stumbled into this restaraunt completely by accident and it was love at first bite. I met the humble grit a few years ago in South Carolina and wasn't all that impressed really. It was a bit, well, gritty and therefore aptly named and bit bland, but after some experimentation I came to appreciate the gritty grain.

Hyman's is located in Charleston, SC. I've heard that shrimp and grits is a classic lowcountry dish so I thought I would give this local favorite a shot. To be honest I had low expectations, expecting creamy bird seed topped with shrimp - lowcountry surf and turf?

But I was wrong. Dead wrong. I think this may have been the best thing that has ever graced my taste buds. I expected some sort of culinary purgatory (not bad, but not really good), but what I experienced was, okay I'll just say it - food porn. They suggested topping it with bacon and cheese. I agree. I had a difficult time not bursting into song while I ate. I also had to resist the urge to lick the plate. Yep, Shrimp and Grits from Hyman's Seafood Company. Food porn.



Click the title to go to their menu. If you're ever in Charleston check them out.

Pork Loin With Olivida, Spinach, and Rice Stuffing

Okay. I really need to stop posting recipes I haven't tried yet. But I had to post this one. I intend to try it over Christmas break. And you know I'm not a big meat fan, but I couldn't pass this one up. You had me at "olivida"...

You can click the title to go directly to the recipe link. Or follow the recipe here.

Ingredients
Brine:
8 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (3 1/2-pound) center-cut boneless pork loin roast, trimmed

Stuffing:
3/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Remaining ingredient:
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation

To brine pork, combine first 6 ingredients in a large nonaluminum bowl or pan, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve; add pork. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Remove pork from brine; discard brine.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Starting off-center, slice pork lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side. Open uneven portions, laying pork flat. Turning knife blade parallel to surface of cutting board, slice larger portion of pork in half horizontally, cutting to, but not through, other side; open flat. Place plastic wrap over pork; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare stuffing, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add spinach and 1/2 teaspoon salt to hot rice, stirring until the spinach wilts. Stir in olives, red pepper, 1 teaspoon rind, and juice.

Spread rice mixture over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outside edges. Roll up pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with a long side. Secure both ends with twine; secure middle at 2-inch intervals with twine. Rub black pepper over pork. Place pork on a broiler pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155°. Let pork stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Microwave Cake in a Mug

Yes I know it sounds odd, but my sources say it's true. You too can bake a cake for one in less than 5 minutes. The truth is, and you may want to sit down for this, I hate cake. Yep, that's right. I am a freak of nature. Hate. Not somewhat dislike. Loath entirely. So someone else may need to try these out. I'm including two recipes here. One from a mix and one without. Try them and shoot me a review.

Chocalate Mug Cake
1 large coffee mug
4 tbsp all purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp chocolate chips
nuts
splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in milk, oil, and mix well again. Add chocolate chips, vanilla and mix well. Cook in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Will rise over the top. Don't panic!

Quick Version

4 tbsp cake mix
2 tbsp water
topping of your choice

Microwave on high 1 minute. Same no panic rule applies here.

Given that thanksgiving is right around the corner, I thought I would share a few pumpkin recipes. I have not tried these yet but they are definately on my "to do" list.

First a few facts....

The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for “large melon.” The origin of pumpkins is not known, although pumpkins are thought to have originated in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 B.C., were found in Mexico.[3][4] Pumpkins are a squash-like fruit that range in size (less than 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) to over 1,000 pounds (453.59 kilograms)), shape, color, and appearance (smooth or ribbed)

A pepita (from Spanish pepita de calabaza, "little seed of squash") is an edible seed of a pumpkin or other cultivar of squash (genus Cucurbita), typically rather flat and asymmetrically oval, and light green in color inside a white hull.

Now on to the good stuff...

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

Ingredients
· CAKE:
· Cooking spray
· 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
· 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
· 3/4 cup granulated sugar
· 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
· 1/2 cup butter, softened
· 4 large eggs
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
· 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
·
GLAZE:
· 1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk
· 1/4 cup granulated sugar
· 2 tablespoons butter
· 2 teaspoons cornstarch
· 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels. Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Lightly spoon 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.

Pumpkin Pie Crunch

Ingredients
· cooking spray
· 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
· 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
· 3 large eggs
· 1 1/4 cups sugar
· 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 (18 3/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
· 1 cup chopped pecans
· 3/4 cup butter flavor shortening, melted
· Sweetened whipped cream

1. Coat a 13- x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Combine pumpkin and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; pour into pan. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture, and top with pecans. Drizzle with melted shortening.

2. Bake at 350º for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden. Let cool 2 hours or until completely cool. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Pumpkin-Ginger Pancakes with Ginger Butter

Ingredients
· 1 cup all-purpose flour
· 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 large egg
· 3/4 cup milk
· 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
· 1/4 cup plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt
· 2 tablespoons butter, melted
· Candied-ginger butter (recipe follows)
· Maple syrup
1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In another bowl, mix egg, milk, pumpkin, yogurt, and butter until well blended. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened.

2. Place a nonstick griddle or a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat (350°); when hot, coat lightly with butter and adjust heat to maintain temperature. Spoon batter in 1/3-cup portions onto griddle and gently spread into 4-inch rounds. Cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, 2 to 3 minutes; turn with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. As pancakes are cooked, transfer to baking sheets and keep warm in a 200° oven. Serve warm with candied-ginger butter and maple syrup.

Candied-ginger butter: In a bowl, with a wooden spoon, stir 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger into 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) soft butter (soften in a microwave oven on full power [100%] for 5 to 10 seconds). Chill until firm before serving. Makes about 1/4 cup.

Spicy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
· 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1 teaspoon ground allspice
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 3/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
· 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
· 3/4 cup fat-free milk
· 1/3 cup vegetable oil
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 2 large eggs
· 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
· Cooking spray
· 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (flour through cloves) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine sugar and the next 5 ingredients (sugar through pumpkin) in a bowl, and stir well with a whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool loaves completely; cut each loaf into 12 slices.

Bonehead - er- I mean Bonefish Grill Recipes

You've got to love a restaurant that not only serves great food, but also has the confidence to shares their recipes. Here are a few recipes from their website (you can go their directly by clicking the title of their post). Check out their website - they have included several other recipes. Unfortunately, there's no recipe for the dipsilucious bang bang shrimp. After interrigating the waitress about it's contents I've come to the conclusion that it's bought pre-made. Here's a website that sells bang bang sauce. Not sure if it's the same one, but you can bet I'll be trying it someday soon: http://www.dinnisselect.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=DS&Product_Code=BBS&Category_Code=PD


Chimichurri Sauce

A garlicky, fresh herb sauce of South American origin. Incredibly versatile, it is equally at home beside grilled fish or a filet mignon.
Ingredients
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. plus Kosher Salt
1 tsp. oregano, dry leaves
1 tsp. black pepper, ground
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Finely grated lemon zest from 3 lemons
4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1 cup olive oil


Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse chop until all ingredients are approximately 1/8 inch in size.

Add Italian parsley and pulse chop until parsley is 1/8 inch in size.

Add the olive oil and blend in quickly. (Do not over blend)

Allow the sauce to marinate for 30 minutes before serving.

Bonefish Grill Pan Asian Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup oyster sauce
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped cilantro


Directions
In a medium sauce pan, sautee the minced ginger in the olive oil until fragrant.

In a bowl, thoroughly combine the soy sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, lemon juice and water and add to sauté pan.

Bring the mixture to a slow boil, then slowly add sugar over low-med heat for about 5 minutes.

If desired, add a little hot water to the sauce to thin it.

Summer Harvest: Zucchini

I love summer. Especially harvest time. Since my yard is a paved parking lot I'm reaping the benefits of friends and family's gardens. Zucchini seems to be in full bloom at the moment. The Zucchini has to be one of the most versatile vegetable, uh, fruit? No vegetable. Here's what wikipedia has to say about this humble courgette...

In a culinary context, zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower.

The female flower is a golden blossom on the end of each emergent zucchini. The male flower grows directly on the stem of the zucchini plant in the leaf axils (where leaf petiole meets stem), on a long stalk, and is slightly smaller than the female. Both flowers are edible, and are often used to dress a meal or garnish the cooked fruit.

The zucchini vegetable is low in calories (approximately 15 food calories per 100 g fresh zucchini) and contains useful amounts of folate (24 mcg/100 g), potassium (280 mg/100 g) and vitamin A (384 IU [115 mcg]/100 g. 1/2 cup of zucchini also contains 19% of the recommended amount of manganese.

Enough about that, let's get to some recipes.

Zucchini Gratin from the Barefoot Contessa

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping
1 pound yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large)
2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 zucchini)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Gruyere


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.

Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread: Paula Dean

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange zest
Whipped cream, for serving
Zucchini ribbons, for serving

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and ribbons of zucchini.


Heres one from a coworker:

Easy Zucchini Pie

1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bisquick
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease side and bottom of 9 X 1 1/4" pie plate. Layer zucchini, tomatoes, onion, and cheese in pie plate. Stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate. Bake approximately 35 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool five minutes before serving.

Curried Zucchini Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne
2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and chopped
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Chopped cilantro, garnish
Fried pappadums, or toasted pita triangles, accompaniment

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder, salt, and cayenne, stir, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini, reduce to medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the zucchini is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat. With a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor, puree the soup. Return to medium heat and stir in the cream. Simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.

Pour into a clean container and let cool slightly. Refrigerate until well chilled, 4 to 6 hours.

To serve, ladle into large cups, garnish with cilantro, and serve with hot pappadums or pita toast. This soup may be served hot or cold.

And my personal favorite which is not much of a recipe:

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Pizza

Toss thinly sliced zucchini with olive oil and italian seasoning. Top any kind of flat bread (pita, pizza dough, etc) with the zucchini. Cover with mozarella and bake until golden (about 450 degrees). Remove from oven and sprinkle with desired amount of goat cheese.

Watermelon Granita

Charity passed along this recipe for watermelon granita. Can't wait to try it. Click the title to go to the recipe.

French Apple Tart

Easy as, well, french apple tart....

1/2 (15oz) package refrigerated pie dough
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 lb golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll into 12" circle. Place on a 12" pizza pan. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar mixture over the dough. Arrange apple slices spokelike on dough working from outside to center. Sprinkle apple slices with remaining sugar mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Combine honey and vanilla in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 40 seconds. Brush honey mixture over warm tart. Serve immediately.

Iraqi Salmon

The quest for fresh fish is never ending when you live in a landlocked state. Especially a beef eating landlocked state. If you are lucky enough to find fresh salmon, try this easy dish.

2lb salmon fillets
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
2-4 tomatoes, chopped
1-2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
juice and zest of two lemons
1/2 tsp each black pepper, red pepper, allspice
1 tbsp curry powder
olive oil to taste

Place salmon in baking dish adn rub with olive oil. Combine remaining ingredients. Spread evenly over fillets. Bake at 365 degrees for about an hour. Serve with rice.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

I think this is probably the best salad I've ever had. Given that I'm a bit salad obsessed that's saying alot. Generally I pretty much hate any recipe that includes pre-packaged ingredients. Almost as much as I hate canned cream of anything soup in recipes. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and this is definately one of those. This recipe uses a pack of ramen noodles. Who would've thunk? Oh yeah, and as a fair warning don't be tricked by the "salad" part. There's no pretending that this is a healthy recipe, but it's darn tasty!

Note: I've substituted sunflower seeds for the sesame seeds every time I've made it.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

· 1 (3 ounce) package chicken flavored ramen noodles
· 1/4 cup butter
· 1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
· 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
· 1 large head napa cabbage, shredded
· 6 green onions, chopped
· 1/4 cup vegetable oil
· 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
· 1 tablespoon soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon sesame oil
· 1/8 cup white sugar


1. Crush noodles, place them in a medium skillet and brown in butter over medium heat. Add almonds and sesame seeds. Stir often to prevent burning. Add seasoning mix from noodles and cool. Toss in a large bowl with cabbage and onions.

2. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Pour over salad, toss and serve.

Almejas con Tomates (Clams with Cherry Tomatoes)

Charity also sent along this simple, but tasty clam dish.


2 Tbsp olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 C dry white wine
2 lbs Littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Large lemon sliced into 12 wedges
1/2 C chopped fresh parsley
8 (1-ounce) slices diagonally cut french bread (about 1" thick)

1. Clean clams, discard any shells that are not closed.

2.Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add tomatoes, saute 6 min or until lightly browned. Add wine, clams, garlic, and lemon, stiring to coat.
Cover, reduce heat and cook 8 min or until shells open. Discard any unopened shells.

3. Sprinkle with parsley Serve with french bread.

Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

I'm not sure this is technically an enchilada dish, but it's still yummy. Thanks to Charity for reminding me of this lost recipe and sending it back from her own files.


Baked chicken cheese enchiladas

4 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 C sour cream (I use light)
2 C salsa
2 C cheddar or monterey kack
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C corn
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
4 scallions thinly scliced
12-14 soft round 6-8" flour or corn tortillas (blue corn is yummy, but a little harder to have hold together)

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. cream together sourc cream and cream cheese in large mixing bowl

3. stir in 1/2 C salsa and 1 C grated cheese

4. separate bowl toss together chicken, corn, cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, pepper and half of the scallions

5. Add chicken mixture to cream chees mixture and stir to combine

6. In 9x13 baking dish spread 1/2 C salsa on botton. Place 1/3 C filling in each tortilla and rollup like a burrito and place in baking dish.

7. Pour remaining salsa over the enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
Bake 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining scallions.

Doug's Chile Rojo (and a bonus Cornbread recipe)

Just curious - did you win the chili cook-off with this recipe?

Doug's Chile Rojo (Red Chili)

In Encino, CA there is a restaurant called Chili My Soul. My favoritechili was called Rojo Grande, with a deep rich flavor and melt in yourmouth pork chunks. After some inventiveness, good guessing, andbackwards engineering, I came up with my own version that may (or maynot) taste the same, but sure does hit the spot. I've added beans aswell.

Chile Mixture Ingredients:
10 dried red New Mexican chiles
2 dried ancho (pasilla) chiles
3 ½ cups of water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp white flour
2 tsp salt
¾ tsp ground chile
½ tsp each ground cumin and dried leaf oregano

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast chiles, turning frequently, until they smell toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. Cut off thestems, scrape out the seeds, and discard. Place in a medium-size potwith the water and simmer 30 minutes or until chiles are soft. Letcool.

Pour chiles and liquid into a blender or food processor;process until pureed. Push puree through a wire strainer; discard residue.

Heat oil in a medium, oven proof pot, over medium heat. Add onion andgarlic and cook until onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add flour andcook 1 minute. Add chile puree, salt, ground chile, cumin andoregano, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil.Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.

Tomatillo Broth Ingredients:

3 large tomatillo
2 green onions chopped
3 cups water
¼ tsp salt

Boil the whole tomatillo, green onions, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. After one hour pierce the bottom of thetomatillo husk and shake out the contents into the broth. Discard the husk.

The Final Product Ingredients:

1 ½ lb lean pork cut into chunks
2-15 oz cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp Hickory Seasoning
Tomatillo broth (see above)
Chile mixture (see above)

Wisk the tomatillo mixture into the simmering chile mixture. Add thepork chunks. Place a lid on the mixture and bake in a 275° preheatedoven for 1 ½ hours. Remove the pot from the oven. Add the kidneybeans and on low heat simmer on the stove top for 30 minutes.

Serve with Mama Benson's Cornbread.

Mama Benson's Cornbread

This recipe remains my mother's. If you cook it right it is deliciousjust the way it is with no tampering. It is kind of filling (probablybecause I eat too much) but is great drenched in butter and honey. Ifyou're used to southern cornbread this is not it. This is more moist and sweet. For a good southern meal make this and Doug's Black-EyedPeas, Chicken Creole, or Crawfish Ètouffèe. Is also a nice balancewith Doug's Chile Rojo.

Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups of buttermilk (you can use regular milk as well)

In a bowl combine the 2 eggs, well beaten, ½ cups oil, 2 cups of buttermilk, or regular milk (buttermilk tastes better). Then add theabove dry ingredients. Blend well. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake it at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick. If it comes out wet it is not done.

Roasted Garlic Ricotta Sauce

More conscious cuisine. This is a great sauce. There's a bit of prep but it's worth it - roast the garlic and shallots (or onions) in a 350 degree oven until soft and just turning brown.

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped roasted garlic
1/4 cup choppted roasted shallots
1/2 cup white wine (I omitted)
3 cups vegetable stock
3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tbs water
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat a medium saucepan over medium - high heat and add the oil. Stir in the garlic and shallots and cook until lighly browned, about 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced and the pan is almost dry, about 3-5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Mix in the cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Place the ricotta cheese (I think I used a cup instead of 1/2) and about 1/3 cup of the garlic mixture in a blender. Slowly add the remaining sauce. Transer back into the pan and stir in the basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

Conscious Cuisine

Charity sent me a beautiful book called Conscious Cuisine by Chef Cary Neff. This is a great book that proves once again that healthy does not mean boring. Here are a couple of recipes that I've tried already...

Black Bean Griddle Cakes

1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cup cooked black beans,drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels
2 large egg whites
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp minced fresh oregano
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cornmeal for coating

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 3/4 cup beans, onion, garlic, and corn. Cook until the onion has softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a food processor, process the remaining 1 cup of beans until smooth. Add the egg whites, cilantro, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Mix the pureed beans with the sauteed beans. Using 1/4 cup at a time, form into patties and coat with cornmeal. Heat griddle over medium high heat and coat with olive oil spray. Brown cakes on both sides about 2 minutes per side.

Baked Falafel

1 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 small garlic cloves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour

cucumer sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup finely chopped cucumber
3/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup seeded and finely chopped tomato
3/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat baking pan with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except parsley and flour and process until a smooth dough is formed. Add parsley and flour and pulse a few times to mix.

Scoop out by tbsp's and form 20 small cakes. Place on baking sheet and coat top with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes. Turn over and bake 5 minutes.

For sauce, combine all ingredients and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour before serving with the falafel.

Tomato Pesto Tart

I love this tart! However, I have encountered the same problem each time I've made it: I've only made this with garden tomatoes (I HATE store bought tomatoes) which seem to be alot juicier (more jucy?) than the store variety. I've tried salting the slices and letting them drain on paper towels before using them, but it didn't really help. I still end up with a wet tart. Wet or not it's still taste amazing. Be forewarned that it does not store well or reheat well as you will end up with a soggy crust.

1 refrigerator pie pastry (make your own if you dare)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
5 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (please don't use the green can)
2 tbsp basil pesto (recipe below)
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Unfold pastry on a lightly greased pizza pan. Roll into a 12" cirecle. Brush outer edge with water. Fold edge and crimp. Prick bottom with fork. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 375.

Sprinkle crust with half the mozzarella. Let stand 15 minutes until cool. Arrange tomatoes over cheese. Combine remaining mozzarella, mayonnaise, parmesan, 2 tbsp pesto and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

Spread over tomato slices. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with basil.

Basil Pesto

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend on medium speed about 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth.

Bonefish Grill

If your in the Lexington, Ky area give this restaurant a try. The Bang Bang shrimp is indescribably good. Check out the menu at the link above (just click on the post title).

Lemon Zucchini Bread

It's bakesale time at work. The proverbial thorn in my oven mitt. This time I'm going to give this quick bread a shot. I'll be making this either tonight or tomorrow, so I'll update when it's ready.

Update: Let it be know on this day Tuesday February 12,2008 my official declaration of non-baking. I am hanging up my oven mitts. I'm cursed by the angry Hindu baking gods. I tried this recipe and the result was one loaf that was so overcooked it crumbled when I tried to cut it and another one that was burnt on the edges and raw in the middle. I am not a baker. I don't even like it. So I'm not doing it anymore. I will not bake again!!!!

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp lemon zest

Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 X 4 " loaf pan. Beat together zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil. In separate bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour the batter into prepared pan.

Bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Tilapia with Lemon Peppercorn Pan Sauce

Okay, I confess. I haven't tried this one yet, but I plan to within the next couple of days. I wanted to go ahead and post it while I had the time. I rarely have any free time during the week. This recipe is really similar to the Chicken Breast with Lemon and Capers with the obvious switch of capers to peppercorns. Of the two, I think I prefer capers, but I'm all for experimentation, so I'll let you know how it turns out. That is if I can find the peppercorns in our grocery stores.

Update: In a shocking turn of events (please insert your own sarcastic tone here) I was unable to locate peppercorns in any grocery store in this county. I made it with capers. It was good. But not any different than the chicken breast with lemon and capers.


Ingredients

3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons drained brine-packed green peppercorns, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons butter
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients.

Melt 1 teaspoon of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.
While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes).

Remove from heat. Stir in two teaspoons of butter with a whisk. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield2 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Curried Pumpkin Soup

The best of two worlds: pumpkin and curry. This soup is so easy. I always use more curry and have never used milk.

1 tbsp soft butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 minced garlic clove
2 (14.5) cans vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper
1 cup (8 oz) silken tofu
1 cup canned pureed pumpkin
about 1 cup plain soy milk
2 tsp curry powder

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, salt and pepper, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until vegetable are tender, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a food processor leaving broth in pan.

Add tofu to food processor and pulse until vegetables are finely chopped and tofu is smooth. Add pumpkin and process until combined.

Add pumpkin mixture, milk, andcurry to broth in saucepan and heat until hot, adding more milk if soup is too thick.

Testing

With all the craziness going on lately I've only had a chance to try two of the recipes others have submitted. I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with the limited availability of food items in this area. I tried the olive crusted veal. I used chicken because I couldn't find veal. And I had to leave out the rosemary because I couldn't find it either. It was still a very good dish. I'm sure I will make it again soon.

More recently I tried Doug's Enchiladas - sort of. With very limited time I made some shortcuts that turned out to be a bad idea. I wanted to try the meat, so I thought I would skip the enchiladas and shoot for soft tacos. I was a bit overwhelmed in the meat aisle since I know very little about it. I would have had to buy 8 lbs of the pork when I only needed 1.5 so I opted for some cubes of pork from unknown body parts. Bad idea. It was dry and had little taste. So, nothing negative about the recipe. I will try it again when I have more time to devote to it. Sometimes shortcuts just don't pan out. I was also thinking of trying it with chicken. I'll let you know how the next round goes. To be honest I'm out of my comfort zone when cooking and buying meat.

Pad Thai

Charity may have to help me out with my memory here, but I believe this dish was made for us by an exchange student from Thailand. I think we left out the tofu, but don't hold me to that. Squeeze on a little fresh lime juice before eating. It will make your taste buds dance.

Pad Thai
7 oz rice noodles
1/4 cup tamarind juice
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
shrimp
2 oz tofu, cubed
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
cilantro
lime wedges

Soak rice noodles in cold water at least one hour. Drain. In a separate bowl combind tamarind juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and paprika. Set aside.

Heat oil in wok, add garlic, saute 30 seconds. Add shrimp, tofu, and egg. Stir fry 1 minute until egg is scrambled. Add rice noodles and tamarind mixture. Stir fry all ingredients until well cooked and combined. Add bean sprouts, sprinkle with peanuts and top with cilantro and lime.

Garlic Lime Drumettes with Chipotle Mayonaise

I hate trends, but sometimes foods become trendy for a reason. I think chipotle peppers (smoked jalapenos) fall into that category. They're conveniently packaged, easy to use, and taste great. You can even buy ground chipotles, though I prefer the canned version in adobo sauce. Let me go on record here as saying "I HATE MAYONAISE". Blech. However, in this chipotle dipping sauce the mayo can't be detected. Which now makes me wonder why I haven't just lft it out?

Chicken
6 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp grated lime peel
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp toasted crushed cumin
1/2 cup lime juice
1/3 cup olive oil
24 drumettes

Place garlic, grated lime peel, salt, oregano, cumin, lime juice, and oil in a nonreactive shallow pan. Add chicken, turn to coat. Cover and refridgerate for at least 2 hours, but no more than 4 hours.

Heat grill, discard marinade. Grill or broil 12-14 minutes. Serve with chilled chipotle mayonaise.

Chipotle Mayonnaise
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (I always use more)
1 tbsp adobo sauce

Stir together all ingredients. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Note...

Hi all. Sorry about the brief hiatus. Life has been hectic for the past few weeks. Between the flu, moving, and other madness I haven't had time to post. I promise we'll be back in action soon. As soon as I find my recipes again...

Chicken Breasts with Lemons and Capers

The caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a perennial spiny shrub that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and big white to pinkish-white flowers. A caper is also the pickled bud of this plant. The bush is native to the Mediterranean region , growing wild on walls or in rocky coastal areas throughout. This recipe is very versatile. It works well with veil, pork, chicken, or white fish.

1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 bonesless skinless chicken breasts, halved and pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
5 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock/broth
2 tbsp FRESH lemon juice
2 tbsp capers, drained (chopped if desired)

Combine flour, paprika and pepper on a plate. Coat chicken with flour evenly and shake off excess. Heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for about 3 mintues on each side. Transfer to a heated plate. Add chicken broth to pan, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Stir in lemon juice and capers and heat through. Pour sauce over chicken.

Pomegranate Recipes

POM Passion Smoothie

Ingredients:
2 oz. freshly squeezed pomegranate juice* or POM Wonderful® 100% Pomegranate Juice
6 oz. non-fat yogurt
1 cup fresh strawberries
Handful of ice

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together until the desired consistency is reached.





POM Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
Dressing:
juice from 2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or ½ cup POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons plain yogurt

Salad:
½ cup arils from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate
2 pears (Bosc or d’Anjou)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 orange
1 tablespoon sliced fresh mint
2 cups mixed greens
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Dressing:
1. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.* (or substitute PomWonderful Pomegranate Juice)

2. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until incorporated.

3. Set aside or refrigerate for up to two days before serving.

Salad:
1. Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve ½ cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)

2. Core, peel and slice pears. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice.

3. Peel and section orange into 4 to 8 chunks.

4. Divide greens onto 4 plates.

5. Divide and arrange pears, pineapple and oranges on top of greens.

6. Add sliced fresh mint with 1 to 2 tablespoons dressing to each serving.

7. Sprinkle arils onto each salad and serve immediately.








POM Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup arils from 1 large POM Wonderful Pomegranate
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled sugar for muffin tops

Directions:
1. Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate underwater to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)

2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Generously grease 12 muffin cups.

3. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in ginger, orange peel and pomegranate arils. Make a well in the center.

4. In a measuring cup, whisk together milk, egg and cooled butter. Pour liquid into well. Stir just until batter is moistened and ingredients are evenly mixed.

5. Spoon batter into 12 prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with sugar.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

Pomegranate Particulars

Name The name pomegranate derives form Middle French, pomme garnete, literally "seeded apple"; it is sometimes referred to as Chinese apple. The pomegranate's botanical name, Punica Granatum, translates as "Apple with many seeds."

Lore The pomegranate's rustic beauty has long been an inspiration for poets, writers, painters and sculptors. The Bible and writings of Homer mention pomegranates. Ancient myths cite this fruit as favored by the gods. Pomegranates, bursting with seeds, symbolize fertility in Chinese, Greek, Persian, Roman and Hebrew lore. They symbolize hope in Christian art. According to Jewish tradition, pomegranates are a symbol of prosperity.

Origin This fruit originated in tropical Asia but has been cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. History credits Spanish padres with bringing pomegranates to California more than 200 years ago.

Sources Although pomegranates grow in some Southern areas of the U.S., commercial production takes place in California's San Joaquin Valley. Approximately, 75% of the crop is sold in the U.S. California growers export the remaining crop to Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, points in the Middle East and Mexico.

Varieties The season begins in early August with the Granada and Early Foothill varieties, followed by Early Wonderful, then Wonderful. Supplies of the Wonderful variety, which make up 80% of the California crop, are in markets October through December, with the peak season in November and into December.

Growing Pomegranates grow on a shrub-like tree, with vivid orange-red flowers and glossy leaves.

Harvest Workers hand-pick pomegranates, beginning in early August through mid-November. Pomegranates are shipped through the end of December. A typical acre, with 110 trees, yields 600 to 800 28-pound boxes of fruit.

Size Size varies. A medium pomegranate is about the size of a large orange and weighs about 9 ounces.

Arils The ruby colored fruit we refer to as seeds are called arils. Each aril is a delicious sac of juice that surrounds a seed. Pomegranates contain 840 arils that are compartmentalized between shiny, tough membranes. The arils range form pink to dark red. Whether you swallow the seeds or spit them out is a matter of personal preference.

Flavor Sweet with a hint of tartness. Early season varieties (Granada and Early Foothill) have a higher sugar content and sweeter taste than the Wonderful.

Health The edible fruit from one medium pomegranate (5 ounces) contains 104 calories, 1.5 g protein, 26.4 g carbohydrates, 9 mg vitamin C and 399 mg potassium.

Buying Pomegranates are picked ripe. Choose pomegranates heavy for their size without cracks or splits. The skin varies from medium red to deep red with a fresh leather-like appearance.

Yield One medium pomegranate weighs about 9 ounces and yields about 5 ounces of fruit (3/4 cup) and 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of juice.

Storage WHOLE pomegranates keep well at room temperature for several days, away from sunlight; up to 3 months refrigerated in plastic bags.

ARILS can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Freeze in single layers on trays; then up to 6 months in airtight containers. Remove only the seeds you plan to use.

JUICE can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Freeze up to 6 months.

Blueberry Sauce

This came from a friend in South Carolina. It's the simplest recipe possible but tastes incredible. Try it on pancakes, angel food cake, pound cake, waffles, ice cream, etc. etc. etc.

2 cups fresh blueberries (I've made it with frozen, just thaw them first)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla

Crush berries in saucepan with a potato masher. Add sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Chill (not you, the sauce). Enjoy!!!

Ants in a Tree

You may have noticed a trend already: if it's not easy I don't make it. Easy doesn't have to mean boring or unimaginative. This recipe is a good example. Easy, inexpensive, but really good. Why do we overcompicate things?

Kosher salt
1/2 pound cellophane noodles (bean threads) or angel hair pasta
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Asian chile paste
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
2/3 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and bring back to a boil. Boil for 1 minute for cellophane noodles and 2 to 3 minutes for angel hair pasta. Drain in a colander and rinse under running water. Set aside.

Stir the pork with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the sesame oil, the cornstarch, and 1/2 of the scallions in a small bowl.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add the ginger, garlic, and chile paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork mixture and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the cabbage and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage is almost wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the cooked noodles and cook, cutting them slightly with the side of the spatula, until the pork is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and add the remaining scallions. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover loosely with foil and simmer until the noodles have absorbed some of the stock, about 3 minutes

Cafe Istanbul

Here's a link to a review of a great restaurant in Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati area. If you ever find yourself at Newport on the Levee (maybe visiting the aquarium?) do yourself a huge favor and stop by this place. Apparently the reviewer at the link provided agrees. Just click the title of this post to get to the link.

Doug's Heart Attack Alfredo Sauce

This is the greatest pasta sauce ever. I truly love it, but once again, if you eat it too much you will have a heart attack. To make chicken Alfredo just grill up a breast or two and chop them up. Sprinkle the chicken over the pasta before you pour the sauce on. You can serve this over any pasta but I like Farfalle (bowties) because it holds the sauce really well.

Ingredients:
12 tbsp butter (margarine will not work)
2 cups freshly grated Romano (or parmesan if you can't find Romano)
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the cheese. You whisk this continually and carefully as the cheese melts. If you do it too hard you will splash melted butter everywhere, if too soft you won't get it mixed. It often starts to "separate" but don't panic, just keep whisking. Slowly add the cream, whisking, until heated through. As it heats the all of the ingredients will begin to combine completely. Stir continually. DO NOT boil. Just before serving, add the parsley and the pepper. Pour over the top of your pasta and serve.

Variation: Doug's Smokey Chicken Alfredo
One night I was feeling a little crazy and thought, "what would happen if I smoked the chicken?" So I put some hickory chips in an aluminum foil pouch and poked holes in the top. I then shoved all the charcoal to one side of my Weber instead of spreading them out. I put the chicken on the side without the charcoal and the hickory pouch on the coals. When the chicken mixed with the sauce it gave it this creamy smoky flavor that was to die for. Makes me hungry to write this.

Stawberry Tofu Smoothie

Oh, stop. I can almost hear the groanings already. Normal people don't eat tofu!!! Give this a try. It tastes suspiciosly like a strawberry milkshake. This is a very basic smoothie recipe, but I've found that it works well with almost any fruit. One important note: you may find that you like it a little sweeter. If so just add some honey or other sweetener to fit your taste.

1 cup strawberries
4 oz soft silken tofu
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 ice cubes.

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. It couldn't be easier! Just make sure you use soft silken tofu or your end result won't be a smooth. Try it - I promise you'll like it!!!!

Brownie Bon Bons

This recipe was requested by a former roommate, Charity. She made these during a previously mentioned marathon baking session. I believe she used Disaronno to macerate the cherries, but she will have to verify that as I was not much help making these. I'm assuming you could leave that step out and use regular old maraschino cherries.

2 10 oz jars maraschino cherries with stems
Cherry Liquour (optional)
4 squares Bakers Unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
Chocolate Fudge Filling (recipe below)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

For liquour flavored cherries, drain liquid from cherries and refill with liqueur to completely cover the cherries. Cover and let stand at least 24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave chocolate and margarine or butter in large bowl on High 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocholate is completely melted.

Stir granulated sugar into melted chocolate mixture. Mix in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Stir in flour. Fill greased miniature muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out with fudge crumbs. Do Not Overbake!!!! Cool slightly, loosen edges with thip of knife. Remove from pans. Turn each brownie onto a wax paper lined tray while warm. Make 1/2 inch indentation into top of each brownie with end of a wooden spoon. Cool completely.

Prepare Chocolate fudge filling. Drain cherries, reserving liquid . Let cherries stand on paper towel to dry. Combine powdered sugar with enough reserved liquid to form a thin glaze.

Spoon about 1 tsp chocolate filling into each brownie. Gently press cherry into filling and drizzle with glaze.

Makes about 48 brownies.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE FILLING:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup corn syrup
3 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
1 cup powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly pour in corn syrup, beating until well blended. Add chocolate, beat until smooth, gradually add powdered sugar, beating until well blended and smooth.

Green Rice

I know it sounds a little funky, but rest assured it is quite tasty. Once you have stirred in the rice resist the urge to stir it again. Just walk away!!!! Otherwise you will have gummy sticky rice and while green rice is good, gummy green rice is bad. This dish includes three of my favorite ingredients: cilantro, scallions, and pablano peppers.

4 cups + 2 tbsp water
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 pablano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt

Combind 2 cups water and rice. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain well. Place 2 tbsp water, cilantro, and pablano peppers in blender or food processor and process until smooth.

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper green onion, and garlic and saute 3 minutes.

Add pablano mixture and sautee 2 minutes. Stir in rice, 2 cups water and salt.

Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Three-Pepper Beef

This is an excellent and easy stir fry. It gets its color and crunch from a variety of bell peppers. Serve over rice or rice noodles.

2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup low-salt beef broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/4 cups cubed red bell pepper
1 1/4 cups cubed yellow bell pepper
1 1/4 cups cubed green bell pepper

Combine 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt, and flank steak in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Set aside.

Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, broth, soy sauce, and black pepper, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry 10 seconds. Add beef mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove the beef mixture from pan; cover and keep warm. Add peas and bell peppers to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add beef and broth mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

I like spicy foods, so I typically use more peppers than the recipe suggests. This dish is requested often for potlucks.


Ingredients
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon butter object
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350°.
Remove 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop to measure 1 tablespoon. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped chiles, onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes. Cook 3 minutes or until thickened. Add reserved 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, pasta, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, and egg; stir to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Olive Crusted Veal Chops with Garlic and Rosemary

I so appreciate the responses I'm getting to this site. This recipe comes from another grad school friend and former roommate, Charity. I remember one marathon cookie baking session just before Christmas where she did all the baking and I slept on the couch (see my previous post about how I feel about baking) This one comes from the Newlywed Cookbook and it sounds fabulous. By the way, if anyone tries any of these recipes please comment so we'll know how you liked it. I plan to be trying alot of new ones in the near future.

1/4C pitted Kalamata olives
2 garlic cloves peeled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4-40z boneless veal loin chops, about 1" thick
2 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. In a blender, combine olives, garlic sherry vinegar, rosemary, salt and pepper. Puree until mixture forms a thick paste. Pat veal chops dry and rub olive mixture on both sides.

3. Heat oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add veal chops and saute 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer skillet to oven and roast 10-15 minutes or until veal is cooked through.Also good with Lamb and chicken.

Doug's Carnitas Enchilada's in Green

Doug is a friend I met in graduate school. His enthusiasm for cooking inspired me to no longer settle for instant rice and powdered mashed potatoes. He and his wife, Heather, are both excellent cooks. I've never tasted anything even average that came out their kitchen.

In his honor, I've created Doug's Corner. Here is his first submission. Even cutting and pasting made my mouth water. No pressure, Doug, but keep them coming...


This is really good and easy. The meat is what makes it. I could give you a more detailed recipe for homemade green/red sauce but it is a lot of work and the store bought sauce has worked well enough. This will make enough for you and some friends or leftovers for sure. You can also use the meat in homade tacos or burritos.

Carnitas Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds of boneless pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup of water
1 cup of apple juice
1 ½ tsp ground mild red chili (or to taste)
1 tsp of each; ground cumin, salt and pepper
2 bay leaves

In a deep skillet (I use a 4 quart sauce pan) combine the meat, water, apple juice, ground chili, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.

After the hour take out the bay leaves. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporates and meat browns. At this point you turn off the heat and shred the pork with two forks. Stir the shredded pork until it is well coated with the spice residue in the pot.

Enchiladas Ingredients:
1 ½ cups each shredded Monterey Jack and mild Cheddar cheese (be generous)
1 8 oz can of pitted ripe olives, drained
1 can of Green Chile Verde Sauce (They also have a red sauce that is good, but green is better)
Vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the two cheeses together and set aside. Thickly slice 12 olives and set them aside. Chop the rest of the olives and mix them with the meat.

Heat ½ an inch of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla in the oil and cook for about 2 seconds on each side. Lift the tortilla out with tongs and let the oil drain off. Put a place next to the pan and put some of the green sauce on it. Coat the tortilla with the sauce. Put a little less than 3 tbsp of the meat and 2 tbsp of the cheese across the center of the tortilla. Roll it up an place it in a 9x13 pan. Repeat for the other 11 tortillas.
When all the enchiladas are in the pan, pour the rest of the green sauce over the over the top of them. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese and then scatter the olives over the cheese. Continue baking uncovered for about 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Do Bakers Cook? Do Cookers Bake?

I know many of you share my fondess for cooking. I'm wondering how many of you also share my complete disdain for baking? In general I find Rachel Ray completely annoying, however, two things endear her to me. First, she devoted an entire chapter in one of her cookbooks (maybe more but I only own one) to her dog, Boo, and second she hates to bake. Which makes me wonder if there's a trend. Do people who love to cook hate to bake? Sure I liked baking when I could make an entire cake with a 30 watt lightbulb, but how does that translate to a 30 year old gas oven? If I wanted to cook with fire I wouldn't have evolved. Besides, when I cook I often start with a recipe and by the end it is something completely different. And I don't have to measure. I've learned through trying to keep a record of my own created recipes that those measures are usually estimations anyway. Is it really going to make much difference if I use 3/4 cup onion rather than 1/2? I guess the moral of the story cooking is idiot proof. So, where do you come in on this issue?

Dog Biscuits

That's right I said dog biscuits. If you have kids this is a great recipe to try. Not only can the kids help they can eat 'em too. Who knows, maybe you can teach them some new commands: sit.....stay...... clean your room....

I especially like to make these around Christmas. They make great Christmas gifts for my dog lover friends. I use mini- christmas themed cookie cutters or bone shaped cookie cutters. I usually pack them in chinese take-out boxes with a little gift tissue. I bet you all want to be my friends now, eh? A few notes: I typically add more bouillon powder than suggested and if you really want to see your dog's tongue slap himself silly add same bacon fat. According to my dog, Remi, Emeril was right - it is a pork fat thing.

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tbs sugar
2 tsp chicken or beef flavored instant bouillon
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg beaten
2-3 cups plain (not self rising) whole wheat or white flour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cookie sheet (that is not a euphamism).

Combine oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, cheese and egg. Mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time until a stiff dough is formed.

Knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 3-4 minutes. Roll or pat out to 1/2 inch thickness, cut out with a cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Makes about 8 dozen small biscuits.

Garlic Recipes

Warning: These recipes are not recommended if you are overly sensitive to smell, have an intolerant lover, or if you've ever thought, even once, that you might be a vampire. Roasting garlic brings out it's natural sweetness and makes it soft and smooth. If you're new to garlic or have been put off in the past, try it roasted. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised.


Roasted Garlic
4 heads of garlic (serves four) and olive oil or cooking sherry

Preheat oven to 300?F. Expose the clove by cutting the upper tips off each one. Place the garlic, cut side up, in a baker or wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Drizzle garlic with olive oil or, for a leaner treat, the cooking sherry. Bake for 2 hours or until garlic cloves are soft. Uncover the garlic and serve immediately. We like to squeeze the cloves directly on to toasted, Italian style bread, but there are many other options for serving.


Roasted Garlic Soup
2-4 bulbs of garlic
8 cups chicken broth
1 large sweet onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 large potato, cubed
1/4 cup dry sherry
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350?. Remove the superfluous skin from the garlic bulbs and cut the base of each in order for the bulbs to rest on a flat surface. Place heads in a baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for an hour or until bulbs are soft. Remove skin and puree in food processor. In large saucepan, place garlic puree, onion, celery, potato and bring to a boil. Cook until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Puree vegetables. Return to pan, and bring to a boil. Add sherry, salt and pepper (serves six).

Garlic Butter
1 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or more if you prefer
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

Combine softened butter, minced garlic and parmesan cheese. Season with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, pepper and paprika. Mix until smooth. For a milder and sweeter garlic flavor, roast a head of garlic and finish the recipe as above.

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Garlic Quick Tips

About Garlic: Garlic is a cousin to onions, leeks, and shallots. A bulb or head of garlic is composed of smaller cloves. It is a root vegetable, with the bulb growing underground.
Botanical Name: Allium sativum, a member of the lily (Liliaceae) family. The word garlic comes from the Old English garleac, meaning spear leek.

Garlic Availability: Crops are harvested in mid-July and hung in sheds to dry before reaching their prime in late-July/early-August. Fresh and dried garlic are available year-round in most markets.

Garlic Selection: Choose heads that are firm to the touch, with no nicks or soft cloves. If you notice dark, powdery patches under the skin, pass it up since it is an indication of a common mold which will eventually spoil the flesh. Fresh garlic is more difficult to peel. As garlic ages, it shrivels inside the skin, making it easier to peel.
Garlic Varieties and Forms: There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide. American garlic, with its white, papery skin and strong flavor is one of the most common varieties. Italian and Mexican garlic, both of which have pink- to purple-colored skins, are slightly milder-flavored varieties. Forms include whole heads, whole peeled cloves, minced fresh cloves, dried garlic powder, garlic extract, and garlic salt.

Garlic Storage: Store unpeeled garlic in an open container in a cool, dry place away from other foods. Do not refrigerate or freeze unpeeled garlic. Peeled garlic cloves may be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is imperative that garlic in oil be stored under refrigeration to avoid potentially-deadly bacteria growth. Garlic powder should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place.

Miscellaneous Garlic Information: Elephant garlic (allium scorodoprasum), which has very large, extremely mild-flavored cloves, is not a true garlic, but a closer relative to the leek. The smaller you chop garlic, the more pungent it becomes. Whole cooked garlic cloves are quite mild, with a nutty flavor. Studies have shown garlic can suppress the growth of tumors, and is a potent antioxidant good for cardiovascular health.

Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic and health Garlic has long been considered an herbal wonder drug, used to protect against plague by monks of the Middle Ages to treating the cold and common flu today.

Hippocrates used garlic vapors to treat cervical cancer, and garlic poultices were placed on wounds during World War II as an inexpensive, and apparently quite effective replacement for antibiotics, which were scarce during wartime. Modern science is beginning to substantiate the medicinal properties of garlic. Studies have shown garlic can control acne, suppress the growth of tumors, and is a potent antioxidant good for cardiovascular health. Other studies show garlic can reduce LDL or "bad" cholesterol and is a good blood-thinning agent to avoid blood clots that could lead to heart attack or stroke.

It is generally agreed that the stronger the taste of a clove of garlic, the higher the sulphur content greater the medicinal value. Some people have suggested that organically grown garlic has higher sulphur content, and a greater benefit to health. Allicin and diallyl sulphides are the two main medical ingredients that produce the garlic health benefits.

It is suggested to allow garlic to set out in the open for about 10 minutes after chopping or crushing to get the full benifits from allicin before adding them to your dish. Just don't smoke these cloves!

Send Me Your Recipes

I would love for others to be able to add there own recipes to this site. So far, I haven't figured out how to do that directly. If you have my email address feel free to email recipes to me and I'll add them. You can also add them in the comments section (assuming it is working that day) and I'll transfer them to a new post so others can find them more easily. It'll take me awhile to figure out the bells and whistles so check back often, as I hope to add, change, and improve things regularly. I'll probably be adding some cookbood reviews in the near future as well. Happy New Year everyone and Happy cooking.

Key West Pork Tenderloin Alla Barbara

This recipe comes from a friend who swears it is worth the effort. If memory serves me correctly either the spice mix or the sauce can be purchased on-line. I'll research that tidbit and edit later if I can find the internet source. I haven't tried this recipe yet, but plan to soon. Since she's emailed this recipe twice I assume it's a winner. Thanks Barbara!!!!

Update: This recipe came to Barbara via her daughter-in-law, Suzanne. Serve the sliced tenderloing with the sauce.

Blackberry Sauce
Pork tenderloin
Anntony's Caribbean spices (any jerk or caribbean spice will do)
Mozarella
Prosciutto

Rub pork thickly with spices. Slice open tenderloin, layer fresh mozarella and prosciutto inside. Wrap with string to keep everything together

Sear both sides in hot olive oil. Then put in oven at 375-400 for at least 35 minutes. After that, keep checking on it until the pork is cooked through.

The sauce was raspberry/blackberry based with chipotle. Rothschild Farms (I think) is the name of the sauce. If you can't find the sauce, this will get you started, although proportions could be off. It's a taste-as-you-go thing:

Put all in a small heated sauce pan and stir.
Blackberry or raspberry preserves (NO CORN SYRUP)--only sweetened with natural type sugars (It will probably be an 8 oz jar?) Jelly will work if nothing else is around
1/16th tsp of Chipotle powder
1/16th tsp of Ground cloves
1/16th tsp of Ground nutmeg
2 tsp White vinegar
2 tsp Cider vinegar

Mix all and keep tasting and adding until it works well. Get 2 jars of the preserves, just in case these measurements are too much for the one jar. :o)