I grilled a whole snapper recently and had half the fish leftover. I stored this in the fridge for two days and got to it last night. It was a good pantry raid! I didn't have bread crumbs, so I opened a package of store bought Stove Top stuffing and used that for the bread crumbs (you have put these in your food processor to get them fine enough) and this worked excellently!
A
3/4 lb white fish, cooked and flaked
1 C finely ground seasoned bread crumbs (or ground up Stove Top stuffing in my case :-P)
2 eggs, beaten
2 TBSP heavy cream
B
2 TBSP mayo
2 TBSP heavy cream
1 TBSP capers, roughly chopped
1 TBSP relish
Yes, it's this easy! Combine ingredients from list A together (this should be sticky and able to form patties) and form into patties. Fry in some oil (doesn't matter what kind... I had mustard oil) over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned.
Mix ingredients from B together to serve as tartar sauce. You should throw a v simple salad together to serve with this.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Rhubarb, Cranberry, Jalapeno and Ginger Relish
I got this recipe from one of my fave blogs - Design Sponge! It is sooo tasty and this recipe makes so much that you can give to your friends in little jars along with the recipe. Your friends can then buy the scallops, grill em up and badabing badaboom - gourmet meal!
Here is the link to this recipe! Enjoy!!
Here is the link to this recipe! Enjoy!!
Iceburg Wedge
We got some really tasty steaks the other day (oh! just remembered I had leftovers in the freezer - aw hellllz yeeeeah!) and they were big and juicy and sexi and porterhousely. It is summer, so I didn't want to undue my work at the gym, so I opted for something simple and "healthy" on the side... just watch the amount of blue cheese dressing you use!! I thought a simple wedge would be PERFECT!
1 head Iceburg lettuce
1 large beefsteak tomato
2 boiled eggs
1/2 C mayo
1/2 C heavy cream
1 TBSP sherry vinegar
4 oz Stilton blue cheese
1 tsp dried tarragon
The assembly is pretty obvious I think... quarter the ice burg lettuce and serve one quarter per plate. Chop the tomatoes and eggs as you wish and put them on top (aka to the side, as they will fall down). Whisk all of the dressing ingredients except the blue cheese until smooth. Crumble blue cheese in dressing and whisk to combine to your liking (if you like it smooth, whisk away. I like mine chunky, so I combined ever so slightly).
Serve this w some bloody slabs and you've got yourself a meal!
1 head Iceburg lettuce
1 large beefsteak tomato
2 boiled eggs
1/2 C mayo
1/2 C heavy cream
1 TBSP sherry vinegar
4 oz Stilton blue cheese
1 tsp dried tarragon
The assembly is pretty obvious I think... quarter the ice burg lettuce and serve one quarter per plate. Chop the tomatoes and eggs as you wish and put them on top (aka to the side, as they will fall down). Whisk all of the dressing ingredients except the blue cheese until smooth. Crumble blue cheese in dressing and whisk to combine to your liking (if you like it smooth, whisk away. I like mine chunky, so I combined ever so slightly).
Serve this w some bloody slabs and you've got yourself a meal!
Peach Pie Cobbler
I went to the farmers market this weekend and they had some divine peaches! I picked me up about 10 lbs and I had me some pies! The amount of peaches you need will certainly vary depending on how small you cut them, if you peel them or not, etc etc. I cut some of mine small, some of mine large and I peeled about 75% but left some unpeeled for the bright color on the skin. I am not kidding when I say that these peaches were perfect and beautiful!
I didn't want a large undertaking and I wanted to enjoy the pies asap, so I bought some already prepared, frozen deep dish 9" pie crusts and kept it nice and simple.
Also, it is important when making a pie like this to not get caught up on details. Basically, no matter how you prepare the topping or cut the peaches, it is going to be super tasty! Just have fun... you will be so proud of yourself :-)
A
10 lbs peaches (or enough to fill two deep dish pie crusts)
1/2 C flour
2 heaping TBSP cornstarch
2/3 C sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
B
2 C bread flour
1 C dark brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 stick butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 deep dish 9" frozen pie crusts
Peel and cut your peaches how you wish. If you aren't too adventurous or are not too familiar with making pies, then you should peel all but two of your peaches and cut them into 1/8s. If you are doing it this way then you will prob need about 6-9 peaches per pie.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the rest of A together and place half in each frozen pie crust and set aside.
Combine B in a bowl and break together with your fingers until the dough comes together into little pieces that are the size of a pea. Divide in two and pat this on top of your pies (you will need to do this with a bit of force as the peaches should be piled high, however, you want to pat it on but let it remain a crumbly top).
Place both on a cookie sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
I didn't want a large undertaking and I wanted to enjoy the pies asap, so I bought some already prepared, frozen deep dish 9" pie crusts and kept it nice and simple.
Also, it is important when making a pie like this to not get caught up on details. Basically, no matter how you prepare the topping or cut the peaches, it is going to be super tasty! Just have fun... you will be so proud of yourself :-)
A
10 lbs peaches (or enough to fill two deep dish pie crusts)
1/2 C flour
2 heaping TBSP cornstarch
2/3 C sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
B
2 C bread flour
1 C dark brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 stick butter, cold and cut into pieces
2 deep dish 9" frozen pie crusts
Peel and cut your peaches how you wish. If you aren't too adventurous or are not too familiar with making pies, then you should peel all but two of your peaches and cut them into 1/8s. If you are doing it this way then you will prob need about 6-9 peaches per pie.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the rest of A together and place half in each frozen pie crust and set aside.
Combine B in a bowl and break together with your fingers until the dough comes together into little pieces that are the size of a pea. Divide in two and pat this on top of your pies (you will need to do this with a bit of force as the peaches should be piled high, however, you want to pat it on but let it remain a crumbly top).
Place both on a cookie sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Whole BBQ'd Snapper
Summer = BBQ; no other factors are necessary. However, this specific formula is as follows: 2S+2Hh+2L+2B=Perfect Snapper!
2 lbs Snapper (or any fish, any size), head removed, gutted... I DEF have my fish dude do this for me!
2 handfuls of herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage... go to your garden and snip away)
2 lemons
2 TBSP butter, room temp
Arrange half your herbs on the bottom of a sheet of tin foil that is big enough to just wrap up your fish. Cut up one lemon and put half of the slices on top of the herbs. Lay your fish on top, put the other half of the lemon inside the fish with the other half of your herbs and half your butter. Put the other TBSP of butter on top of him and bbq him on medium heat for 20 mins!
2 lbs Snapper (or any fish, any size), head removed, gutted... I DEF have my fish dude do this for me!
2 handfuls of herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage... go to your garden and snip away)
2 lemons
2 TBSP butter, room temp
Arrange half your herbs on the bottom of a sheet of tin foil that is big enough to just wrap up your fish. Cut up one lemon and put half of the slices on top of the herbs. Lay your fish on top, put the other half of the lemon inside the fish with the other half of your herbs and half your butter. Put the other TBSP of butter on top of him and bbq him on medium heat for 20 mins!
Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Tartelettes
I've gotten big into baking and I LOVE anything mini. So, when I heard about these savory tartelettes (mini tarts), I was sooo amped! I am def going to do more of these savory tartelettes in the future. I am just going to do the tartelette recipe here, but I paired them with a whole bbq'd snapper stuffed w herbs a plenty and also a simple salad with watercress and arugula from the garden. It was a phenomenal summer dinner. Also, I was able to freeze a few of the tartelettes and I will most certainly enjoy those another day!
A
6 small beets or 4 large (as many colors as you can find out there... at least golden and red)
4 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP sherry
2 TBSP thyme
B
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks butter, cold and chopped finely
Ice water if needed (up to 1/2 C)
C
8 oz goat cheese (one large log)
1 C + 1 TBSP ricotta
2 eggs
2 TBSP chopped mixed herbs
I did this in steps. The night before I roasted the beets and prepared the crust. To do so, preheat oven to 425 degrees, wrap each beet in tin foil individually and bake until soft (40- 55 minutes). Let cool overnight at room temp.
To prepare the pastry, combine all ingredients other than the water in your food processor and process until a crumbly dough forms. Add enough water to make a cohesive dough. Add the water VERY slowly... 1 TBSP at a time. You do not want a sticky dough. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and wrap them in saran (you can wrap them all together... they will pull apart neatly when you want to use them) and put in fridge until ready to go.
The next morning (the day you're going to eat these delicacies), peel, slice and marinate the beets (I kept the colors separate and just divided the marinade amongst them) in the thyme, olive oil and vinegar. You can also make the filling by mixing ingredients from part C together. Cover this and refrigerate.
When you're ready to eat, roll out each dough and put it in your mini tart tins (mine were 4" each... 10 total). Polk the bottoms with a fork and put back in fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After the dough in the tart pans has set in the fridge for 10 minutes, bake them (no filling) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven (I put mine all on a cookie tray) and let them rest for 2 minutes. After the short rest, fill with the filling and top with beets (I did four slices of beets per tartelette). Bake for another 30 mins.
Congrats - these are perf!
A
6 small beets or 4 large (as many colors as you can find out there... at least golden and red)
4 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP sherry
2 TBSP thyme
B
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sticks butter, cold and chopped finely
Ice water if needed (up to 1/2 C)
C
8 oz goat cheese (one large log)
1 C + 1 TBSP ricotta
2 eggs
2 TBSP chopped mixed herbs
I did this in steps. The night before I roasted the beets and prepared the crust. To do so, preheat oven to 425 degrees, wrap each beet in tin foil individually and bake until soft (40- 55 minutes). Let cool overnight at room temp.
To prepare the pastry, combine all ingredients other than the water in your food processor and process until a crumbly dough forms. Add enough water to make a cohesive dough. Add the water VERY slowly... 1 TBSP at a time. You do not want a sticky dough. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and wrap them in saran (you can wrap them all together... they will pull apart neatly when you want to use them) and put in fridge until ready to go.
The next morning (the day you're going to eat these delicacies), peel, slice and marinate the beets (I kept the colors separate and just divided the marinade amongst them) in the thyme, olive oil and vinegar. You can also make the filling by mixing ingredients from part C together. Cover this and refrigerate.
When you're ready to eat, roll out each dough and put it in your mini tart tins (mine were 4" each... 10 total). Polk the bottoms with a fork and put back in fridge. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After the dough in the tart pans has set in the fridge for 10 minutes, bake them (no filling) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven (I put mine all on a cookie tray) and let them rest for 2 minutes. After the short rest, fill with the filling and top with beets (I did four slices of beets per tartelette). Bake for another 30 mins.
Congrats - these are perf!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Blueberry Crumble Pie with Burnt Sugar Ice Cream
My dad loves chocolate and blueberries, so I went with blueberries cause it's the summer and they're all about (and inexpensive... not that I wouldn't splurge for father dearest or anything like that :-) Anyways, this pie came out really well and the cardamom worked incredibly well (my dad even guessed that it was cardamom!!... I guess I get my skillz from somewhere!) Now, buying a pre-made pie crust is toootally not my style at all, but I helped a friend move into her new house all weekend, so I was really crunched for time.
A
1 C flour
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
B
4 C blueberries
1/2 lemon, squeezed lightly
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
Pre-made 9" frozen pie crust
C
1/2 C sugar
2 TBSP water
2 C milk
1 C heavy cream
5 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
You want to prepare the ice cream the night before. To do so, combine the sugar and water (from C) in a pan and dissolve the sugar with the water. Once dissolved, continue to cook until it becomes a dark brown. Once that has happened, add the milk (yes, it will bubbly like woah!) and continue whisking until it has dissolved into the sugar. Add the cream and turn off the heat. Whip the egg yolks with the salt until the yolks turn fluffy and pale. Whisk the warm mixture into the egg mixture and then return everything to the eat. Continue whisking over the heat until you have a creme anglaise texture (until it coats the back of a spoon). Turn off the heat and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours until the mixture becomes room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, run it through your ice cream maker and then hard-freeze for a couple of hours.
For the pie:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine A in a bowl and use your fingers to crumble the butter in until it becomes pea-sized, set aside. Combine B in another bowl and pour the contents into the pie crust. Top with A and bake for 45 minutes!
A
1 C flour
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
B
4 C blueberries
1/2 lemon, squeezed lightly
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
Pre-made 9" frozen pie crust
C
1/2 C sugar
2 TBSP water
2 C milk
1 C heavy cream
5 egg yolks
Pinch of salt
You want to prepare the ice cream the night before. To do so, combine the sugar and water (from C) in a pan and dissolve the sugar with the water. Once dissolved, continue to cook until it becomes a dark brown. Once that has happened, add the milk (yes, it will bubbly like woah!) and continue whisking until it has dissolved into the sugar. Add the cream and turn off the heat. Whip the egg yolks with the salt until the yolks turn fluffy and pale. Whisk the warm mixture into the egg mixture and then return everything to the eat. Continue whisking over the heat until you have a creme anglaise texture (until it coats the back of a spoon). Turn off the heat and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours until the mixture becomes room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, run it through your ice cream maker and then hard-freeze for a couple of hours.
For the pie:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine A in a bowl and use your fingers to crumble the butter in until it becomes pea-sized, set aside. Combine B in another bowl and pour the contents into the pie crust. Top with A and bake for 45 minutes!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Flounder over Arugula with a Mushroom, Caper and White Wine Sauce
Once you commute home from work, go to the gym, get home and cook, it can be 8:30 already! And the last thing I want to do at 8:30 after the gym is eat a heavy meal. I made this last night and it was a nice, quick and healthy late-night meal. I added tons of flavor by going to my garden and picking some fresh herbals! I served the fish with either pasta or arugula. I did pasta for my mom and mike and I did arugula for myself. I always say it's nice when people have options and can create for themselves!
1 1/2 lbs flounder
2 C thinly sliced crimini shroomies
3 TBSP capers
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Fresh herbs to your liking: basil, parsley, oregano and thyme
1 C white wine
1 C Italian-style panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP margarine
Wash, dry and dip the fish in an egg wash. Bread the fish fillets and fry quickly using a little bit of olive oil or Pam. Remove from pan, add some more Pam and add the onions, garlic, margarine, mushrooms, capers and herbs and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the pan has started to get dry and a bit sticky, deglaze with the wine and let the sauce thicken for about 5 minutes. Add the fish back on top and spoon the mushroom mixture on top. Let people choose from either arugula or pasta and serve themselves straight from the pan.
1 1/2 lbs flounder
2 C thinly sliced crimini shroomies
3 TBSP capers
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Fresh herbs to your liking: basil, parsley, oregano and thyme
1 C white wine
1 C Italian-style panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP margarine
Wash, dry and dip the fish in an egg wash. Bread the fish fillets and fry quickly using a little bit of olive oil or Pam. Remove from pan, add some more Pam and add the onions, garlic, margarine, mushrooms, capers and herbs and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the pan has started to get dry and a bit sticky, deglaze with the wine and let the sauce thicken for about 5 minutes. Add the fish back on top and spoon the mushroom mixture on top. Let people choose from either arugula or pasta and serve themselves straight from the pan.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Fish n Chips
'Allo matey! Just kidding - that's so obnoxious. I grew up eating fish and chips as me mums is a true Brit! I love all the contrast in a platter of fish and chips, but the simplicity is what makes it so desirable and such an easy thing to have time after time after time. I think this dish really gives your mouth a good workout; you have the light and crunch batter with the moist and flaky fish and then you have the sharp vinegar paired with the smooth tartar. It's bloody brilliant if you ask me!
2 lbs cod or haddock, cut into 2X3" pieces
1 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into long and fat strips (for the chips)
~2 quarts canola oil
Tartar sauce
Sarson's malt vinegar
1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
~ 1/2 bottle of beer
I do this the way my mom does it - not very exact. You don't have to! Peel and cut your potatoes ahead of time so they are ready. Heat the oil (in a 6 quart pot) over high heat. When you can dip a fry in the oil and it immediately starts to sizzle and form small bubbles around it, you know the oil is ready! I'm sure it's probably like 350 degrees F or something like that.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and beer together until you have a thick batter (add the beer slowly) and put aside. Fry the potatoes until they are brown to your liking (about 5 - 10 mins) and remove with your spider and put on a plate lined with paper towels. Next, dip the fish in the batter and fry until golden brown! Serve with malt vinegar and tartar sauce!
2 lbs cod or haddock, cut into 2X3" pieces
1 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into long and fat strips (for the chips)
~2 quarts canola oil
Tartar sauce
Sarson's malt vinegar
1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
~ 1/2 bottle of beer
I do this the way my mom does it - not very exact. You don't have to! Peel and cut your potatoes ahead of time so they are ready. Heat the oil (in a 6 quart pot) over high heat. When you can dip a fry in the oil and it immediately starts to sizzle and form small bubbles around it, you know the oil is ready! I'm sure it's probably like 350 degrees F or something like that.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and beer together until you have a thick batter (add the beer slowly) and put aside. Fry the potatoes until they are brown to your liking (about 5 - 10 mins) and remove with your spider and put on a plate lined with paper towels. Next, dip the fish in the batter and fry until golden brown! Serve with malt vinegar and tartar sauce!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Peach and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
As I've mentioned before, I like things! I like lots of things in salads especially or else I get bored. Somehow the peach and the blue cheese is a match made in heaven... and one that I wasn't expecting at all. Sometimes in the summer it is just too damn hot to cook anything, but that doesn't mean that you don't want any flavor in your life! Try these perfect summer flavors and you will not miss out.
A
1 lb spinach
4 peaches, cut into slices
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 C rough chopped pecans
4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
B
1/2 C crumbled blue cheese
1/4 C low fat buttermilk
1/4 fat free sour cream
1/4 tsp sugar
Chop your veggies and toss/arrange however you like. Serve the dressing on the side so people can custom-make their own salads.
A
1 lb spinach
4 peaches, cut into slices
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 C rough chopped pecans
4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
B
1/2 C crumbled blue cheese
1/4 C low fat buttermilk
1/4 fat free sour cream
1/4 tsp sugar
Chop your veggies and toss/arrange however you like. Serve the dressing on the side so people can custom-make their own salads.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Soft Pretzels
Alton Brown really does things right. I'll have to say that I was in no way, shape or form expecting home-made soft pretzels to be so damn delicious! Make some of these and serve with brats, kraut and a beer!
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Very Berry Pie
Nothing says summer like berries! Honestly, is there anything better than berries? Fine, maybe there is: pies! Combine the two and holy crap have you got yourself a fun night or what?! My sister Weener and I just discovered that you can make really fun pies by rolling out the top crust and using a cookie cutter to make random shapes. Then you just overlap all the shapes on the top of the pie! Also, Whole Foods has really fun sugars ... one of them is this pink raspberry sugar that you can sprinkle on the top instead of white sugar.
A
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 C butter, cold, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 C ice water (more if you need)
B
2 lbs fresh berries (1 small container each of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries and then half a package of strawberries, quartered)
4 TBSP corn starch
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Milk
Sugar
In your food processor, combine all ingredients (except for water) in your food processor and pulse until a dough starts to form. Add the ice water in a steady stream until a nice dough forms. Divide this into two parts, cover w saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
After the dough is done setting in the fridge, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out one part of the dough until it is 1 inch bigger all around than your pie pan. Transfer the dough to your pie pan and remove any excess dough.
Sprinkle 3 TBSP of the sugar on the bottom of the pie crust. Toss the remaining sugar with the fruit, cornstarch and lemon juice. Pour the berry mixture into the pie pan. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters. Place the shapes on top of the berries to form the top piece of your crust. Brush the top of the crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35 minutes, then cover the crust with a pie crust shield (or tin foil!) and bake for another 10 minutes.
A
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 C butter, cold, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 C ice water (more if you need)
B
2 lbs fresh berries (1 small container each of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries and then half a package of strawberries, quartered)
4 TBSP corn starch
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Milk
Sugar
In your food processor, combine all ingredients (except for water) in your food processor and pulse until a dough starts to form. Add the ice water in a steady stream until a nice dough forms. Divide this into two parts, cover w saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
After the dough is done setting in the fridge, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out one part of the dough until it is 1 inch bigger all around than your pie pan. Transfer the dough to your pie pan and remove any excess dough.
Sprinkle 3 TBSP of the sugar on the bottom of the pie crust. Toss the remaining sugar with the fruit, cornstarch and lemon juice. Pour the berry mixture into the pie pan. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters. Place the shapes on top of the berries to form the top piece of your crust. Brush the top of the crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35 minutes, then cover the crust with a pie crust shield (or tin foil!) and bake for another 10 minutes.
Grilled Garlic-Chili Veggies with Chunky Walnut Dressing
I am sure I ranted and raved about grilling veggies last summer, but it's summer again so I shall rant and rave again: ranting and raving! I have added two new twists this summer that makes the veggies even more scrumptious! I brush them with some olive oil that is infused with garlic, chili, anchovy and thyme. And the tangy nuttiness of this dressing pairs beautifully w the earthy and charred flavors of the veggies! It also works it's magic doubly well on sweet grilled onions!
4 portabella shrooms
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch asparagus
1 eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise
2 zucchinis, sliced thinly lengthwise
A
1/2 C olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
2 anchovy fillets
B
1/4 C olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp thyme
1 C toasted walnuts
Alrighty, you want to get your grill goin. Make the dressing first by combining the ingredients in your food processor and chopping them w the pulse setting about 5 times until a nice and chunky dressing forms.
Then you want to puree ingredients from A together in your food processor. Take the rub + your veggies out to your grill. Lightly brush one side of the veggies w the rub and then slap it on the grill. Brush the other side. Turn your veggies over after about 4 minutes on a medium grill.
Serve with the walnut dressing and anything else you're grilling!
4 portabella shrooms
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch asparagus
1 eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise
2 zucchinis, sliced thinly lengthwise
A
1/2 C olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
2 anchovy fillets
B
1/4 C olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp thyme
1 C toasted walnuts
Alrighty, you want to get your grill goin. Make the dressing first by combining the ingredients in your food processor and chopping them w the pulse setting about 5 times until a nice and chunky dressing forms.
Then you want to puree ingredients from A together in your food processor. Take the rub + your veggies out to your grill. Lightly brush one side of the veggies w the rub and then slap it on the grill. Brush the other side. Turn your veggies over after about 4 minutes on a medium grill.
Serve with the walnut dressing and anything else you're grilling!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Nigerian Stew
My brother has a friend from NYIT who is from Nigeria. His name is Lucas and he came over on the weekend and cooked a recipe from his childhood in Nigeria. Being in the US, we had to improvise with American spices, but the end result is still wonderful! It's also a great dish to feed a crowd - we fed 10! I am going to scale it down a bit here to make it more user-friendly. I am also cutting and pasting most of this from an email I received from Lucas with the recipe.
I would recommend cooking the rice, potatoes and veggies ahead of time (just boil or steam everything) and keep them warm in the oven for when it comes time to serve.
1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 onion plus another onion to cook with the meat
2 large tomatoes
2 bell peppers (one green and one red)
Habenero peppers (optional, use for spice)
8 oz tomato paste
1 tsp thyme, curry powder and powdered ginger (two batches of this mixture)
2 Maggi bouillon cubes
Olive oil
Cooked rice
Cooked small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
1 lb string beans
1 package frozen corn
Puree the onion, tomatoes and peppers in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
Slice the second onion into small strings. Add some olive oil to a pan and brown the meet with the sliced onion and the dried herb mixture. Make sure to reserve the all the juices!
In a medium pot, heat 6 TBSP of oil over medium heat. Add the tomato paste to the oil and cook for about 3 mins, then slowly mix in the blend of onions, tomatoes and peppers. Then cook the mixture for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add about half a cup of water to the mixture and leave to cook at slightly more than medium heat for about 15 mins.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl with a tiny amount of warm water, mix the dried herbs. Add the mixture to the stew and mix thoroughly. Cook lidded for about 3 minutes and then add 2 large cubes of Maggi seasoning dissolved in a very small amount of hot water. You can also add the juices from cooking the meat at this point.
** This is a good time to taste the stew to see if it's turning out as it should. Also, at any time while cooking the stew, go ahead and add a bit of hot water if you feel it needs some.
Pan-fry the cooked meat in some olive oil until nice and golden brown, add to the stew and cook, lidded, for an additional 20 minutes.
Serve with the rice, potatoes, beans and corn.
Note: Lucas also recommends doing this with salmon!!
I would recommend cooking the rice, potatoes and veggies ahead of time (just boil or steam everything) and keep them warm in the oven for when it comes time to serve.
1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 onion plus another onion to cook with the meat
2 large tomatoes
2 bell peppers (one green and one red)
Habenero peppers (optional, use for spice)
8 oz tomato paste
1 tsp thyme, curry powder and powdered ginger (two batches of this mixture)
2 Maggi bouillon cubes
Olive oil
Cooked rice
Cooked small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
1 lb string beans
1 package frozen corn
Puree the onion, tomatoes and peppers in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
Slice the second onion into small strings. Add some olive oil to a pan and brown the meet with the sliced onion and the dried herb mixture. Make sure to reserve the all the juices!
In a medium pot, heat 6 TBSP of oil over medium heat. Add the tomato paste to the oil and cook for about 3 mins, then slowly mix in the blend of onions, tomatoes and peppers. Then cook the mixture for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add about half a cup of water to the mixture and leave to cook at slightly more than medium heat for about 15 mins.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl with a tiny amount of warm water, mix the dried herbs. Add the mixture to the stew and mix thoroughly. Cook lidded for about 3 minutes and then add 2 large cubes of Maggi seasoning dissolved in a very small amount of hot water. You can also add the juices from cooking the meat at this point.
** This is a good time to taste the stew to see if it's turning out as it should. Also, at any time while cooking the stew, go ahead and add a bit of hot water if you feel it needs some.
Pan-fry the cooked meat in some olive oil until nice and golden brown, add to the stew and cook, lidded, for an additional 20 minutes.
Serve with the rice, potatoes, beans and corn.
Note: Lucas also recommends doing this with salmon!!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Fruit Cobbler
There isn't really anything comparable to a warm fruit cobbler after burgers on the grill on a warm summer night out on the deck. Oh, and the vanilla ice cream is a must! The smooth coolness with the crispy warmth is a match made in heavy. Gosh - this sounds almost pornographic! I did a bunch of research on cobbler recipes and I really like this one as a basic go-to as I believe you can throw any fruit into it and perfection is almost guaranteed. It's an elegant hodgepodge, which is unlikely but magnificent!
A
1/2 C flour
1/4 C white sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Small pinch of ground cloves (optional)
Pinch of salt
6 TBSP cold butter, cut into little pieces
1/3 C oats
1/3 C chopped pecans
B
3 lbs fruit of choice
3 TBSP granulated sugar (more if you think your fruit is very bitter)
Lemon zest and juice (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix ingredients A together with your fingers until pea-sized balls form. Put in fridge while preparing your fruit.
Peel and chop fruit (if necessary) and toss with the rest of ingredients from B.
In a dish of your choice (I used a 9" round 3" deep glass dish), pour in Mixture B and top with Mixture A.
Cook for about 35 - 45 mins or until the top is slightly golden and the fruit is bubbling out.
Serve with ice cream!
A
1/2 C flour
1/4 C white sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Small pinch of ground cloves (optional)
Pinch of salt
6 TBSP cold butter, cut into little pieces
1/3 C oats
1/3 C chopped pecans
B
3 lbs fruit of choice
3 TBSP granulated sugar (more if you think your fruit is very bitter)
Lemon zest and juice (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix ingredients A together with your fingers until pea-sized balls form. Put in fridge while preparing your fruit.
Peel and chop fruit (if necessary) and toss with the rest of ingredients from B.
In a dish of your choice (I used a 9" round 3" deep glass dish), pour in Mixture B and top with Mixture A.
Cook for about 35 - 45 mins or until the top is slightly golden and the fruit is bubbling out.
Serve with ice cream!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
English Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Frozen Custard
This completed the Mother's Day brunch. MAN was this delicious. My mom is British and I found this under the "English Comfort Food" section of Food & Wine. The sauce and technique is something to try because I can only imagine you could use this technique over and over again!
A
4 eggs
2 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 C milk
3 C evaporated milk
2 TBSP vanilla
1 C milk
B
2 1/2 C cream
1 stick butter
1/2 C corn syrup
1 C sugar
C
6 oz dates
3/4 C water
3/4 C + 2 TBSP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 TBSP butter, room temp
3/4 C packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
The night before, bring all ingredients in A to a slow simmer and cook for about 10 minutes (you NEVER want this to boil). Pour into a bowl and let it come to room temp. Then refrigerate over night. The next morning you can run it in the ice cream maker and then hard freeze it.
For the sauce, combine half of the cream, the butter, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy bottom pan and let boil for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 40 minutes, add the rest of the cream and turn off heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the dates in the water for 15 minutes or until the water is almost all gone. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat the brown sugar and butter in your Kitchenaid for about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and then the dry ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into 6 well buttered ramekins and bake for 20 minutes or until a pic comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes.
After they have cooled, remove from ramekins, cut in half horizontally and wipe the ramekins clean.
When you're ready to serve, put 1 TBSP sauce into bottom of ramekin, put the top half of the cake in the ramekin, add another TBSP of sauce and put the second half on top. Bake for another 10 minutes. Serve w the extra sauce and ice cream!!!!
A
4 eggs
2 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 C milk
3 C evaporated milk
2 TBSP vanilla
1 C milk
B
2 1/2 C cream
1 stick butter
1/2 C corn syrup
1 C sugar
C
6 oz dates
3/4 C water
3/4 C + 2 TBSP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 TBSP butter, room temp
3/4 C packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
The night before, bring all ingredients in A to a slow simmer and cook for about 10 minutes (you NEVER want this to boil). Pour into a bowl and let it come to room temp. Then refrigerate over night. The next morning you can run it in the ice cream maker and then hard freeze it.
For the sauce, combine half of the cream, the butter, sugar and corn syrup in a heavy bottom pan and let boil for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 40 minutes, add the rest of the cream and turn off heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the dates in the water for 15 minutes or until the water is almost all gone. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients and set aside. Beat the brown sugar and butter in your Kitchenaid for about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and then the dry ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into 6 well buttered ramekins and bake for 20 minutes or until a pic comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes.
After they have cooled, remove from ramekins, cut in half horizontally and wipe the ramekins clean.
When you're ready to serve, put 1 TBSP sauce into bottom of ramekin, put the top half of the cake in the ramekin, add another TBSP of sauce and put the second half on top. Bake for another 10 minutes. Serve w the extra sauce and ice cream!!!!
Lemon Poppy Biscuits with Early Grey Honey-Butter
This is another Mother's Day recipe. The biscuits were light and flaky and then the honey butter had an unbelievable flavor coming from the tea and it paired beautifully w the sweet sweet honey. yummm!
1 stick room-temp butter
2 TBSP honey
Contents from one Earl Grey tea bag
2 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp salt
10 TBSP butter, chilled and chopped finely
2 TBSP melted butter
Lemon zest from one lemon
1 TBSP poppy seeds
1 C butter
For the Earl Grey Honey-Butter, whip the butter with the tea and honey. Transfer this to a sheet of saran wrap and twirl the ends to form a log with the butter. Refrigerate overnight.
For the biscuits, mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425.
Cut the chilled butter into the dry ingredients with two knives until the dough is pea sized. Stir in the zest, poppy seeds and buttermilk. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed just a couple of times until combined. Roll out to 1/2" thick and cut biscuit shapes out (I used a mini-cutter to yield about 16 biscuits). Brush the tops with the melted butter. Chill for 20 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden and flaky looking.
1 stick room-temp butter
2 TBSP honey
Contents from one Earl Grey tea bag
2 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp salt
10 TBSP butter, chilled and chopped finely
2 TBSP melted butter
Lemon zest from one lemon
1 TBSP poppy seeds
1 C butter
For the Earl Grey Honey-Butter, whip the butter with the tea and honey. Transfer this to a sheet of saran wrap and twirl the ends to form a log with the butter. Refrigerate overnight.
For the biscuits, mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425.
Cut the chilled butter into the dry ingredients with two knives until the dough is pea sized. Stir in the zest, poppy seeds and buttermilk. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and kneed just a couple of times until combined. Roll out to 1/2" thick and cut biscuit shapes out (I used a mini-cutter to yield about 16 biscuits). Brush the tops with the melted butter. Chill for 20 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden and flaky looking.
Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches
I made these for Mother's Day and they were super quick and easy and delicious! I served them on a silver platter, arranged nicely, with some fresh watercress as garnish.
1 loaf thin sliced white bread
12 oz smoked salmon, cut finely
1 jar capers
1 tub creme fraiche
Watercress (optional garnish)
Spread both sides of sandwich with creme fraiche and sprinkle capers on both sides as well. I took time here to make the spreading neat and even. Place a few slices of smoked salmon on one side and place the other piece of bread on top. Make sure to not over-stuff the sandwiches. At this point, stack high and refrigerate until the creme fraiche is nice and cold and firm. Remove from fridge, slice off the crusts and arrange on a nice platter with the watercress.
1 loaf thin sliced white bread
12 oz smoked salmon, cut finely
1 jar capers
1 tub creme fraiche
Watercress (optional garnish)
Spread both sides of sandwich with creme fraiche and sprinkle capers on both sides as well. I took time here to make the spreading neat and even. Place a few slices of smoked salmon on one side and place the other piece of bread on top. Make sure to not over-stuff the sandwiches. At this point, stack high and refrigerate until the creme fraiche is nice and cold and firm. Remove from fridge, slice off the crusts and arrange on a nice platter with the watercress.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Cheese Cake
After making this you really understand how awful this is for you. Which, as I think we've all learned by now, means that it tastes wonderful!! This is just the basic plain cheesecake recipe and I plan to make many more variations (cannoli cheese cake will come)!
2 C ground graham cracker crumbs
2 TBSP sugar
7 TBSP butter, melted
4 packages (8 oz.) of cream cheese (hey - I wasn't lying when I said it was bad for you!)
2 TBSP flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 C sugar
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take the eggs and cream cheese out of the fridge.
Mix the crumbs and sugar and then add the butter. Once it is mixed and clumping slightly, press it into a 9" springform pan and make sure it comes up the pan 2 inches all around. Bake this for about 10 minutes and then let it cool completely.
Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, flour and salt for about 1 minute (using your paddle attachment). Add the sugar and beat on high for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix ONLY to combine (do not over mix the eggs). Pour the mixture into the springform pan over the COOLED crust and bake on 300 degrees for one hour. Cool completely before putting it in the fridge and then refrigerate overnight. Worth the wait!
2 C ground graham cracker crumbs
2 TBSP sugar
7 TBSP butter, melted
4 packages (8 oz.) of cream cheese (hey - I wasn't lying when I said it was bad for you!)
2 TBSP flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 C sugar
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take the eggs and cream cheese out of the fridge.
Mix the crumbs and sugar and then add the butter. Once it is mixed and clumping slightly, press it into a 9" springform pan and make sure it comes up the pan 2 inches all around. Bake this for about 10 minutes and then let it cool completely.
Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, flour and salt for about 1 minute (using your paddle attachment). Add the sugar and beat on high for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix ONLY to combine (do not over mix the eggs). Pour the mixture into the springform pan over the COOLED crust and bake on 300 degrees for one hour. Cool completely before putting it in the fridge and then refrigerate overnight. Worth the wait!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Curried Salmon Patties with Mango, Red Pepper and Scallion Salsa and Wild Rice
I found this recipe in the Food Network magazine. I added a few things of my own and it turned out to be an absolutely delicious meal! This is relatively quick and inexpensive, making it a great week-day meal.
1 lb salmon
1 bunch scallions, chopped finely
1 inch of ginger, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 mango, diced
2 celery stalks
1 C finely crushed unsalted saltine crackers
2 TBSP tartar sauce, divided
1 TBSP curry powder, divided
2 eggs
Canola oil for the pan
Cook wild rice according to package directions. I got my wild rice from Whole Foods in the bulk section, so there wasn't a box with instructions. If this happens to you, just do 2:1 water to rice and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 40 minutes.
Put the salmon + 2 TBSP of water in a large pan. Sprinkle the salmon w 1 tsp of curry powder, cover and cook for 6 minutes on medium until the salmon is cooked through.
Meanwhile, chop the veggies as directed and keep them separate.
When the salmon has cooled slightly, flake it and combine it w 1 egg, 1/4 crushed saltines, half the scallions and a TBSP of tartar sauce. Form into patties and put in the freezer for 15 minutes to stiffen.
While the patties are in the freezer, combine the remaining scallions, remaining curry powder, remaining tartar sauce, red bell pepper, celery and mango in a bowl (the salsa) and set aside. You can also prepare the egg dish at this point. To do so, combine the remaining egg with 1 TBSP water.
After 15 minutes in the freezer the salmon cakes should be hardened. Dip the salmon cakes in the egg mixture, then in the remaining crushed saltines. Cook these in a pre-heated skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of canola oil. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until golden.
1 lb salmon
1 bunch scallions, chopped finely
1 inch of ginger, grated
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 mango, diced
2 celery stalks
1 C finely crushed unsalted saltine crackers
2 TBSP tartar sauce, divided
1 TBSP curry powder, divided
2 eggs
Canola oil for the pan
Cook wild rice according to package directions. I got my wild rice from Whole Foods in the bulk section, so there wasn't a box with instructions. If this happens to you, just do 2:1 water to rice and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 40 minutes.
Put the salmon + 2 TBSP of water in a large pan. Sprinkle the salmon w 1 tsp of curry powder, cover and cook for 6 minutes on medium until the salmon is cooked through.
Meanwhile, chop the veggies as directed and keep them separate.
When the salmon has cooled slightly, flake it and combine it w 1 egg, 1/4 crushed saltines, half the scallions and a TBSP of tartar sauce. Form into patties and put in the freezer for 15 minutes to stiffen.
While the patties are in the freezer, combine the remaining scallions, remaining curry powder, remaining tartar sauce, red bell pepper, celery and mango in a bowl (the salsa) and set aside. You can also prepare the egg dish at this point. To do so, combine the remaining egg with 1 TBSP water.
After 15 minutes in the freezer the salmon cakes should be hardened. Dip the salmon cakes in the egg mixture, then in the remaining crushed saltines. Cook these in a pre-heated skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of canola oil. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until golden.
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