Yummies for my Tummies

Simplest Bruschetta

2011-07-09T15:29:00.000-04:00

BruschettaThe first year Vinny and I were dating, I brought Bruschetta to a St. Patty’s Day party…hm..looking back, what a weird food to take to a St. Patty’s Day party..but anyways, I brought Bruschetta and he absolutely loved it and has asked for it and hinted about it many many MANY times since. So, I decided to finally give in and make this for him…I don’t really know why I don’t make this dish more..I love it, I always order it when we go out to eat, and it’s a piece of cake to make..who knows but anyways..yummy and a perfect start to a meal!!!
There are a million ways to do bruschetta, just google bruschetta recipes and you'll see everyone does it different..this is just what we do because it's the simplest and it's yummy!

Simplest Bruschetta

Ingredients

3 tomatoes, rough chopped
2 tablespoons torn basil-I learned this trick from Extra Virgin plus I like how it looks!
1 garlic clove, minced--don't you dare used jarred garlic for this, it's supposed to be fresh! :-)
drizzle of olive oil plus one more for good measure
drizzle of balsamic vinegar-don't be tempted to use more or it overpowers it..unless you like that then go for it!
salt and pepper to taste
Toasted baguette slices
Fresh grated Romano Cheese-Parmesan substitutes perfectly, Vinny just likes Romano

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a glass bowl, let sit for about 10 minutes for flavors to mix and then serve toasted baguette slices with grated Romano on top!

I FINALLY found one I love! Salsa!

2011-06-20T17:05:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the absence! No, my kitchen did not catch on fire preventing me from cooking. No, my Italian husband did not decide to kick me out of the kitchen and start taking over(although that would be nice except for the fact that he doesn't really cook..ever.). And no, I have defiintely not lost my love of cooking.
Three of the last months WERE spent with me avoiding my kitchen and refrigerator as much as humanly possible because it was making me sick but that's all behind me now and I'm pregnant and HUNGRY.

I love salsa..like L.O.V.E. it. and I'm snobby about it. I know exactly what I want it to taste like and get very dissapointed when it doesn't. I hate jarred and I've given jarred an honest try and it just doesn't have that homemade taste that I crave when I want salsa. I have been searching and messing with salsa recipes and just haven't found one I like until today when I got home from work and wanted salsa STAT! I just kinda threw this together and was amazed at how much I loved it! Maybe it's hormones but me and the Italian LOVED this! We had this with some simple baked tortilla chips since I had left over Corn tortillas!

Doesn't it feel good when you finally find exactly what you're looking for!

PS, anyone who photographs their food..doesn't summer lighting make it about a 1000 times easier!

Quickie Salsa

Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
1/2 cup cilantro(I could have used more of this but the Italian said that would have ruined it..you decide)
1/4 sweet onion, rough chopped
1 can diced tomatoes(this would probably be AMAZING with fresh tomatoes but our garden's a bit behind this year like everyone elses!)
1 can diced green chiles
1 pinch or two of cumin
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt(I used kosher)
1 pinch fresh ground pepper
2 tsp lime juice

Directions
1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except lime juice and pulse until desired smoothness, I like mine pretty smooth!
2. Add lime juice. Let sit in the fridge for at least a 1/2 hour so flavors combine and then grab some chips and margaritas(or lime soda if you're in my predicament ;-) ) and enjoy your salsa!! Sombrero optional.

Strawberry Cinnamon Chiffon Cake

2011-02-17T17:38:00.000-05:00

I'm back!!!
I know I said I was going to start with a healthier meal but this tasted so good that I couldn't resist.

It's been a little warmer here which reminds me of Spring, which reminds me of gardening, which reminds me of summer and all the yummy foods that come with summer(yes my mind really does move this way).
Last fall, one of my BF's and I went to a cooking exhibition and our local "cake lady" made this cake for her demonstration and it looked soooo good and refreshing. When I walked out of work yesterday and it was warm, I knew it was the day to make it. It did take some time but it was so worth it!! I can't wait to make this again in the summer when the strawberries are at their sweetest. I brought it into work so poor Vince didn't get any yet..hopefully there will be a piece left over to take to him.

PS: Make sure you don't put this on a cake stand that doesn't fit in your fridge, it'll only end with you loudly cursing at yourself in the kitchen and your neighbor's dog outsite barking at you while you try to pick the cake up and move it to another plate. The morale of the story: think ahead.

Strawberry Cinnamon Chiffon Cake
Recipe Source: Lisa Decker Cakes, Altoona, PA

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 quart strawberry
2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Prep Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 2 1/2 hrs

1 Heat oven to 325 degrees. - you will need an angel food cake pan.

2 Combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.

3 Separate eggs. Combine the yolks, oil, water and 1 tsp vanilla. With an electric mixer set on low, gradually beat egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until just smooth.

4 Clean beaters and beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium speed with they hold soft peaks. Beat in 1/2 cup of remaining sugar, adding it gradually. Continue until whites hold stiff peaks.

5 With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.

6 Pour into UNGREASED 10" angel food cake pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean - 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes - Cool.

7 Slice off top of cake 1/2" and set aside. Cut a tunnel about 1 1/2" deep in the cake. The cut should be about 3/4" from the center and the outside of the cake. Remove cake with a fork to form the tunnel.

8 Hull and chop half the strawberries. Beat heavy cream with remaining 1/2 cup of sugar (add more or less depending on sweetness) and 1/2 tsp vanilla until the cream has stiff peaks. Combine 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream with the chopped strawberries.

9 Fill the tunnel with the strawberry and whipped cream mixture. Replace the top of the cake.

10 Frost cake with remaining whipped cream. Before serving, hull and halve the remaining strawberries and decorate the cake with the berries

Starting New February 1st!

2011-01-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone's having a great 2011! I have been busy in the kitchen and enjoying making lots and lots of food and trying to eat MUCH healthier and make over my recipes. Vince isn't a fan of knowing he's on a diet so I've launched a sneak attack diet on him. I have a bunch of new recipes that are healthy and yummy! Even Vince says so, hehe!

A holiday break

2010-12-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've already realized that I'm on holiday! Cooking up lots of yummy treats and spending time with family. I'll be back next year with hopefully an arsenal of posts! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Halloween 2010: Mummy Dogs

2010-10-31T18:22:00.000-04:00

My last recipe for the Halloween 2010 series. I really had so many more that I wanted to make but just not enough time..oh well, there's always next year. Happy Halloween everyone!

The movie:

The food:
Pretzel Mummy Dogs
This is the recipe that had to be tried twice because my first round was made with expired yeast and never did rise. Second round was much much better! And really not that hard to make! Definitely worth trying for anyone who likes pretzels!

Pretzel Mummy Dogs

Source: A Dash of Sass, with credit to Alton Brown.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package dry active yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda*
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt (or kosher salt), for topping
8 hot dogs, cut in half

Directions:

Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy and begins to smell of yeast.
Add the flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and, on medium-low speed, combine the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and appears shiny, roughly 4 to 5 minutes.
Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray (or lightly grease with vegetable oil) and place dough in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm area (near the oven, perhaps) and let dough rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a roiling boil.
Place the dough on a greased surface, and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, roughly 12 inches long. Carefully wrap each piece around a half hot dog. Pinch the ends together to seal the dough. Alternatively, to make regular pretzels, shape the rope into a U shape, cross the ends over each other and fold the twisted ends back onto the bottom of the U. Again, pinch the dough together to form a seal. Place each shaped pretzel on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Boil the shaped pretzels and pretzel dogs, one at a time, in the baking soda water for 30 seconds each. Using a slotted spatula, remove each pretzel dog from the water and place it on a drying rack to allow any extra baking soda mixture to drip off.
Place the boiled pretzel dogs back on the parchment lined baking sheets.
Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with pretzel or kosher salt.
Bake until golden brown, roughly 14 to 15 minutes. Transfer pretzel dogs to a cooling rack for a few minutes before serving. Serve with a variety of mustards.

Makes 16 pretzel dogs.
* Yes, I know that this seems like a crazy amount of baking soda, but trust me, Alton has clearly done the math on this one. The baking soda mixture gives the pretzels that perfectly crisp crust that you are looking for.

Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-10-31T18:08:00.000-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I went to a fundraiser earlier this month with my mom and Lil Sis(who's always been a big supporter of breast cancer awareness). And I decided to make these cupcakes in honor of it. Jello Poke Cake is a recipe that I absolutely love. I wondered if you could make this recipe into cupcakes and I decided that the worst that could happen was I'd have a huge syrupy jelloey(okay I don't know how to spell that!) mess but it turned out great! I took these into the girls at work who agreed! I can't wait to try these for different events with different colors. I hope you enjoy and please don't forget about breast cancer awareness, it's so important!

Jello Poke-Cupcakes

Original Source: close family friend who I've always begged for the recipe when she made this

Ingredients

1 box white cake mix, prepared as directed on box as cupcakes
1 box jello(any flavor you like, I picked strawberry because it was pink, but you can really have fun with all the the different colors and flavors)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 can frosting(again, any kind you like, I used cream cheese because I had it on hand)

Directions

1. Let cakes cool for 15 minutes. Mix 1 cup boiling water and jello and mix until dissolved.

2. Add 1/2 cup cold water

3. Line 2 baking pan with foils. Place cakes in one of the pans but keep the other one close by. Poke hold in top of cakes with fork or chopstick and pour jello down into holes.

4. Remove cakes from pan and place into clean one so the liners don't get soaked in jello. Chill completely and frost as desired.

Halloween Recipes-Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

2010-10-31T17:47:00.000-04:00

LIke my previous post said, I'm a little behind on this...but thanks for sticking around! Vince and I both LOVED this dish and it was sooo easy!

The Movie:

The Dish:

Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Source: All Recipes-Sandy Witek

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs
6 small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2.Place chicken and potatoes into a large bowl. Pour olive oil over them, and stir to coat. Scatter the chicken and potato pieces in a large baking dish, or cookie sheet with sides. Sprinkle with rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

3.Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, uncovered. Baste during the last 15 minutes for extra crispness.

sorry about the Halloween delay!

2010-10-25T15:29:00.000-04:00

But I've had a few failures on the halloween dinners..OOPS! ..but I've learned..

Yeast does expire when it says it does..WHO KNEW!
Hot Dogs do NOT like to be left out accidentally over night...we accidentally left them on the counter after unpacking groceries
Bananas are like grab bags..just because the outside looks nice does not mean they're bakeable..CRAP.
Set a timer if you're cooking and doing other things otherwise, your food will look like Freddy's Kreuger's face.

Have you learned anything interesting about food lately?

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

2010-10-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

Day 2 of 13 days of Halloween! I really am a nerd aren't I?...

The Movie
"The newest attorney at the world's most powerful law firm has never lost a case. But he's about to lose his soul."

Which movie's tagline is it?

The food
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo means "Brother Devil"..hey, I never said they were going to match exactly!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Source: Giada De. Laurentis

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.
Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.

13 Nights of Halloween: Campfire Packs

2010-10-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

I love Halloween. Every year when October comes around, my eyes begin to gleam with the promise of all the scary movies!! So, because of my love of movies I decided to do something special for the rest of the month. Starting tonight, I'll be posting the 13 Nights of Halloween with 13 deliciously spooky foods!

The Movie
The film begins in 1958 as two summer camp counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, Barry and Claudette sneak away from a campfire sing-along to have nighttime fun. Before they can completely undress, an unseen assailant sneaks into the room and murders them both.

Name that movie! Did Camp Crystal Lake completely give that away?

The Food

Campfire Packs

Inspired by family recipes

Ingredients

1 lb steak, cut into cubes
2 russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 roasted red pepper strips
4 tbs lemon infused oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes and drain.
Combine all ingredients and let sit for approximately 15 minutes to marinate. Tear off six squares of foil and spray center with olive oil.
Divide steak and potatoe mixture into 6 equal portions onto foil squares.
Fold over edges and bake for 30 minutes. Watch out for steam when opening the packs. Enjoy!

Vietnamese Chicken

2010-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Vince and I are trying to eat a little healthier and chicken is a healthier meat than truckloads of red meat that I could eat happily every day. Also a few months ago, my FN magazine featured alot of wing recipes that looked yummy. Vince told me I could try them as long as I didn't use wings(party pooper!) and as long as they weren't fried(WHAT?!). So, with my list of rules, we decided on this recipe from Emeril. I was skeptical especially after my disappointment with the jalapeno poppers of his the other week but you can't judge someone by one bad thing.

Opinion? Pretty good, I think it could have had a little more flavor but maybe hte fish sauce would have given this. We didn't have fish sauce and I wasn't about to pay the $5 for the bottle for one recipe when I had no intentions of using it again. Also Vince wasn't having the peanuts but I don't know how much these would have added to the taste as it seems they were more added for a garnish. But it was tasty and very easy! I will definitely be making it again!

Vietnamese Chicken

Original Source: Emeril Live

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons chopped green onion bottoms
1/2 cup roughly chopped lemongrass bottoms
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Rinse the wing pieces under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside in a large bowl while you prepare the marinade. Combine the garlic, shallots, ginger, green onions, lemongrass, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and peanut oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken wings and place in a plastic resealable food storage bag. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the grill to medium and remove the wings from the marinade. Reserve the marinade to brush the wings while they cook. Place the wings on the grill and season with the salt, and cook, turning over every few minutes and basting with the marinade for the first 18 minutes or so. Continue to cook the wings until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes more.
Place the chicken on a serving platter and garnish with the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Spicy Linguini with Clams and Mussels

2010-10-14T07:57:00.000-04:00

I never met a shellfish I didn't like. Every year for my birthday or my sis's birthday, my dad and stepmom take us to this all you can eat seafood buffet up at Penn State. The food is always so good and my favorite thing is all the shellfish. My first time there I think I ate enough oysters and mussels to seriously putting a hurting on the species!

Lucky for me, I met a nice young man who I decided to marry who loves food and seafood almost as much as he loves me(okay, it better not even be close!).

Last weekend when I was cleaning out my DVR, which is really strenuous and requires me plopping in front of my TV with a big cup of tea or hot chocolate and watching possibly hours of cooking shows(I think I have 10 set to record), I saw Giada make this and Vince and I looked at each other and knew we had to try it! This was soo good...the spicy was just enough kick to make you aware of it but not overpowering. Okay, the recipe only calls for 12 mussels but my local grocer doesn't sell mussel individually, only in two pound bags(oh darn!) and no littleneck clams, so I bought these which I honestly forget what kind they were but I COULD buy these individually! This was so easy to throw together too and Vince licked his plate clean!

Tip: the original recipe says to use large skillet and maybe for the original recipe this was okay but my clams were bigger and with 2 lbs of mussels I definitely needed a stock pot but I didn't need to make any extra broth of anything to compensate for my gluttonous ways!

Spicy Linguini with Clams and Mussels

Source: Giada at Home-Great episode by the way

Ingredients

Pasta

1 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 yellow onion
Kosher salt, for seasoning, plus 2 teaspoons
Freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning, plus 1 teaspoon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine (recommended: Pinot Grigio)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 clams, cleaned
2 lbs mussels, cleaned

Directions

Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the butter and parsley and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Sauce: In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the wine and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, red pepper flakes, clams and mussels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook until all the shellfish have opened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened shellfish.
Using tongs, remove the shellfish from the pan and reserve. Season the cooking liquid with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour the shellfish cooking liquid over the pasta and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the reserved shellfish on top of the pasta and serve.

Spaghetti Squash Saute

2010-10-09T09:38:00.000-04:00

Shortly after I met Vince, I took a cooking class with a friend. It was Italian Cooking..oddly enough I don't think we made a single italian dish but I did learn ALOT about cooking. And I tried food I'd never even thought about trying before. Like Spaghetti Squash. I had never even heard of it before but it was love at first bite.
Spaghetti Squash is also good for you! SCORE! It contains both Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-3's have been shown to prevent heart disease and cancer. It doesn't have alot of different vitamins but what it does have are pretty important like several of the B's which if you read my other blog, you'll see why they're so important for women who are dealing with pregnancy and such. Plus, it's low in calories, 1 cup only has 31 calories..so if you haven't tried it yet, you're missing out!

Okay, moving on. It's so easy to make. Usually just bake it until it's soft, rake a fork through it pulling out the strands out and then it's a blank canvas. You can cover it with spaghetti sauce, you can toss a handful of parmesan cheese and some olive oil. It tastes clean and simple.

Spaghetti Squash Saute

Source: "Cooking a la Heart"- Delicious Heart Healthy Recipes from the Mankato Heart Health Program, 1988

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Ingredients:

1 -2 lb spaghetti squash (approximately)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion-original recipe was for green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated romano-original uses parmesan

Directions:

1 Place whole spaghetti squash in baking dish.
2 Prick all over with fork.
3 Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool.
4 Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds.
5 With fork, scoop out flesh into medium bowl, separating into spaghetti-like strands.
6 In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
7 Cook green onions and garlic in oil about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
8 Add squash and stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes more until heated through.
9 Stir in parsley and lemon juice; mix well.

Ginger Sliders

2010-10-07T17:22:00.000-04:00

What does your lunch bag look like? Mine usually consists of a credit card that I use to get fast food..shameful but true. Why do I do this when I love to cook? Simple, because I'm lazy. And also because I'm really bad at planning so normally I'm running out the door when I realize I have nothing for lunch. However, I have started watching my diet and unfortunately my favorite pizza place hasn't added "lowfat" to their menu yet.

I need to start planning my lunches better and they need to be healthy. Enter Ginger Sliders. I could make them ahead of time, they're tasty, and they're low fat! I found these at Spa Index which has all kinds of spa inspired recipes!

I should mention that I did not follow this recipe to a T, I made the burgers and just put them in ziplock bags by serving size so I could grab one in the morning from the fridge and they were very yummy the next day. Vince liked his too! I wanted to add the entire recipe because I think it deserved it.

Biggest Loser's Ginger Sliders

Source: Biggest Loser Cookbook and SpaIndex

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Ingredients

1 - 20 oz package of Extra Lean Ground Turkey
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
1 Teaspoon fresh lemongrass, grated super fine
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped rough
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
6 drops toasted sesame oil, divided
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste.
½ Cup orange juice
1 cup red cabbage, cut into ribbons
1 large carrot, finely grated
8 whole leaves iceberg lettuce, washed
Whole cilantro leaves for garnish
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat a grill or grill pan on medium high heat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, chopped cilantro, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and 3 drops sesame oil. Mix well until fully incorporated and season with fresh cracked black pepper.

3. Form the turkey mixture into tight balls of approximately 2 ½ ounces each – there should be 8 balls. Flatten them into patties about ½ inch thick.

4. Brush the grill lightly with oil and place the turkey patties onto the grates. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165F in the center of the burgers.

5. While the burgers are cooking, mix the cabbage and carrots in a separate, medium sized mixing bowl. Mix in the remaining soy sauce and sesame oil along with the orange juice. Mix well and season to taste with black pepper.

6. Remove the burgers from the grill and let rest for 2-3 minutes. To serve, place a burger into each lettuce leaf or cup and mound a small amount of the cabbage and carrot salad on top. Garnish with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information per serving for 2 Burgers:
Calories: 190 Total Fat: 2.5g Sat Fat: .5g Chol: 55mg Sodium: 390 mg Total Carb: 7g Fiber: 1g Sugars: 3g Protein: 34g

Jalapeno Poppers-take one

2010-10-01T09:12:00.000-04:00

Don't ever stand in the way of a woman and her cravings! Yesterday afternoon I got a craving for Jalapeno poppers. You know, the ones you get in bars that are fried and gooey and melt in your mouth. They have enough kick that you taste it but not so much that you are reaching for the water and bread to soothe it. This recipe wasn't any of that.

Now because they're baked, I know I wasn't going to get some of that but this recipe didn't give me good results at all...hey, I never claimed this was going to be your next go to jalapeno popper recipe :-). This recipe gave me poppers that had my mouth on fire, Vince said they were better cold. The cheese was grainy instead of smooth and creamy and gooey. And maybe I added too much cayenne even though I quartered it, but it really overpowered everything. I like my pepper hot and my cheese feeling creamy with no heat for a nice contrast. Maybe full fat cream cheese would have been better..oh well, I have a few other recipes for this to try, hopefully one of them will give me the results I'm after. Or maybe I'll try this one again, just with some major tweaking. Sorry Emeril.

Emeril's Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

12 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or less, to taste
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
8 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 cup panko crumbs, or fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.

In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, and cayenne.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and 2 teaspoons of the Essence. In a shallow dish, combine the panko crumbs and remaining 4 teaspoons of Essence. In a third dish, combine the flour and remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half. One at a time, dredge in the flour, dip into the egg mixture, then dredge in the panko crumbs, pressing to coat. If necessary, repeat the process. Place the coated peppers, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the filling is runny and the crust is golden, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately with cold beer.

*Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup

Tuna and Bowties

2010-09-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

Okay, before you turn up your nose and say that these two things should not go together, I have to say I completely agree with you..at least I did six years ago when my husband, then boyfriend, invited me over for dinner with his family to have this family staple. During lent, his family has this just about every other week.
Vince's dad is an amazing cook which makes sense because his mother is an AMAZING cook. She's that full blooded yelling italian who still swats me in the back of the head if I'm caught playing with my hair at the dinner table, she shoots squirrels with a beebee gun out of her kitchen window, and the woman who is shorter and smaller than all of us and we're all absolutely terrified of her. This woman is 89 years old and still makes homemade spaghetti noodles and pasta every single Sunday for all of us. The point is, if she makes something, you know it'll be great and if Vince's dad makes something you know it'll be great too. When I was pregnant, he cooked things that he knew I loved and craved like his grilled london broils, his fried chicken, and this.

So for six years, we have gone to their house for this meal never daring to actually make it on our own until I saw a recipe in Giada's cookbook but it didn't look like anything close to Vince's family recipe and every time I asked his dad, the recipe would change, while he smiles like he's getting away with something so I stayed in the kitchen last time and I think I came pretty close to getting it all. I wanted-no needed to have this recipe under my belt.

Tuna and Bowties

Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients

1 jar spaghetti sauce/marinara-nothing too fancy here
1 tsp capers-drained
12 ounce can albacore tuna in water, drained
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbs green onions, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup romano/parmesan cheese, shredded or grated, I used about 1/4 each parmescan and parmesan-after i took it away from Vince who was eating chunks out of it..okay, I took a few bites too, IT'S ROMANO CHEESE!
1 lb farfalle, cooked and drained with about 1/4 cup of the liquid

Directions
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add onions and garlic. Cook for about a minute (don't let the garlic burn), add the spaghetti sauce, tuna, capers, sugar, and cheeses. Simmer to blend the flavors, stirring and breaking the tuna into chunks. Stir in the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the sauce to the pasta and toss to blend. Add just enough of the liquid from the pasta to moisten. Serve immediately and heck, throw some more romano in there, why not!

Fried Nutella Bites

2010-09-23T07:10:00.000-04:00

If you've watched pretty much any food channel lately you probably have seen this recipe in a commercial by Giada. I recently had Nutella for the first time..OH MY HEAVEN is that stuff good! Any time I've seent his commercial I want to reach through my TV and have one.
Vince and I try not to keep too many sweet snacks around the house becuase we know we'll just pig out but this was a nice easy dessert to throw together quick..just because, they're so easy, you might make too many and then have to eat them ALL! I know..big shame. Now, I'm wondering what else I could use instead of the nutella..hm..

PS...anything fried is A-OK in my book!

Fried Nutella Bites

By Giada De Laurentis

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Ingredients

Won Ton Wrappers-use as few or as many as you want
Nutella-1/2 tbs per each dessert snack.
1 egg, light beaten
Vegetable Oil for frying

Directions

I just use about 2 inches of oil. I don't like to waste the oil and you really don't need that much. Heat it up, I like medium heat.
Lay out won ton wrapper and spoon nutella in center. Brush egg onto edges and fold over making sure you seal the edges so you don't lose any goodness.
Gently drop in hot oil, fry for about 30-45 seconds(trust your gut, you'll know when to turn), flip them and let them fry until beautifully golden. Drain onto paper towels.

I like mine with powdered sugar but sometimes patience gets the best of me and they're just as delicious without!
Enjoy!

General Tso's Chicken..kinda

2010-09-21T19:06:00.000-04:00

Vince L.O.V.E.S chinese food and any time we get it, he gets General Tso's chicken. We made a pact to each other to not eat out for a month (we did this in January and felt alot better ). I had this saved in my google reader but never really tried it out. While I was shoving the first bite into my mouth, I realize that I forgot a fairly important ingredient, SOY SAUCE! Don't ask, I was hungry and tired, Jamie Oliver was on TV making something that looked really good and I wasn't paying attention. So, believe when I say that you can not screw this up, haha!

Vince and I both really enjoyed this, imagine how much we would have enjoyed it if I had remembered all the ingredients.

General Tso's Chicken

Found through Good Things Catered credited from Proceed with Caution

Printable Version

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated and peeled
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce--don't forget this!!
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Fresh steamed rice for serving

Directions
-In medium bowl, add 1 Tbsp cornstarch and 1/2 c. cold water until smooth; set aside.

-Add garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes.

-Toss to combine, and set aside.

-In a work or large skillet, over medium heat, heat oils to almost smoking.

-Meanwhile, season chicken pieces well with salt and pepper.

-Stir pan to coat bottom with oil and add seasoned chicken pieces.

-Once bottom side cooks through, about 3 minutes, flip chicken pieces to cook other side.

-Cook for about 3 minutes until browned.

-Turn to almost high heat, add cornstarch mixture and stir to combine well.

-Finish cooking, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened.

-Remove from heat and serve on fresh steamed rice

Pan Seared Tuna

2010-07-30T17:44:00.000-04:00

Vince and I love seared tuna. I crave this stuff! I crave alot of foods...
Have you ever looked for a recipe and known in your head exactly what you wanted it to taste like but didn't quite know how to get it there..and then googled just showed you that basically you don't know how to search? This was me the other night. But I eventually found this recipe and gave it a whirl. Vince really liked this recipe, I really liked it too but I think it had a hint too much lime juice, it just depends on your taste! I hope you like this as much as Vince did..his plate was empty in 2 seconds!

Vince plated for this picture, I just wanted to give him the credit! I should have recorded it because it was really sweet! What have I done to him?

Pan-Seared Tuna

Source: Tyler Florence
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients

Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, sliced
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, grated
4 limes, juiced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 (6 ounce) blocks sushi-quality tuna
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced--turned out that ours was a bad avocado so we didn't do this part but this would have made it amazing!

Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna pieces generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute to form a slight crust; flip and sear the other side 1 minute. Pour half of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Transfer the seared tuna to plates and serve with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

Mexican Flatbread Pizza

2010-07-28T17:44:00.000-04:00

If you haven't been over to Pioneer Woman, go there...right now! I'll wait..yes, if you like food, it's THAT important that you go there! Just make sure you come back eventually..pretty please?
I was over there the other week and found this recipe and couldn't wait to try it. SO worth it! Vince and I both loved it!!! Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, went together so quick!

Pioneer Woman's Mexican Flatbread Pizza

Source: Pioneer Woman

Dishes: Longaberger-SummerTime Floral Melamine Dinner Plates

Ingredients

1 can Large Biscuits (non Flaky) (8 Biscuits Per Can)
1 whole Can (14.5 Ounce) Refried Beans
3 Tablespoons Salsa Or Picante Sauce
1-½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
Pico De Gallo
2 cups Browned Hamburger Meat, Seasoned--here's what PW did..I just browned it with some cumin, garlic, S&P, and Enchilada Sauce, it was good.
Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
3 Tablespoons Salsa
5 Tablespoons Sour Cream
Cilantro For Garnish

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Flour work surface and roll out each biscuit until very flat. Brush very lightly with olive oil. Bake for 8 minutes, or until starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and set aside.

Mix refried beans with salsa. Heat on stovetop.

Heat up leftover ground beef.

To assemble, spread refried beans over each flatbread. Top with plenty of beef. Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top. Return to oven for three minutes, or until melted and bubbly. Top with plenty of pico de gallo and lettuce.

Mix together salsa and sour cream. Drizzle over the top of each pizza. Garnish with cilantro. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Lemonade

2010-07-24T17:53:00.000-04:00

Growing up I loved fairs because you normally got homemade lemonade from stands where people stood around shaking squished lemons with tons of sugar and then tons of water...I loved it and it was always so refreshing during those hot summer days.
A couple months ago my Food Network Magazine had a recipe for Lemonade which was awesome. Then I found this recipe from Allrecipes which is wonderful and so easy so I've been using this. So simple but during the summer, this type of drink is absolutely perfection!

Lemonade

Lemonade

Original Source: Allrecipes by Jo

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice

Directions

1.In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

2.Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Vince's Favorite Burgers

2010-07-20T18:41:00.000-04:00

A few months ago..or maybe it was only a month ago..anyway, in the past, I found a recipe for burger that were stuffed with onion and chive cream cheese...Vince L.O.V.E.D. them. The last few days I've been craving burgers and decided to make them again but I lost the recipe..actually I don't think I ever saved the recipe and it figured that I couldn't find it anywhere so I ended up just making one up using what I know Vince loves and stuffing it with cream cheese...YUM.

PS: if you own this recipe for the stuffed burgers, please let me know so I can give you credit for them, they were so good!!

Vince's Favorite Stuffed Burgers.

Burgers

3lb ground beef-we used 80/20 lean
2/3 cup cilantro chopped-I used a my mini food processor on this, the onion, and the garlic so it was extra fine.
1/2 red onion chopped
1 1/2 garlic clove chopped
1 tsp A1 steak seasoning
1 tsp worchestershire
1 egg beaten
1 tbs peruvian chile lime seasoning
1/2 lime juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Cream Cheese mixture
1 8oz package cream cheese softened
1/4 cup cilantro
1 shallot, rough chopped
1/2 garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, add all ingredients for cream cheese mixture and pulse until well blended, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Mix together all ingredients for burgers and form into 12 patties(okay, honestly they could have been alot smaller and probably much easier to eat but this is what I did this time). In 1/2 the burgers make a small well.

Place a small spoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of each burger well and cover with other non-welled(is that even a word?) burgers and seal edges.

Brush with olive oil on both sides and grill on first side about 10 minutes(obviously shorter time if you're not making burgers to feed Goliath and his entire army), flip and grill for about 5 minutes until they're done how you like them. **Something I've learned recently, don't mess with your burgers when they're on the grill, I've done this too many times resulting in falling apart burgers, let them cook until they lift up pretty easy(provided that you have a clean grill that's been oiled ;-) ). **

PS: He tried one with the mustard, Miracle Whip, and ketchup and told me to tell you all that it didn't quite compliment...I really have ruined him haven't I? hehe.

I was too tired to mess with camera settings, this girl was hungry!!!!

We topped ours with pico de gallo and avocadoes. Enjoy!

Oh poor little food blog, I haven't forgot about you.

2010-07-11T17:33:00.000-04:00

My stove, oven, and grill all feel the same abandonment. I secretly think my mother in law is loving it because we've been going there so Vince can eat.
I'll be back soon though cause this girl is hungry!

Savory Spice Shop

2010-05-05T18:49:00.000-04:00

I love new spices. I got new spices in the mail today from Savory Spice Shop..I can not wait to try these babies out..the prices were fantastics, the shipping reasonable, and the selection was perfection!! Stay tuned for some really great recipes!!!!

Not following instructions=FAIL!

2010-04-30T11:40:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you don't follow the directions for indirect grilling and decide that you want to cook your chicken a little quicker and keep the middle burner on. ALWAYS.FOLLOW.DIRECTIONS.

Note to self: chicken is flammable..and not tasty afterwards..

All Day Breakfast Salad

2010-04-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

Vince and I have been trying to get more salad in our diet however, I can never seem to get more creative than a different Kraft Dressing on the same old bagged salad mix...saucy, I know, haha!
I was inspired by Jamie Oliver recently and everytime I go to Barnes and Noble, I sit and leaf through his cookbooks...I could sit there for hours so last week Vince finally bought one for me and there is a recipe on just about every other page that I can't wait to try...so, here's my first one...
If you're concerned about the egg...give it a try...it adds a great dimension and flavor to the dish!
Does anyone know where one finds Blood Sausage? I looked..

All Day Breakfast Salad
Inspired by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

Belgium Endive Lettuce, torn up
Head Lettuce, torn up
2 tbs Olive Oil
3 tbs White Vinegar
1 tsp ground mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil
One slice of prosciutto, sliced into strips
1/4 link sausage with casing removed, crumbled
One slick of italian bread, torn up
1 egg

Directions
Wash lettuce and mix them in a bowl and set aside.
To make the dressing, add olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper to a small mason jar and shake!
Bring a small saucepain of water to a simmer ready to poach your egg
Heat a splash of oil in a large nonstick frying pan and fry the bacon and sausage for a couple of minutes. Add the bread chunk and fry until everything is crispy, then remove from heat.
Poach your eggs in the simmering water for about 2 minutes. Drop the hot bacon, sausage, and bread mixture onto the salad. Toss with enough dressing to coat everything. With a slotted spoon, lift out the egg and gently prod with finger. It should be slightly soft to the touch. Carefully place the egg on top of the salad and gently prick the egg yolk so the yolk falls into the salad. Sprinkle with some pepper and enjoy!!

Spicy Garlic Shrimp

2010-04-03T19:22:00.000-04:00

Vince loves shrimp and I have to be honest so do I. I don't even remember how I came to find this recipe but I'm soo glad I did. So simple but so finger lickin good! Is it just me or no matter how you say that, it sounds dirty? But seriously, try this dish!

Spicy Garlic Shrimp
Source: Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

1 lb. large shrimp, deviened and shelled
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 lemon, zested

Directions:

-In large fry pan or wok, heat sesame oil until almost smoking.

-Add shrimp, garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper and stir constantly to cook through, about 3-5 minutes depending on size.

-Remove from heat and place into bowl with parsley, lemon zest and squeeze a bit of juice from the lemon you zested onto shrimp.

-Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Thank you Jamie Oliver

2010-03-27T10:50:00.000-04:00

For showing our country that we're killing ourselves through food and what's more, we don't seem to care. If you haven't checked out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC, please check it out! And if you're never heard of him and think he's just another chef coming in and interfering with our business, look him up, he's done some amazing things for Britain's cafeteria's system and seems to practice what he preaches.

Edited: Thanks MV for the comment! If you like Food Revolution, also think about checking out Food Inc., Two Angry Moms, and Fresh ( I haven't seen Fresh but thanks to MV, it's been added to my Blockbuster Queue!)

Mango Upside Down Cake

2010-02-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

I loove Pineapple Upside Down Cake ...but I have this new love of mangoes..I don't know what it is but I can't get enough of them so when I googled a recipe for mangoes and saw this recipe..I couldn't try it quick enough . I'm having a couple friends over for dinner later this week and I decided I wanted to try this for them..but as DH suggested, I didn't want to wait until that night to learn a new recipe and discover I didn't like it..This cake turned out absolutely perfect, it turned out just how I dreamed it would..the mangoes were a great change to an already delicious classic dessert.

Lesson learned...one substitution is okay..when you have to substitute more than that...just make the trip to the store...I thought I had brown sugar and butter..I didn't have either...I was stubborn and tried it without and that didn't quite turn out..I'm so happy I made the trip to the store..so worth it! It also helps that I only live 1/2 mile from the store.

Mango Upside Down Cake
Source: http://www.epicurious.com/
Ingredients:
For topping

2 (1-lb) firm-ripe mangoes, peeled--I really only ended up using about 1 1/2
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

For cake batter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour--I used cake flour but make sure you follow the rule on the box that says add the extra 2 tablespoon for every cup you use.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, 2 of them separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup mango nectar

Directions

Make topping:

Standing each mango upright, remove flesh from pit by cutting a thick lengthwise slice from each broad side. (Be careful: Peeled mango is slippery.) Put slices on a work surface and cut lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices.

Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in brown sugar. Simmer, stirring, until butter is incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread mixture in bottom of a buttered 9- by 2-inch round baking pan and arrange mango on top, overlapping slices.

Make batter:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Add whole egg and yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add half of flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Mix in mango nectar, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
Beat egg whites in another bowl with cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks, then fold into batter gently but thoroughly.
Gently spoon batter over mango topping and spread evenly. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside edge of pan, then invert a plate over pan and invert cake onto plate. Cool completely on plate on rack.
Serve cake at room temperature. Enjoy!

Cornbread Topped Chili

2010-02-08T19:19:00.000-05:00

What man doesn't love Chili? Well my man is no different. Since DH and I got DirectTV which is constantly recording some type of cooking show on FoodNetwork and then we watch them together..yeah, we're weird together. But I love Nigella Lawson, I have for quite a long time. I love how passionate she is about her food. I think DH likes her for other reasons but oh well. But last week we happened to watch a show where she made this and DH had this glazed over look in his eye the entire time hinting about every 10 seconds about how good it looked..again I don't know for sure ift was the food or not. But anyways, I decided to try the recipe..this was very hearty and delicious. My only complaint is the cornbread wasn't sweet at all and I like my cornbread sweet...this could be because I was out of honey. Small detail..oops! But I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as DH and I did!

Nigella's Cornbread Topped Chili

Source: Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

Chili:

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried or crushed chili flakes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 cardamom pods, bruised--My own little Shoutout to Kylie..thanks for bringing me these from Saudi Arabi!!
2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced
3 pounds 4 ounces ground beef
7 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cocoa
3 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans

Cornbread:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated Cheddar

Directions
Heat the oil in a very large pan and fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods and stir well.

Add the peppers then break up the ground beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, tomato puree, and water stirring to make a rich red sauce. When the chili starts to boil sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Add the beans and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can cool and freeze the chili, or just keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour the chili into a large, wide dish or keep in the pan you cooked it in if it is ovenproof.

Combine the salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and oil in a jug, and then stir into the dry ingredients mixing to make a vivid yellow batter.

Pour the cornmeal topping over the chili con carne, or blob it over to cover the top as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the cornbread and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is risen and golden and the chili underneath is bubbling. How long this takes depends on the how cold or hot the chili was when it went into the oven. Since it's such a huge vat, you may find it easiest to reheat it on the stove in its pan first.

Let the chili stand for about 5 minutes once out of the oven before cutting the cornbread top into squares or slices to serve with a helping of chili underneath.

English Muffins

2010-01-16T17:37:00.000-05:00

This recipe has been floating around the Nest for the last few months and I was too afraid to try it. DH loves them and I usually let Thomas take care of my English Muffins but I was just over at Annies...yes..AGAIN! I swear I go to other blogs but she's just posted things I've craved lately...and I saw that her recipe used the stand mixer and it looked SO EASY! So, today since there was NOTHING in my house to eat, I gave it a whirl!
I'm really glad I did...this recipe was just as easy as it looked and I think I actually shrieked when I split my first one open and they looked AND tasted like Thomas English Muffins! I plan on trying them again with maybe some fruit or something else.

English Muffins

Source: Annie Eats adapted from Pete Bakes!, originally from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
3/4-1 cup milk, at room temperature
Cornmeal, for sprinkling

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix in the butter and 3/4 cup of milk. Add just enough of the remaining milk to form a dough and incorporate the dry ingredients. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and roll to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls. Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray or coat lightly with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Move the dough balls to the baking sheet, spacing them evenly with room to rise. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise another hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a skillet on medium heat on the stovetop. Brush the skillet lightly with oil and gently transfer the dough balls to the skillet a few at a time. Allow them to cook for 5-8 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Carefully flip and cook the other side for 5-8 minutes more. They should flatten as they cook.

Remove the muffins from the skillet and transfer them to a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-8 minutes. Do not wait until all the muffins have been browned in the skillet before moving them to the oven. As the first batch is baking, move the second batch to the skillet.

Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving. Store in an airtight container.

Note: This recipe produces BIG English Muffins...next time, I think I'll make smaller muffins..although DH didn't mind the jumbo muffins

Garlic Relish Hot Dogs!

2010-01-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

Yet another thing I love take out...HOT DOGS! I'm lucky enough to leave in a town that is known for their hot dogs which are just steamed with onions, chili sauce, and mustard but man oh man are they good!!! So, since take out wasn't an option...I decided to make them myself and I came across this recipe from Annie awhile back and I couldn't wait to try it!!! I couldn't find Manchengo cheese anywhere but I googled something that said parmesan was an okay substitute...so if anyone knows where to get Manchengo cheese...help a girl out! These hot dogs were so good....I could have eaten the relish with a spoon...although I don't think DH could have handled being in the same room with me!! YUMM!!!!

Annie's Manchengo Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs...without the Manchengo
Source: Annie Eats and I believe she got it from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

For the relish:
2 large heads of garlic, top 1/2-inch cut off
5 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup roasted red pepper from a jar, drained and diced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
Coarse kosher salt

For the hot dogs:
6 grilled or toasted hot dog buns
6 grilled all-beef hot dogs
2 oz. Manchengo cheese, grated (I used a lot less than the full 2 oz.)
Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
To make the relish, preheat the oven to 400° F. Place each head of garlic, cut side up, in the center of a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle each with a teaspoon of olive oil, and enclose in the foil. Place the packets on the oven rack. Roast until the garlic is tender, about 45 minutes. Open the packets and let cool for 15 minutes.
Once cooled, squeeze the garlic cloves into a small bowl. Mash enough roasted garlic to measure 1/4 cup. Transfer the 1/4 cup to a bowl. Mix in 3 teaspoons olive oil, red peppers, and parsley. Season with coarse salt and pepper.
Place a hot dog in each bun. Top each grilled hot dog with shredded Manchengo cheese, the garlic relish, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Serve

Takout Copycat-Sushi

2010-01-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

When a girl's craving sushi...she needs sushi...unfortunately due to DH's and I's no take out January...this wasn't an option so off to the grocery store I go to grab some sushi supply...is it really cheaper to make sushi at home?
When DH and I get sushi, we normally order Alaskan Rolls, Rainbow rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Spicy Salmon Rolls, tuna roll s and our bill comes to $35-40.
AFter buying rice, nori, tuna, salmon, ginger, wasabi, shrimp, cucumber, and avocados, my bill came to $25. So, we're saving about $10 which is pretty good, right?

The great thing about sushi is there's no real recipe, you put what you like in the roll. DH and I like tuna and salmon and pretty much any roll that includes them. We've also been known to try eel and other things but nothing I was willing to try at home. The only recipe I needed was sushi rice which lucky for me came right on the side of the box of nori.

Sushi Rice
Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Japanese sushi-style rice--I couldn't find so I used brown rice
1 (4 inch) piece konbu dried kelp (optional)-didn't use this either
3 cups water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Directions

1.Place rice into a large, deep bowl. Fill with cold water and rub rice together with hands until the water turns milky white. Pour off the cloudy water, being careful not to pour out the rice. Repeat 3 or 4 times until you can see the rice through 3-inches of water.
2.Drain the rice in a fine strainer, then place into a saucepan along with konbu and water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Stir together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved in a small bowl, set aside.
3.Cover, and bring rice to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
4.Scrape rice into a bowl; remove and discard the konbu. Stir in vinegar mixture until well incorporated and no lumps of rice remain. Allow to cool at room temperature. For a shinier appearance, use an electric fan to cool the rice rapidly.

If you're lucky enough to have a bamboo mat like I have then, great! if not, sushi is not out of sight for ya, before my bamboo mat I rolled sushi and it turned out just as well. Lay down a sheet of Nori shiny side down and spoon some sushi rice on it thinly and leaving about an inch or two at the end. Place your filling lengthwise towards the rice side and roll away pulling the bamboo mat away as you go.
The sky is your limit with sushi so have fun and try different things. DH had quite a feast ready for him. I pretty much try any combination of wasabi, salmon, tuna, and cucumber and avocado I can think of. Then just serve it with a squeeze of wasabi and a few sliced of pickled ginger.

Conclusion: Homemade sushi is much cheaper...DH thought mine tasted great but I wasn't quite sold on it. It was fun to make but so messy...at least for me...so I think in the future, I'll leave the sushi rolling to the professionals...

Italian Party Flank Steak

2010-01-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

For my friend's dinner the other night, I also made Rolled Steak. I found an amazing deal on this steak...I think I paid $3.44? But came home and didn't have a recipe so I googled away and found SimplyRecipes. It's a great site, check it out! This steak turned out sooooo good, DH loved it..I guess it's a good thing I bought two steaks to do this again with!

Italian Party Flank Steak
Source: SimplyRecipes

Marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Flank steak:
1 flank steak (3/4 in thick, about 1 1/4 lbs), butterflied-I used Bracciole Steak which was already butterflied for me
2 red bell peppers-ok, I didn't have any fresh bell peppers so I did get to use the jarred afterall , I just made sure I really shook off the extra olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
6 to 8 thin slices of prosciutto or other cured ham--I used pancetta
24 medium sized fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 bunch watercress for garnish--I didn't have any of this, so I skipped this step but I left the instructions in so you could see the original recipe

Kitchen string-I really need to invest in this and didn't think traditional yarn woudl work so I rolled and prayed..it worked! But I would like to try this again with string

Method

1 To butterfly the steak, orient it first so that the meat grain is running up and down in front of you. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the meat in half, cutting from the side, and going almost all the way across, leaving 1-inch at the edge uncut (the hinge). The butterfly hinge should be in the same direction as the grain of the meat. Open the flaps of the steak. You can even out the middle if you want so that the center is not as thick. --again I got to skip this step because the butcher already took care of this entire step for me.

Assemble the marinade and marinate the steak for 2 hours. (your kitchen smells amazing while this is marinating! )
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place steak opened on long piece of aluminum foil or wax paper, save marinade. Cover steak with red pepper, sprinkle 1 tbsp of parsley, cover with proscuitto slices, cover with basil leaves, sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining parsley and pepper.
Roll meat up from the bottom like a jellyroll; grain of steak should run length of roll. Tie in 2-3 inch intervals with kitchen string. Place in shallow baking dish, pour marinade over top. Bake for 30 minutes, basting twice. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. Cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick slices, garnish with watercress.

Roasting a Red Pepper

2009-12-30T19:41:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my previous post, I finally got a roast a red pepper. A few years ago, I took a cooking class and we did roast red peppers however, it wasn't hands on, we watched our chef do it. The Roasted Red Pepper Crostini called for of course red peppers...I could have grabbed the jar out of my cupboard and used that but why not...DH wasn't home to watch me mess up the kitchen or possibly catch it on fire so I grabbed my tongs and went to work.

This only works if you have a gas stove...now if you've done this with an electric stove please let me know!

Remove one of the grates to your stove. Turn the burner on high and place your uncut, red bell pepper directly on the burner. Using Tongs, turn the pepper until it's blackened all over..keep an eye on this, this is not the time to multi task...um, unless you're like me and taking pictures...

After the pepper skin is blackened all over, remove from flame and put in paper bag and seal loosely and set aside for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes remove from bag and simply rub off the skin which will rub right off...I didn't get to take a picture of that part, sorry.

Cut open the pepper, remove seeds...I read this somewhere and wasn't sure I'd agree but I now do. Roasted a pepper is so easy and adds such dimension and flavor to your dish, once you do it, you'll never do jarred again.....well, what am I going to do with that jar of peppers now?

Girls Night In

2009-12-29T19:35:00.000-05:00

The other night, I had one of my best friends over for dinner. I absolutely love cooking for Heather, she'll try anything once and like me, loves food! We love trying out different restaurants. So, for Heather, I knew I could try new recipes and this was a perfect time to try out some of Annie's recipes. PS: if you haven't checked out Annie Eats, run over there right now...wait, finish reading this post and then check her out...although she does make me feel guilty, she's a doctor and a mother and still finds time to make amazing food and photograph it...maybe I need lessons from her..plus she is so nice! So, first up, we'll do the dish I got from her blog.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Crostini

Source: Annie Eats

THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOD, YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!!!!

Baguette, cut into 1/4" thick slices
extra-virgin olive oil for brushing, plus 1 tsp.
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped-I'll show in another post the fun of roasted bell peppers, seriously, I had a blast!
1 tbsp. pine nuts
1 ½ tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped basil
½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
goat cheese--DH isn't crazy about goat cheese so I did omit this. But I've kept it in the directions so you'll know where Annie puts it.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil. Bake until lightly browned and crispy. Cut one clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side on the baguette slices while still warm. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spread each baguette slice with a thin layer of goat cheese.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine one clove of garlic, the red pepper, pine nuts, Parmesan, parsley, basil, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Pulse until a coarse puree forms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread a spoonful of the red pepper pesto onto each baguette slice

Olive Gardenesque Stuffed Mushrooms
I adore stuffed mushrooms and usually get them as an appetizer and while DH says he loves my stuffed mushrooms, I've always thought the mushrooms I make at home are try and too blah. But when you get them in restaurants, they're packed with flavor and buttery and mmmmmmmm... I found this recipe on Recipezaar.com. These were a great hit with me, DH, and Heather!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Source: Recipezaar User Molly53

8-12 fresh mushrooms
1 (6 ounce) can clams (drained and finely minced, save 1/4 cup of clam juice for stuffing)
1 green onion, finely minced
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 tablespoon melted butter, cooled
2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated romano cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated mozzarella cheese (for stuffing)
1/4 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese (for garnish)
1/4 cup melted butter
fresh parsley (for garnish)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a small baking dish. Gently wash and stem mushrooms; pat dry (Save stems for another recipe).
Combine clams, onions, garlic salt, minced garlic, butter and oregano in a bowl and mix well. Add Italian bread crumbs, egg, clam juice, mixing well. Add Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella cheeses to the clam stuffing and mix well. Place approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of the clam stuffing mixture inside mushroom cavity and slightly mound (You should be able to stuff between 8- 12 mushrooms depending on the size of mushrooms).
Place the stuffed mushrooms in slightly oiled baking dish and pour 1/4 cup melted butter over the top of the mushrooms. Cover and place in oven for about 35- 40 minutes.
Remove cover; sprinkle the 1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top and pop back in oven just so the cheese melts slightly-It just dawned on me, that I missed this step..oh darn, does that mean I have to make them again to see how this changes the recipe...oh well, I guess I have to, hehe.

Garlic & Oil Pasta

2009-12-10T18:53:00.000-05:00

Sometimes the simplest meal really is the best. When I was younger I remember going to a small hometown italian restaurant and ordering garlic and oil pasta...I thought it sounded so authentic and I felt all grown up ordering it. I remember it was so simple...not a mish mash of a million ingredients..you could taste every ingredient and every ingredients was enhanced. Then a couple years ago, I got Rao's Recipes from the Neighborhood by famed restaurant owner Frank Pellegrino and this cookbook was full of recipes just like it. Simple italian recipes. So, why did it take me so long to make this one when I had such a good memory of this? Because I didn't want to find out that memory was better than the real deal. Oh so not the case. This was simple and delicious.

Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti-we used angel hair

1 cup olive oil-we found this a little too oily for our taste so we cut this in half.

8 garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers

1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until directions say al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sacue pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and parsley.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. When the spaghetti is al dente, drain, reserving 1/4 cup water and return the pasta to the pot.

4. Pour the oil and garlic sauce and cooking water over the spaghetti. Stir well for 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and serve!

Ode to my old grill...

2009-12-10T12:03:00.000-05:00

I left you down at the dumpster when we moved. You looked so lonely there but I thought it was best for both of us to go our separate ways...you were my apartment grill and we had alot of great memories...like the time I caught you on fire, the millions of shrimp that fell between your grills, and the time I threatened to throw you across my patio because once again my hamburgers fell apart. I hoped that some other apartment tenant could use you and have new memories of...but not with my propane tank...I had to keep that part of you. I wanted a bigger grill...a house grill. But we haven't replaced you yet. Now I walk to my house every day and see the spot where you're supposed to be, right next to the back porch, and think of all the recipes I'm not making because I don't have you and I yearn for our memories again. I have a london broil that just is not fit for the oven, it's made for you. Salmon that DH and I only love because of you and those beautiful grill marks.

And so I must move on and replace you...remember you will always remain in our hearts as our first grill that really helped me learn to cook but it's time for both of us to move on.....cause this girl needs to grill!

Seafood crusted Tilapia

2009-12-06T16:42:00.001-05:00

Yummmm is all I need to say. I came across this recipe on Red Lobster and read the name to DH and I think he drooled a little. And seriously, fish covered in seafood crusted with parmesan, what could go wrong! It helped that it was so easy to make!!! Just a tip, I've found alot of great recipes from Red Lobster.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 oz pkg. Spinach and Artichoke dip
1 cup lobster meat, cooked and chopped-I don't typically have lobster lying around so I used salad shrimp and imitation crab meat
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
Non-stick cooking spray
4 ea 4-5 oz Tilapia fillets

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Place Tilapia in a baking dish in a single layer and drizzle with melted butter and season with salt and pepper; set a side.
In a small mixing bowl combine the Spinach and Artichoke Dip and the Lobster meat; stir well and place 1/3 cup of mixture on each piece of Tilapia, smoothing to form an even crust.
In a separate bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs and sprinkle on the coated fish, covering well.
Pour ¼ cup water around the fish, being careful not to wash away the mixture of coating.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until fish flakes easily

Martinis and Memories!

2009-11-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

I hang my head in shame as I write this and realize how long it's been since I've posted!!! But that's all changed now cause here I am....what no applause..no banners or posters welcoming me back? Just kidding. But seriously, ever since my computer was updated, posting anything is just so much of a pain in the rear but I have a new plan!

ONTO THE FOOD! Cause that's why we're all here right?

My mom, Lil Sis, and I all scrapbook...we were trying to do this once a month but work, life, health, and moving all seemed to get in the way. I decided I want to start this tradition back up but I wanted to do it at my house! So, yay, I got to cook for them!

All good nights start with a drink....or ten!

I used to bartend and still do here and there and I always loved making all the interesting drinks with all the fun rims...it was nice to do it for my mom and Lil Sis tonight!

A tip when you're making martinis. The best bartender I know and who I've had the pleasure of working with for several years told me to "shake the sh*t out it" when you're shaking martinis. When you pour them,you want to see little ice crystals from the ice shattering it. She claims this method makes the best martinis!

All of the following drink recipes and SOO many more can be found at http://www.drinkspub.com/ . Just so you know, I personally tested each and every one of these drink recipes...hey, I had to make sure I was giving my family quality drink recipes...how doyou ask did I make it through scrapbooking if I drank all of these? Very carefully..

Godiva Chocolate Martini

Ingredients

1 1/2 shots Godiva® chocolate liqueur

1 1/2 shots Creme de Cacoa

1/2 shot vodka

2 1/2 shots Half-and-half

Godiva Chocolate Martini Direction
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

PineApple Upside Down Cake Martini

1 oz vanilla vodka

2 oz pineapple juice

1 dash grenadine syrup-I just used maraschino cherry juice and a cherry in the bottom
Shake pineapple juice and vanilla vodka with ice in a tumbler. Pour into a martini cocktail glass. Add dash of grenadine, and serve.

Oldie but Goodie Cosmos

1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur

1 oz vodka

juice of 1/2 limes

1 splash cranberry juice

Direction
Pour all ingredients in mixing glass half filled with ice, shake and strain into chilled martini glass.

Bellini Martini

This one's a bit strong on the alcohol side so you may want to cut back on the vodka and add more nectar to compensate.

8 ice cubes

3 oz vodka

1 1/2 oz Peach nectar

1 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps1 twist lemon peel

Direction
Add ice cubes to shaker. Add vodka. Add peach schnapps. Add peach nectar. Shake. Strain into glass. Add lemon twist.(peel)

Because we were going to be scrapbooking, I didn't want anything too messy and that took any more than one hand to eat.

Serrano Shrimp Poppers

I got this recipe from my Pampered Chef cookbook Cooking for Two or More. The picture of it look so delicious! I have omitted the directions that included the product pushing that's in every Pampered Chef Cookbook and just included what I did.

Ingredients

12 large uncooked shrimp (21-25 count) deveined and peeled, tails removed

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt divided

1-2 teaspoons seeded and finely chopped fresh serrano peppers

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 cup corn flake cereal, finely crushed

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make a lengthwise cut along the back of each shrimp, not cutting all the way through. Ease open with fingers

Combine cream cheese and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add serrano peppers and garlic; mix until well blended. Fill decorating bag or plastic bag with cream cheese mixture. Pipe mixture down center of each shrimp. Fold shrimp over to return to original shape.

Combine corn flakes, paprika, cayenne pepper and remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt in shallow dish. Holding Shrimp by the tail end, dredge shrimp lightly in flour, shaking off all excess; dip into beaten egg and then into cereal mixture coating evenly. Arrange in a single layer on a baking pan. Lightly spray shrimp with oil. Bake for 16-17 minutes or just until shrimp is cooked through.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

I've been craving this stuff since I had it in Dallas for my last work trip! I just served it with bagel chips. I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place the garlic cloves into a blender or food processor; pulse to mince. Add the olives, capers, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil Blend until everything is finely chopped. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Please excuse my disappearing act!

2009-10-05T11:34:00.000-04:00

DH and I are in themiddle of moving and that has meant alot of eating out and eating at parents until we're able to find our pots and pans and everything else! But I have tons of recipes I want to try so please don't give up on me because I plan to come back in full force ASAP!

Bobby Flay's Shrimp Scampi Style with Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Garlic

2009-09-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

Dh and I love grilled shrimp so I'm always on the lookout for new grilled shrimp recipes and who better than Food Network's Bobby Flay. I read a couple reviews that suggested serving this with angel hair pasta which I'll probably try another time. I served this over couscous and it was delicious and really complimented it!

Recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbs sesame oil

2 limes juiced

2 tsp honey

2 pieces fresh ginger, finely grated-I didn't have any fresh ginger so I just used 1 tsp ground ginger.

4 cloves garlic

1/2 canola oil

1 1/4 lb large shrimp, deveined and shelled-I used smaller shrimp because it was on sale this week

1 stick butter,softened-we used 4 tbs margarine(we try to cut the fat where we can)

Directions

Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a food processor and then add softened butter until mixed thoroughly.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. The recipe says to brush the mixture on the shrimp and place immediately on grill but after reading the reviews and seeing how people raved, about 10 minutes before I planned on putting it on the grill, I poured about half of the mixture over the shrimp and tossed lightly and let marinate.

Place shrimp onto preheated grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Any remaining sauce can be used as a dipping sauce as long as you didn't use it for marinade.

Enjoy!

I CANNED! Canned Banana Peppers

2009-09-02T17:31:00.000-04:00

That's right! I canned! I have been on this banana pepper kick lately. Ever since I had them at my friend K's house and she had peppers in oil. So, I've googled and "bing"ed(am I the only person who thinks bing.com is exactly like google?) just about every recipe I could find about peppers and peppers in oil. And I didn't want to do my typical thing and buy every canning supply out there only to discover this wasn't for me. So, one of my coworkers brought me in some jar and lids along with some words of wisdom and now I'm sitting in front of a jar of pickled banana peppers! Yep, I'm a nerd that I'm excited but I really liked doing it and it was so easy! So, I'll definitely be trying it again!

This was the best and easiest recipe I could find which was perfect for a beginner like me. Now, I modified this recipe because I had one jar and just a little over a pound of banana peppers and it turned out perfect! I haven't tasted them yet of course so I'll have to let you know how they taste. But I was just happy when the jar sealed! I'll definitely try it again!

Canned Banana Peppers

Ingredients

1 Garlic Clove

1 1/2 lb to 2 lbs banana peppers

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white vinegar

Directions

1. Prepare jars. My coworker suggests running them through a cycle in the dishwasher and take them out during rinse cycle before they start to cool down just before you pour the hot liquid in them. The recipe above suggests you just wash them with soapy water and turn the oven to 175 degrees and putting the jars in the oven to keep them warm.

2. DON'T FORGET TO WEAR GLOVES DURING THIS STEP!! nothing is worse that doing anything with peppers and then taking your contacts out later and believing that your eyes are melting. Wash whole banana peppers to remove any dirt. Remove tops and cut into rings cutting them to your desired thickness. Deseed if you wish, I left the seeds in it.

Like my gloves?

3. In a large pot, combine the vinegar and water. Heat on high until boiling.

4. At the same time, place lids and rings in a small pot and boil. Once the lids are boiling, turn to low heat.

5. Add the garlic clove to empty hot jar, then pack banana peppers tightly into jar. Add 1/2 tsp salt . Pour hot vinegar-water mixture over the peppers. Immediately put on the lid and ring tightly to seal. And then this step my coworker suggested. She said to invert the jar for about 5 minutes. Then invert back and jar will seal as it cools. For me, this happened soon after I inverted it.

Just a disclaimer like in the original recipe, some people are not comfortable with this method which is called Open Kettle Canning and they feel this is not safe. If you are not comfortable with Open Kettle Canning, then follow the recipe but after putting on the lids and rings, process the jars using a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Fried Potatoes

2009-08-30T20:04:00.001-04:00

I've decided to start including some recipes that we consider every day in our house. Some of my favorite recipes from other bloggers is their favorite classic recipes. You know that ones...the ones that are hard to type up because you don't use a recipe anymore because you've made it so many times!
This recipe comes courtesy of my wonderful mother in law. This woman has learned to feed four very hungry growing italian sons and her very italian husband on a budget without ever sacrificing flavor. I'm always amazed at what this woman comes up with. She does this recipe pretty often and it's such a simple recipe but I thought I'd share because I never thought of this before she brought it up and it's so great for last minute meals. You can probably make this for about $1.50 depending on where you live and it serves two people perfectly.

Ingredients
Few tablespoons Olive Oil
1 can whole/sliced new potatoes(we like sliced, they take the work out for you)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Heat Olive Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and keep stirring so garlic doesn't burn. Add potatoes and cook until browned depending on your preference. Add Salt and Pepper to taste and serve! It's perfect with steak which is what she normally treats it with.

Grilled Peaches

2009-08-30T19:55:00.000-04:00

DH and I love sweet stuff but as everyone knows, sweet stuff normall equals loads of calories. Any day during the summer, you can flip on food network and see them grilling up some type of fruit so I thought how good it would be to grill up some peaches and DH loves honey so why not try that with it. I figured I was either going to come up with a good recipe or blow up my grill...I didn't blow up the grill and DH thought this was a great recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey

1 peach, pitted and halved

vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Brush honey on each half of peach and place cut side down on grill. Grill for about 5 minutes or until you have nice grill marks on first side then flip and grill for another 2-3 minutes until soft. Scoop vanilla ice cream over cut sides and Enjoy with a spoon, it should just scoop out of the skin easily...mmmm,so good!

Healthier Eggs Benedict

2009-08-08T10:04:00.001-04:00

I love eggs and contrary to popular belief, they are not the antichrist. If you follow my other blog, you know that I've been trying to lose weight and I've been trying to eat breakfast a little more. So I went to www.incredibleegg.org for more facts about eggs and I found this information
One egg provides 6 grams of protein, or 12% of the Recommended Daily Value. Eggs provide the highest quality protein found in any food because they provide all of the essential amino acids our bodies need in a near-perfect pattern. While many people think the egg white has all the protein, the yolk actually provides nearly half of it.The high-quality protein in eggs helps you to feel full longer and stay energized, which contributes to maintaining a healthy weight. In fact, research* shows that eggs eaten at the start of the day can reduce daily calorie intake, prevent snacking between meals and keep you satisfied on those busy days when mealtime is delayed.
One of my coworkers raise chickens and she's always bringing in eggs for anyone who wants them so I thought hey, trying to eat healthier why not try fresh eggs so I got a dozen!

My first recipe was inspired by watching Runaway Bride last night and Julia Roberts' character gets whatever eggs her current fiance likes, like veggie omelets or over easy (I have no idea if those are the right ones) and Richard Gere catches her on this and so she tries every egg dish and she discovers she loves Egg Benedict. I've never had eggs benedict but after trying them she's definitely on to something but since classic hollandaise packs on about 160 calories a servings and that's before you even put it on the eggs. I had to lighten that up so here's my healthier version! The Hollandaise sauce comes from Dr.Gourmet's website!

Hollandaise sauce
Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp salt
Directions
Place the cornstarch and milk in a sauce pan over low-medium heat. Cook while whisking continuously until sauce begins to thicken.Add the butter and whisk until melted.Slowly add the lemon juice and the salt and whisk until well blended.Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the egg yolk until smooth. Serve as soon as possible.

Serving Size (2tbs)
Calories:29 Total Fat: 2g Carbs: 3g Sugars: 1g Fiber: 0g Protein: 1g

Healthier Eggs Benedict(direct form incredibleegg.com)
Ingredients
1 egg, cold
1 slice canadian bacon
1/2 english muffin
2 tbs of the above hollandaise sauce
Directions
HEAT 2 to 3 inches of water in large saucepan or deep skillet to boiling. ADJUST HEAT to keep liquid simmering gently. BREAK eggs, 1 at a time, into custard cup or saucer. Holding dish close to surface, SLIP egg into water.
COOK eggs until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not stir. LIFT eggs from water with slotted spoon; drain well.
TOP each muffin half with 1 bacon slice, 1 egg and about 1-1/2 Tbsp. hollandaise sauce. SERVE immediately.

Serving Size-1
Calories: 200.4 Total Fat: 8.0g Carbs: 16.2g Sugars: .9g Fiber: 2.5g Protein: 14.9

Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing

2009-07-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

I've seen this dressing floating all over the Nest boards and in different cookbooks so I thought I'd give it a try. I found this recipe in Ina's book and online so I thought I'd give it a whirl. She's a cook that hasn't disappointed me yet. I've been impressed with every recipe I've tried of hers. I didn't think DH would like this much because he's not usually a fan of the creamy dressings but he absolutely raved about it. Plus come on, serving it like that makes it so cute and elegant..yep, I'm a dork....

So, here it is! Enjoy!

Can someone answer me is it Greek or Green because I've seen both and they're pretty much the same recipe??

Bibb Salad with Basil Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients
1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions) --I didn't have any scallions so I used white onion and a little less of it.
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
3 heads Bibb lettuce

Directions
Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)
Cut each head of lettuce into quarters, remove some of the cores, and arrange on 6 salad plates. Pour on the dressing and serve.

Butternut Squash Fries

2009-07-21T07:01:00.000-04:00

In an effort for DH and I to eat healthier, we agreed that we need to start eating more fresh produce so at the grocery store, I told him to pick anything and we'd find a use for it. He picked Butternut Squash and I knew why. We're big Friends fans and there's an episode where Ross is made fun of because he pronounced it SquatterNut Bosh..hehe.

But I didn't know what to do with it but I knew Cara was a big fan of the stuff so I found these and gave them a shot. DH and I both loved them!! They had alot more flavor than I thought they would! If you haven't yet, check out Cara's blog, she has so many healthy but very delicious recipes! My only complaint was my fault, I got impatient and I should have let them grill a little longer. And I didn't have any fresh safe or thyme so I will definitely try it with them next time!

Cara's Butternut Squash Fries

Peel it and cut into thick strips, and par-boil for a couple minutes, then plunge into ice water. After draining, I spray with olive oil and toss with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped sage and thyme. Then they get thrown on the grill till fully tender and laced with lovely grill marks. So good!

Enjoy! So, yummy!

Meal Planning Monday

2009-07-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

I see so many blogs that do a weekly post so I decided to jump on that bandwagon..yes, I always fall to peer pressure...and do a weekly menu post...maybe I'll do more later.

This week is CLEAN OUT THE OVERPACKED REFRIGERATOR week! After our grocery trip this weekend, DH and I realized that we can not keep going to the grocery store until we use up some of the items in our fridge because there is absolutely no room in there for anything else!

Don't worry, it's not going to be like Monica at Rachel's goodbye episode when she serves a questionable orange and various other creepy ingredients.

The ingredients we currently have on hand this week that would really open up some space in our fridge are( I realize some of these can be frozen, but you see our freezer is very small and we're out of room there too!):
Cornish Game Hens
Tilapia
Sea Scallops
Ground Beef
Italian Sausage-Spicy
Italian Sausage-Mild
Chicken Sausage with Asiago Cheese-ok, I know 3 types of sausage is not exactly healthy but hey, they were on sale and from my favorite meat market. Yes, I'm a sucker.
Butternut Squash
Leeks
Scallions
Tomatoes
Potatoes-although I think DH actually pitched these last night so these might be out.
Plain Yogurt
Sour Cream
Bibb Lettuce
Fresh Basil
Radishes
Shredded Lettuce
Cilantro
Banana Peppers
Several Taco Meals--they were on sale and they were good for gas points(we got a free tank of gas after these and other good deals that we did use up!)
Veggie Portabella Mushroom Burgers-4 pack

So, here's my meal plan for the week.

Tonight: Dinner-Grilled Scallops( I have an idea of the recipe but I'll post later if it turns out ok) with butternut squash fries (Thanks CARA)
Tuesday-Lunch-Bibb Salad with Basil Greek Goddess Dressing and Veggie Portabella Mushroom Burger
Tuesday-Dinner-Tilapia Tacos and Cilantro Lime Rice
Wednesday-Lunch-Grilled Chicken Sausage and Bibb Salad with Basil Greek Goddess Dressing
Wednesday-Dinner-Grilled Cornish Hens with Lemon Garlic Butter Rubdown and Grilled Leeks
Thursday-I'm out of town the rest of the week
Thursday-Dinner-I'll make this ahead of time for DH-Banana Peppers stuffed with Ground Beef and Italian Sausage
Friday-still out of town
Friday-still out of town and DH works late so he'll probably just grab leftovers or have dinner at his mom's.

I want to make homemade horseradish sauce using up the radishes and sour cream.

Wow, I used up alot more of that stuff than I thought I'd be able to! Have a great week everyone!

Al Kabsa

2009-07-16T22:14:00.000-04:00

My Cousin lives in Saudi Arabia with her husband(who's from Saudi Arabia) and their adorable baby. She met her husband in college and I have so many great memories of going to his house and he and his friends cooking all these amazing meals. She comes home at least once a year and this time I was lucky enough that she brought me a big bag of spices which I, of course, couldn't wait to use!

Now, I don't know any Middle Eastern recipes off the top of my head and I didn't have much luck with google either but this recipe popped up on almost every search I did.

Wikipedia says that Kabsa is a family of rice dishes that is commonly regarded as a national dish in Saudi Arabia. The dishes are typically rice, meat, vegetables and a mixture of spices. I'm sorry I had to write that explanation because aren't most dishes meat and vegetables and a mixture of spices???

I had to make a few changes because half way into the meal, I realized that I didn't buy the basmati rice like I thought but I had couscous in my cupboard. And DH doesn't really like almonds or raisins in his food so these were omitted. This smelled so good while it was cooking and DH and I both really loved this meal! Enjoy!

Al Kabsa

Ingredients
Kabsa Dish
1/4 cup butter
3 lbs chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato puree-it turns out I didn't have this either so I just used tomato sauce
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes, un-drained (or fresh)
3 medium carrots, grated-I didn't have any carrots but I had a bag of match stick carrots that I used a handful of
2 whole cloves
1 pinch grated nutmeg
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch ground coriander
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 cups hot water
1 chicken stock cube
2 1/4 cups basmati rice (don't rinse or soak this)-I used about 4 cups plain couscous
1/4 cup raisins-omitted
1/4 cup slivered almond, toasted -omitted
Kabsa Spice Mix --I was lucky enough to have prepared Kabsa spice mix so I just used 2 1/2 teapsoons of that instead of mixing the below together. My cousin said that if you mix them separately it's supposedly better than just using prepared
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamoms
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground dried limes

Directions
1Melt butter in a large stock pot, casserole or dutch oven. Add chicken pieces, onion & garlic & sauté until onion is tender. Stir in tomato puree & simmer over a low heat for a couple of minutes.
2Add tomatoes, carrots, cloves, all the spices & salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add the water & broth cube.
3Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add rice to the pot & stir carefully. (if you're wanting to brown the chicken in the oven - remove it from the pot now & place in the preheated oven).
4Re-Cover & simmer for 35 - 40 minutes - adding the raisins for the last 10 minutes - or until rice is tender. - Couscous cooks alot quicker so it only needed about 10-15 minutes.
5Place the rice on a large serving dish, topped with the chicken & garnished with almonds. Saudis like their Kabsa with a hot sauce called 'Shattah'.
6N.B: You can also 'finish' the chicken pieces off in the oven by cooking them for 25 - 30 minutes at 180 C whilst the rice is cooking. (but don't let them become dry). I broiled ours for about 5 minutes just for a little browning.

Cherries Jubilee

2009-07-07T07:03:00.001-04:00

When I was little, my mom and dad had a dinner party and I remember their one friend cooked everything and the food was soooo good but I remember he lit the dessert on fire which when I was little was just about the coolest thing you can do to food! So, I always wanted to try it. And then my nieces and nephews were kind enough to go cherry picking and give me more cherries than I knew what to do with so I decided now was the time to light something on fire! It wasn't quite the firework display that I remembered but it was still fun!! And it tasted so good! Next time I think I'll try a little more sugar cause it needed to just a hair sweeter and I couldn't find cherry brandy and the state store (sorry live in PA so I have to go to a liquor store) told me that it was available by special order only so I used blackberry brandy. I got the recipe for Allrecipes.com Enjoy! Sorry, I tried to get pictures of it on fire but you couldn't see the flames in the pictures so oh well...

Classic Cherries Jubilee

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 pound Bing or other dark, sweet cherries, rinsed and pitted (or use frozen pitted cherries)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cherry extract -couldn't find so omitted
1/4 cup brandy-blackberry brandy instead
3 cups vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a wide saucepan. Stir in the water and orange juice; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until thickened. Stir in the cherries and orange zest, return to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. While the cherries are cooking, spoon the ice cream into serving bowls.
Remove the cherries from the heat, and stir in the cherry extract. Pour in the brandy, and ignite with a long lighter. Gently shake the pan until the blue flame has extinguished itself. Spoon the cherries over the bowls of ice cream.
FOOTNOTE
The flames may get quite high when flambeing, so pay attention to anything flammable above and around where you ignite the cherries. When the initial large flame has died down, a small blue flame will continue to burn for several seconds. Shake or stir the cherries gently to expose more alcohol to the flame, being careful that they do not burn. The goal is to have the small, blue flame burn for as long as possible, thereby reducing the raw alcohol flavor, caramelizing the sugars, and entertaining your guests!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Prosciutto

2009-06-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

THAT'S RIGHT! Another prosciutto recipe..sorry guys but I bought a little more than I used because I love it so now I'm basically seeing how many recipes I can add it to before it goes bad!

Lil Sis loved brussel sprouts growing up. It used to annoy me because I never thought they were that good and I was convinced that she did it just to annoy me...still not sure if that's true or not. I thought brussel sprouts always looked cool but I didn't think they really tasted that good.

Brussel Sprouts are loaded with vitamin A, Folic Acid, potassium, and calcium and it's an excellent source of fiber so I decided to give it another try.

I found a recipe today for Roasted Brussel Sprouts from Allrecipes.com and it claimed that roasted brussel sprouts are really good so we gave it a whirl. DH LOOVED these and he's not typically a veggie lover and I have to say these were really good. I added the prosciutto because hey, everything's better with that stuff! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 slices of prosciutto, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. During the last 10 minutes add prosciutto (if you add it at the beginning you'll have burnt bits of prosciutto like I did originally) and continue to shake every 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Grilled Scallops and Lemons

2009-06-26T22:20:00.000-04:00

DH and I love all things seafood and lately we've been eating alot of sea scallops. Every time we get these in restaurants we agree that they're either overcooked and just taste like globs of white nothing (sorry I couldn't think of anything to compare them to) or they're undercooked and we're near sick from eating them. I don't like scallops that taste like nothing...the whole point of eating seafood and is tasting seafood!

And grilled lemons are something I just recently discovered and love! I'm able to get some much more juice out of the lemons plus let's be honest, I think they look cook grilled!

I never thought of using Lemon Pepper seasoning on anything but chicken (yes, I'm that closeminded on some stuff) but I saw a recipe somewhere on Food Network and Bobby Flay was using it on seafood and it looked so good. So, I just grab a bunch of scallops (DH and I like 5 each, I heard it was a serving or something somewhere..I don't really think that DH likes that many he usually wants more but oh well) So, I just sprinkle some Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb and some McCormick's Lemon Pepper seasoning on both sides of scallops and then toss them on a hot hot grill. My father in law is a big believer in the "only flip it once" theory of grilling and I have to say that he hasn't steered me wrong yet. Let them cook on one side until just beginning to get opague and the seasoning is nice and browned. Cut lemons in half and place them cut side down on the grill. Let everything cook just until scallops are thoroughly opague and lemons have some nice grill marks on them and squeeze lemons over scallops.

Enjoy!

Hamburger Cupcakes--first try

2009-06-25T08:30:00.001-04:00

This has been a big hit lately on TheNest What's Cooking Board. One of my coworkers is having her last day today so we all made something to bring in and I made these so I made these. They were sooo easy. This recipe comes from Bakerella (check her out!) .

A word to the wise that I learned, don't make these in the heat of summer in a really hot kitchen and let the "mustard, ketchup, and lettuce" set just a little bit between layers so they don't mix together.. My layers bled together just a little.

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix (I've seen it done in white too)-makes 24 cupcakes

1 box brownie mix

buttercream icing, I probably used about 3 cups total

food coloring (yellow, red, and green)

sandwich bags

Directions

Prepare brownies according to directions and allow to cool completely! Prepare yellow cake directions for cupcakes. I used cupcake liners so for easier clean up and when cupcakes are cooled, remove liners.

Divide buttercream icing into 3 differnt bowls and mix in red food coloring for ketchup, yellow for mustard, and green for lettuce. I then spooned these into sandwiches baggies and snipped off the corners. (I know some girls who use decorating bags which I will do next time because one of my bags split and caused quite a mess).

Now it's time to assemble. Cut each cooled cupcake in half or thirds depending on how tall it is. Cut out 24 circles from the completely cooled brownies and place in between the cupcake bun or if you're going for a more rustic look, I just cut mine in squarish (I only did this because I realized that I have no cookie cutters at my house). Gently squeeze out the mustard and ketchup first. Then the lettuce in more of a squiggly design. Place the top of the bun on and press gently. I put a toothpick through mine because my hamburgers were sliding..

Lesson learned: take your time! I rushed through a couple parts, I didn't make sure I had all the proper supplies, and I wish I had because I think these could have turned out much prettier...But they tasted awesome and they were a big hit! I post them again when I try them again which I'm planning on doing this weekend for my niece's and nephew's birthday party!

Leeks Sauteed with Prosciutto

2009-06-25T08:06:00.000-04:00

I've posted before about my love of Prosciutto and this recipe just confirmed that a little more. I've been reading alot lately about the nutritional benefits of leeks. They contain fabulous amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Also, they're much easier to digest than standard onions and they have laxative, antiseptic, diuretic, and anti-arthritic properties..so all around a great food! In my What's Cooking exchange, My nestie got me Robin Miller's cookbook which had a recipe for Leeks Sauteed with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese, I was sold! We omitted the goat cheese because DH hasn't been crazy about it in the past and to be honest, I just didn't have any on hand. We both really loved this recipe!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced prosciutto
4 leeks, rinsed and chopped
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese-omitted

Directions

Meanwhile: heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add leeks and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

2009-06-25T07:59:00.000-04:00

At our last family reunion, my cousin made this great cold black bean salad and it was a huge hit! I've made that a bunch of times and DH and I absolutely love it. DH actually requested it for dinner last night. I've had couscous sitting in my cupboard begging to be used and I was checking out things to do with it when I saw that alot of times it was being mixed into a cold salad so I decided to try it out with this salad. If my cousin's black bean salad is copying something I should give credit to please just let me know so I can make sure they get proper credit. This is soo yummy and refreshing, enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime and lemon juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

London Broil Sprouse Style

2009-06-25T07:17:00.000-04:00

My mother in law is the "Shopping Queen" as my niece would say. That woman could find a good deal at any store! She's always using coupons. She also knows how to shop to feed 4 constantly growing italian sons and one italian husband. I still don't know how her sons didn't eat her out of house and home. A common grocery order in their house was usually $300 -400 a week. One of her favorite things to get is London Broil. It's actually gotten funny, now when we go over there, she automatically tells us about any London Broil deals. My father in law grills it up perfectly and I've eaten an embarassing amount when I go over there. Now every time I try to make this on my own, I screw it up somehow, I either burn it or it just never turns out like theirs and I need an entire bottle of A1 to get through it. So the last time my inlaws had it, I asked for every step which I was actually embarrassed about because it was so easy! This is so easy but sooooo yummy! This recipe uses a marinade but now since this was a success in my house, I think I'll try to come up with a marinade on my own next time.

Ingredients
1 London Broil
meat tenderizer
garlic salt
onion salt
A1 Chicago STeakhouse Marinade

Directions
Sprinkle and rub in meat tenderizer on all sides of london broil. Sprinkle on garlic salt and onion salt all over and let sit for 10 minutes. Then marinate london broil in marinade for at least 1 hour but no more than 12 hours in refrigerator(according to Father in Law). Take the meat out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling so you're not putting a cold piece of meat on a hot grill. Grill until desired doneness and then let sit for 10 minutes to rest. Slice and enjoy!!

My family's pasta salad

2009-06-18T17:25:00.000-04:00

I know every family has their recipes that they love and cherish and this is one of ours. My family has this at every picnic and there's never any left. My mom or dad usually made this and I used to love to sneak little pieces of it as they were chopping up the ingredients to put in it. It's such a simple recipe but it's definitely a favorite and now for my new family, it means that summer's on its way! Feel free to add whatever bits and pieces you love, one of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can add what you love and almost anything goes. I know people who add olives and broccolli and use all kinds of different dressing, this is just the recipe I love. To this day, I still can't hold out for the overnight soak to eat some. SHHH, don't tell my dad I gave this recipe away, he's weird about recipes outside the family.

Ingredients

1 box rotini pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled

2 cucumbers, peeled and diced

6 scallions, sliced, white and green parts

4 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 lb salami, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 lb provolone, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 lb pepperoni, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

salt and pepper to taste

a few dashes of Season All

1 bottle Kraft Tuscan Italian dressing

Directions

Combine first nine ingredients together in a large bowl and mix in 1/3 to 1/2 bottle of dressing and mix well. Refrigerate over night, stirring occasionally. Mix remaining dressing in if needed (the pasta seems to really soak up the dressing so this is a judgement call but we usually need most of the dressing). Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp with Fiery Lemongrass-Chile Sambal

2009-06-16T17:14:00.000-04:00

If you're a fellow nestie, you know I've been on a mission to find lemongrass..which became quite easy now that my local grocery store starting carrying it. DH and I love fresh flavors and we like lots of it so when my new issue of Bon Appetit came, this looked perfect for us. Bon Appetit July 2009 issue gives credit for this recipe to Steven Raichlen and he definitely deserves it! This was right up DH's alley in fact he used that sambal on everything for the next few days! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Ingredients

Sambal
6 (or more) Thai bird chiles or 2 (or more) serrano or jalapeño chiles (preferably red), seeded, coarsely chopped -we used serrano peppers
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped shallots (about 8 ounces)-scallions, white and green parts
1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass (from bottom 4 inches of 2 large stalks)
6 macadamia nuts -DH isn't crazy about nuts in his food(guy thing) so I skipped this as well
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons turmeric ---didn't have this so I just skipped it
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
1 cup water

Marinade and shrimp
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
3 pounds uncooked unpeeled large shrimp, or 2 1/2 pounds uncooked peeled large shrimp, deveined, tails left intact -we used uncooked peeled large shrimp

Directions

Preparation
sambal:
Combine 6 Thai bird chiles (or 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles) and next 12 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until finely chopped and paste forms. If spicier sambal is desired, add more chopped chiles to taste and blend again until paste forms. Transfer sambal to small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sambal and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring constantly and adding more oil by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry, about 7 minutes. Add 1 cup water; reduce heat to medium and simmer until most of water is absorbed but mixture is still creamy, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover sambal and chill.

Marinade and shrimp:
Whisk lime juice, 3 tablespoons oil, and 2 tablespoons sambal in small bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewhisk marinade before using, adding more oil by teaspoonfuls if marinade is thick.
If using unpeeled shrimp, use kitchen scissors to cut shrimp shell along rounded back of tail; scrape out vein with tip of bamboo skewer or tip of small knife. Place peeled or unpeeled shrimp in large glass baking dish. Brush shrimp all over with marinade. Allow shrimp to marinate at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill rack with oil. Grill shrimp until just opaque in center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to platter. Rewarm remaining sambal and serve alongside for dipping or for spooning atop shrimp.

Prosciutto-wrapped Pork Roast

2009-06-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis's show Everyday Italian. I love anything with Pancetta which is what the original recipe called for but I had prosciutto sitting at home begging to be used to I just substituted that. And also I don't use alot of wine in my cooking because I don't drink alot of white wine so I just substituted there too. This recipe was very yummy and DH gobbled it right up! Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) tied boneless pork loin roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta- I substituted prosciutto and only needed about 6 thin slices

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine -substituted with another 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Blend the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oil in a small food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the garlic is minced.
Sprinkle the pork roast generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the pancetta slices on a work surface, overlapping slightly and forming a rectangle. Spread half of the garlic mixture over 1 side of the pork and between the 2 loins that meet in the center of the tied pork roast. Place the pork, garlic mixture side down, in the center of the pancetta rectangle. Spread the remaining garlic mixture over the remaining pork. Wrap the pancetta slices around the pork. Place the pork in a roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour 1/2 cup of broth and 1/2 cup of wine ( 1 cup broth if you didn't use the wine)into the roasting pan. Add more broth and wine to the pan juices every 20 minutes. Roast the pork until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Pour the pan drippings into a glass measuring cup and spoon off any fat that rises to the top.
Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with the pan juices.

I hate hamburgers!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-28T07:47:00.000-04:00

As promised, I am here to post a flop. SALOON BURGERS. The directions sounded so simple, it was just venison, onions, cilantro, and a variety of spices. The first time I made them, I made them in a skillet and to my horror, they fell apart. Tasted ok but who likes to eat hamburgers that are in 20 different pieces. Fast forward to about 6 months later, decided not to throw this recipe away because it had such potential!! Decided to add some ground beef because maybe venison was too lean....and decided this time to grill...let's just say that my grill got more hamburger than I did....Then stubbornness kicked in and I decided that this recipe was not going to get the best of me and decided again try to with just ground beef and again my grill had a healthy meal. Fast forward to last night when I decided to punish myself again. I lovingly made the burgers following every direction I could think of to produce a wonderful burger. As I'm making the hamburgers, I speak to each one asking it to please stay together before I lose my mind and end up in an asylum because WHO THE HECK CAN'T DO HAMBURGERS ON THE GRILL?!?!?! I place them on the greased grill and they stay together....I'm excited, I look around my apartment complex to celebrate my victory and no one's there except for a few local ducks who I'm sure are praying I am not cooking a relative. I go back inside to slice my onions and tomatoes and come back at the designated time to flip. I flip them and THOSE F$%KING BURGERS CRUMBLED AND FELL INTO THE GRILL!!!! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! I swear I stared at those crumbled burgers for an eternity not believing that it had actually happened AGAIN?!?!? At that moment, DH came home from work to see me in the midst of a HULK-Like rage seriously considering picking up my grill and throwing into a garbage dump. He simply turned and silently walked back inside before he angered it further. Then I remembered that it was not the grill who I was mad at...I love my grill it was THE HAMBURGER.....my new sworn arch-enemy. And yes, I'm still bitter

Weight Watcher's General Tso's Chicken

2009-05-19T13:34:00.000-04:00

My Hubby and I loooove General Tso's Chicken but have you ever checked out the nutritional value? I'll save you the search, it's not pretty. So, when I came upon a lighter version from Weight Watchers, I had to try it. Is it the greasy fried fast food we've all grown to love for its taste and hate for its effect on our waistlines? No. Is it yummy? Absolutely. It does have a slightly different taste the classic General Tso's but I think next time I'll add a little more red pepper flakes. There were no leftovers and in a world where most recipes serve 4 people and I'm just serving hubby and I, that's a good sign! For Weight Watchers ladies, this recipe is 6 points.
Enjoy!

Weight Watcher's General Tso's Chicken
Ingredients
3/4 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, minced or 1 dried chili, minced
1 lb uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cooked brown rice, kept hot

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. (this step happens really fast, so keep an eye on it and stir VERY often)
Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and sauce and 1/2 cup of rice per serving.

Mother's Day Brunch

2009-05-09T22:51:00.001-04:00

Recipes will follow

Farmer's Casserole

Ingredients

1 package frozen hashbrowns

1 cup green onions, sliced

1 cup bacon, cooked and chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese(I used Hellava Good with jalapeno in it)

1 1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 X 9 inch pan. Spread hashbrown in bottom of pan. Add onions, cheese and bacon. Beat eggs and milk together adding salt and pepper to taste and pour over the hashbrown. Tilt pan a little to each side to evenly distribute the egg mixture.

*if you're making this for the next day, you can refrigerate at this point for several hours to over night**

Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve and enjoy!!!!

Cream Cheese Danish

Ingredients

2 packages 8 oz crescent rolls

1 package cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sour cream

1 jar of preserves ( we used black raspberry but you can also use pie filling)

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions

**if you just want cream cheese danishes, just omit all steps including preserves**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice unrolled crescent rolls into 1/4 inch slices. Place dough on greased cookie sheet and make indentation in the middle for the filling.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and sour cream. Add a tablespoon of filling to each danish. Add small teaspoon of preserves on top of cream cheese filling.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned

In a small bowl, mix together confectioner's sugar, milk, and butter. Drizzle over cooled danishes. Enjoy!!

Sicilian Grill-Roasted Chicken

2009-05-06T19:29:00.000-04:00

I had a bad experience with grilling a whole chicken on the grill about 6 years ago..let's just say that I think my dad is still picking parts of this burnt chicken out off of his grill. But I saw this one and decided to give it a try and I'm sooo happy I did. The smell alone was out of this world but the taste..wow! Can you tell I really liked it?

Oh, before the recipe I have one word of advice. If you don't use as much chicken as this recipe calls for, CUT DOWN THE MARINADE PORPORTION TOO ( I typically don't because I want as much flavor as possible, MORE IS NOT BETTER HERE! ) Otherwise, the chicken will just be a little greasy..if you like your chicken on the heartattack level, go for greasy

Ingredients
Mediterranean drizzle

1 large garlic clove, pressed

2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoon lemon juice

6 tablespoon olive oil

Chicken

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh italian parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

6 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 3 1/2 to 4lb free-range chickens

Directions
Mediterranean Drizzle
With garlic and salt in small bowl, press with the back of a spoon until paste form. Whisk in lemon juice then oil. (you can do this up to a day ahead and refrigerate, just make sure to bring it to room temperature before using).
Chicken
Whisk lemon juice, parsley, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Place whole chicken in each of 2 resealable plastic bags. Divide marinade between bags. Seal bags, release excess air. Turn to coat chicken and chill for at least 1 hour but the longer the better (SOMETIMES MORE IS BETTER!)
Prepare BBQ. (This step is crucial...I think or you'll end up with my first grilled whole chicken experience). If using a 2 burner grill, light 1 burner. If using 3-burner, do not light center burner. If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour onto 1 side of lower grill rack. YOu want a temperature of about 350 to 400(I did this at a stable 350)
Remove chicken from marinade. Sprinke chicken inside and out with salt and pepper (you don't need alot). Tie legs together. Place chicken breast side down over UNLIT side of grill. Cover and grill chicken for 45 minutes, adjusting gas levels or adding charcoal as needed to maintain temperature between 350 and 400. Turn chickens breast side up for about another 35 minutes or until an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165...remember to check the grill pretty often to make sure you're maintaining that temperature.

Transfer chicken to work surface (or lightbox for photo session) for 10 minutes or until husband can't handle it any longer and threatens to eat your camera and you decide that the chicken is probably the healthier option.
Carve chicken and transfer to platter. Spoon some of the meditarrean drizzle and enjoy!!!! And you will!

Tomato-Tortilla Soup

2009-04-28T17:48:00.000-04:00

Last June, Vince and I went to Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa in Mexico for our honeymoon. We had so much fun. Being the foodie that I am, the food was such an awesome part. It was all-inclusive and I had no problem trying just about everything they had to offer.

Well, one of our honeymoon hobbies was to order room service which was available 24 hours and this was also included!! Yeah, Vince and I both love food. My favorite thing off of the room service was menu was their tortilla soup which was creamy and oh so delicious. When we got home, I emailed the resort for their recipe but never recieved a reply so I set out to find it. I searched the internet and all I could ever find was chicken tortilla soup which I already had made many times. I found it the other day, at least, the closest I've come to it. It was in my cookbook arsenal the whole time. Here's Ellie Krieger's Tomato-Tortilla Soup!

Ingredients

2- 6 inch corn tortillas
2 tbs canola oil-I used olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 14.5 oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small jalapeno, seeded and thinly chopped (we like a little heat so I left some seeds in it)
3/4 teaspoon dried oregeno
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (I used bottled)
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, using all but 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut each half into 1/4 inch wide strips. Arrange the strips on the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and bake until crispy and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a dutch oven(original recipe calledc for large skillet) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring, for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned, about another 3 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, jalapeno, and oregeno, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.
Remove the pan from the heat and puree with an immersion blender or in two batches in a regular blender until the soup lightens in color but chunks of tomato remain, about 30 seconds. Serve the soup topped with the tortilla strips, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of cilantro. Enjoy!!

And while you're at it, take a trip to Tulum, the resort was awesome, the food was delicious, and the views from the Tulum ruins were breathtaking!

New York Breakfast-Smoked Salmon

2009-04-19T08:56:00.000-04:00

I lllooovee salmon..I love it cooked, grilled, smoked, moussed, and raw...I love the simplicity of it, I think. And lately I've been craving simplicity and all things uncomplicated. I also like Ellie Krieger, she has some delicious healthy recipes. This recipe (if you can really call it that) is from her book The Food You Crave.

Enjoy

Ingredients

8 pieces of thin pumpernickel bread
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
8 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon
1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Toast the Bread, then spread cream cheese on top each piece. Put a slice of smoked salmon, a couple slices of onion, a slice or two of cucumber, and about 1 tbs of chopped tomato on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. **Num num num num**

This is using my new light box!! I love it! The bonus of food photography is you get to eat the art!

An apology for my abandonment

2009-03-18T18:05:00.000-04:00

I have not forgotten about this blog. If you read my other blog, you'll see that food is not my friend these days and why. I have faith that I will regain my friendship with it soon and I will be cooking up a storm but until then...pass the saltines and gingerale...

New Blog for New Food!

2009-02-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

My other blog was getting a little...busy with different food so I've decided to split them up into my life blog and my food blog.

I love food...ask anyone. My coworkers at work will tell you how I talk about dinner all day while eating a bag of salt & vinegar potato chips. My husband will tell you about me eating an entire jar of Sam's Club fresh salsa in one sitting without blinking an eye. And my sister and I can do damage to a block of cheese.

I love cooking food too...I love the smell when a great dish is just coming together. I love the sizzle when onions hit hot olive oil (I burned my hand last night doing this very thing) . I love the presentation of a beautiful plate with beautiful food on top. I love my husband's face when he takes his first bite and his eyes close because it tastes good. Food makes me calm, if I've had a bad day, making a really intricate recipe makes me forget all about it and enjoy my cooking. Food really does make me happy, I could talk about it forever.

I make new things all the time...at least 3 times a week so I will try to keep this updated as much as possible. I can take constructive criticism so if I miss something in my recipes, please let me know!
Enjoy the food!