Shrimp and Banana

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_672845_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Recipe courtesy Roger Mooking.

we shopped for ingredients for this meal but could not find soy water and onion sprouts.  we improvised by adding the juice from the cooked shrimp (in place of soy water) chives (place of  onion sprouts) and parsley (in place of *cilantro).  *we do not like it.

• 20 shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons shallots, brunoise (about 1 1/2 shallots)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 4 very ripe bananas (so ripe that the skins are black)
• 1:1 low-sodium soya/water (1/2 cup of each)
• Roughly 3 tablespoons sambal
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Onion sprouts, for garnish

Orange Chicken Marmalade

I had this marinating in the refrigerator for tonight.  This is my recipe.  Simple.

Orange Chicken Marmalade

1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup orange marmalade or apricot marmalade

1 tbsp. honey

Red pepper flakes (you be the judge)

½ to 1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. orange peel

Preheat oven at 350°F.

Place all ingredients in a container or ziplock bag overnight to marinate.  Baste once midway with the sauce.  Bake until done.

Pork & Basil Stir-Fry with Summer Vegetables

I cooked tonight despite the fact that I’m tired.  I love it anyway.  My friend Francie gave me the Williams & Sonoma cook book for Christmas on Saturday and I’m putting it to good use!

I substituted pork and I added to the soy mixture: rice vinegar, red flaked pepper, fish sauce and sesame oil.

Beef & Basil Stir-Fry with Summer Vegetables

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 Tbs. sherry

1 Tbs. honey

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbs. canola oil

1 lb. pork, thinly sliced, then cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, grated

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch matchsticks

2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch matchsticks

4 oz. sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved

1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves, preferably Thai

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sherry, honey and cornstarch.

In a wok or large fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Season the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and, tossing to sear on all sides, cook until browned but still rare inside, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any fat from the pan.

Return the pan to high heat and warm the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute, taking care not to let the garlic and ginger brown. Add the squash, carrots and sugar snap peas and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the steak and the soy sauce mixture and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Top with the basil leaves and serve. Serves 4.

http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/todays-recipe-beef-basil-stir-fry-with-summer-vegetables

Pignoli Cookies

• 2 (8-oz) cans almond paste (not marzipan), coarsely crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tablespoons mild honey
• 1 cup pine nuts (pignoli ; 4 1/2 oz)

• Special equipment: a standing electric mixer; a large pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip (optional); parchment paper

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pignoli-Cookies-107447#ixzz2FAMKEuIg

Gai Pad Krapow

i'm on a thai kick.

1 lb.boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 shallots chopped
bunch of basil
1 - 2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 - 2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 jalapeno pepper (julienned)
1 1/4 tbsp. fish sauce
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbsp. peanut sauce

heat the sesame oil.  add the garlic and shallots and saute.  add the chicken meat (diced) until done.  add jalapeno, peanut sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce. add basil leaves pepper and salt.

Ground Turkey Pad Thai (my recipe)

i've been eating thai food this week about 5 times.  today i'm making ground turkey pad thai.  the reason i'm making it ground is this dish clings to the noodles better than pieces.  that's just my take on it. 

1 lb. udon or rice noodles (preferably rice)
1 lb. ground turkey
2 - 3 scrambled eggs (cooked separately)
chopped scallions
1 can bean sprouts (Asian Gourmet™ or Thai Kitchen™)
1/2 cup crushed peanuts (use this to put in the sauce)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
cayenne pepper
salt/pepper
3 - 4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chicken both
1/4 cup fish sauce
about 1 tbsp stir fry oil
about 1 tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil
about 1 tbsp sesame oil
soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut sauce (Asian Gourmet™ or Thai Kitchen™)
a few dabs of any hot sauce

cook the noodles.

in a pot put the stir fry oil, canola oil, and sesame oil.  cook the ground turkey til done.  added all other ingredients and the white part of the scallion only.  you may want the green scallions on top of the finished dish.

finish with green scallions and crushed peanuts!

Farfalle Alfredo with Pancetta and Mushrooms

it's time to make dinner.

8 – 12 oz. Farfalle

4 oz. pancetta

8 oz. heavy cream

½ lb. mushrooms

1 tbsp. olive oil

¼ lb. butter

1 egg yolk 

black pepper

parmesan

romano

asiago

while the farfalle is cooking, make the sauce.

Food process the pancetta until ground. In a sauce pan, saute the ground pancetta and mushrooms with a little olive oil for 10 min. add the cheeses. When the cheese melts into the sauce, turn the flame off.

Quickly add in the egg yolk and butter and mix. Put the pasta into the sauce pan and add pepper.

i didn't add salt.  the pancetta does it for you!

That's it!  Sorry for the poor picture.

Roasted Cauliflower

i was thinking roasted cauliflower for lunch.  i picked some up at the supermarket this morning.

preheat oven about 425°F

cauliflower
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
garlic powder
cumin
paprika
sumac
cayenne pepper

*mix all ingredients with the cauliflower.  roast the cauliflower for about 40 min to 60 min (turning on 20 - 30 min).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
for the tahini sauce:

1/2 cup tahini
chopped garlic (as much as you can stand!)
olive oil
salt

*mix it well.

pour the sauce on the cauliflower. 

Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

this was slightly difficult especially when you've come home from work on a Friday but cooking prevailed.

i didn't use basil in the stuffing.  i used washed and packed crimini mushrooms.  make sure you reduce the mushroom mixture down to it's thickened (wait a while).  next time i won't salt the chicken, the prosciutto will do that.  it came out slightly salty.  i preferred to slice the chicken when it was done.  i just let it cool down for 5 min.  you pour the sauce on top.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2012/11/prosciutto-stuffed-chicken-with-mushroom-sauce

Chestnut Soup

yesterday during thanksgiving dinner, we were served chestnut soup.  it was delicious.  i thought I'd might give it a try.

i used fresh jarred chestnuts and pureed them.

http://www.oprah.com/food/Cream-of-Chestnut-Soup

Souffle with Vegetables

like to make it quick and easy.

ingredients:

Pillsbury cut out dough
chopped and sauteed artichokes, onions, garlic, broccili, mushrooms, salt, pepper, olive oil, and butter.  Add eggs when it cools (about 1 - 2 eggs).

the restis easy.

Chicken Tagine with Dates and Honey

my first night of cooking since i've been back home from Amsterdam.  i thought about all the food io had while i was there an how wonderful it was.  i making chicken tagine tonight.  i start by taking boneless skinless chicken beasts and dice it up to bite sized pieces and saute it in olive oil.  remove the chicken.  then put in minced onion, garlic and spices.  (see below photo).  return the chicken to the onions, garlic and spices.  put in 1 1/2 cups of chicken both and about 1 cup of water.  cover and cook for 1 hour.  remove the lid and put in a bunch of sliced dates and about 1/4 cup of honey.  cook for another 30 min.  and there you have it!

i served it with pearl couscous.

a little bit about the spices.   i used Pezeys Spices ™.  it has all the spices to make this dish.  check it out.  http://www.penzeys.com/

On the Spot Beef Bourguignon

during the hurricane i decided to take action!  i have a recipe for beef bourguignon but i did not follow it.

my recipe:

2 - 3 lbs of chuck roast
bouquet garni
1/2 bottle of red wine
2 cups of veal stock
onions
carrots
flour
salt
pepper
mushrooms
bacon


1.  sear the beef in olive oil and remove
2.  save the oil and saute the onions and the carrots.  add the flour and bouquet garni
3.  add the wine and veal stock
4.  when thickened, put in the seared beef.
5.  let it cook to about 2 - 3 hours
6.  remove the vegetables and discard, reserve the sauce.
7.  in a separate saute pan cook the bacon.  when that's done add in the mushrooms
8.  return all of the ingredients to the pot and let simmer for about 30 - 45 min.

in the last 30 - 45 min, you can add carrots and/or potatoes.

Sugar Cookies

Today we went shopping before the imminent hurricane. I decided to make sugar cookies and watch Harry Potter.

My recipe:

1 cup of flour

¼ tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

¼ cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

½ an egg

¼ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp almond extract

mix the first 3 ingredients. Set aside. In another bowl, mix the the rest until well blended. Combine the two bowls. Set in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat the oven at 350F. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 1 tbsp on to the parchment paper. Bake for 10 min.

Trofie with Garlic, Black Pepper, Asiago, Parmesan, and Olive Oil

it's just me tonight so i will do something simple.  it's my own recipe.

Trofie pasta (i used about a 1/2 lb.)
lots of black pepper
kosher salt
1 garlic clove finely chopped or use a garlic smasher or mortar and pestle
1/4 - 1/2 cup or so of  Parmesan and/or  Romano and/or Asiago (total)
1/4 cup olive oil (depending on how much pasta you make)
(you can use a little heavy cream of you like.  i added about 2 - 3 tbsp of heavy cream).

cook the trofie until al dente.  saute the garlic in olive oil.  put in black pepper and asiago and/or parmesan and/or romano.

Note:  this particular pasta goes good with pesto.   i've made it with fresh pesto also.

Panera Bread's Spinach Artichoke Baked Egg Souffle

this particular dish i got though a blog, http://tasteofhomecooking.blogspot.com/2012/10/recipe-swap-panera-breads-spinach.html 


it's was quite simple to make.  i did not use red pepper.  instead i cooked the onion, artichoke hearts and spinach in butter.  i put the cheeses together (asiago, cheddar and parmesan).  i rubbed butter on the inside of the ramekins instead of cooking spray.  

i did what the recipe instructed. 

 

Creamed Spinach

with the left over bechamel sauce i made creamed spinach.  i add to the bechamel sauce, about 1/2 cup heavy cream, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt, pepper, nutmeg and parmesan cheese.  when the cream sauce was done, i removed the garlic in put in the spinach.

Hamburgers from Scratch

tonight i'm made fresh hamburger.

i have a meat grinder so i might as well make good use of it.  i've ground meats before but not but not recently.

in my recipe i use 1 lb chuck to a a 1/4 lb sirloin.  you'll want fat from the chuck but the sirloin gives it texture and is less fatty.

i freeze the cleaned meat grinder at least 1 hour prior.  before that i cut the meat into chunks and then freeze to for about 15 min.  you want the beef nice and cold but not frozen.  i do this to eliminate as much bacteria as possible.

start by grinding the meat.  simple!

i add some parsley, salt, and pepper in the already ground meat.  enjoy!

Béchamel Sauce

i made béchamel sauce this evening to put on the stuffed peppers.

my recipe:

1-2 tbsp of butter
2-3 tbsp of flour
1 -2 cups of milk
1/4 cup (about) of cheese.  i chose swiss.

melt the butter, put the flour and make a roux.  on a low flame put the milk in and stir briskly.  when that mixes, place the cheese in and mix good.  that's béchamel!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9chamel_sauce

Chocolate Mousse

this morning i made chocolate mousse for a special friend of mine.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_34754_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

Customizable bread bowl breakfast

mike is hungry so i made him breakfast.  you can put a variety of fixings in this but i chose to use cheddar cheese and bacon.  i cooked the bacon separately and broke it up and diced the cheese.  then i buttered the inside of the bowl.  i stuffed the bowl with bacon and cheddar and the egg on top.  then i baked it.

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breakfastbrunch/customizable-bread-bowl-breakfast/

Coq au Vin

my parents are coming over this weekend  for dinner.  this evening is the preparation of coq au vin.  chicken legs and thighs (attached) are submersed in  red wine, carrots, onion, celery, garlic and bouquet garni.

these are the steps to making Coq au Vin.

 saute chicken in olive oil.

 brown the vegetables.

and the bacon.

and the mushrooms.

add in the pearl onions.

and there you have it!

Coq au Vin actually doesn't smell good at first but as it develops it becomes more fragrant.  i added 1 tbsp of dark unsweetend cocoa powder.

http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/recipes/20101105/

Enjoy the post!