tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62717219763327523632024-03-13T13:39:19.112-04:00Food on the PlateDianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-8994477261249065752011-06-05T17:38:00.000-04:002011-06-05T17:38:20.596-04:00Kale ChipsNothing beats a salty snack right? Well how about a salty and crunchy snack that isn't bad for you? Try making kale chips. Kale is something that is rather new to my diet (okay, I honestly don't know if I ever even had it before), and I have been hearing raves about kale chips for months now. So when my parents told me that they grew some organic kale in their garden I was sure to take a few handfuls with me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hu1SEqU7gSM/Tev27zFP4pI/AAAAAAAATIw/snQ4a5BjRhU/s1600/DSC09629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hu1SEqU7gSM/Tev27zFP4pI/AAAAAAAATIw/snQ4a5BjRhU/s400/DSC09629.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The great thing about these chips is that they are SO EASY TO MAKE. I even think I might have overcooked mine just slightly...but the flavor is so intense it doesn't matter how long you cook them for.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
kale (doesn't matter what type...I used two different types of kale), with the stems cut off<br />
extra virgin olive oil<br />
sea salt<br />
<br />
Be sure to wash and thoroughly dry the kale. Cut off the stems and arrange them on a sheet pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and put a sprinkle of sea salt on them. Toss them...be sure you coat both sides nicely. Pop them into a 425F oven for about 15 minutes or until they brown.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1mvPiDrVNs/Tev3CGH8axI/AAAAAAAATI0/o1RKOkTpW3U/s1600/DSC09630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1mvPiDrVNs/Tev3CGH8axI/AAAAAAAATI0/o1RKOkTpW3U/s400/DSC09630.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Now you can toss away your potato chips since kale is so much more nutritious. ENJOY!!!Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-44435728795505013512011-05-15T16:42:00.002-04:002011-05-15T16:49:01.148-04:00Turkey Paillard With Arugula Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the mood for something fried? We rarely fry anything...so when we do we like to keep the rest of the meal light. This Turkey Paillard with Arugula Salad fits the bill. The great thing about it is you can make it with just about any kind of meat you desire (turkey, chicken, veal, or pork).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">turkey cutlets (or cutlets of whatever type of meat you decide to use)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 or 3 eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">flour, for dredging</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">panko breadcrumbs for coating</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">dried thyme</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">salt and pepper to taste</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">vegetable oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">lemon, cut into wedges</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><u>for salad:</u></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">arugula</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 heaping tbsp. of dijon mustard</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 clove garlic, minced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 tbsp. olive oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">half a lemon, juiced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tA4nk-3IMls/TdA0kGHnZ4I/AAAAAAAATGM/HpIRY9oOjyc/s1600/DSC09582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tA4nk-3IMls/TdA0kGHnZ4I/AAAAAAAATGM/HpIRY9oOjyc/s400/DSC09582.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Be sure you get cutlets that are sliced thin to begin with, and pound with a meat hammer between plastic wrap and your cutting board to make them even thinner. Set up the dredging station like shown in the picture above. You should have a container for the flour, the eggs, and the panko breadcrumbs (which you should season with the salt, pepper, and thyme). In case you don't know the rules of dredging this is the order that you do it: cutlets into the flour, then into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs. When you are finished coating the cutlets be sure to place them into the fridge uncovered for at least 15 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHfCn2UkI7o/TdA0oIZtA0I/AAAAAAAATGQ/t8_W4Bh2Rbc/s1600/DSC09583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YHfCn2UkI7o/TdA0oIZtA0I/AAAAAAAATGQ/t8_W4Bh2Rbc/s400/DSC09583.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Commence fry-o-lation! Pour vegetable oil into a cast iron pan...about 1/2" deep. When frying, be sure you do not crowd the pan...else they won't crisp up properly. The oil should be heated to around 375F. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip to finish. These are very thin, so it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1wJ6YULRouY/TdA0ryaVbeI/AAAAAAAATGU/B9tELtn7Xi0/s1600/DSC09584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1wJ6YULRouY/TdA0ryaVbeI/AAAAAAAATGU/B9tELtn7Xi0/s400/DSC09584.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the salad, fill a bowl with arugula. Mix the other ingredients together for the dressing and toss.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-enj0qTDp06w/TdA0w3pwnQI/AAAAAAAATGY/5HWkAY4ocXE/s1600/DSC09585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-enj0qTDp06w/TdA0w3pwnQI/AAAAAAAATGY/5HWkAY4ocXE/s400/DSC09585.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Top the fried cutlets with the salad and serve with a lemon wedge. ENJOY!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_XWT1WkY9s/TdA01IRZhYI/AAAAAAAATGc/u-d4Zx_ID2w/s1600/DSC09586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e_XWT1WkY9s/TdA01IRZhYI/AAAAAAAATGc/u-d4Zx_ID2w/s400/DSC09586.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-27398000142314346782011-05-07T20:20:00.002-04:002011-05-08T08:26:24.763-04:00Chicken With Asian Flavors<div align="center" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We aren't sure if this recipe is Thai, Vietnamese, or Korean...we just made it up. But the chicken comes out delicious!!! We served it with a cucumber and radish salad topped with a lime and cilantro vinaigrette and orange flavored brown rice with carrots.</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_765NkpLBo/TcXag4louPI/AAAAAAAATDo/mHncFltcoY8/s1600/DSC09546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8_765NkpLBo/TcXag4louPI/AAAAAAAATDo/mHncFltcoY8/s400/DSC09546.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Marinade-</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tbsp. ginger, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tbsp. garlic, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup rice wine vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup soy sauce</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 heaping tbsp. of brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">big pinch of crushed red pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 tbsp. canola oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">zest of one orange</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 tsp. Asian sesame oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">a few grinds of black pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 scallion, chopped into mulch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>The Chicken-</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 whole chicken</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">salt and pepper to taste</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">butcher's twine</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">the orange you just zested for the marinade</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 scallion, chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 scallion, sliced (for garnish)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">handful of cilantro, chopped (for garnish)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXzT13x0XlY/TcXaB4825iI/AAAAAAAATDQ/ZtZ4TQDc7Zc/s1600/DSC09532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QXzT13x0XlY/TcXaB4825iI/AAAAAAAATDQ/ZtZ4TQDc7Zc/s400/DSC09532.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Divide the marinade into two. Save half in the fridge...this will be your dipping sauce. Use the other half to marinate the chicken.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l5xQNKBK9oE/TcXaFkOso1I/AAAAAAAATDU/FN7zO4FAyhE/s1600/DSC09533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l5xQNKBK9oE/TcXaFkOso1I/AAAAAAAATDU/FN7zO4FAyhE/s400/DSC09533.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Wash the chicken and dry it will with paper towels (inside and out). Quarter the orange, and put 1/4 into the chicken's cavity along with the chopped scallion. Place the remaining 3/4 of the orange into the pan with the chicken. Use the butcher's twine to tie the chicken into as tight a ball as possible. I have no idea on the proper way to do this...just get it into a tight ball. Pour the marinade over the chicken and use your hands to rub it all over. Cover it with plastic wrap. Place into the fridge for at least 6 hours...but overnight if you can.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XEO_0DnHtH0/TcXaMzdoqLI/AAAAAAAATDY/9Z-GxPL-STU/s1600/DSC09541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XEO_0DnHtH0/TcXaMzdoqLI/AAAAAAAATDY/9Z-GxPL-STU/s400/DSC09541.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you are ready to cook take the chicken out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for one hour. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken. Pop it into a 350F oven for one hour. When the hour is up, remove it from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 475F. Squeeze the juice of the orange that is in the pan over the chicken. When the oven hits 475F, put your chicken back in for another 10-15 minutes...until the skin gets brown and crispy. When the chicken is done let it rest out of the oven for at least 10 minutes...then you can carve it. We garnished the chicken with sliced scallions and cilantro.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFa2g0eribU/TcXaR4C9pbI/AAAAAAAATDc/Sz4jO7zReFs/s1600/DSC09543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFa2g0eribU/TcXaR4C9pbI/AAAAAAAATDc/Sz4jO7zReFs/s400/DSC09543.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPgk7nY67Xk/TcXaXBbi8GI/AAAAAAAATDg/jpSIt6K2A-k/s1600/DSC09545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPgk7nY67Xk/TcXaXBbi8GI/AAAAAAAATDg/jpSIt6K2A-k/s400/DSC09545.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Serve with the remaining marinade to use as dipping sauce (as shown below).</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x3NVZSDpZvY/TcXacFW4XLI/AAAAAAAATDk/MgPAWWmqQUQ/s1600/DSC09540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x3NVZSDpZvY/TcXacFW4XLI/AAAAAAAATDk/MgPAWWmqQUQ/s400/DSC09540.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-51401558042767874932011-05-04T14:09:00.003-04:002011-05-04T14:53:25.392-04:00Pissaladière<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Don't let this photo intimidate your cooking skills or your palate. I know when I saw an image of this (in countless cookbooks) I remember saying how I thought it looked gross. But boy was I way off! It is absolutely delicious! Slightly salty from the anchovies and olives, yet sweet from the roasted onions. This is perfect for an appetizer or even a lunch. Chris made this the other day and we couldn't wait to share his recipe with our readers. ENJOY!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U2s3Ww1XvmI/TcGVgj5gu1I/AAAAAAAATB0/uVBMJgxX3ZU/s1600/DSC09435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U2s3Ww1XvmI/TcGVgj5gu1I/AAAAAAAATB0/uVBMJgxX3ZU/s400/DSC09435.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3 softball sized onions, ¼ inch slices</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">extra virgin olive oil for drizzling<br />
2 small tins of anchovies<br />
a handful of pitted black olives (low salt is great)<br />
fresh thyme<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Crust:</u></strong><br />
2 cups bread flour<br />
2 teaspoons yeast<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
warm tap water to make the dough ½ cup plus more as needed<br />
extra virgin olive oil for bowl<br />
<br />
To make the dough/crust, bring all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and stir with your hands until combined. If the dough won’t stick into a ball, add more water. If you have glop or a wet sticky blob, add more flour. Do these adjustments a teaspoon at a time. Dust some flour on your impeccably clean countertop and knead the dough until it’s smooth. This will take 8-10 minutes. Grease the bowl lightly with EVOO and but the dough back in to it. Cover the dough lightly with a glug of oil as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it some place where the wind or AC vent doesn’t blow on it. It will double in size in about 3 hours, at which point, you should put it in the refrigerator overnight. Take the dough out of the fridge 4 hours prior to your planned baking time.<br />
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The filling is traditionally made by sautéing the onions in a metric ton of butter (hey, it’s French). I’ve done it this way before and, shock of the century, it was pretty damn greasy. Instead, put the sliced onions into a roasting tin and toss them around in a light drizzle of olive oil. Roast them in a 450F oven for an hour, tossing them around half way through cooking. Take them out of the oven, they should be a golden light brown. If not, roast longer. If they’re black, you screwed up. Oops! Be sure to keep an eye on them!<br />
<br />
When the onions are done, your dough should have been out of the fridge for 4 hours. Spread it out evenly over a metal oven tray. The one I used is 11X14. Next, spread the roasted onions out evenly over the crust. Next, lay out the lattice pattern over the onions using anchovies. Finally, place an olive in the center of each rhombus/parallelogram you have created and sprinkle the whole thing with half the fresh thyme leaves you have on hand. Pop the tray in to a 450F oven and bake it until the crust turns a medium brown around the edges. When you take it out of the oven you can sprinkle the remainder of your thyme over it.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUEdPO7R-pQ/TcGVq5DQ9RI/AAAAAAAATB4/-pJu6Lz4vEI/s1600/DSC09436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" j8="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CUEdPO7R-pQ/TcGVq5DQ9RI/AAAAAAAATB4/-pJu6Lz4vEI/s400/DSC09436.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-55749612979277335632011-04-18T19:17:00.002-04:002011-04-18T19:49:03.438-04:00Cauliflower Soup with Frizzled BeetsSo I was watching Hoda and Kathy Lee the other morning and saw a segment all about chilled soups. I'll be the first to admit it, soups aren't really my thing. There are really only a few kinds that I like...and none of which are chilled. So I made my own version of Souper Jenny's cauliflower soup with frizzled beets yesterday (and I made my version hot, not chilled)...and it was AMAZING! <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42477115/ns/today-food/">Click here to follow Jenny's recipe.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Kc8e_19Q5A/TazF5UH54aI/AAAAAAAAS-Y/2-0kPN092qM/s1600/DSC09181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Kc8e_19Q5A/TazF5UH54aI/AAAAAAAAS-Y/2-0kPN092qM/s400/DSC09181.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I did not have all the ingredients for her recipe...so I changed a few things around and was still very happy with the end result! This is what I did---<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets<br />
3/4 of a large red onion, chopped<br />
a few pats of unsalted butter<br />
extra virgin olive oil<br />
1/2 cup of sake (it was all I had left...)<br />
1 cup of low sodium chicken stock<br />
1 cup of water<br />
1 tbsp. potato flour<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 beets, cut into matchsticks<br />
vegetable oil, for frying beets<br />
<br />
To start, place a few pats of butter and a hefty drizzle of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Once heated, throw in the diced onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over low...you don't want them to burn. Once the onions are soft, toss in the cauliflower. Next, add in the sake, chicken stock, and water. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, put the soup (carefully) into a blender. Add in the potato flour and blend the soup until it is velvety smooth. <br />
<br />
To make the frizzled beets you will need to put some vegetable oil into a pot and when the oil is hot enough toss in the matchstick sliced beets. Leave them in there a few minutes. You want them to have a nice little crunch. Place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Top the soup with a handful of the beets. They add a sweet crunch to the soup. Chris hates beets...but he couldn't get enough of these!!!<br />
<br />
Souper Jenny said this soup is a chilled summery soup...but I really prefer to eat it hot.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-82574543719468834832011-04-18T18:49:00.000-04:002011-04-18T18:49:43.607-04:00Pizza Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3PKrPW48Oo/Tay_mxZTB5I/AAAAAAAAS-E/RzT-Pzef7YI/s1600/DSC09176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g3PKrPW48Oo/Tay_mxZTB5I/AAAAAAAAS-E/RzT-Pzef7YI/s400/DSC09176.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_yHEDdf7ULs/Tay_tdqgGQI/AAAAAAAAS-I/TiFCMo-d4jw/s1600/DSC09174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_yHEDdf7ULs/Tay_tdqgGQI/AAAAAAAAS-I/TiFCMo-d4jw/s400/DSC09174.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>There are a million recipes out there for pizza. Want one? Google it. Today we just want to show off pictures of our most recent pizzas we made the other week. Are you drooling yet???<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ynbx_4JOCA/Tay_2C8n7gI/AAAAAAAAS-Q/WtOzgBF0j9E/s1600/DSC09179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ynbx_4JOCA/Tay_2C8n7gI/AAAAAAAAS-Q/WtOzgBF0j9E/s400/DSC09179.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FepbFgNmzAY/Tay_8C3fKbI/AAAAAAAAS-U/CdXHDzpsstI/s1600/DSC09178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FepbFgNmzAY/Tay_8C3fKbI/AAAAAAAAS-U/CdXHDzpsstI/s400/DSC09178.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-7430350483826475992011-04-09T21:38:00.000-04:002011-04-09T21:38:37.301-04:00Chicken Breasts with Pan SauceI'm constantly learning new techniques for roasting chicken. The goal is to get a crispy skin and juicy, tender flesh. This takes lots of practice and experimenting with oven temperatures, utensils, and little details here and there that seem so insignificant that you would never imagine they make such a huge difference in the end product. Follow these instructions carefully on how to prepare this chicken.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mvRSqGos2Q8/TaEJeOtkSYI/AAAAAAAAS9Q/pUp2Yzu1EyY/s1600/DSC09169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mvRSqGos2Q8/TaEJeOtkSYI/AAAAAAAAS9Q/pUp2Yzu1EyY/s400/DSC09169.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
1 skin on, bone in split chicken breast (this is actually 2 breast halves)<br />
1/4 onion, diced<br />
2 cloves of garlic, diced<br />
1 heaping tbsp. of dijon mustard<br />
2 shots of brandy<br />
1/4 cup of low sodium chicken stock<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 tbsp. unsalted butter<br />
2 sprigs of thyme and rosemary, stems removed, leaves chopped<br />
<br />
5 hours before you roast the chicken, rinse under cold water, dry well with paper towels, and liberally season with salt. Put the breasts on a plate (uncovered), and place in the fridge. 1 hour before roasting, take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Add black pepper and rub into skin. Place the chicken into an oven proof saute pan or casserole dish. With the point of a sharp knife, prick the skin in several places. Pierce the skin but do not stab the meat. We are creating spots for the fat to drain out of. Place into a 475F oven. You do not need any olive oil or butter...you want the meat dry so that the skin will crisp. In exactly 20 minutes lower the temperature to 350F and wait another 10 minutes. Take the chicken out of the oven, and cover with tin foil. Put the pan onto a stovetop burner over low heat and saute the onions and garlic, along with the thyme and rosemary, until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and brandy. Careful with the brandy...or you will burn off your eyebrows! Whisk the sauce, scraping the pan to get all the burnt on bits of chickeny goodness. When the sauce starts boiling and has reduced by half, whisk in the butter (a small piece at a time). When the sauce has emulsified you are done. Pour the sauce over the chicken and enjoy!!! We paired our chicken with some oven roasted potatoes and a quick arugula salad.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-44681631315544586492011-04-03T19:38:00.000-04:002011-04-03T19:38:13.488-04:00Turkish Pita BreadIt's 3am, you've been drinking all night...you're in front of <a href="http://kebabgardenny.com/">Kebab Garden</a> and you don't know how you got there. There is only one thing that can make you feel good right now...it's calling to you. The smell of lamb grease and garlic has drawn you to this mystical spot. You are ready to stuff delicious Turkish food in your face, and it will be delivered by this utensil, Turkish Pita Bread. Don't get me wrong, this bread is perfectly delicious making any other type of sandwich, but it is the most superiour of the "drunk foods". Any kind of kebab stuffed into this bread will be heavenly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ktf7wAAaCEk/TZkEny0-bkI/AAAAAAAAS80/1PVELPpOQ10/s1600/DSC09151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ktf7wAAaCEk/TZkEny0-bkI/AAAAAAAAS80/1PVELPpOQ10/s400/DSC09151.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Chris adapted this recipe from one he got out of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sultans-Kitchen-Cookbook-Ozcan-Ozan/dp/962593944X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301872740&sr=8-1">The Sultan's Kitchen</a>. The main differences are the wetter sponge starter and the period of time spent in the fridge following Peter Reinhardt's <em>pain ancienne</em> method. Here is how Chris made his bread---<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
1 tbsp. instant yeast<br />
1 tsp. granulated sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups warm water from tap<br />
4 cups bread flour<br />
2 tsp. salt<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
black caraway seeds (also called nigella or black cumin seeds)<br />
<br />
In a bowl combine the yeast, sugar and water and stir very well. Wait 10 minutes. Sift 1 cup of the flour into this liquid. Stir very well. You'll get a soupy batter. Cover the bowl and wait 30 minutes. Now sift the other 3 cups of flour and salt into this mixture and stir well. Empty out onto a well floured surface and knead until smooth (this should take around 10 minutes). Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until it is doubled in size (around 1 hour). Put in fridge overnight. 3 hours before you are ready to bake, remove the bowl from the fridge. Give the dough an hour to take the chill out, then remove it from the bowl. Roll it into a cylinder. Cut it into 6 equal size discs. Gently stretch each disc out into a 6-8" flat bread. Try not to squeeze all the air out of it while doing this. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and a dish towel. Give them 2 hours to re-inflate. They are now ready for the oven. The oven should be pre-heated to 450F. Take the egg yolk and beat it into the milk. Cover each loaf with the egg glaze (use a brush or your hands). Sprinkle the seeds onto the loaves (they will stick to the glaze). Now place into the oven. They will take around 10-15 minutes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e12h-wdiuIE/TZkEviQr44I/AAAAAAAAS84/6_v_ysHSGg4/s1600/DSC09152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e12h-wdiuIE/TZkEviQr44I/AAAAAAAAS84/6_v_ysHSGg4/s400/DSC09152.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zKLB5JetPd0/TZkE1gB5cjI/AAAAAAAAS88/-ANXLC0zImU/s1600/DSC09153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zKLB5JetPd0/TZkE1gB5cjI/AAAAAAAAS88/-ANXLC0zImU/s400/DSC09153.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-8940986251402038072011-03-19T13:48:00.001-04:002011-03-19T14:12:21.694-04:00Banh Mi Adventure...a Porkalicious Journey into Porktastic Porkocity<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This was a monster task for us. Some might say this recipe is completely frightening. Just look at all the ingredients needed!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6aKvQSTrWT0/TYTpcOwqbHI/AAAAAAAAS6c/JNQPW7d_GZM/s1600/DSC09094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6aKvQSTrWT0/TYTpcOwqbHI/AAAAAAAAS6c/JNQPW7d_GZM/s400/DSC09094.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>The Banh mi sandwich resulted from the French colonization of Vietnam. Asian cured and seasoned pork with pickled vegetables on a French baguette (made partly of rice flour to be authentic) with a smear of French pate, kewpie mayo, and Sriracha sauce. Most of these ingredients originated on the other side of the world. When we lived in New York City, we could leave our apartment for a 15 minute walk and return with all of these ingredients and assemble. French baguette? Tons of bakeries just south of Union Square, take your pick. Asian sauces and seasonings? You don’t even need to go to Chinatown. Supermarkets and corner bodegas have that stuff. Pâté? Sold in a vacuum sealed package at any deli counter.<br />
We now live in rural Pennsylvania. You want fresh bread? You’re baking it! The 1 hour drive to Costco will get you the next best thing, at the cost of a few dollars and a quarter tank of gas. Kewpie mayo? Amazon.com or make it. Pâté? There’s scrapple out here but no French pâté. We’re making that too. Pickled vegetables? Start pickling! The mutant cucumbers floating around in the jar of high fructose corn syrup in your grocer’s condiments aisle won’t work here.<br />
For sandwiches on Saturday, you need to start Thursday night after work (using our recipes). That’s when the pickles start pickling, the sponge starter for the bread is made, and the pork butt starts marinating. Friday night, you add flour to the sponge to make the bread dough. Rotate the pork butt that’s marinating/curing in the fridge, and make the pâté and kewpie mayo. Saturday morning, bake the bread and then toss in the pork and turn the oven down to 300F. You should be ready to assemble your sandwich 4-6 hours later.<br />
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<u><strong>Ingredients for Pork:</strong></u><br />
5lb. bone-in pork butt<br />
2 heaping tbsp. garlic, chopped<br />
2 heaping tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped<br />
1 tsp. red chili flakes<br />
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar<br />
a big squirt of Sriracha sauce<br />
1/2 tsp. Asian sesame oil<br />
3 tbsp. canola oil<br />
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar<br />
1/2 cup soy sauce<br />
2 tbsp. fish sauce<br />
1 tbsp. mirin<br />
1 heaping tsp. kosher salt<br />
2 scallions, chopped<br />
<br />
Mix everything together in a bowl and spread onto meat. Be sure to massage into every crevice and flap of pork flesh. Place into fridge for 36 hours. Keep it covered. Rotate halfway through. Discard excess marinade before roasting.<br />
Roast in an oven for 6 hours at 300F covered in a Dutch oven. Baste every 2 hours. The last hour of cooking should be uncovered. When finished, the meat should fall apart and the bone should easily be removed with little resistance.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--6kdrCqzoRI/TYTqZ0rZvYI/AAAAAAAAS6k/YOQSqwcJsN8/s1600/DSC09106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--6kdrCqzoRI/TYTqZ0rZvYI/AAAAAAAAS6k/YOQSqwcJsN8/s400/DSC09106.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Y7ctvWrotZQ/TYTqUrfT9lI/AAAAAAAAS6g/0d5EGXvjMFM/s1600/DSC09112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Y7ctvWrotZQ/TYTqUrfT9lI/AAAAAAAAS6g/0d5EGXvjMFM/s400/DSC09112.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bYd9XD_2AH4/TYTqeezZ1EI/AAAAAAAAS6o/oVAOYXoUlQM/s1600/DSC09118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bYd9XD_2AH4/TYTqeezZ1EI/AAAAAAAAS6o/oVAOYXoUlQM/s400/DSC09118.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Asian Vinegar Pickles:</u></strong><br />
(<a href="http://www.momofuku.com/">Momofuku's</a> recipe)<br />
1 cup water, piping hot from the tap<br />
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar<br />
2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt<br />
6 tbsp. granulated sugar<br />
carrots cucumbers, daikon, cut into matchsticks (our produce guy didn't know what a daikon was, so we used regular radishes cut into 1/4" rounds)<br />
big pinch of whole peppercorns<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mix everything together. Put into a mason jar. Put into fridge. The pickles will be ready to eat in about 6 hours and will keep for 4 days.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HqLcALo_xdw/TYTqy9mHkAI/AAAAAAAAS6s/-lOTs0OC_s0/s1600/DSC09102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HqLcALo_xdw/TYTqy9mHkAI/AAAAAAAAS6s/-lOTs0OC_s0/s400/DSC09102.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">*Recipe for <a href="http://foodontheplate.blogspot.com/2011/02/chicken-liver-pate.html">Pâté</a></div>*Recipe for <a href="http://foodontheplate.blogspot.com/2011/03/whats-ciabatta-with-you.html">bread</a> (you could really use any kind of CRUSTY hoagie roll...do not use a hot dog bun)<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients for Kewpie Mayo:</u></strong><br />
1 tbsp. lime juice<br />
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
around 1/2 cup canola oil<br />
<br />
Whisk together the first 4 ingredients. While whisking, add the oil one drop at a time until mayo forms. You can also do this in a blender or food processor like they do on TV.<br />
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<strong><u>How to Assemble Banh Mi:</u></strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SyeqbyCTPhg/TYTrGPZi7_I/AAAAAAAAS6w/Kkbm8d7MjQ4/s1600/DSC09108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SyeqbyCTPhg/TYTrGPZi7_I/AAAAAAAAS6w/Kkbm8d7MjQ4/s400/DSC09108.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1) Spread pâté onto one side of the bread.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L5MatnRrDAg/TYTrPg-V17I/AAAAAAAAS60/l8ilz3ePWNo/s1600/DSC09109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L5MatnRrDAg/TYTrPg-V17I/AAAAAAAAS60/l8ilz3ePWNo/s400/DSC09109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">2) Spread mayo onto other side of the bread.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rCzv7e50eSs/TYTrUKR_wsI/AAAAAAAAS64/o4zTAfFwTuc/s1600/DSC09111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rCzv7e50eSs/TYTrUKR_wsI/AAAAAAAAS64/o4zTAfFwTuc/s400/DSC09111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">3) Add in fresh cilantro.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1ENJjvHXarY/TYTrbIpdWrI/AAAAAAAAS68/8HDhPlsM1rw/s1600/DSC09114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1ENJjvHXarY/TYTrbIpdWrI/AAAAAAAAS68/8HDhPlsM1rw/s400/DSC09114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">4) Place shredded pork on sandwich.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_lm0DVcWtuw/TYTrfvKuCdI/AAAAAAAAS7A/L_aonWRW760/s1600/DSC09115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_lm0DVcWtuw/TYTrfvKuCdI/AAAAAAAAS7A/L_aonWRW760/s400/DSC09115.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">5) Top it off with pickled veg.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-knGOtY7pMzM/TYTrqrimDnI/AAAAAAAAS7I/8QyFywWo7kU/s1600/DSC09116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-knGOtY7pMzM/TYTrqrimDnI/AAAAAAAAS7I/8QyFywWo7kU/s400/DSC09116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l2Vnziog8XU/TYTrkJVY0SI/AAAAAAAAS7E/7GAfO05oprs/s1600/DSC09117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-l2Vnziog8XU/TYTrkJVY0SI/AAAAAAAAS7E/7GAfO05oprs/s400/DSC09117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">6) Cut in half and insert into mouth.</div><br />
This was a lot of work, but WELL WORTH IT! ***Note to Kelleny, Chris says this was better than <a href="http://foodontheplate.blogspot.com/2011/03/nyc-grub.html">Saigon's</a> (and I gotta say it was definitely up there).Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-70074207183578054712011-03-19T10:34:00.004-04:002011-03-19T10:58:12.897-04:00Spanish TortillaThis is a perfect item for breakfast, brunch, served with a salad for lunch, a first course for dinner, or cut up into bite sized pieces for an appetizer at a cocktail party. There are tons of recipes for a Spanish Tortilla, here is our favorite way to make it---<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585804584878058738" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PhDvHUOVXqk/TYTDrNJnrPI/AAAAAAAAAAw/I5_5Phx15rg/s400/DSC09074.JPG" /><br /><br /><div><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong></div><div>4 eggs, scrambled<br />1-2 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced as thinly as possible</div><div>1 large Spanish onion, sliced</div><div>1/2 cup of dried chorizo, diced</div><div>handful of fresh parsley, chopped</div><div>salt and pepper to taste</div><div>extra virgin olive oil, as needed</div><div>smoked Spanish paprika</div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585804960680642226" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qpuLS-XHcE/TYTEBFH8BrI/AAAAAAAAAA4/miWcP942DUc/s400/DSC09077.JPG" /><br /><br /><div>Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a 10" pan over medium heat. Toss the potatoes into the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft. Do not brown them. If they start to brown, your flame is too hot! Once they are soft, take them out of the pan and set them into a large bowl. Next drop the onions into the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Again, cook until soft...do not brown. Once they are soft, toss the chorizo in and cook until the onions turn red. Dump the contents of the pan into the bowl with the potatoes. Toss half of your parsley into the bowl along with the scrambled eggs. Mix everything together. Put everything into an 8" nonstick pan that has been greased with olive oil. Put the pan into a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes depending how cooked you like your eggs. Once the omelet is cooked you will be able to slide a rubber spatula under the corners to loosen it. Now put a plate over the pan, and flippity-flop. Your omelet should release. If any sticks, it's okay...the Michelin Star committee isn't at your door. Top with a sprinkle of the smoked paprika and the rest of the parsley. Slice it up like a pizza and eat up!</div>Food On The Platehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09286848260520976928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-29083135237918552682011-03-13T17:20:00.000-04:002011-03-13T17:20:11.573-04:00Clams: Sort of Spanish StyleSo many people think of clams as slimey blobs of flesh with a consistency of bubble gum. All I can say is that can't be further from the truth. You probably haven't had them made properly. And those baked clams...who thought those were good??? Soggy breadcrumbs, and you can't even tell that there are clams inside. We're about to show you a recipe that will make you appreciate clams so much more than you ever have. Make this appetizer at your next dinner party and you will be the talk of the town. For simplicity's sake the below recipe is for 8 Topneck clams...but you can really make as much filling as you want and use as many clams as you would like. You don't even have to use Topneck, but we would suggest not to use anything larger than that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wDyqBW2MiRg/TX00-_4MqyI/AAAAAAAAS5k/MgdXXLIIgYE/s1600/DSC09073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wDyqBW2MiRg/TX00-_4MqyI/AAAAAAAAS5k/MgdXXLIIgYE/s400/DSC09073.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
8 Topneck clams<br />
1/2 cup of chorizo, diced tiny<br />
1/2 cup of onion, diced<br />
3 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
big handful of parsley, chopped<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
lemons on hand<br />
extra virgin olive oil<br />
<br />
Put the closed clams on a roasting pan and put them into a 425F oven until they start to open. It will take around 15 minutes. In the meantime, coat the bottom of a pan with extra virgin olive oil and place over medium high heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Next, add in the chorizo and stir until the onions turn red. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Shut off the heat on the stovetop. Add in the parsley and the juice of half a lemon. Add in the salt and pepper to taste. The stuffing is complete. Take the open clams out of the oven. Work a knife into the open clam and cut the muscle that is on either side of the hinge. The clams should now open easily. Twist off and discard the less meaty side of the shell. Cut around the base of the meat to free it from the shell it is attached to. Give a squeeze of lemon directly onto the cooked clam. Put a spoonful of filling over the clam meat. Insert in mouth!!!Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-85056440964739061952011-03-12T16:41:00.001-05:002011-03-12T16:42:23.088-05:00Salmon TartareRaw fish...yum! Get the fish from a fish monger. The stuff in the super market case wrapped in plastic won't cut it. Ask for sushi grade salmon. Be sure to let the fish monger know you plan to eat this raw. If the color runs away from his face and he gets a shocked look, he doesn't have what you are looking for. As a backup plan, the vacuum packed freezer stuff is usually okay. There really is no need to freak out. The salt and lemon pretty much cures the fish. No bacteria can possibly survive in that amount of acid. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--AOtWRmaKjk/TXvoLwbnAyI/AAAAAAAAS5U/nv_-e15wgtM/s1600/DSC09064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--AOtWRmaKjk/TXvoLwbnAyI/AAAAAAAAS5U/nv_-e15wgtM/s400/DSC09064.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
1/4 lb. of raw salmon, diced as small as possible<br />
1/4 cup red onion, diced<br />
1 garlic clove, minced<br />
1 lemon, juice and zest<br />
2 tbsp. of capers, chopped<br />
big drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 tsp. of celery seed<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BK2734b2QRs/TXvoSX9A7hI/AAAAAAAAS5Y/dS14uSSLPQs/s1600/DSC09067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BK2734b2QRs/TXvoSX9A7hI/AAAAAAAAS5Y/dS14uSSLPQs/s400/DSC09067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Combine above ingredients. Try to keep it cold. Don't keep it out too long...you'll kill your friends. Enjoy! We suggest eating it with some <a href="http://foodontheplate.blogspot.com/2011/03/whats-ciabatta-with-you.html">freshly made ciabatta bread</a>.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-30125763686745315622011-03-12T16:22:00.001-05:002011-03-12T16:51:53.057-05:00Fresh Mozzarella: Sunday Morning Science ExperimentThis is not our recipe. Mozzarella has been around for at least 1000 years (we think?!?!). The recipe is from the now defunct <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/01/mozzarella">Gourmet Magazine</a>. Chris had a fun time making this...but it is TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT! It takes about 6 hours, and most of it is working time...and yields about 1 lb. of cheese at the cost of a gallon of milk. <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/01/mozzarella">Here is the recipe</a> and here are the pictures. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-C7YqgIzjxho/TXvguAtS64I/AAAAAAAAS44/_o0PsD_8T0E/s1600/DSC09047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-C7YqgIzjxho/TXvguAtS64I/AAAAAAAAS44/_o0PsD_8T0E/s400/DSC09047.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>*If you have trouble finding citric acid, amazon.com is a great resource. Junket (vegetable rennet) can be found in a supermarket near where they sell the jell-O. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pUs3qaTD_M4/TXvgzFgreSI/AAAAAAAAS48/wPnCsJPvIZQ/s1600/DSC09048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pUs3qaTD_M4/TXvgzFgreSI/AAAAAAAAS48/wPnCsJPvIZQ/s400/DSC09048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">curds and whey have separated</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dxkM3EZm8IA/TXvg42NeiuI/AAAAAAAAS5A/1XyZtJqA2YU/s1600/DSC09049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dxkM3EZm8IA/TXvg42NeiuI/AAAAAAAAS5A/1XyZtJqA2YU/s400/DSC09049.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">draining the curds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_rNZu7gLAOM/TXvhExxY-hI/AAAAAAAAS5I/_a3Jk3zH-Mo/s1600/DSC09051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_rNZu7gLAOM/TXvhExxY-hI/AAAAAAAAS5I/_a3Jk3zH-Mo/s400/DSC09051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">super "high tech" cheese making apparatus</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kwPgzPjuT6Q/TXvhRVKh0iI/AAAAAAAAS5M/J3kVb2WPgkE/s1600/DSC09052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kwPgzPjuT6Q/TXvhRVKh0iI/AAAAAAAAS5M/J3kVb2WPgkE/s400/DSC09052.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">forming the mozzarella balls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mztmzca6H3o/TXvhXZyYyeI/AAAAAAAAS5Q/I3NaqgqXkOI/s1600/DSC09053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mztmzca6H3o/TXvhXZyYyeI/AAAAAAAAS5Q/I3NaqgqXkOI/s400/DSC09053.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">simple salad with arugula and tomatoes</div><br />
<a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2009/01/mozzarella"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source</span></a>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-5012542320977991152011-03-12T15:55:00.000-05:002011-03-12T15:55:26.015-05:00What's Ciabatta With You?Baking bread is hard...blah, blah, blah. You have to measure everything...blah, blah, blah. Kneading it is exhausting...blah, blah, blah. None of this is true! There are many recipes on this site, but honestly, Chris has never measured anything in his life! The only thing you need to make these loaves is a pizza stone and patience. Here is his ciabatta "recipe".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vSWFujfYGcQ/TXvdjQRG6EI/AAAAAAAAS4w/RpqZMSKnhuk/s1600/DSC09059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vSWFujfYGcQ/TXvdjQRG6EI/AAAAAAAAS4w/RpqZMSKnhuk/s400/DSC09059.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
King Arthur bread flour<br />
instant yeast (Chris uses Hodgson Mills, Red Star, or Dr. Oetker)...don't use Fleischman's, it sucks.<br />
water<br />
salt<br />
cornmeal for dusting<br />
<br />
To make bread for Saturday morning start Thursday night. This process takes 2 days. On Thursday night put 2 cups of flour, a giant pinch of salt, and 1/4 tsp. of yeast into a bowl. Mix together. Start adding room temperature water a little at a time (straight from the faucet). Stir constantly while doing this. You want the consistency of very thick pancake batter. You do not want a ball of dough...and you do not want soup! If you get either of these, add more flour or more water to adjust. Once you have your "thick glop" cover the bowl with plastic wrap tightly and leave it in a draft-free (warm) spot in your kitchen. Congratulations, you have just made "the sponge". Go to bed. Friday morning before you go to work check on your monster. It should have doubled in size and thousands of small bubbles should have formed on the surface. If you sneak a sniff it will smell like a stale beer. Keep it wrapped up...but now, put the whole bowl in the fridge. Go to work. When you come home take the bowl out of the fridge and leave it alone for a few hours to bring it back to room temperature. Now add 2 more cups of flour to "the sponge", another huge pinch of salt, and about 1/2 tsp. of yeast. You do not have to knead it, but get in there with your hands and make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. This time you want the dough to form a slimey, wet ball. Add more water if you need it. If you are still at a batter consistency add more flour. Wrap the bowl back up and leave it alone at room temperature. Go to bed. Saturday morning, with a wet spatula gently work the dough onto a clean countertop. Do not flour your countertop...you don't want unfermented flour getting into the dough at this point. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form them into loaves as long as your pizza stone. Place the loaves on a piece of parchment paper that has been dusted with cornmeal. Dust the top of the loaves with cornmeal and flour (we're not mixing the flour in...just dusting, so it is okay). Put the parchment paper on either a pizza peel or upside down tray...something that will deliver it into the oven (Chris uses a cookie sheet). Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Let them sit for 2 hours before putting into the oven. <br />
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<strong><u>Setting up the oven:</u></strong><br />
Preheat the oven to 500F. On the very bottom rack place a cast iron pan or empty roasting pan. In the middle rack in the oven place your pizza stone. Do this one hour before you put your loaves into the oven. Here is the order of attack: loaves onto the pizza stone (parchment paper and all...not the plastic wrap or kitchen towels!). Pour 2 cups of boiling water into the cast iron pan. Slam the oven door closed. Count 30 seconds. Get a spray bottle and spray a bunch of mist into the oven. Wait another 30 seconds, and repeat. Wait another 30 seconds, and repeat again. Come back in 20 minutes. The bread will probably be baked...but leave in the oven as long as you want to achieve the desired color. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZt552aGox8">Take a look at this video if you are completely confused</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2M6O2dDaQFw/TXvdqiuMJoI/AAAAAAAAS40/uG7aodSYbPo/s1600/DSC09060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2M6O2dDaQFw/TXvdqiuMJoI/AAAAAAAAS40/uG7aodSYbPo/s400/DSC09060.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Some people eat their bread with cheese. Some do butter. Chris does anchovies straight out of a can.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-49073933093932714262011-03-12T13:01:00.000-05:002011-03-12T13:01:44.528-05:00Impress Your Friends in Ten Seconds...Just as the title says, this should take you no longer than 10 seconds...and the payoff is fantastic. If you live near a deep rooted Italian community you should have access to fresh ricotta. If not, <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-guarnaschelli/homemade-ricotta-recipe/index.html">here is a recipe</a>, knock yourself out.<br />
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<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
1 vine ripened tomato, sliced into three pieces<br />
a heaping ice cream scoop of finest ricotta<br />
3 leaves of basil, cut into thin strips<br />
a drizzle of really good extra virgin olive oil<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7HK9hXCYGUI/TXu08GYU9NI/AAAAAAAAS4s/x9pLFDMaDYM/s1600/DSC09068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7HK9hXCYGUI/TXu08GYU9NI/AAAAAAAAS4s/x9pLFDMaDYM/s400/DSC09068.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Assemble the picture above...and charge $8 as an appetizer at a restaurant.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-25964421150690110292011-03-12T09:45:00.002-05:002011-03-12T10:18:21.696-05:00Banana Cake BitesThe other day I was in the mood for something sweet. I didn't have enough ingredients in my pantry to follow a recipe from any of my recipe books...so I thought I'd try to come up with something on my own. I know, I know...baking is a science. A little too much or too little of something and your dessert will flop. I was in an adventurous mood and thought I'd just try to create something and see what happens. Well, I guess I just got rather lucky that day...because my banana cake bites came out great! My husband and I have been eating them up like crazy (so good!). These bites have a consistency kind of between cake and a banana bread.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M8SuvDw0pzA/TXuGbDlgd5I/AAAAAAAAS4k/sJ2ZZLwd0O4/s1600/DSC09057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M8SuvDw0pzA/TXuGbDlgd5I/AAAAAAAAS4k/sJ2ZZLwd0O4/s400/DSC09057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 cup milk (I used skim because it was all I had)<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
1 tbsp. honey<br />
1 ripe banana, diced<br />
4 pats of unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0sUgFqaAnrI/TXuGk8OCwuI/AAAAAAAAS4o/2Ugh4QEaYEM/s1600/DSC09058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0sUgFqaAnrI/TXuGk8OCwuI/AAAAAAAAS4o/2Ugh4QEaYEM/s400/DSC09058.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>To start out I took two of these <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/individual-bakeware/nordic-ware-mini-bundt-tea-cake-candy-mold/f41099">Nordic Ware Mini Bundt Tea Cake-Candy Mold pans</a> and sprayed them with some nonstick cooking spray. Heat your oven to 350F. Next you will combine your dry ingredients in a mixer (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon). Add in the eggs and milk. Next you will add in the 4 pats of butter. If you forgot to let them get to room temperature (which I swear I always forget to do) warm the butter in your hands. After that is mixed, add in vanilla extract, honey, and banana. Place the mixture into the molds, not quite to the top because it will rise a little. Bake for 20-25 minutes.<br />
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ENJOY!!!Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-14751722427545280522011-03-07T19:45:00.000-05:002011-03-07T19:45:24.301-05:00Chicken PaellaSimply put paella is a Spanish dish of rice, some kind of meat, and vegetables cooked together in a pan which is called a paella. There are an infinite amount of recipes for paella...and no, you don't need a paella pan to make it. Here is our quick recipe from our Saturday night dinner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mhMhiUNVu7Y/TXV6tx2cwwI/AAAAAAAAS30/M0h5G1IAhDU/s1600/DSC09041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mhMhiUNVu7Y/TXV6tx2cwwI/AAAAAAAAS30/M0h5G1IAhDU/s400/DSC09041.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
8 chicken thighs, skinless, bone in<br />
1 tomato, diced<br />
1 Spanish onion, diced<br />
4 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced<br />
1/2 a green bell pepper, diced<br />
3 carrots, thinly sliced<br />
a dozen thin asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces<br />
1 cup of chorizo, diced<br />
3/4 of a cup of calasparra rice (this is a specialty item...if you can't find it, any type of risotto rice like arborio is fine)<br />
extra virgin olive oil<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 tsp. smoked paprika<br />
1 tsp. ground cumin<br />
several sprigs of fresh thyme<br />
lemon, cut into wedges<br />
1 cup of chicken stock<br />
a pinch of saffron<br />
handful of fresh parsley, chopped<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QmnaeTmI570/TXV64PypknI/AAAAAAAAS34/U1oiSyMi-4I/s1600/DSC09042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QmnaeTmI570/TXV64PypknI/AAAAAAAAS34/U1oiSyMi-4I/s400/DSC09042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Marinate the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. Toss chicken with your hands to make sure it is all covered evenly. Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a 12" cast iron skillet over high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches. Once a piece is brown on both sides, take it out of the skillet and set aside. Once you are done with the chicken start cooking the onions with the garlic in the empty pan. Cook until they are fragrant...do not let them get too dark! Once they are translucent, add in the chorizo and stir around until the onions turn red. Next, toss in the rest of the vegetables. Cook the veggies until they start to color and soften. In the meantime, heat the chicken stock until it starts to simmer. Once simmering, shut off the heat and add in the pinch of saffron. When your vegetables are done cooking, toss the rice into the pan along with the thyme and stir around until it is evenly coated with the vegetable juices. Now nestle the chicken into the rice and vegetables and pour the chicken stock over the entire pan. When the chicken stock starts to simmer again shut the heat off and cover the pan with tin foil or a large cookie sheet. Put the covered pan into a 400F oven. Check on it every 15 minutes. Add some more stock out of a box if it gets too dry, but DO NOT make it soupy! This cooking process will take somewhere from 30-45 minutes. When it is done the rice should be cooked al dente. When you are done, top with parsley and a dash more of paprika if you'd like. Serve with lemon wedges.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_hcUc_nBdUk/TXV6-iUXhNI/AAAAAAAAS38/jrIUSNt82U4/s1600/DSC09044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_hcUc_nBdUk/TXV6-iUXhNI/AAAAAAAAS38/jrIUSNt82U4/s400/DSC09044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-72948304472913687232011-03-05T22:30:00.001-05:002011-03-06T08:39:06.429-05:00Our Leg of Lamb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MKwcS2eS0_o/TXL_a88dHLI/AAAAAAAAS3o/qTwZI9Tjo2k/s1600/DSC09015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MKwcS2eS0_o/TXL_a88dHLI/AAAAAAAAS3o/qTwZI9Tjo2k/s400/DSC09015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This was a treat. Chris found a 5 pound leg of lamb at the supermarket for $6...reduced from $46! Of course it was one day away from it's sell by date...so he brought it home and cooked it up immediately (no lamb tartare here). No time for much fuss. We slapped together whatever we could scrounge up around our kitchen and fridge to make it taste good. And taste good it did. Scratch that...taste AMAZING! You don't have to follow this recipe exactly...but this is what we used. Feel free to dump whatever vegetables you have sitting around into the roasting pan.<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
leg of lamb (bone in)<br />
fresh thyme and rosemary<br />
bunch of carrots, chopped into one inch pieces<br />
1/2 red onion, sliced<br />
yellow onions, quartered, enough to fill the roasting pan<br />
yukon gold potatoes, quartered, as many as you want<br />
6 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
olive oil (we really don't measure...anything)<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
kitchen string<br />
<br />
Start by butterflying the lamb leg. There will be one side of the leg that is really meaty (the calf muscle), and one side that is just bone (the shin bone). Here is how we butterfly: slice down the middle of the meaty side until you hit the back of the shin bone. Open it up like a book. <br />
Now make a garlic paste. Mince up the 6 cloves of garlic. Top the pile of minced garlic with some kosher salt and press it together with the side of your knife. Add some black pepper and olive oil and a paste will start to form. Rub half of this paste on the inside of the butterflied leg of lamb. Now add the sliced red onion to the inside. Next, add some herbs to the inside. Leave the stems out...just use chopped up leaves. Now we will tie the leg of lamb closed. I'm sure in cooking school they teach you how to tie it nice and neatly...but we don't care about that. Just tie it tightly and try to keep the onions inside. Coat the outside of the leg of lamb with olive oil. Now liberally salt and pepper the outside. Add as much herbs as you want and the rest of the garlic paste to the outside as well.<br />
Toss the veggies into the roasting pan with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs if you'd like. Place the leg of lamb on top of the vegetables. Pop the entire mess into a 450F oven and immediately turn down the temperature down to 375F. The hot temperature will cause the outside to darken and caramelize and turning it down will let it cook thoroughly without drying out. Come back in one hour and a half to take it out of the oven. Put the leg of lamb on your serving dish and tent it with tin foil. Do not touch! Leave it alone! Resist the temptation! You will be rewarded with a juicy leg of lamb. After 15 minutes of letting it rest cut away the string and slice away. Note: caramelized onions in lamb grease are SUPER YUMMY!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qVLlfbJY_8Q/TXL_pAEzthI/AAAAAAAAS3s/IFvgCQY3nwk/s1600/DSC09018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qVLlfbJY_8Q/TXL_pAEzthI/AAAAAAAAS3s/IFvgCQY3nwk/s400/DSC09018.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bHYJCUTsh6c/TXL_vB59gjI/AAAAAAAAS3w/VUe-tDQjldA/s1600/DSC09019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bHYJCUTsh6c/TXL_vB59gjI/AAAAAAAAS3w/VUe-tDQjldA/s400/DSC09019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-36040098748775602862011-03-03T19:36:00.004-05:002011-03-04T09:32:45.629-05:00NYC GrubLast weekend we took a short overnight trip to New York City. It's been 6 months since we moved from there...and we have been missing the city's food ever since we left. We stopped by a few of our favorite spots, as well as some new places we have never checked out before.<br />
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In a city like NYC the restaurant scene can be rather overwhelming. We highly suggest that the next time you are in town that you check out our favorite old (and new) places to grab some grub!<br />
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Our first stop on our food adventure is downtown for banh mi sandwiches. Never heard of banh mi? Well, don't feel bad. It is rather new to us as well. We tried it for the first time last winter when my friend was visiting us. She had them before and told us about the best place in the city for them. All I have to say is OH MY GOD! Half of the items in it I'm not even sure what they are...but I don't care. It is so amazingly yummy! They actually have a sign inside stating everything that is inside it. The sandwiches are what many call Vietnamese hoagies. They are filled with veggies & pork items...and are on delicious, crunchy bread. The bread really does make the sandwich. We don't fool around...we get the #1 (the house special...and we like it SPICY!). The most insane thing is that 2 huge foot long hoagies only cost $8.50! You can't beat that!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ERMBQtWv8Qo/TXAnTnBAk7I/AAAAAAAAS2U/X5RAs7dBWGE/s1600/DSC05165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ERMBQtWv8Qo/TXAnTnBAk7I/AAAAAAAAS2U/X5RAs7dBWGE/s400/DSC05165.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">banh mi sandwiches from Saigon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Located at: Broome Street near Mott.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> (note: I took these sandwich photos over the summer...forgot to snap some when we were there last weekend)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EemX0GlAy3k/TXAnY4mMhNI/AAAAAAAAS2Y/yYDDdfSK-2A/s1600/DSC05164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EemX0GlAy3k/TXAnY4mMhNI/AAAAAAAAS2Y/yYDDdfSK-2A/s400/DSC05164.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The banh mi doesn't stand a chance against Chris's mouth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stop two on our food tour was to <a href="http://eatalyny.com/">Eataly</a>. We have been reading about this Mario Batali marketplace/restaruant for some time now. We actually ended up moving just before they opened so this was our first time there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3KRFwDQyvvs/TXAqLQzNWOI/AAAAAAAAS2c/T2l7kAaPq7o/s1600/DSC08933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3KRFwDQyvvs/TXAqLQzNWOI/AAAAAAAAS2c/T2l7kAaPq7o/s400/DSC08933.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The building was absolutely beautiful. The food looked fantastic. Everything was in their own sections (meat and cheese, bread, pizza, fish, dessert, pasta...). What we thought was crazy was the fact that we were there at 3pm on a Friday afternoon and it was SO JAM PACKED! People were waiting in line to get into all of the restaurants. I thought it was fun to see...but 1) we were still full from our banh mi sandwiches, and 2) we weren't in the mood to stand in line. But if you are in town, you really should stop on by just to check it out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VxgrjNGp0Ec/TXAqP877I9I/AAAAAAAAS2g/mh9gobdGu10/s1600/DSC08934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VxgrjNGp0Ec/TXAqP877I9I/AAAAAAAAS2g/mh9gobdGu10/s400/DSC08934.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eataly is located at 200 5th Avenue (at 23rd Street...across the street from Madison Square Park)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tNawejCLMW0/TXAqTRE1KKI/AAAAAAAAS2k/wfKtqeGQuII/s1600/DSC08935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tNawejCLMW0/TXAqTRE1KKI/AAAAAAAAS2k/wfKtqeGQuII/s400/DSC08935.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our third must stop on our food tour was a new spot for us. We were meeting up with a good friend and she suggested this Thai bar/restaurant that was right near our hotel and her work called: <a href="http://orderroomservicenyc.com/food-delivery/Room-Service-9th-Ave-New-York-City.7050.r?QueryStringValue=wTUY+1tNKMiF+sGpG4qn6g==">Room Service</a>. When we were there I ordered the best drink of my life. Yes...my life! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Er62NCRs9yw/TXAvo7_oD2I/AAAAAAAAS2o/r79OL7ip0M8/s1600/DSC08947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Er62NCRs9yw/TXAvo7_oD2I/AAAAAAAAS2o/r79OL7ip0M8/s400/DSC08947.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I ordered a (2) key lime pie martini. It was SO GOOD that Chris had to order one as well. I have always been a huge fan of this drink...but what made this one stand apart from others was the fact that they topped it with PIE CRUMBS! DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Jfd-JwonGRA/TXAvvLFN-rI/AAAAAAAAS2s/MUxp47OI4dI/s1600/DSC08948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Jfd-JwonGRA/TXAvvLFN-rI/AAAAAAAAS2s/MUxp47OI4dI/s400/DSC08948.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm sure that the next time we go to NYC we'll be going there for dinner. We would have stayed for a meal, but we already had dinner plans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Room Service is located at 690 9th Avenue (by 47th Street)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our fourth stop (our dinner stop where we met another good friend) was a restaurant near our old apartment in the East Village called: <a href="http://www.sushiloungenyc.com/">Sushi Lounge</a>. We have been craving sushi since we moved. Besides the couple rolls I made here at home, we haven't eated sushi in 6 months...which is insane! Yeah we have sushi restaurants near our new apartment...but they are so pricey! When we ate at Sushi Lounge we ordered 10 rolls to share, edamame, and 2 pitchers of beer for only $80. $80 to stuff three people! Crazy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hpqb2uQaI0I/TXAwvGWhEqI/AAAAAAAAS2w/MmtbexNHzzc/s1600/DSC08957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hpqb2uQaI0I/TXAwvGWhEqI/AAAAAAAAS2w/MmtbexNHzzc/s400/DSC08957.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Located at 132 St. Mark's Place (at the corner of Avenue A)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n-I36XXhITI/TXAw24szCKI/AAAAAAAAS20/swsnxn1jBN4/s1600/DSC08959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n-I36XXhITI/TXAw24szCKI/AAAAAAAAS20/swsnxn1jBN4/s400/DSC08959.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our last stop for the evening was another old favorite---<a href="http://www.pommesfrites.ws/">Pommes Frites</a>. This place is soooooo delicious! Such a great place for a late night snack. What is so great about these french fries is that there is a HUGE LIST of dipping sauces to choose from. Chris decided on peppercorn mayo for us to dip in...and boy was that the right decision! Delicious!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_gSUJM9zb6U/TXAyeLJTftI/AAAAAAAAS24/Mi35E-v8PQI/s1600/DSC08991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_gSUJM9zb6U/TXAyeLJTftI/AAAAAAAAS24/Mi35E-v8PQI/s400/DSC08991.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One word of warning: all they serve is french fries...and when they sell out, they sell out. I went there one night (it wasn't even late) and they were ALL SOLD OUT! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H1QFnaxj2gg/TXAykXQfTrI/AAAAAAAAS28/csDA7iCUafs/s1600/DSC08992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H1QFnaxj2gg/TXAykXQfTrI/AAAAAAAAS28/csDA7iCUafs/s400/DSC08992.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Located at 123 2nd Ave. in the East Village.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We hope you enjoyed out food tour of NYC...and really hope that you check out these places the next time you are in town!!!</div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-34788198006256785652011-02-21T09:16:00.000-05:002011-02-21T09:16:58.926-05:00Knife TechniquesWe thought it was important to show new home cooks the proper chopping and dicing techniques...for safety purposes. Please take a moment and watch the following video where Chris shows you how to chop and dice an onion.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4pFEzfoMxkI?fs=1" width="425"></iframe></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-90595988797972712532011-02-15T21:15:00.002-05:002011-02-15T21:20:31.420-05:00Beef Carbonade Flemmish StyleCarbonade means cooked over a coal fire. We replicate the coal fire effect with good smokey bacon. Flemmish Style has to do with the ingredient that makes this super yummy---beer!<br />
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<strong><u>What You Will Need:</u></strong><br />
5 qt. Dutch oven or oven safe pot<br />
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<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
2 lbs. of chuck steak, cut into 2" cubes<br />
1 large Spanish onion, diced<br />
4 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
1 bouquet garni, AKA 1-2 sprigs or rosemary, thyme, parsley stems, and bay leaf tied together with string (for easy removal)<br />
1/4 lb. of slab bacon, cut into 1/4" cubes (I guess the stuff in the plastic packages work...but the slabs from the butcher is so much better!)<br />
2 large carrots, chopped into large chunks<br />
2 large portabella mushrooms, chopped into large chunks (we used a small pack of white button mushrooms, but we weren't fully satisfied with the flavor)<br />
1 pint of <u>dark</u> beer (we used Boddington's)<br />
1 cup of all purpose flour<br />
1/4 cup of olive oil (use 2 tbsp. of butter instead if you want to be really French)<br />
parsley, chopped<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Dry the beef (at room temperature) with paper towels. Meat will not brown unless it is dry. Season it liberally with salt and pepper. Toss meat in the flour until it is lightly coated. Shake off the excess. Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven until it just starts to smoke. Put the beef into the Dutch oven in batches and brown on all sides. Once brown, lift out the meat and set aside. Continue until all beef is brown. Once all the beef is out of the Dutch oven, drop in the bacon chunks. Cook them for 4-5 minutes, until they released most of their fat. Remove and set aside. Toss in the onions and garlic. Season with salt and cook on low heat. Once the onions have just started to brown add the bouquet garni to the pot. Add in the beef and bacon. Slowly pour the beer into the pot. Cover pot with the lid and put into a 300F oven for exactly 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove from oven and take the lid off. Stir in the carrots and mushrooms. Return to the oven (with lid off) for 1 more hour. Once the hour is up, it's done! Garnish with some chopped parsley. It should taste delicious. If the gravy is too watery (like a soup) you may want to boil on the stovetop until the mixture thickens a bit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IaW8uPW4vXs/TVsyvd0A34I/AAAAAAAASv0/M0Iv1mNfOs8/s1600/DSC08268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IaW8uPW4vXs/TVsyvd0A34I/AAAAAAAASv0/M0Iv1mNfOs8/s400/DSC08268.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We paired our beef with some homemade mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-86064107121516445782011-02-13T17:54:00.000-05:002011-02-13T17:54:24.856-05:00Cocktail HourHere is a recipe for a quick and easy cocktail that will surely put a smile on anyone's face.<br />
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Fill a pint glass half way full with ice. Fill glass 1/3 with rum, 2/3 with mango nectar, juice from 1/2 of a lime. Stir together.<br />
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ENJOY!Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-59089121499404255852011-02-13T17:28:00.001-05:002011-02-13T18:44:55.526-05:00Chicken TacosThis afternoon Chris and I wanted to document our attempt at chicken tacos. We made them a few weeks ago and they were so amazing. We have been hungry for more ever since. Honestly, we have never tasted taco shells that were so delicious and fresh. Taco Bell (smell) this is NOT...and trust us, that's a GOOD THING! Definitely take the time to make your own shells. It is totally worth it, we promise!<br />
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The basic ingredients for the shells and chicken---<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw65ILLefJ755gByQboq-UibFdLSj3qtkDVkXQBpk3y5AFr1z34IXnj0ct8kwenyl-CIOui6ahsnjPlCDVO2Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
How to make the shells (no tortilla press needed)---<br />
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Here are the finished tacos. Yummy, spicy, smokey, and fresh. You will eat one and then want to eat five more!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QHReb9oICAY/TVha0c0LTqI/AAAAAAAAStw/kaNtotb-qYE/s1600/DSC08770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QHReb9oICAY/TVha0c0LTqI/AAAAAAAAStw/kaNtotb-qYE/s400/DSC08770.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hPDdgrM61kQ/TVha6ASpLBI/AAAAAAAASt0/6apDnln1a_o/s1600/DSC08771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hPDdgrM61kQ/TVha6ASpLBI/AAAAAAAASt0/6apDnln1a_o/s400/DSC08771.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-42896455317696197632011-02-07T21:53:00.001-05:002011-02-07T21:57:18.855-05:00*Product Spotlight*One of our favorite brands of olive oil has to be <a href="http://www.ooliveoil.com/index.php">O Olive Oil</a>. This California organic olive oil (yes, there are surprisingly delicious olive oils from California...who knew?) comes in a number of flavors, as well as in gift sets. We love their lemon extra virgin olive oil.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://shopopensky.com/uploads/product/large/3641abc8ec3aad121c80263186023b08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="400" src="http://shopopensky.com/uploads/product/large/3641abc8ec3aad121c80263186023b08.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
*Also, their vinegars are quite amazing too! The port vinegar and California white balsamic vinegar are so very fresh and tangy.<br />
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What is your favorite O Olive Oil flavor?<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://shopopensky.com/uploads/product/large/3641abc8ec3aad121c80263186023b08.png&imgrefurl=http://shopopensky.com/ooliveoil/product/o-olive-oil-champagne-vinegar&usg=__EQpuPNV30brW1fFyTw9JE1QMJ3E=&h=435&w=435&sz=200&hl=en&start=37&sig2=dBEehbEv-J3jCKH6FVbzhg&zoom=1&tbnid=7fN2NmtDOhzLmM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=134&ei=q69QTfT3FsPIgQfih6CNCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Do%2Bolive%2Boil%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1R2SKPB_enUS365%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D561%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=116&oei=Sq9QTeqGLsWclgf1rLybCQ&esq=2&page=3&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:37&tx=66&ty=91"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">img</span></a>Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271721976332752363.post-86254957693990144372011-02-07T21:38:00.000-05:002011-02-07T21:38:36.870-05:00Quick Salad DressingEver read the list of ingredients on the back of a salad bottle? Pretty scary, right? We always make our own dressing at home. This one is one of our favorites to make---<br />
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<strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong><br />
1/2 a shallot, diced (or garlic...depending on how stinky you want to be)<br />
1 tbsp. of mustard<br />
1/2 a lemon, juiced<br />
good olive oil...a few tablespoons...add in slowly until mixture emulsifies.<br />
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<strong><u>Making Dressing:</u></strong><br />
Combine shallot, mustard, and lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12778509040883620964noreply@blogger.com1