One Couple's Kitchen

Avocado Hummus

2012-01-31T08:42:00.005-05:00

Oh, Pinterest. If I didn't have an on-the-move 7 month old that consumes my day, that site very well might. Not only am I passionate about food - I love all things holiday, home decor, kids and fashion. In other words, this site is bad news for me! :)

I found this dip that falls somewhere between guacamole and hummus on Pinterest and knew right away that I wanted to try this. We love both and this definitely did not disappoint.

This recipe is originally from the blog Annie Bakes. This hummus is rich and delicious. One of the best that I have made. It is also a lot creamier than most, which I loved. The lemon juice keeps it bright and the paprika gives it a kick.

The Husband and I devoured this! It's perfect with any kind of dipper. We tried pita chips, tortilla chips, bell pepper strips and even cucumbers.

Next time, I think I am going to add in some fresh chopped cilantro and jalapenos. This is definitely a great recipe that can be played with to suit different palates.

Avocado Hummus

1 can chickpeas-drained

2 avocados- sliced up

1 lemon-juiced

3-4 teaspoons minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup water

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor except for the olive oil. Pulse until blended, then start drizzling in the olive oil until it gets to the right consistency. Blend until smooth and serve with pita chips.

Peas with Bacon & Roasted Red Peppers

2012-01-25T08:12:00.000-05:00

Vegetable side dishes (for me) tend to be after thoughts. I always seem to get into a rut when it comes to them. My go-to sides are usually grilled corn on the cob, squash or zucchini during grilling season and in the winter I usually go with sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts or broccoli.

So one of my 2012 "food resolutions" is to put more thought into sides. As I mentioned yesterday, I recently got Katie Lee Joel's The Comfort Table. The book contains quite a few side dishes that jumped out at me - "Peas with Bacon & Roasted Red Peppers", "Roasted Carrots with Honey & Mint" and "Sesame Corn Saute".

I guess you could say I've not really had a relationship with peas. I've never disliked them, but I definitely wouldn't say that I have loved them or even really liked them. This recipe turned all that around.

This was simple to make - and prepping the meat and peppers earlier in the day, it all came together super quickly. There was such flavor in this, that I just kept eating it. The peas have a sweetness to them that plays wonderfully off of the saltiness from the meat and zing from the mustard and roasted red peppers. The shallot and thyme can also be tasted faintly in the background.

A quick note:
- I did not have bacon on hand, but did have salami. I figured why not try it with that. Though not exactly the same, it worked really well. Next time, I will make it using turkey bacon in an effort to make it a tad healthier.

Peas with Bacon & Roasted Red Peppers

1/4 pound bacon (about 3 strips), diced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 roasted red pepper (store bought or home made), diced
1 pound frozen peas, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 7 minutes. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve for garnish.

Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the shallots and cook until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, mustard, and thyme. Cook, uncovered, until stock has reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the peppers, peas, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and cook until the peas are warmed through, and the stock has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the bacon.

Chicken with Mustard & Walnut Coating

2012-01-24T08:44:00.003-05:00

I've sworn that we wouldn't buy any more cookbooks for awhile - at least until we actually start cracking open all of the probably 100 that we have. And we have some really great ones - ones that I really wanted and sought out (like Rick Bayless's Fiesta at Rick's & Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home) that are just collecting dust right now.

But somehow, standing in line at Homegoods we ended picking up 2 more - Williams-Sonoma's Weeknight Fresh & Fast and Katie Lee Joel's Comfort Table. So, I'm making a conscious effort to make at least a few recipes from these new purchases.

When we are going out of town, I really make an effort to clean out the pantry. In other words, in that week leading up I try not to buy any groceries other than proteins that will be used immediately. And what always happens when we come back is trying to figure out whether to scrounge something up or just order out that first night back home. Usually though, after some time of eating out constantly a home cooked meal is all we really want.

Upon a recent return from South Carolina, I opened the Weeknight Fast & Fresh in hopes that there might be some recipe inside that we'd have the ingredients for. The book is separated into 4 sections: Fall, Winter, Summer & Spring. I was in luck as I found this recipe in the appropriate Winter Section.

This recipe is easy to make - truly "fast & fresh" and perfect for a busy weeknight. I wouldn't say this has that "wow factor", but it is a good solid recipe for the family. The walnuts and bread crumbs give the chicken that faux fried feeling but with a really tasty nuttiness. I really like the shallot in this coating because it definitely comes through and plays great off of the walnuts and lemon. The mustard gives the chicken an underlying spiciness or zing, if you will.

A quick note:
- I used regular bread crumbs because I didn't have enough Panko on hand. Regular worked fine, but definitely use Panko if you have them for that added crunch.

Chicken with Mustard & Walnut Coating

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large egg
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 small shallot, minced
1 1/2 tsps grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
coarse kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Place the chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of wax paper; using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the breasts to a thickness of 1/3 - 1/2 inch. In a shallow bowl, combine the egg and Dijon mustard; whisk to blend well. In a pie pan, combine the panko, walnuts, shallot, lemon zest, dry mustard and cayenne; mix to blend well. In a large ovenproof nonstick frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Place the chicken breasts in the egg-mustard mixture and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the panko, turning to coat.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over, and then place the frying pan in the oven. Bake the chicken until springy to the touch, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to warmed plates and serve right away.

Vanilla Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

2012-01-19T08:19:00.002-05:00

It has been quite awhile since I've made a cheesecake. I love them and enjoy baking them, but they tend to be time consuming - and now with The Baby, making anything other than ready in-a-flash desserts hasn't exactly been my reality.

But back in November, my sister was coming in town for The Baby's Baptism and it was also my sister's 27th birthday celebration weekend with my family. I asked her what kind of cake she would like and she said she wanted a cheesecake with either cherry or blueberry topping - cherry being her first choice. Well, much to my dismay, after trips to every grocery store in Richmond (including Whole Foods & Trader Joe's) no one was carrying the cherries I needed. So, blueberry cheesecake it was.

After much perusing, I decided to use a cheesecake recipe from Cooking Light and the blueberry topping is a Martha Stewart recipe.

I (and most importantly the Birthday Girl) loved the way this turned out. The cheesecake wasn't overly heavy but just enough so that you didn't feel you were getting cheated by a "light" recipe. I loved the flavor the vanilla bean imparted. Definitely worth using instead of vanilla extract.

The topping was bright and not too sweet - and so much better than the topping that comes out of a can.

A quick note:
- I followed everything to a tee, except I ended up having to double the crust recipe. This might have been because I used gluten-free cookie crumbs instead of regular graham cracker crumbs - however, I would be prepared with the quantity of ingredients in case you have to double up as well.

Vanilla Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons water
Cooking spray

Filling:
3 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Topping:
1 1/2 pints (3 cups) blueberries
3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients, tossing with a fork. Add 2 teaspoons water; toss with a fork until moist and crumbly. Gently press mixture into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

To prepare filling, beat cheeses with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Combine 1 cup sugar, flour, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add to cheese mixture; beat well. Add sour cream; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; stir seeds into cheese mixture.

Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
For the topping, combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook until berries break down, about 4 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate, covered, until cold (or up to 3 days).

Before serving, pour topping over cheesecake, allowing the topping to spill over the edges and down the sides.

Creamy Pistachio Dip

2012-01-18T11:41:00.001-05:00

I never really noticed how annoying it is to shell pistachios - or time consuming for that matter. That is until, I was shelling pistachios to equal 1 1/2 cups and not just shelling as I pop them into my mouth. But if you love pistachios, this dip is so worth the time that it takes to remove the shells. Or you can just be smarter than me and pay attention when you are shopping and buy pistachios with the shells already removed!

And if you don't particularly love pistachios or you haven't had them, you should still make this dip from Food & Wine. It really is that good.

This kind of reminds me of a cheese ball, but in dip form and lighter. It is yet another wonderful recipe from Food & Wine - they really never disappoint me.

The pistachios impart a somewhat sweet nuttiness, that is balance beautifully by the garlic, shallot, parsley and tarragon. The herbs give the dip a unique flavor, but aren't overpowering. This was a huge hit with everyone that tasted it.

A few notes:
- Being not a big parsley fan (to put it nicely) I decreased the amount of parsley from 1/4 to 1/8 of a cup.
- The original recipe calls for 1 cup of mayo, I used 1/3 cup of Duke's Light mayo (Duke's to satisfy The Husband and Light for my benefit ;) ).

Creamy Pistachio Dip
1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted shelled pistachios (7 ounces)
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/3 cup mayonnaise (light or regular)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups crème fraîche
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pistachios on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the shallot in the vinegar for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lemon juice and garlic. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until thickened.

Drain the shallots and stir them into the mayonnaise along with the crème fraîche, parsley and tarragon. Stir in the ground pistachios and season with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead: The dip can be refrigerated overnight!

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

2012-01-17T09:20:00.001-05:00

I love black beans and I love hummus as well. This dip from Cooking Light finds itself somewhere in between - not quite your typical black bean dip and not quite a hummus either. This quick and delicious dip is great as a snack or a healthy appetizer to serve up to guests at your next football viewing party!

This recipe is beyond easy to make. I've made it twice within the past week and with a on the move baby at home, I can tell you that whipping up a homemade "snack" requires ease and simplicity.

This dip is spicy, but like with most recipes you can alter the heat level to your own preferences. The Husband and I love heat so as always, I increased the amount of jalapeno and red pepper (as noted below). The cumin gives it that nice smoky/earthiness and the lemon imparts just the right amount of brightness.

Bell peppers, carrots, pita chips and tortilla chips are all great dippers for this.

A few notes:
- If you like spicy, follow my lead and use a whole jalapeno (seeds intact) and about 1/2 tsp of the crushed red pepper flakes.
- After tasting the dip, I felt it needed a little something sweet to balance it out, so I added a pinch of sugar. I think this made a ton of difference and would definitely suggest doing so as well.
- After processing all ingredients together, check the consistency. I found mine to be a little thick and added a tad more olive oil, which did the trick.
- I didn't find it necessary to drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with additional red pepper, but it would look pretty :) Instead, I added the 2 teaspoons of olive oil directly into the hummus.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Dash of crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (extra if necessary)
Dash of ground red pepper
Pinch of sugar (or Truvia, Splenda, etc)

Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper.

Sesame Noodles with Prosciutto

2011-11-16T08:30:00.001-05:00

This is another great recipe from Food & Wine magazine. I've professed my love for this publication before, so I won't get into that again - but let's just say it comes as no surprise that this turned out to be another delicious, quick weeknight meal.

For such a quick meal, this dish really packs in a ton of flavor. You get great saltiness from the prosciutto, heat from the red pepper flakes, bite from the green onion, savory from the sesame oil and just the right amount of peanuty-ness (obviously not a word, but you get the point!). I would highly suggest not skipping the cucumber topping - it's coolness in both flavor and temperature are a great complement to the pasta.

The Husband raved about this and said I must put this on the "make again" list.

A few notes:
- The recipe gives the option of using chow mein noodles or thin spaghetti. I used regular spaghetti, which worked just fine.
- The recipe calls for 1 1/2 oz of prosciutto, next time I would probably up this slightly.
- As always, I increased the amount of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Food & Wine suggests pairing this dish with a "velvety, fruity red such as Zinfandel".

Sesame Noodles with Prosciutto

3/4 pound dried chow mein noodles or thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter, preferably natural
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Salt
1 1/2 ounces prosciutto, sliced 1/8 inch thick, cut into matchsticks
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 Kirby cucumber—peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the chow mein noodles until al dente, about 8 to 9 minutes. Drain the noodles, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the chow mein noodles to the pot and toss with the sesame oil.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the peanut oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring just until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and crushed red pepper and stir to form a paste. Add the stock and stir until smooth; season with salt.

Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles. Add the prosciutto and scallion and toss until the noodles are coated. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water and toss until the sauce is creamy, adding more water as needed. Transfer the noodles to bowls, garnish with the cucumber and serve.

Cinnamon and Brown Butter Pull Apart Loaf

2011-11-06T10:58:00.002-05:00

I stumbled across this recipe from Girl Versus Dough some time ago and saved it for the right time. The perfect weekend morning when I was up before The Wife and could fill the house with the smells of buttery, cinnamony, yeasty goodness. This past Sunday was just such a morning.

This recipe is one of those "make this now" recipes that is every bit as good as you hope it will be.

Dough Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Glaze/Filling Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 stick unsalted butter - melted until a nutty brown

Directions:
In the bowl of your stand mixer whisk together two cups of flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. On your stovetop, melt your butter into your milk, add in your water and vanilla extract and let cool to 115 degrees.

In a separate bowl, whisk your eggs.

Add your milk/butter mixture to the flour and combine just until mixed, add your eggs and knead about two minutes. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and knead to incorporate for another 2-3 minutes.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour.

While your dough is rising, coming your sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.

With about 15 minutes left go ahead and brown your butter on the stovetop.

Grease a 9x5 loaf pan (Our pan is missing, so I used a square 8x8 pan)

When your dough has risen, roll it out to 12x20 rectangle. Brush your butter on the dough and liberally sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Using a pizza roller, cut your dough into 3 inch wide strips (or roughly with width of the pan that you are planning on using). Stack the strips and, using the roller, cut those into 2 inch strips (or strips that are the same height as your pan.)

"Stack" these into your grease pan, cover with a towel and let rise for another 30 minutes. Top with any remaining butter and cinnamon and sugar.

Preheat your oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes - but start checking at 20 minutes. I took mine out at 25 minutes and the inside layers were perfectly soft and doughy.

Enjoy as your house fills with the most amazing smells.

Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion & Salami Pizza

2011-11-03T13:48:00.003-04:00

The Husband & I love pizza - who doesn't, right? But I don't mean just the standard supreme or pepperoni. We make our own pizzas on almost a weekly basis. Mostly, we just get creative, hardly using a recipe (other than for our favorite go-to pizza dough).

But when I came across this recipe from Food & Wine (another that I had pulled quite awhile ago), it was so unusual and not like anything we'd made before that I definitely wanted to give it a try.

I can't say enough about how amazing this pizza is. It's very different, but in a great way. The Husband and I both loved it - though he did ask me to add more salami next time! I found it addictive and have to admit I ate way too much.

Mashed sweet potato replaces sauce in this pizza and the salami replaces your typical pepperoni. The balsamic caramelized onions are out of this world and work so well with the salami and sweet potato. Mozzarella is the perfect cheese for this pizza. The oregano is not only tasted through the garnish, but it really comes through in the onions as well.

A few notes:

- The original recipe calls for soppressato in place of the salami that I have used. I was unable to find the soppressato and had read that salami was a good substitute.

- The recipe calls for a store bought pizza dough. If you have the time, I would highly suggest making your own.

- I used a yellow onion in place of a white one. Still delicious.

- Food & Wine's suggested wine pairing is "juicy, medium-bodied Pinot Noir".

Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion & Salami Pizza

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 oregano sprig, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup prepared mashed sweet potatoes
One 12-inch prebaked pizza crust
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (7 ounces)
4 ounces thinly sliced salami, cut into thin ribbons

Preheat the oven to 450°. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven (alternatively, the pizza can be baked directly on the oven rack). In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and oregano sprig, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until the onion is caramelized, about 10 minutes; add a few tablespoons of water to the skillet if necessary. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Discard the oregano sprig and season the onion with salt and pepper.

Spread the sweet potatoes over the pizza crust. Top with the mozzarella, onion and salami. Scatter the oregano leaves on top. Slide the pizza onto the stone and bake for about 10 minutes, until bubbling and golden in spots. Cut into wedges and serve.

Spicy Asian Chicken Soup with Baby Bok Choy

2011-11-02T19:43:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that I have a thing for collecting recipes (let's not forget cookbooks!) - online and hard copies. I've been trying to go through my hard copy recipes and clean them out (getting rid of the ones I know I will probably never make and the ones I have made and have already blogged about). During this purging of paper, I came across a recipe that I had pulled out of Today's Diet & Nutrition magazine from back in January of 2009!

The weather has gotten chilly here and when that happens I always love trying out new soup/stew recipes.

This soup was very easy to make - perfect for a busy weeknight. Both the Husband and I really liked the flavor. He said that it reminded him of Pho, which he loves so I know that's a great sign.

The ginger in this soup really comes through. And the this meal is light, it is also very filling.

A few notes:
- My suggestion would be to serve this soup with Sriracha and Hoisin Sauce and allow everyone to add to their soup the amounts they'd like!
- The recipe calls for a green chile. I used a jalapeno and did not remove the seeds. Use your discretion.
- I used brown jasmine rice instead of regular brown rice. It gave it an extra fragrance.

Spicy Asian Chicken Soup with Baby Bok Choy

1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon ginger, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 small green chili, seeded and chopped
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 cups skinned and shredded roasted or boiled chicken breast meat
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 pound baby bok choy, thinly sliced
4 green onions, including tender green tops, thinly sliced

In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and bay leaf. On medium heat, cook the mixture until it just comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and green chili and sauté until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce mixture, chicken, and rice. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the bok choy and simmer until it is tender, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls and garnish with the green onions. Serve immediately.

Wine and Vermouth Braised Chicken

2011-11-01T07:23:00.005-04:00

My name is The Husband, and I'm a braisaholic. I'm a functioning braisaholic throughout the warm months, but at the first frost, I hear voices saying "braise something". The typical object of my culinary desire is the standards - short ribs or country style pork ribs. So what's a braiser to do in order to branch out?

For me the thought of a melt in your mouth, fall apart chicken imparts visions of a Paris bistro. But The Wife is no fan of thighs or drumsticks, and white meat is too lean for a braise, and becomes dry and tough.

"What to do," I pondered, then the Aha moment struck. I quartered the chicken, braised the dark meat for about 2 hours and added the breast quarters in for the last thirty minutes. They dark meat melted on the fork, and the white meat cooked through, but didn't cook long enough to dry out. We were both happy - beyond happy, actually.

The braising liquid was a leap of faith for me. I have another confession - I'm scared of vermouth. I like my martinis very dry - Churchillesque if you will - you could simply whisper "vermouth" over the glass and add vodka and I'm happy. But I've often seen it in recipes, so I jumped in - and I would recommend you do the same. It tastes better in cooking that it does in this blogger's dry martini.

All in all, this was a very satisfying meal - just what we were looking for on the first cold weekend of the year.

Ingredients:

1 whole fryer chicken, quartered

Salt/Pepper

Flour for dredging

Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

2 Bulbs of Garlic (yes bulbs) - sliced in half, cutting all the cloves in half

1 Lemon

1 Bay Leaf

1 Cup Chicken Broth

1/2 Cup Dry Vermouth

1/2 Dry White Wine

1 Tablespoon dried Rosemary

1 Tablespoon dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon dried Thyme

1 Tablespoon dried Tarragon

Directions

Preheat your oven to 250.

Over medium high heat, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large dutch oven. While you oil is heating up, salt and pepper your leg quarters and dredge in flour. Leave the breast quarters in the fridge for now.

Brown only your chicken leg quarters in the oil - about 3 minutes per side, and set aside.

Add your onions and garlic bulbs, adding more olive oil if necessary. Stir and cook until onions are translucent - about 3-4 minutes.

Slice your lemon in half, and squeeze the juice into the pan, and drop the lemon halves in as well. Add your Broth, Vermouth and Wine as well as your herbs and stir. Bring to a simmer.

Place your leg quarters in the braise, drop in a bay leaf and place in the oven.

Let this mixture braise for two hours.

You'll want to add your breast quarters for the last 30 minutes, so prepare them as you did the leg quarters (salt/pepper, dredge and sear) and drop them in.

Green Chile Stew with Braised Pork

2011-10-29T16:22:00.004-04:00

It was supposed to be a cold and rainy weekend, so I set out to find a warming recipe. I found this recipe from Bistro Bess on tastespotting and it sounded like the perfect thing - and it was.

I added rice at the end of the cooking process and it reminded of a Mexican gumbo. This was the perfect meal for a cold Autumn evening - and it was delicious the second day for lunch, too.

Ingredients:
1 Pork Loin Roast, cut into bitesize cubes
2 Onions, diced
2 Jalapeños, sliced thin
6 Cloves of Garlic
2 - 4oz cans of diced, roasted Green Chiles
1 bottle of Enchilada Sauce
1 can of Hominy
4 cups of Chicken Broth
Flour
Salt/Pepper

Directions:
Put olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. While your olive oil is heating up, sprinkle your pork with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour to coat.

In batches, brown your pork on all side

and set aside.

Add a splash of olive oil and add in your onions, garlic and jalapeños and stir until your onions are translucent.

Deglaze the pan with your enchilada sauce, scraping up all of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add in your chiles, hominy and the pork and stir to combine. Add two cups of your stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low.

Let this simmer for about two hours - stirring every 30 minutes or so - adding more stock each time you stir.

If you choose to add rice, add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

We topped with sour cream and srirachi.

Enjoy!

Cabbage & Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts

2011-10-25T12:41:00.001-04:00

Leave it to the Lee Brothers to come up with a brilliantly fresh spin on your typical coleslaw. This is the 2nd recipe I have tried from their Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor book and I promise you it does not disappoint!

This winter salad is absolutely delicious! I served this at a football tailgate this past weekend and everyone raved about it. Many made the comment that it was "so different". And different it is (in a great way)! Cumin and lime always go well together but it's very unexpected when paired with cabbage, peanuts and baby spinach.

It doesn't hurt that this salad is beautiful too. So the extra time required to prep the cabbage is definitely worth it.

Cabbage & Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts

1/2 small red cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1/2 small green cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 bunch fresh baby spinach, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 4 cups loosely packed)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 small limes)
1 tablespoon Dijon or other salty prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black

In a large bowl, toss the shredded red and green cabbage with the salt. Transfer the cabbage to a colander, place it over the bowl and let it drain for 2 hours.

Discard the salty water in the bowl. Rinse and dry the bowl and return the cabbage to it. (Covered, salt-wilted cabbage will keep for a couple days in the fridge.)

Add the spinach to the cabbage and scatter the lime segments over the top. In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, mustard and cumin together. Add the peanut oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified. Toss the salad with the dressing and add the roasted peanuts. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. This salad is best served immediately, but leftovers will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator.

Dave Lieberman's Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Buttered Rum Glaze

2011-10-18T07:44:00.000-04:00

I've made a new commitment to The Wife. To keep some kind of sweet readily accessibly on the counter - some kind of cake or brownie or something so that when she gets a sweet tooth during the day, she has something to reach for, and will think of me.

I was looking around for something to make this week, keeping in mind what we had in the pantry and came across this recipe - and I'm so glad I did. First - it's easy to make. Second - it's dense and deliciously moist (of course, I shortened the cooking time by 15 minutes.) Third - it's not too sweet, the sweet potato provides a subtle background sweetness, but it's not a sugary sweetness. Think the taste of fall. The real sweetness comes from the glaze. Your first taste will make you pause and think. You expect it to be sweeter - but as you're pondering, you'll find your fork inching toward the cake for your second bite - and you won't give it a second thought. Then you'll find yourself cutting off small pieces for breakfast, and an evening snack. And in a matter of days you'll wonder where the cake went. And then you'll make it again.

I followed the recipe pretty dead on, but I omitted the raisins - just not my thing and I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil because it was what we had. Other than that - and shortening the cooking time by 15 minutes, it's pretty straight forward. The recipe below is as I cooked it. Dave's can be found here.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups cooked Sweet Potato Meat

3 Eggs

3/4 cup warm Water

1 3/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Walnut pieces

Ingredients for the Glaze

1/2 stick of butter

3 tablespoons Spiced Rum

2 cups Confectioner's Sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 and grease and flour your bundt pan.

In a bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside. In your stand mixer (or in a large bowl with mixers) mash your cooked sweet potato, leaving it a little meaty - not quite pureed. Whisk your eggs into the sweet potato. Whisk in your warm water into the egg and sweet potato mixture - then the sugar, oil and vanilla extract. Next, add your flour mixture, a little at a time so you don't end up wearing it, then add your walnuts.

Bake for 45 minutes - or until a toothpick comes out clean. Set cake aside and let cool.

While your cake is cooling, make your glaze. Simply melt the butter and rum, and once they're melted together add you sugar - 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to incorporate each time.

Drizzle the glaze over your cake once it's cooled a bit.

Enjoy!

A Healthier Take on Shrimp and Grits

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love the way this recipe turned out. I had made "mashed" cauliflower before and liked it, although it never was an identical substitute for mashed potatoes. It still a little too grainy - but grits on the other hand, now this could work. And it did. Cauliflower made the perfect healthy substitution for the grits - even if it would get you kicked out of the Battery in Charleston.

The sauce for the shrimp is full-bodied, spicy and savory with a hint of background sweetness from the molasses. It goes perfectly against the subtle creaminess of the cauliflower. If you're looking for a different take on shrimp and grits, give this a try - it's delicious.

Cauliflower Ingredients

1 head of Cauliflower

1/4 cup of Sour Cream

1/4 stick Butter

4 cloves of Garlic

1 tablespoon of Salt

1 tablespoon of Pepper

1/4 cup of shredded Cheese (I used mozzarella)

1/4 cup Milk

Shrimp Ingredients

5 minced pieces of bacon

1 small can of diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons of Huy Fong Garlic Chili Sauce (the three inch red bottle with the green top that can be found in the Asian isle)

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

2 teaspoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

2 tablespoons Molasses

1 lb. of Shrimp - peeled and deveined

Directions

Core the cauliflower and break it up into florets. Place a steamer basket (or a colander) in a dutch oven with about an inch of water over high heat. Place the cauliflower florets in the steam basket and steam for about 15 minutes - until tender and can be pierced easily with a tooth pick.

Meanwhile - set a high sided pan over medium heat and add the minced bacon.

Cook - stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes - until the bacon is cooked and the fat has started to render.

Stir in the tomatoes, garlic chili sauce, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, vinegar and molasses. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes (or until the steaming cauliflower is tender).

When the cauliflower is ready, place the sour cream, butter, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese in a food processor and put your steamed cauliflower on top. Puree the mixture, and add the milk through the top of the food processor - this will help give it a more creamy consistency.

When your cauliflower is smooth and creamy, stir in the shrimp to the sauce mixture - if they're fresh they'll only take about a minute or two to cook. If you add frozen shrimp (like I did) it will take about five minutes.

Plate your cauliflower and top with the shrimp.

Enjoy!

Spinach Fettuccine with Walnut Arugula Pesto

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

This is a recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food that I came across while planning out our weekly menu - we try to have one vegetarian night. We get the magazine and I've always had good luck with recipes from Everyday Food. They always have a ton of flavor, are relatively simple to make with easy to find ingredients. This recipe is no exception. File this in the make this tonight file (two days in a row - wow!)

I could not believe the flavor the pesto gave this pasta - wow, what a kick of garlic. And you really get the peppery bite from the arugula and the nuttiness of the walnuts - it all works together to make an amazing dish. And this is perfect for a weeknight meal because it can be made in the time it takes water to boil - plus 5 minutes to cook the pasta.

I made a few minor changes to the recipe - I halved the pasta (because 8 ounces is the size they sell at Trader Joe's) and some red pepper flakes for some mild heat.

Ingredients
5 Cloves of Garlic
4 Ounces of Arugula (or a little more than half of a 7 Ounce Bag)
3/4 cup of Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2-3/4 Cup of Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
8 Ounces of Spinach Fettuccine
4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions
Start a large pot of water boiling on the stove. While you're waiting for the water to boil, pulse the garlic cloves in a food processor until minced. Add the walnuts and arugula and pulse until a paste is formed.

Stir in the salt and parmesan, and set aside.

Cook the pasta and drain - reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Return the drained pasta to the pot and toss in the pesto, adding the olive oil, cracked pepper (and 2 Tablespoons of red pepper flakes, if desired.) When you've given this a couple of tosses, add the pasta water and continue to toss until the pasta is evenly coated.

Enjoy!

Bahn Mi Tacos

2011-10-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

Bahn Mis have been haunting me for more than a few months now. They've been everywhere recently - or maybe I should say I've just recently discovered them. I must say I've never had a real one. The only bahn mi I've ever had was Emeril's version at Nola on our recent trip to New Orleans - or as it's called on the menu "A Vietnamese Po' Boy." Needless to say it was delicious and I've been noticing them ever since.

Fast forward to today when I was attempting another shot at menu planning for the week and The Wife already had chicken defrosting. I was thinking about tacos, but that's so same old same old. Somewhere between googling recipes and surfing tastespotting bahn mis came to mind. Bahn mi tacos.

I know enough about them to know the basics of bahn mis - cilantro, pate, daikon and shredded carrot. I dutifully headed off to Trader Joe's - and am happy to report that everything you need to make bahn mi tacos can be found there - with a minimal substitution. For convenience, I subbed the daikon and carrot for their shredded broccoli and carrot slaw, the work is already done for you, and makes the most time consuming part of making these cooking the chicken. I also added wasabi mayonnaise for an added zing.
These were beyond good. I would put them in the category of make these tonight - they're that good.

Ingredients for the Marinade
2 Chicken Breasts - sliced into 1/2 inch medallions
4 Tablespoons of Chinese Five Spice Powder
3 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Ingredients for the Bahn Mi Tacos
Whole wheat taco shells

Truffle pate
Wasabi mayonnaise
Shredded broccoli slaw
1 jalapeno - very thinly sliced
1 bunch of cilantro

Directions
Marinate the chicken medallions in five spice and hoisin for 30 minutes to several hours - depending on how much time you have.

While the chicken is marinating, slice the jalapenos as thin as you can.

Heat a large pan to medium high with two tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot, sear the chicken - about one minute on each side.

To assemble the bahn mi, spread the pate on each taco shell.

Add the mayonnaise.

Then the broccoli slaw.

Next, add the jalapenos and Chicken.

And finally, cilantro.

And making her first guest appearance - The Baby in the background.

These are delicious - make them tonight!

Chipotle-Corn Salad

2011-10-10T10:19:00.000-04:00

The fall is definitely one of my favorite seasons. How can it not be with college football and tailgating? We tailgate quite a bit and I love finding new recipes to keep the spread ever changing and delicious.

I decided to take advantage of the last of the fresh corn and make this Food & Wine recipe for the Virginia Tech vs. Miami game this past weekend.

This healthy salad is super easy to make and contains relatively few ingredients. It definitely required the Husband's help though, since I don't grill. :)

It was a huge hit with everyone at our tailgate. The salad is so fresh and who doesn't love grilled corn?! The spiciness of the chipotle is a great contrast to the sweetness of the corn and onions. The charred bits add another great texture and flavor.

Also, let me just say that we all discovered that not only is this a salad but it's also excellent as a "salsa" to be scooped up with tortilla chips.

A few notes:
- The original recipe calls for removing the seeds from the chipotles, I did not do this. I also used 3 instead of the 2 it calls for. If you don't like heat and just want the chipotle flavor remove the seeds and just use 2.
- I used low-fat sour cream, however full fat as well as non-fat would be just fine.

Chipotle Corn Salad

5 ears of yellow corn
1 medium Vidalia or Walla Walla onion, thickly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, (seeded if a reduction of heat is desired) and finely chopped
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the corn and onion slices with the olive oil and grill over moderately high heat until charred in spots but still slightly crisp, about 7 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut the kernels from the cobs and coarsely chop the onion.

In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream with the lime juice, chopped chipotle chiles and sliced scallion and stir in the charred corn and onions. Season the corn salad with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Make Ahead: The chipotle-corn salad can be refrigerated overnight. Let the salad stand for 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

German Red Cabbage

2011-10-05T15:03:00.001-04:00

I needed a cabbage recipe to accompany the Mongolian Pork Chops from Mustards Grill. Like I've been doing more and more, I went to www.tastespotting.com and searched for braised cabbage, and decided on this recipe from One Lovely Life.

It looked fitting. And easy. Everything in the pot and simmer - that's a recipe that lets you cook multiple dishes in a short amount of time. This recipe was the perfect pairing because it didn't require babysitting - giving me time to work on the chops.

Ingredients:

1 head of red cabbage, sliced thin

1 apple, grated with skin on (cored and seeded though)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 pinch of cloves (or two cloves)

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Everybody (except you, lemon) In the pot.

Seriously. Put your cabbage, apple, vinegar, water, sugar, pepper and clove into a dutch oven and cover and bring to a boil - reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until tender.

Drain the liquid and give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

It's that easy - and tasty. Sweet, and the vinegar and clove give it the slightest bite. When I tasted it right out of the pot, I thought it might be too sweet. Tasting after the adding the juice of one lemon changed my mind. The lemon provided the acid and some needed tartness to complete the recipe.

Serve under pork chops, or on it's own - it's delicious.

Mustards Grill Mongolian Pork Chops

2011-10-04T09:10:00.004-04:00

As you have probably picked up on by now, The Wife and I tend to be culinary travelers. Meaning, when we travel, we like to seek out local specialties - either a type of food, drink or restaurant that provides a unique experience of what really speaks to the true character of a place. Somewhere that cuts through the "touristy" aspect of places - usually somewhere that precedes a certain place's touristy designation.

We've found amazing destinations like Ralph's on the Park on New Orleans City Park - far away from the debauchery and smells of the French Quarter, or the afterdeck on Louie's Backyard - away from Duval Street in Key West. (Now, I do love the French Quarter and Duval Street, but if you never venture out of either place, you've really missed out.)

While in Napa last week, we found such a place. Mustards Grill is such a place. It's a place the locals have been coming for years. Rumor has it Robert Mondavi had standing lunch reservations every day - same table. If he hadn't arrived by 1:00 they were free to give away his table. If you've seen The Best Thing I Ever Ate, you might recognize Mustards - Bobby Flay mentioned their Mongolian Pork Chop on one episode.

When we find one of these gems, I always like to try and recreate the experience back home - with Conch Fritters, Barbecue Shrimp or what have you. Trader Joe's had frenched double cut pork chops when I stopped in two nights ago and the Mongolian Pork Chop recipe immediately came to mind. Yesterday morning, I found this recipe and called The Wife to start the marinade.

We didn't have exactly what was needed for the marinade, but made the best of it with what we had in the pantry. I've referenced the recipe I used below, not Cindy Pawcin's original.

I let the chops marinade for about 7 hours.

Marinade:

1/2 Cup Strawberry Jelly

1/2 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine

1/4 Minced Onion

1 Tablespoon Habanero Sauce

1 Tablespoon Ground Ginger

2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic

3/4 Tablespoon Cracked Pepper

2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds

1 Cup Chopped Cilantro

Run all of this through a food processor, and pour over the pork chops - let marinade 3 hours to overnight.

Sauce:

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/8 Cup Mustard Powder

2 Egg Yolks

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

Directions for Sauce:

Combine the sugar and mustard in a glass bowl over a simmering pot ( a home made double boiler) - whisk together. Whisk in egg yolks and vinegar.

Cook, whisk every 2-3 minutes for about 15 minutes. It will be frothy at first, and about the 10 minute mark will become the consistency of pudding. Continue for another few minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool.

When the sauce has cooled, stir in your sour cream and refrigerate until needed.

Directions:

It doesn't get much simpler. Normally, I would have done these on the grill, but last time we grilled I used all of the propane, and swore I'd remember to pick some up...

So, I preheated my oven to 400 and heated my trusty cast iron pan on the stove over medium high head, added a couple of swirls of olive oil and seared the chops for 60 seconds on each side.

Place the pan in the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until cooked to your liking.

Serve these over braised cabbage.

Top with the mustard sauce and Enjoy!

They were outstanding. The perfect way to dress up the standard pork chop.

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-10-03T19:28:00.001-04:00

Ingredients: Peanuts. That's what I want to see on the label of my peanut butter. No salt or sugar. And definitely not any of those 20 letter ingredients that 99.9% of the population has no clue what it is.

Pretty much the only peanut butter I buy is the All-Natural, No-Salt Added, Crunchy Peanut Butter from Trader Joe's. Occasionally the grind-your-own from Fresh Market. There aren't many things I'm super particular about, but peanut butter is definitely one of them. Oh, I used to love that sugary Jiff - but when I made the switch several years ago, there was no turning back.

But, I digress...I had been wanting to make peanut butter cookies for awhile and after unsuccessfully combing through a lot of recipes that specifically called for not using natural peanut butter, I came across this 5 ingredient recipe from Claire Robinson. How do you beat 5 ingredient cookies?! I knew at the very least I had to make one batch.

These are fantastic cookies. And let me just say up front - DO NOT SKIP THE SALT. The coarse sea salt takes these cookies over the top - not only by adding another texture, but by really bringing out the peanut butter flavor.

A few notes:

I used crunchy peanut butter, but smooth would also work. I also added chocolate chips to half of the batter. Those cookies were beyond sinful. Toffee chips could also be delicious.

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.

In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until well combined. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture about 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten the mounds with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies. Sprinkle coarse salt on top of the cookies.

Bake until golden around edges, about 10 minutes, switching the position of the pans halfway thorough baking. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Baked Chicken Risotto

2011-09-29T09:11:00.002-04:00

It's been a hectic summer to say the least, with a new baby and quite a bit of travel. But the Husband and I are back and excited to be cooking (and baking!) again.

This recipe was one of the last in the September 2011 issue of Southern Living and sounded delicious to me. Artichokes and zucchini, in a risotto? Yes please! What a great way to get in 2 servings of vegetables.

This hearty risotto was fantastic - and better yet, so much easier and less hands on than your typical risotto. Lemon is always great paired with artichokes, and this instance is no different. The zucchini is added at the end, which allows them to keep some crunch and offers a wonderful contrast to the creaminess of the rice.

A few notes:

2 good sized chicken breasts yielded me the 3 cups of chopped chicken the recipe calls for. It would also be fine to shred the chicken instead of chopping it. I baked my chicken breasts in the oven at 375 degrees after drizzling them with olive oil and sprinkling them with Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper blend.

The original recipe called for parsley, which I omitted. I also increased the amount of fresh ground pepper. I used minced garlic in place of pressed garlic cloves. Lastly, though I did not add crushed red pepper flakes this time, but I most definitely will mix them in the next time I make this for a touch of heat.

Baked Chicken Risotto

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup minced sweet onion

2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic

1 cup Arborio rice (short-grain)

1/4 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken broth

1 (14-oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

3 cups chopped (or shredded) cooked chicken

2 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon lemon zest

generous pinch of salt

generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Add rice, and cook 2 minutes or until golden brown. Add wine, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until wine is absorbed. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. Bake 20 minutes.

Remove rice from oven, and stir in artichokes and next 3 ingredients. Cover and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cheese, lemon zest, salt and red pepper flakes (if using). Serve immediately

Zucchini Bread

2011-08-09T13:55:00.005-04:00

The Husband's zucchini plants have just taken off this summer. He seriously has had zukes the size of wine bottles! Growing up, my dad grew zucchini as well and my mama always made zucchini bread. She made a delicious zucchini chocolate chip bread that was to die for.

I was wanting to make hers last week, but unfortunately she was out of town and unable to give me the exact recipe off the top of her head. So I looked around a little and found a recipe on Food Network from Paula Deen.

Paula's recipe made two loaves, which with just two of us, I decided to half it so that we'd end up with just one. I also added dried cranberries to it, to give the bread a little something extra. I also used a bundt pan rather than a loaf pan.

We loved the way this turned out (especially The Husband!) and it was so easy to make! The crust is a little crunchy from the sugar, but yet the bread is not too sugary sweet itself. This bread/cake is wonderful for dessert, breakfast or brunch!

Zucchini Bread

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
5 1/2 tablespoons water
1 cup grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add dried cranberries (and nuts if using) and fold in.

Bake in a bundt or loaf pan, sprayed with nonstick spray, for about 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Mr. B's Bistro Barbecue Shrimp

2011-07-31T09:12:00.005-04:00

In honor of The Wife and my upcoming trip to New Orleans, I wanted to set the mood with a little local fare. We're going for my work, and will be having dinner one evening at Ralph's on the Park. The signature restaurant of Ralph Brennan.

Owen Brennan was the patriarch of the Brennan family and put New Orleans and creole/cajun cuisine on the map. Emeril learned to cook in his kitchen at the Commander's Palace. Now the family name is carried on by three cousins - Ralph, Dickie and Cindy Brennan, each with a handful of restaurants. So I thought it only fitting to try out a Brennan recipe.

I went with the recipe for BBQ Shrimp from Mr. B's Bistro. BBQ Shrimp in New Orleans isn't barbecue as we tend to think of it in the Capital of the Confederacy, but rather, a generic term for sauteed shrimp - and this is the perfect recipe!

A lot of New Orleans cooking requires a ton of ingredients and time to let flavors develop - not this recipe. It's surprisingly quick, and packed with flavor and spice. The two kinds of black pepper really come through, and the lemon provides just the right amount of background "tang".

Now, be forewarned, this is not a healthy recipe by any stretch of the imagination, but please believe me when I tell you it is so worth it. If you're going to have a cheat night - or a "calories don't count tonight" night, use this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

I was impressed with how perfect it came together making it for the first time. I think that's the true telling of a great recipe. This is elegantly simple, but a surprisingly complex taste.

Ingredients:

1 lb Shrimp, deveined but shell on

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Juice of 1/2 of a large lemon - or one small lemon

2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp cracked black pepper

2 tsp creole seasoning

1 tsp minced garlic

3 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Crusty French Bread

Directions:

In a cold heavy pan or dutch oven, combine the shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, peppers, creole seasoning and garlic all together. Bring the pan to medium to medium high and continually stir with a wooden spoon, until shrimp turn pink - only about 2-4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low, and add butter - just a few cubes at a time, stirring constantly. Only add more butter when all of the butter in the pan has melted. This will create an amazingly velvety emulsion.

When you've added all of the butter, remove from heat and place shrimp in a bowl and pour sauce over top of this.

Serve with a side of crusty, warm bread. Do not make the bread optional. When you taste the sauce, you'll wish you had more.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-07-20T18:58:00.002-04:00

I'm always looking for fun, new appetizer recipes. Added bonus if the recipe is easy and big points if it's healthy. I made these little gems as the precursor to the Shrimp in Bourbon Cream Sauce that I served during Part One of The Husband's birthday celebration.

I found this recipe on Soupbelly and tweaked it just a tad to reflect our tastes, and voila - a delicious and fairly healthy appetizer!

This recipe has a few steps to it, but the steps are easy and definitely not time consuming.

The Husband and I were both thrilled with the way these turned out. These mushrooms are extremely flavorful, without being so rich and heavy that you are filled up just by the first course.

Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms

10 large white mushrooms

2 oz. shrimp, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste

Remove stems from washed mushrooms. Reserve 5 of the stems and dice. Combine Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs together in a bowl, set aside.

In a skillet, melt 1 Tbsp. butter on medium heat. Cook mushroom caps for 2 minutes, flipping halfway to sweat out excess liquid. Place caps on plate to cool until ready to stuff.

In the same skillet on medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add celery and mushroom stems and cook until softened.

Add shrimp and cook until it turns pink, take skillet off heat and let cool.

In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, chives, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce. Taste and add more Worcestershire & hot sauces, if needed. Season with salt, pepper & garlic powder. Add shrimp mixture. Spoon mixture into mushroom caps and place in a lightly greased baking dish.

Sprinkle bread crumb and Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes or until bread crumbs have browned.

Strawberry Cake

2011-07-18T14:34:00.003-04:00

I had The Husband get some strawberries for me earlier in the week and he picked up over 2lbs of them! I always feel so wasteful letting fruit and vegetables go bad because we don't end up eating them fast enough.

We had gone through about a pound of the strawberries and the second pound was close to the end of its prime. I had bookmarked this Martha Stewart recipe a few days ago and it was definitely time to go ahead and make this summery cake.

This is another really solid, delicious Martha recipe. I love the rustic, no-frills look of this cake. It is just as tasty as it is lovely. It tastes like strawberries and cream, but it cake form. It's not overpoweringly sweet either - perfect as dessert or for brunch.
I followed this recipe to a T, excpet for using a spring form pan instead of a pie plate (I had 9 and 9.5 inch pie plates, not a 10 inch, so I went with the 10 inch spring form pan instead). Don't skip the sprinkling of the sugar over top the cake before popping it in the oven - this creates an amazing crunchy crystalized sugar crust that really makes the cake!

Strawberry Cake

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate.

Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible.

Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

Shrimp in Bourbon Cream Sauce

2011-07-14T10:52:00.000-04:00

For Part One of The Husband's birthday celebration several weeks ago (Part Two takes place this weekend and involves oysters & champagne!), I made this rich and delicious dish as our main course.

This recipe is slightly adapted from one I found on Our Life in Food, and the original recipe comes from a restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio named Nighttown, that Rachael Ray featured in one of her travel shows.

This recipe is beyond easy to make and it's truly decadent. The Husband was in seventh Heaven over this - mission accomplished!

This meal really has it all - a little background heat from the cayenne and paprika, sweetness seeps through from the bourbon and is accentuated by the nutmeg and of course, the butter and cream give it that over the top sinfulness.

I served this over linguine, but it would also be excellent over angel hair, spaghetti or even polenta.

Shrimp in Bourbon Cream Sauce

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
8 oz portabello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup diced onions
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup quality bourbon
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

Combine the butter, cayenne, nutmeg and paprika. Place into a saute pan, and melt over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and onions, and cook until softened and slightly browned. Season well with salt and pepper.

Take the pan off of the heat, and add bourbon. Return to the heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan for just a few seconds until the bourbon is nearly evaporated.

Add the cream, and cook until reduced by half and thickened.

Add the shrimp, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.

Watermelon Salad

2011-07-07T16:54:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, friends of ours came over for a smoke-out. They brought with them a delicious watermelon and feta salad. Of course, I had to know where they got the recipe. Turns out it's a Paula Deen recipe from the Food Network.

So when the Husband picked up several watermelons the other day, I knew I had to make this super simple summer side to go with filets and corn on the cob that he was grilling up.

I love this salad about as much as I love tomato caprese salad (which is A LOT!). The watermelon is sweet, but is balanced out by the acidity of the vinegar, tartness and bite of the feta and the onions. All of the flavors meld so well together, that I just can't imagine a better use for watermelon than this. This salad is also visually beautiful with the bright red, green and white.

Quick notes:
- I increased the amount of feta called for in this recipe by 2 ounces.
- Don't be scared by the onions! The Husband was worried because he tends to not like raw onion, but the vinegar really breaks them down and they are a delicious component of this salad.

Watermelon Salad

1 (5-pound) watermelon

1 Vidalia or other sweet onion

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

6 whole mint sprigs

Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings.

In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs.

To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves.

Watermelon-Jalapeño Cocktail

2011-07-04T07:12:00.004-04:00

I headed to Trader Joe's this morning to restock our pantry and was called to by the watermelons they had out front. Not sure what I would be doing with them, I put a couple in the cart and went about my shopping.

When I got home, I started looking around for watermelon recipes and came across quite a few, but one in particular stuck out. This recipe from Foodista.

Watermelon + jalapeño = fun summer beverage? I was intrigued.

The watermelon is light, and you feel the jalapeños on your lips after you've taken your first sip. The basil provides just the slightest herbiness in the background.

I made this ahead of time - omitting the club soda (for which I used lemon lime seltzer water) - and adding that as I poured each drink later to keep it fizzy. It's refreshing and light, and the come-togetherness of the lime, basil and jalapeño mask any flavor of alcohol - which also means these can be lethal on a hot summer day.

We don't typically drink gin - and we've had a bottle in the back of our liquor cabinet for years. This seemed liked the perfect time to finish it off, but I think Meyers Rum would go great in here as well - or possibly bourbon - subbing out mint for the basil for a watermelon Julep. The possibilities are endless.

These are a great substitution for the same old same old margarita for your next cookout.

Ingredients:

1 blender full of cubed watermelon

1 lime - cut into wedges

2 jalapeños - seeded and roughly chopped

1 bunch basil (I picked 17 leaves from our plant out back)

12 oz alcohol (gin, rum, vodka, bourbon...)

Club Soda/Seltzer for fizz

Simple Syrup to taste

Directions:

Fill your blender full of cubed watermelon and blend until smooth - about 30 seconds. It will make about three cups.

Strain the watermelon water through a mesh strainer (this will give you a smoother cocktail).

In a large pitcher, add your limes.

Then add basil.

Next up, the jalapeños.

And muddle.

Stir in your watermelon water.

Add your alcohol.

Serve over crushed ice - fill 3/4 of the way full and top off with seltzer/club soda - and add simple syrup to taste.

Garnish with a basil leaf.

Enjoy (Responsibly)!

Blueberry Brownies

2011-07-03T13:43:00.002-04:00

A recipe has to be pretty darn good for me to make it twice - especially two days in a row. When I came across this recipe on the blog Chocolate & Tea, I knew I'd be making these. It looked like a simple recipe and used one of my favorite summer fruits.

I hadn't made anything with chocolate and blueberries combined before, but I've always liked the chocolate covered blueberries from Harry & David, so why would blueberry brownies be any different?

They weren't. They were delicious and addictive just like those little blueberries. These brownies are fudgy and the blueberries are a goey, wonderful surprise. The cinnamon really shines through too, which is unsual and unexpected - but in a great way.

A few quick notes - I used frozen organic blueberries from Trader Joe's that I had on hand. Instead of chocolate chips, which are optional in the first place, I chopped up 1 square of semi-sweet baking chocolate and mixed it in. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as listed below.

Blueberry Brownies

Yields 1 8x8 baking dish

1/2 cup butter, melted (vegetable/olive oil may also be substituted)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8x8 baking dish (I used a loaf pan because I'm not cool enough to have a brownie pan).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addtion.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until well blended. Stir in the blueberries and chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overcook (so watch them like a hawk)!

World - Meet The Baby

2011-07-01T08:15:00.005-04:00

World, meet The Baby.

She was born June 28 at 12:18 PM, weighing 6lbs 6 ozs and 20 inches long. I had privilege of bringing The Wife and The Baby home yesterday. All are doing exceptionally well.

Since this is a food blog - I'll throw in dinner from last night. There were so many things The Wife couldn't have the past 9 months, so for her first dinner home I made a grilled yellow fin tuna from Whole Foods over a goat cheese bok choy.

The tuna was delicious - seasoned with a Caribbean blackening seasoning we picked up in St. Maarten, simply grilled on high heat (600) for 2 minutes on each side, and to tell the truth, next time I would only do 1 minute, or 90 seconds.

The bok choy was just sauteed in olive oil, butter and garlic, and stirred in the goat cheese when I took the tuna off the grill. I then strained the bok choy and poured to olive oil over the tuna.

Outstanding dinner to wind up an unbelievable day.

The Easiest (and Tastiest) Bagel Recipe

2011-06-22T07:00:00.009-04:00

Before we get started, let me warn you - if you make these, you'll be addicted and will be making them from now on. Store bought bagels will never compare - and this way is much cheaper. Now that you've been warned...

We're nearing the end of our 40 week adventure into parenthood and The Wife has had relatively few if any cravings. I haven't had to make any midnight pickle and ice cream runs - or late night drives to Midlothian for Sonic onion rings.

So when she said last week that she had been craving bagels, I began looking for a recipe I could make as a surprise one morning. I stumbled across this recipe and upon checking the pantry, began on my quest.

I wasn't sure how good these were going to be when I started because I've never made bagels before, but they were amazing. And it's easy to get creative with the toppings - you add them after the boiling stage before you bake them, so you can make multiple kinds per batch.

This recipe makes 8 bagels. I have to say, with all of the toppings, I like the simplicity of the plain bagel. It gets just crisp enough on the outside to give it a crunch, but it's still doughy and chewy on the inside, as a good bagel should be.

I made 4 different bagels:

Plain
Sea Salt
Cinnamon, Sugar and Cayenne
Sesame

The potential for toppings is endless.

Ingredients:

4 cups of All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Instant Yeast

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 1/2 Cups of Warm Water

Toppings

Directions:

Combine all of your ingredients (except the toppings) in a bowl. Knead for 10 minutes - if you're using a stand mixer, only knead for 5 minutes using your dough hook.

Using a pizza roller, divide the dough in half 4 times - so you end up making 8 balls of dough. Let them rest for 15 minutes.

While the dough is rising, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

After 15 minutes of resting, roll the dough balls out into a foot-long snake.

Make an indention in one end, and plug the other end into it.

Then, using your palm, smash down on the area where the two ends meet - this is the easiest way I've found to seal your bagel.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

When you have 8 bagels, drop them into the water, one at a time, in batches, so they can float to the top without touching. I found that three is the magic number in my pot. Note that they will sink to the bottom - give them a nudge with a spoon to keep them from sticking to the bottom - they should rise to the top in about 1 minute.

Boil them for one minute on each side, remove from the water and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Now is the time to apply any toppings you may have.

Bake your bagels at 425 degrees for 10 minutes on each side - remove and let cool for as long as you can before tearing into them.

Enjoy!

Mississippi Hush Puppies

2011-06-21T07:33:00.005-04:00

As a side for the cookout we had on Sunday, I made one of The Wife's guilty pleasures - hush puppies. I found this recipe in Southern Living and it was delicious.

It's a simple batter that cooks up beautifully.

Ingredients:

1 cup self-rising cornmeal mix

1/2 cup self-rising flour

3 tablespoon sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk or beer

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Whisk together cornmeal, flour and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine egg, beer, onion and both peppers. Gently fold in your wet mixture into the dry mixture, mixing until just combined and moist.

Let the mixture rest in the fridge for 30 minutes - or all afternoon if you prefer to make this ahead.

When you're ready to serve, using a spoon, drop a grape to ping-pong sized dollop of the batter in 375 degree oil and fry for about three minutes total - making sure to turn them with a spoon so they don't cook only on one side.

Serve these immediately, but be warned - the jalapenos provide some nice unexpected heat.

Enjoy!

Zucchini and Red Pepper Slaw - The Perfect Cookout Side Dish

2011-06-20T06:58:00.016-04:00

I've planted a much smaller garden than last year, just a few zucchini and tomato plants in the ground. The zucchini have been growing like nobodies business - and in a short month, I had two large ones ready for picking.

Looking for something different to do with them other than olive oil, salt and pepper, slice, grill - I found this recipe at Eating Well. I used this as a side to smoked chicken barbecue, and paired it with Mississippi hush puppies, watermelon salad and smoked corn for the perfect summer menu.

The slaw is slightly sweet and tangy from the vinegar but not bitter - I thought it was the perfect accompaniment to a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, but tasty enough to stand on its own as a side.

If you're looking for something different to take to your next cookout, this is your recipe, but be prepared for guests to be asking for the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 Large Zucchinis, shredded

1/4 Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade/Jelly/Preserves*

2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil

Directions:

I found it's much easier to shred your zucchini and onion in a food processor using the shredding wheel, but a box grater would work fine.

Place you shredded zucchini and onion in a colander/strainer and add salt, mix well. The salt will pull out about 3/4 cup of excess water. Let this sit for 45 minutes to an hour. Rinse with water to remove the salt and squeeze out the excess liquid.

In a large bow, add zucchini and onions and remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Curried New Potato Salad

2011-06-04T08:20:00.000-04:00

I've had my Lee Brothers's Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor cookbook since Christmas. For the life of me, I'm not real sure why it has taken me this long to make something from it. Especially considering that so many of the recipes look delicious.

So when we had a cook-out to attend Memorial Day weekend and were responsible for bringing a side dish, I decided to forego my usual go-to and try a recipe out from this book.

The temperatures were super high that weekend and I wanted to stay away from hot dishes. I found two recipes for potato salad in this book that looked amazing - Green Goddess Potato Salad & Curried New Potato Salad and decided to go with the latter, figuring no one else would be making anything with curry or garam masala.

This recipe is time consuming in that it involves a lot of chopping and dicing, but the end result is a super flavorful potato salad where the delicious dressing really coats every little morsel. This potato salad was a big hit and I think everyone was pleasantly surprised by the unusual flavor combinations.

One of the things I loved about this potato salad is that while curry, garam masala and mayo tend to impart richness, this is kept bright with the pickle relish, lemon juice and vinegar.

Notes:
- The book claims that the recipe as listed below serves 4. I call bologna. I doubled the recipe due to this fact and ended up with enough potato salad to feed a small army (an army much bigger than 8!). I'd say the recipe below will serve 8-10 people easily.
- The recipe calls for using 1 teaspoon of either curry powder or garam masala. I actually used both since I doubled the recipe (1 teaspon of curry and 1 teaspoon of garam masala). Next time I make this recipe, I won't double it but will still use both spices - 1/2 teaspoon of each.
- At the end I added a little more salt and two large pinches of black pepper. I didn't find that adding any additional curry powder or garam masala was necessary.

Curried New Potato Salad

5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 1/2 lbs small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup high-quality mayo (Duke's)
1/4 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup pickle relish
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 tsp curry powder or garam masala, plus more to taste
2 ribs celery, peeled and finely diced (approx. 1 cup)
1 cup thinly sliced scallions (white & green parts)
Freshly ground black pepper

Put 6 cups water, 4 1/2 teaspoons of the salt & the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit in the hot water for 10 minutes while you prepare the dressing.

In a large salad bowl, whisk the mayo with the buttermilk, pickle relish, lemon juice, vinegar, curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and run them under cold running water to cool. Shake off the excess water and transfer the potatoes to the bowl containing the dressing. Add the celery and scallions, and toss until evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (but not more than 2 days).

Before serving, season to taste with salt, curry powder and black pepper.

Tequila-Lime-Coconut Macaroon Bars

2011-06-02T09:34:00.002-04:00

Think Margarita meets Pina Colada. In bar form. For this pregnant lady, that's about as close to those sweet frozen cocktails as I'm going to get for another 6 weeks.

I ran across this recipe in last month's Southern Living magazine. We had a bunch of family and friends in town several weeks ago and I knew this would be a perfect treat in the hot weather.

Though a little time consuming, these bars are easy to make and well worth the extra effort and time. They are absolutely delicious and were a huge hit with all of our guests. Coconut, lime and tequila are always a great combination and it's one that does not disappoint with this recipe.

The bars are just sweet enough and the lime juice and zest really keep them bright and light. In other words - they are addicting (you've been warned!).

I followed the directions for the recipe exactly. I did garnish the bars with powdered sugar as suggested, but omitted the lime rind curls for lack of time (though I'm sure they'd be a lovely touch).

Tequila-Lime-Coconut Macaroon Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 teaspoon lime zest

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons tequila

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Garnishes: powdered sugar, lime rind curls

Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

Stir together 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a medium bowl until smooth; whisk in coconut, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir together baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup flour; whisk into egg mixture. Pour over hot crust.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool 1 hour on a wire rack. Lift from pan, using foil sides as handles. Remove foil, and cut into bars. Garnish, if desired.

Saucy Mama Memorial Day GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-05-28T19:35:00.002-04:00

UPDATE: The winner of our Saucy Mama Memorial Day Giveaway contest is...

Laura Hoffman!!! Congrats Laura! Please email us (onecoupleskitchen@gmail.com) with your email address and mailing address.

The past few weeks, the Husband and I have been participating in the Saucy Mama "Fab with Five Recipe Challenge". Among other things, this means we've had the chance to experiment with some delicious sauces and marinades from Saucy Mama.

We're excited to announce that one lucky One Couple's Kitchen reader will win a 3 pack of Saucy Mama products. This prize will include Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing, Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon Mustard and Saucy Mama Sweet Heat Marinade.

To Enter:
1. Like One Couple's Kitchen on Facebook and leave a comment here letting us know you have done so.

2. For a 2nd entry, follow us on Twitter @1CouplesKitchen & leave a comment here letting us know you did so. OR if you already follow us on Twitter, leave us a comment letting us know that you already do.

3. For a 3rd entry, tweet our giveaway to your followers and leave us another comment letting us know you did so.

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 11 P.M. EST ON MONDAY, MAY 30TH.

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM.

Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Chicken

2011-05-23T11:58:00.000-04:00

For our Saucy Mama 5 ingredient recipe contest, we really wanted to come up with an "out of the box" recipe. Tasting this sauce immediately took me to an Asian dish. I envisioned something with a little crunch and texture.

The Pacific Ginger Dressing is the perfect accompaniment - it gives it a little sweetness and a little tang. The Wife loved it - it was a perfect Asian meal, and we both liked that it remained healthy because the chicken is pan-seared as opposed to fried as in so many Asian recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 head of Red Cabbage

1 cup Peanuts

Chicken Tenders - sliced into medallions

Rice Noodles

Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing

Directions:

Slice cabbage.

Roughly chop peanuts.

Over medium high heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil and sautee the chicken until cooked through - stirring frequently. When cooked though, set chicken aside.

Meanwhile, start preparing the rice noodles as instructed on the package - all mine required was pouring hot water over them and letting them soak for 10 minutes.

In the same pan, reduce heat to medium and stir in the sliced cabbage. Cover and let wilt for 2-3 minutes. Stir cabbage for 10-15 seconds and add peanuts, stirring to combine.

Stir in 1/2 bottle of Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Ginger Dressing and peanuts - stir to combine.

Reduce heat to low, continuing to stir until the pan has cooled only slightly, and dressing starts to simmer/braise the cabbage. Cover and let the cabbage mixture braise for 5 minutes.

Stir in chicken and remaining bottle of Saucy Mama Pacific Rim Dressing.

Cover and let mixture braise over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Serve the cabbage and chicken over the rice noodles. Feel free to garnish with a little Sriracha - I did.

Saucy Mama Shrimp Tacos

2011-05-22T23:29:00.000-04:00

We are always looking for quick, healthy recipes that don't compromise on flavor. When we got our contestant pack from Saucy Mama for the new 5 ingredient recipe contest and saw the Chipotle Dressing, my mind immediately went to shrimp tacos. This recipe comes together so easily that it's nothing to whip these up on a week night.

Broiling the shrimp instead of frying them keeps the recipe healthy, but filling at the same time.

Ingredients:

1 lb. 12-15 count shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bottle of Saucy Mama Santa Fe Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Soft corn taco shells (tortillas)

1 head of butter lettuce

Directions:

In an oven, place the top rack on the highest setting, place a broiler pan on the top rack and set the oven to broil.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.

Once the pan is hot, place the shrimp on the pan and broil for 90 seconds.

Turn over and broil for 2 minutes.

Remove the cooked shrimp from the oven and toss with half of a bottle of Saucy Mama Santa Fe Creamy Chipotle Dressing.

Place a leaf of butter lettuce on a corn tortilla and fill with shrimp. Drizzle with leftover sauce.

Enjoy!

Date, Walnut & Blue Cheese Ball

2011-05-20T09:49:00.000-04:00

I'm always in search of new (to me) appetizers/party fare. When we entertain, which unfortunately as of late hasn't been that often, I love to make a variety of appetizers for our guests. I've never made a cheese ball before, but when I found this Cooking Light recipe, I thought it would be a perfect first attempt.

This turned out great! The blue cheese is prominent, but not overwhelming. You get a little bit of shallot and the dates are a phenomenal sweet contrast to all the savory flavors. The lemon rind gives the cheese mixture a little bit of brightness as well.

Several notes:
- The original recipe calls for the cheese ball to be rolled in both walnuts and parsley. The Husband & I are not big fans of fresh parsley, so I omitted the parsley and increased the amount of walnuts.
- I forgot to toast the walnuts (we can chalk that up to pregnancy brain), and I am sure it would be even more delicious with them toasted.
- I upped the amount of dates.

Date, Walnut & Blue Cheese Ball

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
5 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 - 4 tablespoons minced pitted Medjool dates (3-4 dates)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add dates, shallots, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; beat at medium speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.

Spoon cheese mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a ball, using a rubber spatula. Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap; chill overnight.

Place walnuts in a shallow dish. Unwrap cheese ball; gently roll in nut mixture, coating well. Place on a serving plate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve

Tiki Snack Mix

2011-05-18T10:08:00.001-04:00

Bacon and Pineapple? How delicious does that sound?!

When I came across this recipe in the November 2010 edition of Food & Wine magazine in an article on their best party snacks from their latest cookbook (Reinventing the Classics), I knew I'd be making it at some point. This snack mix is a Polynesian take on the classic bar snack of honey-glazed peanuts.

I made this mix for a gathering of family we had our house this past weekend. I thought it'd be perfect with wine and cocktails, and would be a fun addition to the other appetizers I was making. Though I knew the guys would love this bacon laden treat, this snack mix was a HUGE hit with everyone. The Husband said it was one of the best things he'd put in his mouth. Although this recipe made about 4 cups of this mixture, it was gobbled up in no time.

This mix really hits on so many tastes - saltiness and smokiness from the bacon and peanuts, a little tang from the soy sauce, background heat from the cayenne and a nice sweetness from the honey that candies everything and the candied pineapple.

Though it takes a little time to prepare because you have to bake the bacon and then bake the mix, it is super easy and can be made ahead of time. I made it Friday morning, put it in airtight containers and served it that evening.

Tiki Snack Mix

8 thick slices of meaty bacon
3 cups salted roasted peanuts

4 candied pineapple rings, cut into 1/3-inch triangles

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a rack set over a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the bacon is almost crisp. Drain on paper towels and cut into 1/2-inch strips.

In a bowl, toss the bacon with the peanuts, pineapple, sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey and cayenne. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once, until the bacon is browned. Season the mix with salt and stir occasionally until cool, then serve.

Black Beans and Sausage from Everyday Food

2011-05-10T06:31:00.002-04:00

I found this recipe online while browsing through the Everyday Food website. Since we've been getting this magazine, I'm really liking the recipes. There are a lot of healthy, flavorful, quick and easy recipes - which, to be able to check all of those boxes is a feat in and of itself.

I was planning the menu for this week, looking for something with a super-food - in this case, black beans.

I subbed out most of the chicken stock for light coconut milk (the black beans at Pescado's has coconut in theirs, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I also used cilantro instead of parsley and chicken sausage rather than polish. I loved the changes. The coconut gave it a hint of sweetness that I added red pepper flakes to for a balance of spice - and the cilantro was the perfect complement.

This recipe turns out to be more of a soup - almost a black bean and sausage chowder - you could definitely serve this over rice.

For us, it was the perfect light and healthy supper, and different than anything I'd cooked in a while. The Wife loved it, and I have to add that a little Sriracha puts it over the top!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 lb Sausage in casing (I used Trader Joe's garden vegetable, mushroom and Asiago chicken sausage)

3 medium Carrots (or 9 baby carrots)

2 Shallots, diced

Salt and Pepper

2 cloves of Garlic, diced

2 cans (15 oz) of Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can of Light Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Chicken Broth

1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 Tbsp Cilantro

Directions:

Over medium to medium high heat, add sausage and cook through. When cooked, remove from pan, and slice into bite size pieces.

Add carrots and shallots to the pan, and cook until carrots start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minutes, until fragrant.

Drain and rinse the black beans and add them to the mix, stirring to deglaze the pan. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock and stir to deglaze.

Add sliced sausage back to the pan, stir in red pepper flakes and bring mixture to a simmer and let cook until carrots are cooked through.

When the carrots are cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

Enjoy!

Menu Planning: 5/9/2011

2011-05-09T18:59:00.005-04:00

So we're attempting to menu plan. We've found that it helps us eat healthier, and budget smarter by avoiding the indecisiveness that leads to ordering pizza or going out to dinner every night. I'll be documenting our culinary adventures here at the beginning of each week.

What's on tap for this week?

Monday: Black Beans and Sausage - Recipe

Tuesday: Pizza Night - Spinach, Mushroom and Mozzarella

Wednesday: Pasta Night - Pappardelle with Baby Spinach, Herbs and Ricotta - Recipe

Thursday: Shrimp with Bacon and Collards - Recipe

Friday Night: Chili Night - Recipe

I'll be back to hyperlink throughout the week as we post the recipes.

Lemon Pasta with Shrimp & Broccoli

2011-05-03T08:50:00.001-04:00

During this pregnancy, shrimp has been one of those things that though I loved before, doesn't usually sit well with me now. This has been pretty devastating for The Husband, who could eat shrimp for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For some reason though, when I ran across this recipe on the blog, Eat Good 4 Life, it sounded like something that might be okay for me. Knowing it would make The Husband super happy, I decided to give this is a shot.

This meal literally came together in a snap - barely 20 minutes from the time I turned the burner on to boil the pasta water. It really doesn't get much better than that when it comes to making a home cooked meal during the week.

Though it is a pasta, the dish is very light with the shrimp and various aspects of lemon. I definitely think the red pepper flakes and Parmesan listed as optional, are musts. The Husband loved it and I actually enjoyed it as well (though I must admit, I made sure to only give myself a few pieces of shrimp and stick mainly with the broccoli!).

I followed this recipe pretty much to a T, except I omitted the lemon slices. I've always felt that citrus slices can be a bit awkward, but that's just me.

Lemon Pasta with Shrimp & Broccoli

1 box (13 oz) whole wheat linguine or spaghetti
5-8 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced,
1 pound large shrimp, (I used precooked and thawed shrimp)
Fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, zest grated
2-3 cups fresh broccoli
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, optional
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Salt to taste

Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in heavy pan, add olive oil over medium-low heat. Add broccoli and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, salt, and saute for about 2 minutes, just until shrimp warms through.

Turn heat off and add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Asparagus and Mushrooms with a Red Wine Vinaigrette

2011-05-02T07:31:00.002-04:00

We had this Friday night, as a healthy side to some beautiful filets The Wife had picked up at Tom Leonard's - something different than our standard baked or mashed potatoes. When doing steaks I prefer sides that are quick and easy - something I can cook while the steaks are on the grill and resting. This was perfect.

We really liked this recipe. The browning gives the mushrooms great flavor, and the asparagus are cooked just long enough - they retain a slight crunch. The sauce brings everything together with a hint of sweetness. It's the perfect side for a grilled meal.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 1/2 lbs Mushrooms (I used baby bellas, but you could use any kind)

Salt and Pepper

1 bunch Asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)

1 Shallot, sliced

2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar (The original recipe called for sherry vinegar, but my pantry didn't cooperate)

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon Honey

Directions:

Heat two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat, and in small batches, brown the mushrooms (about 4 minutes - adding a plash of oil in between batches) and set aside in a large bowl.

Add a splash of oil and cook asparagus in the same pan - until just tender, about 4 minutes. When cooked, add to the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.

Add just a splash of oil to the pan and cook the shallot, stirring until brown. Add the vinegar and mustard and stir to combine. Add the water and de-glaze the pan, let mixture for one minute, stir in honey and pour over vegetables. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

2011-05-01T13:46:00.001-04:00

We've been trying to eat healthier - and to get back to the idea of menu planning. I find planning out meals for the week helps us to eat healthier because we have everything on hand for dinner, and avoid this all to familiar dialogue:

Me: "What do you want to do for dinner"

The Wife: "I don't care - I don't want to make a decision"

Me: "Does X sound good?"

The Wife: "No."

Me: "How about Y?"

The Wife: "Eww. No."

Me: "OK...why don't we just Go out/order pizza?"

So this past week, I planned out our meals, kept them all something simple that I could whip up after work. I did all of the shopping on the way home from work Monday night. It turned out great - we both ate healthier, and had a larger variety of foods than we would have normally eaten in the course of a week.

This is another recipe from Everyday Food's May 2011 issue. I liked this recipe because of the fresh greens, and the fact that it was a pasta recipe that didn't include a heavy sauce.

It turned out great - with a ton of flavor. I only made two small additions - I added a sliced shallot with the garlic and pepper flakes, and then topped it with fresh grated Parmesan right before serving.

Ingredients:

1lb box of Orecchiette

1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe - cut to 1 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup Olive Oil

4 Garlic cloves, sliced

1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tablespoon of fresh Oregano

Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions:

This recipe goes quick - so have your prep work done ahead of time.

Bring your water to a boil and add your pasta. With 4 minutes to go, add the broccoli rabe to the pasta water.

Once you've added the broccoli rabe, heat oil, garlic, shallot and red pepper flakes over medium heat - just until garlic begins to brown and sizzle.

When your pasta is cooked, drain with your broccoli rabe and return both to the pot. Pour olive oil mixture over top and stir to coat - and season with salt and pepper.

Add your lemon juice and stir - and top with fresh oregano and freshly grated Parmesan.

An easy, healthy meal that's quick and full of flavor. Enjoy!

Martha Stewart's Tomato Onion Casserole

2011-04-29T06:49:00.003-04:00

There is something to be said for truth in advertising when it comes to naming recipes. You don't have to worry about any misconceptions here. This is the perfect, simple, fresh spring recipe that you've been looking for. It's straight forward flavors work so well together because the tomatoes and red onions both get sweeter as they cook.

This is the perfect side dish - it's light, healthy and full of flavor.

We paired it with a Greek Mahi Mahi and cous cous. A bit of the red onion cooks away, and you're left with sweet caramelized edges and soft, sweet and tangy tomatoes.

Try this at your next cookout. I didn't list amounts of tomatoes or onions because it could just as easy feed two as it could a large gathering. Use as many as you can eat.

Ingredients:

Red Onions

Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450.

Slice tomatoes and onions and layer rows in a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 45 minutes - or until edges on the tomatoes and onions start turning brown.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

2011-04-28T06:47:00.011-04:00

I love this recipe because it does something different with potatoes. Especially if that something different can be healthy that doesn't require an abundance of salt, butter, cream, sour cream, or cheese.

These are easy to prepare and retain the nutritional value of the potato by steaming them, rather than boiling them.

By roasting them at high heat, they get a crisp edge that gives them the texture than enables them to be a stand alone side without the need for a sauce or dressing. We paired them with The Breslin Burger as a healthy alternative to fries.

I found these little potatoes (officially called "Teeny Tiny Potatoes") at Trader Joe's. They come in a yellow mesh bag in the produce section, for about $2.00 a bag. I used half of the bag for two people.

Ingredients:

1lb. bag of small white potatoes - ones that measure about 1 inch. (fingerlings would also work well with this recipe)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Preheat over to 425.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Place potatoes in steamer basket, or in a colander and set over the boiling water and cover. Steam potatoes for about 5 minutes - you don't want them to cook all the way through, just enough to smash.

For the "smashing" part, I used a wooden spatula and gently rolled/pressed the potatoes individually, smashing them in half. You'll want to be careful not to smash them too thin, or they will fall apart.

Drizzle olive oil on a large sheet pan and place the potatoes in the olive oil and flip over. Make sure both sides get coated with the oil.

When you've smashed all of your potatoes and covered them in olive oil, lightly sprinkle salt and pepper over them. By only seasoning one side of the potatoes, you can cut down on your sodium.

Roast these for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees, or until you see the edges start to brown.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion & Cornbread Stuffing

2011-04-27T09:05:00.000-04:00

I know that stuffing (in this case it was actually dressing) is more of a Thanksgiving staple than an Easter one, but we decided to do cornish hens for Easter this year - a departure from the ham and lamb we typically do, and needed a great dressing to accompany them.

When I found this Tyler Florence recipe, I knew that it would be delicious using my all time favorite corn bread/corn muffin recipe and would pair nicely with the hens.

This dressing was a huge hit with everyone. Even my sister who always refuses to eat stuffing/dressing, not only tried this but loved it and devoured it. I have a feeling this will be replacing the usually stuffin' muffins that I make at Thanksgiving.

You can use your own favorite corn bread recipe, but I really recommend using the one that I do. The corn muffins I used were sweet and have whole corn kernels in them. The sweetness of the corn muffins is a great counterpart to the caramelized onions and the corn kernels adds another texture to keep things interesting. The sage really plays off the sweetness of the muffins as well.

Caramelized Onion & Cornbread Stuffing

2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
7-8 cornmeal muffins, cubed
Handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Add sage and scrape into a large mixing bowl. Add the cornbread pieces, season well with salt and pepper, and give it a good toss until it's well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, cream, and stock, and pour that over the cornbread. Stir the stuffing together.

Stuff the cavity of the turkey. You could also spoon it into a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven along with the turkey. Bake until hot and crusty on top, about 30 minutes.

Avocado Lime Tart

2011-04-25T12:19:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! The Husband and I spent Easter with my family, which was wonderful since all of us had not been together since Christmas. Like most holiday meals, my Mama and I put our heads together to come up with a great menu. This Easter, with me being pregnant, she did most of the heavy lifting - leaving me to only do one dessert and dressing (recipe to come later this week!) to go with Cornish Hens she was doing. She was making an Almond Joy Cheesecake, so I went in search of something non-chocolate and light to balance out the heaviness of a cheesecake.

The Husband actually found this recipe for me on a blog called The City Sisters. He got excited - it reminding him of the Avocado Tart at Pescados China Street that we love so much. For me, it fit the criteria of what I was looking for and was also gluten free - perfect for my Dad, who is gluten-intolerant.

This tart was easy to make and was absolutely delicious. It was sweet, without being too sweet and creamy without being heavy. And with the high 80 degree temperatures, it being semi-frozen was a welcome treat.

I originally was a little concerned about the crust. It's not your typical graham cracker, butter and sugar crust - this one relies on dates, pecans and just two tablespoons of butter! But it actually was delicious and perfect for the avocado lime filling.

The only change I made to this recipe was using reduced fat cream cheese in place of the full fat kind.

Avocado Lime Tart

3/4 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tart crust (recipe below)

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat, add sugar, and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour the liquid in a bowl and allow to cool.

In a food processor, blend the avocado and cream cheese until smooth. Add lime juice and process again until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and whip in cooled cream.

Pour into tart crust and place in freezer for at least two hours. Allow to soften on kitchen counter about 15 minutes before serving.

Sugar Free Tart Crust
Recipe from Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

2 cups pecans
3 large medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8-inch tart pan with cooking spray.

In a food processor, blend the pecans and dates until well chopped. Add the butter and process until dough forms. Press mixture into the tart pan and bake for 8-10 minutes. The crust will be light brown and slightly puffed. Allow to cool completely before adding filling.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna

2011-04-19T11:37:00.004-04:00

There are certain things The Husband loves - mushrooms, white sauce and pasta are definitely on that list. So when I saw Ina Garten make this Wild Mushroom Lasagna that incorporated all 3 of those things, I knew I had to make this for him.

The Husband raved about this and though I'm normally not a fan of dishes with white sauces, I really enjoyed this as well. While this really was wonderful, The Husband tried something that took the lasagna over the top - he drizzled the wedges with White Truffle Oil. Oh my goodness. Sinful. If you have White Truffle Oil, I would definitely suggest drizzling the finished product with a tiny bit (a little goes a long way!). Actually, White Truffle Oil is something I'd suggest adding to your pantry if you enjoy truffles.

I was a little hesitant upon starting this dish because I had never made a white sauce before, but it couldn't have been easier. This is a simple recipe to make, but definitely time consuming to do it right.

There are a few small changes from the original recipe that I have included in the recipe below. Those changes include: increasing the amount of mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, as well as optional inclusions of Gruyere cheese and red pepper flakes.

One quick note - as to the mushrooms, I used an exotic mushroom blend that I found at Whole Foods. This blend included oyster mushrooms, portabellos and shiitakes. If you can't find a blend such as this, portabellos will be fine!

Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
4 cups whole milk
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 pounds portabello mushrooms
2 cups freshly ground Parmesan
Shredded Gruyere cheese (optional)
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.

For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, nutmeg and red pepper flakes (if using), and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat.

Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and shredded Gruyere cheese (if using). Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, Parmesan and Gruyere. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and Gruyere.

Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Acacia Midtown: Looking for a Michelin Star?

2011-04-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you the tale of how The Wife and I ended up at Acacia Midtown last night.

She had met a friend in South Hill for lunch (half way between Richmond and Raleigh.) Having been in the car all day in the rain didn't exactly set the mood for wanting to come home and spend a couple of hours cooking dinner, so I suggested we go out - maybe try one of the various prix fixe menus that have been popping up all over Richmond.

The Wife called through several to find out what the nights menu was - to make sure it was something she was able to eat. Bistro Bobette had mussels and pork tenderloin on the menu last night. While it sounded good to me, The Wife hasn't been eating shellfish during this pregnancy and pork is not her favorite - so that was saved for another night.

She called Belle Vie - which, according to Richmond.com has a three course prix fixe that they bill as a "bistro menu." The person who answered the phone was rude - saying "excuse me?" laughing and telling her they offer no such thing. That didn't inspire us to ever want to make the trek down there.

I had to tell you those stories to tell you what made our experience at Acacia so special. When The Wife called, she told the person on the phone, Rebecca, that she was pregnant, and there is a lot of food she can't/doesn't want to eat, and asked if she could share the nights prix fixe menu with her. It wasn't available yet - the chef releases it to the staff around 5:00 every evening. Rebecca offered to take her number, call her back when it was released and make reservations then if it worked. Impressive effort in going the extra mile.

She called back and The Wife was wowed with 4 entrees to choose from, so she promptly set reservations at 6:30.

We arrived out front of Acacia, where they have complimentary valet parking. Inside, the same Rebecca took our coats, remembers The Wife's name and led us to our table.

The experience has been great so far, and we've only just walked in - but here's when it starts to sink in that this restaurant is something different.

We were seated and promptly greeted by our waiter who greeted us with "Good evening, I understand there is a food allergy, or special request here, the kitchen is happy to accommodate any requests." From the brief conversation several hours ago, it was noted - and remembered - that The Wife was pregnant and might have special requests. That level of attention to detail impressed us further. He offered that their bartender could make a wide variety of mocktails - and The Wife took him up on that. He crafted her something with rhubarb juice, molasses, and slices of citrus. It was perfect, not too sweet - and the most unusual flavor she'd ever had in a mocktail - I was jealous with just my glass of Pinot Noir.

Their prix fixe menu offered two appetizer choices, four entree choices and three dessert options. All sounded amazing.

The Appetizer choices were a roasted yellow pepper soup or a salad with blue cheese, apple matchsticks, arugula and some kind of nut. She opted for the soup and I chose the salad.

The soup was rich - it tasted like a hearty roasted pepper with a hit of sweetness. The salad was an equal match. I've never "loved" a salad, but this was different. Every bite was perfectly uniform, the sweetness from the apple and dressing, the tang from the tiny blue cheese crumbles and the crunch from the nuts.

Out entree choices were rockfish, duck, flounder or ribeye.

I was torn between the rockfish and the duck and asked the waiter's opinion. The rockfish sounded amazing until he mentioned that the duck had a nice crispy skin - you had me at crispy duck skin. It was cooked perfectly with a small, perfect layer of duck fat under the skin. It was paired with a scalloped potato risotto and asparagus.

The Wife ordered the rib eye - and while she had to have it cooked more than she normally would, it was still an amazing cut of beef that almost fell apart under her knife.

Her dessert was a chocolate cremeaux with an olive oil ice cream. I love olive oil ice cream - trust me on this. I opted for the yuzu dessert that came out almost like a key lime pie, but with yuzu - and a scoop of ice cream as well.

I closed out the meal with a cup of tea - which comes out in a french press pot. No tea bags here.

This is definitely the best $24 per person (not including wine and mocktails) I have EVER spent on a meal - anywhere. New York, Chicago, Miami, California - anywhere.

What really made the dinner an experience was the small attention to detail. Each person gets a "bottle" of water - it comes in old glass milk quarts, and your glass is never allowed to get 1/2 empty.

You really feel like the entire staff is there to take care of you. It's not just your waiter. My Wife had her water glass filled by three different people who noticed it getting towards the half way point. When she left to use the restroom, her napkin was immediately folded. And all of this is done in a very subtle way, that you hardly notice they're there.

Everything throughout the evening was on point - impeccable. This is more than just good service. Someone has taken on James Beard, and now is looking to add a Michelin Star to the list.

Orange Cornmeal Cake

2011-03-25T08:28:00.001-04:00

I've been sick since we got back from Florida last weekend, so all of the cooking has been falling to The Husband (as evidenced by our posts). We had a friend of ours coming over for dinner earlier this week and decided to go with a Mexican theme. Hubby was handling most of the dinner, but I said I would take care of dessert. I considered making a tres leches cake, but decided that would be way too heavy after a filling meal.

The in-laws had sent us back with tons of oranges, tangerines and grapefruits and so I started looking for a recipe that could incorporate one or all of those fruits. When I came across this recipe in the blog, Linden & Rosemary I knew it was just what I was looking for - something light and not too sweet.

This rustic little cake was a huge hit with everyone. I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't be distinguishable from cornbread, but it was obviously sweeter than cornbread (even the cornbread I make) but not so sweet that the orange, cornmeal and even a little olive oil didn't shine through.

The orange juice and zest really keep the cake light and bright. And topping the batter with a layer of sugar really gives the finished product a great texture and crunch.

I also love that this cake requires minimal ingredients (while not being short on flavor), comes together so easily and doesn't have a long bake time!

A few notes:

- Be careful and start checking your cake at around 24-25 minutes in. Mine was ready to be pulled out at 25 1/2 mintues. Nothing is worse than a dry cake!
- Though the recipe calls for non-extra virgin olive oil, that is all I had, so I used it.
- I used 100% whole wheat flour.
- I also used freshly squeezed orange juice - I think this makes all the difference in the world!
- I didn't measure out the 2 tablespoons of sugar for topping the cake. I just made sure the top was evenly coated with sugar crystals.

Orange Cornmeal Cake

2 large eggs
1/2 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin)
3/4 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Zest of 1 large orange
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
1/2 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375F and spray an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, 3/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. In a small bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk lightly until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool the cake in pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and invert onto a plate. Re-invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

A Modified Cote d'Azur Cure-All Soup

2011-03-24T08:12:00.000-04:00

The Wife has been under the weather all week with a sinus infection, and being "in the family way" she can't take any anti-biotics for it. Looking for healing recipes, I came across this recipe on CHOW, and modified it only slightly - adding a large can of tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Butter

3 Tbsp Minced Garlic

6 Fresh Sage Leaves

2 Bay Leaves

2 Large Thyme Springs

4 Cups Chicken Broth

2 Cups Water

1 tsp Salt

1 28 OZ Can of Whole Tomatoes

6 Large Egg Yolks

1 Cup Grated Parmesan

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Olive Oil for Garnish

In a dutch oven, melt your butter over medium heat and add your and warm until fragrant. Stir in you Sage, Bay and Thyme and let cook for a minute or two. Add in your broth and water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard your Bay, Sage and Thyme - and keep your broth at a simmer.

Stir in your whole tomatoes and bring back to a simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine your Parmesan and egg yolks. You'll want to temper your egg before adding it to the soup so the egg doesn't "cook" like scrambled eggs, but rather stays creamy and liquidy, and unidentifiable as eggs.

To temper - you'll want to ladle a small amount of your hot soup into your egg mixture and stir. This will warm the eggs without cooking them and enable you to add them to your soup without getting an egg-drop soup consistency.

Now - take out your handy-dandy immersion blender (or transfer soup to a food processor and mix) and blend until smooth. Return mixture to a simmer.

Remove your soup from the heat, and while whisking, slowly add your tempered egg mixture to the hot soup.

Return to heat, and run your immersion blender through one more time to give it a velvety consistency.

Serve Immediately with a drizzle of olive oil.

For The Wife, I paired this with a grilled fontina cheese sandwich.

Hope this cures what ails your household! Enjoy!

Fried Avocado Bites

2011-03-23T12:07:00.001-04:00

Genius. Pure Genius.

I can't remember exactly where I first saw a recipe for these little morsels of goodness - one of the many food emails that I get with pictures that make your mouth water at 10:30 in the morning. But, like so many great recipes, it was something that should have been so obvious - but I had never thought of.

I guess I always assumed that the avocado would turn to mush - that it would being like trying to fry butter (although I hear it's now doable at state fairs.) But they don't. They keep their almost solid form.

They're light - with the crisp outer shell and a smooth creamy filling. They definitely need a dipping sauce to accompany them - and I'll let you in on a little secret - hot sauce. Trust me. Make at least some "buffalo avocada bites". The Wife preferred pairing them with a Jalapeno Pineapple Salsa. Either way...

Ingredients

1 Avocado

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Egg

Splash of Milk

Directions

Preheat your oil to 350.

Mix together one egg and a splash of milk and whisk.

Slice your avocado in half and remove the pit. Slice into 1/2 inch wide slices, and scoop out with a spoon.

You can leave this size - about the size of a finger, or slice in half again to make them more bite size (this is what I did.)

Place you avocado in the milk/egg mixture and place your breadcrumbs in a bowl.

Bread your avocados by rolling them in your panko until evenly coated and set aside.

When your oil is to temperature, fry for about one minute - until they turn golden brown and/or float.

Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Eggplant Lasagna

2011-03-22T10:15:00.003-04:00

As of late, The Wife has had an aversion to noodles and pasta - but I had left over meatloaf, and it was Sunday - so lasagna seemed like the logical option. She loves eggplant - with a passion, so that was the substitute. I got the Italian fix and she got eggplant.

Ingredients:

1 Large Eggplant - peeled and sliced

Leftover Meatloaf (sub ground beef if need be)

Fresh Ricotta - Recipe HERE.

Whole Mozzarella

Parmesan for topping

Marinara Sauce

Directions:

About an hour before you're ready to start cooking, lay your thinly sliced eggplant out in individual slices and lightly salt. Let them sit for about 30 minutes - this will pull out some of the water and bitterness. After 30 minutes, pat dry with a paper towel - you'll be surprised how much water will come out.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roast your eggplant slices for 20 minutes.

In a baking dish, use the eggplant as you would a lasagna noodle.

Layer: Sauce

Eggplant

Meatloaf

Ricotta

Repeat and top with an extra layer of eggplant, sauce and fresh mozzarella. I also grated some fresh Parmesan over the top before putting in the oven.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes - or until top is golden brown and bubbling.

Slice 2 inch strips along the short side of the pan and top with an extra ladle of sauce.

Enjoy!

Homemade Ricotta

2011-03-21T08:54:00.002-04:00

We had to do something with the left over meatloaf. I opted for an eggplant lasagna - not only because it would give us a different taste from the meatloaf than the night before, but because it afforded me the opportunity to make ricotta.

I've made goat cheese before with success, and the only difference I spotted between making that and whole milk ricotta, was the milk. And that you add the acid before cooking instead of after.

It turned out great. The ricotta was a perfect complement to the lasagna - giving it a creamy perfection.

This is the basic recipe - I made three cups - so I just tripled the recipe. It's easily adaptable.

Now you don't end up with three cups of ricotta - what you see below is what I ended up with - so plan accordingly.

Ingredients

1 Cup Milk (NOT ULTRA HIGH PASTEURIZED) - I used simple Vitamin D Whole Milk

1 TBSP White Vinegar

1/8 tsp Salt

Directions

Over a large bowl, place a wire mesh strainer and line with 2 paper towels.

Combine milk, vinegar and salt in a stock pot and heat over medium high heat.

Heat to 165-180 degrees - just before a boil. If you don't have a thermometer, milk boils about 185- so take it off just before the boil.

Stir gently for 5-10 seconds - curds should separate from the whey.

Spoon your curds and whey into the paper towels and leave to drain. Voila.

According to this article on Serious Eats depending on how long you let it set, you'll get different consistencies - for different used. I opted for the 20 minute set since I was using it for lasagna.

Enjoy!

Elk Meat Loaf

2011-03-20T08:45:00.002-04:00

Do you ever watch TV and see something that inspires a meal? More often than not it's something on the Food Network that will make something click. The Wife and I were watching "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and Guy was interviewing someone who had meatloaf as a specialty.

That made The Wife's ears perk up "I want meat loaf" she said -and I filed that away in the future brownie points department.

I woke up earlier than she did Saturday morning and set out a two pound pack of ground elk that The Father-in-Law sent us from a hunting trip in Missouri.

Before we go any further, I should tell you I've never made meat loaf before. This is my first attempt, but to paraphrase a bad comedy routine "I've seen it done on TV".

Like so many other southern recipes, meat loaf was a meal meant to stretch a dollar. Throw in some veggies, and add breadcrumbs and all of a sudden ground beef goes a lot farther. So I figured it shouldn't be possible to mess this up. That's the beauty of meat loaf - it's easily adaptable. And you can use any meat - or any combination of meats.

I wanted to keep it basic, so I went with what we had in the fridge - namely onions, carrots and garlic - as my vegetables. I was thinking what vegetables and herbs go well with meat, and I thought of what I would put in a pot roast - carrots, onions, garlic, rosemary... It made sense in my head so I went with it.

The meat loaf is lightly seasoned initially, because it will be sliced, seared and seasoned later. If you want to serve straight from the oven, use more seasoning up front.

Ingredients:

3 Slices of Bread

2 Lbs. Ground Elk

1 Onion

1 Cup Carrots (I say cup, because I used baby carrots, two handfuls to be exact)

8 Cloves of Garlic

1 tsp Rosemary

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce

3 Eggs, Beaten

Honey

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a food processor, put your bread slices and run until they're the consistency of breadcrumbs. Place on a sheet pan and toast, while your oven is coming to temperature - about 5-10 minutes (it will take longer because your oven is cold).

Put your carrots, onion and garlic in the food processor and run until they are a very small mince - or until they stop getting smaller.

In a large bowl, combine you elk, garlic, onions, carrots and bread crumbs.

Stir in your rosemary, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add your Worcestershire and beaten eggs, and mix with your hands to get an even consistency.

Shape into a loaf, and drizzle with honey.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

You'll be tempted to slice it and eat it when you pull it out of the oven, but patience will pay off - it's bland right now because of the light seasoning.

Let the meatloaf cool on your counter before putting into the fridge. When it has just reached room temperature, place it into the fridge until it has cooled completely and you are ready to serve.

Thickly slice the meatloaf season each side with salt and pepper.

Pan sear it for 5 minutes on each side over medium heat in a little butter - Enjoy!

I served this with a pan seared green beans and sweet potato mash.

Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

2011-03-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love about a simple soup recipe is the flexibility it gives you to really make the recipe your own. I came across a Chicken Corn Chowder recipe in Cooking Light and instantly I knew that it could be the bones to a dish that the Husband and I would love!

The Husband I recently returned from Florida and have been fighting allergies, etc. since we got back. Both of us were really under the weather yesterday, so a soup was right up our alley.

I decided to go the Southwestern direction with this chowder - adding jalapenos and a variety of bell peppers. Additionally, I swapped out green onions for regular onions and added cumin and cayenne.
Another way to add flavor to the chowder is to add spices to the chicken prior to cooking. My favorite method for cooking chicken that needs to be added to a recipe is to drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and any additional seasonings. I then bake at 375 degrees until the chicken is just cooked through. In this case, I seasoned the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and Emeril's "Southwest Essence".

Both of us really loved this chowder. The sweet corn was a great balance to the spice of the jalapenos and cayenne. The low-fat milk gave the soup creaminess without being heavy. This was also very easy to make.

Southwestern Chicken & Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon butter
6 green onions
1 jalapeno, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups chopped bell pepper (green/orange/red/yellow)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (16-ounce) pkg frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed and divided
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups fat-free or low-fat milk

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers and jalapeno to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 package of corn, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

While mixture simmers, combine the remaining corn and milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add milk mixture to pan; simmer 10-15 minutes.

Review: Boom Boom Burgers

2011-03-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

It's a chilly Friday afternoon, and I just finished my first boom boom burger. A BBQ Boom Boom to be exact.

If you haven't yet heard of Boom Boom Burgers, tucked away on Franklin Street in Shockoe Bottom near Juleps, you soon will. I know, because some publication was in today taking pictures - so I'm sure an article is forthcoming.

This is the kind of place you naturally want to support. All of their ingredients are fresh and local. The beef is all grass-fed. The bacon and cheeses are made at local farms and the bread is from Flour Garden Bakery.

When you walk into Boom Boom, there is seating around the walls, with bar stools, and two big farm house style tables in the middle. This is a credit only establishment, and instead of a cash register, you pay via iPad and can have your receipt emailed to you.

There is something to be said for knowing your core competency - doing one thing, and doing it very well. You can see that in their menu. Some would call it sparse, with only four burgers and two vegetarian options. I prefer to think of it as simple - and there can be beauty in simplicity, and in this case there was.

Having read their menu on the website, I was all set to order a Shroom Boom (oyster mushrooms, swiss and ketchup for $10) but this was not an option in person as it was taped over. I opted instead for the BBQ Boom - and because I had been advised by people from the office that the burgers ran small, I made it a Boom Boom (double) for an extra $3. There is an option (although I didn't partake this time) to add an egg to any burger - gotta love that.

The burgers are made fresh when you order them. I don't mean assembled fresh, I mean made fresh. There are actually guys in the back making patties out of ground beef. The burgers are then broiled with cheese and assembled. The roll is my favorite part of this burger. It's almost flaky like a croissant, but not really. It was sturdy and up to the task of playing a supporting role to two patties of grass fed beef. And the buns were toasted, and had the slightest char around the edges. If anything was lacking - I could have used more of the house made barbecue sauce. It had a little sweet up front and a lingering heat that always found my taste buds at the right time.

I liked that these burgers were not dripping in grease. Although it's big and filling, you can eat it without making a complete mess and also avoid that afternoon crash that usually follows a big lunch.

Boom boom doesn't have traditional sides - instead they have seasonal fresh sides. Today's options were a two cheese mac and cheese or greens. They also always have sweet potatoes. I forwent the sides today, thinking I had done enough damage paying $13 for a burger.

That's the one thing you should know about this place. It's a little pricey - with burgers ranging from $8-$10 - and $3 to make it a double. That's the price of all natural, local good food, I guess.

I'll continue to frequent Boom Boom - I want an establishment with their focus on fresh and local to succeed. Although it's a little more expensive that other places, it's worth the extra few bucks for the quality of ingredients and house made condiments. That barbecue sauce alone is worth the trip.

Tiki Tiki Restaurant

2011-03-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

Maybe you've passed by this place on Patterson Avenue in the far West End. It's in a stand alone building, red with a green roof - and a Tiki god standing watch by the door. It's easy to miss, in between a strip mall and a barbecue joint that looks like a car garage.

The Wife and I stumbled onto Tiki Tiki a few years ago because it reminded us of a place in Roanoke (The Wife's hometown) - Fiji Island.

On a recent trip, something was different. The food tasted fresher - down to the cabbage in the egg rolls. I inquired to the waitress, and she confirmed that yes, they were under new management - and a new chef. They prepped food daily and had begun making most things in house. What a difference.

The Wife and I have a tradition - we start with the Pu Pu Platter, I get a cup of hot and sour soup and we split an entree.

This most recent trip was no different. I started with a Tiki Tiki - all of their drinks come in various tropical glasses - and are citrusy, not sugary sweet.

The Pu Pu platter (my apologies for a lack of a photo - we were starving, and only half way through realized we hadn't taken a picture!!) comes with chicken wings, breaded shrimp, Chinese ribs, crab rangoon and the steak on a stick. And of course, the fire in the middle with a mini grill for cooking the beef.

The Hot and Sour Soup was great - tasted very fresh with the right amount of heat and tang.

For entree we split the Orange Beef - extra spicy. I think they actually used szechuan peppercorns, because my tongue tingled all night.

This is half of the serving - and we had more than enough for lunch the next day.

This is one of our favorite places in Richmond. The food is great and the staff is always friendly - the perfect place to spend a low key evening. They also feature chef's specials like lobster, crab legs and soft shells. Definitely worth the trip.

Cocoa Brownies

2011-03-03T09:46:00.001-05:00

This by far is the easiest brownie recipe I have come across - and one of the most delicious. There is no reason to ever buy a box brownie kit again when you can make these.

I found this super simple recipe on Handle The Heat, but the original recipe can be found in Bittersweet by Alice Medrich.

The ingredients required to make these rich, fudge-like - super dense brownies are all pantry staples. No specific type of baking squares are required or anything like that. This is also a one bowl kind of deal. So you're not dirtying up 3 bowls like many recipes require. And I don't know about you, but recipes that require minimal clean-up always have a special place in my heart!

Cocoa Brownies

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar 
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process) 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2 large eggs, cold 
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave for 1:30 minutes. Remove and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smoothes out once the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 25 to 30 minutes. 5. Let cool completely on a rack. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Stuzzi on a Monday Night

2011-03-01T07:02:00.000-05:00

To answer The Marinara's question - Yes.

The Wife and I had plans to try Stuzzi last night - a colleague of mine and I had been talking about it for a while, and the $1 pizza (at the bar only) enticed us enough to make the trip.

A little before 6:30 we came in through the side door on Ellwood and saw two bars full of people who already knew what we would come to know by the end of our meal.

The bars were packed, but the restaurant was empty - and none of the bar patrons were leaving anytime soon. We agreed to wait until the other couple arrived and if no seats opened up, we'd take a table and chalk it up to bad timing. At this point, there were now two parties behind us also waiting for bar seats rather than sitting at one of the many available tables (they too knew what we would soon find out.)

Our guests came and we found a table on the far wall and ordered drinks. They have a decent by-the-glass list ranging from $7-$9.

We started with appetizers.

The Wife and I ordered bruschetta - officially titled Tomato Caprese Crostini ($3). I would soon find out why this was such a good deal - it's one bruschetta. Granted, there were more than enough toppings, but only one piece of bread. Why not charge $5 or $6 and give me two - at least we could have shared that, without cutting the one slice of bread in half. Or make it known on the menu that it's one piece of bread, and we would have ordered more.

The mozzarella was good - it is said to be made in house, and reminded me of the house made mozzarella that we get at Tom Leonard's that is to die for. The olive oil and salt were the very prominent flavors of the dish.

The other couple started with a salad (not pictured) and the potato and prosciutto croquettes. I thought the croquettes were the best thing we had all night. The outside had a nice crusty breading, and the inside was almost creamy (think ricotta) with bits of prosciutto - unlike our crostini, these came three to an order at $6.

For entrees, The Wife and I ordered the Margherita Reale ($12). The best thing about this was the sauce and tomatoes. They were the sweetest I've ever had - maybe because they're flown in from San Marzano, Italy. The crust on ours was almost soggy - not crisp as we expected from a wood fired pizza. Forget eating this by the slice, we both had to use a knife and fork.

Our dinner companions ordered the Quattro Formaggi and the Pasta Fazool.

As soggy as our pizza was, the Quattro Formaggi was even more so. It wasn't fully cooked in the middle. This actually was sent back for a little more time in the oven - that did not get a nice face from the pizzaoli (who, from their menu we learned, has been specially trained to cook pizzas in one minute...)

It returned from one extreme to the other, with black and gray crust.

The Pasta Fazool was not much better - and not more than a few bites were taken and no box was needed. The service was just ok. We were left waterless for the last twenty minutes of the meal.

After experiencing the entrees, we opted not to try dessert.

We left knowing why the dining room was nearly empty while both bars were packed. I'd go back if I only had to pay $1 for the pizza - but that's only if I could get a seat at the bar. I would go back on Tuesday nights to get the croquettes for $1 - but again, that's if I could get a seat at the bar.

So ending where we began, with The Marinara's question, has Stuzzi become a gimmick? If they haven't become one, that's what it would take to get us back.

So that begs the question; For great pizza and appetizers - why not just start at Aziza's and avoid the headache in the first place?

Sweet Potato & Parmesan Chips

2011-02-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, I am just warning ya'll now that these suckers are addictive. Seriously. But, I can actually say that these are healthy and a great way to get in another serving (or two) of vegetables.

The Husband requested that I make this recipe from the blog What's Gaby Cooking that he found on Tastespotting. Lucky for him, I had all the ingredients on hand and some time on my hands before he got home from work.

These work great as an appetizer, snack or side dish. I chose to serve them as an appetizer. Maybe not the best idea, since it was way too easy to fill up on these and not be hungry for dinner.

The Parmesan gives great saltiness to the sweetness of the potato. The melted Parmesan is kind of chewy and wafer like in contrast to the fresh shaved Parmesan sprinkled on the finish dish. The paprika adds the perfect amount of spice - though you could definitely add chipotle or cayenne for added heat.

An added perk of this delicious dish, is the ease of preparation. Perfect for last minute guests or for a late night craving!

Sweet Potato & Parmesan Chips

1 large sweet potato

1/4 cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese, plus more for topping
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt, for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the skin off the sweet potato and discard. Continue to peel the sweet potato so you have lots of thin strips of the sweet potato fresh. Put these strips onto a parchment lined back sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and top with the Parmesan, garlic salt, paprika, salt and pepper. Using your fingers, mix the toppings into the strips of sweet potato until evenly coated.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are just slightly turning light brown and the strips are crisp. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and a little more shaved Parmesan.

The Breslin Burger at Home

2011-02-26T10:47:00.002-05:00

What makes the best burger? Lamb, feta and red onion - and maybe a little cumin mayonnaise. Huh? You might be saying - but try it.

I first saw this on Food Network - on The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Burgers. This is the signature burger at The Breslin in New York City. It seemed too simple to be a best thing but sometimes the best things are really that simple.

I like the way the crisp red onions mix with the feta that is made a little creamy when it's placed on the hot burger. Rather than a grill, I seared mine in my trusty cast iron pan. A quick cumin mayo gives just a hint of spice.

Editors Note: The Wife has asked me to post that we had this back in the early fall before the baby was on the way so the undercooked meat and bubbly were legal and safe! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Lb Ground Lamb

Salt and Pepper to taste

Brick of Feta Cheese (that can be cut into slices)

Sliced Red Onion

Cumin Mayo (Recipe to follow)

Cumin Mayo:

2 Tablespoons of Cumin

1/4 Cup of Mayonnaise

Mix together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Directions:

These are big, thick burgers - so make form two 1/2 lb patties and season the outside with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice your red onions - a mandolin makes this easy.

Using a thicker cut, slice your feta.

Place a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the burgers about 8 minutes on each side for a medium-rare to medium.

Serve immediately on a pretzel roll - garnish with cumin mayo, a thick slice of feta and slices of red onion.

We served these with a sparkling Rose - a perfect pairing - Francois Montand for around $10 from Total Wine is one of the best sparkling wine buys that I've found.

Hawaiian Ribeye Marinade

2011-02-25T08:48:00.002-05:00

The parents set sail from Ft. Lauderdale yesterday to Caribbean islands and tropical climates. As I sat in my Shockoe Bottom office looking out over the cold dreary Richmond afternoon, I wished The Wife and I were shoving off for parts unknown.

Thanks to the handy dandy webcam, I could watch their ship sail out of Port Everglades - yes I'm a glutton for punishment, as it was a balmy 38 degrees in Richmond yesterday. Watching their ship set sail - Jimmy Buffet came to life in my mind Mother, Mother ocean.... and while we couldn't leave town, we could gastronomically (I know that's not a word - but isn't it in a foodie lexicon?)

We had several ribeye's that we had vacuum sealed from the whole ribeye we had procured from Tom Leonard's the previous week. I dialed up the wife and asked her ever-so-kindly to set it out to defrost and went about finding a tropical marinade.

Being a culinary couple has it's advantages. I always have a willing sous chef. I came across this recipe with a cursory search of Google and sent to The Wife as a template, begging her assistance.

No problem she said, and when I got home from work, all I had to do was fire up the grill and enjoy the martini she had waiting...God bless her.

The marinade turned out to be exactly what I was hoping it would be. It was sweet - something that stayed with the meat, even when slicing thinly. It was flavorful without being syrupy - and for a night, at least, we were whisked away from the cold weather here.

This would also be a great sauce for ribs, chicken, any other slow cooked meat aside from being a marinade. Make the margaritas, put the meat in this marinade and kiss this cold weather Bon Voyage...

Editor's Note: Yes - the steak is a little done for our tastes, but with the little one on the away, rare is not an option.

Hawaiian Ribeye Marinade

3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (you could use half soy/half teriyaki as well)
1 2/3 cup sugar
Splash of distilled white vinegar

In a saucepan, mix all the marinade ingredients. Place saucepan over the flame and bring to a boil. Cover with lid and let it simmer on low flame for an hour.

Remove from heat, place aside and allow to cool entirely. Take a glass baking dish and the steaks in it. Pour the marinade over it and refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Chocolate Sea Salt Molten Cakes

2011-02-23T10:24:00.001-05:00

Rarely do I get so excited about food that I forget to take pictures. I can even say that truthfully as I sit here 5 months pregnant writing this.

You'd kind of think you'd see the "Molten" part of these cakes right? You'd think. Well, I pulled these out of the oven about an hour or two before the Husband got home. Big mistake on my part. Did taking a picture cross my mind once? Nope. Did I think maybe it wouldn't stay "molten" forever? Haha. Did the fact that we have a food blog and I'd want to do a post on these occur to me? Not a chance. One bite of these delicious little bites of Heaven and all was lost to me (I blame Pregnancy Brain). Thankfully, when the Husband arrived he thought to take a picture or two. Unfortunately, the "molten" wasn't as liquidy any more, but the taste was just as divine.

In all seriousness though, I really can't speak highly enough of these gems. They were beyond easy and quick to make. And the result? Rich, dense and fudge-like cakes. The sea salt mixed into the batter amplifies the chocolate to the max. And the sea salt sprinkled on top of each cake adds an out of this world crunch and saltiness that plays so well with the sweetness of the chocolate.

For the sea salt in the batter I used a regular fine grain sea salt. For the salt on top of the cakes, I used a very coarse Kona sea salt that my parents brought back from Hawaii for the Husband.

As for the recipe, it comes from the same blog, SugarLaws that the Husband found his recipe for Whole Wheat Pasta.

A few notes:

- I didn't actually "butter" the muffin pan, I used non-stick spray. I did still dust with sugar.

- Watch these very carefully. The recipe says bake 9-10 minutes, but I pulled these out at 8 1/2 minutes and I think if I had pulled them out at 8 they might have stayed "molten" longer.

- If you don't have a bottle of Kahlua on hand, don't get out and buy a regular sized bottle if you aren't a Kahlua drinker. A mini bottle/airplane bottle will more than do the trick.

Chocolate Sea Salt Molten Cakes

9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

6 tbsp butter, softened

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp Kahlua

1/8 tsp sea salt, plus additional for the tops of the cakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 12 muffin tins, and dust the insides with sugar.

On a double-boiler, melt chocolate until smooth, stirring to ensure everything melts. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and Kahlua. Add the eggs, one at a time, until all of them are incorporated. Beat in the chocolate and flour and pour the batter into the muffin tins, about 3/4 full. Sprinkle sea salt over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 9-10 minutes, allow to cool, and turn cakes out onto serving plates. Serve.

Makes twelve mini cakes.

Simplest Chicken-and-Leek Stew

2011-02-22T08:47:00.000-05:00

When my March Food & Wine arrived last week, I was super excited to see it was a "Healthy Recipes" edition. One of the first recipes I came across was this Jamie Oliver recipe. While very familiar with Oliver, I had never made any of his recipes. As it turns out, Oliver will be demonstrating this recipe on the upcoming season of his show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which resumes this Spring.

As the recipe's title states, this is a very simple dish to prepare. But simple in this case, does NOT mean short on flavor. The small amount of thyme and Dijon mustard really go a long way, and pair wonderfully with the mushrooms and leeks. I would say this isn't as stew like as I expected, but nonetheless it worked really well served over rice.

The Husband was a huge fan of this, and I also enjoyed it (though what I really loved was how quickly and easily this came together!). The magazine's suggested wine pairing is a full bodied Chardonnay.

Simplest Chicken-and-Leek Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Scrape the leeks and mushrooms onto a plate.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken stock and thyme and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the plate with the vegetables.

Simmer the stock over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken, leeks and mushrooms to the skillet and simmer over low heat until warmed through, about 1 minute.

In a small bowl, blend the sour cream with the mustard and stir into the stew. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season the stew with salt and pepper and serve.

Serve with rice.

Orange Chipotle Glaze

2011-02-21T06:03:00.003-05:00

It was Sunday Supper time again, and on the menu last night were pan roasted bone-in chicken breasts with an orange chipotle glaze.

I found this recipe while browsing (once again) tastespotting. It's from the blog Have Recipes-Will Cook - check it out.

I, myself, don't mind a plain chicken breast cooked with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, but The Wife usually requires more for a piece of chicken or fish - something to liven it up. Since we were planning on chicken, I knew I'd better find something to avoid the eye roll and follow up question "what else are you doing to the chicken?"

This glaze came together perfectly. I added a little extra heat with two chipotles and a teaspoon of chipotle chili flakes. For jelly, I used a raspberry jalapeño jam that worked beautifully.

I sliced the chicken from the bone when it was ready, sliced into medallions and spooned the glaze over-top. It was sweet, but not overly orange-y - and I think it could be even hotter, but the added chipotle chili flakes gave it a nice heat on the finish.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 tsp olive oil

Juice from two oranges

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 cup jelly (any flavor will do)

1 tsp frsth thyme

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely diced

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp chipotle chili flakes

Directions:

Heat olive oil and onion over medium low heat until onions are soft.

While onions are cooking, mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. When the onions are soft, add the juice mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer then reduce heat to medium low. Cook until sauce thickens - whisking often so sauce does not burn/stick to the bottom of the pan. If stirring frequently, sauce can remain on the stove top while your meal comes together - it will continue to thicken.

Drizzle over chops, chicken - really anything. Enjoy!

Aziza's Inspired Fennel Kumquat Slaw

2011-02-20T13:19:00.002-05:00

We hosted a cookout at our office on Friday for some clients to enjoy the passing of a piece of key legislation and enjoy the 70+ temps. We had everything for the burgers - grass-fed ground beef from Tucker Family Farms, but we needed sides.

We're fortunate enough to be down the street from Aziza's, so one of our partners ran down to get fennel slaw and their potato salad. When she returned she relayed her encounter with Billy and the fact that they didn't have any made, but that he was kind enough to whip some up. Then she offered this nugget "you'll never believe how easy it looked, sliced fennel, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill - that's it!"

The cookout went on and the weekend started for everyone - and I still had that slaw in the back of my head. Fast forward to a lazy weekend and The Wife and I are talking about what to eat on Sunday afternoon. With a purely selfish reason, I suggested we cook out burgers and that I would handle the sides - all to see if I could duplicate that fennel slaw.

Not knowing Billy's exact measurements, and adding a little something for sweetness, I think I did a pretty darn good job. The kumquats gave this a little added citrus and sweetness, but it would be equally as great, albeit more tangy without it.

This is the perfect side for a cookout because it doesn't have mayonnaise, so it's fine outside - plus its ready in a matter of minutes.

**Side Note: A mandolin will make your life easier when trying this recipe - it will enable to you get those perfectly even thin slices of fennel.

Ingredients:

1 Fennel Bulb

1 Teaspoon Dill

1 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Lemon

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 thinly sliced Kumquats (added at the suggestion of The Wife)

Directions:

Using a mandolin, slice your fennel bulb.

Put your fennel in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients - toss with tongs to combine.

Enjoy immediately.

Yucatan Shrimp

2011-02-16T09:05:00.002-05:00

Back in the fall, the Husband & I flew down to Florida to visit my in-laws and attended the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. While we had many (understatement of a lifetime) tasty treats at the Festival, one of our favorite dishes of the weekend was this one that my father-in-law made at their home.

This recipe was published in the New York Times, but is adapted from a dish served at Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill on Sanibel Island. My in-laws love Sanibel Island and Doc Ford's!

Shortly after our visit, my father-in-law was kind enough to send me the recipe which was great considering the Husband had mentioned me making it several times within a few days period!

Fast forward to Valentine's Day. I love Valentine's Day - both of us do really. But we both HATE going out to dinner on Valentine's Day. Specific seating times, rushed service, limited menus? No thanks. We usually make a big romantic dinner in and we always are so glad we did. This year the appetizer and dessert were up to me. So back to the Yucatan Shrimp. I still hadn't made this dish and it hit me that this would be a great way to start off our meal.

This is beyond easy to make. I halved the amount shrimp, since there were only the two of us and I was making this as an appetizer. But, I actually made the full amount of sauce. I did include the jalapeno, which the recipe lists as optional. I was unable to find the Sambal Oelek but I did pick up Chile Garlic sauce, also made by Huy Fong.

Though this dish would be great as an entree served over rice, I served it as an appetizer. I rubbed some slices of sourdough baguette with garlic and toasted them up in the oven. I then spooned the shrimp and the sauce over top the bread. The result? Amazing!

This is spicy (but definitely not super spicy or over the top) and citrusy. The cilantro gives it a nice bite as well. The sauce is delicious and having the bread as a vehicle to absorb it is perfect!

Yucatan Shrimp

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
Juice of two large limes
1 tablespoon Indonesian sambal (preferably sambal oelek, by Huy Fong, though sriracha will work as well)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound large, fresh, shell-on shrimp
1 teaspoon jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.

In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to saucepan. When it melts, stir in the lime juice, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to rest.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until they are just firm and pink. Do not overcook. Drain into a colander and shake over the sink to remove excess moisture.

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and chili sauce. Add jalapeño, if desired, sprinkle with cilantro and toss again. Serves 4, messily.

Adapted from Greg Nelson at Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar and Grille, Sanibel Island, Fla.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2011-02-15T09:47:00.001-05:00

Sometimes something just clicks when you're staring blankly into the pantry or the fridge, or doing the hopeless walk between the two trying to decide on dinner. That happened to me.

Just last week I put up our review of Lehja - the Indian restaurant in Short Pump Town Center - maybe that was the subconscious thought calling to me as I stared into out pantry, noticing the spice combinations that we had: Paprika, Cinnamon, Garam Masala - and fresh tomatoes. Suddenly a light went off and I was on my way to making my first Tikka Masala.

Aside from the marinade, this is a very quick recipe, and total cook time is about 20 minutes. I used the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe from the blog Very Culinary - made a few changes based on what we had in house was impressed with how it turned out.

I used grapefruit juice instead of lemon juice, omitted the ginger in the marinade (out of necessity because we ran out), and added a tablespoon of brown sugar at the end to give the sauce a little sweeter body.

The recipe really provides a depth of complex flavors that seem to have taken a lot longer than 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

Marinade

1 cup of plain yogurt

4 tablespoons of grapefruit juice

2 teaspoons of cumin

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips or large chunks

Sauce

1 tablespoon of butter

2 tablespoons of flour (feel free to use whole wheat flour)

4 cloves of minced garlic

2 minced jalapeños

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 0z. of tomato sauce (I roasted three large tomatoes, and ran them through a food processor with basil)

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

Slice chicken into strips (or large chunks), combine all of your marinade ingredients and let chicken marinade as long as you can - at least two hours, to overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook your chicken for 20 minutes, or until almost cooked through.

While your chicken is cooking, melt your butter, and add flour to make a roux. Stir in garlic and jalapeños and stir for one minute.

Stir in your the remaining seasonings, and continue to stir for two minutes.

Add in your tomato sauce and stir for two minutes.

Add the half and half and simmer until the sauce thickens.

Stir in your brown sugar, add in your chicken, and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice.

Smoky Chipotle Hummus

2011-02-14T11:28:00.000-05:00

I love hummus - plain, roasted red pepper, garlic, spicy - it doesn't matter. But up until the other day, I had never made my own. I ran across this recipe awhile ago in my Bon Appetit cookbook, though I'd never gotten around to making it. We had family coming in town this past weekend and I wanted to make a healthy snack to have around, and seeing as how they love hummus too, I knew this would be the perfect time to try this recipe out!

This hummus was absolutely delicious and a huge hit with everyone! The chipotles gave it great smoke (in addition to the cumin) and a very nice, underlying heat. If I had just made it for The Husband and me, I would have added another chipotle or two, since we love chipotle and like things super spicy. The cilantro and lemon juice kept it bright and light. And the addition of pimientos added a little something extra that put this hummus over the top in both taste and texture.

Not only did this hummus taste great, it was also super easy to make. And now that I have a large jar of tahini on hand, I have a feeling I will be trying out quite a few hummus recipes!

The only thing I changed in my version was that I used 2 garlic cloves instead of 1. Other than that, I follwed this recipe to a T.

Smoky Chipotle Hummus

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)*
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies**
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 4-ounce jar sliced pimientos in oil, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Reserve 3 tablespoons garbanzo beans for garnish. Blend remaining garbanzo beans and next 7 ingredients in processor until smooth. Add pimientos; process, using on/off turns, until pimientos are coarsely chopped. Transfer hummus to medium bowl. Stir in cilantro. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved garbanzo beans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Accompany with bagel chips.

*Sold at Middle Eastern markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets. **Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

Baked French Toast Casserole

2011-02-13T09:41:00.001-05:00

I made this delicious and decadent breakfast/brunch dish back on Christmas morning for not only The Husband and me, but also for my whole family. This easy and mostly make-ahead Paula Deen recipe (ALERT: NOT HEALTHY) is perfect for a large group of people or to make for your sweetie on Valentine's Day - with lots of leftovers!

I put this casserole together fairly quickly on Christmas Eve and prepped the topping, leaving me only to complete the topping in the morning and pop the dish in the oven. This dish is a crowd pleaser, making it a great choice when hosting a breakfast or brunch.

No doubt about it, this dish is sweet. Hello morning sugar high! The recipe calls for serving the casserole with Maple Syrup, but none of us felt it was really necessary.

I followed this recipe pretty much to a T, except for the fact that I used 2 long skinny loaves of French Bread instead of a thick French Bread Loaf. Therefore, I used more than 20 slices the recipes calls for. But, I actually think the smaller loaf is a better way to go. The bread chunks are more bite size and I think it allows for it to cook a little faster and crunch up a little more, protecting it from getting too soggy. I also substituted Light Half & Half for the full fat kind.

We really enjoyed this breakfast casserole. It was a nice change of pace, a special treat if you will. Perfect for a special occasion like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Valentine's Day!

Baked French Toast Casserole

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) (I used 2 thin French Bread loaves)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half (I used light)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.

Baked Italian Style Savoy Cabbage

2011-02-09T08:04:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe from SippitySup while cruising around Tastespotting the other day. It looked warm and comforting and perfect for a cold rainy weekend.

I opted to use venison sausage because we have a freezer full - to imitate the sweet Italian sausage, I added some brown sugar and a pinch of regular sugar, plus red pepper flakes to give it a kick.

The Wife was leery - she's not a fan of most sausage in the first place, and the pregnancy has heightened her sense of smell, so the boiling cabbage didn't go over well either. But when she tasted it, she loved it.

It's such a different use for cabbage, and it's packed with flavor. I'm also envisioning other uses, like replacing the sausage with corned beef and the mozzarella with Swiss, and you've got an instant St. Paddy's day entree to feed a crowd.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (All I had was regular breadcrumbs, and it turned out great)

2 lbs of Savoy Cabbage, sliced into ribbons (I used one head - unmeasured)

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

4 Sweet Italian Sausages (or breakfast sausage doctored with brown sugar)

4 tablespoons of Tomato Paste (I got 2 out of my tube and that was it)

1 cup Mozzarella (I used shredded, but you could slice a fresh ball and it would be amazing)

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Slice your cabbage into ribbons.

Start off preparing the bread crumbs - melt your butter in a pan and add the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine the breadcrumbs and butter, and let brown in the skillet, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes and set aside.

Preheat your over to 350°.

Bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove. While it's coming to a boil, prepare another large bowl with an ice bath. When the water is boiling, boil the cabbage for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, transfer to the ice bath to shock the cabbage and stop the cooking.

When cabbage has cooled, drain cabbage and dry as best you can - either with a salad spinner, or by spinning a colander around the sink. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook your sausage. Stir in the tomato paste and 5 tablespoons of water.

Grease a dutch oven or casserole dish with olive oil and layer 1/3 of the cabbage in an even layer. Season with salt and a heaping portion of pepper. Add 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the sausage.

Repeat with 1/3 of the cabbage, and the remaining mozzarella and sausage.

Top with final 1/3 of the cabbage and pour your cream over the cabbage. Finish by spreading your breadcrumb mixture over the cabbage and topping with Parmesan.

Bake for 50 minutes and serve immediately - preferable with bread for sopping up the liquid.

Enjoy!

Lehja: No Naan Sense Indian Food

2011-02-08T06:10:00.002-05:00

I came home from one of the many late nights at work recently with no desire to spend an hour in the kitchen cooking dinner. The Wife felt the same way about the kitchen, so we started going through the usual "where sounds good to you" game. We went through the usual suspects and nothing was popping. One of us threw out Lehja. The Indian restaurant at Short Pump. We'd been talking about going for a while but had never made it yet.

We walked in to a funky modern restaurant, with a bar off to the right. In the dining room, zebra prints and modern furniture were everywhere.

Looking over the menu, we started with an order of the garlic naan (The Wife had read about this somewhere - it was supposed to be amazing. It was, we actually ordered seconds of this) and an order of Fire Cracker Chicken Tikka (It has a ghost pepper marinade that caught my eye).

The garlic naan was amazing. Soft, chewy light and garlicky.

The Fire Cracker Chicken Tikka was HOT. Not your typical ethnic food "hot" that's not really hot, no matter how much you ask them to make it hot. This was hot - in a good way, with a depth of flavor.

For entrees, The Wife ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and I had the Khoya Malai Lamb.

The Wife's Chicken Tiki Masala was ordered medium spicy, after being talked off the super hot ledge by the waiter. It had a depth of flavor that I'd never quite had at a restaurant, very complex. The chicken comes in a tomato/cream sauce.

My Khoya Malai Lamb was outstanding as well. It was chunks of lamb in a cashew cream sauce with saffron. It didn't have the depth of flavor or the heat that the Wife's had, but was great nonetheless.

Both entrees were served with basmati rice.

Although we were stuffed, we persevered on to dessert and were glad we did. We ordered the Lehja Dessert Sampler.

The Sampler consisted of a Kulfi, which is made in house - it's like an Indian ice cream; a coconut keylime cake; and these two chocolate covered balls of what tasted like buttered rum cake. All were outstanding.

There are several things impressive about Lehja. Most everything appears to be made in house, and made to order. You can get anything there with varying degrees of heat because the do make it fresh.

They had a great wine list - although the by the glass offerings aren't very extensive, they is generally one of every varietal available by the glass.

I also can't say enough about the service. They were knowledgeable and attentive without being pushy.

We'll definitely go back next time we're craving ethnic food - and would recommend that everyone try it.