Ok, so I was raised Catholic and once I made my confirmation I felt that it was my graduation from going to Church. However I find myself following the rules of Lent each year. I always give up something, this year it is shopping for anything except groceries and toiletries; and abstain from eating meat on Fridays. The meat thing is very difficult for me because I really love meat and when I crave something it is predominantly red meat. As a child I remember having frozen fish fillets and pancakes on Lenten Fridays and not really liking those dinners, and seriously how many tuna fish sandwiches can you eat. So this year I have decided to step it up and make a new fish/seafood dish each week.
I love seafood, shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, but amazingly not lobster. The main focal point of my family’s grocery store is the lobster tank and everyone goes gaga over these stupid sea bugs. That is not to say that I won’t eat lobster if it is served to me, but don’t come to my house expecting to be feed that over-priced and pain in the ass food. I just don’t feel that you get your monies worth and it is way too much work for so little reward. But we sell a ton of these creatures and will continue to carry them to make everyone happy. I prefer to have other seafood and would eat the crap out of shrimp if I could, but after the shrimp-fest that was last spring I discovered that that food might be low in fat but high in cholesterol. How unfair!
This year I have been trying different recipes with mussels and have discovered that I really like them. I have also found that they are not too expensive and super easy to make. I really enjoyed them as Fire Breathing Mussels. Begin by sautéing three finely chopped cloves of garlic and a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes in olive oil for about one minute. Add one twenty ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, one tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a half teaspoon of sugar to the mix and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes. Add about two and a half pounds of mussels in their shells to the pot, cover and cook until they open, about five minutes. You can serve this over pasta or with hunks of crusty bread to soak up all that flavorful broth.
I also enjoy Mussels Scampi, which is made the same way as Shrimp Scampi, one of my favorite meals. Sauté two cloves of minced garlic in two tablespoons of butter until softened, about a minute. Add a half cup of either dry vermouth or white wine, the juice of one lemon, a tablespoon of capers, cook this for a few minutes and then throw in two and a half pounds of mussels, cover and cook five minutes or until the shells open. Serve this over pasta or with the crusty bread again.
I will admit that I recently cheated and bought shelled frozen mussels for my recipes because eating them out of the shell is kind of a pain in my opinion.
Moving on to fish, which is a food that we only ate during Lent when I was a kid because my dad is allergic to it. So over the last few years I have been trying to eat more of it and try new varieties of fish. I have found that I really am not crazy about salmon or swordfish but really like the light and flaky white fishes. I have yet to try fresh tuna and have a question about tuna fish. If my dad is allergic to fish why can he eat canned tuna fish but not fresh tuna? Hmm makes you think about what they are putting in that can.
Ok so the Church probably frowns upon this next recipe, but I love it anyway, Fish Puttanesca. Typically it is made as a pasta dish and historically it was made by Italian prostitutes but with the addition of fish it is a good Lenten meal; sorry Pope Benedict. Begin by mixing two tablespoons of olive oil and a half teaspoon of anchovy paste until well blended then stir in one pint of halved cherry tomatoes, a half cup of chopped black olives, three tablespoons of capers, three minced cloves of garlic salt and pepper and a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Make four packets out of aluminum foil and drizzle a little oil onto each, place a piece of white fish into each packet, top with the tomato mixture and close each packet tightly. Bake the packets at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes or until the fish is flaky. I serve this with crusty bread, surprise surprise.
Even though Catholics are supposed to be abstaining from eating meat on Lenten Fridays as a form of repentance it does not have to feel like a punishment. Hopefully these few recipes inspire people to break out of the pancake and fish stick box to try some new things and grow through the required abstention. I think that the fact that I have given up the joyous activity of shopping should be enough repentance for this season; I shouldn’t have to suffer through dinner also.
Fire Breathing Mussels
2 ½ lbs Cleaned mussels
3 cloves Garlic, minced
½ tsp. Red pepper flakes
1 20-oz can Fire-roasted tomatoes
1 Tblsp Red wine vinegar
½ tsp. Sugar
Sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil for a minute, add the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar and cook about 10 minutes. Add the mussels and cook for 5 minutes or until opened. Serve over pasta or with bread.
Mussels Scampi
2 Tblsp Butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup Dry vermouth or white wine
1 Lemon juiced
1 Tlbsp Capers
2 ½ lbs Cleaned mussels
Sauté the garlic in the butter until softened, 1 minute or so. Add the vermouth/wine, lemon juice and capers, heat this through and add the mussels, cover and cook 5 minutes or until opened. Serve over pasta or with bread.
Fish Puttanesca
2 Tlbsp Olive oil
4 filets White fish, any variety
½ tsp Anchovy paste
1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup Black olives, chopped
3 Tlbsp Capers
3 cloves Garlic, minced
½ tsp Red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper
Combine the oil and anchovy paste well, add the tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper, mix this well. Make 4 packets out of foil, drizzle oil on them, place fish in each and top with tomato mixture. Close the packets tightly and bake at 400° for 17 minutes. Serve with bread.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Getting Sexy Back
So, I was inspired to delve into a subject matter that will make my mother blush; but c’est la vie. It’s a subject that everyone is interested in but rarely talks about, aphrodisiacs. You show me a person who is not interested in increasing their sexual health and libido and I’ll show you a liar. (Or maybe that uninterested person lives in a convent).
From the beginning of time humans have been using food to tempt and tantalize each other; hello remember Eve’s apple? (Which was most likely a fig, a super sexual fruit). Currently you cannot turn on the television without being bombarded with commercials geared towards increasing sexual performance. Well there really is no need to spend all that money on chemically enhanced drugs; all you need to do is start incorporating certain foods into your daily diet to see some results. On the most basic level you need to have a healthy diet in general; if your blood is flowing freely to your heart then it will flow freely elsewhere.
With that said there are some specific foods that you and your significant other can eat that will increase hormone development and libido.
♥ Celery contains Androsterone, which is an odorless hormone that is released through a man’s perspiration and turns women on.
♥ Avocados contain folic acid, which helps metabolize proteins and give you more energy. They also contain vitamin B6, which increases male hormone production. There is also a healthy dose of potassium in these fruit, which helps regulate a woman’s Thyroid gland to increase her libido.
♥ Asparagus contains vitamin E, which increases hormone levels to stimulate sexual responses.
♥ Almonds are a prime source of fatty acids, which aid in healthy production of male hormones. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds and salmon also contain these omega 3 fatty acids.
♥ Eggs are high in vitamins B6 and B5, which help balance hormone levels and fight stress; both of which are crucial for a healthy libido.
♥ Garlic contains Allicin, which increases blood flow down below. And if you are both eating garlic you won’t notice it’s pungent aroma.
♥ Oysters are perhaps the epitome of an aphrodisiac, especially when eaten raw. They are high in zinc, which raises testosterone production. They also contain dopamine, which is a hormone known to increase libido.
♥ Bananas contain Bromelain, which is an enzyme believed to increase libido and supposedly reverse impotence.
♥ Figs, “The Forbidden Fruit” are high in amino acids, which are believed to increase libido and improve sexual stamina.
♥ Chocolate, a woman’s best friend, contains Phenyl ethylamine a stimulant that produces the “in love feeling” that makes sex sound like a good idea.
♥ Red Wine, in moderation, contains resveratrol, which is an antioxidant that helps increase blood flow to make arousal easier. Remember moderation is key here, too much is no good.
Let’s start with the quintessential aphrodisiac, oysters. Now I will admit to you that I am not adventurous enough to eat them raw; so I will share a to-be-cooked recipe, Oysters Gratin. Start by cooking three thick slices of diced up bacon until crisp, once done remove them from the pan and add one diced shallot, two diced cloves of garlic, and two tablespoons of butter. Cook this over medium heat until softened before adding about three cups of fresh baby spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and then transfer it all to a colander to drain out all the excess liquid. In the same skillet boil two cups of half and half and a dash or so of nutmeg for about five minutes to reduce it by half. Once this is accomplished remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool. Once cool stir the spinach mixture in to the cream and add about eighteen chopped oysters, half a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the reserved bacon bits, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture into a buttered baking dish and top it all with a combination of half a cup Parmesan cheese and two-thirds a cup of seasoned bread crumbs. Bake this all at 400 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes. This meals masquerades as a gooey cheesy dish, but packs a healthy punch with the spinach and those libido-increasing oysters.
If you are looking for a lighter meal that still packs a punch to your sex drive, try an Asparagus-Avocado Egg Pie. Start by sautéing two cloves of diced garlic, one bunch of diced asparagus, two stalks of diced celery, salt and pepper in olive oil until softened. Let this cool before mixing it with five beaten eggs and half a cup of sharp shredded Cheddar cheese. Pour this into a buttered pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour. When you are ready to serve sprinkle each slice with diced avocado. You can accompany this dish with a simple green salad dressed with a simple garlic vinaigrette made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, a little Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Lastly I am going to share with you my favorite quickie dessert, Banana Treat. Begin by peeling and halving one banana into a small baking dish, sprinkle it with cinnamon and a small handful of mini marshmallows. On top of that crunch up some of your favorite cereal, I use Kashi Go Lean Crunch, and top that with some dark chocolate chips and sliced almonds. Bake this in your toaster oven at 350 degrees until the chocolate melts and the marshmallows are browned. Not only does this dessert include three aphrodisiacs, but also the potassium in the bananas is key to muscle strength and helps to alleviate those mood killing leg cramps.
You can wash these dishes down with a glass of red wine; now I don’t mean one of those oversized glasses, we are talking about eight ounces of wine for women and sixteen ounces for men. I don’t think I need to mention to anyone what too much alcohol can do to one’s performance. There are tons of combinations you can come up with to incorporate these special foods into your everyday diet. Studies show that a healthy diet is key to a healthy sexual life; and who doesn’t want that? ♥♥♥
Oyster Gratin
3 slices thick cut diced bacon
1 medium shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tlbsp. butter
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups half and half
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
18 oysters, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese divided in half
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°. Cook bacon until crisp and remove to drain on paper towels. In same pan cook shallot and garlic in the butter until softened. Add the spinach and cok until wilted, remove form pan and drain in a colander. Boil half and half and nutmeg until reduced by half, about 5 minutes, let cool. Stir the spinach into the cram and add the oysters and half of the Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper. Pour into a buttered baking dish and top with a combination of the remaining Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Asparagus-Avocado Egg Pie
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 bunch asparagus, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
Salt and pepper
5 eggs beaten
½ cup sharp shredded Cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced
Sauté the garlic asparagus and celery in olive oil until softened, season to taste and let cool. Add the mixture to the eggs and cheese and pour into a buttered pie plate. Cook at 350° for a half hour. Top with diced avocado right before serving.
Banana Treat
1 banana
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ cup mini marshmallows
¼ cup cereal, crushed
1 Tlbsp. dark chocolate chips
1 Tlbsp. sliced almonds
Peel and halve the banana and place in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and then top with the remaining ingredients. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate chips melt and the marshmallows brown.
From the beginning of time humans have been using food to tempt and tantalize each other; hello remember Eve’s apple? (Which was most likely a fig, a super sexual fruit). Currently you cannot turn on the television without being bombarded with commercials geared towards increasing sexual performance. Well there really is no need to spend all that money on chemically enhanced drugs; all you need to do is start incorporating certain foods into your daily diet to see some results. On the most basic level you need to have a healthy diet in general; if your blood is flowing freely to your heart then it will flow freely elsewhere.
With that said there are some specific foods that you and your significant other can eat that will increase hormone development and libido.
♥ Celery contains Androsterone, which is an odorless hormone that is released through a man’s perspiration and turns women on.
♥ Avocados contain folic acid, which helps metabolize proteins and give you more energy. They also contain vitamin B6, which increases male hormone production. There is also a healthy dose of potassium in these fruit, which helps regulate a woman’s Thyroid gland to increase her libido.
♥ Asparagus contains vitamin E, which increases hormone levels to stimulate sexual responses.
♥ Almonds are a prime source of fatty acids, which aid in healthy production of male hormones. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds and salmon also contain these omega 3 fatty acids.
♥ Eggs are high in vitamins B6 and B5, which help balance hormone levels and fight stress; both of which are crucial for a healthy libido.
♥ Garlic contains Allicin, which increases blood flow down below. And if you are both eating garlic you won’t notice it’s pungent aroma.
♥ Oysters are perhaps the epitome of an aphrodisiac, especially when eaten raw. They are high in zinc, which raises testosterone production. They also contain dopamine, which is a hormone known to increase libido.
♥ Bananas contain Bromelain, which is an enzyme believed to increase libido and supposedly reverse impotence.
♥ Figs, “The Forbidden Fruit” are high in amino acids, which are believed to increase libido and improve sexual stamina.
♥ Chocolate, a woman’s best friend, contains Phenyl ethylamine a stimulant that produces the “in love feeling” that makes sex sound like a good idea.
♥ Red Wine, in moderation, contains resveratrol, which is an antioxidant that helps increase blood flow to make arousal easier. Remember moderation is key here, too much is no good.
Let’s start with the quintessential aphrodisiac, oysters. Now I will admit to you that I am not adventurous enough to eat them raw; so I will share a to-be-cooked recipe, Oysters Gratin. Start by cooking three thick slices of diced up bacon until crisp, once done remove them from the pan and add one diced shallot, two diced cloves of garlic, and two tablespoons of butter. Cook this over medium heat until softened before adding about three cups of fresh baby spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and then transfer it all to a colander to drain out all the excess liquid. In the same skillet boil two cups of half and half and a dash or so of nutmeg for about five minutes to reduce it by half. Once this is accomplished remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool. Once cool stir the spinach mixture in to the cream and add about eighteen chopped oysters, half a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the reserved bacon bits, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture into a buttered baking dish and top it all with a combination of half a cup Parmesan cheese and two-thirds a cup of seasoned bread crumbs. Bake this all at 400 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes. This meals masquerades as a gooey cheesy dish, but packs a healthy punch with the spinach and those libido-increasing oysters.
If you are looking for a lighter meal that still packs a punch to your sex drive, try an Asparagus-Avocado Egg Pie. Start by sautéing two cloves of diced garlic, one bunch of diced asparagus, two stalks of diced celery, salt and pepper in olive oil until softened. Let this cool before mixing it with five beaten eggs and half a cup of sharp shredded Cheddar cheese. Pour this into a buttered pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour. When you are ready to serve sprinkle each slice with diced avocado. You can accompany this dish with a simple green salad dressed with a simple garlic vinaigrette made from olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, a little Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Lastly I am going to share with you my favorite quickie dessert, Banana Treat. Begin by peeling and halving one banana into a small baking dish, sprinkle it with cinnamon and a small handful of mini marshmallows. On top of that crunch up some of your favorite cereal, I use Kashi Go Lean Crunch, and top that with some dark chocolate chips and sliced almonds. Bake this in your toaster oven at 350 degrees until the chocolate melts and the marshmallows are browned. Not only does this dessert include three aphrodisiacs, but also the potassium in the bananas is key to muscle strength and helps to alleviate those mood killing leg cramps.
You can wash these dishes down with a glass of red wine; now I don’t mean one of those oversized glasses, we are talking about eight ounces of wine for women and sixteen ounces for men. I don’t think I need to mention to anyone what too much alcohol can do to one’s performance. There are tons of combinations you can come up with to incorporate these special foods into your everyday diet. Studies show that a healthy diet is key to a healthy sexual life; and who doesn’t want that? ♥♥♥
Oyster Gratin
3 slices thick cut diced bacon
1 medium shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tlbsp. butter
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups half and half
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
18 oysters, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese divided in half
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°. Cook bacon until crisp and remove to drain on paper towels. In same pan cook shallot and garlic in the butter until softened. Add the spinach and cok until wilted, remove form pan and drain in a colander. Boil half and half and nutmeg until reduced by half, about 5 minutes, let cool. Stir the spinach into the cram and add the oysters and half of the Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper. Pour into a buttered baking dish and top with a combination of the remaining Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Asparagus-Avocado Egg Pie
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 bunch asparagus, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
Salt and pepper
5 eggs beaten
½ cup sharp shredded Cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced
Sauté the garlic asparagus and celery in olive oil until softened, season to taste and let cool. Add the mixture to the eggs and cheese and pour into a buttered pie plate. Cook at 350° for a half hour. Top with diced avocado right before serving.
Banana Treat
1 banana
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ cup mini marshmallows
¼ cup cereal, crushed
1 Tlbsp. dark chocolate chips
1 Tlbsp. sliced almonds
Peel and halve the banana and place in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and then top with the remaining ingredients. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate chips melt and the marshmallows brown.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Date Night
Dating is not just for singles anymore; now before you start lecturing me on the sanctity of monogamy let me explain what I mean. (For starters I don’t subscribe to the Otis motto of “You don’t lose your spouse, you just lose your turn”!) In my opinion every couple should have a regular date night whether they have been together two months or fifty years, setting aside a night exclusively for just the two of you with no kids or interruptions is a sure way to keep the romance alive, and personally I would prefer to stay home on my date night than go out to a restaurant. I don’t even care what we do; it could be as simple as pizza in front of the television or as elaborate as a theme night complete with costumes and props. But every date night must include some form of sustenance; I mean seriously you need to keep your strength up for all those romantic activities, you know like Wii Bowling and Guitar Hero.
I have a few meals in my arsenal that I have served to my dates, such as Spiced Rummy-Orange Chicken, which is a cheap no- brainer (hmm, say something about those dinner partners?). And then there are the dishes I break out if I am aiming to really impress a man, such as Beef Wellington or Duck a’la Moi and I will also include a recipe that has become an urban legend, Engagement Chicken. I might also be inclined to make these meals if I want something special from a guy; hey a girl has to have weapons besides a low cut shirt to use on a guy. (Like they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach). Oh, and guys, most women find it incredibly sexy when a man cooks for them, you could even get away with serving me Velveeta Shells and Cheese if you wear an apron, but only an apron.
Let’s start with the easier of my two special meals, Duck a’la Moi. This is a dish that I Frankensteined together after eating something similar at a restaurant. You can use either legs or breasts, which ever is available at the grocery store. Be aware that duck is all dark meat and will be greasy if not prepared correctly. Start by scoring the skin with a paring knife being careful not to cut into the meat. Heat your skillet over high heat and spray it with Pam, I don’t use olive oil because the duck will produce its own oils. Season the meat with salt and pepper and then place it in the pan skin side down. This should be pressed into the pan so find a brick or heavy skillet and weigh it down with cans and place over the duck. I don’t have a definitive cook time on this dish; just cook it until crispy on both sides, somewhere between fifteen and twenty minutes. When the duck is done drain it on paper towels to drain out some of the excess fat. Top the duck with a sauce made from a half cup of mixed berries and two tablespoons of blackberry brandy; bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook a bit to reduce. I serve this with rice pilaf and a tossed salad. If you really don’t care for duck you can make this dish with chicken, just use oil when searing it in the pan because there is not as much fat in chicken.
If you really want to impress someone pull out the big guns by making Individual Beef Wellingtons. These appear to be very difficult to make but really it’s not that bad and the results are worth it. Start this dish by searing two one-inch thick filet mignons that have been seasoned with salt and pepper in a screaming hot pan. Cook for about five minutes on each side to caramelize the meat. Now let’s talk toppings, traditionally beef Wellington is made with pâté and mushrooms, but I really do not groove on the fungus so I use a spinach mixture. Sauté up one minced garlic clove with one finely chopped shallot until softened; then mix in about half of a box of frozen spinach and season with salt and pepper. If you don’t like spinach sauté up some mushrooms with a splash of white wine or use roasted red peppers. Now we are ready to assemble. Wellingtons are wrapped in puff pastry and you will only need one sheet to cover the two filets. Just cut the pastry in half and roll it out a bit, then place some of the vegetable mixture in the center, top it with a filet, wrap it up nice and neat, brush with an egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes or until golden. I usually serve this with a sauce made from mashed avocado, sour cream and a tablespoon of dry ranch salad dressing blended together. A nice side dish to accompany your Beef Wellington is garlic-mashed potatoes; these are good because what man doesn’t love mashed potatoes.
A few months ago I saw a segment on the Today Show about Glamour Magazine’s recipe for Engagement Chicken, a meal that is said to ensure a marriage proposal to the cook. It seams that twenty-six years ago one of the magazine’s editors made the chicken for her boyfriend, who loved it and then proposed to her a month later. Over the years the magic recipe was passed around the office always resulting in engagements. I found it in one of my back issues but have yet to use it on anyone (Whew smart move on my part!); so here it is, the famous Engagement Chicken recipe and I expect feedback from any single lady who serves it to her boyfriend. (Let’s see if it really entices a man to propose). To make the magic chicken start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees then take a three-pound whole bird wash, drain and let dry for about fifteen minutes. Pour half a cup of fresh lemon juice over the bird, inside and out and season with salt and pepper. Then prick two whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the bird’s cavity. Place it breast side down in a rack placed in a roasting pan, lower the oven heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for fifteen minutes. Remove it from the oven and use two wooden spoons to turn it breast side up and cook it for thirty-five minutes more. (Test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into thigh and hope for a reading of 180 degrees, continue baking if needed). Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving with the juices. Now make sure to follow these steps to a tee if you want a proposal, any deviation could result in undesired reactions. Seriously who knows what could happen, but the last thing you want is your Prince Charming turning into Prince Slacker and taking up residence on the corner stool at the local watering hole
I suppose I should give you the recipe for the Spiced Rummy-Orange Chicken even though I consider this an every night meal and it has no magical qualities. Season four boneless chicken breasts with salt and pepper and then sauté them in olive oil. Once the chicken is cooked through remove it from the pan and add one can of frozen orange juice. Melt this down, and then stir in four tablespoons of spiced rum to make the sauce; voila you are done. I usually serve this dish with couscous. I really like this meal but honestly there is nothing special about it.
Now if one of these meals does not melt your honey’s heart and land you a little blue box filled with happiness, or whatever else you want, then I don’t know what will. (You might need to break out a costume and do theme night, which I highly suggest too). But seriously, make time for your special someone, show them you care by treating them to a special meal prepared by your own two little hands. Remember actions speak louder than words, well in most cases they do; I have been known to raise my voice a little.
Duck a’la Moi
2 pieces Duck, breasts or legs
½ cup Mixed berries, frozen
2 Tblsp Blackberry brandy
Score the duck skin with sharp knife but do not pierce the meat. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a high heat pan weighted down for 15 min per side. Drain the duck on paper towels and let rest. Combine berries and brandy in pan, bring to boil and let thicken into a sauce. Pour over duck.
Individual Beef Wellingtons
2 1” thick filet mignons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, scrambled
1 avocado, mashed
½ cup sour cream
1 Tblsp ranch dressing mix
Season each filet with salt and pepper and sear over high heat 5 min on each side, remove from heat and set aside. Sauté garlic and shallot over med heat until soft then add spinach, salt and pepper. Cut puff pastry in half and roll out a bit. Place spinach mixture in center, top with filet, fold up dough and brush with egg wash. Cook at 350° for 10 min. Combine avocado, sour cream and ranch dressing and serve over Wellingtons.
Glamour Magazine’s Engagement Chicken
1 3lb. Chicken
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 lemons, plus 1 for garnish
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400°. Wash chicken inside and out, then let drain cavity down in a colander for 15 min. Pat dry with paper towels. Pour lemon juice all over chicken, inside and outside. Season with salt and pepper. Prick 2 lemons 3 times with fork and place deep inside the cavity. Place bird breast side down on a rack in roasting pan, lower heat to 350° and bake uncovered 15 min. Remove from oven and turn breast side up return to oven 35 min more. Meat thermometer should read 180°. Let chicken cool a few minutes before carving. Serve with juices and garnish with herbs and lemons.
Spiced Rummy-Orange Chicken
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 16 oz Can Frozen Orange Juice
4 Tblsp Spiced rum
Salt & Pepper
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then sauté them until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and slice; in the same pan melt the orange juice and add rum, bring to boil. Return chicken to the sauce and coat thoroughly. Serve over couscous or rice.
I have a few meals in my arsenal that I have served to my dates, such as Spiced Rummy-Orange Chicken, which is a cheap no- brainer (hmm, say something about those dinner partners?). And then there are the dishes I break out if I am aiming to really impress a man, such as Beef Wellington or Duck a’la Moi and I will also include a recipe that has become an urban legend, Engagement Chicken. I might also be inclined to make these meals if I want something special from a guy; hey a girl has to have weapons besides a low cut shirt to use on a guy. (Like they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach). Oh, and guys, most women find it incredibly sexy when a man cooks for them, you could even get away with serving me Velveeta Shells and Cheese if you wear an apron, but only an apron.
Let’s start with the easier of my two special meals, Duck a’la Moi. This is a dish that I Frankensteined together after eating something similar at a restaurant. You can use either legs or breasts, which ever is available at the grocery store. Be aware that duck is all dark meat and will be greasy if not prepared correctly. Start by scoring the skin with a paring knife being careful not to cut into the meat. Heat your skillet over high heat and spray it with Pam, I don’t use olive oil because the duck will produce its own oils. Season the meat with salt and pepper and then place it in the pan skin side down. This should be pressed into the pan so find a brick or heavy skillet and weigh it down with cans and place over the duck. I don’t have a definitive cook time on this dish; just cook it until crispy on both sides, somewhere between fifteen and twenty minutes. When the duck is done drain it on paper towels to drain out some of the excess fat. Top the duck with a sauce made from a half cup of mixed berries and two tablespoons of blackberry brandy; bring the sauce to a boil and let it cook a bit to reduce. I serve this with rice pilaf and a tossed salad. If you really don’t care for duck you can make this dish with chicken, just use oil when searing it in the pan because there is not as much fat in chicken.
If you really want to impress someone pull out the big guns by making Individual Beef Wellingtons. These appear to be very difficult to make but really it’s not that bad and the results are worth it. Start this dish by searing two one-inch thick filet mignons that have been seasoned with salt and pepper in a screaming hot pan. Cook for about five minutes on each side to caramelize the meat. Now let’s talk toppings, traditionally beef Wellington is made with pâté and mushrooms, but I really do not groove on the fungus so I use a spinach mixture. Sauté up one minced garlic clove with one finely chopped shallot until softened; then mix in about half of a box of frozen spinach and season with salt and pepper. If you don’t like spinach sauté up some mushrooms with a splash of white wine or use roasted red peppers. Now we are ready to assemble. Wellingtons are wrapped in puff pastry and you will only need one sheet to cover the two filets. Just cut the pastry in half and roll it out a bit, then place some of the vegetable mixture in the center, top it with a filet, wrap it up nice and neat, brush with an egg wash and bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes or until golden. I usually serve this with a sauce made from mashed avocado, sour cream and a tablespoon of dry ranch salad dressing blended together. A nice side dish to accompany your Beef Wellington is garlic-mashed potatoes; these are good because what man doesn’t love mashed potatoes.
A few months ago I saw a segment on the Today Show about Glamour Magazine’s recipe for Engagement Chicken, a meal that is said to ensure a marriage proposal to the cook. It seams that twenty-six years ago one of the magazine’s editors made the chicken for her boyfriend, who loved it and then proposed to her a month later. Over the years the magic recipe was passed around the office always resulting in engagements. I found it in one of my back issues but have yet to use it on anyone (Whew smart move on my part!); so here it is, the famous Engagement Chicken recipe and I expect feedback from any single lady who serves it to her boyfriend. (Let’s see if it really entices a man to propose). To make the magic chicken start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees then take a three-pound whole bird wash, drain and let dry for about fifteen minutes. Pour half a cup of fresh lemon juice over the bird, inside and out and season with salt and pepper. Then prick two whole lemons three times with a fork and place deep inside the bird’s cavity. Place it breast side down in a rack placed in a roasting pan, lower the oven heat to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for fifteen minutes. Remove it from the oven and use two wooden spoons to turn it breast side up and cook it for thirty-five minutes more. (Test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer into thigh and hope for a reading of 180 degrees, continue baking if needed). Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving with the juices. Now make sure to follow these steps to a tee if you want a proposal, any deviation could result in undesired reactions. Seriously who knows what could happen, but the last thing you want is your Prince Charming turning into Prince Slacker and taking up residence on the corner stool at the local watering hole
I suppose I should give you the recipe for the Spiced Rummy-Orange Chicken even though I consider this an every night meal and it has no magical qualities. Season four boneless chicken breasts with salt and pepper and then sauté them in olive oil. Once the chicken is cooked through remove it from the pan and add one can of frozen orange juice. Melt this down, and then stir in four tablespoons of spiced rum to make the sauce; voila you are done. I usually serve this dish with couscous. I really like this meal but honestly there is nothing special about it.
Now if one of these meals does not melt your honey’s heart and land you a little blue box filled with happiness, or whatever else you want, then I don’t know what will. (You might need to break out a costume and do theme night, which I highly suggest too). But seriously, make time for your special someone, show them you care by treating them to a special meal prepared by your own two little hands. Remember actions speak louder than words, well in most cases they do; I have been known to raise my voice a little.
Duck a’la Moi
2 pieces Duck, breasts or legs
½ cup Mixed berries, frozen
2 Tblsp Blackberry brandy
Score the duck skin with sharp knife but do not pierce the meat. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a high heat pan weighted down for 15 min per side. Drain the duck on paper towels and let rest. Combine berries and brandy in pan, bring to boil and let thicken into a sauce. Pour over duck.
Individual Beef Wellingtons
2 1” thick filet mignons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, scrambled
1 avocado, mashed
½ cup sour cream
1 Tblsp ranch dressing mix
Season each filet with salt and pepper and sear over high heat 5 min on each side, remove from heat and set aside. Sauté garlic and shallot over med heat until soft then add spinach, salt and pepper. Cut puff pastry in half and roll out a bit. Place spinach mixture in center, top with filet, fold up dough and brush with egg wash. Cook at 350° for 10 min. Combine avocado, sour cream and ranch dressing and serve over Wellingtons.
Glamour Magazine’s Engagement Chicken
1 3lb. Chicken
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 lemons, plus 1 for garnish
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400°. Wash chicken inside and out, then let drain cavity down in a colander for 15 min. Pat dry with paper towels. Pour lemon juice all over chicken, inside and outside. Season with salt and pepper. Prick 2 lemons 3 times with fork and place deep inside the cavity. Place bird breast side down on a rack in roasting pan, lower heat to 350° and bake uncovered 15 min. Remove from oven and turn breast side up return to oven 35 min more. Meat thermometer should read 180°. Let chicken cool a few minutes before carving. Serve with juices and garnish with herbs and lemons.
Spiced Rummy-Orange Chicken
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 16 oz Can Frozen Orange Juice
4 Tblsp Spiced rum
Salt & Pepper
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then sauté them until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and slice; in the same pan melt the orange juice and add rum, bring to boil. Return chicken to the sauce and coat thoroughly. Serve over couscous or rice.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Potashema
I can’t stand winter! I do not like to be cold; the days are too short and shoveling just plain sucks. To top it all off I live on a snowmobile trail and am so sick of listening to them that I have come up with some very clever ways of eliminating them from my life. Anyway it’s no surprise that so many people get the winter blues and start looking for ways to perk up their mood. There are many things that you can do to pull yourself out of the dumps, take a vacation (there is a reason Spring Break falls in March), go out regularly with friends, start shopping for your spring wardrobe (my personal favorite), start a new exercise program or make some comforting food. Everyone has a favorite comforting meal, for me its Shepherd’s Pie; I like the fact that all aspects of my meal are in one dish but still retain their own textures and flavors. (I don’t like stews because everything tastes the same and the vegetables are mushy, yuck). After a little research I discovered that this dish originated in eighteenth century Britain after explorers returned from the new world with potatoes. (Contrary to popular belief potatoes are not originally from Ireland, they just really like them). Shepherd’s Pie was created by peasant women looking for creative ways to use leftover meats and incidentally Shepherd’s Pie was originally made with lamb, if beef was used it was called Cottage Pie.
In my family we call the dish “Potashema” which is a bastardized way of pronouncing Pâté Chinois. The French-Canadian version is made by topping browned ground beef with a can of creamed corn, mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of paprika. Not only does it sound bland, but also it tastes bland. My long-time friend KS still laughs about how when we were kids she would rather go home and eat a mustard and cheese sandwich than stay for my mother’s “Potashema”. I didn’t know any better at the time so I thought that it was good. I felt that way until my Scottish friend KB made her version for me; she mixed a can of British-style baked beans into her ground beef to add both moisture and flavor. Since then I have been on the hunt for great Shepherd’s Pie recipes; and what I have found is that you have to think outside the beef, gravy and potato box to get something truly tasty.
First I found a Rachael Ray (surprise surprise) recipe that used ground turkey and sweet potatoes; it looked interesting so I tried it and I loved it. Start by browning one and a half pounds of ground turkey with one diced onion and two stalks of celery diced, if so desired add some minced garlic. Once this is done, pour it into a baking dish then mix in a box of frozen mixed vegetables. In the same pan you browned the meat in make a quick gravy out of four tablespoons of butter melted with two tablespoons of flour (a roux), then whisk in one can of chicken stock, two teaspoons of poultry seasoning and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Once the gravy has come to a boil and thickened mix it into the turkey mixture. Please try making your own gravy because it is so easy and better tasting then the store-bought ones. Now let us talk potatoes; by all means if you want to mash the sweet potatoes from scratch then knock your socks off. Me, I found out that the grocery stores carry many different flavors of instant mashed potatoes, including sweet potato, bon jour! I know that it’s kind of hypocritical of me to suggest using a box mix when I just chastised you for using canned gravy, but honestly I really like them and they are way easier to smooth over the top of your pie. Anyway, when the potatoes are done add a few dashes of hot sauce to them and smooth over the turkey mixture, top this with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes. This Shepherd’s Pie tastes like Thanksgiving dinner; actually I like it better.
After making this version of Shepherd’s Pie I started thinking about other ground meat and potato combinations, and more specifically what I could do with the ground pork taking up space in my freezer. What I came up with was barbequed pork Shepherd’s Pie. Once again brown the pork with onions, celery and garlic. I use frozen mixed vegetables again because they are more nutritious than just corn. (Which by the way is not considered a vegetable!) Now instead of making gravy, I pour about half a bottle of barbeque sauce over the mixture; you want enough mixed in to make the meat moist and saucy. This time I broke out a box of roasted garlic mashed potatoes and then topped it all with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Once again, cook it at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. This dish reminds me of barbequed ribs but without the mess.
Or if you want a more sophisticated version try Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie. Sauté your ground beef with a few cloves of garlic and fresh mushrooms; add some pearl onions, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of thyme. Then mix in gravy made from a roux to which you add a half-cup of each red wine and beef broth. Top this with frozen baby peas and garlic-mashed potatoes. This version has all the classic ingredients but with a grown-up twist due to the wine and herbs added, try it you will love it. I also played with making a pie with the flavors of Buffalo wings. To do this follow the basic recipe I gave you but substitute ground chicken, buffalo sauce and plain potatoes with bleu cheese mixed in. I don’t add vegetables because I don’t think that there is a vegetable that I would want to eat mixed with buffalo sauce; just serve a salad with this dinner.
If you really want to think outside the box, try Taco Shepherd’s Pie. Make your beef filling according to a taco-seasoning package’s directions with diced onions. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with a can of refried beans, your taco beef, and a bit of taco sauce just to add moisture. Now, make up a batch of quick cooking polenta and spread that over the taco mixture. Cover the polenta with Mexican style shredded cheese and bake until golden brown. Serve this topped with fresh-diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. As you will learn in the future I am not a fan of tacos or Mexican food in most cases but this reincarnation is acceptable for consumption in my book.
There are an infinite amount of combinations you can use to jazz up your Shepherd’s Pie. (I didn’t even get to ground lamb and veal yet). A lot of dishes are easily enhanced once you master the basic recipe, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf are two examples I will write about in future columns. So lift yourself out of the winter doldrums and serve up a tasty plate of your favorite comfort food. Plus a satisfying meal like Shepherd’s Pie will fuel you for all of that shoveling. Ugh.
Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs. ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
4 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1½ cups chicken stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 box instant mashed sweet potatoes
Dash hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sauté first 4 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, add vegetables. Melt butter and mix in flour, cook for a minute. Add stock and Worcestershire and bring to boil, once thickened mix into meat. Make potatoes according to package directions, add a few dashes of hot sauce and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
BBQ Pork Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs ground pork
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
1-cup BBQ sauce
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brown first 4 ingredients, pour into a baking dish, add vegetables and mix in BBQ sauce. Make potato according to package directions and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-cup mushrooms, sliced
½ bag frozen pearl onions
1 tsp Thyme
½ cup red wine
½ cup beef broth
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1 pkg frozen peas
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
Sauté first 5 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, top with peas. Make a roux and add wine and broth to make gravy. Make potatoes according to package directions and smooth over top of meat mixture. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Taco Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
½ cup taco sauce
1 pkg quick cooking polenta
1-cup Mexican style shredded cheese
Sauté first 3 ingredients then mix in taco sauce. Spread refried beans into bottom of a baking dish, top with meat mixture. Make polenta according to package directions and smooth over the meat mixture, top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve topped with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.
In my family we call the dish “Potashema” which is a bastardized way of pronouncing Pâté Chinois. The French-Canadian version is made by topping browned ground beef with a can of creamed corn, mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of paprika. Not only does it sound bland, but also it tastes bland. My long-time friend KS still laughs about how when we were kids she would rather go home and eat a mustard and cheese sandwich than stay for my mother’s “Potashema”. I didn’t know any better at the time so I thought that it was good. I felt that way until my Scottish friend KB made her version for me; she mixed a can of British-style baked beans into her ground beef to add both moisture and flavor. Since then I have been on the hunt for great Shepherd’s Pie recipes; and what I have found is that you have to think outside the beef, gravy and potato box to get something truly tasty.
First I found a Rachael Ray (surprise surprise) recipe that used ground turkey and sweet potatoes; it looked interesting so I tried it and I loved it. Start by browning one and a half pounds of ground turkey with one diced onion and two stalks of celery diced, if so desired add some minced garlic. Once this is done, pour it into a baking dish then mix in a box of frozen mixed vegetables. In the same pan you browned the meat in make a quick gravy out of four tablespoons of butter melted with two tablespoons of flour (a roux), then whisk in one can of chicken stock, two teaspoons of poultry seasoning and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Once the gravy has come to a boil and thickened mix it into the turkey mixture. Please try making your own gravy because it is so easy and better tasting then the store-bought ones. Now let us talk potatoes; by all means if you want to mash the sweet potatoes from scratch then knock your socks off. Me, I found out that the grocery stores carry many different flavors of instant mashed potatoes, including sweet potato, bon jour! I know that it’s kind of hypocritical of me to suggest using a box mix when I just chastised you for using canned gravy, but honestly I really like them and they are way easier to smooth over the top of your pie. Anyway, when the potatoes are done add a few dashes of hot sauce to them and smooth over the turkey mixture, top this with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes. This Shepherd’s Pie tastes like Thanksgiving dinner; actually I like it better.
After making this version of Shepherd’s Pie I started thinking about other ground meat and potato combinations, and more specifically what I could do with the ground pork taking up space in my freezer. What I came up with was barbequed pork Shepherd’s Pie. Once again brown the pork with onions, celery and garlic. I use frozen mixed vegetables again because they are more nutritious than just corn. (Which by the way is not considered a vegetable!) Now instead of making gravy, I pour about half a bottle of barbeque sauce over the mixture; you want enough mixed in to make the meat moist and saucy. This time I broke out a box of roasted garlic mashed potatoes and then topped it all with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Once again, cook it at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. This dish reminds me of barbequed ribs but without the mess.
Or if you want a more sophisticated version try Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie. Sauté your ground beef with a few cloves of garlic and fresh mushrooms; add some pearl onions, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of thyme. Then mix in gravy made from a roux to which you add a half-cup of each red wine and beef broth. Top this with frozen baby peas and garlic-mashed potatoes. This version has all the classic ingredients but with a grown-up twist due to the wine and herbs added, try it you will love it. I also played with making a pie with the flavors of Buffalo wings. To do this follow the basic recipe I gave you but substitute ground chicken, buffalo sauce and plain potatoes with bleu cheese mixed in. I don’t add vegetables because I don’t think that there is a vegetable that I would want to eat mixed with buffalo sauce; just serve a salad with this dinner.
If you really want to think outside the box, try Taco Shepherd’s Pie. Make your beef filling according to a taco-seasoning package’s directions with diced onions. Cover the bottom of your baking dish with a can of refried beans, your taco beef, and a bit of taco sauce just to add moisture. Now, make up a batch of quick cooking polenta and spread that over the taco mixture. Cover the polenta with Mexican style shredded cheese and bake until golden brown. Serve this topped with fresh-diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. As you will learn in the future I am not a fan of tacos or Mexican food in most cases but this reincarnation is acceptable for consumption in my book.
There are an infinite amount of combinations you can use to jazz up your Shepherd’s Pie. (I didn’t even get to ground lamb and veal yet). A lot of dishes are easily enhanced once you master the basic recipe, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf are two examples I will write about in future columns. So lift yourself out of the winter doldrums and serve up a tasty plate of your favorite comfort food. Plus a satisfying meal like Shepherd’s Pie will fuel you for all of that shoveling. Ugh.
Thanksgiving Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs. ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
4 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1½ cups chicken stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 box instant mashed sweet potatoes
Dash hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sauté first 4 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, add vegetables. Melt butter and mix in flour, cook for a minute. Add stock and Worcestershire and bring to boil, once thickened mix into meat. Make potatoes according to package directions, add a few dashes of hot sauce and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
BBQ Pork Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs ground pork
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 box frozen mixed vegetables
1-cup BBQ sauce
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Brown first 4 ingredients, pour into a baking dish, add vegetables and mix in BBQ sauce. Make potato according to package directions and smooth over meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Beef Bourguignon Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-cup mushrooms, sliced
½ bag frozen pearl onions
1 tsp Thyme
½ cup red wine
½ cup beef broth
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour
1 pkg frozen peas
1 box instant garlic mashed potatoes
Sauté first 5 ingredients and pour into a baking dish, top with peas. Make a roux and add wine and broth to make gravy. Make potatoes according to package directions and smooth over top of meat mixture. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Taco Shepherd’s Pie
1½ lbs ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
½ cup taco sauce
1 pkg quick cooking polenta
1-cup Mexican style shredded cheese
Sauté first 3 ingredients then mix in taco sauce. Spread refried beans into bottom of a baking dish, top with meat mixture. Make polenta according to package directions and smooth over the meat mixture, top with cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Serve topped with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Stretching Your Buck
I manage a small country store in a small town and have noticed a depressing trend in the past years; more and more of the full time residents are going on food stamps. Okay I am going to say it even though it will not make me any friends; I do not think that the food stamp program works and I believe that it should be abolished. We accept the food stamp cards and I can count on one finger how many times I have rung up actual food for one of the card’s recipients. Nine point nine times out of ten people are using the food stamps to buy snack foods, soda, frozen dinners and canned pasta; nothing that is in my opinion healthy. Seriously it really irritates me that my tax money is going to fund this program and these people are wasting that money on junk food.
So what do I think should be done, besides getting rid of the whole program? Well first of all the card recipients should get guidelines about proper nutrition and lessons in smart shopping; secondly there should be restrictions on what can be purchased with the food stamps. But since I am not in politics what I can do is offer up some economical recipes and tips. Seriously I cook dinner from scratch almost every night of the week and it does not take a ton of time to do so; plus the people I know of on food stamps don’t have jobs, so what else do they have to do all day?
The most important thing to remember when you go to the grocery store is to have a plan, do not go in hungry and if at all possible shop only the perimeter aisles. I find that I spend way less when I go to the store with a list because I usually stick to it. Also if you stay out of those middle aisles you avoid the prepackaged foods that cost much more and have higher fat and sodium contents. The perimeter aisles are the ones with the produce, deli, meat, fish, dairy, and bread. I will admit it I do not use coupons. Every time I look at them in the paper I never find them for products that I use; I do however take advantage of the store card sales as much as possible.
The first buck-stretching recipe that I want to share is for soup. Seriously this is the easiest thing you can make, a recipe is not even needed but I made one recently that was fantastic. Basically I just emptied out both my pantry and refrigerator and called it Tricia’s Minestrone. Start by sautéing one chopped onion, two diced stalks of celery, one diced carrot and three minced garlic cloves in olive oil until softened. Add about half a pound of Italian sausage and cook until this is crumbled and cooked through. Next add two cans of rinsed white beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and one of those paper boxes of chicken broth. You could get even more economical by melting three chicken bouillon cubes in three cups of hot water. Stir in half of a box of defrosted and drained frozen spinach, two teaspoons of Italian seasoning and half of a cup of orzo pasta. Cook this until the pasta is al dente, about ten minutes and serve with either a grilled cheese sandwich or crusty bread. I actually added about a quarter cup of store bought pesto that I had in the fridge and the rind from a wedge of parmesan cheese, but these items are not necessary if you do not have them on hand. This soup also freezes fabulously so do not be afraid to make a huge pot full.
Another economical meal is roasted chicken; this is so because you should be able to get at least two meals from one bird. Now there are a million ways to make chicken, and I have one million and one for you, Peruvian Chicken. In a small food processor combine five cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons or oregano, a ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, one teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of paprika and ½ cup of white vinegar. Process this until it becomes a smooth paste. You can make this recipe with a whole four pound chicken or four pieces; I prefer the dark meat of the bird so I use leg and thigh pieces. Whichever you use rinse and dry them before loosening the skin from the meat with your fingers so that you can smear the herb paste both under and over the skin. Now throw the chicken in the fridge to marinate for at least four hour or overnight, depending on how ambitious you are. Cook the chicken at 400 degrees for at least an hour; you will know it is done when the juices run clear. You can serve this chicken with homemade French fries sprinkled with the same herbs used in the paste. The leftover chicken can be used to make a quick soup or chicken potpie the next night.
Finally probably the most buck-stretching thing you could ever make in pasta. Like chicken there are a ton of different pasta recipes out there and they can be made with almost any ingredient you can find in your house. I personally keep a fully stocked pantry and have on more than one occasion thrown something together on the fly. This next recipe is something that I have all of the ingredients for regularly and is not an expensive meal to make, Tuna Puttanesca. First bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook a pound of your choice of pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking sauté four minced cloves of garlic and a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a minute, add two tablespoons of caper and a half cup of sliced black olives and sauté another minute or so. Add a large can of diced tomatoes that have been drained (reserve the juices) and cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the tomato juices and a teaspoon of basil, slat and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens. Finally add one can of tuna and heat through, serve the sauce over the cooked pasta. This dish is a nice change because of the tuna and the fact that it is not as heavy as most pasta dishes.
There are so many more meals that you can make that don’t cost an arm and a leg and also don’t come out of a can. I really think that people need to be educated on what is healthy for them and their children because as far as I can see they really just don’t get it. And I really don’t expect everyone to be a gourmet cook, but I also believe that anyone can put together a homemade meal. If someone gave me a handout like food stamps the last thing I would do would be to waste the money on junk food; but I guess that not everyone cares about where that money came from as me.
Tricia’s Minestrone
1 med Onion, diced
1 med Carrot, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. Italian sausage
2 cans White beans, rinsed
1 can Diced tomatoes
3 cups Chicken broth
½ box Frozen spinach, defrosted & drained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ cup Orzo
Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add sausage and cook until crumbled and cooked through. Add beans, tomatoes and broth and heat well. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 10 minutes.
Peruvian Chicken
5 Garlic cloves
2 Tlbsp. Salt
Pepper
2 tsp. Oregano
½ inch Fresh ginger
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Paprika
½ cup White vinegar
4 lbs Chicken, either whole or pieces
Combine the first eight ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste. Rinse and dry chicken, loosen skin from the meat with fingers and smear paste both under and over the skin. Marinate 4 hours to overnight. Cook at 400° for at least 1 hour, until juices run clear.
Tuna Puttanesca
1 lb. Pasta, cooked al dente
4 Garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
2 Tlbsp. Capers
½ cup Black olives, sliced
1 28-oz. Can diced tomatoes, drained & juices reserved
1 tsp. Basil
1 5-oz Canned Tuna
Salt and pepper
Cook pasta until al dente. Sauté garlic and red pepper 1 minute, add capers and olives and sauté another minute or so. Add the drained tomatoes and cook until the liquid is absorbed, add the reserved liquid and cook until thickened. Season with basil, salt and pepper and add tuna, cook through and serve with pasta.
So what do I think should be done, besides getting rid of the whole program? Well first of all the card recipients should get guidelines about proper nutrition and lessons in smart shopping; secondly there should be restrictions on what can be purchased with the food stamps. But since I am not in politics what I can do is offer up some economical recipes and tips. Seriously I cook dinner from scratch almost every night of the week and it does not take a ton of time to do so; plus the people I know of on food stamps don’t have jobs, so what else do they have to do all day?
The most important thing to remember when you go to the grocery store is to have a plan, do not go in hungry and if at all possible shop only the perimeter aisles. I find that I spend way less when I go to the store with a list because I usually stick to it. Also if you stay out of those middle aisles you avoid the prepackaged foods that cost much more and have higher fat and sodium contents. The perimeter aisles are the ones with the produce, deli, meat, fish, dairy, and bread. I will admit it I do not use coupons. Every time I look at them in the paper I never find them for products that I use; I do however take advantage of the store card sales as much as possible.
The first buck-stretching recipe that I want to share is for soup. Seriously this is the easiest thing you can make, a recipe is not even needed but I made one recently that was fantastic. Basically I just emptied out both my pantry and refrigerator and called it Tricia’s Minestrone. Start by sautéing one chopped onion, two diced stalks of celery, one diced carrot and three minced garlic cloves in olive oil until softened. Add about half a pound of Italian sausage and cook until this is crumbled and cooked through. Next add two cans of rinsed white beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and one of those paper boxes of chicken broth. You could get even more economical by melting three chicken bouillon cubes in three cups of hot water. Stir in half of a box of defrosted and drained frozen spinach, two teaspoons of Italian seasoning and half of a cup of orzo pasta. Cook this until the pasta is al dente, about ten minutes and serve with either a grilled cheese sandwich or crusty bread. I actually added about a quarter cup of store bought pesto that I had in the fridge and the rind from a wedge of parmesan cheese, but these items are not necessary if you do not have them on hand. This soup also freezes fabulously so do not be afraid to make a huge pot full.
Another economical meal is roasted chicken; this is so because you should be able to get at least two meals from one bird. Now there are a million ways to make chicken, and I have one million and one for you, Peruvian Chicken. In a small food processor combine five cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons or oregano, a ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, one teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of paprika and ½ cup of white vinegar. Process this until it becomes a smooth paste. You can make this recipe with a whole four pound chicken or four pieces; I prefer the dark meat of the bird so I use leg and thigh pieces. Whichever you use rinse and dry them before loosening the skin from the meat with your fingers so that you can smear the herb paste both under and over the skin. Now throw the chicken in the fridge to marinate for at least four hour or overnight, depending on how ambitious you are. Cook the chicken at 400 degrees for at least an hour; you will know it is done when the juices run clear. You can serve this chicken with homemade French fries sprinkled with the same herbs used in the paste. The leftover chicken can be used to make a quick soup or chicken potpie the next night.
Finally probably the most buck-stretching thing you could ever make in pasta. Like chicken there are a ton of different pasta recipes out there and they can be made with almost any ingredient you can find in your house. I personally keep a fully stocked pantry and have on more than one occasion thrown something together on the fly. This next recipe is something that I have all of the ingredients for regularly and is not an expensive meal to make, Tuna Puttanesca. First bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook a pound of your choice of pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking sauté four minced cloves of garlic and a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a minute, add two tablespoons of caper and a half cup of sliced black olives and sauté another minute or so. Add a large can of diced tomatoes that have been drained (reserve the juices) and cook until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Add the tomato juices and a teaspoon of basil, slat and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens. Finally add one can of tuna and heat through, serve the sauce over the cooked pasta. This dish is a nice change because of the tuna and the fact that it is not as heavy as most pasta dishes.
There are so many more meals that you can make that don’t cost an arm and a leg and also don’t come out of a can. I really think that people need to be educated on what is healthy for them and their children because as far as I can see they really just don’t get it. And I really don’t expect everyone to be a gourmet cook, but I also believe that anyone can put together a homemade meal. If someone gave me a handout like food stamps the last thing I would do would be to waste the money on junk food; but I guess that not everyone cares about where that money came from as me.
Tricia’s Minestrone
1 med Onion, diced
1 med Carrot, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. Italian sausage
2 cans White beans, rinsed
1 can Diced tomatoes
3 cups Chicken broth
½ box Frozen spinach, defrosted & drained
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ cup Orzo
Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add sausage and cook until crumbled and cooked through. Add beans, tomatoes and broth and heat well. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 10 minutes.
Peruvian Chicken
5 Garlic cloves
2 Tlbsp. Salt
Pepper
2 tsp. Oregano
½ inch Fresh ginger
1 tsp. Cumin
½ tsp. Paprika
½ cup White vinegar
4 lbs Chicken, either whole or pieces
Combine the first eight ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste. Rinse and dry chicken, loosen skin from the meat with fingers and smear paste both under and over the skin. Marinate 4 hours to overnight. Cook at 400° for at least 1 hour, until juices run clear.
Tuna Puttanesca
1 lb. Pasta, cooked al dente
4 Garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
2 Tlbsp. Capers
½ cup Black olives, sliced
1 28-oz. Can diced tomatoes, drained & juices reserved
1 tsp. Basil
1 5-oz Canned Tuna
Salt and pepper
Cook pasta until al dente. Sauté garlic and red pepper 1 minute, add capers and olives and sauté another minute or so. Add the drained tomatoes and cook until the liquid is absorbed, add the reserved liquid and cook until thickened. Season with basil, salt and pepper and add tuna, cook through and serve with pasta.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Resolutions
Every January millions of people make New Year’s resolutions only to break them before spring arrives, and I was guilty of falling into that group year after year. Well last year I was able to hold true to my resolution. See I was not satisfied with the path my life was on, stifled socially and intellectually, and exhausted from censoring my beliefs just to fit in. So I resolved to live life on my own terms and get back to the real me, someone I could live with, not someone who let others control her. I changed almost everything, concentrated on tried and true friendships (they haven’t been in my life for thirty years for nothing), developed a new personal style (holy crap do I look good), picked up a new hobby (yes I bought a pole and learned to bellydance), and broaden my palette. I make an attempt to either try a new recipe or introduce one new ingredient into my diet each week, and you know what, so far I have liked everything. I even reintroduced foods that I had previously disliked, i.e. avocado and cilantro, into my diet only to discover that I like them now.
Everyone gets into a rut when it comes to their repertoire of meals; it’s difficult to be creative when you are so busy with jobs, kids and housework (blah, blah, blah if I have to keep hearing this excuse I just might have to break out the mace). That is why I am such a fan of Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals. Okay, yes she is annoying as all hell and so bubbly that I just want to slap her silly; but damn that woman can put together a recipe. Nine times out of ten if you dine at my house you are eating a RR meal that I tweaked; and I have yet to go wrong with one of her recipes. So I am asking you to throw caution to the wind, open your mind and try something new.
Last year I found a recipe for Five Spice Coconut Chicken in RR’s magazine that intrigued me; I knew that I liked coconut, but I had no idea what Chinese Five Spice powder tasted like. But really, how bad could it be? Now in the past whenever I have said how bad could it be to myself it has turned out to be phenomenally bad, i.e. martinis, certain ex-boyfriends, gluten-free bread. Well let me tell you, it is out of this world and so is this meal.
This recipe calls for eight boneless chicken thighs, but I always use four leg quarters, because my store doesn’t carry the thighs. (If you prefer to you can use boneless breasts). Marinate the chicken in one third of a cup of coconut milk, two tablespoons each of honey and soy sauce, one tablespoon of lime juice, one finely chopped garlic clove and two and a half teaspoons of the aforementioned Chinese Five Spice powder. Let this marinate for at least fifteen minutes and then pour everything into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until done. I never set my oven timer because honestly I haven’t taken the time to figure it out; I just check the item after about a half an hour to forty-five minutes, when the juices run clear I know the chicken is done. This dish is sweet and nutty tasting and one of my favorites, I serve it with rice and steamed sugar snap peas.
Okay, so now you are left with a jar of Five Spice powder and more than half a can of coconut milk, so what do you do? Wait a few days and then make Coconut Curry Chicken. Curry is something that I recently rediscovered. A few years ago my good friend KB made it for me, being from Great Britain she is very familiar with curry dishes; well I ate what she served me but really didn’t care for it. But recently I decided to try it again and it what do know, I liked it. Its flavor is hard to describe, curry has some heat, but it’s not blow the top of your head off heat. All I can say is try it, it won’t kill you besides my brother-in-law liked this meal and he doesn’t like anything.
To make the Coconut Curry Chicken, which incidentally I also found in RR’s magazine, start by making a paste out of olive oil and two teaspoons of curry powder; cook this over medium heat for a minute or so, then add the rest of that can of coconut milk. By the way, don’t store that coconut milk in the can, if you do it will just taste like the can. You are going to want to cook this for a bit over low heat so that the sauce will reduce a bit. In the meantime cut up four boneless chicken thighs into strips and toss them with salt, pepper and two teaspoons of your Five Spice powder. The chicken is then stir fried over high heat and then combined with the coconut sauce. Serve this over rice and enjoy its sweet nutty heat.
So now you have a jar of curry powder sitting in your spice cabinet that you bought for the last recipe and you’re probably thinking, what the hell am I going to do with all this? Well my friend TW recently turned me on to a side salad that is fantabulous, Curry Couscous. To make this start by boiling one and a quarter cups of water, add one cup of couscous, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Once this is done transfer it into a large bowl to cool a bit and drizzle it with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Now comes the part where you transform into a human Cuisinart and dice up a medium onion, two stalks of celery, dried cranberries and a good handful of parsley. Throw all this into the bowl with the couscous, and mix in one can of rinsed chickpeas, a quarter teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. If the salad seems a little dry just add a little more olive oil. I wasn’t completely sure if I would like this salad but it was great. The only problem is that couscous can be very messy; I am a very neat cook and I still have those little balls all over my counters, and seriously those are not the kind of balls I like running all over my house.
So there you have it, we just broadened our horizons by making meals from Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East and tried three new ingredients: coconut milk, Chinese Five Spice powder and curry powder. None of which were difficult, time consuming or overly expensive; oh yeah and trying something new didn’t kill anyone.
Now believe me there are some things that I refuse to eat such as cauliflower, mushrooms and venison. A few years ago I choked down a venison burger just because I was being polite to the guy who served it to me, and even though I loaded it up with ketchup and mustard I still thought that it was disgusting. (Actually I told him a lot of things were good when they were not). Every one says that I just haven’t had it prepared correctly, in my opinion that is a load of bull; it’s just not a food that I will ever like. I understand that you are extremely proud of the fact that you sat in a tree stand all day and shot some poor unsuspecting animal that happened to stop below your perch, but really do I have to ingest it or hang it on my wall to think you are a manly man? Sorry honey but the answer is no.
I have tried a lot of new foods this past year but my to- try list is still full of items to sample, like Sushi. Every time I go out to dinner I consider trying it but inevitably I chicken out, usually literally. One of these days though I will eat Sushi, I promise you. To me life is not worth living if you stop trying new things, so just do it! Pick up a new hobby, buy and wear a new piece of clothing that is out of your comfort zone (just please consult Stacy and Clinton first), or make that recipe you have been hemming and hawing over. I’m not suggesting that you make drastic changes like I did, but even the smallest change can be liberating. Warning: you may get some extra attention if you make a noticeable change. I certainly have, sometimes I think if my town newspaper had a Page Six I would be its favorite subject. Hmm, does that mean that not only am I a princess but also a socialite?
Five Spice Coconut Chicken
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Tblsp Honey
2 Tblsp Soy Sauce
1 Tblsp Lime Juice
2-½ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 Pieces Chicken (bone-in or boneless)
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it, let marinade for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes. (Check for clear juices). Serve with the sauce poured over the chicken.
Coconut Curry Chicken
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Curry Powder
1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
4 Pieces Boneless Chicken Thighs cut in strips
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
Combine curry powder and olive oil over medium heat to form a paste, cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and cook about 7 minutes, should be reduced by half. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Chinese Five Spice powder. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Once done combine with coconut curry sauce and serve over rice.
Curry Couscous
1 cup couscous
1-¼ cup water
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 Medium onions, diced
2 Stalks celery, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
¼ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Curry powder
Salt & Pepper
Boil water and add couscous, cover and remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to bowl and drizzle with olive oil, let cool. Mix in rest of ingredients and add more oil if needed. To increase the heat levels add more curry powder.
Everyone gets into a rut when it comes to their repertoire of meals; it’s difficult to be creative when you are so busy with jobs, kids and housework (blah, blah, blah if I have to keep hearing this excuse I just might have to break out the mace). That is why I am such a fan of Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals. Okay, yes she is annoying as all hell and so bubbly that I just want to slap her silly; but damn that woman can put together a recipe. Nine times out of ten if you dine at my house you are eating a RR meal that I tweaked; and I have yet to go wrong with one of her recipes. So I am asking you to throw caution to the wind, open your mind and try something new.
Last year I found a recipe for Five Spice Coconut Chicken in RR’s magazine that intrigued me; I knew that I liked coconut, but I had no idea what Chinese Five Spice powder tasted like. But really, how bad could it be? Now in the past whenever I have said how bad could it be to myself it has turned out to be phenomenally bad, i.e. martinis, certain ex-boyfriends, gluten-free bread. Well let me tell you, it is out of this world and so is this meal.
This recipe calls for eight boneless chicken thighs, but I always use four leg quarters, because my store doesn’t carry the thighs. (If you prefer to you can use boneless breasts). Marinate the chicken in one third of a cup of coconut milk, two tablespoons each of honey and soy sauce, one tablespoon of lime juice, one finely chopped garlic clove and two and a half teaspoons of the aforementioned Chinese Five Spice powder. Let this marinate for at least fifteen minutes and then pour everything into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until done. I never set my oven timer because honestly I haven’t taken the time to figure it out; I just check the item after about a half an hour to forty-five minutes, when the juices run clear I know the chicken is done. This dish is sweet and nutty tasting and one of my favorites, I serve it with rice and steamed sugar snap peas.
Okay, so now you are left with a jar of Five Spice powder and more than half a can of coconut milk, so what do you do? Wait a few days and then make Coconut Curry Chicken. Curry is something that I recently rediscovered. A few years ago my good friend KB made it for me, being from Great Britain she is very familiar with curry dishes; well I ate what she served me but really didn’t care for it. But recently I decided to try it again and it what do know, I liked it. Its flavor is hard to describe, curry has some heat, but it’s not blow the top of your head off heat. All I can say is try it, it won’t kill you besides my brother-in-law liked this meal and he doesn’t like anything.
To make the Coconut Curry Chicken, which incidentally I also found in RR’s magazine, start by making a paste out of olive oil and two teaspoons of curry powder; cook this over medium heat for a minute or so, then add the rest of that can of coconut milk. By the way, don’t store that coconut milk in the can, if you do it will just taste like the can. You are going to want to cook this for a bit over low heat so that the sauce will reduce a bit. In the meantime cut up four boneless chicken thighs into strips and toss them with salt, pepper and two teaspoons of your Five Spice powder. The chicken is then stir fried over high heat and then combined with the coconut sauce. Serve this over rice and enjoy its sweet nutty heat.
So now you have a jar of curry powder sitting in your spice cabinet that you bought for the last recipe and you’re probably thinking, what the hell am I going to do with all this? Well my friend TW recently turned me on to a side salad that is fantabulous, Curry Couscous. To make this start by boiling one and a quarter cups of water, add one cup of couscous, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Once this is done transfer it into a large bowl to cool a bit and drizzle it with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Now comes the part where you transform into a human Cuisinart and dice up a medium onion, two stalks of celery, dried cranberries and a good handful of parsley. Throw all this into the bowl with the couscous, and mix in one can of rinsed chickpeas, a quarter teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon curry powder and salt and pepper to taste. If the salad seems a little dry just add a little more olive oil. I wasn’t completely sure if I would like this salad but it was great. The only problem is that couscous can be very messy; I am a very neat cook and I still have those little balls all over my counters, and seriously those are not the kind of balls I like running all over my house.
So there you have it, we just broadened our horizons by making meals from Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East and tried three new ingredients: coconut milk, Chinese Five Spice powder and curry powder. None of which were difficult, time consuming or overly expensive; oh yeah and trying something new didn’t kill anyone.
Now believe me there are some things that I refuse to eat such as cauliflower, mushrooms and venison. A few years ago I choked down a venison burger just because I was being polite to the guy who served it to me, and even though I loaded it up with ketchup and mustard I still thought that it was disgusting. (Actually I told him a lot of things were good when they were not). Every one says that I just haven’t had it prepared correctly, in my opinion that is a load of bull; it’s just not a food that I will ever like. I understand that you are extremely proud of the fact that you sat in a tree stand all day and shot some poor unsuspecting animal that happened to stop below your perch, but really do I have to ingest it or hang it on my wall to think you are a manly man? Sorry honey but the answer is no.
I have tried a lot of new foods this past year but my to- try list is still full of items to sample, like Sushi. Every time I go out to dinner I consider trying it but inevitably I chicken out, usually literally. One of these days though I will eat Sushi, I promise you. To me life is not worth living if you stop trying new things, so just do it! Pick up a new hobby, buy and wear a new piece of clothing that is out of your comfort zone (just please consult Stacy and Clinton first), or make that recipe you have been hemming and hawing over. I’m not suggesting that you make drastic changes like I did, but even the smallest change can be liberating. Warning: you may get some extra attention if you make a noticeable change. I certainly have, sometimes I think if my town newspaper had a Page Six I would be its favorite subject. Hmm, does that mean that not only am I a princess but also a socialite?
Five Spice Coconut Chicken
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Tblsp Honey
2 Tblsp Soy Sauce
1 Tblsp Lime Juice
2-½ tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
4 Pieces Chicken (bone-in or boneless)
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken in a baking dish and pour the sauce over it, let marinade for at least 15 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes. (Check for clear juices). Serve with the sauce poured over the chicken.
Coconut Curry Chicken
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Curry Powder
1 13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
4 Pieces Boneless Chicken Thighs cut in strips
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
Combine curry powder and olive oil over medium heat to form a paste, cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and cook about 7 minutes, should be reduced by half. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Chinese Five Spice powder. Cook chicken over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Once done combine with coconut curry sauce and serve over rice.
Curry Couscous
1 cup couscous
1-¼ cup water
1 Tblsp Olive Oil
1 Medium onions, diced
2 Stalks celery, diced
¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed
¼ tsp Cumin
1 tsp Curry powder
Salt & Pepper
Boil water and add couscous, cover and remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to bowl and drizzle with olive oil, let cool. Mix in rest of ingredients and add more oil if needed. To increase the heat levels add more curry powder.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Holiday Traditions
The holiday season is my favorite time of year; I love the decorations, giving presents and most of all receiving presents! Also special for me are my family’s holiday traditions. This is the only time of year that we break out certain recipes like French-Canadian Meat Pie (Tourtiere), meat stuffing, Christmas Crepes and (thank god) my mom’s favorite date cookies. She insists on making these cookies every year and is the only one who eats them because frankly they are nasty, and I am seriously hoping that she takes the recipe with her to the grave someday.
I am not a baker; even though recently I was told that I have a tart tongue (and surprisingly it wasn’t a reference to my sweetness like a fruit tart). Sure I can produce the occasional cookie and pie but please do not ask me to bake a cake or batch of brownies. When it comes to baking I always say why make it yourself when there are perfectly good ones at the store. So if you really want those date cookies you need to see my mom for the recipe.
About five years ago I took over the making of our Christmas meat pies from my grandmother; a task I didn’t know was so involved. A few weeks before the holiday I got together all of the ingredients listed on the card from my mother’s recipe box entitled “Mom’s Meat Pie” and set to work. I spent the entire day cooking the filling and rolling out the dough to be rewarded with two beautiful pies. On Christmas night I proudly served them to the family and was told that they tasted wrong. How could that be, I followed the recipe to a tee. When I showed my grandmother the recipe card she said that it was not her meat pie. My mother had someone else’s recipe and I had slaved over a hot stove all day to create some other family’s traditional Christmas meat pie. I’m sure you can imagine my irritation.
So the next year when I was ready to try again I called my grandmother and had her personally give me the recipe before I began. What I got from her was very vague: two parts ground beef to one part ground pork, diced celery softened in butter, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste, a few potatoes mashed plain and pie crusts. She told me to call her if I had any questions; sure I had questions, what were the exact amounts of the ingredients. First I diced up four stalks of celery very small and sautéed them in butter until they were soft, then added four pounds of ground beef and two pounds of ground pork. Let me tell you, before you stir around this much meat you might want to lift some weights, my arm was killing me from all that stirring. Now grandma said to season this to taste and let it cook for a few hours; no wonder this is done once a year, how tedious. After three hours I boiled four small potatoes, mashed them without any milk or butter and muscled them into the meat mixture. Woo Hoo more than half way done! This year I had that Pillsbury pie dough that you just unroll and place into the pie plate because there was no way I was making dough from scratch again. (Come to find out Grandma uses this product also, how shocking). So I went to work putting together my pies, all four of them and then baked them at 350 degrees for about thirty-five to forty minutes. They turned out beautiful and now all I had to do was freeze them and wait until Christmas.
On Christmas Eve I brought them home from the store freezer and could only fit two of them in the fridge, so my father told me to put the other two on the screened in porch, he assured me that they would be okay. Come morning I discovered that overnight some critters had broken through the screen and had their own holiday feast on my pies, great advice dad. Oh was I hot, all that hard work just to feed some dirty little critters. (To this day I despise critters of all varieties). Later that day when we served the remaining pies I was once again told that something was a bit off about them. Two years, two strikes.
Over the next year I did some CSIing and figured out that what was different about my pies is that I used a leaner ground beef than my grandmother. See, she got her ground beef from the grocery store so it wasn’t as lean as what I got from my parent’s store; but there was no way I was going to the grocery store for the meat, I don’t like inferior meat plus I got it for free from my dad. The third year I made the pies I explained this to the family and the complaining stopped. (It could also have been due to the Bite Me I carved into the crust). My version of the family traditional meat pie was just a bit healthier for us.
We also serve a meat stuffing, this though is made for Thanksgiving dinner, thank god because I really don’t care for turkey. The ingredients and process are the same as the meat pies except you add a few more potatoes and obviously omit the piecrust. Luckily my cousin Kelley has taken over this tradition because I don’t think that I could stand doing it twice a year.
Christmas morning is my favorite time of the day because we share breakfast with the neighbors, a tradition that my father started amazingly enough. The star of our breakfast is the Christmas Crepes, an item my best friend SC insists on having. She says that it wouldn’t be Christmas without them, but has yet to ask for the recipe, hmm wonder why. This tradition is done solely by my mother; she spends a whole day making the crepes because you have to do them one at a time, and we are serving around 30 people. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can buy crepe mix in the store and just follow the box directions, but I’ll give you the recipe anyway. First of all you need to get that credit card back from your guy and get a crepe pan; they are way easier to do with the special pan. So, to make the batter, mix up one cup each of water and milk, four eggs, two tablespoons of melted butter, and a half-teaspoon of salt. In a separate bowl make a well into two cups of flour; then pour your milk mixture into it and whisk until smooth. There can be absolutely no lumps in this batter. Once your shiny new crepe pan is hot spray it with a non-stick spray and coat the pan with two tablespoons of the crepe batter, you need to swirl it around the pan to get a nice thin crepe. Just like when you make pancakes flip the crepe when bubbles appear; when done move on to the next one.
The rest of this recipe is a piece of cake to do compared to the actual crepe making. To make the filling combine two beaten eggs, one softened package of cream cheese, one cup of cottage cheese, a quarter cup of sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla. Once this is smooth, spoon about one and a half teaspoons across each crepe, roll them up and place in a baking dish. Cover the dish to prevent browning the crepes and bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes. While these cook make the topping; start by draining a large can of pineapple tidbits into a measuring cup to which you need to add enough orange juice to equal one and a quarter cups. Next mix up a quarter cup of sugar, and two tablespoons of cornstarch in a saucepan; add the juice mixture and cook until thickened, then remove from the heat and stir in one and a half cups of sliced strawberries, the reserved pineapple, and half a cup of drained mandarin oranges. Pour this fruit sauce over the crepes and watch them disappear.
I’m sure that everyone has a family tradition that is more work than they care to do, but when you think about it going through all that work keeps you connected to your heritage. I am very proud to be French-Canadian and no more so than when I am standing in front of that huge pot as I’m sure my great grandmother did in her Quebec kitchen. Of course my stove is fueled by gas, not wood and I don’t have a houseful of kids pulling on my apron strings, thank god! Oh, just so you know, my family’s meat pie recipe is traditional not gourmet and not everyone is going to like it. I hope that everyone enjoys their holiday and all the great food that goes along with the festivities.
Bergeron Family Tourtiere
3 Tblsp Butter
4 Stalks Celery diced
4 lbs. Ground Beef
2 lbs. Ground Pork
Salt, Pepper & Poultry Seasoning
4 small potatoes
4 pieces premade piecrusts
Over medium low heat sauté celery in the butter, add meats and sauté until browned and completely broken down. Add seasonings to your tastes. Boil the potatoes and mash with a remaining butter, add to the meat mixture and fully incorporate. Divide mixture between two piecrusts and top with the remaining crusts. Cut vents in top, brush with egg wash and bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Racine Christmas Crepes
1-cup water
1-cup milk
4 eggs
2 Tblsp melted butter
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 20oz can pineapple tidbit, undrained
¼ cup sugar
2 Tblsp cornstarch
1 ½ cups strawberries
½ cup mandarin oranges
Orange juice
Mix first 5 ingredients together and then pour into the flour, mix until smooth. Cook the crepes one at a time and in 2 Tlbsp increments. Combine the next 5 ingredients into a filing and spoon 1 ½ tsp of it into each cooled crepe, roll them up and place in a baking dish. Bake covered at 350° for 20 minutes. Drain can of pineapple into a measuring cup and add enough orange juice to make 1-¼ cups of liquid. Add sugar and cornstarch and cook over medium heat until thickened. Add fruit and mix well, serve over the crepes.
I am not a baker; even though recently I was told that I have a tart tongue (and surprisingly it wasn’t a reference to my sweetness like a fruit tart). Sure I can produce the occasional cookie and pie but please do not ask me to bake a cake or batch of brownies. When it comes to baking I always say why make it yourself when there are perfectly good ones at the store. So if you really want those date cookies you need to see my mom for the recipe.
About five years ago I took over the making of our Christmas meat pies from my grandmother; a task I didn’t know was so involved. A few weeks before the holiday I got together all of the ingredients listed on the card from my mother’s recipe box entitled “Mom’s Meat Pie” and set to work. I spent the entire day cooking the filling and rolling out the dough to be rewarded with two beautiful pies. On Christmas night I proudly served them to the family and was told that they tasted wrong. How could that be, I followed the recipe to a tee. When I showed my grandmother the recipe card she said that it was not her meat pie. My mother had someone else’s recipe and I had slaved over a hot stove all day to create some other family’s traditional Christmas meat pie. I’m sure you can imagine my irritation.
So the next year when I was ready to try again I called my grandmother and had her personally give me the recipe before I began. What I got from her was very vague: two parts ground beef to one part ground pork, diced celery softened in butter, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste, a few potatoes mashed plain and pie crusts. She told me to call her if I had any questions; sure I had questions, what were the exact amounts of the ingredients. First I diced up four stalks of celery very small and sautéed them in butter until they were soft, then added four pounds of ground beef and two pounds of ground pork. Let me tell you, before you stir around this much meat you might want to lift some weights, my arm was killing me from all that stirring. Now grandma said to season this to taste and let it cook for a few hours; no wonder this is done once a year, how tedious. After three hours I boiled four small potatoes, mashed them without any milk or butter and muscled them into the meat mixture. Woo Hoo more than half way done! This year I had that Pillsbury pie dough that you just unroll and place into the pie plate because there was no way I was making dough from scratch again. (Come to find out Grandma uses this product also, how shocking). So I went to work putting together my pies, all four of them and then baked them at 350 degrees for about thirty-five to forty minutes. They turned out beautiful and now all I had to do was freeze them and wait until Christmas.
On Christmas Eve I brought them home from the store freezer and could only fit two of them in the fridge, so my father told me to put the other two on the screened in porch, he assured me that they would be okay. Come morning I discovered that overnight some critters had broken through the screen and had their own holiday feast on my pies, great advice dad. Oh was I hot, all that hard work just to feed some dirty little critters. (To this day I despise critters of all varieties). Later that day when we served the remaining pies I was once again told that something was a bit off about them. Two years, two strikes.
Over the next year I did some CSIing and figured out that what was different about my pies is that I used a leaner ground beef than my grandmother. See, she got her ground beef from the grocery store so it wasn’t as lean as what I got from my parent’s store; but there was no way I was going to the grocery store for the meat, I don’t like inferior meat plus I got it for free from my dad. The third year I made the pies I explained this to the family and the complaining stopped. (It could also have been due to the Bite Me I carved into the crust). My version of the family traditional meat pie was just a bit healthier for us.
We also serve a meat stuffing, this though is made for Thanksgiving dinner, thank god because I really don’t care for turkey. The ingredients and process are the same as the meat pies except you add a few more potatoes and obviously omit the piecrust. Luckily my cousin Kelley has taken over this tradition because I don’t think that I could stand doing it twice a year.
Christmas morning is my favorite time of the day because we share breakfast with the neighbors, a tradition that my father started amazingly enough. The star of our breakfast is the Christmas Crepes, an item my best friend SC insists on having. She says that it wouldn’t be Christmas without them, but has yet to ask for the recipe, hmm wonder why. This tradition is done solely by my mother; she spends a whole day making the crepes because you have to do them one at a time, and we are serving around 30 people. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can buy crepe mix in the store and just follow the box directions, but I’ll give you the recipe anyway. First of all you need to get that credit card back from your guy and get a crepe pan; they are way easier to do with the special pan. So, to make the batter, mix up one cup each of water and milk, four eggs, two tablespoons of melted butter, and a half-teaspoon of salt. In a separate bowl make a well into two cups of flour; then pour your milk mixture into it and whisk until smooth. There can be absolutely no lumps in this batter. Once your shiny new crepe pan is hot spray it with a non-stick spray and coat the pan with two tablespoons of the crepe batter, you need to swirl it around the pan to get a nice thin crepe. Just like when you make pancakes flip the crepe when bubbles appear; when done move on to the next one.
The rest of this recipe is a piece of cake to do compared to the actual crepe making. To make the filling combine two beaten eggs, one softened package of cream cheese, one cup of cottage cheese, a quarter cup of sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla. Once this is smooth, spoon about one and a half teaspoons across each crepe, roll them up and place in a baking dish. Cover the dish to prevent browning the crepes and bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes. While these cook make the topping; start by draining a large can of pineapple tidbits into a measuring cup to which you need to add enough orange juice to equal one and a quarter cups. Next mix up a quarter cup of sugar, and two tablespoons of cornstarch in a saucepan; add the juice mixture and cook until thickened, then remove from the heat and stir in one and a half cups of sliced strawberries, the reserved pineapple, and half a cup of drained mandarin oranges. Pour this fruit sauce over the crepes and watch them disappear.
I’m sure that everyone has a family tradition that is more work than they care to do, but when you think about it going through all that work keeps you connected to your heritage. I am very proud to be French-Canadian and no more so than when I am standing in front of that huge pot as I’m sure my great grandmother did in her Quebec kitchen. Of course my stove is fueled by gas, not wood and I don’t have a houseful of kids pulling on my apron strings, thank god! Oh, just so you know, my family’s meat pie recipe is traditional not gourmet and not everyone is going to like it. I hope that everyone enjoys their holiday and all the great food that goes along with the festivities.
Bergeron Family Tourtiere
3 Tblsp Butter
4 Stalks Celery diced
4 lbs. Ground Beef
2 lbs. Ground Pork
Salt, Pepper & Poultry Seasoning
4 small potatoes
4 pieces premade piecrusts
Over medium low heat sauté celery in the butter, add meats and sauté until browned and completely broken down. Add seasonings to your tastes. Boil the potatoes and mash with a remaining butter, add to the meat mixture and fully incorporate. Divide mixture between two piecrusts and top with the remaining crusts. Cut vents in top, brush with egg wash and bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Racine Christmas Crepes
1-cup water
1-cup milk
4 eggs
2 Tblsp melted butter
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 20oz can pineapple tidbit, undrained
¼ cup sugar
2 Tblsp cornstarch
1 ½ cups strawberries
½ cup mandarin oranges
Orange juice
Mix first 5 ingredients together and then pour into the flour, mix until smooth. Cook the crepes one at a time and in 2 Tlbsp increments. Combine the next 5 ingredients into a filing and spoon 1 ½ tsp of it into each cooled crepe, roll them up and place in a baking dish. Bake covered at 350° for 20 minutes. Drain can of pineapple into a measuring cup and add enough orange juice to make 1-¼ cups of liquid. Add sugar and cornstarch and cook over medium heat until thickened. Add fruit and mix well, serve over the crepes.
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