4&20 Blackbirds

strawberry fields forever

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:13:00 +0000

These are pictures of my little one watering her own little strawberry patch. I would show you pictures of the ripe ones, but she wakes up early and picks them so the robins wont eat the ripe ones...so I have yet to get a picture.
This has definitely been a strawberry year. Sometimes, they seem so flavorless and the flesh is white, but this year, probably due to all of the moisture, the strawberries are so big and flavorful. I am not fond of cooked strawberries but i love to add fresh ones to recipes. This is a fun take on a strawberry shortcake, just more portable. Hope you enjoy it.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CUPCAKES

½ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 vanilla bean, scraped
½ cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 cups APF
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ cups pudding, strawberry or vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until light. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time and mix well. Beat in the sour cream. Sift the dry ingredients directly into the bowl and mix well on a low-medium speed slowly adding the milk. Spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with paper. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool on a rack. When cupcakes are completely cooled, put the pudding into a pastry bag or zip lock bag with a round pastry tip and push gently into the center. Squeeze just enough pudding out to fill the cupcake until it plumps but not so much that it oozes out. Frost with Cream cheese Frosting and top off with a fresh strawberry.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
½ cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cream.
1 Tablespoon vanilla

With a mixer, combine 1 cup of sugar with the butter and cream cheese and beat until very smooth. Next add the rest of the sugar and beat until smooth. Finally, add the vanilla and cream and beat on medium speed for two minutes or so. *If you need to add more cream feel free to do so.

knuckles and sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:54:00 +0000

I am not sure where I heard it originally, that gnocchi meant "little pillows", but I can tell you it has stuck in my mind. As I was preparing to post this recipe, I thought it might be best to verify my definition. I'm kind of glad that I did, because I don't think it really means little pillows...maybe to someones cute little Italian grandmother, but not to the dictionary. My research reveals that gnocchi probably means knuckle, joint, knot, or lump. It is also referred to as a dumpling. If you are not familiar with gnocchi, it is a pasta made from potatoes. It is in fact, a cute little pillow of yumminess. If prepared correctly, they are light and fluffy and completely irresistible.
Gnocchi is a fun kitchen project, that yields pretty awesome results....if you take your time and focus on the task at hand. If not, they can be heavy and chewy, and a big waste of time. If you like to play with play dough, this is the project for you. I have paired the gnocchi with a fresh and springy sauce that doesn't weight the dish down. And topped it off with oven crisped prosciutto and parmesan cheese.

Potato Gnocchi with Asparagus and Peas

3 pounds russet potatoes
2 cups flour, all purpose
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Peel the potatoes and wash them. In a heavy pan, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and pass through a food mill or a potato ricer directly onto a cutting board or on the counter top. Sift the flour over the top of the potatoes. Make a hole in the center of the potatoes and add the egg, nutmeg, and the salt. Beat the egg with a fork in the center and then begin to mix it all together with your hands. Create a ball and then knead the ball for a few minutes or until the ball is dry to the touch.
Take a fistful of dough and roll it in to a long rope. Cut the rope into inch long pieces. Run the pieces over the back of a fork. Bring a pot of salted water and drop the gnocchi in. When the gnocchi floats to the top, cook it for an additional minute. In all, it takes about three minutes. Drain, and toss in an ice bath to cool it down and toss with a bit of oil, if they are not used immediately.

1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup asparagus, diced
½ cup shallot, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
5 slices prosciutto
Grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
1 lemon zested
¼ cup parsley
1 cup ricotta
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil

On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, bake the prosciutto at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. When cooked, set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil together. Sauté the shallots until tender and translucent. Add the peas and the asparagus and toss with salt and pepper. Add the gnocchi to the pan as well as the parsley. Finally, toss with the ricotta and the lemon zest. Serve with a chip of prosciutto and parmesan.

Buffalo Nachos with Tyson Grilled & Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 15 May 2011 12:49:00 +0000

I have taught cooking classes for ten years. My specialty is cooking fresh, from scratch, easy meals...I try to make gourmet look cool and attainable. My classes are attended by busy men and women alike, just trying to put a good meal on the table. Many are just lacking in time and are looking for a more efficient way to get it done. With that said, Tyson has introduced a new product, that just might give those of you who are hoping for the same, a little break. TYSON GRILLED AND READY, is a line of fully cooked chicken and beef products, that are ready to be inserted in just about any recipe. Ranging from a fully cooked chicken breast, to seasoned steak and chicken strips, to fajita style chicken and beef, each package found in the freezer, will serve six people.
Last month, I was excited to receive a coupon in the mail courtesy of Tyson and FoodBuzz, to try this product out for free. Click on the FOODBUZZ window to the right--}} and join...if you do, you can hang out with me and tons of other talented foodies virtually! And when you join, be sure to go to the TYSON page and become a fan. I had my mind set on trying the Tyson Steak Strips, but alas, they must be so popular that both stores I checked were out of them. So I purchased the TYSON FULLY COOKED CHICKEN BREASTS. The instructions indicate that they can be brought to temperature in the microwave or convection oven. I chose to try the microwave, since I feel that is the least desirable way to prepare chicken, and I wanted to see if it stayed juicy. Prepared according to Tyson's Instructions, it in fact was still juicy and ready to slip into my recipe. In hindsight, I would have preferred to use the Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast for this recipe, but wasn't able to get it either. But by using the whole breast, was able to get nice shreds of chicken to add to my dish.
So, what did I whip up? BUFFALO CHICKEN NACHOS, a totally fun and versatile mash up of a two classics....Nachos and Buffalo Wings. Give it a try for an interesting dinner or serve it as a fun summer appetizer...either way, you are sure to be the MVP of the night.
WING SAUCE
8 tablespoons Hot sauce,like Franks Red Hot
8 Tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, mashed and minced
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Dash of Worcestershire
Salt, pepper
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer on medium for five minutes.

BLUE CHEESE DRESSING
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup good blue cheese
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended. Refrigerate and serve.

BUFFALO CHICKEN NACHOS
4 Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Breast Fillets
1 recipe wing sauce (above)
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup green onion, chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans, mashed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bag multi colored tortilla chips or tostada tortillas
2 cups jack cheese, shredded

Prepare the chicken, according to instruction indicated on package and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing or tearing into strips. Toss chicken strips in wing sauce. Spread mashed garbanzo beans on tortillas and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with celery , onion, and cilantro. Drizzle with blue cheese dressing and top with shredded jack cheese. Place in oven under the broiler for 8-10 minutes until bubbly.

be nice to Simon and he will send you cookies!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 04:08:00 +0000

So this is the deal....I am running a last minute campaign to fund raise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My bestest buddy Brook has a son with CF and she will be participating in the Great Strides walk this weekend. the problem is that she has only made it to the halfway point of her fundraising goal of $3000.00.
So here is my offer: If you donate (any amount over $5.00, by midnight April 30th, come back here and leave me a comment that you did......I will enter you in a drawing for none other than a handcrafted tasty treat made by myself. I will draw the winner the morning of May 1st. The winner will get his/her choice of:
2 dozen custom chocolate chip cookies (custom meaning that I will add your favorite treats to the mix)

1 dozen beautifully decorated sugar cookies

1 dozen custom cupcakes (custom meaning your favorite flavor)
Sent directly to your home!

Besides a sweet treat, know that the donation is secure and tax deductible.

so Click Here Click Here Click Here
Now, if you want an extra chance to win:

Share this donation drive with your friends, and for every friend that you can get to participate, you will get an extra shot at the prize. all you have to do is have that person include your name in their comment.

Finally, I know times are tough for everyone, but any size donation means something to the future of Simon and everyone with Cystic Fibrosis that is praying for a cure. It took me just minutes to donate, it was that easy. So please read the information below, and then click HERE to make a change!

My dear friend has a son who has Cystic Fibrosis. When Simon was diagnosed, the median age of survival was 31.5 years. Today, because of money and research, the median age is 37 years. Can you imagine being told that your child would not likely live out a full and healthy life? Although this is a huge improvement, we can’t stop raising money until there is a cure for Simon. Currently, research is moving faster than it can be funded; the only factor standing in our way is a dollar sign.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most prevalent genetic disease in the United States. Advances continue to be made in finding a cure, but your help is needed now - more than ever - to help keep up the momentum of this life-saving research. Too many young lives depend on this vital research to let it go unfunded!

GREAT STRIDES is the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation's largest and most successful national fundraising event. This year, Brooke will be walking in the GREAT STRIDES event at the Southern Utah-Coral Canyon site on April 30th, 2011. Please help Brook meet her fundraising goal of $3000.00 by sponsoring her. You'll feel confident in knowing that your generous gift is used efficiently and effectively: nearly 90 cents out of every dollar you contribute goes directly toward supporting research and specialized care that improves the quality of life for those with CF. And, it's tax-deductible.

Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click HERE to make a donation to her fundraising page. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!

Donating to GREAT STRIDES is such a simple and effective way for you to show your support for this important cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF! Once again, thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation!

as easy as thai-ing your shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:28:00 +0000

I make pretty much everything from scratch. I try not to use pre-fabbed foods, but I am only human...and some products are great. I love the Thai Kitchen products when I am in a crunch. One of my favorite things to make is Sweet and Spicy Pork Noodles. I make it with the Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai*. The pad Thai package is pretty simple...it has the noodles and sauce in it,so alone, in my opinion, it needs some pizazz. That's where I come in. This is a great fast and family friendly dish. It is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, but simple enough to serve for Monday night dinner.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Noodles

printable version

2 packages Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai

1 pound ground pork

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 cup red pepper, diced

1-2 cups asparagus, diced

1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, diced

1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1/2 cup peanuts (optional)

In a skillet, brown the onion and pork together. Season with salt and pepper and five spice. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the Pad Thai Noodles and remove from the heat and let rest. Next, in the skillet, add the peppers, asparagus, water chestnuts and chili garlic sauce. Saute the mixture for five minutes. After five minutes, drain the noodles and add them to the meat mixture and toss with the flavor packets included in the boxes and cook for an additional two or three minutes. Toss in the green onions and cilantro. Finally, squeeze the juice from the lime into the noodles and toss one more time. Serve immediately.

*I did not receive any product or compensation for mentioning Thai Kitchen products in this post.

caramel popcorn

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:22:00 +0000

If you ask me, some of the best and most treasured recipes I have, are actually from my neighbors. I have coveted some recipes, and spent many a day in the kitchen trying to replicate them. Sometimes, if you are lucky, they share...I mean actually give you the real recipe and not some "not quite right" version. I think it is important that when you are gifted with a recipe, that you give credit where credit is due. It drives me crazy when I partake of a dish that I know is a shared recipe and the cook doesn't acknowledge the creator. What do you think?

I love this caramel corn. It is so easy and is totally decadent. My neighbor, Christine Lewis, many years back, made this for a candle party. She was forever my favorite neighbor after that. I am not positive that this is exactly her recipe...but I think it is close. I rarely use pre-packaged products, but the popcorn that is pre-popped works best. The reason is, that it doesn't have all of the stray kernels and smaller kernels and it makes it extra buttery and salty...but twice as bad for you. In the picture above you can see that I didn't use the pre-popped stuff, but rather I popped my own white corn. It is a bit healthier that way...but the kernels were definitely smaller and you get some harder kernels inside the puffed corn. Either way...it's yummy and the bowl will be gone quickly!

STICKY SWEET CARAMEL CORN - graciously shared by Christine Lewis

printable version
¾ pound butter (yes really)
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag of pre-prepared popcorn (2 lb.)
2 grocery paper bags

In a saucepan melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved and bubbling. Remove from heat and add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Next add the vanilla and mix well. Now split the popcorn into the two grocery bags and then pour half the marshmallow mixture in each of the bags. Shake and manipulate the bags until well mixed. Form into ball or serve in a bowl.

champagne vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:09:00 +0000

This salad............yum. This salad is really good. This is the kind of salad that other salads talk about behind it's back. But this salad doesn't feel bad....no this salad just sits a little prouder, because this salad knows it's well put together. This salad is the kind of dish that takes you somewhere...like Napa...or Rome.....or Utah...lol. This salad has five main ingredients (yes, I know that is odd for me) it has spinach, grapes, prosciutto, Romano cheese, and champagne vinaigrette. I love bacon, but the prosciutto makes it just a bit more grown up....and champagne vinaigrette, ties the whole thing up with a little bow. Make it....eat it...tell me later how yummy it is.

For the salad: Wash and dry baby spinach greens. I especially love spinach micro greens if you can get your hands on some. I am a bit of a snob when it comes to spinach salad...I think it is important to remove the stems so that you don't have a stem hanging out of your mouth. For the prosciutto, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lay the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes or until the slices are crispy. Prosciutto is leaner than bacon so it doesn't render as much fat, so I love to use it. The grapes are easy. Just buy fresh red crispy grapes and slice them in half. I keep the spinach and the grapes in the fridge until plating so they are cold and crisp. The Romano cheese, I slice in big strips with a peeler. To serve, I gently toss the spinach with the dressing and place on the plate. I then toss the grapes in the dressing as well and generously top the spinach with them. Finally, I set a slice of prosciutto and a slice of Romano on top. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Champagne Vinaigrette
printable version
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 Tablespoons red onion, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the garlic, onion, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. I usually just
follow these same instructions, but in the blender instead.

shrimp carbonara

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 04:14:00 +0000

You know what I like about this recipe? I always have the ingredients for it. It's kind of my "old stand by". It takes literally twelve minutes to prepare this awesome dish. It's hearty and pleasing. With a chunk of crusty bread it is pretty much flawless. I have also made this dish with clams and it was pretty awesome as well. Check it out- I used awesome twice in the same paragraph..so it must be pretty darn good.

Shrimp Carbonara
printable version

1 pound cooked spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon cut into small strips
1 cup red onion,minced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup petite frozen peas
1 cup bay shrimp
1 pound large shrimp

It is easiest to prepare the pasta while preparing the sauce. Cook pasta to al dente-according to packaged instructions, be sure to salt the water. When you drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the water.

Saute the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered. Next, add the garlic and the rd onion and gently saute for a couple of minutes.

Add the pasta and water to the pan and toss. Add the shrimp and cook over medium heat until the larger shrimp turn pink (about four minutes)Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, Remove the pasta from the heat and add eggs and parmesan. It is important to constantly stir so the eggs don't scramble. The sauce will thicken and coat the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and finally add the peas.

cupcake street credentials part III

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:51:00 +0000

I come from a family of artists. I am quite gifted at drawing rainbows and stick figures. I probably don't need to say much more than that. Some of you are artists and don't understand...Some of you are gifted at drawing rainbows and stick figures and you totally get it. I used to dread the first day of art classes, the teachers were always so excited to have one of Ben's (my older brother who is an amazing artist) siblings. That excitement quickly faded...I remember one teacher saying to me.."you must be really good at math..." But I didn't let it get me down, I eventually resorted to tracing.
I was working as pastry chef at Tuscany when I took my first cake decorating class. I didn't excel but got the general idea. Techniques like the basket weave and rope were lost on me. And I did successfully learn how to make roses and other flowers. But something clicked, and eventually, after lots and lots of practice, I actually got pretty decent. Pretty soon I could turn cupcakes and cookies into just about anything. Usually I just use frosting, but occasionally I will use fondant or gum paste. Although fondant is pretty, I have found that most people just don't like to eat it...I think I might be one of those people.
cracks me up, because when I give people decorated desserts, often times they wont eat them. To me that's like not hanging a picture on the wall. You can't fully appreciate it unless its in your belly. So in the end, I kind of feel like I might be a little artistic....

These cuties were for a Toy Story Birthday Party. I stayed up late one night frosting them...talking to myself in the characters voices....I like to fully immerse myself in my projects. :)

if you thought these were cute, check out these and these

orange you glad i made cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:11:00 +0000

My mother saw this cheesecake in Sunset magazine, one of our favorites, and insisted that we needed to give it a try. I am a bit of a cheesecake snob, probably because I do not particulaly love cheesecake....I know...I know...what is there not to love? I'm not sure. It's not that I don't like it, it is that I don't love it...and it is usually one of the last things on the menu I order. When the Cheesecake Factory opened in our city, I was less than enthused...I did finally go and loooooved their Asian Chicken Salad, but have yet to have any of their cheesecake. Stange I know. If do eat cheesecake, I have pretty stringent rules...lol of course I do. My personal preference is that (a) the crust must be as tasty as the filling...graham cracker bores me. (b) It must be sweet, but not too sweet...I hate that feeling that your cheeks and teeth get when I have has too sweet of a dessert. (c) It must cut nicely...now I know that this is where many will differ from me, but I'd rather it be firmer than creamy...if you can't cut it nicely, what is the purpose? When I worked in the restaurant business, I do feel that I perfected my cheesecake recipe. So, when my mom proposed a new cheesecake, I was weary. Immediately, I scanned the recipe for ingredients. Graham Crackers! So of course I made a few adjustments. Mom is a bit of a recipe purist, so she wouldnt let me mess with it too much. Sunset puts out pretty great recipies though, so I wasn't too worried.

So, the few adjustments that I made are as follows:
1. Gingersnap crust- kindof cliche though, I think I would have preferred a a maccaroon cookie instead.
2. 3 tablespoons cornstarch instead of flour, just a personal prefference
3. added a teaspoon of salt to the batter, once again, just a personal prefference.
4. Blood oranges instead of Valencia, the store had beautiful blood oranges so we opted to use them instead. I personally felt the orange caramel sauce was very bitter. I am not sure if this was the result of using blood oranges. I ended up scrapping the sauce and starting over, not using the orange syrup.
5. as you can see, we decorated the cake just a bit different, adding some beautiful raspberries we had.

Overall, this was a pretty good recipe. It didn't steal my heart or anything, but everyone else raved about it. I really didn't like the caramel very much, it was bitter and pithy tasting to me, but I don't absolutely love candied citrus anyway...so maybe don't take me too seriously when it comes to the sauce. It definitaly yeilded a dramatic looking cheesecake, very elegant. It cut pretty good. I cut it when it was very cold with a warm wet knife and had to wipe the blade with every slice. It of course tasted better room temperature as most cheesecakes do, because it makes them more creamy. And finally, I thought it was much better the second day.

Orange Ribbon Cheesecake
Sunset magazine November 2007
Yield: Makes 12 servings
printable version

For topping
1 large thin-skinned orange, such as Valencia
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
For cheesecake
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, or 2 tsp. vanilla
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1. For topping: Rinse and dry orange. With a sharp knife, slice into thin rounds (between 1/8 and 1/16 in. thick; see Notes), discarding ends and seeds. In a deep 10-in. frying pan or pot over medium-high heat, stir sugar, 3/4 cup water, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add orange slices and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, until they're slightly candied and translucent and liquid has the consistency of a thin syrup, about 20 minutes (there should be about 1/2 cup liquid in pan; if less, add enough hot water to make that amount and shake pan to mix water into syrup). Let cool in pan. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days.

2. For cheesecake: Preheat oven to 300°. Pour graham cracker crumbs into a 9-in. cheesecake pan with removable rim; add butter and mix. Press mixture evenly over bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of pan.

3. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in flour, sour cream, and liqueur just until incorporated. Pour into crust-lined pan.

4. Bake until center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, 60 to 70 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and pan rim. Cool completely at room temperature, then cover and chill until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

5. Remove pan rim. If any moisture collects on top of cake, gently blot dry. Gently lift candied orange slices from syrup, reserving syrup, and blot dry with a paper towel. Arrange slices, slightly overlapping, over top of cheesecake.

6. Measure orange juice. Bring reserved syrup to a boil over high heat. Stir occasionally until syrup is deep golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in orange juice (mixture will bubble up). Let cool to room temperature and generously brush over orange slices (you may have extra syrup).

7. Serve cheesecake, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Use a serrated knife to cut cake, wiping blade clean after each slice.

sugar...no spice...and everything typically bland

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:23:00 +0000

I started this blog almost four years ago. It was intended to be a place where students of my cooking classes could find past recipes, an occasional new recipe and have a forum to ask questions. I was unaware at the time, of how many amazing culinary blogs were out there, especially, "home chefs" like myself, who took the mystery out of cooking. I have made many virtual friends throughout this journey, and have enjoyed the camaraderie. I look at how simply this blog began, and clearly can see the growth I have had blogging throughout the years. I didn't realize, that I would feel so responsible to my readers...and feel so neglectful if I didn't regularly post...who knew? So I felt I needed to give you a little background on myself....and my new plan.
Almost three years ago, I received a phone call from Aging Services in California, informing me that my husbands grandmother had been reported as neglected. A couple that was interested in purchasing her home had reported her in hopes to push us to sell her home. I can assure you that she hadn't been neglected, but maybe not cared for in the way that she needed. We had found that Grandma had kept it a secret from us that she was a victim of mortgage fraud...just one of the many victims of the Indy Mac Bank debacle. My husband's father died when he was a young boy and so grandma raised him. We knew it was our responsibility to care for grandma as her own daughter was not interested in helping with the care of her mother. So I found myself a week later driving to California to pack her house up and moving her east to Salt Lake City to live with our family.
No one could have ever prepared me for what this new adventure in my life would be like or become. If anyone would have ever told me I would be a caregiver I might have believed them....if they would have told me that I would have to balance care giving, a marriage and four children...and living next door to my own parents...I would have laughed. That is the funny thing about life, we are extremely adaptable creatures...if we allow ourselves to be. The care giving experience is a roller coaster..that most of the time you would rather watch others ride....it is scary, it is bumpy, it makes you sick, sometimes it thrills you, makes you laugh, often makes you want to scream....but the way I see it, when you are finished you probably will want to ride it again....but won't be able to so you had better enjoy it for what it is worth.
In the years that grandma has been with us, we have survived a short sale (I do not recommend a short sale if you can avoid one), health problems, unhelpful family, dementia, and tax issues caused by the whole mortgage debacle. But we have also enjoyed having grandma, knowing she is well cared for, happy, and content...especially because to her, the joy of waking up to her great grandchildren means everything to her. Unlike raising children, there is a flip side to care giving. You raise your child, celebrating each milestone they reach...when they learn to talk, walk, read, and so on. But with an aging member of the family, you mourn the losses...as their mobility dwindles, they cannot hear you, their vision erodes, and so on. Although, I have tried to anticipate upcoming changes for grandma, they still take me by surprise, and are often time consuming and exhausting. I am constantly amazed at the things that I have said I would never do that I do now. All of this and I am still trying to raise four kids-two of which are teenagers (need I say more?). I have always been a writer, and was shocked to see how completely void of inspiration I became. Even my cooking was suffering...grandma is a bit picky. She would prefer Stouffers Mac and Cheese over the majority of the things I prepare. I was getting a bit plain there for a while. I just couldn't see my blog becoming: Sugar...No Spice..and Everything Typically Bland. Grandma does like a few things I prepare, but for the most part, she is facinated by the fact that people pay me to teach them to cook or spend time reading my blog....lol. What's a girl to do?
The last few months have been extremely difficult for grandma health wise, so I had to re prioritize...and unfortunately left my blogging out in the cold. I will tell you however, that I have been busy cooking and stockpiling great recipes to share with you all. I still intend to continue on with my blog....I love to cook...I love to share...and I refuse to be lost in the title of care giver. So I hope that you can be patient with me as I get the ball rolling again. I love your friendships and comments, it keeps me connected.
So, as I type, I am downloading recipes and pictures to share wth you. Don't be suprised if you find this blog peppered with strange stories about my life now....I need some sort of an outlet.
So please check in Monday for a new volume in this little blog...

wake up call

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:05:00 +0000

Muffins make my day. I love the faces of my kids when they wake up to the smell. I love to pinch them in half and spread soft butter on the inside. I love how wholesome and filling they are. I love to eat them as a snack. I'm picky when it comes to a muffin, I don't like them too sweet like the ones you buy at stores. I think those muffins taste more like cupcakes. I topped these muffins with a crumble made with oat cereal sugar and a bit of butter.

BANANA BERRY MUFFINS

2 Cups AP Flour
¾ cups sugar
2 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Lemon zest
¾ cup milk
1 stick of butter melted
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 egg beaten
2 cups mixed berries
1 cup very ripe bananas, chopped

combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined. Lastly, fold in berries and bananas. Spoon into muffin pans lined with muffin cups. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 24 minutes.

like mother like daughter

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 05:46:00 +0000

I am often asked where I went to culinary school and my response is the "school of hard knocks". I learned at home from the best of the best, my mother and grandmother. Both amazing home chefs and me the lone girl in the family with lots to learn. I think that the most visible style taught by these lovely ladies that you recognize in my food is comfort. No matter how fancy my dishes may look at times, they are still simple and comforting. My mother always said that people will always come back to the table if it reminds them of where they come from. I agree (for the most part) and so here I am again sharing a special dish.
Stuffed sole is one of the staples I grew up on. My mother would stuff the sole with whatever looked good in the butchers case and she would typically top it with a Bearnaise sauce. I have changed it a bit over the years, but it still smells the same and renders the same feelings for me. In this case, I served it over peas with pancetta, so easy and so rewarding. This is an easy dish that is elegant enough to serve as a holiday dinner. I hope you enjoy it.

DILL SAUCE

½ cup butter
6 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons fresh dill
2 teaspoons lemon zest
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup chicken/vegetable stock

In a saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour. Cook for a minute or two before adding the chicken stock slowly. Whisk constantly over medium high heat. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and keep warm.

STUFFED FISH FILLET

2 eggs
2 lbs crab meat
2 pounds shrimp
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup red onion
3 Tablespoons capers
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
½ cup panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, melted
6 sole , tilapia, or roughy fillets
1 teaspoon salt and paprika
½ teaspoon each pepper and cayenne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika.
In a bowl, combine the egg, crab, shrimp, onion, celery, capers, parsley, panko, Parmesan, and butter. Spoon the mixture evenly into each fillet and roll. If needed, close with a toothpick. Place in a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Drizzle with olive oil and lightly season with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Bake for 25 minutes.

PEAS AND PANCETTA
2 lbs petit peas (frozen)
1 cup onion, minced
8 Slices pancetta
3 Tablespoons butter
3 mint leaves
¾ teaspoon salt
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the pancetta until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel. Add the butter and the onion and sauté until onion is translucent. Add the peas and cover for three to five minutes, careful not to turn the peas brown. Remove from heat and add the pancetta and salt.

when burning stuff tastes good

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 05:53:00 +0000

In desserts, there is a flavor that evokes a feeling of comfort to me. The taste of burnt sugar. I have a deep love for toasted marshmallows,there is something so delicious about that toasty sugary treat. I think it's the reason I find Creme Brulee so endearing. But honestly, I am not really turned on much by puddings...which Creme Brulee kind of is. So, this is my way of having my cake and eating it too!
The cake is dense and the flavor is is reminiscent of the custard. What seals the deal, is the combination of burnt butter in the frosting and the burnt sugar on top. I sprinkled the top off the frosting with a bit of brown sugar and then "torched" it.
CRÈME BRULEE CUPCAKES

½ cup butter, softened
1 cups sugar
½ cup prepared caramel
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar and caramel together until light. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time and mix well. Beat in the sour cream. Sift the dry ingredients directly into the bowl and mix well on a low-medium speed slowly adding the milk. In each muffin cup, spoon the batter into muffin tins lined with paper. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool on a rack. Frost with Penuche Frosting.

PENUCHE FROSTING

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup cream
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla

Melt butter, sugar and cream together and cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Cool to room temperature and then beat, cup by cup, the powdered sugar into the caramel. Add vanilla ½ way through. Continue beating until light and fluffy.

what's for dinner cupcake?

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:20:00 +0000

I know that recently my posts have been few and far between. I haven't given up on blogging, but had a few priorities to take care of. I hope you are still hanging in there with me. I'll get back into the regular swing of things soon.
I still have two more entries to my CUPCAKEPALOOZA or self imposed cupcakes all day challenge. For today's entry, I have Faux Turkey upcakes...I might need to work on the title a bit, due to the fact, the turkey is in fact real but the cupcake is faux. I am sure you have all seen meatloaf prepared in cupcake tins. they are handy, because they cook quicker than meatloaf. But have you seen them frosted? I frosted them with fluffy potatoes...yumm. If you look closely, they "frosting" is lightly tinted with beet juice and the sprinkles are in fact parsley.
You can definately make this with ground beef, but I do encourage you to try the turkey. With the mashed potato frosting, it is very reminicent of thanksgiving dinner. I do in fact, like to serve it with cranberries as well.
FAUX TURKEY CUPCAKES

Foil cupcake tins
2 lbs ground turkey
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup bell pepper (red, yellow, or yellow), diced
1 cup rice, cooked and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire
1 cup sweet and sour sauce

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
3 Tablespoons salt
1 cup milk
4 Tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a heavy saucepan boil peeled potatoes in salted water until tender. Meanwhile warm the milk. Drain completely, leaving no water in the pan. With a potato masher,mash the potatoes with the butter and pepper adding milk a bit at a time.
In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients, excluding 1/4 cup of the sweet and sour sauce. Smash all ingredients together well and form balls and place into foil lined cupcake pan. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Juices should run clear. Remove from oven and place on a baking sheet. Scoop potatoes into a pastry bag and pipe onto the little meat cakes. Garnish with parsley.

cupcakepalooza

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:32:00 +0000

Still working on this "Day of Cupcakes" that I have deemed CUPCAKEPALOOZA. Today's creations are a breakfast cupcake and a snack. Now, I could have gone the easy route and produced a muffin for breakfast, but I thought that would be cheating. A muffin is a muffin. So I was thinking quiche. Parchment paper wrappers on cupcakes are pretty trendy right now, so I made a faux wrapper with filo dough. I am not the biggest fan of eggs, so I covered up the taste and texture as much as I could with tons of fresh chopped vegetables and pepper jack cheese. I used the top of the cauliflower florette to mimic frosting on top...besides it being a cute addition, the roasted cauliflower on top gave the whole thing depth.
The snack, is a simple cucumber sandwich cut to make a cupcake. For fun, I used two types of bread (dark rye and sourdough) and cut them to match the size of the cucumber. And of course, like the caprese below, a fun savory cream cheese frosting pulls the whole idea together. I thought these would be perfect for a wedding or baby shower.
QUICHE CUPCAKE

½ cup onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup red pepper, minced
1 cup cauliflower
½ cup asparagus, diced
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1/4 C flour
1/4 t baking powder
8 eggs
1/2-1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 box of filo dough
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On a cutting board, lay a piece of filo down and brush it with the melted butter. Lay another sheet over and repeat. Cut into squares and tuck into a muffin pan. Fill all twelve holes.
In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, red pepper, cauliflower, asparagus, cheese, baking powder, flour, salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs and milk until frothy. Pour eggs into vegetable and cheese mixture and combine. With a ladle, spoon enough of the mixture to fill each filo filled hole. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and set.

CUCUMBER CUPCAKE SANDWICH
4 slices rye bread
4 slices white bread
1 Armenian cucumber, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons dill
1 teaspoon Dijon
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 package cream cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

In a bowl, combine dill, Dijon, lemon zest, salt, pepper and cream cheese and blend with a handheld mixer. Lightly spread cheese mixture over each slice of bread. With a small 2 inch cookie cutter, cut the bread and cucumber into circles. Stack the bread and cucumbers alternately. Pipe the remaining cheese mixture on top with a star tip.

caprece cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:59:00 +0000

Oh here I go again with cupcakes. If you think that cupcakes are just a fad or are plain sick and tired of them, It's ok...I do understand. But come on...what is there not to love about little bites of joy. I love them because they are perfectly sized...and you don't feel like a glutton after eating one. Now, if you eat more than one, that is a whole new tale to tell. But there is no doubt about it, the cupcake train is still rolling and plenty are hopping aboard.
One day, I was pondering the deep concept of cupcakes, and I thought to myself: Can I have cupcakes all day? What I mean is: Could I make a cupcake for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert? Well, of course I can. So without much further adieu, I present to you
CUPCAKEPALOOZA! A series dedicated solely to the love of cupcakes and the endless inspiration they provide.
Today's first entry to CUPCAKEPALOOZA is the Capece Cupcake. Caprece salad is a much loved dish by many. Tomatoes are just fading on the vines now, so run out and pick them right away. Caprece is easy...it involves a few key ingredients: Tomatoes, mozzarella,and basil. Anything else is just frosting on top (he he he). For this presentation I made some crostini with baguette slice that were drizzled with a bit of olive oil infused with garlic. I topped the bread off with Parmesan cheese and toasted them in the oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
I chose to use Roma tomatoes because when sliced, they were just about the same size as the mozzarella. You can also cut the mozzarella with a biscuit cutter if it is too large. The drizzle is a basalmic syrup, that packs a sweet little punch at the end. Enjoy. CAPRECE CUPCAKE
printable version
4 vine ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 package cocktail tomatoes
1 package fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 bunch basil
2 tablespoons pesto
1 package cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup basalmic vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
toothpicks

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each. In a bowl, combine the pesto and the cream cheese and cream with a hand mixer. Scoop cream into a pastry bag with a star tip. Place a toothpick in each stack and top off with a cherry tomato. Pipe the cream cheese onto each stack. In a saucepan, combine sugar and vinegar and simmer until thickens. Drizzle over Caprece cupcakes.

fabulous food and friends

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 04:24:00 +0000

I'll start today off with a yummy recipe for a family favorite. The thing I love about lettuce wraps, is that you you get a healthy dinner that pleases everyone...what could be better. You could skip the whole messy bit of wrapping the chicken stuff in a leaf of lettuce and serve it as a salad if you would like....but then again, that's the fun of it all. No,it is not the much coveted recipe for P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps, you will just have to settle for the S. Voortmeyer version. I pack it with a bunch more vegetables...and the kids don't care, so you know it's a winner. I serve it with plum sauce on the side, no I don't make it from scratch...you can easily find plum sauce at any grocery store in the Asian section.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and diced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce/paste
2 cups broccoli slaw (carrots,broccoli,cabbage-bought in bags found by bagged salads)
2 cups cabbage slaw (variety cabbage, shredded-bought in bags found by bagged salads)
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 head iceberg lettuce, separated,washed, dried and refrigerated until crisp
1/2 cup toasted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

In a large skillet, cook chicken in a mixture of the two oils for about five minutes. Remove immediately from skillet and set aside. In the same pan, add the mushrooms, water
chestnuts, chili garlic sauce, and ginger and cook on high heat for three minutes. Next, add the slaws and sprouts and cook for another three minutes. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the vinegar, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Bring to a bubble and then toss together with the vegetables. Add the chicken back into the mix and cook until hot.
Season with salt and pepper, careful on the salt, the soy sauce and oyster sauce are plenty salty on their own. Serve the mixture with cold lettuce wraps and top with the cilantro and peanuts. My family likes to top with plum sauce.

Cutie Louanne, is one of my favorite blogs to visit, to find sensible and delicious recipes. I am amazed that every time I visit her site, that I want to eat what is on the screen. I know if we lived closer, that we would be having very fattening dinner parties. So I was pleasantly pleased to find a sweet award waiting for me at her fabulous blog:

She has gifted me with the:
So, here is the idea behind the One Lovely Blog award:

1. Accept the award and post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you love.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So besides the great blogs and sites that I have listed over there to the right of your screen, Here are fifteen of the sites I frequent often. So to the following bloggers below, I bestow upon you...the coveted One Lovely Blog Award...ta da!

The Sweet Life Bonnie, dishes up a lot of Tex Mex cuisine...I love Tex Mex, and her sweet antidotes about where the recipes come from. She is also a very supportive Blogger friend.

The Crafting Chicks This site is hosted by a flock of chicks, that share fun foods and crafty ideas. Whether you are an advanced crafter or remedial (like myself) there are tons of great ideas here.

IS*LY( I Still Love you Miss Melissa Esplin, is one talented gal. as a young mother and wife, I am amazed at her cool crafts and thrifty ways. Visit her site to be amazed at how she takes thrift shop finds and re tools them into fabulous styles.

The Survival Mamma Randayle is all about power...power of the woman as well as using power...lol....as a writer, Randayle weaves humor into her sensible posts.

Yummy Lolly Sharnee, is one of my favorite blog designers. I love her retro style and she shares it all with us. Besides her free templates, she offers very inexpensive designs to purchase.

Anne Strawberry is a cute young mother with a bright little site. Stuffed with all of her fun and beautiful recipes.

We Are Not Martha two childhood girlfriends, who whip up great recipes (and honing their Martha skills) as well as sharing their favorite things. Check out their recent post about Butter Ball University.

Neo Homesteading Cat's site is nothing short of awesome. This cool mom turns out so many recipes that are truly inspired. Much like myself, she cooks the "old school" ways and doesn't apologize for it.

White Hot Oven Delicious, inventive, recipes...need I say more? This site is Chuck full of recipes and her culinary adventures. Check out her Pork and Bean Bread...yes,i said Pork and Bean Bread.

A Beautiful Mess Alicia, is an "every woman", sharing the joys and stresses of her life. This site is painted with lovely photos of journey. Alicia, hosts Tasty Tuesdays..one of my favorite haunts.

Brenda's Canadian Kitchen This canuck treats us to family style recipes that I lick my chops at. I am planning on making her most recent post for Apple Cake this weekend for sure,

Get Off Your Butt and Bake Jonna makes heartwarming simple delights...her pictures are beautiful and I have to say I am a bit envious that her house is always clean.

The Constant Hunger hey now I know why I like this blog...'cause I am always hungry as well! Her site doesn't help matters either...its full of her kitchen adventures and they always look yummy.
Bottomless Kitchen This young couple prepares dishes together. They have an uncomplicated approach to food and try and stretch the dime as well.

You Fed A baby Chili? As you know I have always had a love of Asian style food and I love to infuse it in my Rocky Mountain Cuisine...so, of course I naturally love this blog. Love it even more because this blog is hosted by a cooking scientist daddy.

Wow! That was a lot of work. But all of these fun sites deserve it. Its fun to be part of a cyber world so full of talent!

Finally, I always love to participate in Tasty Tuesdays over at A Beautiful Mess...so get on over there and check it out!

If you want to join in...feel free

harvard beets...they're all the rage....

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 03:46:00 +0000

Harvard Beets, were supposedly created by a Harvard student (or a Yale student), there is also a story that they originated in a tavern in England named 'Harwood' and the 'Harvard' is a mispronunciation of the name. What is it about the English and the French that they take credit for everything? Just kidding...kind of. Anyway, a Harvard Beet is one cooked in a thickened vinegar sauce. Sound gross to you? Trust me, they are oooh so good. My kids even love these, even the picky one. And it is so much fun when they come running in the next morning worried that their #2 is red...lol. I read up on this phenomenon, and found that if your urine is red after consuming beets, that you might have an iron deficiency...but no word on the stools. Oh don't act surprised I am commenting on red poo poo...you all know what I am talking about.
It is my opinion, that the method in which a person was prepared a dish, when young, can taint his or her opinion indefinitely. Most people seem to have grown up on "boiled" vegetables...and I must say, if you are one of those people, I can understand why you might not love your vegetables. I usually prefer roasted vegetables to most cooking methods, due to the fact, it brings out the natural sweetness as well as the fact that you do not lose the nutrients into the water.
Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. I love the vibrant colors and flavors that a beet produces. I have found people either love them or hate them. For those who generally hate them, I always suggest that they try roasting them in a bit of olive oil with a dash of salt and rosemary. The roasting, brings out an intense sweetness that makes them a bit more favorable to the "haters".
To roast beets, start by removing the greens and setting them aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the beets well and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle the beets lightly with olive oil. Fold the foil over to make a packet and place in the oven. Smaller beets will take about 20 minutes or so and very large beets can take up to an hour. To test for done-ness, Pierce with a paring knife. It should glide right in. Set out to cool until you can handle them. The skin will sluff right off easily. You can serve them immediately or use them in a recipe like the one that follows.
As far as those greens go, I love them too. I usually just saute them or steam them. In thecase of the harvard beets, I didn't mixt themm in the sauce, but rather, served them under neathh the sauced up beets. I hope you try these out, they are totally worth it!

HARVARD BEETS
printable version
3 cups cooked beets, thick sliced
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup juice from cooking beets
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice
2 pinches salt
2-3 Tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, combine vinegar, juice, cornstarch, brown sugar, five spice, and salt. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Add beats and coat completely. Stir in butter and melt while reheating the beets.

boring chicken...no way!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 02:06:00 +0000

We just returned from San Francisco last night, and after a week of eating out, I just couldn't bear not having a good home cooked meal on the table tonight. But I must confess, that I'm a bit tired...(whaaahhh I know)...and cooking wasn't on my "to do" list today. It was a beautiful fall day, and all I wanted to do was get outside and work in my flower beds and garden. Besides not wanting to cook, there wasn't really much in the fridge to cook anyway, being as we had been gone for a week. I opened the freezer and stared blankly at the meager fixin's...and grabbed a package of frozen chicken. Chicken can be sooooo boring sometimes, especially when one isn't in the mood to cook. But then...the heavens opened up above me and my "ahhha" moment came. Braising chicken is a fabulous way to make a tender and majorly flavor full dish. Soooooo....
I made chicken Cacciatore. Typically, a cattiatore is a a "hunters" style dish, prepared with tomatoes, onions, herbs, mushrooms and such. I didn't have any mushrooms, but I did have a zucchini hiding out in the garden as well as a can of artichoke hearts in the pantry. So whipped this up at noon, let it braise all day, and when our chores were done, we had a hearty and delicious dish waiting for us. Superwoman...I tell ya. So that's what was for Saturday night dinner here. Hopefully Sunday will be as successful...'cause I haven't been to the market yet.
CHICKEN CACCIATORE
printable version
Olive oil
2 cups onion, sliced
2 cups red and yellow pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large fryer chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup white wine
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup fresh tomatoes, sliced or 1 cup stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cups zucchini or artichoke hearts
4 cups rice, cooked
Season the chicken generously with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet,saute the onions and peppers together, with a bit of olive oil, until just tender. When finished, set aside. In the same skillet, brown the chicken on both sides in a little bit more olive oil. Deglaze the pan with a cup of white wine. Top the chicken with the garlic and sauteed onion and peppers. Pour the crushed tomatoes and fresh tomatoes over the chicken and sprinkle the herbs over the top. Simmer the stewing meat for an hour and half, careful not to let it boil over as it is juicy. Add the zucchini and artichoke hearts and cover. Simmer for ten minutes more or until zucchini is tender. Taste for seasoning and serve over rice if you wish. You can also serve this over pasta as well.

delicioso!

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 05:42:00 +0000

Hey folks! I am hailing you from San Francisco tonight, where I am enjoying a few days out of town with my family. The week began with my husband's 20 year reunion ( will relate my experiences later), and has continued with fabulous day trips to the Golden Gate Park, California Academy of Science, Japanese Tea Garden, Fisherman's Wharf, and the San Francisco Zoo. But of course, I have been enjoying the good eats this fabulous part of the country has to offer. I can't wait to go home and try whipping up some new flavors.
In the meantime, as promised, the recipes for the trio of salsas as well as flour tortillas. I will be home soon...and I have some stories to tell ya! Trio of salsas, beginning with the Avocado Black Bean, then the Mango, and finally a fresh Tomatillo.

MANGO SALSA

1 Granny Smith apple, cut into ¼ inch dice
2 firm ripe mangoes, cut into ¼ inch dice
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh jalapeño chili, or to taste, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
a pinch cumin

Stir all ingredients together and refrigerate.

TOMATILLO SALSA

1 lb fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh Serrano chili, seeded (for less spiciness) and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt

Stir together all ingredients and let stand, covered, about 1 hour.

AVACADO AND BLACK BEAN SALSA

1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ripe red tomato, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
½ cup black beans
1 scallion, both white and green parts, trimmed and finely chopped, or 3 tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 to 2 teaspoons jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, seeded and minced (for a hotter salsa, leave the seeds in)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Place the avocado in the bottom of a nonreactive mixing bowl and gently toss it with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Add the beans, tomato, jalapeño and cilantro to the mixing bowl and gently toss to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime juice as necessary and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pictured here are the fresh Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

4 cups all-purpose flour (or 3 cups all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups warm water (or enough to make the dough the right consistency)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and 1/2 of the water. Mix together with your hands and continue adding water into the dough until it forms a solid ball, but is not too sticky. If necessary, add additional flour or water as needed. Knead the dough on a floured board for 5 minutes. Cut the dough in half and then in half again, continuing the process until you have 8 equal portions. Roll each piece into a ball, place them on a lightly floured surface, and cover with a damp towel.
Heat a griddle or cast iron pan to medium heat. Roll out the dough, one piece at a time to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place one round of dough on the griddle and cook on each side for about 30 seconds. Take care that the griddle is not too hot or the tortillas will scorch. Continue the process with the remaining 7 portions of dough.

quiero que la buena comida

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:45:00 +0000

Wow. What a stir I caused Tuesday night at at my cooking class when I announced that I am not a slave to Cafe Rio. For those of you not graced with a Cafe Rio in your neck of the woods, It is a Mexican American haunt, where patrons can order up cafeteria- style, dishes such as: burritos, tacos, and taco salads. The salads are really what has caused all of the buzz, topped with sweet pulled meats, cilantro, and a tomatillo dressing. Now, don't get me wrong, I do eat there on occasion...I even enjoy it. The deal is, that I don't crave it....because I can make my own similar dishes...So if I offended you...you are just plain WEIRD!
I have always had a flare for south of the border flavors...My dear aunt Sylvia, raised me on home made tamales, pasole, mole, and fried tortillas stuffed with pulled meats. So, naturally, I love to dish it up as much as I like to dish it out. Although, pulled meats are good, I tend to lean more towards larger bites of marinated meats rather than slow cooked (just a preference).
This recipe I am about to bestow on you is one of my favorites. It takes a few minutes of prep, a couple of hours of marinade time...and only a couple of minutes to cook. It is moist, tender, and flavor packed. Typically, I serve it over a salad or wrapped in warm home made tortillas with fresh salsa. I also love to tear fresh cilantro over the top with a squirt of lime. Check in soon, I will be posting the recipe for those fluffy flour tortillas hanging out in the background, as well as a trio of spicy pico-style salsas that will compliment many meals.

GRILLED FLANK STEAK
printable version
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
¼ cup honey honey
3 large garlic cloves, minced
6 Tablespoons sweet red pepper relish
1/3 cup lime juice
Zest of one lime
2 Tablespoons mint
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 2 1/4-pound flank steak

Mix all ingredients except steak in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, turning occasionally.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut across grain into thin strips.

The recipe below is a great side dish to a variety of meals. It compliments tacos and such wonderfully!

CILANTRO LIME CORN
printable version
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large red peppers, sliced
6 ears of corn, sliced into inch thick wheels
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh lime zest
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

Mix together the corn, red pepper, and beans and toss in a small amount of olive oil. Arrange on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Cook shallot in butter stirring, until softened. Remove from heat and stir in lime zest, cilantro, and lime juice. Add corn, red pepper, and salt and pepper – toss until covered with sauce.

my bread and butter... brought to you by Nature's Pride

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:46:00 +0000

WRITER'S NOTE: In addition to this being a completely divine dessert, I have found that this was an absolutely decadent breakfast as well! Recently, I was offered the opportunity, by the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program to try a Nature’s Pride product. The challenge was to use the product in a recipe and win one of six spots to go to the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in November. Well, of course I was game for that! I was even more excited when a coupon arrived and I discovered that I would have my choice of more than fifteen Nature’s Pride products. When I went to the store, I knew instantly what I would prepare.
As you know, I often profess, that I feel it is important to feed my family as healthy as possible. I try to provide sustainable, organic and natural foods. So I was glad to see Nature's Pride would fit right in. I had been to the farmers market just days before and purchased some beautiful Jonathan apples, and fall is whisping through the air. I intended to make white chocolate caramel apples with them, but I ended up deciding to pair those crisp tangy apples with Natures Pride Country White Bread.
I ended up choosing to prepare a Bourbon Caramel Apple Bread Pudding. I haven’t ever made a bread pudding with sandwich bread and I had my reservations. I don’t typically buy white bread. When I opened the bag I was tickled to find that the bread was wrapped in cellophane as well.

This reminded me of the bread my grandma used to buy and make me cinnamon toast with. When I opened the cellophane wrapper, I was met with a rich smell…who doesn’t love white bread when they were little?
The slices are hearty and large…perfect for a sandwich, but even better for bread pudding. I would have used a whole bag but Ruby snagged a slice before I could dice it all up.
The following is the recipe, but before you get to that, I would like to tell you how it turned out.
I make a lot of desserts, and although my kids and love them, my husband isn’t always so excited. He doesn’t crave desserts like I do. But let me tell you there wasn’t a crumb left a few minutes after I scooped into the bread pudding. My husband said it was by far one of the most decadent and delicious recipes I have whipped up in a while! Wow! What a review. I was so pleased with how Natures Pride bread held up in this dish. I am going to try it in a strata next. I am definitaely a fan.Thank you Foodbuzz and Nature's Pride for this fantastic opportunity...I hope to see you in November at the Foodbuzz festival!

BOURBON CARAMELIZED APPLE BREAD PUDDING
printable version
1 loaf Natures Pride Country White Bread
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup cinnamon sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup bourbon
3 Jonathan apples, diced
½ cup white chocolate chips

In a saucepan bring the milk, cream, and bean to a simmer. Beat the eggs and sugar until light.

Temper the milk mixture into the egg mixture slowly. Return the combined mixtures (custard now), to the stovetop and simmer, stirring constantly until thickens.

In a shallow pan, cook the apples and brown sugar on medium high heat, until the apples begin to soften and the juices and sugar caramelizes.

Carefully add the bourbon making sure that it does not come close to the flame.

Cook on medium for just a few minutes until the caramel thickens.

Meanwhile, cut the Natures Pride Country White bread into small cubes and place on a sheet pan and toast in a 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes or until crispy and golden.

Remove from the oven and toss the cubes with the melted butter

and the cinnamon sugar in a large bowl.

Next, Pour the custard over the cinnamon bread cubes

and add the white chocolate

and the bourbon apples and caramel

Soak for ten minutes, and then place into a buttered baking dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and place into a water bath (by placng the baking dish into a larger dish and filling the larger dish with water half way up). Bake at 350 degrees for an hour. Cool slightly before serving and drizzle with caramel if you wish.

I had cut heart shapes out of a few extra slices of bread and sprinkles them with cinnamon sugar and drizzled them with caramel as well. Bread pudding isn't exactly the most exciting dish, visually, when it comes out of the oven. However, it can easily be dressed up to make an elegant dessert to pair with any meal.

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deep thoughts about rhubarb

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 04:46:00 +0000

Do you ever wonder about where your food comes from? I often do. Take rhubarb for instance, rhubarb originated in China a very long time ago. Besides eating the stalk, the Chinese have used rhubarb for medical purposes for thousands of years. But mind my mind often wanders to the poor Chinese dude who tried to eat the leaves of the plant first...and was poisoned....oops. I bet the second guy was worried when he ate the stalk. Rhubarb grows as a vegetable...but guess what...it's a fruit. A fruit you say...how is that? Well, in 1947, a New York court, decided that because because it was technically used as a fruit...that it should be classified as one. Upon reading that particular fact, I started thinking about out judicial system and the ridiculous things they waste their time on.....I'll stop now...before I get off track.
Anywhoooo, I love rhubarb, and it is still in season here, and readily found in grocery stores. I have paired it with raspberries, because I don't particularly love cooked strawberries..if you do, feel free to add strawberries if you like. The raspberries and rhubarb serve as a hearty sauce with a tangy but sweet delightfully fluffy lime mousse. Don't get scared off by the steps necessary in this mousse. They are all easy and you will quickly achieve a decadent beautiful dessert.

LIME MOUSSE

6 Tablespoons water
4 ½ teaspoons gelatin
2 cups lime juice
1 cups sugar
Zest of 3 limes
2 egg whites
2/3 cups sugar
2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

In a saucepan combine the water and gelatin. Add the 1 c sugar, lime juice, and zest and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and bring to room temperature.
In bottom of a double broiler bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Combine egg whites and 2/3 c sugar in a bowl and set into double broiler. Be sure that the bowl does not touch the water. Turn the heat off and whisk the eggs and sugar for about four minutes. This process is to cook the eggs enough that they are safe for the mousse. Be careful to make sure that the eggs do not froth too much or cook. Take the eggs out of the double broiler and put them into a mixer. Beat until heavy peaks. This will also cool them.
Beat the whipping cream to medium peaks.
Mix the meringue into the lime mixture. It will appear thin. Fold the whipped cream in so that it is completely incorporated.
Pour the mousse into molds or tart shells and refrigerate overnight.
** to adjust the firmness of the mousse and make it lighter, add more whipped cream.

RASPBERRY RHUBARB SAUCE

½ cup sugar
2 cups rhubarb
1 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon lime juice

In a heavy saucepan, combine rhubarb and sugar and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until tender. Add a bit of water if needed to get it started. Add the raspberries and lime juice and cook for 10 minutes. Blend if you wish to have a fine puree or leave as is for a chunky sauce. Serve hot or cold.

tomato...tomaaaato

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:36:00 +0000

I wasn't a picky child. I completely credit this fact to my mother's cooking. Mom wasn't a fancy cook. My mother cooked seasonally for the most part. There was never any question as to whether we were to eat our dinner and there was really nothing that I didn't want to ...with the exception of eggs...but that wasn't her fault. During the late summer months, the dinner table was graced with the bounty of the garden. Sometimes dinner would be sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and corn on the cob. Whatever the dish, the star would be the days beautiful harvest.
This recipe is one of my childhood favorites...Shrimp cocktail stuffed tomatoes.
Last week I featured a simple home made cocktail sauce. This simple recipe is another use for that recipe. as a matter of fact, this recipe is so simple...it doesn't have much of a recipe. Served with warm crusty bread, this dish makes a refreshing light supper or a fabulous luncheon dish.

STUFFED TOMATOES
6 large tomatoes
4 cups iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
1 pound bay shrimp
1/2 cup scallions, finely sliced
1/2 cup celery, finely sliced
1 recipe cocktail sauce

Gently remove the top of the tomato and scoop out the pulp. Pulp can be reserved for a pasta sauce later. Fill the tomato half way with the lettuce. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon the shrimp cocktail into the tomatoes. serve with warm crusty bread.

COCKTAIL SAUCE
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, or to taste
3 scallions
1 celery stalk
Combine the ketchup, lemon juice, celery, scallion, and horseradish to taste.