Monday, May 24, 2010

We Will Miss You Lost

In honor of the final episode of Lost, I created a Hawaiian feast for the event.

Lost Menu

Catfish Fillets w/fresh pineapple ginger salsa
Bacon wrapped asparagus w/ soy sauce, sesame oil & rice wine vinegar
Pasta salad w/ham, cilantro, candied ginger, sundried tomato


mmmm so good! We will miss you Lost!

Kid's In The Kitchen

Riley has been helping me in the kitchen since she could hold a spoon. She started cracking eggs at 3 and pounding chicken breasts by the time she was 6. Now and again, the roles will change. Riley will cook the meal and I will oversee for safety and guidance. Here are a couple of her meals.

Hamburger Macaroni Casserole

This recipe is so simple. We used frozen fully cooked hamburger patties, boxed macaroni and cheese and grated cheddar cheese.

Simply cook the macaroni and cheese as stated on the box. While that is cooking, thaw and chop the hamburger patties. Once the macaroni is done, add the hamburger and half a package of grated cheese. Pour into a casserole dish and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake at 350° until golden brown.
Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

For children, the shake and pour pancake mix is perfect. There is very little clean up and no mess mixing. Prepare as directed and simply add sliced bananas and a sprinkle of chocolate chips to the pancakes after you pour them on the skillet before the flip.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Falafel Delight

I have been making humus for a while now so I decided to move on to another great chickpea dish so I created a roasted red pepper falafel.

  • 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas (7 oz)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Add all of the following ingredients to a food processor.

    1 can chickpeas (drained)
    1/4 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper (drain well if stored in oil)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
    1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
    3/4 teaspoon cumin
    1/2 teaspoon coriander
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne
    3 Tablespoons flour

    Mix until finely chopped and well mixed. Stopping and scraping down the sides often. Form mixture into patties and dust lightly with flour. Heat oil in large skillet. Carefully brown the falafel on both sides.

    I served these with a fresh greens, sun dried tomato, and soy dressing.

  • 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas (7 oz)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas (7 oz)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas (7 oz)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Taco Soup

    As I have stated before, I don't like eating left-overs but I hate wasting food even more. I am continually creating recipes based on what is left over from the night before. This soup was created from the remains of taco night. This took less than 10 min to make and as we have seen before, it was better than the original meal of tacos.

    Left-over Ingredients
    Seasoned taco meat
    Sour Cream
    Grated Cheddar Cheese
    Chopped Tomato
    Sliced Green Onion
    Taco Shells

    Additional Ingredients
    Beef Broth
    Salt
    Cayenne Pepper

    Very simply mix the seasoned taco meat with beef broth, salt & cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir in sour cream and part of the grated cheese until melted. Serve topped with crumbled taco shells, remaining grated cheese, tomato, and green onion.

    Dry Fried Tofu with Broccoli

    Tofu isn't always the easiest ingredient to prepare. I found a foolproof and simple way to create a pleasantly textured and delicious tofu stir fry.

    Here is the link to the full explanation along with great step-by-step photo instructions.

    http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Cook_Tofu_Like_the_Pros

    These instructions may look like a lot of information but I promise this is VERY simple. After the dry fry process, I marinated the tofu in rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sliced onion, garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Then quickly stir fried the tofu with broccoli.

    Daddy's Venison Sausage

    My Dad made homemade venison sausage mixed with 40% Venison and 60% pork. It was so good and perfectly spiced. I took the raw sausage out of the casing and added it to a hot cast iron skillet with onions and bell peppers. Once browned, this mixture can be eaten alone or wrapped up in a tortilla.

    I simply mixed up a box of Jiffy cornbread mix along with a cup of cheddar cheese and poured it over the top of the meat mixture right in the skillet and baked at 350° until golden brown on top. This can be served for breakfast or dinner. Thanks Dad!

    Ravioli with Broccoli Romanes

    This meal took less than ten minutes and it was healthy, filling and packed with flavor. I simply tossed a bag of frozen ravioli and broccoli romanes in some boiling water and put green onions, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and chopped walnuts into a hot skillet with a little butter until onion are translucent. I tossed in the ravioli and broccoli and seasoned with salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. So simple and so good!


    Appetizers

    We served these three appetizers at the VIP mixer before the 100 Club of Central Texas annual awards banquet. This venue was held at a breathtaking exotic animal reserve in Creedmore TX.

    Smoked Salmon on crackers with Cream Cheese, Capers, and Red Onion


    Blue Cheese and Candied Walnut Tarts


    Shrimp Cocktail Shots with Avocado and Cilantro

    Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

    This program is inspiring to say the least. I am moved to tears each episode. The facts he brings to light about the reality in our public and private kitchens will shock you. I hope everyone will visit his website and take advantage of the recipes and education provided to help change our bad eating habits.

    Message from Jamie

    This food revolution is about saving America's health by changing the way you eat. It's not just a TV show, it's a movement for you, your family and your community. If you care about your kids and their future take this revolution and make it your own. Educate yourself about food and cooking. Find out what your child is eating at school. Make only a few small changes and magical things will happen. Switching from processed to fresh food will not only make you feel better but it will add years to your life.

    Thursday, February 25, 2010

    My new toy!


    I have a new love! I finally got a 600 series RED Kitchenaid mixer and it's amazing. Thank you Mom & Dad!

    Super Bowl

    OK so we all know that the food you serve is more important than the game. This year, everyone was out of town but even though we had an intimate viewing we didn't skimp on the food. We made Pork Loin, Chicken wings (Honey BBQ & Stubs BBQ), and Green Chili Cheese Fritters.



    A Few More Cakes

    Veteran's Day Cake - Designed by my 9 year old daughter. Three layers, Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla.
    Mom's Birthday Cake - A very long tradition - made with the same heart pan passed down for generations and always strawberry cake with strawberry icing. I did however find some very interesting candles this year. The flame burned the same color as the candle.

    A Baby Shower Cake - Yes brown icing mean it was ordered by Tina who is obsessed with brown icing. Her next order is for a horse cake. Wish me luck!

    Same Few Ingredients - 3 great dishes!

    Last week I had an obsession. It was Tomatillos, Green Chilies, Chicken, and Cream Cheese. I got to experimenting and came up with three amazing dishes using these 4 ingredients. The creations were green chicken enchiladas, soup and quiche. All of which were amazingly good! I have included a few pictures and the recipes. As usual, these recipes are so simple.

    Green Chicken Enchiladas

    4 Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
    1 Chopped Onion
    1 Can Crushed Tomatillos
    1 Small Can Chopped Green Chilies
    8 oz Cream Cheese
    Corn Tortillas
    Grated Cheese
    Fresh Cilantro
    Green Onion

    Brown the chicken and onion in a deep skillet with a small amount of olive oil. Add Tomatillos, Green Chilies, Salt and Pepper. Once bubbling hot, add cream cheese. Mix until melted and turn off heat. In casserole dish, put a small amount of juice from chicken mixture in bottom of dish. Start by layering tortillas, cheese and chicken mixture until all chicken has been used. Top with a final layer of tortilla and cheese. Then bake at 350° until cheese is brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with chopped cilantro and green onion.





    Green Chicken Soup

    4 Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
    1 Chopped Onion
    1 Can Crushed Tomatillos
    1 Small Can Chopped Green Chilies
    8 oz Cream Cheese
    2 Large Cans Chicken Broth
    Grated Cheese
    Fresh Cilantro
    Green Onion

    Brown the chicken and onion in a deep skillet with a small amount of olive oil. Add Tomatillos, Green Chilies, Salt and Pepper. Once bubbling hot, add cream cheese. Mix until melted. Add Chicken Broth and bring to a simmer. Serve with grated cheese, chopped cilantro and green onion. Great with Poppy's homemade sourdough bread.


    Green Chicken Quiche

    Take the left over soup and mix in the left over chopped cilantro, green onion and grated cheese. Add 3 eggs per cup of left over mix. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350° until firm and brown on top. As everyone knows, I don't eat many left overs so I love to create an entirely new meal from the left over ingredients from the night before.