Archive for Recipe
Could Nigella Lawson’s Doughnut French Toast Be The Next Guilty Pleasure?
Posted by: | CommentsI really have to hand it to the Cooking Channel – the fact that they are recycling Nigella Lawson episodes is a great idea. One of the recent airings showcased her Donut French Toast and, after a burst of culinary inspiration (along with some great local NJ blueberries), I can see why it could be considered a guilty pleasure.
This recipe was super simple and the blueberry sauce was a breeze to make with a mini-food processor. So, the next time you have a craving for Doughnuts, why not whip up this quick at home version.
Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson, Food Network
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 slices from a small white loaf or 2 slices from a large white loaf, each large slice cut in half
- 1-ounce butter, plus a drop of canola oil, for frying
- 1/4 cup sugar
Directions
- Beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla in a wide shallow bowl.
- Soak the bread halves in the eggy mixture for 5 minutes a side.
- Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan/skillet, fry the egg-soaked bread until golden and scorched in parts on both sides.
- Put the sugar onto a plate and then dredge the french toast so that it is coated like a sugared doughnut.
For the Sauce:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of blueberries
- 4 tbsp. of powdered sugar
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Directions:
- Mix the blueberries, powdered sugar and lemon in a small food processor until smooth.
- Serve over the doughnut french toast.
Line Up The Ingredients
Time for a Soak
Aren’t These A Lovely Golden Brown?
Have to Love New Jersey Blueberries
Time To Pulse
The Final Product – Well Worth The Guilty Pleasure Designation
Cool It Down With Blueberry Ricotta Ice Cream
Posted by: | CommentsThis humidity that is facing Philadelphia is starting to make me think Florida wasn’t as toasty. So, to cool things off, I decided to break in my new ice cream maker. Giada de Laurentiis did a chocolate chip ice cream made with ricotta and I thought this might be fun to try, except with Jersey blueberries fresh from Maple Acres Farm.
One tip with the ice cream maker – make sure to let the bowl freeze overnight or else you might have not so frosty ice cream. I added a lemon simple syrup and that complemented the blueberries along with the vanilla and the ricotta cheese added a nice richness and everything was able to be made simply without heating up the house. It was a nice way to beat the heat and I’m going to definitely be trying a few different variations – hmmmm… wonder how a caramel nutella swirl will work out with this recipe.
BLUEBERRY RICOTTA ICE CREAM
Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese (whole milk)
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1 pint of blueberries
Directions:
- First prepare the simple syrup – combine the sugar, water, lemon zest and juice of half the lemon in a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.
- Combine the ricotta cheese and milk and stir until smooth. Add the cooled simple syrup and vanilla and stir until combined.
- Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s directions.
- 10 minutes before completion, add the blueberries.
- Put the finished ice cream in the freezer to firm up a bit and enjoy.
Gather the Ingredients
Churn Churn Churn
Add the Blueberries
Enjoy!
Beat the Heat: Slow Cooker Pork With Pomegranate and Chipotle
Posted by: | CommentsThe great folks over at POM Wonderful sent over some pomegranate juice for this cook to play with. With this massive heat wave that engulfed Philly, it was no surprise that the sky said "Enough" and it was torrential downpours that signaled a day of kitchen experimentation. While the temperature outside has cooled off a tad, I still did not want to use the oven if I could avoid it.
Last week, I made a ton of chicken stock after reading The Cozy Girl’s post about a great way to repurpose a rotisserie chicken and it added a nice touch instead of water. I added the pomegranate juice in 1/4 cup increments until I found the right note that just sang and balanced all the flavors going on. The flavor is phenomenal thanks to the tang from the pomegranate coupled with the smoky heat from the chipotle pepper. The pork shredded with little effort and was moist and cooked well. Combine that with the onions which had a jam-like consistency and served it with some crispy smoked paprika potatoes, it all just worked well together.
One good lesson learned – slow cookers aren’t just for fall and winter.
SLOW COOKER PORK WITH POMEGRANTE AND CHIPOTLE
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. boneless pork loin
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 2 Vidalia onions, sliced into half moons
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. of mojo de ajo (or 2 garlic cloves and olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp. of cumin
- 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. of adobo sauce and one small chipotle minced
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt & Pepper
Directions:
- Season the pork loin with salt and pepper.
- Sear off the pork loin in some olive oil (I used some from the mojo de ajo). While I know it’s a bit hot, the flavor it imparts is well worth it. Set aside.
- Add the onions and sauté until brown…
- Add 1 tbsp. of either mojo de ajo or the garlic.
- Add the onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Add the pomegranate juice and brown sugar.
- Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle pepper and adobo. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the pork loin on the onions and add the chicken stock to halfway up the pork loin. Nestle the bay leaf in the stock.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper and cover.
- Set the slow cooker to low for 6 hours.
- When it’s done, pull out the pork loin and let rest for 15 minutes and then shred.
- Serve with some of the onions and the sauce drizzled over the pork portions and enjoy!
Gather the Ingredients
Searing = Flavor
Onions are well on their way
Time to add the POM
SOOOO good! And the kitchen and the cook survived the heat wave.
*Disclaimer: POM Wonderful provided the pomegranate juice for this recipe.
Local Produce On The Grill
Posted by: | CommentsThe grill has often been a place of mystery for me. However, last year, I started to work through my apprehension and bought an electric grill. Why electric you ask – well, per my apartment’s housing rules in Altamonte, due to a nasty 4 alarm fire that we had there was a ban on any charcoal or gas grills. Luckily for me, my new apartment in Philly has the same rules. I went with the large Foreman grill based on the rave reviews from Sarah of Pink Shoe Diaries and Pink Shoe Cookbook and have been pleased with the purchase. So, I figured that rather than heat up the house with the oven or stove during this horrid Philly heat wave, I figured there was no better time than the present to improve my grill skills.
I saw some amazing local produce at Maple Acres Farms in Plymouth Meeting and thought I’d experiment with grilling the vegetables. Grilling these veggies (with my beloved mojo de ajo, of course – you can also use great olive oil) added a nice smoky flavor that had me wondering why I haven’t tried this before. So, when you are out scouring the local farmer’s market, think about how much fun you can have grilling your veggies. Your family and friends will love it!
Grilled Veggie Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 small container of cherry tomatoes
- 2 ears of corn with husks, silks removed
- 4-5 spring onions
- 1 jalapeño
- 3 tbsp. Mojo de Ajo (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil), plus more for grilling
- 1 lime
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to a medium high heat.
- Wash and clean the produce, paying careful attention to the corn to ensure that the silks are removed from the ears.
- Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp. of the oil.
- Brush the grill with some of the oil.
- Place the vegetables the grill, turning when they start to char.
- Once cooked, remove from grill and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Remove the husks from the corn and slice off the kernels.
- Chop the green onions, removing the root end and tops.
- Add the cherry tomatoes (you can halve the larger ones if you wish)
- Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño. Chop finely.
- Add the juice and zest of the lime.
- Add the remaining oil and toss.
Enjoy!
Look at these tomatoes. Aren’t they beautiful?
The corn and the spring onions were just so fresh
Look at those grill marks – let me channel my inner Anne Burrell and say that grill marks mean flavor 
The final product – fresh, flavorful and fast!
Salmon On The Grill – Mojo De Ajo Style
Posted by: | CommentsIn a continuation of my love letter to that fabulous recipe Rick Bayless which has me completely enamored, Mojo De Ajo, he came up with a great recipe for the grill that he spotlighted on a recent Rachael Ray episode (shush – do. not. judge!). Over the holiday weekend, I played with the recipe a bit and have put in my tried & true arsenal. Best thing besides the flavors that pop due to the liquid gold aka mojo de ajo – the fact that they are all cooked in foil and on the grill – saving me from turning my house into a sauna during this heat wave from Hades that Philly is dealing with. This dish was so easy and elegant and is perfect for a dinner party, grill style
Mojo de Ajo Salmon Pockets
Recipe adapted from Rick Bayless
Ingredients:
- 2 6 oz. salmon filets, skin removed
- 4 Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into thick rounds
- 4 tbsp. (roughly) of mojo de ajo (or slow roasted garlic in oil)
- 2 spring onions, ends & tips trimmed
- 2-4 sprigs of thyme
- Salt
- Freshly cracked pepper
- Aluminum foil
Directions:
- Preheat the grill to medium high/high setting.
- Precook the Yukon potato rounds for 30 minutes in boiling water that has been salted liberally.
- On a foil portion, roughly 8 x 10, place a bit of the mojo de ajo in the center.
- Lay 3 – 4 of the potato rounds in a straight line over the mojo de ajo.
- Drizzle some more of the mojo de ajo over the potato rounds.
- Lay the spring onion over the potatoes.
- Lay the salmon over the potato and onion mixture and season with salt & pepper.
- Drizzle more of the mojo de ajo over the salmon and garnish with 1 – 2 springs of thyme (or, if thyme isn’t your favorite, why not try a sprig of rosemary or some cilantro or flat leaf Italian parsley).
- Seal the foil packets, rolling the top of the foil down and folding the sides inward.
- Place on the grill for 10 min. or so, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easy.
- Open the packets, plate and enjoy!
Gather Your Ingredients
Layer the Potatoes over the Mojo and follow with more Mojo – how can that be bad?
Layering the onions…
And the fish – see the pattern.
Packages Ready For The Grill
Voila – elegant AND easy!
Liquid Gold aka Mojo De Ajo Made Easy
Posted by: | CommentsRick Bayless recently had an episode that featured “Mojo de Ajo” or Liquid Gold and I have to say, I was intrigued. However, with my recent chaotic schedule, I haven’t had time to play in the kitchen. Over the holiday weekend, I decided to put cooking at the forefront and, after Rick Bayless made Mojo de Ajo on a recent Rachael Ray episode with a recipe that was perfect for the grill, I figured it was time to make my own batch of “Liquid Gold.” Rick Bayless gave the blessing to use pre-peeled garlic if one didn’t have the time to peel four heads of garlic. Thanks to the convenience of Whole Foods, they had organic pre-peeled garlic that was easy to locate and it was time to experiment.
This recipe was beyond easy to and, while the most laborious part was actually mashing the garlic at the end, I can see why it would be considered “Liquid Gold.” I’ve been using it all weekend for cooking, marinades and, quite frankly, I don’t think that this batch will last long in my fridge.
Take a few minutes for yourself and try this recipe – you will thank me later.
MOJO DE AJO
Recipe courtesy of Rick Bayless
Ingredients:
- 4 Heads of Garlic, peeled
- 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. of kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
- Peel the 4 heads of garlic and place the whole cloves in an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Add the salt over the garlic cloves.
- Pour the olive oil over the peeled garlic and put in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, add the juice and zest of the limes and the red pepper flakes.
- Place back in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Upon removing from the oven, mash the garlic with a potato masher.
- Let cool slightly and put into a jar, refrigerate immediately. The mojo de ajo will last for about 3 months as long as the mashed garlic remains under the oil.
Gather the ingredients
Pre-peeled Garlic Roasting In Olive Oil – Love This! (Save the judgment please – this time!)
Mash Mash Mash
Liquid Gold aka Mojo De Ajo…
Guesting Today over at Duluth Superior Magazine
Posted by: | CommentsSurprise – yours truly is the Special Guest Chef over at Duluth Superior Magazine and featured is my Caramel Brownies with Smoked Sea Salt. If you ever want a brownie recipe with that *wow* factor, this is it. So, please drop by and show a gal some luv.
Special Guest Chef – Cooking In Stilettos
Many thanks to Cooking With Deb and Duluth Superior Magazine for this amazing opp!
Nigella Strikes Again – Bacon and Tomato Hash
Posted by: | CommentsYou have to appreciate a chef that loves to marry the flavors of bacon and tomatoes. Recently I came across Nigella Lawson’s Bacon & Tomato Hash and I can see why it’s her late night favorite. One of my faves is a really good BLT and this had the same flavors just without a ton of the mayo (which I’m really not a fan of. Sorry!)
Now, I had a great pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes and couldn’t let them go to waste and in this hash, their flavor just popped! Give it a try – you might like it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson
Ingredients
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 2 teaspoons garlic-infused oil
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Serving suggestion: bread
Directions
Cut each piece of bacon into 3 or 4 pieces. Heat oil in a skillet. When oil is hot, fry bacon until crispy (the bacon will also give up flavorful fat of its own). Remove the bacon to a piece of kitchen towel.
Add the diced tomato, with all its seeded, gluey interior, into the hot oily pan, which will cause a great spitting and sizzling, and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir again, then put the bacon back into the pan, mixing it into the tomato before transferring to a plate.
Scatter with some parsley and freshly ground black pepper, and serve with bread to dip in the oily juices.
Gather The Ingredients
Bacon That Sizzles – Music To One’s Ears
Aren’t These Tomatoes Gorgeous?
So delish!
Guinness Braised Short Ribs – Comfort Food At Its Finest
Posted by: | CommentsI have to confess, like when I made the Black & Tan Brownies for St. Patty’s day, I’m not much of a Guinness drinker. I know, I know – I’m a horrid Irish lass. I accept that. I had some Guinness left over that just sat on the table waiting like Alice in Wonderland with a sign that said “Drink Me!” but, alas, I did not. When Chef Stuart teamed up with our gal Manouschka on a recent episode of Private Chefs of Beverly Hills and made these Guinness braised short ribs, my ears perked up at the magic words “Short Ribs.” I even think my sous chef Wiggy paid attention because if he hears those two little words, he comes running. I bookmarked the recipe and figured I’d make it eventually.
Well, the time came when I got sick of looking at the Guinness which sat there tormenting me from it’s not so secret resting place. So, I decided to clear my mind a bit and do some cooking. I’m in the midst of three huge projects at the moment so to say that I’m being torn in multiple directions, that’s putting it nicely. Plus, I wanted to make a big batch to surprise my neighbors with since they were returning from a trip and I knew that they might enjoy it as they are Guinness fans. So, a trip to Whole Paychex was in order and the ingredients couldn’t have been simpler – onions, carrots, celery, Guinness, salt & pepper, olive oil and short ribs.
This recipe taught me a couple things – 1) I need a MUCH bigger Le Creuset (finally, I am ready to forgo the teal Stuart Weitzmans for a nice Cassis 5 qt. dutch oven) and 2) this recipe is in my “entertaining” arsenal because I can see why the client came back for seconds, thirds and even seven helpings. While I adore Giada’s recipe for short ribs that I have used often, Chef Stuart’s recipe is moving to the front of the line.
Next time you want to put the wow factor on dinner, try this!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe courtesy of Chef Stuart O’Keeffe
Ingredients:
- 4 lbs boneless short ribs, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, cut into .5 inch pieces
- 1 can Guinness*
- 2 cups low sodium beef stock
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven.
- Pan sear short ribs until nice and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side
- Remove meat from pan and set aside.
- Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned, scrape any brown bits from bottom of pan using a wooden spoon.
- Add carrots and celery and let cook for further 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of beef stock and scrape bottom of pan to remove any more browned bits.
- Add back in the meat followed by the remaining stock and can of Guinness.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring stew to a simmer for 20 minutes, cover and place in oven and braise for 2 hours.
Serve with a fresh green salad or on top of mashed potatoes
*I only had bottles of Guinness and not cans. After Manouschka gave me the sage advice of it should be okay, I just made the necessary adjustments for the extra liquid. Plus, can you have TOO much Guinness – I think not.
Gather The Ingredients
Sauté Sauté Sauté
Ahhh – foamy goodness
The End Result…
St. Patricks Day Means Black and Tan Brownies Are A Must
Posted by: | CommentsSt. Patrick’s Day is a holiday that has been celebrated in my family since I can remember. I’m 80% (or more/less – the jury is still out) Irish and I had the red hair & freckles to prove it. (Hair turned blonde after I was 4 and the only way it will EVER get red again is if I hit that bottle). My grandparents on my dad’s side always talked about their parents coming directly from the Emerald Isle and I am dying to travel over there and see the sights of County Cork.
I have been so crazed lately with work, home, the animals, etc. that I haven’t really had time to focus on properly celebrating all things Irish this year. My apartment complex holds monthly resident parties and they are a blast. I decided that since it was St. Patty’s day, a kitchen experiment was in order, namely Black & Tan Brownies from this month’s issue of Cooking Light.
I’m a bad Irish lass as I never really appreciated Guinness before. I don’t honestly remember ever trying it – until yesterday. Thanks to my fab neighbor Brad who provided expert counsel on where to procure a six pack of Guinness, this recipe was a winner. Funny thing – Philly doesn’t sell beer in wine/spirit stores. You buy it in a beer store and the one near me only sells it by the case. Go figure – big change from Florida where you could buy it in the grocery store. Well the new Whole Paychex in Plymouth Meeting had it ready for me in their pub as they are the only ones that I know of that can sell beer in a grocery store here. The catch is you have to buy your groceries first and then buy your beer. Small price to pay for a successful recipe, I know.
So, last night I’m in the kitchen mixing away, the sous chefpug is whining because he can’t have chocolate but he can smell the oven working at full throttle, and flour was everywhere. A double batch HAD to be made because if my apartment complex was going to partake, why shouldn’t Wiggy’s pet sitter and my co-workers, right? I do have to admit that while it may seem a bit daunting and labor intensive, it’s well worth it. These brownies are amazing. A couple hints – make sure to add a bit of espresso to the chocolate mix to amp up the chocolate flavor. Also, when the recipe says to use a 9 x 13 pan, make sure to use the right pan. I used one 9 x 13 and then did the other brownies in an 8 x 8 square pan and those were a bit more dense. Some good news – as they are from Cooking Light, they are only 162 calories. Not bad, huh?
This is a recipe that is going in the Tried & True column and will become a St. Patty’s Day staple. Even better – if you have some leftover Guinness, they are good year round, not just on March 17th.
May The Luck O’ the Irish Be With You!
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Black & Tan Brownies
Recipe adapted from CookingLight
Ingredients
Tan Brownies:
-
6 tablespoons butter, softened
-
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
-
2 large eggs
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
-
1 teaspoon baking powder
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omitted these)
-
Cooking spray
Black Brownies:
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Guinness Stout
- 2 tablespoons cooled espresso (or 1 tablespoon of espresso powder dissolved in a small amt. of hot water).
- 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
- Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.
- To prepare Tan Brownies, place 6 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
- Combine 4.5 ounces flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well.
- Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined.
- Spoon into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula.
- Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
- To prepare Black Brownies, melt chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth.
- Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined.
- Add cooled espresso.
- Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined.
- Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
- Combine 4.5 ounces flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine.
- Pour mixture evenly over Tan Brownies.
- Bake on the center rack at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into squares.
Gathering The Ingredients
The Key Ingredient – Guinness
The Tan Layer
The Black Layer
Espresso Adds Punch To The Chocolate
The Final Product
