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:

1. 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.
2. Combine the ricotta cheese and milk and stir until smooth.  Add the cooled simple syrup and vanilla and stir until combined.
3. Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze per the manufacturer’s directions. 
4. 10 minutes before completion, add the blueberries.
5. 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!

Tweet This Post

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:

1. Season the pork loin with salt and pepper.
2. 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.
3. Add the onions and sauté until brown…
4. Add 1 tbsp. of either mojo de ajo or the garlic.
5. Add the onions and garlic to the slow cooker.
6. Add the pomegranate juice and brown sugar.
7. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle pepper and adobo.  Stir to combine.
8. 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.
9. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and cover.
10. Set the slow cooker to low for 6 hours.
11. When it’s done, pull out the pork loin and let rest for 15 minutes and then shred.
12. 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.

Tweet This Post

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:

1. Preheat the grill to a medium high heat.
2. Wash and clean the produce, paying careful attention to the corn to ensure that the silks are removed from the ears.
3. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp. of the oil.
4. Brush the grill with some of the oil.
5. Place the vegetables the grill, turning when they start to char.
6. Once cooked, remove from grill and allow to cool for a few minutes.
7. Remove the husks from the corn and slice off the kernels.
8. Chop the green onions, removing the root end and tops.
9. Add the cherry tomatoes (you can halve the larger ones if you wish)
10. Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño.  Chop finely.
11. Add the juice and zest of the lime.
12. 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!

Tweet This Post

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:

1. Preheat the grill to medium high/high setting.
2. Precook the Yukon potato rounds for 30 minutes in boiling water that has been salted liberally.
3. On a foil portion, roughly 8 x 10, place a bit of the mojo de ajo in the center.
4. Lay 3 – 4 of the potato rounds in a straight line over the mojo de ajo.
5. Drizzle some more of the mojo de ajo over the potato rounds.
6. Lay the spring onion over the potatoes.
7. Lay the salmon over the potato and onion mixture and season with salt & pepper.
8. 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).
9. Seal the foil packets, rolling the top of the foil down and folding the sides inward.
10. Place on the grill for 10 min. or so, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easy.
11. 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!

Tweet This Post

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:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
2. Peel the 4 heads of garlic and place the whole cloves in an 8 x 8 baking dish.
3. Add the salt over the garlic cloves.
4. Pour the olive oil over the peeled garlic and put in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
5. After 45 minutes, add the juice and zest of the limes and the red pepper flakes.
6. Place back in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Upon removing from the oven, mash the garlic with a potato masher.
8. 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…

Tweet This Post

Special Guest Chef – Cooking In Stilettos

Many thanks to Cooking With Deb and Duluth Superior Magazine for this amazing opp!

Tweet This Post

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bacon & Tomato Hash

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!

Tweet This Post

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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Guinness Braised Short Ribs

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:

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven.
3. Pan sear short ribs until nice and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side
4. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
5. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned, scrape any brown bits from bottom of pan using a wooden spoon.
6. Add carrots and celery and let cook for further 5 minutes.
7. Add 1 cup of beef stock and scrape bottom of pan to remove any more browned bits.
8. Add back in the meat followed by the remaining stock and can of Guinness.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. 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…

Tweet This Post

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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

1. Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 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.
3. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
4. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
5. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well.
6. Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined.
7. Spoon into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula.
8. Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
9. 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.
10. Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. 
11. Add cooled espresso.
12. Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined.
13. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
14. Combine 4.5 ounces flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine.
15. Pour mixture evenly over Tan Brownies.
16. Bake on the center rack at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean.
17. 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

Tweet This Post

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHIPOTLE CINNAMON BROILED CHICKEN THIGHS

Recipe adapted from FineCooking.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile (you can reduce it to 1/2 tsp. if you need to)
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 large or 2 small jarred roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 tbs. coarsely chopped cilantro  (I ran out of this ingredient sadly)

Directions:

1. Position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. of the cumin, sugar, 1/4 tsp. of the chipotle, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. of salt.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tbs. olive oil, then toss with the spice mixture.
4. Arrange the chicken on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Broil until the chicken browns lightly on top, about 5 minutes.  Flip the chicken and continue to broil until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
5. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the garlic and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt.  Using the flat side  of the chef’s knife, smear and mash the garlic and salt together to form a coarse paste. 
6. Transfer the garlic paste to a food processor and add the roasted red pepper, remaining 2 tbs. olive oil, and remaining 1/2 tsp. of cumin and chipotle, and 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Puree into a smooth sauce.
7. Garnish the chicken with the cilantro and serve with the sauce. 

Gather the ingredients

Mixing spices with the chicken

Pasting the garlic is not so difficult after all

Red Pepper Sauce with a new kick

Enjoy!

Tweet This Post