Pages

Counter

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Creamy Tomato & Goat Cheese Soup with Grilled cheese & Ham & Tomato Sandwich


Simple! And since I use olive oil for my grilled cheese instead of butter, it's not as unhealthy as one would think :-)

What you need:
One 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
Goat Cheese (If you don't like this, you can use Creme Fraiche, Greek Yogurt, or Mascarpone Cheese)
Salt, Pepper, Fresh or Dried Basil to taste

Sourdough, Italian, or any kind of bread you like
Medium sliced Ham (or bacon, turkey or any meat you like)
Tomato Slices
Colby-Jack Cheese Slices
Olive Oil

What you need to do:
In a medium sized sauce pan, add the can of crushed tomatoes over medium heat and add the salt and pepper, stir and cover until the soup bubbles, once it does lower the heat to low. Slice the goat cheese (If it's a log) into about a 2 inch slice (or 2-3 tablespoons) and then add to the soup. Add the basil, maybe 1/2 a teaspoon, stir until the cheese is incorporated and cover. Let the soup cook for 10 minutes.

Carefully add the soup into a blender, add the lid and then cover the lid with a dish towel. (the soup is hot and some may leak out of the top once you begin to blend it) Keep pulsing until the soup is well blended.

For the sandwich, add the tomatoes, (salt and pepper them) add one slice of ham and three slices of the cheese. Add some olive oil to the outside of the top slice of the bread.

In a small frying pan add olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the oiled side of the bread facing down and press down on the other side of the bread firmly with a spatula. Once you see the cheese begin to melt, about 60-90 seconds, let go of the spatula and oil the top slice of bread. Flip over and press firmly with the spatula for 60 seconds. As soon as the sandwich is plated, slice it in half and enjoy!

Grilled cheese w/ham and tomato

Plain Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 Creamy Tomato and Goat Cheese Soup



Thursday, August 30, 2012

Fork and Knife Nachos

It's pretty obvious, you'll need a fork and knife to eat these nachos! Unless you really want to get your hands dirty!

 What you'll need:
1 lb of ground beef or turkey
1 lb of thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast (or tenders)
1/4 cup of chicken broth or stock
1 can of pinto beans (or dried beans that have been soaked overnight)
1 package of 'taco', sharp-cheddar, or queso-blanco cheese
Sour cream
Tomatoes
Tortilla chips
[Seasoning for chicken and beef] Onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, paprika, (chili powder optional and to taste), salt and pepper. Make a mixture in a ramekin and use approximately 1 TSP of each spice, or add more or less to taste.
[Ingredients for guacamole-in-a-hurry]
2 avocados 1 lime, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, onion powder to taste
*Or see my authentic guacamole recipe from a previous blog post here: http://sobe73.blogspot.com/2012/05/kristy-and-erics-tacos.html

What you'll need to do:
Start chicken in a crock-pot set to 'high' and half of the spice mixture. Since it's thin cuts of meat, this won't take long (Maybe 20-30 minutes).

Add the chicken broth so it doesn't dry out. If you don't have one, simply brown in the pan the same way you do the beef/turkey below. I like to use the crock pot because it makes it juicier and much easier to shred.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the lowest fat beef/turkey in a pan, drain any additional fat while browning. When it's nearly done, add the other half of the spice mixture.

Drain the beans and rinse and place over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes until the beans are warm.

Spray a large cookie sheet with canola spray and line with tortilla chips.

When the chicken is done, remove from the crock pot/pan and shred with two forks. Top the tortilla chips with the chicken and beef and then top with the beans. Cover with as much or as little cheese as you like and bake in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

*Prepare the guacamole and start dicing your tomatoes to top the nachos.

[Dice the avocado small so it's easy to mash, squeeze the juice of one lime, add salt, pepper, onion powder, cumin and coriander to taste and then smash well with a potato masher until it's the desired consistency.] 

When the cheese is melted, remove from oven and top the nachos with sour cream, tomatoes and finally, the fresh guacamole.

ENJOY!


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Easy Tom Kha Kai "Cheat" Soup

This recipe couldn't be simpler. It's a totally Americanized version, yet tastes pretty authentic. Especially if you don't live near a good Thai restaurant or just can't get out one night for good Thai food.  This is a great recipe to fall back on, plus all ingredients can be found in any grocery store.

Ingredients:
1/2 package of chicken (chopped into chunks, white meat is preferred but on this night, I got boneless/skinless thighs on sale) [Reserve the rest of the chicken for pad thai, fried rice, or stir fry!]

Sliced button mushrooms (one box)

Green onions (two stalks, white and green parts, chopped)

One box low sodium chicken broth, (or homemade chicken stock of course!)

One can coconut milk

2 Tablespoons sweetened lime juice (Substitution for lemongrass)

1 teaspoon Chili oil (More to taste)

What to do:

Start by sauteing the chicken on medium-high heat in two tablespoons canola oil in a soup pot. Add the diced onion and saute for 5 minutes. When the chicken is white on the outside but still raw on the inside add the entire box of broth, (or about 4 cups) with the can of coconut milk and bring to a boil. Once it boils, add the mushrooms and chili oil (again this is to taste, add more or less depending on how hot you like it, remember you can add more to individual bowls after the soup is done) and then cover and lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. 




After ten minutes add the sweetened lime juice. If 2 tablespoons isn't sweet enough, add 1 teaspoon more until it's to the desired sweetness. Once the soup is sweet enough, let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve. 


ENJOY! 


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Kristy and Eric's Tacos

This is not mine, though I may have altered it some. Some friends of ours from LA had us over for tacos and were kind enough to offer us their recipe. Here's my version of Kristy and Eric's Tacos.

Ingredients:
3 lb Chuck Roast
1 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 can diced tomatoes
1 box beef broth (Stock)
1 red bell pepper
1 bay leaf
1 chili pepper of choice
Salt/pepper/cumin/coriander/onion & garlic powder, chili powder

It may not be identical to Kristy's, but here's what we did: 3 lb chuck roast, cut into cubes and add to a dutch oven or crock pot. I added (all spices are to taste) cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, onion/garlic powder, chili powder, one yellow onion peeled and quartered, a bunch of garlic, peeled, cracked but not diced, one bay leaf, 1 can diced tomatoes with the juice, 1 sliced red bell pepper, 1 chili pepper of your choice added whole, sliced or diced, (seeds optional. Seeds add more heat) and then add enough beef broth to cover the cubed beef and veggies.

Cover and roast at 350 for 3 hrs (or crock pot on high for 3-5 hrs). Remove the beef pieces and shred the beef. I used small, flour tortillas and pan fried in oil, using tongs, (see picture below). Curve the tortilla on one side, once it's a bit firm, flip and fry the other side until it's the shape of a taco shell. Once you do this, you'll never eat a store bought taco shell again.



Guacamole ingredients:
3 avocados
1 small white or red onion
1 small lime
Cilantro
Salt/Pepper to taste
Tomato

For the guacamole, I used 3 avocados, peel and mush with a fork until it's all smooth, dice a white or red onion to taste, add lime (and some zest), cilantro, tomato, salt and pepper. Enjoy!





Thursday, April 12, 2012

Easter Cake!

Still working with fondant, all left over from his 2nd birthday cake. I baked a strawberry cake and homemade chocolate butter-cream frosting. I made up the recipe, two sticks of butter, 1/4 cup of shortening, and I have no idea how much unsweetened cocoa. Possibly 2/3's a cup. Also no clue how much powdered sugar and water, I kept adding until it was chocolaty, sweet and the right consistency.

I took 1/2 a bag of sweetened coconut and placed it in a freezer bag. I added two drops of dark blue food coloring and 1 drop of yellow. I sealed the bag and shook. Then I kneaded the coconut in the bag to make sure it was all incorporated until the coconut was a nice minty green like the color of Easter Basket grass.

I would have made fondant Easter Eggs if I had the time and energy but since I had real Easter Eggs handy I just used those. Once the cake was stacked and iced I nested the "grass" on top and carefully placed the eggs. Then I adhered the fondant flowers and one fondant Easter Bunny.




Sunday, April 8, 2012

First Fondant

Worked with fondant for the first time while baking my son's birthday cake for his second birthday party in March 2012. Fondant, as a rule, tastes like garbage but looks fantastic. A Facebook friend suggested 'marshmallow' fondant instead. I looked up the recipe to discover it's about the simplest think one could make, if one had the patience that is.

1 bag of small marshmallow
1/2 bag of powder sugar
1 teaspoon of water
Crisco

Grease your work surface with Crisco. Add half a bag of the sugar in a mound to the greased surface. Place the marshmallow in a microwave safe bowl and add the water, mix well, and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir and repeat until it melts (maybe 2 minutes or so). Put on latex gloves, and then grease your hands with more Crisco, and empty the bowl of melted marshmallow onto the mound of sugar. Using your hands, knead the sugar into the marshmallow over and over until it forms a dough.


Once the dough is formed, cover it with more Crisco and wrap tight in Saran Wrap. Refrigerate overnight. DONE! :-)

I made mine successfully on my very first try. I let it rest for a week before I worked with it again. When I did, I tore off a small piece using a fondant roller and some powdered sugar to prevent sticking/tearing and I rolled it out like a pizza-dough. Once I was comfortable with the consistency, I added some food coloring. I use coloring gel but regular coloring would work too. Just add some, ball it up (I rolled it out on a baking pad so I wouldn't stain my work surface) and the more I rolled, the more the color worked it's way through. The less you roll, it appears more "tie-dye" in nature. Then I used a metal cookie-cutter to cut out the "Easter Egg" shaped fondant.

Once the shape is cut out, place it on the cake, or place immediately in a storage bag for later use. (If you leave it out, it'll harden)

I also made little fondant carrots by molding the carrots by hand and making the details with the dents from a butter knife. I made the leaves but cutting out the pieces and then carefully connecting the two. I left the carrots out to sit for a couple of hours to they could harden slightly to hold their shape.

Next I attempted a fondant Bunny Rabbit head. I had to look one up online to get an idea of what I wanted. I just shaped the face in my hand like puddy. Once I was happy with the shape I set it aside to harden. Then I worked on the ears. I had to stretch them and fold them, and then paint the inside carefully with food coloring. Later I added small fondant eyes. I left the Bunny out for five days since he was was edible but never intended to be eaten.

Since fondant is made from marshmallow, sugar, water and Crisco, it essentially has no expiration date. You can make this weeks or a month in advance and leave it in an air-tight container. Once it's left out and exposed to air, it will harden but still taste the same, assuming you want your teeth intact ;-) This bunny was firm but not solid after five days being left out. I decorated the cake and left it out overnight and noticed the thinner fondant pieces were a tad rubbery in texture but tasted just like marshmallow the next day. Still tastes worlds better than traditional fondant.

When it came time to decorate, I baked a four layer cake and filled the layers with homemade butter-cream frosting. Once the cake was frosted, I simply adhered the fondant Easter Eggs, flowers, and bunny to the cake. The frosting acts as glue and holds them nicely. I used cookie-cutters to make different shaped and sized flowers of varying colors. I had a cookie-cutter bunny as well and used a 'fondant marker' to draw on eyes and other features. I hand carved stripes and dots to adorn the Easter eggs.

I also rolled out white fondant and wrapped it around a hollowed out, store bought, plastic egg that I separated into two halves. Once the fondant was settled onto the egg, I cut out little rivets and let the fondant set for five days. After five days I carefully removed the fondant from the hollowed out plastic egg halves and placed them on top of the cake to create the illusion of a "hatched egg". In-between the two halves I placed a peep, the only non-homemade part of the cake (other the cake itself, yes, it was a boxed cake).

In all I suppose I spent 4 hours or so baking and decorating this cake from the frosting, making the fondant, coloring, cutting out, and hand molding the pieces. Not bad considering last year I invested 29 hours on his cake. :-)

Overall I'd say the fondant was a success. I will work with it again. It was not as foreboding as I thought it would be. Now, will I ever cover an entire cake in fondant? Um...well, never say never ;-)




Friday, February 10, 2012

Herb Pork Mezzanote

This is inspired by my favorite Miami meal, Veal Mezzanote. I did not have access to bone-in veal shank so I used pork instead. This works well with chicken, turkey, salmon, mahi mahi, or NY strip (no breading on beef or fish).

Ingredients
Thick cut pork chops
Parsley, Thyme (to taste)
Italian Breadcrumb
1 Egg
Dark leafy green salad
Vinaigrette Dressing
(To make your own, I squeezed a lemon, maybe 1 tsp, 1 splash of red wine vinegar, to about 2 tbs of Olive Oil, add Salt and Pepper to taste, whisk until blended)

What you do
Heat skillet over medium-high heat, with about 3 tbs olive or canola oil in the pan. Crack and beat egg into shallow bowl. Even though the breadcrumb has herbs, I add more parsley and thyme as well as black pepper to the breadcrumb. Next, add the Italian breadcrumb into another shallow bowl. Dredge the pork chop into the egg and then the breadcrumb and add to the skillet.

Dress the salad with the dressing, and reserve a tiny amount of dressing for the meat. You can add anything to the salad you like, I kept mine plain. Add tomatoes, or sun-dried tomatoes, add black olives, pine nuts, feta or blue cheese crumbles.

Once the meat is done (For pork, it's good to leave the center slightly pink now) place onto the plate and add 1 tsp of the dressing over the hot meat, then top with the dressed salad. Serve remaining salad on the side. Top with shreds of fresh Parmesan cheese if you like and serve with a side steamed rice. (not pictured).

ENJOY!


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Beer based bacon & cheddar mac n' cheese


What you'll need:
2-3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 box penne pasta
2 tbs butter, or 2 tbs bacon grease
2 tbs flour
1 & 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 bottle dark beer
1 bag real bacon pieces or four strips of bacon, diced
Salt and pepper to taste, Italian breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese to top
Olive oil

What You'll Do:

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Boil your noodles and start your roux. Preferably use bacon grease if you have it, if not, melt 2 tbs butter over medium high heat and add 2 tbs flour. Whisk together until the two form a smooth paste. Slowly add 1/2 a bottle of any dark beer and keep whisking until all of the lumps disappear.

Next slowly add 1 & 1/2 cups of whole milk, continue to whisk and raise heat to high, continue to whisk. The mixture will slowly thicken, once it bubbles, lower the heat to low and add the shredded sharp cheddar. Continue to whisk until all of the cheese melts and then add the bacon pieces.

Strain the penne and add the noodles back into the pot they were boiled in. Pour the cheese and bacon mixture over the noodles and stir to cover the noodles. Pour the noodles into a large casserole dish and top with a thin layer of Italian flavored bread crumb mixed with grated Parmesan cheese. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the breadcrumb and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes until the cheese bubbles.

To brown the breadcrumb, set the oven to broil on high for five minutes after it's finished baking. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!


Monday, January 16, 2012

Massaman Curry

Homemade Thai-Take Out
Massaman Curry

If you are like me and live no where near Birmingham, then you are stuck making your own Thai food. (I say that because throughout my many, many travels, Birmingham Alabama is still home to the best Thai restaurant I've ever eaten at). Thai food is not nearly as daunting as you may think. The main thing is getting all of the necessary ingredients, (which is many), and keeping them in stock at all times.

This is relatively easy to make, but a tad time consuming. Anyone can make this savory, spicy, Thai-stew. Most of the ingredients will keep so you can make this over and over again.

What you'll need:
2 tbs oil (Canola or vegetable)
2-3 tbs Massaman curry paste (or red curry paste)
1 slice 'fresh' ginger, minced
1/4 yellow onion, sliced thin
1 lb chicken, cubed
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup 'chunky' peanut butter (+canola oil cooking spray for cup)
1/2 cup to 1 cup roasted peanuts
1 can coconut milk
3 tbs fresh lime juice

What you need to do: [If you are making regular rice, follow the instructions and a give your self enough time, the massaman takes about 45 minutes with prep and cooking time]


Buy curry paste. I'm lucky I have an international market where I live and could get actual Massaman curry paste, but you can use 'red curry' paste, which can be found at just about any grocery store.

To make life easier, prep all of your spices and ingredients first and place in separate ramekins. I start with ginger. Always use FRESH ginger. No matter where you live you can find fresh ginger in any grocery store. After using it, store it in a storage bag and keep in the freezer. Slice off about a 1/2 inch piece, peel and use a 'microplane' (fruit zester) to grate the ginger over a ramekin instead of mincing by hand with a knife.

Thinly slice some yellow onion, I add this for some sweetness. Massman normally calls for Tamarind paste but I can never find it so I add Worcestershire Sauce instead and some yellow onion.

Next, using seperate ramekins, measure out your brown sugar, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and fresh lime juice. Please get a lemon/lime squeezer for the lime. This will squeeze out every drop of juice from the fruit and will contain all of the seeds, it's worth every penny!

Quick tip! Spray your measuring cup with canola-oil spray before you add your peanut butter so it comes out easier when you're adding it to the pot. Peel and dice your potatoes and dice your chicken. Turn the burner for your soup pot onto medium-high.

-Heat the oil, add the curry paste (2 tbs for milder flavor, 3 for hotter) and ginger and cook for two minutes. Next add the chicken and onions and cook for three minutes.

-Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, peanut butter, peanuts, potatoes, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for twenty minutes.

-Now is the time to start thinking about preparing your instant rice, or pasta (Where is it written it must be served over rice? Do what you want) It's the joy of cooking at home, serve over noodles if you like. I serve over brown rice.

-After twenty minutes check to see if the potatoes are done, add the 3 tbs of lime juice and continue to cook for five more minutes before serving.

ENJOY!