Friday, January 30, 2009
!!!REPOST!!!
I am reposting this recipe because recently I was approached by the people at Key Ingredient who wanted to feature me on The Back Burner. I am super excited to be recognized for an original recipe. Go check it out!
I got the assignment to prepare a cold dinner for 25 in my Grande Manger class. I chose the theme of 'Give Thanks' and took the basic flavors from Thanksgiving and used them in unique ways. This one I thought was worth sharing as it will be a GREAT use of Turkey Day leftovers. HusbandPlzak ate at least 5 of them, they are really tasty!
Here is the rest of my menu-
Potato and Stuffing Croquettes with Cranberry Sauce
Turkey and Cornmeal Meatballs with Gravy
Gorgonzola and Beet Salad
Honey Glazed Ham
Green Bean Salad
Sweet Potato Salad
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake
Potato and Stuffing Croquettes with Cranberry Sauce
wifeplzak original recipe
2 c. mashed potatoes 1 eggs
2 c. prepared stuffing/dressing
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil for pan frying
cranberry sauce for topping
in a large bowl combine potatoes, eggs, stuffing, cheese, salt and pepper. Form mixture into flat patties.
Pour oil in large skillet. Heat oil and fry patties on both sides. Set aside and top with cranberry sauce.
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
Oh I am dreaming of warmer months.... it is about 17 F here and while that is better than the -20 F of last week I still miss the boat and summer activites. We have an outdoor concert hall, Ravinia, here in the suburbs that my family and I love to attend at least once or twice a summer. We bring a picnic and spread out blankets and chairs to enjoy the good music, food, wine and company. You can count on the fact that my mom will bring her Pasta and Grape Salad and it is one of my favorites!
In an effort to spice up my lunch this week I thought I would throw this pasta salad into the mix. It just brings a little summer to my cold midwest winter.
Mom's Pasta and Grape Salad (plus chicken)
Source: Mom Fauth
8 oz shells
1 c. mayo
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 c. grapes, cut in half
1 clove garlic, diced
1 lemon, juiced
2 scallions, diced
1 c. feta or blue cheese (I prefer blue but whatever you have on hand!)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook shells, drain, and set aside. Once pasta is cooled combine with chicken, grapes, garlic, lemon juice. scallions and cheese. COmbine well and season with salt and pepper. Place in fridge for 2-3 hrs or until flavors combine. Serve on a bed of lettuce.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
There are a few different ways to thicken a soup:
1. flour and fat= roux
2. corn starch and water=slurry
3. pureeing contents
4. potatoes or rice
Rice is a rarely used method that also keeps the fat content low, which we all can appreciate, while still resulting in a thick creamy soup. The apples add a bit of sweetness that contrasts the taste of the butternut squash.
This recipe makes enough for 8 servings and therefore is great for freezing in individual containers for future meals.
Butternut and Apple Soup Source: Kendall College Chicago
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1/2 lbs apple
1 large onion, diced
1 piece celery stalk, diced
1 piece leek, white part only
1 quart vegetable stock
1 c. skim milk
2 oz rice
1 dash nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Apple for garnish
In a large pot saute onion, celery, and leak in vegetable oil. Sweat the seasoned vegetables for 10 mins but do not brown. Add the squash, rice and stock. All the vegetables should be covered by liquid, if not add water.
Cook until squash is tender. Add the apples and allow to cook another 10 minutes. When cooked through pour in milk and boil for 2 mins. Season with salt and pepper and add nutmeg.
Using a hand mixer or blender, puree the soup. Garnish with diced apples.
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
As my interest in all things culinary has grown so has HusbandPlzak and my waist lines. Thus the need for this cookie. These taste almost like a brownie and stay moist and chewy even after cooled, you will NEVER know they are low in fat. I am honestly in love with this cookie.
Tonight we crumbled them on top of vanilla frozen yogurt and boy was this amazing! You must try this recipe. Come on you can keep your figure and have your chocolate too!
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Adapted from Cooking Light
1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter
7 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. plain low fat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F
Melt butter in a large bowl then stir in cocoa powder and sugars. Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Using a spoon scoop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans for 2-3 minutes or until firm.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Once a month our board of directors meet and I must stay late at work to attend these meetings. They are always stressful and always run late. They usually result in an 11 hour work day, which needless to say does not send me home in a great mood for cooking, but have no fear this simple and healthy recipe can save your late nights as well. Instead of reaching for a frozen dinner, fast food, or take this meal will be on the table much faster and you won't feel guilty after!
Crispy Black Bean Tacos
Source Bon Apepetit February 2009
15 oz black beans, drained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lime, juiced
2 c. coleslaw mix
2 green onions, green part only
1/3 c. cilantro, chopped
8 corn tortillas
1/2 c. feta cheese
Place beans, cumin, and garlic powder in bowl and partially mash. in a separate bowl combine coleslaw mix, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, and 2 tsp oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 3 tsp oil in large skilled over medium high heat. Add tortillas and heat for 1 minute. Top half with the bean mixture and fold over. Heat 1 minute on each side until crispy. Remove from pan and stuff with feta and coleslaw mixture. Serve immediately. (if you want some heat top with hot sauce)
This is the BEST chili I have ever tasted. I am not lying to you, it is hearty and comforting, with a little kick and still easy to make. I found this in a vegetarian cookbook my sister gave me a few years ago and have been making it ever since.
Have no fear, there is plenty of protein (provided by the beans) in this chili to keep it a filling meal and it might even trick those hard core meat eaters. HusbandPlzak was fooled for a while. hehe
Even though it is suppose to be one of those '30-minute meals' I think it tastes so much better the longer you let it simmer on the stove.
For my big time meat eating husband I add ground turkey cooked in a little oil and cumin. Then I add it to his portion of the chili. He claims this is the only way to eat it, but i disagree, i like it meatless. Plus it took him a long time to figure out it was vegetarian! (and that's saying a lot)
I like to top mine with sour cream, shredded cheese, and scallions. But chopped tomatoes, corn chips or yellow onions would be great additions as well.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 c. beer
32 oz crushed tomatoes
32 oz crushed tomatoes
14 oz black beans
14 oz dark red kidney beans
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans
Toppings: Cheese
Chopped scallions
Sour Cream
Chopped scallions
Sour Cream
Over moderate heat, add oil to a deep pot and combine onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes to soften vegetables. Deglaze pan with beer, add tomatoes, black beans, red kidney beans, and stirring to combine.
Season chili with cumin, chili powder and salt. Thicken chili by stirring in refried beans. Simmer over low heat about 5 to 10 minutes longer, then serve up bowls of chili and top with shredded cheese, scallions, and sour cream.
Meal: Veggie Chili with Cheese and Scallion CornbreadFor the cornbread all I do is use a box of Jiffy mix and add grated cheese, green onions, and a dash of hot sauce. So simple but a great side dish!
Monday, January 12, 2009
It has been a while since I last blogged, with the holidays, our anniversary trip to Vegas, starting a new term at school, and being sick for the last week my kitchen just hasn't seen much action, which in turn leaves me nothing to blog about. My poor husband is a little sick of eating out or heating up a frozen dinner so on Sunday I decided to suck up the sickness and settle in for a nice beef stew. I found this one in Gourmet Magazine and while it did take most of the day to make it was wonderful. The broth is full of flavor, I could eat that by itself. I added asparagus because I had it on hand but that is the only change I made. It made enough for 12 so I froze half and will have the rest all week for lunches. What a great winter meal. mmm...
Meal: Beef Stew and Sourdough bread
Beef StewSource Gourmet Magazine December 2008
5 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, quartered
3 celery ribs, quartered
2 onions, quartered
1 head garlic, halved
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
3 c. dry red wine
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
3 c. beef broth
3 c. water
2 lbs boiling potatoes
1 lbs carrots
1 lbs asparagus
Preheat oven to 350F. Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large pot until it simmers, then brown the meat and transfer to a platter.
Add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and cook until well browned, about 12 minutes.
Push veggies to one side and add tomato paste to the cleared area and cook for 2 minutes. Then stir into vegetables. Add vinegar and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in wine, bay leaves, and thyme and boil until wine is reduces by about 2/3, 10 minutes.
Add broth, water, and beef to the pot (don't forget any juices that have collected on the platter) and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in the oven for about 2 1/2 hrs.
Once done cooking strain juices into a large bowl and let cool. Place beef back into the large pot and discard all other solids. Once liquid has cooled skim fat and return to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, peel potatoes, carrots, and asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add potatoes and carrots to the stew and simmer, uncovered until for 30 minutes. Add the asparagus and cover, continue to simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender and asparagus is bright green.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
My best friend gave us THE BEST wedding gift ever. She bought us wine bottles for each anniversary for the first 10 years of our marriage and then for the 15th, 20th, and 25th anniversary. (the labels even have our names on them!) Each year we enjoy the bottle of wine and it really reminds us of our wonderful wedding. (thanks so much amylee!!!)
To celebrate our second anniversary with our wine i decided to make a German inspired meal (as we love going to the holiday German market in Chicago every year around our anniversary). To make the meal a little healthier both recipes were baked or broiled instead of fryng but we didn't think any flavor was lost.
Meal- Potato Latkes, Wener Schntzel, and Apple Sauce.
To many more happy years, Cheers!
Larry's Famous Potato LatkesAdapted from Stephanie Cooks
2 lbs potatoes
1 lbs onion
1 c. matzah meal
5 eggs
salt
olive oil
Topping- Apple Sauce
Peel potatoes and with slicer attachment on food processor shred the potatoes and onions together. Squeeze out the moisture from the mixture and stir in eggs, matzah meal, and salt. Mix well and store in fridge over night.
Preheat broiler. Using an ice cream scoop portion out potato mixture on a baking sheet and press firm into pancake shape. Drizzle with oil and place under broiler for 5 minutes. Flip potatoes, drizzle with oil and finish under broiler for another 2 minutes. Top with apple sauce or sour cream and enjoy!
Wiener Schnitzel (Pork)inspired from many online recipes
1 lbs pork cutlet
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. flour
1 c. bread crumbs
salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 lemon for garnish
Preheat oven to 400F.
Pound out pork with rubber mallet and season with salt and pepper. Dredge pork in flour and then place n eggs and cover completely with bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with small amount of oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until done. Garnish with lemon and serve with Latkes.
Friday, January 2, 2009
We are currently spending 5 days in Las Vegas celebrating the new year and our 2nd wedding anniversary . While we are enjoying our sweet vacation I thought I would leave you with this sweet dessert. You will feel like you hit the jackpot (pun intended) with this one as its sure to please the masses!
Adapted from allrecipes.com
1/2 recipe basic pie dough
1 1/2 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I use 4 LARGE Fugi apples)
1 tbsp sugar
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c. melted butter
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c. melted butter
1 egg
Preheat oven to 350F
Roll out dough and place in pie plate [I used a tart pan]. Toss apples with 1 tablespoon of sugar, and pour them into pie plate. Thoroughly mix together 1 cup of sugar with the flour, cinnamon, butter, and egg. Spread this evenly over the top of the pie.
Bake in preheated oven until the apples have cooked and the topping is golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year! I hope 2009 brings you heath and happiness.
I have set a few 'goals' (rather than resolutions) for myself that I hope to accomplish throughout the next year.
1. Finish Culinary School
2. Get my Personal Chef business started
3. Home improvement projects- kitchen back splash, tile the fireplace, add mantle, and gut the bathroom (hire someone to do this of course)
4. Start and Finish scrapbooking 2008
5. Continue to strive for a more green lifestyle
While my resolution/goals do not include loosing weight, getting to the gym (I tried to be realistic), or eating healthier I figure it can't hurt so here is a great one to start the year off!
I love crab cakes. And this is a combo I created by mixing two recipes together. The original Rachael Ray was a mushroom stuffed with crab but the mixture was not my favorite. I saw this crab cake in Cooking Light over the summer and thought it sounded delicious (and low fat)! Last night I combined the two and it turned out to be fantastic. It took less than 30 minutes to throw together (take that Rachael) but was tasty enough to entertain with.I ate one mushroom cap while DH was full after two. This was a salad that serves double duty as an entire meal, which is always great for a weeknight dinner.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms & Greens
8 oz crab meat
1/2 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1 red pepper, small dice
1/4 c. light mayo
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp spicy mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 egg whites
4 portobello mushrooms
1 lemon
Salad
Greens (I use Boston lettuce)
1 tbsp lemon curd
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp grainy mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
Preheat broiler.
Combine first eleven ingredients. Divide mixture into four equal portions and stuff into caps of mushrooms. Place on baking sheet and put under the broiler for 10 minutes.
In the mean time, wash and cut the greens. For the dressing, combine lemon curd, with vinegar and mustard. Whisk in oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Arrange salad and top with mushroom and dressing, garnish with lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
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