My Dinners With Rachael

All good things

2010-01-19T19:24:00.002-06:00

Well. it has been awhile since I have last written off a meal i have cooked and sadly I have to say that I am ending My Dinners with Rachael for awhile. As some of my loyal readers know, I have been dieting for the last couple of years, and while I have lost over 250 pounds, it as been hard to diet, while cooking all of rachaels meals..........not that they are fattening.

With that said, I have enjoyed sharing my experinces in the kitchen, as I go through rachaels cookbooks, with you all and at some point, once i have dropped some more weight, I will be back...........me and my chief taste testers.......my cats.

Util then, everyone be well/

Passport to France

2009-11-19T21:34:00.002-06:00

Your everloving greened eyed chef here and as a few of my readers know, I had swine flu and have been trying to get over it. Pretty much gone except for a slight cough and just really tired. I was wanting to make something that would help in my recovery and remembered a show Rachael did where she made a great looking French Onion Soup, so i figured, hey why not.............

Ingredients
1 tablespoon evoo
2 tablespoons butter
6 medium onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 cups beef broth
4 thick slices crusty bread, toasted
2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Heat a deep pot over medium to medium high heat. Work next to the stove to slice onions. Add oil and butter to the pot. Add onions to the pot as you slice them. When all the onions are in the pot, season with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Cook onions 15 to 18 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender, sweet and caramel colored. Add bay leaf and sherry to the pot and deglaze the pan drippings. Add 6 cups broth and cover pot to bring soup up to a quick boil.

Arrange 4 small, deep soup bowls or crocks on a cookie sheet. Preheat broiler to high. Once soup reaches a boil, ladle it into bowls. Float toasted crusty bread on soup and cover each bowl with a mound of cheese. Sprinkle remaining fresh thyme on cheese and place cookie sheet with soup bowls on it under hot broiler until cheese melts and bubbles

The Verdict............well, I have to say this is a very tasty dish. the flavor was rich and the various ingredients really blended well together. I used broth for a more beefy flavor, but you could use beef stock too if you wanted less beef taste. You also could and roast to the soup as well for a bit more of a hearty dish.

The cats even got in on the acct, they all loved this dish and quickly lapped up a bowl. The dish took the full thirty mins to make, but is well worth the effort, so enjoy.

Quick Creamy Tomato Soup

2009-11-09T18:01:00.002-06:00

Well, your green eyed chef has been sick with the flu the last few days, but I am feeling much MUCH better, and needed to make something to eat and nothing makes me feel better when ill then soup. So I made Rachaels Quick Creamy Tomato Soup.

Ingredients
2 (15-ounce) containers, chicken or vegetable stock/broth (I used vegetable)
1 (28-ounce) can concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
Coarse salt and black pepper
20 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade, for garnish
Soup toppers, for garnish(I used tortilla chips)

Combine broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. When soup bubbles, stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. With an immersion blender, puree soup. Serve bowls of soup with basil chiffonade and floating soup toppers.

The Verdict..........this was really good, I have not always been a fan of Tomato soup and was not sure going into this, exactly how it would turn out. Luckily, Rachael rarely steers me wrong and just to say again, this was good. I can also say this would go well with grilled cheese sandwiches......or sammy's as Rachael like to say. So enjoy.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2009-10-31T23:29:00.004-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post dear readers, so please forgive my missing a few posts.

With that said, I made quite a lovely little dish from Mrs. Rachael ray called Sausage, Kale and Cranberry Pasta...........

Ingredients
1 pound rigatoni
Salt
2 tablespoons EVOO
! pound Italian Sausage
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 1/4 pounds kale, stems removed and chopped
Black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup Romano cheese, 3 generous handfuls, plus some to pass at the table

Boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Add rigatoni and salt and cook to al dente or with a bite to it. Drain and reserve 2 ladles of pasta water.

While pasta cooks, heat evoo in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, brown and crumble it, then add garlic and onions and cook until tender 5 to 6 minutes. Add cranberry sauce and wine and stir to combine then reduce a minute. Add kale in bunches and stir to wilt down. Add the reserved pasta water. Season the dish with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.

Add pasta to the pan with sausage and kale. Top pasta with cheese and toss with kale mixture to combine. Serve immediately with extra cheese for topping.

The Verdict.........why nothing short of awesome and of course I got two paws up from the cats, I think they ate more of this then I did. this was a very creative dish that had great flavor. I know when you first read the list of items, they might seem odd, but they blend well together.

Until tomorrow..........

small kitchen, big flavor

2009-10-20T20:05:00.002-05:00

Tonight was in the mood for mexican, so i made looked over a few of rachaels' offerings an decided on Taco Pockets.

Ingredients

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin or ground turkey breast
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon (a palmful) ground cumin
1 tablespoon, (a palmful) dark chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) coarse salt,
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) vegetable oil,
4(12-inch diameter) soft flour tortillas
1 cup mild taco sauce
1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups shredded monterey jack

Accompaniments:
Cut fresh seasonal vegetable pieces and strips
Assorted organic tortillas like blue corn, red corn or black bean
Prepared mild salsa, for dipping chips and vegetables, recipe follows

Combine ground meat with onion, garlic, spices, and salt and form 4 patties. Pan fry patties in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat for 7 minutes on each side.

To make a taco pocket, blister a flour tortilla on a hot griddle pan for 30 seconds on each side. Place tortilla on dinner plate and spread surface with 1 /4 cup mild taco sauce. Pile shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a handful of cheese in center of tortilla. Top veggies and cheese with cooked taco burger patty and wrap tortilla up and over patty on all four sides. Turn square pouch over and cut from corner to corner, making 2 taco pockets that will not crumble and drip like traditional tacos.

Serve taco pockets with cut fresh seasonal veggies, assorted tortilla chips and mild salsa for dipping.

So Mild Salsa:
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 (15-ounce) can chunky-style crushed tomatoes
Heat a small saucepan over moderate heat and add oil, onions, peppers, and garlic. Season vegetables with cumin, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.

Remove the pan from heat and add canned tomatoes. Stir salsa to combine and transfer to a small serving bowl. Serve salsa at room temperature or chilled with veggies and assorted corn tortillas for dipping.

The Verdict...........the were awesome........fresh and very tasty.......even that cats gave this two paws up............I used ground turkey and te flavor was wonderful. This would be great item for a "taco bar" for a family get together or perhaps for having people over to watch the big game.

Until Tomorrow........

weekend celebration

2009-10-10T12:37:00.003-05:00

Well it has been a few days since your ever-lovin green eyed chef has prepared a dish, and for this I do apologize. But i am here and made Roast Pears with IceCream.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 cans pear halves in syrup(can use canned, but I used fresh, it makes a difference)
1 lemon, zested and 4 lemon twists of rind
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 pieces crystallized ginger, chopped or grated
1 pint French vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butter in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Drain off 3/4 of the liquids from each can – pears should remain wet but not swimming in syrup. Add pears to the dish and season with lemon zest, nutmeg and crystallized ginger then roast 20 minutes. Serve warm pears with scoops of French vanilla ice cream on top, garnish with lemon twist.

The Verdict........this was a tasty dish, but not my favorite. It was nice, but to me pears are just not really a fruit to be served hot ala'mode, like say the apple or peach. Butt still it was tasty, but mot something I would probably serve at a dinner party.

Casual Treat

2009-10-03T21:30:00.002-05:00

Was not in the mood to make anything to difficult tonight, and was craving artichoke so I made Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip, it sounded like a warm filling treat for a chilly blustery fall day.

Ingredients
2 (10-ounce) boxes chopped frozen spinach
1 box frozen artichoke hearts
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste
1 cup Gorgonzola crumbles
1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pita crisps or Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Defrost spinach 10 minutes on defrost setting in microwave then drain well by wringing out in dish towel. Defrost artichokes as well, 6 minutes on defrost in microwave then wring out and finely chop.

Heat a sauce pot with butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic to melted butter and stir 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle in flour and combine 1 minute more. Whisk in stock and milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken 2 minutes then remove from heat and melt in Gorgonzola. Stir in spinach and artichokes and half the shredded cheese then transfer to a small casserole and top with remaining cheese. Brown and bubble in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve pita crisps or Tortilla chips for dipping.

The Verdict.....pretty good dish, as good as any dip you get from many of the nations chain resturants, if not a little better. You could also use lowfat or nonfat items and this would still be really good.

I ended up with leftovers, so I will be serving this again during football tomorrow...GO NY JETS.......

Until tomorrow.............

Breakfast in Dublin

2009-09-29T04:36:00.002-05:00

Your everloving green-eyed chef could not sleep, so I got up and decided to cook breakfast. Looking over Rachaels offerings, Cream Eggs with Irish Cheese and Chives, caught my eye so I decided to give it a try.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small bits
8 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound Cheddar, shredded or diced
12 blades fresh chives, chopped

Heat a medium nonstick pan with butter over medium low heat.

Whisk eggs with cream and salt and pepper. Scramble eggs soft only, stir in cheese and chives and continue to cook a minute more then serve.

The verdict.......I liked these eggs and it only took about 6 mins to make. I am not sure if chedder is a 'irish' cheese, but the eggs were creamy and fluffy and really hit the spot. I had them over toast and it made for a delicious way to start the day. i could also see using sour cream instead of the cream, but that is just me.

As a side note, the cats liked these dish too :-)

Until Tomorrow.........

Simple Pleasures

2009-09-24T18:02:00.002-05:00

Today was a department wide "food-day" at work and it was a a typical one, where a few people took the time to prepare that perfect dish and the majority stopped at the store to buy a package of already made cookies or bread. A friend made a hotwing dip and as I sat at my desk surrounded by my grey cubicle walls, I thought about the effort she put into making the dip and how since she was making this herself, she wanted it to be perfect..........a perfect dish.........

This made my mind wonder to the part of the world where the people try to obtain perfection in all aspects of life........japan. In the quest for the perfect dish, no other place in the world quite reaches the zenith that japan strives for. It really is the little things that makes them stand out. With sushi, we Americans are thinking about the fish, but really it is the rice that is the most important part of sushi, so in japan, the rice must be perfect. It is this quest for perfection in the simplest of things that made me think, what of rachaels dishes would I consider, the perfect dish.............which dish, when cooked to it's perfect end, always puts a smile on the face of child and adult a like.......the it hit me......Grilled 4Cheese Sandwiches.........a good grilled cheese knows no equal among the young or old........a simple dish and yet prepared right, a dish that so much more then the sum of it's ingredients

Ingredients
2 tablespoons evoo
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
1 cup shredded Asiago

In a small skillet over medium low heat, combine oil, butter and garlic. Cook garlic in butter and oil gently for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove garlic butter mixture from heat.

Place a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Using a pastry brush, brush 1 side of 4 slices of bread with garlic oil and place buttered side down in skillet. Top each slice with equal amounts of the 4 cheeses, distributing them equally over the 4 slices. Top each sandwich with another slice of bread brushed with garlic butter, buttered side up. Flip the grill cheese sandwiches a few times until cheeses are melted and gooey and bread is toasty and golden. Cut grilled 4 cheese sandwiches from corner to corner and serve.

The verdict..........perfection........I loved this particular cheese combination, it was savory, and had a wonderful aroma......this would go well with soup and you could even add some ham to this if you liked.

This would be the perfect item to eat after coming in from a cold, blustery winter day.

Until tomorrow.......

Apocalypse Wow

2009-09-20T20:37:00.002-05:00

Was in the mood for mexican, but with a twist, so I found Rachaels Vietnamese Burrito which upon first reading the recipe, it sounded like it would be fun to make.

Ingredients

Chicken filling:
26 ounces skinned, boneless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, minced
1/2 cup soybean oil
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
Fresh black pepper

Wrapping mixture:
10 large rice paper wrappers
1 package rice noodles, soaked in warm water until softened and drained
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 3/4-inch lengths
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pickled daikon, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cups bean sprouts
1 bunch basil, cleaned and leaves picked
1 bunch mint , cleaned and leaves picked
1/2 bunch parsley, cleaned and leaves picked

Wash chicken breasts and pat dry. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl, mix well and cover. Marinate for about 1 hour at room temperature. Preheat a grill. Grill chicken in pieces (cut to preference) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.

Soak the wrappers, 1 at a time, in warm water until softened. Remove from the water and pat dry. Fill each wrapper with the chicken and all of the toppings. Roll the wrapper once over the filling. Tuck in the ends and roll completely. Press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling

The verdict.......Well this for me was a 60 min ,meal, since I had never made these before, it just seemed to take me forever..........but with that said, these were great and very filling. These are basically spring rolls if you have familiar with them. I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast since I prefer a more tender cut. You could also use shrimp or pork instead of chicken, again just to repeat, these were very good.

Enternal Bliss

2009-09-18T10:53:00.003-05:00

On vacation today and was in the mood for something different for breakfast so I made Green Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette. I know it is an odd thing to make for breakfast, but like I said, youe everloving greeneyed chef was in an odd mood this morning.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons strawberry jam
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons evoo
Salt and pepper
1 pint strawberries, sliced
4 to 5 cups chopped romaine or mixed greens of any kind

Place jam in a medium bowl and whisk in vinegar then extra-virgin olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the strawberries and greens to bowl and toss to coat evenly in dressing.

The Verdict........well, it took like 5 mins to make and it was really good. This was as good as any strawberry salad I have had out an any resturant. Very fresh and healthy. I could see adding some shredded mozzerella to this for some added flawor as well. This would make a wonderful first course for a dinner.

Until tomorrow.........

Soup's On Part Two

2009-09-12T13:00:00.002-05:00

Decided to make the second part of a soup and sandwich combo, so today it was Panini with Roasted Peppers. They are a rather healthy, low fat alternative to your average sandwich. Plus I love roasted peppers.

Ingredients
8 slices crusty Italian semolina bread
1 pound fresh or fresh smoked mozzarella, sliced
1 (8 to 10-ounce) container roasted peppers, drained
2 tablespoons green salad olives, sliced with pimientos
EVOO, for brushing

Make 4 sandwiches with the bread, cheese, roasted pepper, and a sprinkling of sliced olives; keep your ingredients in single layers.

Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat.

Wrap a brick completely in foil.(I did not have a brick, so I used a heavy cast-iron skillet that I have and it worked just fine)

Brush sandwiches on both sides with oil. Place sandwiches on grill and top with the foil wrapped bricks. Use one brick per 2 sandwiches to weight down. Grill weighted sandwiches 3 minutes on each side. Split sandwiches corner to corner and serve.

The Verdict......I liked this sandwich alot, tasty and very easy to prepare, took me about 10 mins. For those who are not into the vegetarian thing, you could also add some canned chicken to this and I think it would be tasty too.

Until Tomorrow.........

Soup's On

2009-09-08T19:47:00.002-05:00

It was very cold today at work, as the air condition kept us all huddle together in our cubicles to try and stay warm. I think the brutal chill my job subjected me to, coupled with the quickly shortening daylight has put my in the mood for fall weather and with the chilly season almost upon us, I decided to make soup, specifically......Potato, Spinach and Tomato Soup.

Ingredients
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 quarts chicken broth
3 pounds all purpose potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated or ground
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can chunky-style crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano

In a deep pot, saute garlic and onion in oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add broth and bring liquid to a boil. As you slice potatoes, add them carefully to the broth. Cook potatoes 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will begin to break up and thicken broth as the soup cooks. Stir in spinach in bunches as it wilts into soup. Season soup with nutmeg, salt and pepper, to your taste. Stir in tomatoes and heat through, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove pot from the stove to a trivet. Stir grated cheese into your soup and serve.

The Verdict.........I am a big fan of soup and being pretty much vegetarian, I use these ingredients a lot......with that said, this was a fantastic dish........the nutmeg added a unique and delicious flavor.

The cats even liked this one, as together they wiped out a bowl of this tasty treat.
I could see using pumpkin spice over nutmeg if you wanted, I could see that working really well. Also, being a single guy, I only used about 1/4th the ingredients, but wanted to provide the full recipe for those with families.

Until Tomorrow.......

Jackpot

2009-09-06T16:14:00.002-05:00

Well, I was in the mood for something a tad Mexican today, so i turned to rachaels Lucky 7 Layer Dip..........which I ate while watching Destination Truth.......Josh Gates....what a complete failure.

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
2 tablespoons hot sauce
EVOO
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar green chili or tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a palm full, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar chipotle salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ripe avocados
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Pimiento stuffed jumbo Spanish olives, chopped
Tortilla chips

Heat refried beans in small nonstick pan over medium heat and season with hot sauce. Transfer the beans to a small, deep casserole dish. Scrape pan clean with rubber spatula and return to heat.

Add a little extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and raise heat to high. When the oil smokes, add the scallions and sear them, 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to scallions and heat through. Add cilantro, remove salsa from heat, and layer on top of the beans.

Return the same pan to the stove, lower heat to medium and add black beans, heat through and season with cumin, layer on top of the green salsa.

Top the black beans with a layer of chipotle salsa. Mix sour cream the lime zest and juice and spread on top of the chipotle salsa.

Combine the meat of 2 ripe avocados with garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno and salt to form a chunky guacamole. Top the salsa with guacamole. Garnish the dip with the final layer of diced tomatoes and sliced olives.

The verdict.............it was pretty decent dip......not the best I have ever had, but it was good.......the only draw back is that it is pretty much all just mashed together and not really layered lookig, but again, for a party it would work just fine.

And Baby Makes Three

2009-09-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

Had to get back to my VegHead roots so tonight it was Orange Scented Broccoli and Cauliflower.........a couple of my fav vegetables.

Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 navel orange, rind removed and reserved
Salt
3 tablespoons evoo
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 orange, juiced
Pepper
2 scallions, sliced

Bring a couple inches of water to boil in a large skillet and add the florets, orange rind and salt. Cover and simmer until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain broccoli and cauliflower, remove rind and transfer to a platter or bowl. Return pan to heat, add extra-virgin olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broccoli and cauliflower and turn to coat. Squeeze the orange juice over the pan and toss veggies again. Season the orange scented broccoli and cauliflower with salt and pepper, to your taste. Garnish with sliced scallions.

The Verdict.......this was a new combination of flavors for me. I have to admit the orange favor added a little extra something to this dish that I really enjoyed. I would never have thought of oranges with these other items, but it works well and i will make this again.

Until Tomorrow.......

Open All Night

2009-09-02T05:22:00.002-05:00

well, your ever loving green eyed chef, could not get to sleep last night.......I think because I have my fantasy football draft tonight(yes, I have a sport hobby outside of cooking)and it is quite stressful since it is basically the beginning of what always turns into another losing football season for me.

Anyway, around 2:30am I started craving a fruit and yogurt parfait from a local fastfood eatery but was too lazy to get dressed and drive myself there. So I looked in the fridge to see what I had and then looked through rachaels meals and found myself this quick and easy little gem.........Yogurt Crunch

Ingredients
6 cups vanilla yogurt
4 firm granola bars
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced with stems removed

Directions

Pour yogurt into a bowl. Add granola bars to a plastic food storage bag and crush. Add to yogurt along with nuts. Stir to combine all ingredients and transfer to cups. Top with strawberries and serve.

The verdict.......this quick and easy item(took less then 10 mins to make), really hit the spot and is pretty healthy to boot. Now I listed the entire recipe, but since I am cooking for one, I cut the ingredients down to about 1/5 the amounts.

For the granola bars, you could use whatever flavor you want, I used oats and honey and I also used toasted walnuts for the chopped nuts.

I also put the strawberries in the bowl first and use the yogurt mixture as a topping instead of what Rachael recommends.

But again, this was a great little item and can be used really for breakfast or dessert.

Until Tomorrow....................

Breakfast in Bed

2009-08-29T10:52:00.002-05:00

Decided to do "my breakfast with Rachael" instead of dinner, cause I was craving french toast or I guess "freedom toast" to appease my republican readers :-)

Now I am also going to include the Three Berry Compote portion since it is apart of the recipe, but I myself just topped my french toast with maple syrup, as I do not dig berries on pancakes or french toast.

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in a splash of water
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 slices stale white bread or 6 slices thick cut stale bread
Butter, for griddle pan
Warm maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar and/or fresh berries for topping

Preheat nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Beat eggs very well, add sugar and beat again. Add cornstarch in water and beat that in, then add milk and nutmeg. Coat bread thoroughly in egg-milk mixture. Lightly butter hot pan with butter nested in paper towels. Add bread to the pan and cook slowly, 3 or 4 minutes on each side, 2 to 3 slices at a time. Serve hot with your favorite toppings or Three Berry Compote

Three Berry Compote:
1/2 cup sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup water
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

Combine sugar, lemon and water in a small sauce pot. Over moderate heat, dissolve sugar into water. Stir in fruit, coating it in sugar water and bring the fruit and water to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 7 or 8 minutes. Remove fruit with a slotted spoon to a serving dish and add maple syrup or honey to the pan. Thicken syrup 5 minutes and pour over fruit. Serve with French toast, pancakes or waffles.

The Verdict........well first I have to say that I think this is the first of Rachaels items that did not call for EVOO, although I guess you could use it instead of butter on the griddle or frying pan in my case. But let me get back on point......this stuff rocked, it was crispy, flavorful, really sweet and really just perfect, so much that I might just make this again at dinner time tonight. To make this a bit healthier, i but you could use skim milk and egg beaters and I bit the great taste would not change at all.

Until Tomorrow......

Veggie Feast

2009-08-27T18:05:00.002-05:00

Felt like making soup tonight............so it's Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup.......sounded really interesting so here we go........

Ingredients
2 tablespoon evoo
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned or packaged vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives

The Verdict...........I like this flavor combination a lot, very tasty. I could also see thickening this with mashed potatoes, but overall i like this soup. cats on the other hand smelled it and slowly backed away, but hey, can't win the all.

Until tomorrow.......

I am back with a Southwestern Brunch

2009-08-25T20:40:00.002-05:00

Well, your ever-lovin green eyed chef is back from Eureka Springs and is well rested. I had a blast roaming among the hippie crowd looking at art and I even took some time to do a little fishing. I saw more wildlife then I have ever seen before.....I even found an old hummingbird feeder and got the thing up and running and damn if like 100 hummingbirds showed up all the time...........really kind of cool to see.

Anyway after a long drive back, i was really hungry so i made Roasted Red Pepper and Potato Egg Pie.

Ingredients
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and halved
1/2 cup evoo
2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and halved, then thinly sliced across into half moons
1 small onion, halved, then very thinly sliced
1 small brown paper sack
8 large eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper

Preheat broiler to high. Place red pepper halves on a cookie or baking sheet. Place peppers under broiler and allow the skins to blacken all over, about 10 minutes.

While peppers are working, heat about 1/4 cup evoo in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add sliced potatoes and fry in oil until they begin to become tender, 5 minutes. Add onions and cook 5 minutes more. Remove potatoes and onions to a bowl using slotted spoon. Wipe out pan, return pan to heat and add remaining oil. Reduce heat to medium. Remove peppers from broiler. Leave broiler on. Place peppers in a brown paper sack and seal sack tightly. Allow peppers to stand and cool for a couple of minutes. Peel away charred skin and slice. Add peppers to potatoes and onions. Add beaten eggs to cooked vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Add mixture to the pan and cook until eggs settle and brown on the bottom. Transfer pan to broiler and allow the egg pie to brown on top and puff up.

Slide pie out of the pan and on to a serving plate. Cool slightly, then cut into 8 wedges and serve

The verdict..........well for starters the cats liked this.........but they have always had a very Pro-Egg stance, so no shock here. As for me, I thought this was a really flavorful dish, hearty, filling and the perfect dish when you are hungry yet wanting to stay healthy. The only thing I could see adding would maybe be sprinkling some cheese on top, like a Monterrey jack or Colby would work best.

Kudos to rachael on this one.

Until Tomorrow............

Vacation

2009-08-21T22:21:00.003-05:00

Just a short note that I am leaving on vacation and will not be back util next tuesday evening...........but i will be cooking rachael meals while down at Eureka Springs...............that's right your ever loving green-eyed checf is heading off the Hillbilly country....................anyway I will be jotting down notes on the meals I make, so i will be back with a multi post blog tuesday night.........unless something happens to me while in the backwoods of eureka.................on the plus side, the police will easily identify my body, cause I will be the only one wearing shoes:-)

Later Taters..........

tasty and guilt free

2009-08-20T20:36:00.002-05:00

Only need to make a dessert tonight and I wanted something light, so I made, Melon with Berries and Sorbet. Low fat and low cal.

Ingredients
1 cantaloupe, quartered and seeded
1 pint mango or strawberry sorbet
1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
2 teaspoons sugar

Cut a thin piece of the skin off of the back of each wedge of melon to give the melon sections stability. Top each melon boat with a scoop of mango or strawberry sorbet. Toss berries with a little sugar and spill them down and over the sorbet and melon

The Verdict.........ok it's not the crustfree apple pie from the other night, nor is it chocolate cake..........but it is still pretty damn good and more importantly, it is healthy, so enjoy.

Until Tomorrow............

Holiday from being a veghead

2009-08-19T19:15:00.002-05:00

Well I was asked to make a non vegetarian dish, so that is what I am doing........Stuffed Steak with Prosciutto and Spinach.........I remember watching rachael make this one and always thought that it diid look fantastic.

Ingredients
1 (10-ounce) package chopped frozen spinach
3 tablespoons EVOO
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, 1/4 chopped, 1/4 cut into thin strips, for garnish
2 ounces prosciutto (about 3 to 4 slices), cut into ribbons
Coarse salt
Black pepper
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano
2 pound eye round roast
Re-sealable plastic bag

Defrost spinach in microwave. Wrap in clean kitchen towel and wring chopped spinach dry.

Place a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil-to hot skillet. Add garlic to oil. Add onion and red pepper, cook 1 minute. Lower heat to medium. Add the prosciutto and the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Add bread crumbs and cheese to spinach. Turn off heat. Let stuffing cool.

To create the cavity for the stuffing, use a long sharp knife (like a boning knife), and cut a 1 to 2-inch hole through the center of the roast making a lengthwise slit. Turn the meat around and cut another slit in the same spot so that your knife completes the cavity. Insert a wooden spoon into the cavity to make sure the hole is even and goes all the way through.

Put the cooled filling in a re-sealable plastic bag and snip a hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe the filling into the cavity. You may need to push it along with your fingers to make sure that it goes all the way through.

Preheat nonstick skillet over high heat. Cut the roast into 6 even slices, being careful to keep the stuffing in each slice. Add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and sear in hot, nonstick skillet, 2 minutes on first side. Flip the steaks and sear for an additional 2 minutes then lower the heat to medium-high and cook until done (about 3 to 4 more minutes). Garnish with thinly sliced red pepper.

The Verdict.......this was great, even a vegetarian can admit that meat is good....for those readers who are not around a well stock grocer, if you cannot really find prosciutto, then bacon would work just as well. I would also say youy can use a flank or skirt steak too instead of round.

Also, the cats loved this, and I think from thier meows, that they are requesting seconds.

Until tomorrow........

Fillin' Groovy

2009-08-18T20:27:00.002-05:00

Ate a salad at Panera Bread tonight, but was in the mood for some dessert, so I was loooking through few of rachaels recipes and found Apples, No Pie, a la Mode. Now normally my favorite part of Apple pie with vanilla ice cream is the hot pie crust mixed with the cold ice cream....all I can say is YUMMY.....so a crust less pie i figure would be a tad different.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced
3 Golden Delicious apples, quartered, cored and sliced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 canister whipped cream

Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the ginger and apples to warm butter, squeeze a little lemon juice over the pan and saute 4 to 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg to the apples and cook another 2 minutes. Spoon apples into dessert dishes and top with ice cream and whipped cream. Garnish whipped cream with a pinch more cinnamon or nutmeg.

The Verdict.......well if you read the list if ingredients, you could tell that there was NO WAY, that this would be bad and it was not. This was hot and delicious.

It was quick to make, I did cut the apples a bit smaller then Rachael called for, but it would not make a difference how you cut them.......this was DA BOMB.

Karen, since you will read this, you need to make this for your family THIS WEEKEND, and when they say "thanks mom this is great", you can say "don't thank me, thank the everloving green eyed chef from My dinners with Rachael"

Until Tomorrow.....................

Stay the Course

2009-08-16T16:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I was told at work by a friend that I had been slipping in my posting, and i have.........it is true. I explained that I have been dating and just not been able to cook at home, but today I am back on course and decided to make something that sounded rather different from Rachael...........Stuffed Roasted Strawberries.

Ingredients

12 extra-large strawberries (the bigger the better:-)

1 to 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar, optional

Spray whipping cream

Cocoa powder, for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the tops of the berries off just below the stem. Cut the tips off (about 1/4-inch), so that the berries will sit upright. Next, use a small spoon or a melon ball scoop to hollow out the strawberries, working from their tops, in order to create a cavity in each one. Stuff some chocolate into the cavity of each strawberry and place them upright in a baking dish. Lightly sprinkle the berries with sugar, if using. Roast the berries until soft and the chocolate is melted, about 10 to 12 minutes.

To serve, place 3 strawberries on a dessert plate in a triangle. If the berries have given off liquid in the baking dish, spoon it over them. Spray a small mound of cream in the center of the berries, and top each berry with a rosette of cream. Sift a little cocoa powder over the plate, and serve!!!!

The verdict.......well, I have eaten chocolate dipped strawberries and thought they were ok, nothing fantastic, just ok..........but these were really REALLY good. It took some looking to find the massive strawberries needed but it was worth it.....plus this is a low fat and low calorie dessert, so over all this was a great dish.

Until Tomorrow...........

Hearty Fare

2009-08-11T20:01:00.002-05:00

Just made a snack dish tonight Roasted Garlic, Feta and Walnut Dip, Toasted Flat Bread. Sounded tasty..........also i was watching a new thirty min meals with rachael, and I think she has put on a little weight.....now all my readers do not get angry, she still looks cute as a bug in a rug......I just notice stuff like that, anyway on to the dish.

Ingredients
1 medium bulb garlic, end cut off, 1 clove reserved
1 tablespoon evoo, plus some for drizzling
1 cup walnut halves, toasted
1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbles
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a handful of leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large clove garlic, reserved from above, cracked away from skin
4 flat breads or pitas, cut into wedges and toasted

Preheat oven or toaster oven to highest setting. Pour oil over cut side of garlic bulb and rub into skin. Double wrap garlic in foil and roast 20 to 25 minutes in toaster oven or hot conventional oven.

Combine walnuts, feta, milk, oregano, parsley, black pepper, red pepper and garlic clove in food processor and pulse process until spread is smooth. Scrape spread into serving dish with spatula. Drizzle dip with evoo and serve.

When you remove garlic from the oven, turn heat off. Arrange triangles of cut pita or flat brad on a small tray or cookie sheet. Place bread into the hot toaster oven or conventional oven. The bread will be warmed through and lightly toasted in 5 minutes

The Verdict..........this was very tasty as is most of rachaels recipes. I could see using plain yogurt instead of milk if you wanted to make the dip a little creamier. The feta and walnuts made a nice flavor together, so I say make this dear reader at your next party or get-together.

Until Tomorrow...........

Living Lean

2009-08-09T16:25:00.002-05:00

Not particularly hungry, but i saw this recipe and thought I would try it since it seemed a bit out there when I read the name...........Melon Soup........

Ingredients
2 ripe small to medium cantaloupes
2 rounded tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 cups spring water
2 kiwis, peeled and diced or thinly sliced
1/2 pint raspberries

Cut ends off each cantaloupe and stand upright. Remove skin in strips working around melons. Halve melons and seed with spoon. Chunk melons and place pieces in food processor. You will work in 2 batches. Fill processor 3/4 full. Add 1 tablespoon sugar, the juice of 1/2 lime and about 3/4 cup spring water. Pulse grind them process soup until smooth. Adjust sugar to your taste and pour soup into 2 bowls, repeat process. Top each soup bowl with kiwi and raspberries and serve.

The Verdict..........this was just ok for me. I think it needed something else to make it taste like more then just pureed melon. I will say that the bites that contained some pureed melon, kiwi and raspberries was good, but over all this was not my favorite dish.

Until Tomorrow........

Something for those lazy summer days

2009-08-07T21:28:00.002-05:00

Well I have been on vacation the last couple of days and have been through some excitement. Yesterday while driving to the theater, a SUV stuck a overpass pillar and flipped over right in front of me, so I had to quickly stop, called 911 and rushed to the overturn vehicle and got the driver out of the car. She was not seriously hurt, and I left as soon as the police arrived..............missed my movie, but hey, it was not like I could not stop. Today was better, I finally saw my film, 500 Days of Summer, and I really recommend it to all my readers. Anyway, after the film, I was out enjoying the nice weather and just pretty much relaxed the rest of the day and felt I needed something to help me i that endeavor, so I found rachael's recipe for Sparkling Sangria.

Ingredients
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur, I used Grand Marnier
1/4 cup almond liqueur, I used Disarrono
12 strawberries, sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 bottle sparkling wine, I used a bottle of Ice Wine
4 seedless grapes

Combine liqueurs and fruit in the bottom of a medium pitcher and lightly muddle. Fill pitcher with sparkling wine. Place a single grape in the bottom of each glass. The yeast on the grape skin will help retain some fizz in your drink. Spoon a bit of muddled berry from the pitcher into each Champagne glass then pour in the liquid. Serve immediately. Cheers!

The Verdict............well let's just say, i am still feeling the buzz as I type this out.........easy to make and very very tasty :-)

Until Tomorrow...........

Roadside classic

2009-08-06T20:40:00.002-05:00

Had a bit of a sweet-tooth today so I made rachaels Chocolate Banana Cream Pie. I have always had a "pro pie' stance, so I was glad to see this recipe of rachael and a little surprised to since she always say that she is not a baker. She has just come out with her own line of bake ware called "oven lovin"......a name I think is just great.....anyway on to the pie.......

Ingredients
1 frozen pie shell, pricked several times with tines of a fork
1 package instant chocolate pudding, prepared to package directions
2 ripe bananas, sliced thin on an angle
1 can spray whipped cream
1 dark chocolate candy bar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake pie shell 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Line the baked and cooled pie shell with a layer of chocolate pudding, half of the prepared amount. Add a layer of bananas. Top with remaining prepared instant chocolate pudding and remaining bananas. Cover the top with a giant swirl of whip cream from the spray can, starting at the center and working out. Shave a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler and top pie with shavings. Serve immediately

The verdict..........This was a really a tasty treat, one of the best pies I have ever had. The only thing I would have changed about this is that, I had to make a second pie do to the fact that I tripped taking the first one from the oven and ended up slinging it across my kitchen. Even managed to get some of it in the fish tank.........on the plus side, the fish took a nibble, so i think they liked the pie.

So if you decided to follow in my footsteps......double the ingredients......

Until tomorrow...............

Simple Comforts

2009-08-04T20:00:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I am feeling a tad down about something, so I decided to make on of my favorite comfort foods Roasted Tomato Bruschetta. I know a lot of readers might think if this as an appetizer, but I can eat the stuff all by itself as a meal.

Ingredients

2 pints grape tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf sesame semolina bread (I just used french bread or "freedom" bread to make my republican friends happy))
2 cloves garlic, halved
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Coat the tomatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes to concentrate the flavor and burst the tomatoes.

Cut 2 large "planks" of bread each 1-inch thick by slicing the bread lengthwise horizontally. Reserve the rest of the loaf for another use.

When you remove the tomatoes from the oven, switch on broiler. Char bread on both sides then rub hot bread with cut garlic.

In a bowl, lightly mash the roasted tomatoes and combine with scallions and basil. Top the large planks with tomato mixture then cut each giant crostini into 4 pieces, 8 pieces total.

The Verdict...........delicious......I can see also hadd a bit of cheese to the top if you wanted, but it really is a tasty dish as is........

Until Tomorrow...........

Fruit Fiesta

2009-08-02T17:11:00.002-05:00

I was shopping grocery shopping after work and was purchasing various fruits and melons to make up some fruit salads for work this week and I ran across something called an Athena melon. I had never heard of an Athena melon, although it looked a it like a large smooth skin cantaloupe, but I like trying new thins, so i grabbed one. So I got home chopped it up and took a taste........it's cantaloupe....I did some research ad Athena melon is just an american cantaloupe, although it looks a bit different from the ones from europe that I think most of us are used to. So with the melon identified, I have made Margarita Melon Salad.

Ingredients

2 limes, juiced
2 shots tequila
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cantaloupe, seeded and cubed
1/4 honey dew melon, seeded and cubed
1/4 small watermelon, cubed

Many markets sell halved melons and wedges of watermelon, making it easy to prepare this salad closer to desired amounts. I myself save money buying purchasing the whole melons and chopping them down to size:-)

Combine lime juice, tequila, liqueur, and sugar in a bowl. Add melons and toss to coat with tequila and lime. Serve in shallow bowls.

The verdict........simply to make and a pleasure to eat.......delicious and refreshing.........this would go great at a cookout and also something that would be an item to make for a date if you are cooking for that someone special.

Until tomorrow.........

Breakfast

2009-08-01T10:30:00.002-05:00

With family coming up today, I decided to rise early and make myself some breakfast, so I looked to Rachael for something tasty and thought I would try making Olive Frittata. Now I have never made a Frittata before, but I do know that basically it is like an open faced omelet that you finish cooking in the oven instead of folding over in the skillet.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons evoo
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry and diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup drained chopped Spanish green olives with pimiento
6 eggs
Generous splash half-and-half or milk
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the evoo in a small 6 to 8-inch oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion to the hot oil and cook until soft and tender but not caramelized - keep the onion white. Add roasted peppers and olives and combine. Beat the eggs with half-and-half or milk and season them with salt and pepper. (Go easy on the salt because of the olives.) Pour the eggs into the skillet and keep settling them to the bottom of the pan as you would an omelet. When the eggs are firm on the bottom and set, transfer pan to the oven for about 10 minutes until top is golden brown. Cut and serve from the skillet or invert the frittata on to a serving plate.

The verdict......pretty good little dish. I had never had olives and eggs before, so I was thinking the olives could be a tad overpowering but they were not. The flavors really blended well together and really with the olives, very little salt had to be used. The only thing I might do different next time is may add a bit more red pepper, but that is because I really love red pepper and maybe a few mushrooms, cause, hey, they just go with eggs.

This was also a really cheap dish to make and took about 15 to 20 mins to prepare............o'h yea, and the cats dug this too:-)

Until Tomorrow..........

A Taste of Home

2009-07-30T19:38:00.002-05:00

OK, I know it has been a little bit, but your ever lovin green-eyed chef, was on a date the other evening and ate out. But I am back tonight and since I had a plain old salad for dinner, I decided to make on of Rachael's tasty desserts, so I made Super Stuffed Baked Apples a la Mode!!!!

Ingredients
4 large apples, cored
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup instant oatmeal mix or rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, a healthy grating
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces, 1/8 cup, golden raisins, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or walnut pieces or pecans
1 pint vanilla icecream
Whipped cream, in a canister

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Sprinkle cored apples with lemon juice. Mix next 7 ingredients and over-stuff apples. Bake 20 minutes in a small oven safe dish. Transfer apples to small bowls with a spoon and top with ice cream and whipped cream.

The Verdict.........well if you are wondering if I liked this, then you did not really pay attention to the ingredients, cause there was nothing in this baby not to love. This was a VERY VERY satisfying dish and one I will make at my next family get together, this just really rocked.

And to my regular readers who wondered what my cats thought.......they liked the ice-cream :-)

Until Tomorrow.............

Brunch

2009-07-27T18:13:00.002-05:00

Ok, I was in the mood for breakfast food for dinner, it is a feeling that I think we all get now and then, so I decided to try something from rachael that is brand new, never been had before by me.......Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon.........now I know your thinking "Fish mixed with eggs???Brad have you lost your mind? Do you dare cross that line??".......yes folks, I dare........

Ingredients
1/4 pound sliced smoked salmon
12 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
12 to 15 blades of fresh chives, finely chopped

Reserve 2 slices of salmon for garnish. Chop the remaining salmon into very small pieces.

Whisk your eggs and cream together. Add 1/2 of your chopped chives and season eggs with salt and pepper. Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in the pan and add eggs. Scramble eggs with a wooden spoon or really any spoon will do. Do not cook eggs until dry. When eggs have come together but remain wet, stir in chopped salmon. Remove pan from the stove and place on a trivet. Garnish the eggs with remaining salmon and chives and serve right out of the warm pan.

The Verdict........this was fantastic, the flavor of the salmon did not overpower the eggs like I thought they might. I only took a couple of bites(thank you diet)but it was enough to know that this would make an excellent brunch item. I could also see maybe tossing a few sauteed mushrooms to this dish or maybe top it with some caviar.

Also the cats went nuts for this one, they each ate about 1/2 a cup each, so kudos to rachael from the cat community.

Until tomorrow......

No Meat, No Worries

2009-07-26T15:51:00.002-05:00

I to go in to work today at 6:00am and did not get out until around 11:00am. I had to time from breakfast, so I was rather famished when I got back home so I decided to make Rachaels Three Vegetable Penne with Tarragon-Basil Pesto.

Ingredients
1 pound penne rigate pasta
Salt
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed of tough ends
1 small zucchini
1/4 pound, french cut green beans
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil, 20 leaves
1/2 cup tarragon leaves from 10 to 12 stems
Handful flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Coarsely ground black pepper
1/3 cup EVOO

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt the water and add pasta to cook to al dente or, with a bite to it. Cut asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Cut zucchini into matchstick shapes. Cut green beans into 2-inch pieces on an angle. Add vegetables to pasta after penne has been cooking about 5 minutes. Cook veggies and pasta together 2 minutes.

While pasta cooks, toast pine nuts in a small pan until golden, then cool. Place nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, cheese and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.

Scrape pesto into large, shallow serving dish. Add a ladle of hot, starchy pasta water to the pesto. Drain penne and veggies and add immediately to pesto. Toss to coat pasta and vegetables evenly.

The verdict........this was pretty good, not the greatest pasta dish I have ever had, but one that if i was served it at a restaurant, I would not be disappointed. Now I did leave out the pine nuts and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, because I somehow got out of the store without buying them.....not sure how, but I did.

Both cats ate some of this one, so I guess the cat world is down with this dish of Rachaels too:-)

I think this would be really good if instead of green beans, maybe you used mushroom caps or even eggplant.

Until tomorrow.........

Hot Topic------Salad

2009-07-25T19:10:00.003-05:00

Just realized that this is a bit of a milestone for my blog....this is my fifty-first recipe, so that is kind a something. Does not seem like I have been doing this long enough to rack of fifty dishes, but times flies when your having fun.

Today I made Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Tomato and Bread Salad.

Ingredients
8 portabello mushroom caps
EVOO, for brushing mushrooms, plus 1/4 cup
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted(I used fresh)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20, torn
4 cups crusty bread, torn or coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

Tidbit: Panzanella, stale bread salad, requires that you soak and wring out the bread before assembling the salad. If you make this with fresh crusty bread or the bread has staled a bit but not hardened, the juice from the tomatoes should be enough to tenderize the bread's crusty edges.

Preheat grill to medium-high and oven to 425 degrees F.

Using a damp towel, brush mushroom caps to clean. Using a pastry brush, coat the caps with EVOO and grill with lid down or roast about 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until tender but still firm at center.

Wring the spinach out in a clean kitchen towel. Separate the spinach with your fingers and combine with artichokes, ricotta cheese, egg yolk, grated garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and nutmeg.

Remove mushroom caps from grill.

To portion-control the filling, divided the stuffing into 4 parts then just split each of those evenly between 2 caps. Sprinkle the caps with Parmigiano and cook 5 to 6 minutes more in the preheated oven to set filling and lightly brown tops.

Do not seed tomatoes. Chop and place in a salad bowl. Add basil, bread, onions, 1/4 cup EVOO, lots of salt and pepper and toss with your hands to combine.

Serve 2 caps with a pile of salad alongside.

The Verdict..........well I had a friend try this and she thought it was pretty good, but it did take me a while to make this(around 50 mins), not that it was difficult to make, but I kept stopping to watch that new Friday the 13th movie hollywood remade..........you will probably not be surprised to hear that jason is still killing lots of overly hormonal teens. Anyway, the dish was very good and something I woul make again when not distracted by screaming camp crystal lake campers.

Until Tomorrow........

Das Boats

2009-07-24T18:36:00.003-05:00

Was on vacation today and spent most the day strolling around the plaza and when I got home there had been a .......catnip situation.........my cats had gotten into the catnip and had created quite a mess. I therefore had to make something simple so tonight I made Avocado Boats

Ingredients
3 ripe avocados
1 lemon
Hot sauce, several drops
EVOO, for drizzling
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 scallions, chopped
Coarse salt

Cut into and all around the pit of each avocado, down to the pits. Twist the avocados and separate them. Whack the corner of your knife into each pit and remove it. Using a large spoon, scoop out each avocado half and arrange them on a plate. Dress the avocados with lemon juice, a few drops of hot sauce and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Combine the tomatoes and scallions and season with salt. Fill the avocados with plum tomatoes and serve.

The verdict..........these were rather tasty and a nice light dinner item. I have to say rachael has some simply to prepare and yet very flavorful recipes.

Until tomorrow......

Time to Recharge

2009-07-23T19:16:00.002-05:00

Not to hungry, so i was looking for something light, so Mint and Lime Melon Salad seemed like a great choice......

ingredients

1/2 cup mint jelly

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup evoo

1 melon, cantaloupe or honey dew, peeled, cut into 8ths and thinly sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Mint sprigs, for garnish

In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together jelly, lime juice and evoo. Add the melon and veggies and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper and serve with mint sprigs.

The Verdict...........this was really good, I was worried about using mint jelly as I had never used it before. Also when I read the ingredients, I had doubts the flavors would really come together, but the mint pulled them all together. It was really really good. This I might make at my works next food day.

Until Tomorrow......

Uber-Munchies

2009-07-21T20:24:00.002-05:00

Was wanting something light tonight and what better way then with rachaels Warm Brie with Fuji Apple, Pear and Melba Toasts.

Ingredients
1 large Fuji apple
1 large red or brown skinned pear, slightly underripe
A wedge lemon
1 pound individual wheel brie cheese
24 sesame Melba toast rounds, any brand

Quarter apple and pear lengthwise and cut into each quarter on an angle to remove the core. Slice apple and pear into 1/4-inch thick slices. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the fruit to slow browning.

Cut the top rind off the brie and place in the microwave on high for 60 seconds. Depending on the ripeness of the cheese, it will take 60 to 90 seconds on high to heat and melt. If brie is not yet soft and hot after 1 minute, place it back in microwave for another 30 seconds on high.

Serve the softened, warm brie with a platter of fruit and Melba toasts for dipping and spreading. Reheat brie if it tightens up for 20 to 30 seconds at a time on high

The Verdict........I have always loved brie, so i was not shocked that I really liked this dish. It is just an appetizer, but it was very filling and I will be making this at my next dinner party. The warm soft brie really blends will with the fruit...........nice job rachael.

Here's to New Beginnings

2009-07-19T17:16:00.002-05:00

Normally I take whatever recipe is next in line from Rachaels cookbook, but a friend of mine just gave be some yellow squash, so i decided to find a rachael recipe for squash. My friend. karen, keeps me pretty much well stocked in fresh herbs from her own garden and now gave me squash and zucchini. I feel a little bit like one of those old Florentine painters from the 1200's whose paintings has caught the eye of the queen and is given gold to pursue his endeavors. except in my case, i am given herbs and squash...:-)

So tonight it was Sauteed Yellow Squash..........

Ingredients
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 small to medium yellow squash, sliced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped chives or 2 scallions

Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, then butter. When butter melts, add red peppers and squash. Saute 12 to 14 minutes until squash is tender. Add salt, pepper and parsley. Add chives or scallions if you would like a layer of light onion flavor on the dish as well.

The Verdict.........This was really delicious.......the combination of flavors from the red pepper and chives really blends well with the squash. I can see making the same dish but with zucchini and I think it would turn out just as good.

The fact that my older cat took one good ig bite before realizing that this was not meat, I will consider a thumbs up from them too.

I think I will make this as a side dish at Thanksgiving now that I am thinking about it.

Until Tomorrow..........

Small Kitchen Big Flavor

2009-07-18T21:06:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine last week was talking about how she was craving Mexican and i guess it carried over to me. So it was Taco Pockets.

Ingredients
1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin or ground turkey breast
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon (a palmful) ground cumin
1 tablespoon, (a palmful) dark chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) coarse salt,
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) vegetable oil,
4(12-inch diameter) soft flour tortillas
1 cup mild taco sauce
1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups shredded monterey jack

Accompaniments:

Cut fresh seasonal vegetable pieces and strips
Assorted organic tortillas like blue corn, red corn or black bean
Prepared mild salsa, for dipping chips and vegetables, recipe follows

Directions
Combine ground meat with onion, garlic, spices, and salt and form 4 patties. Pan fry patties in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat for 7 minutes on each side.

To make a taco pocket, blister a flour tortilla on a hot griddle pan for 30 seconds on each side. Place tortilla on dinner plate and spread surface with 1 /4 cup mild taco sauce. Pile shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a handful of cheese in center of tortilla. Top veggies and cheese with cooked taco burger patty and wrap tortilla up and over patty on all four sides. Turn square pouch over and cut from corner to corner, making 2 taco pockets that will not crumble and drip like traditional tacos.

Serve taco pockets with cut fresh seasonal veggies, assorted tortilla chips and mild salsa for dipping.

The verdict.........this is a rather tasty dish I have to say. The cats liked this one too. rachael really out did herselfwith this one and it took less then thirty mins to make.

I will be making this one again, I am sure ;-)

Escape the Mundane

2009-07-17T22:47:00.002-05:00

Tonight it was Red Wine Rice with Grapes..............it is different to say the least.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups dry red wine
1 fresh bay leaf
1 tablespoon evoo
1 cup white rice
1 cup red or black seedless grapes, halved

Bring red wine to a boil with bay leaf and olive oil, stir in white rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes, stir in grapes, turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes.

The Verdict............this was really pretty bad...........far to much wine.........I would not make this at all.

Southwest Supper

2009-07-15T20:24:00.002-05:00

Well, I broke out of my vegetarian mode and had a burger today at lunch and now the guilt is mounting, my friend Amara(a fellow veghead) looked at me with contempt and I think may have uttered the word "judas" under her breath. So tonight I have made Roasted Poblano Quesadillas.

Ingredients
2 large poblanos(these are chili peppers if you do not know)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the broiler to high.

Char the poblanos under the broiler to blacken their skins on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 10 minutes.

Peel and seed the peppers, then slice. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and add a tortilla, cover the tortilla with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 of the peppers. Fold the tortilla in half and cook 2 minutes to crisp and char the tortilla evenly and melt cheese. Remove and cut into wedges; repeat.

The verdict..........these are pretty tasty, not the greatest thing in the world, but still worth trying at least once. These would also I think go well with my a avocado dip and a it of lime.

Until tomorrow........

The Simple Life

2009-07-13T20:25:00.002-05:00

I was not particularly hungry tonight and since i am cooking for one, or three if you count my two cats, I was not wanting to do much tonight. I was in the mood for a more snack like item so I made Herb and Cheese Oven Fries. Normally, fries are not the first or even the 20th thing i would crave, but tonight I was.........maybe it was because it was a hard day at work..........maybe it was because the weather has been rainy........whatever the reason, i was craving fries.

Ingredients
3 large all purpose potatoes cut into thin wedges
2-3 tablespoons EVOO
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or, 1/2 teaspoon each dried oregano, thyme, parsley(I used the dried oregano, thyme and parsley)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place potato wedges on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with just enough oil to coat. Season with Italian dried seasoning, salt and pepper. Roast potatoes and turn after 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle cheese liberally on potatoes and roast another 10 minutes, serve.

The Verdict........I loved these bad boys.......easy to make and the herbs and cheese were a fantastic combination..............I dipped these babies in mayonnaise and it was DA BOMB............

Until Tomorrow.........

True Blue

2009-07-12T17:10:00.002-05:00

Ok, I was in the mood today for pasta salad and was wanting something more then your run of the mill kind, so today I made Radicchio-Pasta Salad.

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound orecchiette(I used bow-tie), cooked to al dente
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 small clove garlic, grated or very finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano leaves, from 2 sprigs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup EVOO
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 head radicchio

Bring water to a boil, salt it and cook pasta to al dente.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange marmalade, garlic, oregano, mustard and vinegar. Stream the olive oil into dressing while whisking and season dressing with salt and pepper. Pull off 8 of the outer leaves of radicchio. Form serving cups for the pasta salad out of the leaves using 2 leaves to form each bowl. Chop remaining radicchio. Toss radicchio and pasta and onions with the dressing to combine. Serve pasta in lettuce bowls.

The Verdict.........this was a GREAT dish, the orange marmalade added a wonderful flavor and it was also super fast and easy to make. This would go great with Rachaels Blue Moon Burgers that I made back at the end of may.

Overall another wonderful dish from Rachael Ray.

Until tomorrow.......

Simple Three Course Italian

2009-07-11T17:33:00.002-05:00

Going out tonight so I wanted to make myself something light today at lunch, so I picked Mozzarella Salad, I figured this will take care of that lunchtime hunger, but still leave room for dinner and a few drinks for tonight.

Ingredients
16 pieces mozzarella diced
1 pint multi colored, yellow or red heirloom cherry tomatoes
4 scallions, whites and greens, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil, 10 to 12 leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup evoo
Salt and pepper

Halve the mozzarella and tomatoes and combine in bowl with scallions and herbs. Dress salad with vinegar, olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

I used red cherry tomato's, cause that's all I could find.

The Verdict......this was really good, if you are a steady reader of the blog, you are probably not shocked, as I tend to really like salad, greek styled food.

The fresh herbs really make this stand out and I think I will be making this one a ot for large meals that call for a nice side salad......this would also be good I think for picnics.

The cats liked the cheese, so I will call this a success i the cat world too.

Until Tomorrow.......

Gumbo

2009-07-10T21:15:00.002-05:00

Well tonight it is Dandelion Green Gumbo with Rice....

Ingredients
4 tablespoons EVZOO
1 cup white rice
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 to 4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped with greens
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/3 palm full
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bottle pale beer
3 to 6 teaspoons hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot) medium to spicy heat level
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 (15-ounce) can petite diced, crushed or stewed tomatoes
4 to 5 cups, 2 bundles, dandelion greens, stemmed and chopped
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 scallions, finely chopped

Heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and rice. Toast rice 2 minutes, add 2 cups stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat to simmer and cook 18 minutes or until tender.

Heat a soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, and 2 tablespoons butter to the pot. When butter melts into oil, add garlic, celery(I will not add this vile weed to my meal), bell pepper and onion and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook to soften veggies, 5 minutes. Add bay leaf and flour and cook the flour another minute. Stir in the beer and reduce the liquid by half, a minute or so. Add hot sauce, Worcestershire and tomatoes. Add 1 quart stock to the pot, stir in the greens and season with nutmeg. Raise heat to bring to a quick boil then simmer 15 minutes until greens are no longer bitter. Adjust seasonings, to taste.

Uncover rice and add lemon zest and scallions. Remove the thyme stems and fluff rice with a fork. Remove bay from gumbo. Scoop up gumbo and top with scoops of rice and serve.

The Verdict............well, the cats really like this one, they lapped the broth part and the rice right up..........as for me, I was not really loving this one.........maybe it was not a dish to serve in the hot weather, but this one was just not me.

Until Tomorrow............

Easy Dessert

2009-07-08T20:04:00.002-05:00

Went out on the plaza for dinner and drinks, so for tonight I made a rachael ray dessert that was really really easy, it is Pineapple Spears with Lime and Honey............just reading the name and you know how easy this one was.

Ingredients
1 large ripe pineapple
1 lime
EVOO, to coat grill
Honey, for drizzling

Preheat grill or grill pan.

Cut ends off the pineapple. Stand it upright and cut off the skin in strips. Quarter the pineapple lengthwise and cut out the core. Cut each quarter into 3 spears. Zest the lime and reserve. Cut the zested lime in half and squeeze the juice over the spears. Brush the grill pan or outdoor grill with EVOO. Grill pineapple until evenly marked all over, 5 minutes. Garnish spears with lime zest and drizzled honey

The Verdict...........easy to make and rather tasty, the tad tartness of the lime, mixed with the pineapple and the slight touch of honey made for a pleasant taste and texture. I could really see this as a item to go with grilled salmon or a sweet and sour rice dish.

Perfect summer side for when you are outdoors grilling, so I say give this quick and easy dish a try.

Until Tomorrow..............

From My House To Yours

2009-07-07T18:32:00.002-05:00

Another one of those days at work, you know the ones where every time someone starts talking to you, in your mind it all sounds like that Crash Test Dummies song that is just a lot of humming and "Mmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmm", you know the one. Anyway, tonight I made Warm Wild Mushroom and Roasted Tomatoes........my friend wo is not a vegetarian like me, keeps asking when I am going to get to something with some serious meat in it and I just say......."well, I am going page by page".......in reality, I am skipping the meat meals so i can cook items that I will actually eat...........hopefully she will not read tonight's post...........

Ingredients
1/4 cup EVOO
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and then thinly sliced
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
1/2 pound button mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
4 springs fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
Flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven 425 degrees F

Place a large skillet on the cook top with the extra-virgin olive oil and the sliced garlic, spread out the garlic so it is in an even layer in the oil. Place the skillet over medium heat and slowly brown the garlic stirring every now and then until golden all over, 4 to 5 minutes.

Once you have the garlic going, place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst.

Once the garlic is brown remove it from the skillet and reserve. Turn the heat up under the skillet to high, once you see the oil ripple add the mushrooms and spread them out in an even layer. Let them cook for about 4 minutes without moving.. Go ahead and give them a stir, add the thyme sprigs and season with some freshly ground black pepper, continue to cook for another 5 minutes stirring every now and then. Add the white wine and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, add some salt and stir to combine.

Remove the stems of thyme and discard. Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, add the roasted tomatoes and the parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the garlic chips and serve hot, warm, room temperature.

The Verdict.......ok......this is officially my new favorite dish i have made so far from rachaels recipes........I even got my little cat to eat a mushroom, so I consider this a hearty endorsement from the feline community.

Tasty and very filling......I think this would also go great over rice if you had some or maybe as something over pasta.

Until Tomorrow...........

Passport to Hong Kong

2009-07-06T18:08:00.003-05:00

It has really been one of those days today at work.........one of those days where when it is over, you are surprised that you have not just opened up a wrist. With this in mind, I was wanting something tasty, filling and yet somewhat healthy, so of course, rachael is the way to go when these things are needed and what better way then her Baked Crab Spring Rolls.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon EVOO

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine

2 stalks celery from the heart, chopped fine

6 water chestnuts, chopped fine

1/2 small onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup fresh bean sprouts, a handful, chopped

2 cans lump crab meat

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 (13 by 17-inch) sheets phyllo dough

3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Add oil to a preheated skillet over medium to medium high heat. Saute pepper, celery(if you have read my previous posts, I hate celery, so this will not be in my spring rolls.....vile weed), water chestnuts, onion 2 to 3 minutes. Veggies should still have a little crunch. Transfer to a bowl. Add bean spouts, crab, soy and thyme. Combine well with a spoon. Paint half of a sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter and fold sheet in half. Pile a few spoonfuls of filling 2 inches from the bottom of sheet and leaving 2 inches at either side of sheet. Fold bottom flap up and side edges in, then roll up and over until you reach the top of the sheet. Your crab pastry will look like a spring roll. Touch the edges and sides of your roll with melted butter and place roll seam side down on a pastry sheet.

Bake rolls 15 minutes or until lightly golden all over in the center of the oven.

The Verdict............fabulous......light, flaky and even crispy.........these would be an impressive item to have for a party or get together.

I can even say this got a couple of "paws up" from the cats as they each ate a spring roll and are now sluggishly walking the floor.

Over all took me about 25 mins to make and was worth the time, so check this one out.

Until Tomorrow...............

Welcome to the Family

2009-07-05T17:50:00.002-05:00

Well, a friend showed up with takeout, so I wanted to make dessert and decided on the following, Amaretti Ice Cream Dessert. it is a recipe that I saw rachael make a few weeks ago and could not wait to try it out and share it on here.

Ingredients

16 amaretti cookies, crumbled

4 shots amaretto or other almond liqueur

8 scoops French vanilla ice cream

Whipped cream

1/4 cup or 1 (2-ounce) package slivered almonds

Directions

Crumble 4 amaretti cookies into each of 4 dessert cups and douse them with almond liqueur. Top with ice cream, whipped cream and almonds.

The Verdict..........it is fantastic and so easy to make. 10 mins tops, start to finish. Also if you cannot find amaretto cookies, any almond flavored cookie will do. I also used Disaronno as my liqueur of choice, it has a rich and yet subtle flavor I think you will love.

Until tomorrow............

Rice Rice Baby

2009-07-04T15:40:00.002-05:00

Interesting dish for tonight,it is Manchego Cheesy Rice. Manchego is a soft cheese made from sheeps milk. Rather tasty, as a matter of fact it taste a bit like feta cheese, and it can be hard to find, but find some I did. I made this as a side dish to my families fourth of july meal.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups white rice

3 cups chicken stock

Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 cup grated Manchego cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pot. Add rice and toast in butter 2 minutes. Add stock and bring rice up to a boil. Cook rice 17 to 18 minutes until tender and liquids are absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff rice with fork, then stir in the parsley and cheese. Season the rice with salt and pepper, to taste.

The verdict.............well that family ate it all and stated they wished I had made more...........so I guess the verdict is.......delicious.

Until tomorrow, I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Salad time

2009-06-30T21:14:00.002-05:00

Ok readers tonight it was Veggie Salad with Horseradish Dressing.......I promise my meat eating readers that tomorrow, i will make a main course dish with meat......perhaps Lo Mien, so tune back in for tomorrow nights show.....

Here we go for tonight.........

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons evoo
1 (12-ounce) sack shredded carrots
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 to 3 sprigs dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a salad bowl combine the horseradish, mustard, red wine vinegar and honey. In a slow steady steam add the extra-virgin olive oil and whisk to combine. Add the carrots, radishes, dill and parsley, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, toss again and serve.

The verdict..........I loved this one.....the texture of the radish and carrots goes well together..........and overall the flavors really blend well. I could see adding some crumbled blue cheese or feta to this for a little extra somethig different.

I know are somewhat skidish whe it comes to radishes, but i say give this one a try.

Until tomorrow.......

Trip to Greece

2009-06-29T18:16:00.002-05:00

What a monday.........I am tired, wornout, just plan beat. I did not have time for lunch so I am looking forward to nights meal which is Greek Salad......I love greek food with a passion........healthy, hearty and tasty..:-)

Ingredients

1/2 seedless cucumber, chopped
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 small shallot, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup EVOO
12 pepperoncini hot peppers
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 cups Feta Cheese crumbled

Directions
Arrange the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and peppers, artichoke hearts and parsley on a platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over the platter, juicing the fruit cut-side-up to keep the seeds from falling into salad. Season with salt and pepper.

Place shallots, vinegar and oregano in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream. Pour dressing over salad. Garnish salad with Feta, hot peppers and olives.

The verdict.........ok, I loved the salad, I enjoyed it with some fresh peta bread. Also I added feta to the dish instead of two cans of tuna as racael does. This was a very refreshing meal and gave me a great burst of energy........this was just the perfect dish for me, after a long day at work.

Until tomorrow.............

30 Minute Southern Classic

2009-06-28T17:03:00.002-05:00

Today's dish is Country Captain Chicken over White and Wild rice. I have to say, that i am from the south, but I had never had or really even herd of this dish, so i was a tad excited to make it, cause one.......never had it and two......I love making new dishes.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups white and wild rice or long grain rice

2/3 cup flour

1 rounded tablespoon paprika

4 pieces, whole boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

2 tablespoons butter

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 or 3 large cloves garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon curry powder or mild curry paste

1 cup chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes in puree or chunky style crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup golden raisins or currants

2 ounces, 1 small pouch, sliced almonds, lightly toasted

3 scallions, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add butter and rice and return water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Cook rice 20 minutes or until tender. Turn off heat and fluff rice with a fork.

Combine flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cut each chicken breast and thigh in 1/2 on an angle. Coat chicken pieces in paprika seasoned flour. Wash your hands and chicken work surfaces thoroughly.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the pan. Brown chicken pieces, 3 minutes on each side, and remove from the skillet. Add butter to the pan, then stir in peppers, onions and garlic. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and saute them 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add curry, stock, tomatoes and raisins. Slide chicken back into the skillet and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes to combine flavors and finish cooking the chicken through. Place skillet on a trivet and serve the chicken from the pan. Garnish the Country Captain's chicken with sliced almonds. Transfer rice to a serving dish and garnish with chopped scallions

The Verdict.........well, i have to be honest and say that this was not the best dish i have had. It was not bad, I am just saying that it was just ok to me. Not the bet of rachaels dishes, but it is one i am glad i tried, but again it was just ok.

Wow, my review was sounding a little like randy Jackson from idol, telling someone it was good just not great ;-)

I think it was the amount of tomatoes, it just seemed to over power the rest of the dish.........interesting though, although I had doubts when i saw raisins/currents as an ingredient, I ca say, I did like the flavor they added in. If I make this again, I think i would cut the tomatoes down a bit and double the amount of currents.

Until tomorrow..........y'all have a good evening.

Southern Special

2009-06-25T19:55:00.002-05:00

Ok, tonight I am making Chicken Fried Steaks and Creamed Pan Gravy with Biscuits and being from the south, I do have some opinion on what this dish should really be. Growing up in Tenn. I have had many a dinner of chicken fried steak and for my taste, the white milk gravy is the way to go. ut there are others, like my grandfather, who refer a red eye gravy with their steak. So it is with some interest that I make tonight's dish, that I see calls for a brown gravy.

In all of my years of cooking, I have never actually made this item before, so in a way I am looking forward to it, or at least my dinner guest is, since I am a vegetarian. I let might guest pick tonight's dish and, although she knows I am not a meat eater, she picked this anyway, cause as she likes to tell me "A person needs to eat meat to be healthy"............I am not convinced, but here we go :-)

Ingredients

1 1 /2 pounds (1/2-inch thick) round steak

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon sweet paprika (I got paprika, but could not find "sweet" paprika at all at the store)

1 teaspoon salt, 1/3 palm full

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 eggs beaten

2 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups beef broth

1/4 cup half-and-half or cream,

1 package bake-off biscuits, prepared according to package directions
Waxed paper

Directions

Preheat large, heavy skillet over medium high heat.

Set steaks on to a waxed paper lined work surface and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Pound steaks to 1/4-inch thick. Pull steaks off work surface and set to the side. Line work surface with more waxed paper. Pour 1/2 cup flour into 2 piles on opposite sides of the work space. Add cornmeal, paprika, salt and pepper to 1 pile of flour. Beat eggs and water in a pie plate or shallow dish.

Cut steaks into 4 portions and coat in flour, eggs, then seasoned flour and cornmeal.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot pan and cook 2 steaks at a time. Brown steaks about 2 minutes per side, or until cooked and remove from the pan. Add 2 tablespoons more oil and repeat with remaining 2 steaks. Remove steaks to serving platter and pour off all but 2 to 3 tablespoons of drippings. Add 2 tablespoons flour to drippings and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and season with salt and pepper. Whisk half and half or cream into gravy. When gravy bubbles, remove from heat.

Serve steaks and warm biscuits with gravy on top

The Verdict..........

Well my guest, she thinks this is the best thing I have made so far. I had a biscuit with some of the gravy and I have to admit, it is pretty good. I am taking her word that the steak is great.............her word and the cats too, they ate some steak and seemed to really enjoy it.

I will also say that as a side item, I mashed some potatoes to go with the steaks, as, I think when you have chicken fried steak, the only acceptable side dish is mashed potatoes.

I will also say, that although I liked this brown gravy, the southerner inside of me, is still wanting the white milk gravy.

Overall though, this was a success and was made in around 25 minutes.

In other somewhat Rachael Rayish news, this weekend, I am hoping to purchase a set of her cutlery, since the knife block I had, is like a twenty dollar set I got years ago and really is not getting the job done. So a trip to Crate and Barrel is in order or a trip to some place that I can find that sells Rachael's stuff.

Until tomorrow, I hope you all have a good evening.

Dinner with the Works

2009-06-24T19:56:00.002-05:00

Wow, cooking everyday is taking a toll, it is work......enjoyable work.......but work all the same. Tonight it is Super Stuffed Potatoes with The Works. I have to say that going into the meal, i was a little exciting, since I am a big fan of the stuffed potatoe. I think because of all the various ingredient options it leaves open to you.......so here we go!!!!!

Ingredient

2 large potatoes Russets are the best for baking, just jab it a few times with a fork.

EVOO(as always:-)

4 slices center cut bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, colby or smoked chedder(I use a mixture of all three)

Salt and black pepper

Preheat a small nonstick pan over medium high heat. Rub potatoes with a drizzle of oil. Place potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 12 minutes, rotating once. While potatoes cook, add chopped bacon to hot skillet and brown until bits are crisp. Add scallions and cook scallions together with bacon 1 minute more. Transfer bacon bits and green onions to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Allow potatoes to cool enough to be handled, 5 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high.

Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh into a small bowl. Smash potato flesh together with sour cream until combined using a potato masher. Stir in cheddar cheese, bacon and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Scoop filling back into potato skins and place on a cookie sheet. Place potatoes in oven and brown under broiler, 6 inches from heat 5 minutes

The verdict............well being a veg-head, I tried one without the bacon and it was fantastic, very filling and definitely a comfort food.

As for my unused bacon, my cats enjoyed it, so two paws up for rachael from them.

So until tomorrow's meal, everyone have a good night..............

Corner Bistro

2009-06-23T19:06:00.001-05:00

Ok,today I made Greek Shrimp and Linguine for dinner. although I am getting this from one of rachaels books, i actually remember watching this show when it aired and it looked fantastic when she made it, so i looked forward to trying this out myself.

Ingredients

1 pound linguine

Salt

1 pound medium to large shrimp deveined and peeled

Pepper to taste

1/3 cup evoo

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Couple pinches red pepper flakes

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

2 sprigs oregano, finely chopped

Handful pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup feta cheese in crumbles

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.

While the pasta water comes to a boil, heat evoo in a deep skillet with garlic. When garlic is brown, remove and reserve. Add shrimp and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, lemon zest, oregano, olives, and wine and cook together a couple of minutes more. Remove from heat. Add a cup of starchy pasta cooking water to sauce and some lemon juice. Remove the sauce from the heat. Drain pasta and add to the skillet. Let pasta soak in juices for a minute then toss with parsley and feta. Use tongs to pull pasta from skillet, giving it a turn to twist in as many ingredients as possible. Then, use the tongs to remove and arrange the shrimp and ingredients that may remain in the pan, distributing them evenly among the portions.

The verdict.............this is a really tasty dish that really does bring a "corner bistro" feel with it. Sophisticated and yet was easy to make, took me around 20 mins from start to finish.

My friend realy dug this, so much so, that I noticed she took all the leftovers home with her done up in my good tupperware :-)

Kudos to Rachael on this one, i have to say, I may have found a new favorite Rachael Ray dish...........

Turkey Gone Italian

2009-06-22T18:03:00.002-05:00

Well, tonight I am making Turkey Cutlets with Rosemary and Cornmeal-Dusted Ravioli. I read over the recipe and I was curious if I could do this in 30 minutes of less. But before I launch into the ingredients, I want to say that tonight's dish called for pasta and i wanted to say that if you can, always try to get a 100% Whole Wheat pasta. Just read the label on the back and compare it to the white pasta and you will see why. Les calories, carbs, more vitamins, fiber, protein, etc.....basically the 100% Whole wheat, still has all the good stuff that the process white pasta, gets removed. Also make sure it says 100% Whole wheat and not just "Whole Wheat" cause sometimes, that is a bit deceiving.......so read the label!!!!

Ingredients

12 to 14-ounce package fresh ravioli filled with cheese, spinach or mushroom and cheese

Salt

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/3 pounds turkey cutlets

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped, the yield of a few sprigs, stripped

Coarse black pepper

Fresh bay leaves, 1 for each cutlet or small dried bay leaves

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth(if you have both available, use the vermouth...better flavor..........trust me on this one)

Place a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add a healthy dose of salt to boiling water to season it. Add ravioli and cook to package directions for al dente. Pour cornmeal onto a plate and combine with grated cheese, then season with nutmeg and black pepper. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over moderate heat and add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Drain ravioli. Dust hot, cooked ravioli with cornmeal. Add coated ravioli to the skillet and brown on both sides, 3 or 4 minutes total.

While pasta is working, preheat a large skillet for cutlets over medium to medium high heat. Season turkey cutlets with chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Choose small fresh or dried bay leaves or halve large leaves with kitchen scissors. Press a small bay leaf or 1/2 leaf into each turkey cutlet. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the pan; 2 turns around the pan in a slow stream. Turn cutlets over as you set them into the pan so that the bay leaf faces down. Cook the cutlets in a single layer, working in 2 batches if necessary. Saute the cutlets 4 or 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm plate. Add the lemon zest and juice to the pan and deglaze the pan with wine or vermouth, pulling up any pan drippings with a whisk. Add remaining tablespoon butter to the pan, whisk it in and pour the pan sauce down over the cutlets. Serve the cutlets along side the fried ravioli and a small green side salad.

The verdict............why awesome of course........this is an extremely tasty dish, although it took me forty minutes to prepare......but that was mostly due to my getting distracted by my friend. Speaking of which, she really liked this dish too;-)

The view from the feline community........well they just ate this up, turkey cutlets, pasta and all...........they are already lying in the sun trying to digest......

If you get a chance, this is a must try :-)

Until tomorrow

Snacks as supper part 2

2009-06-21T16:20:00.003-05:00

Well I am back from the weekend trip and it was a blast. We ended up driving on into St. Louis, staying at the Merriot at UnionStation, going to the zoo, eating at Hard Rock Cafe.......it was a great time and filled with a bit of romance to boot. So I am in a great mood and today am making Spinach Artichoke Calzones. So let's leap right into it shall we.....

Ingredients

2 cups part skim ricotta

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a few pinches ground

A few grinds black pepper

1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for sprinkling

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 (10-ounce) tubes refrigerated pizza dough

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Garlic oil (You can buy a bottle of this or just take 1 or 2 cloves chopped and heated in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)

2 cups tomato sauce, marinara or pizza sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Roll each pizza dough out on a cookie sheet, and halve each cross-wise. Spread 1/2 cup mozzarella and up to 1/4 of filling on each rectangle. Work on just half of the surface of each rectangle of dough, then fold dough over top of filling and pinch edges firmly to seal. For a half-moon "pizza parlor" look to your calzones, mound filling into a half-moon shape, fold dough over top trim edges of dough to follow the rounded shape, then seal edges.

Tie strips of dough scraps in knots, brush with garlic oil and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake knots with calzones.

If your dough tears, remove a little of the filling and repair. Repeat the process, spacing the calzones evenly on baking sheet. Bake the calzones for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown all over. Serve calzones with warm tomato or pizza sauce for dunking.

The verdict........these were pretty good, not the best of Rachaels dishes I have made so far, but it was rather tasty, plus a nice vegetarian dish to boot. Of course for those who like a bit of meat in their calzones, you can also add some pepperoni, ham, sausage........really any standard pizza topping you can add to the recipe.

This took about 15 mins to make and was super easy. This would be a great dish to have the kids help out with to teach them a bit about cooking.

I have to say that Rachaels cooking style with her recipe's is very relaxing and helps to really strip away any stress you may have, it is very therapeutic.

Until tomorrow......

South of the Border Again and Looking way Cool to Boot

2009-06-17T19:31:00.004-05:00

Well tonight I am making Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches with Flavored Tortilla Chips. So let's get right into it......

Ingredients.....

1 lime, juiced (got it_

2 tablespoons honey (Had this already)

1 rounded teaspoon cumin(got it)

A handful cilantro, finely chopped, about 1/2 tablespoons (got this already on hand)

2 tablespoons evoo(got it, you could also use corn oil if you want)

4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast(got these in the freezer)

1 teaspoon grill seasoning blend or coarse salt and pepper(I use salt and pepper)

Toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced avocado(had everything except the avocado, had to buy it)

1 cup prepared salsa verde(feeling a tad lazy, so I bought a jar, instead of making it)

4 crusty rolls, split(bought them)

Assorted flavors of Tortilla Chips(I bought these new lime flavored ones, if you have not tried them, you need to........they are DA BOMB)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Coat chicken in dressing and set aside for 10 minutes.

Grill chicken on an indoor electric grill 6 to 7 minutes on each side or pan fry over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet uncovered 6 minutes per side.

Slice chicken breasts on an angle and pile meat roll bottoms. Top with lettuce, tomato, red onion and sliced avocado. Spread salsa on roll tops as a condiment. Serve sandwiches with assorted tortilla chips. I also whipped up a greek chuck veggie salad with a big amount of feta cheese........so I guess tonight the meal is south of the border, but with a touch of greece.

The verdict.........although I am not a fan of lime chicken....these were really good and something that would be great to enjoy sitting on the beach under the shade of a palmtree with a big margarita to drink.

I have to say that when Rachael Ray says her recipes will make you look "way cool" she is telling the truth. My special friend has been enjoying everything I have made and she thinks I am like this cool chef...........so THANK YOU RACHAEL!!!!!

until tomorrow......

South of the Border

2009-06-16T19:49:00.002-05:00

Tonight I have to give a shout out to my good friend Karen L. from work, she reads the blog and brought me in a whole bunch of fresh Basil, Parsley and Cilantro today and it turns out, i get to put it to wrok tonight in my Mexican Vegetable Chunk Salad

Ingredients
1/2 seedless cucumber(I just got a cucumber, not real sure about the seedless part)

2 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded (got them)

1 green bell pepper, seeded (got them)

1/2 red onion, peeled (got it)

2 ribs celery from the heart(If you are a regular reader, you know I hate celery, so I will not be using this at all, but you can if you want to)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves or flat-leaf parsley(thank you karen:-)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar(got it)

1 lime juiced(ok, I bought this and really you could use lemon too or maybe a half o each, it is really up to you)

1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce(alreayd got a bottle)

1/4 cup evoo(got it)

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper (got it)

Cut cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, onion and celery(if you must) into bite-sized chunks. Combine vegetable in a bowl. Sprinkle cilantro or parsley over the vegetables. Combine vinegar, lime or lemon juice and hot sauce in a small bowl. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream. Pour dressing down over the salad and toss. Season salad with salt and pepper and serve.

The verdict...........I liked this, very refreshing and somewhat filling. I think this would be a good side dish to maybe a veggie burger or cheesebuger to you meat eaters out there. But I liked it as a stand alone dish too.

Have a great evening.

Until tomorrow..............

Snacks as a supper

2009-06-15T18:51:00.002-05:00

Well I hope today finds you all in great spirits, I certainly am in a great mood. I am going on vacation this Friday and will spend three days in Hermann Mo with a friend of mine touring wine country. So Friday and Saturday there will not be any posts since I will be gone, but in the meantime, tonight I made Stuffed Potatoes with Ham, Thyme, and Gruyere.

Ingredients
4 medium to large baking potatoes(had to buy these and when you do, get russets, they are the best for baking)

A drizzle evoo(got lots of this)

2 shallots, chopped(got them)

1/2 pound baked ham from a deli, sliced 1/8-inch thick, cut into 2-inch thick strips(ok, as a veg-head, I did not buy real ham, but fake ham slices instead)

1/2 pound Gruyere, shredded, about 2 cups(I had to buy this and if you are not familiar with Gruyere, it is basically swiss cheese, so just grab yourself some swiss if you cannot find some that is specifically marked Gruyere)

2 tablespoons butter, in small pieces(I got it)

1/2 cup milk or half-and-half (I used soy milk for this)

6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped to about 2 tablespoons(actually had this on hand)

Salt and pepper to taste(got it)

Rub potatoes with a drizzle of oil and pierce skins with the tines of a fork. Microwave on high 12 minutes or until tender.

While the potatoes cook in the microwave, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and saute chopped shallots 2 to 3 minutes or until bits are just tender. Set aside.

Cool potatoes for 5 minutes, split potatoes down the center, and scrape flesh into a bowl. Set skins aside on a non-stick baking sheet. Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 6-inches from the heat source.

To the cooked potato in the mixing bowl, add shallots, ham strips, grated cheese, butter, milk or half-and-half(or soy milk in my case), thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Mash mixture with a potato masher or dinner fork until mixture is combined, but not entirely lump-free.

Scoop mixture in even amounts into skins and broil 2 or 3 minutes to lightly brown stuffed potatoes on top. Serve the halves of stuffed potatoes with salad.

The verdict.........AWESOME, this really tastes fantastic and i will be serving this come football season and if you have had soy milk, it adds a little extra something with it's unique taste.

Even the cats ate this one, so a tip of my hat to Rachael on this one, it is really tasty.

Until tomorrow..........

It's not just a side dish anymore

2009-06-14T18:54:00.003-05:00

Hope you day has gone well. I had to put in a couple of hours at work this morning, but have been able to relax a bit during the afternoon and I am now waiting for the new season of "Tru Blood" to start. Anyway tonight I made Supreme Pizza pasta Salad, now i know a lot of folks consider pasta salad a side item, but I think it can be a main dish anytime.

Ingredients

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped(had tomatoes on hand, so i used a couple of medium side ones finely chopped)

1/2 medium red onion, chopped (got this already)

8 fresh white button mushrooms, sliced(had to buy these, so I just bought a small container of pre-sliced)

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped(got one of these already)

1 stick pepperoni, casing removed and cut into a small dice(I would have had to buy this, but being a vegetarian, i am going to omit this)

1 pound ball fresh mozzarella or fresh smoked mozzarella, diced(I had this on hand from last night dish)

20 leaves fresh basil, torn or thinly sliced(Only had a couple of sprigs left, so I had to buy a lot of this item)

1 pound wagon wheel pasta(Store was out, so I went with that old pasta salad stand by bowtie pasta)

Dressing:
1 teaspoon garlic salt(had a really REALLY old thing fo this, so I played it safe and bought a new one)

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves or Italian dried seasoning(actually had this on hand)

1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste(have this already

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar(have this on hand)

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil(got it)

Freshly ground black pepper

Pour water into large pot over medium-high heat. Cook pasta to package specifications until al dente. Drain.

Combine tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, peppers, pepperoni(if you want to use it), mozzarella, basil and pasta in a big bowl. Whisk garlic salt, oregano or Italian seasoning, tomato paste and vinegar together. Stream in extra-virgin olive oil while continuing to whisk dressing.

When oil is incorporated, pour dressing over pasta salad, add a few grinds of black pepper to the bowl, then toss salad to coat evenly. Adjust your seasonings and serve salad.

I served this with some sliced pita bread.

The verdict.............well to be honest.......I am a big lover of pasta salads.......so it should not surprise you that I liked this one a lot. It is really filling and is something you could take to a potluck or family BBQ and now that people will enjoy you for your effort.

If you are like me and like to sometimes freelance on a recipe, I could also see adding a 1/4 pound or crumbled feta or even blue cheese to this to give it an even more wondrous flavor.

I have to say that, although cooking every night is at times a little tiring, I am having a great time doing this. Rachael Ray's recipes are a pleasure to cook and she seems to make it all so easy.

Everyone have a great evening.

Until tomorrow.........

Meat-Free Cookout

2009-06-13T20:29:00.002-05:00

Hope the day has found you all well. It has been a busy day for me, a bit of work, a bit of gift shopping(two of my five siblings have birthdays this month) and a little fun. But now as I sit here with a cup of hot earl grey tea, I can start to tell you about tonight's dinner which was Portobello Burgers with green sauce and smoked mozzarella. If you have ever had a portobella mushroom, they are a delight to eat. Once cooked, they actually have a somewhat beefy taste and I have ordered them in restaurants before where they were served like steaks.

Here are the ingredients......

2 tablespoons evoo and another 1/4 cup(got it)

4 large portobello mushroom caps(had to buy these and had to do a little searching, the first couple of stores, only sold the pre-sliced shrooms and that would not do. I did find some finally some about as big around as a hamburger bun)

Salt and pepper to taste(got it)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar(got it)

1/2 pound fresh smoked mozzarella sliced(bought Cappiello brand, I think it has a little bit more smokiness to it, any brand will do, but if you can get Cappiello)

4 crusty rolls slit(had to buy these and feel free to buy whatever kind you happen to like of the crusty bread)

1/2 medium red onion(got this)

4 leaves romaine lettuce(got some of this on hand)

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves(got some of this already)

1/2 cup fresh leaf parsley(got it)

3 tablespoons capers(got them)

1/4 cup pignoli nuts(had to buy these)

1 clove garlic(got it, but bought more anyway, since rachael likes to use this stuff like it is going out of style)

The juice of 1/2 lemon(ok, had to buy a lemon, was not going to use the imitation stuff i have)

1/2 cup grated parmigiano regiano or romano cheese(got this already)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the two tablespoons evoo and mushroom caps. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and saute, 5 minutes on each side. Add vinegar and coat the mushrooms in it. when vinegar has evaporated, turn mushrooms cap side up and cover with sliced cheese. Turn off heat and cover pan with foil. Let stand 2 to 5 minutes for cheese to melt.

To make sauce, combine basil, parsley, capers, pignoli, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse grind until finely chopped and scrape into a bowl. Stir in evoo, salt and pepper and grated cheese.

Slather bun tops with green sauce. Place 2 portobello on each bun bottom and top with red onion slices, lettuce and bun tops.

The verdict............these are what veg-heads lke myself call the perfect meatless dish. It is tasty, filling and really a nice twist to that old cheeseburger standard. Plus the use of balsamic vinegar is a ice touch as it adds a nice tangy flavor. My friend said she thought this was a really great tasty item. As a side dish, I serve a little pasta salad I had grabbed at the store.

This was really easy to make, so if you are just starting to cook, preparing this will not only inspire confidence in you, it will impress anyone you are cooking for.

Until tomorrow...........

Asparagus Pasta Salad

2009-06-12T21:01:00.002-05:00

TGIF..........finally, I have been so looking forward to the weekend. Work has been fun,I have laughed a lot this week with friends, especially one that I call "Boo" and have been able to help her and others get stuff done, but it will will good to sleep in some tomorrow.....but I am working sunday.

Really needed a tasty meal tonight, so I was happy to see Asparagus Pasta Salad, a good solid veg-head dish, and it has one of my favs in it....Asparagus.....so here we go.........

Ingredients

1 small shallot or 1/2 large shallot, finely chopped(had to buy these)

1/3 cup evoo (got lots of this)

1 pound asparagus, thin spears(bought these and they look really fresh)

2 endive, cored and thinly sliced(had to buy these and unlike the asparagus, they were not looking to fresh at the store...damn you Hy-vee store and your lack of fresh vegetables........my friend karen warned me that this hy-vee store would screw me on the produce at times, but I did not listen)

1/2 small red bell pepper, chopped)ok, still had some bellpepper left over from the other night)

1/2 pound bow tie pasta cooked to al dente and cooled(bought a pound...hey I like pasta, what can i say)

1/2 cup frozen green peas(actually have had a bag of these in my freezer for like 2 years)

1/4 cup chopped parsley, a couple of handfuls(got it)

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar(got it)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper(got it)

Heat shallot and oil in a small pan on the stovetop over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Allow oil to cool back to room temperature.

Hold a spear of asparagus at each end and snap it. The spear breaks where the tender tops meet the tough bottoms. Line the broken spear up with the bundle of cleaned asparagus. Cut the spears using the guideline of the snapped spear. Par boil the asparagus tops in 1 inch simmering water covered for 3 to 5 minutes.

Cool under cold running water and drain. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces on an angle and add to a bowl. Combine chopped, cooked asparagus with shredded endive, red bell pepper, cooked pasta, green peas and chopped parsley. The peas will defrost as you toss salad. Pour vinegar into a small bowl and whisk in cooled shallot oil. Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Season salad with salt and pepper, to your taste and toss again.

The verdict..........this was a pretty decent pasta salad and I made it in 25 mins to boot.........tasty and filling...........and the cats give it a kittylicious two paws up as they tucked into some of the pasta with a real zeal.

If you are not a fan of asparagus as I know some people are, I would say, give this dish a try and it might change your mind about the vegetable.

Everyone have a good weekend...............

Winter Pasta Dish

2009-06-11T19:11:00.003-05:00

Well, tonight I am typing this on a strange pc, as I am staying in Independence tonight, which as most know is the worst place on the face of the earth, and yet the food is good:-).......Tonight's dish is Lentils and Pasta with Greens........I have to say, that I honestly could not remember ever having eaten a Lentil.

I will list out the ingredients, but I can say that my friend surprised me with the fact that she had ever single ingredient I need except two, so here we go.....

I had to buy the following two items

2/3 cups fried lentils, green or other variety(had to buy this and got green as suggested)

1 pound swiss chard(had to buy this and I have never eat this before, but I got the chard, it did not say swiss, but I figure chard is chard.......I hope)

Here is everything she already had

2 bay leaves

Coarse Salt and freshly ground pepper(ok, well turns out she did not have coarse salt, she said she figured salt was salt, so I set her straight with a bit of salt knowledge........she laughed and called me a nerd)

10 to 12 ounces of pasta(I used bowtie)

3 tablespoons evoo

1 small boiling onion chopped(she had onions, not sure if they are boiling onions, but again, I am not sure what a boiling onion is)

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can,14 ounces, vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

A handfull chopped fresh parsley

Cover lentils with water and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf and cook until lentils are tender, 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, put a large pot of water over a high heat for pasta(On a side note, I have made a mental note that as her next gift, my special friend is getting herself a new set of pots and pans from me, although I prefer doing all the cooking in this relationship, her pots/pans are just not doing it for me......a change is required and as soon as possible, a trip to crate and barrel is called for)

When the water boils, ass salt and pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain.

Preheat a large skillet and add evoo. Add remaining bat leaf, the onion, carrots, red bell pepper, and garlic. Saute 10 minutes over medium heat. Add wine and cook to reduce liquid, 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. Add vegetable broth and Swiss Chard, cover. Once greens have wilted, season with allspice, cumin, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

When greens are tender and no longer bitter, uncover and stir in drained pasta, lentils and parsley. Adjust seasonings and serve with crusty bread.

The verdict..........ok, I liked this really well, great vegetarian dish. My friend enjoyed this, as did her dog..............so over all....this was a good meal.

I will be back cooking in the home tomorrow, so the next post will be a bit more rebust........

until tomorrow..........

Gone Green Chile

2009-06-10T19:03:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had a good day. I certainly have,Wednesday my friends Amara, Karen and myself head down and serve lunch at the local soup kitchen. It is something I like to do and it also makes the "chef" in me kind of smile, I think maybe just being in the big kitchen is what does it.

Anyway, tonight's dinner was Chili for "Veg-Heads", as i vegetarian, i was happy to see this recipe turn up. Cooking is something you can put a lot of love into, and I think a great vegetarian dish is something that can really show that aspect of cooking off. Lot's of my friends think you have to have meat in a dish to make it complete, so anytime I can whip up a veg-head dish that people find tasty and filling, I feel like I have accomplished something.

Here are the ingredients....

2 tablespoons evoo(as you can guess, I got this)

1 medium onion, chopped(got one already)

1 medium bell pepper, red or green seeded an chopped(had to buy this and I bought one of each to use half of each one. I like to make my food colorful looking when possible and thought the red and green combination would like nice and add flavor)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped(not a fan of the jalapeno, but I bought one and I mean one pepper from the store, checker kind of gave me a look when she saw I had bagged up one little pepper)

4 gloves garlic, minced(I got these already,but man rachael loves using garlic. I do not think I have had one recipe yet without garlic)

1 cup vegetable broth(had to buy a can, I mean no one keeps veggie broth around)

1 can, 14 ounces black beans drained(actualy had this. i was shocked to find it in the pantry)

1 can, 32 ounces, crushed tomatoes(ok, had to buy this, but I like fresh, so i bought tomatoes and crushed them myself)

1 can, 14 ounces, red kidney beans, drained(had to buy it)

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin(got plenty of this already)

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder(ditto on this, got this stuff everywhere it seems)

6 dashes cayenne sauce like Tabasco(got this already)

a few good pinches course salt(got it)

1 cup refried beans(had to buy a can)

shredded chedder cheese, for garnish(this is optional but I bought some to shred)

Chopped scallions(had one left over from the other night)

Tortilla chips for dipping(I bought these, and got some black bean, blue corn and white corn ships. Again, I think the color combination looks good and add that extra something to the meal to make it seem all the more special)

Heat oil in a deep pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minutes more. Add broth and scrape up any good stuff from the bottom of the pan. Cook to reduce the liquid by half, 2 or 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and beans and season with cumin, shili powder, tabasco sauce, and salt. Then stir in the refried beans. You might think the refried beans an odd addition, but it is mostly a thickening angent in this dish.

Serve in bowls topped with the shredded cheese and scallions with plenty of tortilla chips for dipping.

The verdict..........this was pretty good, I am a big fan of hearty dishes like chili's that you can eat by the dipping of a chip. I think this could also be served as a snack type item for dipping at a party instead of a dinner.

Over all, i can see myself make this again during the late fall, maybe as something to eat while watching football.

Untl tomorrow...........

Creole Surf and Turf

2009-06-09T18:30:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a great day. Work was really busy, I was swamped, but it was a good swamping, helped my best friend run some reports for her client and well, doing that kind of thing makes me feel pretty good and needed. Plus she works as hard as I do,so helping each other out is just a a good thing to do. Anyway, tonight as the title says, it is surf and turf, specifically Creole Chicken Breasts with Crab and Artichoke Stuffing.

Here are the ingredients...

1 and 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets pounded thin(already had chicken from the other night, so good to go here)

Coarse salt and pepper to taste(got it)

A few pinches poultry seasoning(I am not going to be using this, i have never been big on using poultry seasoning, but you can if you want)

2 shallots, finely chopped(had to buy a few)

1 rib celery from the heart, finely chopped(use it if you want, but as you may have read in previous posts, i hate celery with a passion, so no on the celery)

2 tablespoons evoo(got it)

1 can, 15 ounces, artichokes water, drained and chopped(had to buy this cause I mean, who keeps can artichokes around)

1/2 cup chicken broth(got it)

8 to 10 ounces canned crabmeat(had to buy, but got lucky and my grocers seafood counter had it on sale and it seemed better to get then a can)

2 slices white bread, toasted and buttered(had to buy bread)

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning(had a jar of this in the spice cabinet)

1 pat butter(got butter and as I have said before, if you have to buy it, for the love of god, buy real butter and not "I can't believe it's not butter"......cause trust me people, I can believe it's not butter, cause it sucks)

1 cup dry sherry(had to buy this, cause really the only people that keep sherry around the house are really little old women with drinking problems, who always seem to have a candydish sitting around with a big pile of old fashion ribbon candy that is so old it is all stuck together in one big mess)

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in a splash of water or broth

On a side note, as I type this, John and Kate plus 8 is playing in the background and well, I have to agree with most people, Kate really does act pretty bitchy, of course John seems like a douchbag, so i guess they balance out......

Ok, so season the chicken cutlets with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning(if you use it). Set aside.

For stuffing, in a skillet over medium heat, saute shallots and celery(if you like that vile weed) in evoo 2 or 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and broth, cook 1 minute more. Add crabmeat and heat through, breaking up the meat. Cube toast into small dice and add to pan. Season with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper and then combine ingredients until bread is most. Remove from heat.

Place small mounds of stuffing on cutlets and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. At this point i should say that it is good to always read the entire recipe before going to the store. Had I done this, I would have known i would need toothpicks and would not have to use chopsticks that I snapped in half instead

For sauce heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add evoo and butter to pan. Place chicken roll-ups in pan and brown, 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken. Add sherry and cook to reduce by half, 1 or 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Add cornstarch liquid and stir to thicken sauce. Return chicken to pan. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 mins.

You can serve this with a green side salad and maybe some french bread.

The verdict. Well since i am dieting,and trying to do the vegetarian thing,I am not trying this, but my friend, she is a liking this one a lot, plus as I type this, i can still see my cats working over a chicken roll-up, so the cats dig it too. As for me, i will say it smelled awesome and i did try the sauce and it is to die for, so over all I will say this was a success, although it took me around 40 mins, but really that was because I stopped to check out Kate from the show, cause although she does seem mean, she is cute and I am after all a guy and we get distracted o'h so easily............

Until tomorrow............

Autumn Comfort Food

2009-06-08T18:30:00.003-05:00

Well I am writing a bit earlier then normal because i have some great news.........one, tonight's dinner I had never had before, at least as far as the combination of some of the spices........and two, I have had a fantastic hair day today, I mean really, I had like four compliments on it and i swear, today I could have used my hair as currency in like the far east, it was just rocking today.

Anyway today's dish is Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage, so let's get right into the ingredients.

Coarse Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste(Ok I got this stuff already)

1 pound penne rigate or rigatoni pasta cooked until al dente(Had to buy this and I went for the penne rigate as I have never been a fan of the rigatoni and I cannot say why,I guess I have never had a dish where I looked at the cooked and thought "rigatoni, nice choice"........but that is just me, you get whatever you want)

2 drizzles EVOO(I have this, and in case you are new to the blog, evoo is extra virgin olive oil)

1 pound bulk sweet sausage(had to buy this and I recommend when you are at the store, bypass the butchers counter and just get a one pound pack of sausage that is flavored with maple and sage, should be where they keep the bacon)

1 medium onion diced (got it)

4 gloves garlic minced(already got this, but I did by some new toothpaste, as I have noticed that garlic is a growing trend in rachaels dishes)

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried(I got lots of the dried, so I will use it over the fresh, because I find that with bay leaves, the dried seems to hold the flavor of the herb, just as well as the fresh)

4 to 5 leaves fresh sage, slivered(I have this, it is dried, but I am going to use it instead of the fresh, because I got like a half pound of the stuff, don't ask me why I have so much, but I need to start using it)

1 cup dry white wine(got it)

1 can, 14 ounces, chicken broth(had to buy this, which I hate using canned broth when homemade chicken stock is better...........but I am out....I might one weekend do a bonus blog entry and discuss how to make homemade chicken stock, it takes around 10 hours, but is easy)

1 cup canned pumpkin(had to buy it)

1/2 cup heavy cream(had this already)

2 pinches ground cinnamon(already have this)

3 pinches ground nutmeg(got this too)

Romano or Parmigiano cheese, for grating over pasta(I already have a container that already has both these cheese grated)

Put a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. When water boils, add salt and pasta. cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a deep pot over medium heat, pour in 1 drizzle of evoo and brown sausage in it. Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain and return pan to heat. Add second drizzle of evoo to pan and saute onion and garlic 5 minutes, till soft and sweet. Add bay leaf, sage and wine to pot. Reduce wine for two minute. Add broth and pumpkin and combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat and stir in cream. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper and simmer 5 minutes.

To serve, return drained, cooked pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove bay leaf from sauce and pour sauce over pasta. Toss pasta ans sauce 1 to 2 minutes over low heat so pasta can absorb flavors. Top bowls of pasta with freshly grated cheese, and serve with green salad on the side.

The verdict...........this is by far the best dish I have made so far. The pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon, while at first sound like an odd choice for pasta, add such a fantastic flavor, it is hard to describe. This would be the perfect dish to eat on a chilly late fall day, a combination of flavors both familiar to the taste buds and yet all new at the same time. Very filling and honestly something I would buy at a restaurant.

The word from the feline community???? This is a hit with my cats too.

Well, that is pretty much it for tonight, good food, great hair, happy cats........a better way to end a blog entry, I cannot imagine.

Until tomorrow............

Dinner with the Boss

2009-06-07T18:53:00.004-05:00

I find cooking to be very therapeutic and it has a very mellowing affect on me, especially when i am cooking for someone. There are times I wish they had a kitchen at work, where when needed, I could get away from my stressful desk and go whip up a nice pasta salad or bruschetta at times.

Tonight dinner was "Tony Soprano Steak Sandwiches with Giardinera Relish", I was never a fan of the Soprano's, I preferred "The Godfather', so for my meal, I prefer to call this "A steak sandwich offer you can't refuse"

Here are the ingredients.......

2 pounds sirloin steak, 1 inch think cut into two pieces(had to buy this one and I did buy sirloin, but you could also purchase flank steak, patio steaks or what is also call charcoal steaks. They are all very good cuts of meat for sandwiches or any dish that is not actual the eating of a steak by itself)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar(had to buy a small bottle)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste(got it)

1 jar/quart of giardinera salad(bought a jar and for those wondering, this is basically pickled vegetables and peppers, actually tasty stuff to be honest)

A handful of fresh parsley leafs(got this already)

The juice of 1/2 lemon(got it already)

EVOO....(got plenty of this stuff)

1 loaf garlic bread split in half lenghtwise(bought a loaf)

4 leaves Romaine lettuce(already have this, thanks to my failure to find "bibb" lettuce for the other nights dinner and settling at the time for romaine)

Rub each steak with the balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of coarse salt and pepper. Let meat rest.

Drain Giardiniera salad and reserve the juice. Place salad in a food processor with parsley, lemon juice and drizzle of evoo. Pulse-grind the mixture into a finely chopped relish.

Brown garlic bread under broiler and remove from oven.

Wipe a little evoo across a skillet and heat over medium high heat until pan smokes. Add steaks and cook 5 mins on each side. Douse the pan with a few tablespoons of the juice from the pickled relish. Rub the steaks around, picking up the color and juice from the pan. Place steaks on a big cutting board and let rest for 10 mins, allowing juices to distribute.

Slice steaks very thin,on an angle and against the grain. Pile meat on a plate and scrape juice off the board and over the top of the meat. Wipe off board.

Place garlic bread on board and cover bottom half with relish. Put piles of meat on top of relish. Top with romaine leaves and the other half of the garlic bread. Hold bread together with toothpicks and hack up super sub into 4 big chunks.

Just when you thought life could not get better, serve this with some kind of fancy chips. I used cracked pepper and sea salt potato chips.

The verdict............well to be honest, I am really pushing my diet again, so i did not try these at all.....but.........the person I cook for, she thought they rocked and also my cats ate a piece of the meat, faster then I would have thought possible, so that is a big positive review from the feline world.

I can also say that I really enjoyed cooking this meal a lot, it was fun and it did only take around 30 mins. It was a bit of a heavy meal, as I can see as I type this, that my friend has fallen asleep on my couch bless her cute little soul.

Well that is it for tonight. I have to go now and prepare for work tomorrow and also wake of my friend so she can drive herself home.

Until tomorrow...........

Way-Cool Dinner

2009-06-06T22:56:00.003-05:00

Typing this one in kind of late, went into work late today and lost track of time. Did not make dinner until around 7:00 tonight, but dinner tonight was Mamma's Broccolina and Ricotta Pasta.

So let's get right to the ingredient list....

Coarse salt and pepper to taste(got it)

1 pound rigatoni(had to buy it, so I bought a couple of pounds so there would be extra)

2 bundles broccolini florets chopped or 2 heads o broccoli tops, shopped(Ok, I had to buy this, but first thing I did was look up to see what the hell broccolini is. Well it is a cross between Chinese kale and broccoli. I am not sure what fantasy world rachael lives in where new crossbred vegetables are plentiful, but it is not kansas. I was dumb enough to ask a store clerk for the stuff and she kind of chuckled at me..................long story short, tonights meal was made with broccoli)

1 cup water(got it)

2 tablespoons evoo(got it)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast diced(got it)

4 gloves garlic, mince(got it, but bought some anyway cause I was getting low)

1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese(ok, i found a container of this in the back of my fridge, but let's just say it had been expired a while, so after I caught it and threw it away, I purchased a new container)

6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves tripped from stem and chopped(had some dreid, but bought fresh anyway)

a couple of pinches ground nutmeg(got it)

Put a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. When water boils, add salt and pasta. Cook according to package drections, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cookin water and drain the rest.

In a small saucepan, simmer broccolini in a cup of water, covered, 5 minutes,drain. If using broccoli, simmer 8 to 10 minutes to remove extract bitterness. Drain well. Heat evoo in a big deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Add broccolini/broccoli, pasta, ricotta, the reserved pasta cooking water, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the pan. Toss until creamy, then transfer to a serving platter. serve with tomato and onion salad and crusty bread.

The verdict...............this was very tasty dish, flavorful, aromatic and made in about 25 minutes. This would be something you could make quite easily for a potluck dinner. Anyway, I am going to leave tonight's blog now as I am extra tired for some reason and getting myself to bed.

Until tomorrow..........

Thai-Style Cookout

2009-06-05T20:25:00.004-05:00

Well I have to be quick tonight, as I am going out with my friend of the female persuasion to see "My Life In Ruins"(looks great so check it out), so here we go. Tonight I am attempting Thai Turkey Burgers and really I have never eaten this before, as I have never been into Thai food very much and really it is not something you can easily get from a restaurant that is really authentic, not the Thai people eat a lot of turkey burgers anyway.

Ok, here are the ingredients.

Warm Pineapple Salsa ingredients

1 fresh, ripe cored pineapple(Ok, as you might guess, I do not have whole pineapples in the house, so yes i had to buy one and no it was not cored, I had to do it myself and damn near cored my hand off. On a lighter note, my little cat did not like the looks of the pineapple at all and gave it a wide birth on the kitchen table)

1 tablespoon sesame oil(had to buy it, got plenty of evoo lying around but no sesame)

1/4 tablespoon crushed crushed red pepper flakes(got plenty of this)

1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped(bought one and grabbed a couple more in case we need them over the next few days)

1/4 red onion, finely chopped(got lots)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar(got like 8 pounds of this stuff)

10 to 18 fresh basil leaves cut into thin strips(Ok I had to buy this and then I chopped it up before I realized it was suppose to be thin strips but I think it will be ok)

Burger Ingredients

1 and 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast(Ok I bought this and got a Pound and a half, cause it just seems to throw the dude behind the meat counter off if I ask for something that is not at the pound or half pound weight reference. I once ask for 6 1/4 pound packages of ground beef and he almost had a stroke right there at the counter, so ever since then I have kept it simple)

1 inch fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated(i actually had some of this, so goodie for me)

2 gloves garlic minced(got it)

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce(I got it, but isn't all soy sauce dark? i have not seen a light shade of soy sauce, anyway just something i was thinking about)

2 teaspoons curry powder(had to by this and i looked forward to using it, as I have never cooked with curry before)

Coarse salt to taste(I prefer to use sea salt myself, I think it really releases foods full flavor)

2 scallions finely chopped(got them)

4 cornmeal-topped rolls or 4 toasted sandwich-sized English muffins, split(Ok, I bought English muffins cause, I could not find anything that was cornmeal topped and really have never even heard of such a thing)

Bibb, Boston or red leaf lettuce for topping(Could not find it and it seemed to girly to ask for help finding Bibb lettuce, so i got Romain instead)

On a side note, as i type this, on the DYI network i have on the 'Thirsty Traveler" and he is somewhere in one of those old eastern block European countries and they are making goulash and I'm like, too late boys, brad has already been there and done that last night.......plus theirs seems to be taking forever to cook

Ok, so drain pineapple and cut into pieces that will fit in a food processor. Place in processor and process to coarse, chunky texture. Heat sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium-high heat until oil smokes. Add bell pepper and onions and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add pineapple and heat through. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss in basil. Let salsa hang out in the warm pan while you cook burgers.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Combine turkey, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, curry powder, salt and scallions. Form into 4 patties and cook on skillet, 4 minutes on each side. Serve on rolls with lots of warm pineapple salsa and lettuce, with a chunk ed vegetable salad and your favorite chips.

The verdict.........well this was ok, but to be honest, thai flavor has never been a big thing for me. Yes, it taste ok, but for me it was one of those things that, had I got this at a restaurant, i would be like, "yea, it is ok but i would not order it again', but that is just me. My lady friend thought it was great and even my cats split a patty, so i guess it is "two paws up' from them.

It is full of flavor though and the sweetness of the pineapple, i was afraid would overpower the other various flavors, but it does not. They really seem to blend well together.

So, that is it for tonight,cause like i said before, I am going out tonight and have to take a shower, get all playered up and go get my freak on at "town center"

So until tomorrow.........keep it reelz y'all....:-)

Goodness Gracious, That's Great Goulash

2009-06-04T19:18:00.004-05:00

Well tonight it is the Hungarian comfort food Goulash. I have always been a fan of goulash, a simple dish that the poor of many countries can cheaply make because basically it is a mash of whatever is leftover from other meals. A couple of my dearest friends(karen and amara) and myself, volunteer at a soup kitchen during the week and often times, a Goulash like item is the main dish.

Anyway lets get on to the ingredients:

Salt and Pepper to taste(got lots of this)

1 pound elbow macaroni(had to by this and really you could use different pasta of you wanted, bow-tie, spiral, really any of the small pastas would work)

2 pounds lean ground beef(had to buy it, and I prefer when cooking to not go with the leanest beef, because I like the flavor the extra fat gives a dish, but you pick what is best for you)

1 medium white onion(got it, got lots now, bought white, red, even those spanish ones now)

2 cloves garlic, minced(had to buy it, but bought lots, cause really this stuff lasts just about forever, so if you catch it on sale, feel free to buy a little more then you need)

1 teaspoon ground cumin(got it)

1 tablespoon paprika(got a big ole thing of this, cannot remember why I bought such a big container, but it is here)

a pinch of ground nutmeg(have this too)

2 sprigs of fresh marjoram, chopped or a healthy sprinkle of dried( I bought fresh for todays dish and some of the dried to just have on hand. But really whenever you can use the fresh herbs, as they just give so much more flavor, but I know sometimes herbs get a bit costly, so dried will work too, it just sometimes takes a bit more to really kick in the flavor)

1 can, 14 ounces, crushed tomatoes(I actually had this left over from another recipe, as I wrote down more then I needed and ended up with a couple of extra cans)

3 rounded tablespoons of sour cream(I had to buy these, but here is something to ponder........how would you know if sour cream has gone bad???? dos it taste like extra sour or something???)

2 pats butter or a drizzle of evoo(had both, but used the evoo......not because it taste better, but because I have this cool evoo dispenser and just like using it)

Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley(I already had a massive container of the dried, so I am just going to use it, I will just have to put in a healthy extra amount. Now I know your saying, but brad, you just got done telling us to use fresh whenever you can, and you are right, it is just that when i went to the store, I forgot to buy the fresh parsley and I was too lazy to go back out for it)

1 teaspoon caraway seeds(I actually had bought a container of this, like 1000 years ago because it was on sale really really cheap and this is the first time I have ever used them.........I hope caraway has a good shelf life)

Ok, so put a large pot of water on to boil for the macaroni. When water boils add salt and pasta. Cook according to package directions. On a personal note, make sure you use a really big pot for cooking pasta, you want plenty of room for lots of water and the pasta needs to be able to move around. So as a rule of thumb, I always try to use a pot as big as the one Glenn Close used to boil that bunny in Fatal Attraction, so keep this advice in mind when you are cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add round beef an brown. Grate the onion into the skillet with a hand grater. Add garlic, cumin,paprika, nutmeg, and marjoram. Mix in tomatoes. Heat through, then stir in sour cream. Drain macaroni and oss with butter or evoo, parsley and caraway seeds.

Serve scoops of goulash over bowls of macaroni, with a green salad on the side.

The verdict.........this is a really good dish and I can see why this is often referred to as a 'working mans' dish, as it is hearty and cheaply fills you up. This would be very tasty and satisfying to someone coming in after working in the fields or a factory all day.

So if you get a chance,try this one out it is pretty good and o'h yea, I made this one in 27 mins.

Until next time.....

Tex-mex One Pot

2009-06-03T19:48:00.003-05:00

Ok, tonight's dinner with Rachael is a pleasure to blog about, it is called Cajun Chili with Scallion Corn Cakes. I have decided that rachael knows her spices, I do not think it is possible for her to come up with a bland dish. I will say though that this is a spicy dish with some bite.........but it is a bite you will thoroughly enjoy.

The ingredients....

1 package Jiffy corn bread mix(had to but this)

2 scallions chopped(got them, but these are the last I have)

Butter, for the griddle)ok, I got butter from the other night still, and her she goes sayng griddle.......but know I will use a skillet)

1 and 1/2 pounds lean ground pork(ok, i did not have this, so I bought some freshly ground from my local butcher)

1 tables mexican chili powder(i have chili powder already)

1 tablespoon ground cumin(ok I got lots of this, bought a massive container of it like forever ago thinking I would be using cumin all the time, but then like nothing I have been in a cumin dryspell)

4 shakes tabasco sauce(got it)

1/2 medium yellow onion, minced(had to buy these......ok yea I know, i said the other day, I got extra onions, but they are not yellow onions, they are spanish, although I am not sure of that, the only thing I am sure of is that they were not yellow)

2 cloves garlic, minced(got them)

1 rib celery, chopped(ok, i am not using this, as you know from previous posts, I dislike that vile weed of the garden that goes by the name celery)

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped(got this left over from the other night)

1/2 green bell pepper chopped(ditto ;-)

1/2 bottle of beer(had to by this, cause I hate the taste of beer)

1 can, 14 ounces, of diced tomatoes(bought it)

A handfull of chopped cilantro(bought it)

Ok, follow the directions on the box for corn cakes, not corn bread. When batter is prepared, stir in the chopped scallions.

Meanwhile(back at the ranch), heat a pot over high heat and a skillet over medium heat.

Dump ground pork into the pot. season with chili powder, cumin and tabasco sauce and brown for 5 mins. Add onion, garlic and bell peppers and cook, shaking pan now and then for another 4 to 4 mins.

Rub the skillet with a little butter and wipe off excess with a paper towel. Pour corn cake batter onto skillet to form 4 inch corn cakes, cook until cakes begin to bubble and edges become dry, 3 mins. Keep finished cakes on a plate in warm oven until chili is done.

back to the chili. Add beer and stir up bits from the bottom of the pot. stir in the tomatoes and cilantro. Bring to boil and season with salt. top bowls of chili with scallion corn cakes. Serve with extra cakes and a chunked vegetable salad on the side.

Ok, like i said, this was an awesome dish that even kids I think would love, but again it s spicy.

One confession, this dd take like 50 mins to make, not because it was difficult, but sadly, I had VH1 on the television and got sucked into some story abut Stone Temple Pilots, otherwise, then could be made in 30 mins.

SO try this recipe it is the bomb and if you are not big on spice, just drop out the tabasco to cool it down.

Until next time........

chicken baby chicken

2009-06-02T19:09:00.003-05:00

Ok, I saw this on 30 min meals and decided to cook this meal since my sister was coming over, so tonight i cook Warm Chopped Chicken Picatta Spinach Salad, looked great on the show and i have been craving salad recently..........that's right ladies.....I guy who will admit to liking a salad.......no....make that craving a salad the last few days.

So hear are the ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast cutlets, about 6 pieces (had to buy this, and I caught it on sale, so I bought 4 pounds for future recipes)

Salt and pepper to taste(got it)

3 tablespoons evoo(got it)

1 tablespoon butter (i was shocked to find i did not have butter, to be honest I looked in my fridge butter door and it was full of 35mm black and white film. To explain why, film keeps forever in cold storage, but anyway I had to buy butter and if you are reading this, always buy real butter and never margarine or that god awful, "I can't believe it's not butter", cause guess what...I can't believe people think that stuff is butter.......so please just uy the real stuff)

2 shallots, chopped (got some)

3 cloves garlic, chopped (had to finally buy garlic)

3 tablespoons capers, chopped (got them, but starting to run low)

1/2 cup dry white wine (got it)

1 lemon, juiced (ok, I am using a bottle of the stuff I got)

2 pounds triple washed spinach, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped (Ok I bought a big bag of spinach, and here is a confession.........I did not triple wash it, as a matter of fact I did not even once wash it, I just never think about it)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoon evoo over medium-high heat. When oil ripples, add chicken and cook 3 minutes on each side then remove and let meat rest and cool.

To the same skillet, add another tablespoon of evoo and the butter. Melt butter into evoo and add the shallots, garlic and capers. Saute 5 minutes then add white wine and reduce 30 seconds. Next, add the juice of 1 lemon and immediately add the spinach - mound up the pan. You will not be able to fit it all in there. Keep turning the spinach and wilting it down until you get it all in there then turn the heat off. Keep some leaves still a bit crisp to vary textures in your salad. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. Chop chicken into little bits and add to the warm salad. Toss to distribute and serve.

I served this with some quartered pita bread..........the verdict........it was really good....although to be honest, I think i would have liked it more if the spinich was not cooked down and the other ingredients where just served on top of the crips spinch leaves. But hey that is me and like I said it was still really good.

Until tomorrow

Italian Comfort

2009-06-01T19:30:00.002-05:00

Ok, tonight we get back to a great vegetarian dish that rachael call's Emmanuel Nini's Caponata. I have had Caponata before and have generally find them tasty, although this recipe does not all for any sugar, so I will be interested to taste this one. On a completely separate note, I was given a bottle of MUG ROOT BEER and am drinking a glass as I type and I have to say, it is pretty good. I normally never think of grabbing root beer when I go for a soda, but I might have to start giving it some extra thought. anyway on to the ingredients.

3 gloves garlic minced(had these already)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper(got it)

3 tablespoons EVOO(got it)

1/4 cups golden raisins(got them from the other night)

1 red and green bell pepper chopped(had to buy these bad boys)

1 medium spanish onion chopped(ok, had to buy this and this time, the sign at the store said spanish onions, but I saw nothing special about them compared to other onions)

1 medium eggplant chopped(had to buy this and had to go to three stores to find an eggplant.........i found this odd, since I did not think they were ever really out of season)

1 celery heart chopped(ok, I would have had to buy this but i hate celery, so I am leaving it out.........sorry celery but you really suck as a vegetable)

1/4 pound green and black olives pitted(had to buy these from the olive bar at my local store)

3 tablespoons capers(got them)

1 can 32 ounces diced tomatoes(had to buy it)

1 can 13 ounces cruched tomatoes(had to buy it)

A handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley(got it)

3 ounces pine nuts, toasted in over until golden(had to by them, but I foun them already toasted)

In deep skillet over medium heat, saute garlic and crushed red pepper in evoo until garlic sizzles. Add raisens, peppers, onion, eggplant, olives, capers, and salt. Cover and cook the vegtables, stirring occasionally until eggplant begins to break down. 7 to 10 mins.

Add tomatoes and parsley. Heat through. urn off heat. Serve caponata hot or cold with bread or tossed with pasta. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts when ready to eat.

the verdict........I love it. I ate it cold with pita. I think this would also go well serves cold with bow tie pasta.

until tomorrow

Taco Bar

2009-05-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

Well I am making Rachael's spicy chicken tacos tonight. My little nephew is staying with me tonight, he just turned six and wanted nothing to do with chicken tacos, so he got fast food..............

anyway, let's go over the ingredients.......

1 tablespoon evoo(got it)

1 and 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small cubes.(I got a pound of this left over from the other night, but since my little nephew is stabbing me in the back and refusing to even try this, one pound will be enough)

1 small onion chopped(got it)

1 clove garlic, minced(got it0

1 cup tomato puree(had to buy these, but I got to use my hand chopper and it turned out fine puree, although, i hit the high speed too soon and striped my kitchen wall with tomato in a hurry)

2 teaspoons chili powder(got it)

1 teaspoon ground cumin(bought it and then found a damn bottle of the stuff later, so now I have way to much cumin in the kitchen for my taste)

A hand full of coarsely chopped Spanish olives(had to buy these)

A handful of golden raisins(had to buy these and had no idea they even made golden raisins, but they do and they are pretty tasty)

Coarse salt to taste(got it)

8 jumbo hard or soft taco shells(I bought this and went for the soft shells)

toppings(had to buy all of the following)
shredded cheese
diced avocado
diced tomatos
chopped scallion
shredded lettuce

Heat a big skillet(first time rachael used the word skillet, instead of griddle, which as you know is good, cause I do not own a griddle)over medium heat, add evoo and brown chicken. Add onion and garlic and cook another couple of mins to soften onion. Dump in tomato puree, chili powder, cumin,olives, raisins, and salt. Bring to a bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. Warm taco shells in oven. Scoop filling into shells and pu on toppings. Serve with a green salad or chunk ed vegetables.

I have noticed that "serve with a green salad" seems to be the fall back side dish for most recipes. Green salad seems to go with anything i guess.

The verdict:

These are extremely tasty and seem a lot more fancier then the 30 mins it takes to make them. This would be the perfect meal to serve at a dinner party that would have your guests talking about it later.

Ok I forced my little nephew to try a bite and after he acted like he was going to die, he admitted they were ok, although my threat to not let him have any ice cream may have influenced his words, but hey, i will take what i can get.

until tomorrow

A Better Burger

2009-05-29T21:27:00.005-05:00

Well tonight it was Blue Moon Burgers.........my attempt at being a vegetarian is quickly going south........but the blog must go on.

Ok, as for the ingredients, I actually had just about everything.

1 pound lean ground beef(ok, well i did not have this, so I did jump the shark a bit on the statement above......also I bought two pounds, cause I got people coming over. On a side note, the phrase "jump the shark", where in the hell did that phrase come from? anyone know? then drop me a comment)

4 shakes Worcesteshire sauce(I had a bottle of this, growing up, my dad used this stuff on meat like regular people use ketchup, so it is common to have this on hand)

Kosher salt and ground pepper for taste(got plenty of this)

1/4 pound blue cheese, cut into four pieces(Ok, I had some of this already, and if you can, I always get Bleu d'Auvergne it is creamier than Roquefort,since it is made from cow's milk rather than sheep's.)

1/4 cup dry red wine(I got wine all over the place)

4 crusty rolls or sourdough bread(had to buy this and I went for the sourdough, I have never been a fan of bread for a sandwich that is described as "crusty")

sliced red onion(got this left over from yesterdays meal, although I still do not know if it is a spanish onion)

Romaine Lettuce(still got this from yesterday too)

Season beef with Worcestershire and black pepper. Take a quarter of the beef in your hand, nest sme blue cheese in the meet and form a patty around the filling. Repeat with the rest of the meat and cheese, keeping the burgers no more then 3/4 inch think.

Pour the wine ito a shallow dish. Turn each burger in wine and let rest while you heat a nonstick griddle to medium heat.(at this point, it seems that rachael likes using griddle's, but I do not own a griddle and will be using a skillet, like normal people do). Cook burgers on each side. Check the internal temperature with a thermometer if you have one. 160 degrees is medium.(I have a thermometer, but I like going by sight on burgers, cause I like my burgers pretty much medium raw) Salt the burgers to taste. Place burgers on bread and top with onion and lettuce serve with fancy chips, now rachael suggests Yukon old Onion and garlic chips..........I think that sounds rather nasty, so I served them with Andy Capp Bacon Chedder Cheese Fries........looked rather cool with the burgers.

The verdict:

These were the total bomb, they taste just fantastic and i can also give this one my "two paws up" approval, cause the cats dug this one too. Even still steaming hot, the cats would not stop eating this and I am guessing, burning the roofs of their little mouths.

until tomorrow.........

Spice It Up

2009-05-28T18:42:00.005-05:00

Well tonight was Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Burritos.........I was a bit perplexed with this one, because whenever possible, I try to do a vegetarian thing......not because I love animals, but more because I hate plants. Really it is because I have been trying to be more healthy in my life. Anyway I knew going into this blog that I would have to deal with eating some meat, so it is something i will just deal with. Anyway, as I have Belle and Sebastian playing in the background, let's get to the ingredients.

4 boneless chicken breasts(well, from the vegetarian info above, yep you guessed it, I had to buy these. I have not purchased meat in a while and the price of meat has gone up, boneless chicken breast is a costly cut, although chicken thighs are still cheap, I guess that is considered the "white trash" part of the bird, cause it is less then a buck a pound......but I went with the breast meat)

1 teaspoon ground cumin(have this on hand)

1 teaspoon chili powder(got it too)

two shakes of tobasco sauce(had to buy this, and to be honest, this is the first time I have ever bought this stuff)

1 tablespoon EVOO(got plenty)

1/2 medium spanish onion, chopped(ok, i had to buy this and I have no idea if it was a spanish onion or not......I spoke a little spanish to it, but got nothing back, but hey, an onion is an onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced(have this)

1 can, 15 ounces, black beans, drained and rinsed.(ok, I bought this and a small confession, I drained them, but I did not rinse them..........if you never see another post on here after tonight, you will know that I should have rinsed)

3 tables spoons of smoky bbq sauce(had to buy this, and I could not find one that said "smoky", so I grabbed a bottle that said 'hickory' and will hope for the best)

kosher salt and ground pepper to taste(got both of these, I have been a big supporter of kosher salt for any years..just ask alton brown)

1 heart of romain, shredded(had to buy it)

6 scallions, thinly sliced(had these from yesterdays meal)

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped(had to buy them, I chopped them, but was far to lazy to seed them, plus really, who the hell seeds a tomato anyway?)

4 large flour tortillas, flavored or plain(bought plain ones because I have never seen a flavored tortilla)

Rub chicken with cumin, chili powder and tobasco sauce(should say I managed to get chili powder in my eye, it made for a couple of real exciting moments in the kitchen). Heat a griddle pan(I used a skillet) to high. Cook chicken breast on each side 4 minutes and remove from heat.

While chicken is cooking, in a other skillet, add the EVOO and cook the onions and garlic until the onions are soft(about 4 mins). add beans and bbq sauce. Chop cooked chicken breast and drop into the bean mixture. Heat mixture through. Season with salt and pepper.

Place tortilla on plate, pile with chicken and beans in center. Top with lettuce, scallions and tomatoes. Wrap, roll and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. serve with chips and salsa.

The verdict:

Ok, I ate one and it was pretty good, I think i would have liked it better with re fried beans and sour cream, maybe some cheese, but that is because I like to Americanize mexican food to the point that it is basically taco bell. The rest of the dish, I gave to my neighbors and they really liked them alot and praised my cooking skills...........if they only knew how easy it was, as it just took 30 mins.

Overall, a good dish.

until tomorrow..........

Open Sesame

2009-05-27T18:41:00.003-05:00

Today's dinner with Rachael is Sesame Noodles, that I will be serving with a small side fruit salad.

Seems like a pretty straight forward meal, although I had to make a trip to the store of a few items.

Let's get right into it with the ingredients.....

1 pound cappellini(angel hair pasta.........ok, so i had some of this already, but it was stored in a pasta tin out of it's wrapper and I think it may have been there since Clinton was in the white house, so a fresh batch will have to be purchased)

1/4 cup soy sauce(this I have plenty of, I like to by authentic product from japan, so i shop from an online Asian grocer all the time. I cannot tell you the name of the brand of soy sauce, cause it is all written in Japanese, but the Japanese writing on the bottle looks like a elk with it's antlers all broken and lopsided. But for you the reader, any kind will probably do)

2 tablespoons tahini(had to look this up online to find out what in the hell this is......turns out it is sesame paste........and i will have to buy some)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil(i actually have a small bottle of this. I was kind of surprised since I cannot remember ever using it before.........perhaps it was an impulse buy late one night at the grocers?)

2 pinches cayenne pepper(got it)

2 gloves garlic, minced(got it)

1 inch ginger root, peeled and grated or 2 pinches ground ginger(well I looked around and I got ginger coming out my ears in my kitchen. I got this stuff, candied, powered, dried, in root form, you name it and ginger wise, I got it)

3 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle(had to buy this, as I do not keep much of this stuff on hand. On a side note i did not think about the "cutting on an angle" piece of this, so I just chopped them up, I doubt it will make a difference)

1 large carrot, grated(bought one)

toasted sesame seeds for garnish(found a small packet of this at the store, was a little surprised they had them, but hey live and learn)

crushed red pepper flakes for garnish(got this on hand)

at this point, I should step back to note that, as I blog I normally have a cd playing, but tonight I left the tv on for background noise. I have just noticed that it is on some 80's teen angst film, not sure which one but from what I can tell John Cusack has determined that he loves the girl and the only way to fix whatever is wrong, is to stand in the rain holding a boombox over his head as peter gabriel plays................ah love, if it were only so simple in real life.

anyway back to the meal.

Put a pot of water over high heat, add salt and cook the pasta according to the package until al dente. Ok, this was easy to do, pasta I am fairly good at cooking.

meanwhile, combine soy sauce, tahini(sesame paste), sesame oil, cayenne, garlic and ginger root in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Drain the noodles and run under cold water until cooled.

Dump noodles into a large bowl with the sauce and combine until sauce is evenly distributed. add the carrots and scallions, toss to combine, then garnish with sesame seeds and pepper flakes.

The verdict:

Well to be honest, it took me a little more then 30 mins to make, but that is due to my getting pulled into that above mentioned teen angst film, otherwise, this could be made in less then 30 mins. As for the taste, I really enjoyed this one a lot. A rather light meal that would be a perfect lunchtime repast on a summers day.

On a side note, when you go to the store, ask for sesame paste instead of tahini. Trust me when I say, it will go better if you do.

until tomorrow.......

Dinner 1 Puttanesca Pizza: Tomato, Olives, Capers, and Anchovy

2009-05-27T02:32:00.005-05:00

Well first recipe from the book seemed pretty straight forward, had a few of the items listed already, but a trip to the store would be necessary for a few of the more uncommon items..........or at least items uncommon in my kitchen.

Here is the list of ingredients:

2 gloves of garlic, minced(I actually had these items, as I had recently purchased a garlic press......not sure why.......I guess it was a combination of that fact that, it was on sale and I am a shopaholic, but regardless, I bought it and some fresh garlic to press)

1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes(had this too sitting in the spice cabinet)

2 tablespoons extra virgin Olive oil(from here on out, this will be referred to as EVOO......and yes I have like a gallon of this stuff in the kitchen)

2 anchovy fillets(ok, i had to purchases these little guys. I have never cooked with anchovy before, but I picked up a little tin of them from the store and tried one out of curiosity...........I can see why anchovy is an acquired taste.......thank the lord I had a glass of ice and coke on hand to wash the taste away.........o'h rachael, where are you taking me with this first recipe?)

1 can tomatoes, drained and diced(got a can from the store, already to go)

one 12 inch thin crust Boboli pizza shell(love this things, have used them before, plus I love the way the name......boboli rolls off the tongue......makes me feel all Italian when I say it)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley(had lots of this stuff in the kitchen already in various forms, dried, chopped, fresh, whole leaf, so I was good to go here)

2 tablespoons capers, drained(ok, i did not have these and had never cooked with them before. For some reason, every time I hear the word caper, I think it is some kind of little fish, like an anchovy, but really I know it is not. To offer some clarification, a caper is a bud from a plant that, to me taste like something that has been pickled...........either way, I had to buy a little jar from the store......on a side note, the girl working at the store seemed to think it was odd that I was asking for capers. I guess being a guy, she expected me to ask her where they kept the manly cuts of meat or maybe the guns and ammo.......)

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained and chopped(I actually had some of these babies in the fridge already. I am a big fan of the olive and eat them raw all the time, but for those who have to buy these, seek out a store with an Olive bar if possible, so you can get the freshest olives available and not have to buy them from a jar or can)

1/2 cup grated blended italian cheeses(had this already too, it is a nice container of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano,Romano,Mozzarella and Provolone).

Ok, the time spent going to the store to get these items, was about an hour.....it would have been less, but I wondered around the store for a while, before I broke down and asked where the capers are at.

Back home I pre-heated the oven to 425 degrees

In a skillet(the book says to use a small skillet, but I break out this massive one I bought that is like a foot and a half across that I decided I needed after watching the movie "no reservations", I guess I thought I might one day date a sexy chef and she would be expecting a large skillet be available on those nights that we have a moment of playful cooking, that leads to a deeper understanding of each other and a better connection on an emotional level.............yea that's right, even guys sometimes think like this)over medium heat saute the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes in the evoo until the garlic sizzles. Then add the anchovies and use the back of a large spoon(book says to use a wooden spoon, but since this is not the 1800's, I do not own a wooden spoon, so I use a big plastic spoon),to help dissolve the anchovies into the evoo. Add the tomatoes and stir to coat evenly and then remove from heat.

Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan(I do not have a pizza pan, so I use a large baking pan......I am hoping this will not displease the pizza pan gods.) Sprinkle the tomato mixture evenly across the crust. the add the parsley, capers and olive. Then cover the crust with a light layer of the cheese blend, make sure the cheese goes right out to the crust edges. Do not add to much cheese or it will make the pizza soggy, you should still be able to see the colors of the other toppings peeking through.

Place pizza in the oven and cook 8 to 12 mins or until the cheese starts to brown and the crust edges should be crisp.

The Verdict:

Well, it took 9 mins to cook and over all far less then 30 mins from start to finish in the kitchen. The taste is fantastic. After having tried the anchovy fillet by itself, I figured that the pizza would be pretty nasty, but the flavor of the anchovy really mellowed when it was sauteed and adds an almost nutty flavor to the pizza. I will make this little item again.

As an added "paw of approval", my cats like this too, as they gobbled this right up when I put a little in their dish.

This dish would go great served with a green salad(which i would have had, if I had read the entire recipe, since Rachael suggests serving this with a salad at the very last).

My first dinner with Rachael has turned out to be a success. I wonder if I look as cute a she does, as I move around my kitchen creating her recipes........probably not........but if this first try is any indication, I am in for many good meals.

Until tomorrow..........

First dinner on May 26th

2009-05-25T14:58:00.004-05:00

Well, I will start my first dinner experince tomorrow, as i am off a few days this week and will be going to the store tomorrow. I am not going to know what i will be making until each morning as I take on each receipe one at a time.

I have always enjoyed cooking and saw that another blogger ad done a years worth of julia child receipes over the course of a year, so I thought 'hey I could do that with rachaels cookbooks'.

I also maintain another blog that I write about music, and at times it can be hard to decide what group to discuss, at least with this blog, it pretty much will write itself..............I think this will be an interesting journey.

see you all later,

brad