as good as it looks

They popped their tops....

2011-10-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a sweet relative I became the recipient of these fantastic new popover trays. So, of course, the first order of business was to fill them and try them out. But....not to try just any "ole" recipe, I went searching for a special recipe. Last Christmas Rick and I went on our annual San Francisco trip and we ate at Tyler Florence's Wayfarer Tavern. Well, their bread of choice is fresh popovers! They were so delicious that I knew I had to try them first. Eureka! I found the recipe on another blogger's site. Thank you for sharing.

Now, the preparation experience was quite a funny site. The recipe is for 12 popovers which was what I had the pans for; however, the recipe must be prepared in a commercial blender because there is no home blender that can accommodate 6 eggs, 3 1/2 cups of milk and 4 cups of flour!!! But, be not dismayed, we did prevail and the end result was 'over the top'!

Popovers will definately become a household choice for many menus from savory to sweet to buttery plain.

Along with popovers, it's time to crank up the fire and let the soups and stews begin. The first stew of the season which I made this week was Giada's Butternut Squash and Beef Stew. (This recipe can be found at the foodnetwork site) This was very tasty and a little change from the typical beef, potato and carrot type stew. This was done totally on the stove and was rather quick to prepare. An easy trick in cutting the butternut squash is to use a vegetable peeler and remove the skin, then just cut it in chunk, remove the seeds and it is ready for the pot. I even used tapioca flour to dust the meat with and if you are gluten intolerant then be sure to use tapioca flour as it is gluten free.

In our attempt to prepare a quick and easy dinner and low calorie to go with our popovers, we choose to whip up some Basque soup. So good, easy and quick. Depending on how many you want to serve, you will need to multiply the ingredients, but all you need is chicken broth, cabbage, leeks, carrots, garlic, tomato sauce and beans to add at the end. Some people like to also serve a salsa of their choice.

Enjoy the beginning of the fall season.

SOUP'S ON!

Bye-Bye-Summer Fruit

2011-09-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Fruit is one of my favorite food items in the whole wide world. Summertime is always so welcome for the great fruit, (I know you are thinking, summertime makes you think of hot, hot, hot)! But, there is so much wonderful delicious dishes to make and feel cool with fresh fruit. One of my last culinery food dishes this season was a fabulous nectarine tart.

This is really "as good as it looks" and not sugary sweet, the natural sweetness of the nectarines come shining through. A lovely simple crust and a thin cream center topping the fruit with a low-sugar jam keeps your diabetic counter in check.

Nice, sweet, ripe fruit is key to the best flavor. Keep this in mind for next season. Buy your fruit at its peak when the grocery store puts it on sale. They do that because there is usually an abundance as the fruit is ripening quickly and they need to move it and not keep it in cold storage, (especially the deciduous fruit---which are peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums). Or, if you happen to have a tree with fruit, there are untold ways to use it and keep it either by freezing or canning; then you'll have great fruit through the fall and maybe winter.

For this tart, I tried to imagine what cookie flavors would work with the nectarines. Ginger of course would be a natural and vanilla works with most everything. So, not to overpower the fruit, I chose to mix part ginger cookies and part vanilla cookies. I went to one of my favorite stores, (Trader Joe's) and picked up a container of Madagascar vanilla cookies and a tub of those wonderful chewy three ginger cookies. Now if you are having a bad day, this is a good recipe. If you are having a good day, this is a great recipe. If it's a bad day, use a hammer or as I had to, the handle of a flashlight! (I was at our cabin and didn't have a food processor or a blender). Put the cookies in a bag and "bang" away and crumble up the cookies. The result will tell if you had a good day or bad depending on how fine your crumbs become!!! Mix in about 1/4 cup of melted butter to the cookie crumbs and voila, your crust is ready for the tart pan. The 9" removable tart pan is perfect but you can use whatever you have in that approximate size. You will then put the crust into the oven while you prepare the cream center. The cream center will consist of three smooth dairy items, mascarpone cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. Here again, you can choose your "poison" and use whatever your palate says to you. I used "light" on the sour cream and cream cheese with no deletion of flavor. The crust needs to be completely cooled before you pour in the cream mixture. The creams also need to be at room temperature when you mix them together.

Once the cream filling is spread over the cooled crust, then thiny slice your nectarines, (you, of course could use peaches, skinned or not, which ever you prefer) and arrange in a circular position. Use your favorite peach or apricot jelly, or jam and warm it in the microwave so it is a little runny and pour it over the top of the fruit.

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Devour!

Until next season, I say farewell to the sweet nectarine.

Brazilian Cheese Bread

2011-03-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

A BLOG DEVOTED TO THESE LITTLE

MORSELS OF CHEWY GOODNESS

My last blog on Valentine's dinner should have also included these lovely little puffs of goodness. We also had included these with our dinner. They were such a big hit that we just can't resist making them as often as possible.

It all began when Rick and I were on a business trip to Texas. While in Houston we went to a Brazilian restaurant which served these little chewy cheesy popovers. I was so intrigued with the texture so I had to ask what they were called. The nice waiter explained to me what they were and what was in them and that I could find the recipe on the web. So, the search was on! I found several recipes and then came upon one that seemed the most like what we had enjoyed. I shared them with our Friday night culinary buddies and we made them for dinner. We both (secretly) made them again the following week; they were so good.

Since, they have become a staple for bread for soup, salad, a fancy meal or even breakfast. The secret ingredient is tapioca flour and you can actually use any kind of cheese you'd like. We also determined that you could make up a batch in the regular muffin tin instead of the mini tins and then stuff them with either a savory or a sweet filling for a luncheon or a fancy dessert. These wonderful little morsels are also gluten free as they are made with tapioca flour.

If you are interested in the recipe, let me know. It is five ingredients and you put it all in a blender, mix it up and pour it into the muffin pans, bake them and then eat them all up!

Fun Times

2011-03-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

February and March have been filled with fun times, great friends and fantastic food. The first big event was our annual Valentine's dinner shared with our good friends each year. We prepare a fun and fabulous meal for our sweeties. This year was extra memorable since the power went out after we had eaten dinner. So, our dessert was consumed by candlelight. How fun is that?

The beginning of March we celebrated our good friend's 65th birthday in Lake Arrowhead. What a beautiful and relaxing time that was. A special birthday meal was prepared for him (and we all joined him in filling our stomachs).

An Irish meal came next giving us an excuse to serve corned beef and cabbage alongside homemade Irish soda bread ending with a phenomenal spiced gingerbread topped with Guiness dark carmel sauce and a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Our Valentine dinner consisted of bacon wrapped filet, hasselback potatoes, grilled tomatos stuffed with broccolini, fresh fruit salad with grated whole cinnamon and grated whole nutmeg. A special spicy shrimp cocktail was the opening dish.

First we had to set a pretty table for the special meal......

....now to start the food prep...

Berries had to be marinated for the special dessert

Spicy shrimp cocktails chilling out

Stuffed tomatoes

topped with bleu cheese

Hasselback potatoes

Fresh fruit salad with cinnamon and nutmeg

The star of the evening---bacon wrapped filet

AND THE SWEET ENDING

Another fantastic Valentine dinner

enjoyed by all.

Next event.....coming up

Going Green....

2011-03-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

....or orange or whatever color you like.

So, I was reading a health magazine last weekend while relaxing at Lake Arrowhead with friends. I found a smoothie recipe that was green using spinach, fruit and a touch of yogurt. It sorta intrigued me and I thought I am going to try that when I get home. After work I picked up some spinach and fresh pineapple, green grapes and headed for the house. I, of course, had to change up the recipe a little. When I opened my refrigerator I remembered that I had a big box of fresh basil sitting there. Hmmm, now basil is a part of the mint family, so why not? I love basil and I've used it in fruit salad in the past, so in a smoothie in place of the spinach this time, go for it. I also added some strawberries I had and fresh squeezed orange juice, banana and some ice cubes.

Oh my......how delish! The basil was a fantastic added flavor. I will make this again and use basil. I will also be making the spinach version soon as well. Just think of all the vitamins and minerals that smoothie will have.

Now you could call that your St. Patrick's smoothie.

You could throw together some other fruit and just have a fresh homemade fruit smoothie so the fruit in the refrigerator doesn't begin to grow anything green on it!

Tonight a cold fruit smoothie just sounded good and refreshing as a dessert. I simply threw a mango, banana, strawberries, grapes, fresh squeezed orange juice and some ice cubes into the blender and hit the button.

Sooooooo yummy!

This is the orange fruite smoothie! Such original names, huh?

DRINK UP, FRESH AND HEALTHY.

Coming soon.....special events menus.

Meatless Protein

2011-02-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking or eating meat so you look to other foods that will give you the protein that you need. Beans and grains are good sources for that. I love beans in almost every form. Also, a great little grain that cooks so quickly and simply is a complete protein. It contains fiber, calcium, iron and amino acids. Now what more could you ask? You can cook this and serve it in so many different ways and not even mess up your stove!

So, the other night, I decided to cook up a couple cups of red quinoa and you know it puffed up and made quite a bit....more than two people could eat in one meal or even two. I took the leftover and put it in the refrigerator. The next night I just wanted a nice crisp salad but also wanted to use the quinoa because I really like the taste and consistency of the quinoa and it had a nice color.

Here's what I did...

I started with 1 can of black beans, to it I added 2 cups frozen corn, (still frozen); to that I added 1/2 cup of finely diced red onion. I stirred this up. Then I cut up an avocado into little chunks and added that to the veggie mixture. I added a small amount---maybe a 1/4 cup of homemade dressing that I had in the refrigerator. I folded this together very carefully so as not to mash the avocado.

Now, I took the qunioa and tossed it with a small amount of olive oil, zest of one lime and a dash of salt and pepper. At this point you can add some chopped cilantro or parsley whichever you like the best. You can also add small grape or cherry tomatoes or any other veggies you enjoy to add some crunch or color.

The final product ended up with a nice bed of spring greens as the foundation of the dish, adding a half cup of red quinoa next and topping off the dish with the bean and veggie mixture.

This was such a beautiful and colorful fresh salad loaded with protein from the beans and the quinoa with no fat!

YUM-YUM-YUM

Feeling Nostalgic!

2010-09-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Challenge should be my middle name. I love a challenge no matter what it is. My Bible Study group challenges me as I am always trying to be the devil's advocate and anticipate questions that some might have. I love challenges at work....between environmental and communications.....that is an endless challenge to keep up with changes and the current regs or products. Then comes my cooking....I challenge myself all the time to find special recipes for friends and their dietary needs; challenges to change great tasting recipes that contain items that I can't eat or my hubby doesn't do well with. Also, I love to challenge myself to use leftovers from one meal to make another great meal....not just warm up the same meal. Many times certain dishes actually taste better the next day because the flavors have had a chance to really marry. So, don't get me wrong, I LOVE leftovers especially when I can take them for lunch and have a great tasting and great looking meal that the whole office can smell as I heat it up!

But, tonight I made a meal using a leg of lamb which I had cut off pieces to make a lamb shish-ka-bob meal a while ago. Once I cut off the pieces I needed, I carefully packaged the remainder which included the bone and froze it, labeled it and planned to use to for a roasted leg of lamb dinner. Well, that dinner was tonight. It's a long slow roast, so today was a perfect day for me to do this.

Preparing the meat for roasting couldn't be simpler. First, I thawed the meat, dried it with a paper towel (this is something I always do with meat, it helps to give a much better sear rather than a steam) and then rubbed it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Prior to prepping the lamb, I weighed it so I would know which pot to use. I heated up my wonderful orange-red LeCreuset pot, (I love those pots, they not only cook great, but they clean like a dream). Once the pot was hot enough I put the lamb in the pot and seared it well on all sides.

The smell of searing meat wafting through the house is so inviting. Once the sear was complete, I removed the meat and added white wine (leftover from a chicken recipe) and some water. I stirred and scraped the pot for all the goodies on the bottom of the pan. While this was steaming I went outside to my herb garden and snipped fresh rosemary and thyme. I cut a whole garlic in half skin and all, placed all the herbs along with some bay leaves in the bottom of the pot, replaced the leg of lamb on top of all the herbs and placed the lid on the top. It was time to go into the pre-heated oven. Two and a half hours later it was ready. The lamb was then placed on a plate to rest while I strained the liquid to heat and reduce for an au jus.

While the meat cooked, I just had a hankering for thousand island dressing on my salad and also wanted to cook carrots. So, I decided that this was becoming a nostalgic family meal. The lamb is one of my mom's favorites, the thousand island dressing I made from scratch which is how my auntie always made it and the carrots were prepared with butter and cinnamon which my cousin and I call "granny's carrots". It seemed like I was going down memory lane. Boy, is that dressing good....I love the tartness that I add with red wine vinegar.

I can taste this just by looking at it!

Auntie's thousand island dressing...

"Granny's carrots"

With this one piece of lamb I was able to prepare two simple meals and also incorporate leftover wine from another dish. A couple weeks ago I made a whole roasted chicken and then have made four different variations using some of the leftovers; in fact I have another part of that meal as a leftover which I can use for a fifth meal! This is so much fun. Less food goes down the drain or in the garbage can while trying to create something different from something already cooked.

Nostalgia makes me think of not wasting anything and eating everything on your plate!

Flax and Flex

2010-08-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone is concerned about nutrition and health these days, right? We all like to have something to pick up and snack on that tastes good but is also healthy. I have just the answer.

Flax seed and flax seed oil is a good source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and is great for helping to keep cholesterol in check. Eating flax can also help flex those muscles as we exercise, too. So flax and flex can work together very well. Oats, almonds and blueberries also add some health benefits, too.

Instead of buying granola bars and power bars, why not try making some of your own. It's easy and so chewy and yummy you'll be making them a regular snack and they also work well as a cereal!

TRY THEM, YOU'LL LOVE THEM!

Bake in a smaller pan and cut into bars

Bake in a larger pan (as shown above) and break into pieces for snacking or cereal

I personally love the chewiness of the dried fruit. I use unsweetened, unsulfured

cranberries, dark cherries and blueberries. You can use whatever fruit you like best...

BUT

...remember that BLUEBERRIES are high in antioxidants!!!

Recipe upon request.

Summer is time for FRESH fruit

2010-08-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

For me summer means juicy ripe fruit that runs down your arm when you start cutting it. I just can never get enough fresh peaches, berries, cantaloupe, melons and pineapple. When they are in season, nice and ripe they usually are put on special and are so flavorful. I've learned to purchase one or two items when they first go on sale and make sure that they are tasty and fresh and not pithy or mushy. Then I will gather up as much as I can and plan menus which will use the fruit. One of my favorite things to do for a quick cool meal is to put together a big fruit salad and dress it with a non-fat yogurt dressing. I've even branched out and added a touch of fresh basil for a little "gourmet" touch. After all, basil is in the mint family and I will add mint to the dressing.

Choose the freshest of ingredients
berries are a great source of nutrition

Don't be afraid to try something different
a nice ripe avocado (which is a fruit)
adds a great little texture

Non-fat plain yogurt with a tablespoon of honey, juice of a lime and fresh mint

Fresh fruit dressed with the yogurt dressing

YUM, YUM, YUM......this was so good, I always make extra so I have some for lunch the next day. This works great. I put it in a glass jar and the yogurt keeps it moist and fresh.

TRY IT SOMETIME, YOU JUST MIGHT LIKE IT!

K.I.S.S.

2010-07-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

K.I.S.S. usually refers to "Keep It Simple Stupid". That is exactly what I did this evening. I try to plan out my meals for a few days at least and shop quite often so I have the freshest ingredients (and also so they don't go bad before I get to them). You know how the best laid plans can sometimes go by the wayside? I had planned to make an easy salad with homemade bleu cheese dressing and then cut up cantaloupe and wrap it in proscuitto. Sounded great and would have been if I hadn't forgotten to purchase the proscuitto! So, plan B...there is always a plan in the back of my head. No meat, just salad, or use something else that would sorta substitue for the proscuitto. Now, I just so happened to have bought some maple bacon, (it was on sale) and it came to me....BLTA salad! It was so simple and it was delicious. I even adjusted the dressing to be low cal...well, remember we did have some bacon. So, I cooked up the bacon and drained it twice while it was cooking and then put it on a paper towel to catch all the excess fat. Then I tore two type of lettuce and washed and spun them in my handy salad spinner..(I love that tool; I don't know why I waited until now to get one). Next, I cut up a home grown tomato, avocado and a little finely diced red onion.

While the bacon was cooking, I prepared the dressing which consisted of bleu cheese, a little light mayo, non-fat plain yogurt, non-fat milk, a drizzle of champagne vinegar, salt and pepper. Who says you have to use heavy cream and whole milk! This dressing was great.

My hubby said he could eat this dish every night. It was amazingly filling that we never even got to the cantaloupe....another meal coming up.

This was the perfect ending to a VERY crazy and busy day.

Enjoy the process.

It's All Greek To Me

2010-01-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

Can I say, "Yum, yum, yum?" Our Friday night dinner last night was outstanding. It all began the week before as my Friday night cooking mate was looking through my newest Food Network magazine and she kept exclaiming, "oh, wow, yum, ummmm!" It left us with so many options, it might be hard to decide what to prepare for this week. Alas, when push came to shove we chose the lamb dish. What wonderful timing as I watched one of my all time favorites, Ina as in the Barefoot Contessa, to see that she was cooking up a Greek feast. I adapted the Tzatziki and her Greek salad to compliment our roasted tomatoes and fennel and lamb on a bed of white beans. Timing once again came about when my husband delivered a bag full of freshly picked hothouse cucumbers from a client who grows them here in the valley. There was no question that Greek it would have to be.

We gathered the ingredients that I had in my cupboards and then formulated our grocery list for the remaining items we needed and hit the store. Our shopping was an interesting exercise when we could only find packages of five lamb chops and we only needed four. Then we wanted to purchase six tomatoes, but all the boxes only had five in them. Little did we know that we would have a surprise guest joining us for dinner and we would not have to fight over the fifth lamb chop! Amazing how the Lord knew all this before we did and HE mulitiplied our portions to have plenty with leftovers!

GREEK MENU

FRIDAY NIGHT

DINNER

Champagne Cheese

Tzatziki with Pita Crackers

Greek Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

Roasted Tomato and Fennel Veggies

Lamb Chops on a bed of White Beans

Sweet Blood Orange Garnish
Tiramisu

Dessert was not typical for a Greek meal but it was necessary for me to try this recipe and see how I will "tweeck" it for an event I will be doing in a couple months. Tiramisu was served in large red wine goblets and it was as tasty as it was pleasing to the eye. I will, however, make a few slight adjustments to the recipe.

Let's get started with the prep. First and foremost, you will be happiest and the flavors will be the best if you can use the freshest ingredients. Instead of using canned beans my culinery sidekick had soaked the dry white beans the night before, drained off that water and cooked them with salt and a couple bay leaves the following morning. No matter what the directions state, it takes many, many hours to cook the beans so they are tender enough to put on a plate. The lamb chops were setting at room temperature during our prep of the other ingredients. Meat takes a better sear if it is at room temperature rather than right from the refrigerator. Also, a very hot skillet also gives the chops beautiful color and flavor and truly sears and seals in the juices and flavors as opposed to steaming it. You should also pat your meat with a paper towel to remove any excess water to attain the nice brown crust you want.

Time to begin the appetizer so the flavors will have a little time to marry themselves together and since it is the first course, it was the appropriate dish to prep. Wash, dry, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds from the hothouse cucumbers by using a spoon and scrapping down the middle of the cucumber. Using a fine grater grate the cucumber over a bowl and allow the juice to enter the bowl as well. Main ingredients are Greek yogurt, sour cream, freshly squeezed lemon juice, white wine vinegar, fresh dill, garlic, and salt and pepper. Add all these ingredients and mix well. This can be served with pita chips, crackers or toasted pita bread. Refreshment will fill your palate as you savor this dip which is also figure friendly.

Prep the tomatoes and fennel for roasting and finish the beans with some fresh toasted garlic, fresh oregano and parmesan cheese.

Cut up the veggies, herbs and feta cheese for the Greek salad and then mix up the dressing being sure to emulsify the liquid ingredients. Pour over salad and smell the freshness and taste the crispness in the fresh veggies. Always sample your dishes before serving them to be certain you didn't mistake the sugar for salt or mix up the proportion of oil and vinegar!

Prep the chops as stated above, dust with kosher salt and cracked pepper and anticipate the sizzle as you place them in the pan.

Our resident wine steward chose a lovely Syrah to compliment the menu which was dy-no-mite!

Dessert was quite a hit as well. I'll post it step by step once I revamp it a little.

For a mouth watering Greek Mediterranian meal, look no further!

Cold Winter Nights

2010-01-05T20:19:00.000-08:00

Well, fans, (like I have millions), I'm back to blogging meals. At least I will try to post a few as often as possible. I have been taking pictures of most of my creations as I cook; however, I just haven't found the time to sit and compose anything interesting to read. So, here goes!

With the nice cold winter nights (and some foggy ones) we are beginning or continuing to experience, the heartbeat of warm comfy soups, stews and chilis which just can't be beat. I have a favorite chili recipe that I love so much, I always make up enough so I can freeze it and pull it out whenever I want it. You can imagine the disappointment I felt when I had my mouth watering for it and realized we had eaten it all up a while ago. It is so good that I love taking it to work for lunch and warming it up in the microwave and make everyone around me jealous with the wafting aroma. What is especially nice about this recipe is that you can doctor it up depending on your taste buds at the moment just by changing up a few items. Use hot Italian sausage for a little more zip; use mild sausage, flavored or not for variety. Go a little heavier on the spices or pull back if you have a mild palate. Either way, the final result will be pleasing to anyone.

When I started to prepare this dish, I was so anxious to just get it going that I omitted taking pictures. What I will post will be the final result. If you think you just can't live without the recipe, I'll be happy to send it to you. You start out with ground turkey, (you can use beef if you like, I just always use turkey because I prefer it); you add sausage (without the casing), your aromatics, spices, tomatoes, wine and beans. With the beans, you can also change that up to your liking. I prefer to mix black beans and kidney beans. You can throw in any combination you like. Just know that the bouquet will have the salivary glands of anyone within 500 feet jumping. Here's the end product and don't forget, you have to put some up (I always use glass jars) for later or lunch!

Of course, you can always finish it off with some cheese of your choice. I just happen to have a lovely slice of gouda which I dropped in the bowl and my favorite "dollop" is Greek yogurt.

You might also be very surprised that this is an extremely healthy dish and who isn't watching

out for their health and their waistline?

ENJOY!

Non-Cooking Recipe

2009-10-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have had time to post anything. I've certainly been cooking up a storm, though. I'm really getting excited about fall cooking; soups, stews, chili and one-pot meals. There are so many instructionals and tips that I want to share.

But.........my latest "special" recipe has been cooking for nine months!

Our very own little Ellie Grace ia a sweet little bundle of JOY!

She joined our family on October 13, 2009 at 4:03p.m.

We are truly blessed to have a wonderful two-year old grandson and now a beautiful little granddaughter.

Be watching for some upcoming posts as I can get to the computer!

Plan Ahead

2009-09-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, planning can make cooking and everyday life so much easier. Make it a fun time, a relaxing time when you can just set aside a little bit of time and think through some menus that utilize some of the same ingredients and you can be on your road to easy meal preparation. Some days (or nights) you may need to prepare a little more but then you will have it ready for the next night or so as a totally new interesting dish instead of just "leftovers".

You remember the fish tacos I prepared about a week ago, well, since I am only cooking for the two of us, I had enough leftovers to take that dish to work for lunch later in the week. One of the leftover ingredients from the fish tacos was the tortilla. I don't like to overeat, but I hate worse to waste food, so I try to think of ways to use ingredients that will spoil in a different preparation. Last night I decided I would do several things. First, I would use the tortillas and make homemade tortilla chips to go with my tortilla soup and I would also cook extra chicken and have it ready for another dish which is Asian inspired with cellophane noodles.

Out came one of my favorite kitchen utensils, my big Le Creuset pot, next my most valuable utensil, my Wüsthof knives. I'll save this for another post, but having the greatest kitchen tools can make your time in the kitchen easier and much more fun. Let's start cooking...first I heated my pot with some olive oil and then cut up the chicken into bite size pieces. I then browned the chicken with a little salt and pepper in the hot oil. It is important that the pot be hot and the chicken dry. If your protein is wet it will steam instead of brown. You want to hear it sizzle when you put it in the pot.

Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside. It will be used for this dish as well as my other dish later.

Next, prep your veggies that you will sautè.

Now you start adding your liquid ingredients and spices.After the liquid ingredients and spices have been added, stir it up a bit and let it simmer, simmering always starts to bring the flavors together. I chose to use one of my fun birthday gifts and at this point I placed my new immersion blender in the pot and began blending the ingredients so there was still some texture but no big pieces of any particular ingredient. This is why I removed the chicken and didn't add the corn and parsley until later.

Next, I added lime juice, and chopped parsley, stirred and then corn and the cooked chicken.

You now have this lovely blend of fresh veggies, herbs and lean chicken. Simmer for a little bit while you finish toasting the tortilla chips, cut up some avocado and I like to use Greek plain yogurt...love the tart and thick creaminess that it brings to the dish.

Lightly salted with kosher salt homemade chips with

leftover tortillas.

YUM! ENJOY!

PRETTY AS A PICTURE.

Such a wonderful meal, high in nutrients and low in fat and calories.

Remember we have to make the next dish with the leftover chicken which I store in glass jars and freeze until ready to use. I also had two quarts of the tortilla soup that I also froze for a quick meal some night.

Bon Appétit!

Some like it hot and some do not

2009-09-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

What shall I make for dinner tonight....I talk to myself from time to time asking questions about what food sounds good to me at the moment. Shrimp, that's what it will be, a shrimp dish. So, the hunt began to find something different to do with shrimp besides, grilling, broiling or serving it over pasta. My search concluded with a lovely Thai flavored dish of shrimp over basmati rice. As usual, I could not stick with the recipe as written so I put a little twist on it. Right from the start I knew I had to change it up a bit as it began with heating peanut oil and serving it with peanuts. Having a fierce allergic reaction to peanuts and peanut oil, I stay as far from them as possible. This brings up a very important point that I hope you can adopt as it will make for more interesting meals and less frustration. The more you cook and the more you study about foods and sometimes just your personal taste, you will realize that you don't have to make a recipe word for word. Half the fun of cooking something is changing it up, making it your own and having it taste divine. So, don't get discouraged if you see a recipe that looks wonderful, but there are ingredients in it that you don't like or don't think you like...change it up! You can always make substitutions. If you ever wonder if one ingredient would work for another or you could use a different herb or spice, send me a note and I'll tell you what I know about it. Maybe that will help you decide you can make something extra special and have it be your OWN creation.

Once again, another Food Network chef was my hero on this dish. This originated from Tyler Florence in his book Tyler's Ultimate. I did make several revisions which I will share in my next post. Today, I will show you some of the first ingredients that go into this dish and then the final product and see if you know what all the ingredients on the cutting board are.

What do you think these four items are?

...and the finished dish...

I'll be back later with the answers to the four ingredients and the step by step of this dish...remember some like it hot and some do not!

Bon Appétit!

Fish Tacos

2009-09-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yup, last night it was fish tacos. This recipe is on the Food Network site. Now, I had to go to World Market to find some of the spices but I was successful and they are much more reasonably priced than the grocery store, if you can find them. You will find out, (if you don't already know) that I am a Food Network fanatic. That is about all I watch on TV...what else is there?!?

This meal was inspired by going to http://www.foodnetwork.com/. I'm always checking out recipes that I've seen on various programs. If you remember at the end of last season's "The Next Food Network Star", Melissa and Jeffrey were the finalists. I will tell you that I personally voted for Melissa and have enjoyed preparing some of her dishes and enjoy listening to her helpful hints. However, Jeffrey also had a great point of view on food and cooks up some fabulous food. Well, apparently the Food Network felt that he had merit and they have given him some little video spots on their web site. Of course, I had to watch them and I have planned to make every single dish he showed. You can watch these by going to their web page and then searching Jeffrey Saad and clicking on his videos and you can also get the recipe.

My interpretation of his fish taco recipe differs just slightly. I seldom do a recipe exactly how it is written. I'll explain what I did differently and show you some step by step pictures of the dish.

I did use tillapia as the recipe suggested. It is such a nice mild white fish and goes well with the spicy mole sauce. I did NOT use the whole 1/2 cup of chili paste. I only used 1/3 cup. If you like it hot, go for the whole amount. After the fish is cooked and set aside then you make the mole sauce.

I used cabbage instead of lettuce since I like cabbage with fish tacos better.

Nice flakey, crisp fish. You actually put the tortillas on the open flame on your gas stove (if you have gas!) It is very cool.

They were very yummy and quite satisfying. Crispy fish, crunchy cabbage and a little kick from the mole sauce. Remember if you have trouble finding the recipe, let me know and I'll send you the page.

Time to pull tonight's meal together......Bon Appétit!

Ready or not...

2009-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

here I come...this has been a while in the making...years and years actually!

Creating has always been a part of who I am, designing wardrobes, decorating with complimentary and split complimentary colors has been a love of mine from the time I was a little girl playing dress designer. So, it seems only natural now that I have more time and a distinguised palate that preparing and displaying eye appealing dishes would become my niche. Oh, need I also mention that my camera has become an added appendage!

Let's go back about a little over 25 years since this is where the passion began taking shape and little did any of us know that we were beginning a life-long tradition of sharing, preparing and eating together every Friday night.

With time and resources in short demand in those days, my husband and I would gather whatever we could find in our refrigerator and pair it together with the remains in our friend's refrigerator and we would come up with a meal that was quite creative. We would even splurge during the holidays and I can remember the fragrance of chocolate as we (all four) made homemade truffles. I can smell and taste them as I write this.

Food challenges also crept into our meals as we had to deal with various dietary needs of more than one person. The challenge was a welcomed addition to our food prep. We now were trying recipes and "changing them up" so they would be tasty as well as healthy.

As the years quickly rolled by, our son was now in college at Cal Poly. This brought another dimension to our cooking. We began to explore the world of wines from the planting, growing, harvesting, crushing and bottling to the pairing to food and the use in many dishes.

As our families grew we then had the opportunity to meld our food styles so everyone would enjoy a meal. Since becoming more comfortable and proficient in the kitchen I enjoy entertaining with dishes that are first eye catching and then mouth watering. I especially love the chance to prepare a menu for someone who has specific tastes or needs and see the smile on their face when they are savouring the flavors.

My newest addition to my food prep has been planting an herb garden. This was an inspriation I received from my daughter-in-law who had several herb boxes outside her apartment when they were first married. It wasn't very long after seeing those that my husband and I began our own herb garden. This has been one of the most rewarding pleasures to be able to walk outside and snip fresh just what you need for a dish!

Phones calls from my daughter regarding menus, dishes, or simply, "Can I do this", or "How much of that" continue to inspire me to keep trying new foods, spices and finding new recipes.

This blog has become a reality thanks to many of my close friends and family as well as many, many long-time friends who have been encouraging me to start a cooking blog. Thank you to all of you who believe in me and trust me for cooking advice. I would invite culinery questions and if I don't know the answer, I will certainly try to find a suitable one that will help you enjoy cooking and eating as much as I do.

Bon Appétit!