The Most Beautiful Salad In History

Ok, perhaps an overstatement. No ...second thought, it's not. At least not from my perspective. But its not just beautiful, NO SIR-ee it is delicious to boot! According to Ree from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks " (which is where I found this recipe) it is SUBLIME! Do, I agree? Would I go as far as to call it sublime? That would be a resounding HECK YEAH!
I am sure that it does not hurt that this is the first "spring is here, summer is on it's way" dish I have made this year. Chock full of beautiful produce in all the colors of the rainbow. Oh how I LOVE summer! But what makes this salad is the Dressing. The Pioneer Woman has found the perfect ..."did you hear me?" I said PERFECT balance in this recipe. You can change any of the vegetables you like in this dish but don' t DARE change the dressing. I promise you, you won't be sorry. If you have read this blog more than a few times you will know that is a pretty strong statement coming from me. I am usually all about making a recipe your own. BUT DON'T!
You can use any veggies you like in any amounts. I will tell you I used A BUNCH! I also only used a half a pound of dried linguine where the recipe called for a whole pound. Let me tell you this makes a ton! I would not have had a bowl big enough to fit a whole lb. The mixture of veggies I used incorporates all the beautiful colors of nature. If you don't like something leave it out or substitute it for something else but be mindful of the colors. Remember, you taste with your eyes first.

Asian Noodle Salad

adapted from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks"

Salad
1 bunch-Boc choy
1 small head Nappa Cabbage
1 Small head Purple cabbage
1 each-Red,yellow, orange pepper
4 Green onions
1 bag Baby spinach (washed and dried)
Small container of bean sprouts (mung beans)
1/2-1 lb linguine noodles
3/4 of a of Bunch cilantro , roughly chopped (about 1/4 will go in dressing)

Dressing
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBS Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TBS fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 hot peppers, finely chopped (serrano or jalepeno)
Cilantro
Cashews (optional)

Cook Linguine according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cool water and drain again.
Whisk together ingredients for dressing and set aside.

Thinly slice cabbages and place in to VERY large bowl. Julienne peppers, thinly slice white and green part of scallions and add to cabbage, Add remaining salad ingredients and linguine.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Top with cashews if desired.

Notes: As this salad sits the veggies begin to wilt and lose a little of their wonderful crunch. It is still very good this way but not nearly as pretty. If you are making this ahead don't toss everything together until you are ready to serve. Mix together veggies and place in large ziplock bag. Mix a few tablespoons of dressing with linguine (this will keep it from sticking together) and store in another ziplock bag. Immediately before serving toss veggies, linguine and dressing together.

A Ray Of Sunshine On A Cloudy Trip

Though I have mentioned all the BAD parts of my trip up north, I have not told you about any of the good parts. Yes, honestly there were some good parts. I got to see all of my immediate family along with some of my extended family including my cousin whom I have not seen in about 10 years! Considering I was in Indiana for less than 48 hours that is quite an accomplishment!

As I mentioned before, I went to Dayton, Ohio to see one of my best friends (who I have not seen for 2 yrs) on my way to Indy. Now I have LOTS of "best friends. " But she is one of only two, that knows ALL my secrets. Mostly because she like the other one, was my partner in crime in many of those secrets. These are the kind of friends that you will always be friends with because it's too dangerous not to be!

Besides our "wild youth" (relatively speaking) one of the things we share is that we are both Foodies. We have an unriveled love of unique flavors and textures and willingness to try just about anything.

During the 2 1/2 days I was there we did some major eating. One of the places she took me (twice actually) was a small independant resturant called "The Medowlark" She had raved about it! But when we pulled into the parking lot of a non-descript strip mall my heart sank a little. That lasted about 2 mins (the time it took us to park and walk inside) here, hidden in this strip mall was certainately a treasure!

Inside the decor was a charming beatnik,alternative, funky modern art conglomeration. Unique cloth napkins and placemats at each table.The employees matched the decor and so did the food!
The menu, is somewhat small and changes seasonally. It touts mostly salad, sanwiches and soups and read like poetry. No generic terms like mouthwatering, delicious... blah, blah, blah. It gave beautiful discriptions of the fresh,wonderful cheeses and vegetables and spices. There was no need to ask for explanation of any dish, you could imagine exactly what it would taste like just by reading ...no wait you could "almost imagine" because it tasted EVEN BETTER!

There were so many wonderful things there like a grilled portabella sandwich topped with roasted red peppers and Brie grilled to perfection on a beautiful Rye bread. Roasted tomato soup with basil. Garlic Frites with home made catsup (sure to be the topic of a future post). I could go on and on! But, since it is a 10 hour drive it would only serve to torture you. But believe me, if it were not for the cold weather and snow. I would consider moving to Dayton just to be able to eat at this resturant!

One of the dishes I had there was a beautiful beet salad with goat cheese which is half of the inspiration for todays post. The other half is a Ina Garten recipe that I found on Food Network. This sort of a fusion of both. The colors are so bold an lovely. It makes a great presentation that would be perfect for a dinner party or luncheon.

Beets tend to be a "love' em or hate' em" Food. Many people do not like the "earthy" flavor they have. But, the orange and vinegar in this recipe cuts through that and gives them a fresh, bright flavor!

I had originally planned on roasting fresh beets (which I have never done) for this; but, Ina's recipe called for canned beets. If canned beets are good enough for the Contessa, darnit they are good enough for me!

Orange Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

2-15 oz cans of sliced beets,drained
1/4 cup Raspberry Vinegar
1/4 cup Freshly squeezed Orange juice
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 large seedless orange
4 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Wisk together Vinegar, orange juice and olive oil salt and pepper. Place beets and onions in a bowl and pour mixture over top. Toss lightly, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Immediately before serving zest orange and set zest aside. Remove remainder of peel and with a sharp knife remove as much of white pith as possible. Segment oranges.

With a slotted spoon remove beets and onions from vinaigrette and arrange on individual serving plates. Drizzle a small amount of the vinaigrette over top. Divide orange segments between each plate and arrange on top of beets. Break up goat cheese into small clumps and arrange on each plate. Grind additional black pepper over entire salad. Top each with orange zest and sprinkle with walnuts.

Notes: For a more substatial dish you could also serve this on a bed of spinach or field greens adding a bit more of the vinaigrette to flavor the greens.

Fear of Phyllo

I vowed years ago, after a completely botched attempt that I would never EVER again try to cook with phyllo dough. When I say botched .....I mean botched! I can't remember what I was trying to make but I do remember that after much frustration and colorful expletives, the whole lot ended up in the trash can. But, never say never!

My friend Savanna (and my personal resource for Greek food) has assured me over and over that it's not that hard and she will show me how to handle it. But there never seems to be enough hours in the day. Her advice? Butter, lots and lots and LOTS of butter and keep the phyllo moist by placing a damp towel over it. Sounds messy and like a lot of work.

My friend Sandy finally convinced me to give it a try for her when I visited this summer. Actually, she sort of tricked me. She began telling me about this "spinach pie" her Hungarian neighbor made and that I should try it. So we went to her to get the recipe and that is when I realized it was Spanakopita...you know ...stuff made with PHYLLO! She assured me that "its not hard at all" I skeptically looked over the recipe. The first thing I noticed is that instead of using butter, she used butter flavored pan spray. The second was that this was made as a casserole which means no cutting or folding of the phyllo (traditionally Spanakopita is made into individual triangles). Hmmm... OK, I will take the challenge!

So, I have made this twice now. The first time I followed her recipe exactly and had a nice finished dish; though, a little bland for my taste. In her defense. English is not her first language and she never uses a "recipe" so it is quite possible that though she painstakingly wrote out a recipe for me, that something was missed or lost in the translation. She also talked a lot about finding "good feta"and I used the brand I found in the grocery store which may be a lot less flavorful than what she uses.

My second attempt I was more confident and I researched some different recipes and of course added my own twist to it. So, I don't claim that this is authentic Greek or Hungarian. But it is pretty tasty. I do think at some point I will try it with the butter thing because when I asked my friend Savanna what she thought about it and if it tasted like it should. She said her only advice would be to "use more butter".

The things you want to remember before starting this recipe is to keep the phyllo moist. Though it seems painfully tedious you must keep it covered with a damp towel. I recommend taking what you will use for each layer out from under the towel at a time (about 6 sheets). The other is plan to use nearly a whole can of butter spray for this dish. The alternative is using melted butter (not sure how much but I am guessing at least a whole stick possibly more) and brushing it on the layers with a pastry brush. .

Spanakopita
2-10 oz Pkgs Frozen chopped spinach
1 pkg phyllo dough(comes 2 pkgs to a box)
1 TBS Olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic,minced
1 lb crumbled feta cheese
1/2 Parmesan cheese (no powdered stuff)
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best)
4 eggs,beaten

1 can butter flavored pan spray

Thaw phyllo (in sealed pkg) for about 30 min. on counter. Thaw spinach (or defrost in microwave). Squeeze spinach dry as possible in a clean kitchen towel.

In a large skillet heat oil. Add onions and saute for 1 minute. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Turn off heat. Stir in spinach, feta, parmesan and sundried tomatoes. Add beaten eggs, lemon, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix well.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 glass casserole dish with pan spray.

Open phyllo dough and unfold onto counter. Cover with damp kitchen towel. Remove 6 sheets of phyllo and place on top of towel.

Place 1 layer of phyllo dough in dish. Spray phyllo evenly and completely with pan spray(don't forget edges). Repeat with 5 remaining sheets. Spread half of spinach mixture on top of phyllo.

Repeat 6 sheet phyllo layer, repeat spinach layer and finish with additional 6 sheet phyllo layer.

Bake for 40-45 min until top is golden brown. Let cool for about 15 min before cutting into squares. May be served slightly warm or at room temperature. This is best served immediately for a nice crispy texture. It may be refrigerated and reheated in microwave for a few seconds. It will still be tasty but will lose the crunch.

 

Well, Butter My Ears!

As I am sure you guessed, I did not reveal the full menu of my BBQ to you on the last post. Thought I would stretch it out a little. I didn't want overwhelm you with too much goodness in one post. OK, yeah I was being lazy! Busted!

Have you tried grilling corn on the cob? If you haven't you DEFINATELY should! Grilling really brings out the sweetness in the corn and a little char on it? ...yum! If you already grill your corn hold on. I have a recipe (if you use the term really loosely) for you that will Knock your socks off! Chilli Lime Butter! It takes about 30 seconds to make and takes corn on the cob to a new level. Of course you can put it on corn that you cook by any method but really, try grilling it.

I have seen this several times in different places. I always thought it sounded good but had just not got around to making. I didn't think my daughter would like it but her reaction was something like this "mmph butter ..mmmphf Good Mmph! Translation:Oh man! That butter is really good Mom! (said with her mouth full of corn)

Grilled Corn with Chilli Lime Butter

Corn still in husks ( 1 , no better make 2 for each person)
1/2 stick Butter room temperature (Enough for 8-10 pieces of corn)
Tsp Chilli powder
1 lime
1 tsp lime zest

Soak corn in water for 30 mins.

In a small bowl mix chilli powder with butter. Zest lime with fine grater (microplane works best) Cut lime in half and squeeze juice of one half of lime into butter. Mix well. Set aside. (can be made ahead and refrigerated but bring to room temperature before serving)

Place corn on hot grill for 15-20 mins turning 3-4 times. Husks will be blackened but corn (at most) will only have spots of browning and THAT is a VERY good thing!

Remove Corn from Grill and allow to cool for about 5 mins. Shuck corn and brush with butter. Serve immediately.

It's Lurking Everywhere

I have come across a new cooking challenge. My friend Evie, has recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease. For those of you not familar, people with Celiac cannot eat gluten. Gluten is found in... OHH, just about EVERYTHING! I am exaggerating of course but when you add on allergies to Eggs, Dairy and Soy to that (which many of those to include my friend, with Celiac are also allergic to) it really becomes quite exasperating.

I found this diagnosis appalling. I considered how devastated I would be if I received such a diagnosis. What it would mean to me, as a person whose very being revolves around food and cooking. Though this reaction definitely conveyed my deep felt empathy to my friend it was not one that was constructive or supportive and I was ashamed of myself. So, I set out to educate myself and to learn to feed my friend.

The information that I have taken in over the past couple of weeks has been immense and overwhelming. I have many times gotten excited about a recipe only to be shot down by a realization that a single over looked ingredient had an offending agent in it. Oh and don't forget "cross contamination"

This weekend we were celebrating her "White Coat" Ceremony from PA school. This is the point of PA school where you have finished the class room education, begin your real world education and actually begin treating Patients (under supervision). A pretty big deal and I was EXTREMELY happy for her. Of course celebration to me ... means food!

I spent the week planning a menu that was about 90% gluten, egg, soy, dairy free. I wish I could say it ALL was a great success.

The good news, People with Celiac can eat all Meat, fruit. veggies and rice. So that was not a problem.
I marinated both Chicken breasts and Skirt steak (separately of course) in a marinade that I have posted here in the past. It's a tasty marinade and though I didn't manage to get a picture of it. I will post the recipe for you again.

Margarita Chicken Marinade
("Perfect Party Food" cookbook)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup OJ
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup gold tequila
1/2tsp ground cumin
1canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Place chicken and marinade in ziplock bag and let marinate in Fridge for at least 4 hr. or overnight. Makes enough marinade for about 12 chicken breasts. Broil or grill chicken until juices run clear Garnish with fresh cilantro and slices of lemon, lime and orange.

My peach-mango Hemp milk "Ice cream" on the other hand ...ummm NOT such a success. It would not get thick even after spending a couple hours in the freezer. At best, it was sort of Peach smothie. Today when I took it out of the freezer it had finally froze ... SOLID! LIKE A BRICK! The flavor on the other hand wasn't all bad. My friend said it tasted sort of like peach cobbler. This one is going to take a little more experimentation.

As far as the remaining 10 percent of the menu ... well that went a little better. I have decided that pretty much ANYTHING wrapped in bacon will be loved. Honestly, I think that I could wrap cardboard in bacon and everyone (especially men) would gobble it down and beg me for the recipe. Evie's fiance John and my friend Ross were terribly disappointed when I told them we would NOT be having Sweet Chili Chicken Bites. but that disappointment was short lived when I served This....


I saw a version of this originally on Food Network. I think Bobby Flay did it but I could not find that recipe so I searched Recipezarr and found this one. I made some very minor adjustments in the preparation but not the ingredients. Prepping the peppers (try saying that 5 times fast) is a little tricky and time consuming but TOTALLY worth it. I would advise using gloves and for heavens sake DON'T touch your eyes or nose while prepping them.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos
16 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomato
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt (to taste)
1 LB bacon
20 large jalapeno peppers (as large as possible)
About 40 toothpicks, soaked for about 15 minutes in water

Mix cream cheese, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro and salt together and place in a large ziplock bag with one corner snipped off (or in a pastry bag).
Make a T shaped incision in pepper severing the core at the top but not cutting off the stem. DO NOT cut pepper all the way through. With a small sharp knife (I actually used a grapefruit spoon which worked pretty well) scrape out seeds and membranes. The cleaner you make the inside of the peppers the more mild it will be. If you like a little heat then leave a bit of the membrane and seeds. If you like them FIREY the you could just loosen the membrane to allow room for the. filling (Removing/leaving some of the membranes and seeds gave them a nice little kick).

Pipe cream cheese mixture into each pepper. As tempting as it is DO NOT over fill You want the pepper to close up nicely without the cheese oozing out.

Starting at the top of the pepper wrap the bacon around it securing with a couple of tooth picks. Cover as much of the pepper as possible and sort of stretch the bacon to make it snug (room temperature bacon is easier to work with).

Place peppers on a hot grill for 10-15 min turning frequently until bacon begins to crisp and pepper is a bit charred.

Remove from grill and let cool for 5-10 min. These can also be served room temperature and the original recipe says they are good cold (no way that they would last that long with my friends)

Note: less expensive bacon works better than premium or center cut. Think thin and pliable.
These also could be placed in the oven at 450 degrees for about 10 min but I think the smokiness of the grill definitely adds to the flavor.

Play Time Over

So I am back from Vacation. I had a great visit with my friend in Virginia but was ready to come home. I am sure that it did not have ANYTHING to do with the fact that she has 4 children between the ages of 1 and 8. Not that I don't adore them, but at one point I looked at her smiled and said. "You know, this time next year I will be sending my youngest off to college." I can't repeat her reply here, but use your imagination. I am sure you will be close.





My computer, after spending a week in the hospital with a bill to reflect that (I know Franco, you can build me a new one) is finally up and running again. Sigh of relief. Though I have a love/hate relationship with it...I missed my "stuff" I not only was not able to get to my files and pictures to properly write this blog. I found that I am very dependent on the computer in my day to day cooking. I swear, I cooked before I had one but for the life of me I cannot figure out how. Cookbooks you say? How Archaic!

But I promised you something tasty when the world was right again. (OK, well perhaps just back to my twisted norm) and I am here to deliver.

This is a take on a Rachel Ray recipe that I have made several times. You may have noticed pictures of it on the edges of other dishes I have made for you but I have never actually posted this particular recipe and I am not sure why because it is really VERY good and pretty healthy as long as you use the cheese judiciously. Her original recipe was a meatless dish. I have done that as a side dish and it was very good: but, for a main dish, I like to add cooked shredded chicken.

Don't be afraid of the Pablano Peppers once the seeds are removed they are not hot at all. If you are still timid you could just as easily use Bell Peppers instead. Feel free to spice this up with more (or less if you like) Jalapeno.

Charred Chili Relleno
4 large poblano peppers
3 cups frozen corn kernels
2tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano,
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lime zested and juiced
1 cup shredded Cheese (I used a cheddar-jack blend)
1 cup cooked shredded chicken (optional)
Place poblanos under broiler or on hot grill and char (turning over half way through) about 15 minutes.

Defrost frozen corn and dry by spreading out on clean kitchen towel. Heat 2 tablespoons light oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil smokes or ripples add corn, onion, jalapenos and toss until the vegetables char at edges and onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in garlic, fire roasted tomatoes and season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Add shredded chicken (if using) Cook another minute or 2 then turn pan off.

Sprinkle the lime juice and zest over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with small sharp knife then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each split pepper until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

I WANT To Be a Rebel

I know that a lot of people don't care for Rachel Ray and personally I could live without quite SO MUCH of her around. I have to admit though, she was the one who really turned me on to The Food Network. This was before cooking and celebrity chefs and what not became so trendy. I don't consider myself a nonconformist but I hate to feel like I am following the masses. I want to believe that I am doing (or can do) something that not EVERYONE else is doing. So I find it frustrating when I find something I like or I am good at and then suddenly everyone else is doing it too. I want to feel special ...sigh!

ANYWAY! Once again I have gotten off track. Regardless if Rachel Ray is annoying or over exposed I have really learned tons of things from her. If you ever watch her she often reminds you that lots of what she does is just a basic method for making something and it is easy to make it your own. Hopefully without being quite so annoying, my cooking style is pretty similar to hers. No measuring, little baking, a few convenience foods mixed in with really fresh stuff where it counts and though I think her stuff takes a bit more than 30 minutes for the average cook, I prefer meals that do not take an extraordinary amount of time to make.

This dish is the first thing from Rachel Ray that I ever made. I follow her original recipe pretty closely because really it is super easy. The only substitution that I make is sometimes I replace the Pancetta with bacon. It is a dish that easily can be made in 30 min and it's really filling and quite tasty! I was surprised at the texture of the escarole after cooking it keeps just enough crunch to give it a great texture!

The only part I find difficult is the garlic chips which are extremely easy to overcook and then become bitter. But I would definitely NOT leave them out they give this dish that little extra something that makes it special. Just cook them on very low heat, watch them VERY closely and remove as SOON as they get a hint of color.

Spaghetti with Pancetta, Escarole and Garlic Chips Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1/2 pound dried spaghetti
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
6 to 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 large heads escarole, washed and drained, roughly chopped
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth, eyeball it
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table


Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil and salt the water. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
While the pasta is working, heat a large skillet over medium heat with the extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Ser aside. Turn the heat on the pan back to low then add the sliced garlic and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the garlic chips from the pan to drain alongside the crispy pancetta, reserve. Turn the heat up to medium again, add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the roughly chopped escarole, tossing to wilt it in the flavored oil and wilting it into the pan in stages. Once all the escarole has fit into the pan, add the chicken stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain the hot pasta well and add it to the escarole pan. Add lemon zest and toss to distribute. Turn the heat off and add the butter and cheese, toss to melt. Toss in the crispy pancetta and garlic chips. Serve the spaghetti with more cheese to pass at the table.

Notes: I also skipped the butter (though inadvertently) I can see where it would add great flavor but I did not really miss it.

Flavor of the Week

I have a new favorite food! Next week I will probably have another new "favorite food" and likely another one soon after that. I just love to try new stuff! When I try something I like there is probably a pretty good chance I will eat it again very soon and I wouldn't be surprised if few days later (sometimes even the next day) I eat it a third time.

Some of the reasons that this is my new favorite food are:
1. It is healthy and pretty low in calories which means I can eat a LOT of it. (this always makes me happy).
2. It has bold spicy flavors.
3. It is really yummy! (the most important thing)

So this new obsession started about a week ago when I went to my favorite Thai Restaurant and ordered the Thai Beef Salad. One bite and I was in LOVE! (perhaps it was only lust, but regardless...) I asked the owner what was in the dressing and more importantly did it have much oil? She told me it had NO oil! OK, that just made it 10 times better!

Two days later I was craving Thai Beef salad again. I arranged my entire afternoon around picking up one on my way to work that night. But when I called the restaurant to place the order (perfectly timed to swing by on my way to work) they told me that there was an hour and 30 min wait for orders! WHAAAAT? You are kidding me? On a Thursday night? This did not make me happy! I tried again Fri night and was told that it would be 45 min. Still not fitting into my schedule.

It seems my favorite Thai Restaurant is suddenly lots of peoples favorite Thai restaurant. They have always been busy but never THIS busy! So, out of necessity and my cravings, I began a search for a recipe.

So the main elements of all the recipes was Lime juice, and spice. What I liked about this particular recipe was that you actually marinated the meat in some of the dressing. Many of the recipes didn't marinate the beef at all or had a different marinade for the beef. Does it taste like the restaurant? Well, not exactly and I am not quite sure what is different (I will have to eat it there again to figure it out) but it is still really good. One thing I do like better about making it at home is that (at the restaurant) it is made with just iceberg lettuce which is NOT my choice of lettuce. So making it at home give you the opportunity to use more flavorful (and more nutritious) greens.
If you have never had Thai food be warned, it is H-O-T! I used 2TBS of Sriracha (hot chili sauce) I have changed that in the recipe to 1TBS because my mouth and Lips were ON FIRE! Now, I am not a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff. I like things hotter than the average person so I would recommend judicious use of the Sriracha if you are not big on spice. (but you need some spice otherwise it will not be the same dish) You could also substitute chili paste or red pepper flakes if you can't locate Sriracha. This is great served with white rice (preferably the sticky kind like you get at Asian restaurants). The rice is also good for cooling down your mouth down!

Thai Beef Salad
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup choppedfresh cilantro
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili paste
2 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz flank steak, trimmed

1 1/2 cups sliced red onions
4 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
6 cups lettuce/greens
1 large cucumber peeled and cut into large chunks


Wisk together first 7 ingredients together to make dressing. Place steaks and 1/4 of dressing in a zipper type bag and let stand for 1 hr. Broil or grill steaks until med-rare. Let steaks rest for 5 mins and slice as thinly as possible. Arrange Greens, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes then top with beef slices. Pour remaining dressing over top. Toss before serving.

Serves 2 (with some left over steak unless you really pile it on)

The Sandwich without a Soul

I could TOTALLY be a Vegetarian! If only it wasn't for that "you can't eat meat" rule. I could be a part time vegetarian. Say 5 out of 7days, maybe 4 out of 7 if you count fish/seafood as meat although I was told fish don't count because they don't have souls (really? Fish don't have souls? Hmmm). Someone else says you can't eat anything with eyeballs...some seafood does not have eyeballs. What do eyeballs have to do with it anyway? UNLESS they are referring to "the eyes are the window to the soul." Does this mean if you don't have eyes you don't have a soul?

OK, OK, I don't want to get in to a theological discussion here. All in jest, I promise! I get Vegetarianism. I respect those who are Vegetarians. I just choose not to practice it (at least not full time) even though I do have a smidgen of guilt about the treatment of animals. I LOVE ,LOVE, LOVE, Veggies but I can't give up a nice juicy steak once in a while and chicken is a staple in my diet. The other thing about a vegetarian diet is though I love vegetable dishes. You have to work a lot harder to make them satisfying as a main dish without even talking about trying to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet. Not an impossible task but it takes time and I don't always have that extra time.

But I digress! This time of year I begin getting excited by the increase of lovely (and hopefully more economical) produce that just gets better and better as we move towards summer. I was beside myself today when I went into the store and saw that wonderful tender young asparagus. I have SO been waiting for that! But, what I went there for was Portebello Mushrooms to make Portebello burgers. Now, I am no way trying to substitute this for a thick juicy (preferably a little rare though I know that is supposed to be a no-no) hamburger. I just REALLY like grilled Veggies!

This is very simple and you can pick and choose what ever veggies you like. This was lunch today for myself and my friend Savanna who could be my twin when it comes to food preferences (aside from her bacon aversion and allergy to nuts).We enjoyed this and I hope you will also!

Souless, Eyeball free Grilled Sandwiches

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
3 TBS minced Fresh Rosemary
3 TBS minced Fresh Thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground Pepper to taste

4 large Portebello mushrooms (bun size)
1 small eggplant
1/2 each red,yellow, green peppers
1 medium red onion
4 toasted Onion buns
4 slices Provolone cheese

Optional ( Do not grill)
Chopped sundried tomatoes
Chopped Artichoke hearts

Wisk together first 7 ingredients to make dressing/marinade and set aside. Remove stems from mushrooms and clean with a damp cloth. Place Mushrooms gill side up on a platter and spoon marinade (aprox 1 1/2 TBS each) over top allowing it to seep down into gills.(let marinade soak in while preparing remaining veggies). Peel eggplant and cut into about 1/2 inch slices. Cut top and bottom off of peppers, remove seeds and ribs then cut them lengthwise in quarters to make large flat chunks (so they won't fall through grates). Cut Onion into 1/2 inch (thinner will fall apart on grill) slices. Brush veggies with marniade. Brush inside of buns with marinade and set aside.

Place Mushrooms on med-hot grill, gill side up. Continue placing remaining veggies on grill (skin side down for peppers) Grill for 4-6 minutes until veggies begin to char. Turn Veggies over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. You want Veggies to maintain some of their crispness and not become too mushy.

Turn mushrooms gill side up and place a slice of provolone cheese on each. Place buns cut side down on grill.Begin removing remaining veggies to a platter. By the time you finish removing remaining vegetables the cheese should be slightly melted and buns nicely toasted. Slice peppers into thin strips and separate onion rings. Serve Veggies on a platter and allow each person to layer bun with veggies of their choice.

Notes: Place eggplant on the grill last and remove it first as it will cook the fastest. Pass extra balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper for those who like extra seasoning.

Something Different

Today's post has nothing GREEN ...oh wait there is a little Parsley in it. I found this Recipe back in December and have been looking for Ajvar( pronounced eye-var) since then and finally found it at the Mediterranean Mart on Cliffdale Rd (for those of you in Fayetteville). By the way the owners of that store are VERY nice and they will search for and order hard to find items like this for you. They happened to have this product because someone else came in looking for it and they did that for them.

I now know Ajvar is a Bulgarian sort of relish made with eggplant and red pepper. It's a little spicy, comes in mild and hot versions. I was only able to find the Hot but I don't find it too terribly hot(though I like spicy things) Mixed with a couple of TBS of sour cream it is tasty on raw veggies, pretzels, chips, crackers or Pita bread. It has only 15 calories per Tbs (minus the sour cream ...darn it) and no fat.

I found this recipe at Food and Wine.com( http://foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-cauliflower-with-ajvar-dressing) I did not really mess with it much (for a change) I did use anchovy paste rather than real anchovies. Don't be scared off by the Anchovy, you (or anyone else) will never know it's in there but it give it a wonderful salty flavor, not at all fishy. Have you ever had Ceasar salad at a REALLY nice resturant? If you have, it most likely had anchovy. Trust me ...it's good. I cut up my califlower in pretty small chunks and I think that was a mistake. Leaving them in bigger chunks would make a much prettier presentation and I noticed that some of the very small pieces were over cooked (almost burnt) The large pieces were soft and nutty....very yummy!

This is a unique and very tasty way to cook califlower. I am always looking for new ways to present Veggies and I think this recipe Fills the Bill very nicely!

Cauliflower with Ajvar Dressing
1 head of cauliflower (2 3/4 pounds), core trimmed, head quartered and sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 anchovy fillet, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons mild or hot ajvar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Preheat the oven to 425°. Heat a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven. In a bowl, toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cauliflower on the hot baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, tossing half­way through, until tender and browned.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the anchovy; cook over moderate heat until it begins to dissolve. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat; let the oil cool for 5 minutes.
In a mini food processor, blend the oil with the ajvar, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the parsley and pulse to combine. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
Transfer the cauliflower to a platter. Drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts. Serve warm.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

I have a confession to make. I don't make my own spaghetti sauce. That's right, I buy Jar sauce (Prego is my favorite) and then I add onions and peppers and spices to Doctor it up. Personally I think it is pretty good. My kids never complain in fact my son would just as soon I did not add the onions and peppers to it.
I have TRIED to make it several times before and the results were certainly acceptable. But the truth is, I just did not feel it was SO much better than the Jar sauce to make it worth my time.

So today while I was making my usual rounds on the food blogs I keep up with, One site had spaghetti sauce. It gave the recipe and a link to another blog site with a Sauce recipe. Certain things about each of them sounded yummy. I started thinking. "HMMM, maybe I should give it one more try.
NO, each time I start out with high expectations and am always disappointed!"
But I kept looking at more recipes and persuaded myself to take the leap of faith one more time.
Now most sauces have the same basic ingredients but everyone seems to have there own little twist. I probably looked at about a half dozen recipes and took the things from each that I thought sounded good. From my research it seems that one thing that I have not done in the past is cook it long enough. I am very impatient! Today however I am going to try my best!

1 1/2 hrs into sauce making. NOW I remember another reason that I don't make my own sauce. Have I mentioned that I am a messy cook????? What is it about tomato sauce that makes it cover the WHOLE stove top and half the kitchen? But the sauce looks good. It's thick and has lots of texture however. I burned my tongue when I tried to take a taste of it so honestly ...I can't say how good it is at this point.


2 hrs into sauce making. Ok ..hmmm it should cook at least one more hour ...but I COULD cook up a little spaghetti and "test" it while it continues to cook! Yea...cause then I can see if it needs more spices and salt ...YEA ... I NEED to ...no I HAVE to test it!!!

2 1/4 hrs into sauce making. So far so good! I usually don't like my spaghetti sauce without meat but this has enough texture to be good without it. I do know however that in the end I will probably puree it because my son has a thing about textures and ummm VEGETABLES. I think it needs a bit more garlic and Italian seasonings. Perhaps a TOUCH more wine too. I am glad I tested it. By the way, the wine is excellent!

3 hrs Sauce is DONE. Now for the verdict. The sauce is Great! I am really proud of it. It is the best sauce I have ever made! It is sweet and thick and hearty!Has none of the thin flavor of my past attempts.
I am going to be honest though, it's likely that I am going to still use Jar sauce most of the time. Though this IS better. I would say that it is not 3 1/2 hours better than Jar sauce. I WILL make it again though, probably for special occasions. I think that sauce is best made in big batches that you can or freeze. Likely this is only enough sauce for maybe 2 meals in my house. Perhaps THAT is the secret I missed!

Sindy's Special Sauce
2TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup finely chopped Carrots
1 small to med, sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 rib diced celery(with leaves)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped shitake mushrooms (more to taste ..again, picky son)
1/2 cup Red wine (I used a shriaz/merlot blend)
2 Bay leaves

1Tbs dried oregano
28 oz can Diced tomatoes (with juice)
28 oz can pureed Tomatoes
2 Tbs Tomato paste
1TBS Truffle oil (optional)

Heat oil in large heavy skillet. Add carrots, onions and celery. Cook med/high for about 10 mins until tender and beginning to brown. Add garlic and green pepper. Remove and place in large heavy bottomed pot.(a dutch oven works well) Add a little more olive oil to skillet if dry and sautee mushrooms until they give off their water and begin to brown. Add wine to skillet and scrape bottom of pan. Add wine and mushrooms to vegetables. Add remaining ingredients except truffle oil. Bring up to a boil stirring constantly. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 3 hours stirring every 10-15 mins. If sauce becomes too thick( starts sounding and looking like a volcano instead of smaller bubbling) add a small amount of water (up to 1/4 cup). When the sauce is done it will be a deeper brownish red. At the end of cooking stir in Truffle oil. This gives the sauce and great earthy flavor !

NOTE:Tune in later for the disaster that follows!!!!!

Caliente

Yesterday my friend Savanna and I went to Salsaritas for lunch. It was pretty good and the servings were GINORMOUS! The salsa had a pretty good little "bite" to it but it really got me craving some really good Pico de Gallo. I was going to make it last night but my neighborhood grocery store did not have any ripe avocados. So, before I came home from work tonight I stopped by the BEST store in Fayetteville where they always have GREAT produce. They of course DID have ripe avocados. They even had the black skinned ones that I like ( as opposed to the bright green ones that are harder even ripe). It is unusual for me to come home and cook after working 12 hours but I was REALLY craving this. Besides, it is not really cooking, just a lot of chopping. This recipe is totally simple and any of the ingredients can be adjusted to your particular taste. I like LOTS of cilantro in mine!

Pico de Gallo

3 ripe tomatoes

1 small red onion

Cilantro (about 1/2 of a bunch)

2-3 cloves of garlic

1-2 jalapenos

1 ripe avocado

juice of 2 limes

1tsp salt

Quarter tomatoes and gently squeeze to seed then dice to taste (depending on how chunky you like) dice onion and avocado, mince garlic. Finely chop jalapenos (the seeds and ribs are the hottest part of the pepper so if you want less heat scrape these out). Mix all ingredients in a bowl add salt and lime juice. Let stand for about 15 mins. I think a bowl of tortilla chips and a nice frosty Margarita would go just fabulously with this! It also is a great topping for fish. Personally I can eat the stuff by itself especially if you add some cooked shrimp to it. I almost forgot ..quite yummy over scrambled eggs! Did I mention I REALLY love Pico de

Aloha

Despite working all weekend I actually managed to do a lot of cooking. On Saturday I catered a dinner for my co-workers before I started my 12 hr shift. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I have no ACTUAL EVIDENCE of this ...so you will have to take my word for it. We had Margarita Chicken, which is really just another recipe for chicken marinade . I just broiled it and served it with a lemongrass and ginger rice (box mix from Harris Teeter YUMM!) but you could also grill and afterwards do a wide variety of things with it like add to a salad or fajitas. I got good reviews from my co-workers. Proven by the fact that the container of left overs that I went back to get at the end of my shift had disappeared. Then again those guys will eat anything! I also made a Trifle with lime and angelfood cake ..along with the other usual suspects like whipped topping and cream cheese. I will post that recipe later as again, I have no pictures and since it was an experiment...it has no catchy name as of yet.
WHAT do you ask does any of this have to do with my title or the picture ? Not a darn thing I was just showing off my SUPERCOOK abilties to work 36 hrs AND get my cook on. Are you impressed? ..NO? Awww darn ( looking forlorn and dejected). Ok, well let me get on to my actual post topic.
Sunday at Church we had a Luau and contest for the best Hawaiian dish.
So I poured over my cookbooks and searched the internet for days looking for something that looked yummy, yet different. I ended up at the food Network and Emeril was kind enough to provide a recipe for Molokai Sweet Potato Salad. Initally I was not sure that I liked it but after it had a chance to sit and the flavors mingle I liked it a lot. I guess I expected a sweeter flavor but it turned out to be more Savory. The sweet potato did not take on that usual "Thanksgiving" flavor and the pineapple was very subtle. It was a refreshing change of pace and I would have to say that I have not ever tasted anything similar. Considering my love of food and willingness to try just about anything, that is quite an accomplishment. I would recommend that you give this recipe a try if you are planning a Hawaiian type meal or any casual meal that might include pork. The flavors are not too strong so unless someone has a strong aversion to the individual ingredients it should be a dish that is pleasant to most palates that are at least moderately adventurous. Much to my dismay the contest was not carried out due to lack of voting ..I guess no one wanted to compete against me (wink wink).
Margarita Chicken Marinade ("Perfect Party Food" cookbook)
1/4cup olive oil
1/2 cup OJ
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup gold tequila
1/2tsp ground cumin
1canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Place chicken and marinade in ziplock bag and let marinate in Fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight. Makes enough marinade for about 12 chicken breasts. Broil or grill chicken until juices run clear Garnish with fresh cilantro and slices of lemon, lime and orange.

We interrupt this Diet for a Wedding

DISCLAIMER:I have been trying to keep my recent posts healthy and on the lighter side. But for me denial does not work. I have to give myself permission to occasionally be "bad". So please heed this disclaimer. There is NOTHING healthy or light in today's recipes. There are no LOWFAT, or LOWCAL or Fat Free ingredients. Today is about creamy, indulgent foods.

I love my job as a paramedic;but after a back injury I have come to the conclusion that I need to start exploring "back up plans" I am not looking to leave EMS in the near future but I can't physically do this job until retirement (Which at the hospital I work at would be about another 20 yrs or so) One of the "Second careers that I am exploring" is Catering. I got my first opportunity to try my hand at this yesterday. A lady in my church recruited myself and my friend Savanna to be in charge of food for her wedding. Estimated number of guests 200. I honestly had no idea how to figure how much food that was going to be. So, I concentrated on the menu and let Savanna take the lead on that stuff. We also had prep help of two other women Susan and Lila(who were also in charge of decorations). We worked great together and could not have pulled it off without the whole group along with the MANY other people who pitched in on the day of the wedding for all of the final setup. We pulled it off without a hitch and had lots more food than we needed which we felt was better than the alternative. Tons of compliments and most importantly the Bride was very happy! I learned a lot and have a starting point for my next endeavor.
The menu was heavy Hor d' Oeuvres. We had alot of the usual suspects like veggie trays meatballs and finger sandwhiches but I really wanted to do some special, elegant things that would hopefully, knock the socks off of the guests. One thing a little different ;I did I credit to a fellow Blogger Indyfoodie, was tortillini with dip. We had to modify the dip because the bride wanted to avoid anything with nuts and guess what, Pesto has nuts. So basically I used all the ingredients of pesto sans the Nuts. It was really nice but I think her original recipe would be better and hope to get to use that next time.
A recipe for Savory Ham Cheese Cake I found in "A Taste of Home" magazine. It was very elegant and was all that I had imagined it would be. I plan to keep it as one of my top signature dishes.
Savory Ham Cheesecake
3cups Oyster crackers, crushed
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup melted butter
Filling:
4- 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups(8-oz) shredded swiss cheese 2 cups finely chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup snpped chives
1/4 cup fresh minced basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Combine crackers,parmesan and butter. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture in the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a greased springform pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low until just combined. Add remaining ingredients
and beat until just combined. Pour mixture into crust. Sprinkle top with remaining cracker crumbs.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 60-70 mins until filling is almost set. Turn oven off. Leave cheesecake in the oven with door ajar for 30 mins. Cool on a wire rack for 10 mins. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Serve chilled or at room temp. with assorted crackers. About 40 servings
Visually, I think the most popular item was stuffed cucumbers, inspired by a wedding episode of"Semi- homemade" on Food Network. I did not however use Sandra's actual recipe. It is a Sindy original if I do say so myself was a great success.

Stuffed Cucumbers
12- english cucumbers
4- 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup drained and finely chopped roasted red peppers
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 cup snipped chives
Beat all ingredients except cucumbers and place in a pastry bag with a large star tip
Run a grater or zester randomly down side of cucumbers to make a nice pattern. slice cucumbers very about 1 1/2 inches. With a small melon baller or grapfruit spoon make a small hollow inside of cucumbers. As you are cutting place cucumber slices upside down so that liquid does not pool inside. Pipe cream cheese mixture into cucumbers mounding it up well over top of cucumber. These can be made the night before. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Aprox 100 slices
GRRR..... PICTURES WILL NOT LOAD....CHECK BACK LATER.