Cookin' Up a Storm

Friday night we had some new friends over for dinner. We thought we should go all out for them. (We have to impress, right?) We came up with a fantastic menu that really may have been one of our most impressive meals we've ever made--and that's saying a lot, if I may say so myself. For appetizers we had Oven-Dried Tomato on Toast Rounds and Pretzel Goat Cheese Bites. Our main course consisted of Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter over sauteed mixed greens. We ended the night by completely indulging in a Turtle Cheesecake. The food and company couldn't have been better.


Oven-Dried Tomato on Toast Rounds (Cooking Light, October 2006)

This recipe takes a long time to prepare. It's very hands-off, but the tomatoes are supposed to bake for 4 hours. We only had 3 hours, and they still turned out magnificently. I would say to just keep the tomatoes in the oven as long as you can but don't stress if can't bake them for the whole time. We used homemade bread that we then broiled until crisp with a touch of olive oil, but store-bought bread would work just fine. Also, we used dried herbs rather than fresh to lower the cost of the evening. I don't think anyone missed the fresh herbs, because the tomatoes themselves were so incredibly flavorful.

12 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
24 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread baguette, toasted
24 fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat over to 250.
2. Arrange tomato halves in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with herbs, garlic, pepper, and salt. Bake at 250 for 4 hours. Place one dried tomato half on each toast round. Garnish each with 1 basil leaf.


Pretzel Goat Cheese Bites

Adam and his brother had a big tub of pretzels to snack on during their drive out west. We still have them. Needless to say, they are bit stale. Instead of throwing them away, I decided to try my hand at making them into breadcrumbs. I thought the idea of fried goat cheese would be fantastic as well, so we combined the two ideas into one. They tasted pretty good, but I don't think I'll be making these again any time soon. But, if you are looking for a new and innovative way to serve cheese, perhaps you want to try this recipe out.

5 pretzel rods, crushed
1 log of goat cheese, sliced into rounds
1 egg white, beaten
canola or vegetable oil

1. Dip the goat cheese rounds in the egg white and then the pretzel bits, making sure to fully cover the cheese.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the pretzel goat cheese rounds in the oil until crispy on both sides. Remove from oil and serve immediately.


Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon-Sage Brown Butter (Cooking Light, October 2007)

Here's a way to use the leftover wonton wrappers from the dumplings I made a few weeks ago! We served these ravioli over a bed of sauteed mixed greens. The flavors of the sauce, ravioli, and greens blended perfectly together. I highly recommend serving this dish that way.

1 (1-lbs.) sweet potato
2 Tbs. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
24 wonton wrappers
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
6 quarts water
cooking spray
3 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
sage sprigs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pierce potato several times with a fork; place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until tender. Cool. Peel potato; mash. (I actually just steamed the potato by cutting it into chunks and microwaving in a covered dish with a bit of water. This is a much faster process.) Combine potato, cheese, 1/4 tsp. salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
3. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying), spoon 1 Tbs. potato mixture into center of wrapper. Brush edges of dough with egg white; bring 2 opposite corners to center. Press edges together to seal, forming a triangle.
4. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil Add 8 ravioli; cook 2 minutes or until done. Remove ravioli from pan with a slotted spoon. Lightly coat cooked wontons with cooking spray; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
5. Melt butter in a small skillet over high heat. Add chopped sage to pan; cook 1 minute or until butter is lightly browned. Stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, juice, and pepper. Drizzle butter mixture over ravioli. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.


New York Cheesecake (Betty Crocker's Cookbook)

We made this decadent cheesecake and then drizzled caramel and hot fudge on top with chopped pecans to make a Turtle Cheesecake. The recipe calls for a flour crust, but we opted for a Vanilla Wafer cookie crust. We made this by pulsing the cookies in a food processor and mixing it with melted butter. Let me just say that this is the most heavenly delicious dessert I have had in a long time.

crust (of your choice)
5 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. grated orange peel, if desired
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel, if desired
1/4 tsp. salt
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup whipping cream

caramel
hot fudge
pecans, chopped

1. Make crust.
2. Heat oven to 475.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, orange peel, lemon peel, and salt in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup whipping cream on low speed until well blended. Pour into crust.
4. Bake 15 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 200. Bake 1 hour longer. Cheesecake may not appear to be done, but if a small area in the center seems soft, it will become firm as cheesecake cools. (Do not insert a knife to test for doneness because the hole could cause cheesecake to crack.) Turn off oven; leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool in pan away from drafts on wire rack 30 minutes.
6. Without releasing or removing side of pan, run metal spatula carefully along side of cheesecake to loosen. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 9 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
7. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen again. Remove side of pan; leave cheesecake on pan bottom to serve.
*8. Drizzle with caramel and hot fudge, and top with chopped pecans. Indulge!

Fun with Greens

This past week we decided to change up our normal diet of spinach with other greens. We found a bag of mixed greens at Trader Joe's with , kale, chard, collard, and mustard greens. Since we were already changing up our normal routine, we decided to vary our normal risotto recipe as well. We made risotto with broth and wine, added the greens to wilt, and then topped it with the leftover Spicy Pepitas and extra spices. The dish ended up being a wonderfully hearty autumn meal and definitely different from your average risotto.


Mixed Greens Risotto with Spicy Pepitas

You could use any combination of greens you wish. I would stick to the hearty greens like kale, chard, and collards rather than spinach so they will hold up to the intense spices that are also mixed in. The recipe for the Spicy Pepitas is in my last post, "Flavor Explosion!"

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or whatever broth you prefer)
3 cups mixed greens, chopped
1 tsp. cumin, chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
Spicy Pepitas
cumin, chili powder, and paprika

1. Heat oil in a medium to large saucepan or pot. Add onion and saute until translucent, and then add rice. When rice has browned slightly, pour in the wine, stirring until combined. In small portions, pour in the broth while stirring. Continue adding the broth until the rice has become tender (you may or may not use all of the broth, and it is possible that you will need a bit more). Mix in the greens until slightly wilted. Stir in cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
2. Serve the risotto by topping it with the Spicy Pepitas and sprinkling it iwith cumin, chili powder, and paprika.

Flavor Explosion!

Monday night for dinner, we had an absolutely fantastic meal. It was spicy and tangy; it was soft and crunchy. It had all of the components you could want in a meal. Pork/Tofu Tacos with Slaw and Spicy Pepitas will be a regular on our dinner table from now on. These tacos, with a rub and a quick lime marinade, have an immense amount of flavor that can't be beat. Although the recipe has a bunch of components, it really doesn't take that long to make. The only part of the recipe that takes much time at all is allowing the pork to sit in the rub for an hour. I'm sure that if this part of the recipe lasted longer the pork flavor would only get better, and if you didn't have time to let it sit for that length of time the spices would still shine through. It turned out that my tofu actually had more flavor than the pork. I used the same rub, but I think I got more of it than Adam. Only those who aren't shy with spices and flavor should try this knockout.


Pork Tacos with Slaw and Spicy Pepitas (Cooking Light, October 2008)

We, obviously, substituted some of the pork for tofu. In addition, we used red cabbage instead of the pre-packaged coleslaw mix, flour tortillas instead of the corn, and fat-free Greek yogurt instead of the light sour cream.

1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground ancho or chipotle chile pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lbs. boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2-inch thick)
cooking spray
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 Tbs. thinly sliced green onions
1 Tbs. minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 (16-oz) package coleslaw (about 3 cups)
12 (6-inch) white or yellow corn tortillas
6 Tbs. light sour cream
6 Tbs. Spicy Pepitas

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Lightly coat pork with cooking spray; rub spice mixture over both sides of pork. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Preheat grill.
3. Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 1 minute on each side or until done. Cut pork into 1/4-inch slices. Combine pork and 2 Tbs. juice in a medium bowl, tossing to coat.
4. Combine the remaining 2 Tbs. juice, bell pepper, onions, jalapeno, and coleslaw in a large bowl, tossing well.
5. Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Coat griddle with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas in a single layer; cook 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining 6 tortillas. Divide pork mixture evenly among tortillas; top each tortilla with 2 Tbs. coleslaw mixture, 1 1/2 tsp. sour cream, and 1 1/2 tsp. Spicy Pepitas.

Spicy Pepitas

1 cup unsalted pumpkinseed kernels
1 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ancho or chipotle chile pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add kernels to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; cool completely.

Grilled Pizza

One of my favorite meals has always been grilled pizza. I have even asked for grilled pineapple pizza for my birthday meal. Surprisingly enough, we have recently made an improvement to this glorious pizza--grilled jalapenos. We really like experimenting with pizzas and making them on the grill only makes our concoctions that much better. Last night, we had a Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Pizza and a Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Blue Cheese Pizza. Really, I don't think I've had two better pizzas.


Pizza Dough (My mama)

We generally use the same dough recipe for whatever bread product we make, so I may have posted this before. Adam kindly made the recipe two-thirds whole wheat for me, and it worked really well for the pizzas. (He is usually not a fan of whole wheat.) Why not add a healthy component to your pizza?

1 1/4 cups water
1 big Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour (any combination of whole wheat and all-purpose)

1. Place the ingredients in a bread maker in order listed, or as your machine instructs. Set to dough setting, and allow for it to go through the process.


Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Pizza

1 pineapple, cored and sliced into rings or cubes
3 jalapenos
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, or amount for preferred sauciness
1 cup quattro formaggio cheese (or mozzarella), or amount for preferred cheesiness

1/2 pizza dough recipe

1. Grill the pineapple and jalapenos on medium-high heat until charred slightly. Cut the jalapeno into rings.
2. Carefully place the dough on the grill, trying to have it not bunch up. Grill the dough until can be easily lifted off the grill, without sticking. Flip it to the other side and repeat process.
3. After you have flipped the dough, top with tomato sauce, pineapple, jalapeno, and cheese. Allow to cook until the dough is done and the cheese is melted. (You probably won't use all of the pineapple, but the extras are delicious too.)


Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Blue Cheese Pizza

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaping tsp. garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 oz. blue cheese
1 cup quattro formaggio or mozzarella cheese

1/2 pizza dough recipe

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Once the oil has heated sufficiently, add onion and turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 40 minutes, or until a deep mahogany color.
2. Saute the mushrooms in the remaining oil in skillet.
3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
4. Grill pizza dough as in previous recipe.
5. Top with olive oil mixture, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. Allow the dough to complete cooking and the cheese to melt to a gooey oblivion.

Strawberry Shortcake with a Twist

Saturday night we had a game night with the neighbors. Naturally, we had to impress them with a dessert, so Adam suggested we make strawberry shortcake. We didn't actually have enough strawberries to make a pure strawberry shortcake, so we added banana to the fruit mix. To make the dessert even more heavenly, Adam made fresh whipped cream, both the original variety and chocolate. I must give all the credit of this fabulous dessert to the Magruders--June, who gave us the recipe, and Adam, who made the whipped cream and inspired the baking.


Strawberry-Banana Shortcake (June with our variations)

The wonderful thing about shortcake is that it takes a relatively little amount of time to bake, only 12-15 minutes. And, in comparison to other baked goods, it's not too terrible for you. All-in-all, a perfect dessert.

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk

2 pints strawberries (we only had 1, but 2 would have been better), sliced
2 bananas, sliced
1 Tbs. sugar

1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbs. sugar
chocolate syrup, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor just to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal.
3. Transfer the mixture into another bowl. Make a hole in the middle of the flour. Pour the milk into the hole and stir until moistened. You may not need all of the milk.
4. Pour the shortcake mixture into a greased 8 x 8 x 2 pan and bake for 12-15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place the sliced strawberries in a bowl and coat with 1 Tbs. sugar. Set aside.
6. To make the whipped cream, place the whipping cream in a very cold metal mixing bowl. Beat the cream until soft peaks have formed; fold in the sugar. Divide the whipped cream, adding chocolate syrup to half.
7. Cut the cooked shortcake into bars and split in half. Top with strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream. Indulge!

Eggplant Caponata

We had an extra eggplant from when we made Eggplant Parmesan Subs, and it desperately needed to be used. Adam is in no way an eggplant eater, so I tried to think of something I could make that I could easily take with me to work or rehearsals. I decided that Eggplant Caponata would be fantastically delicious--and it was! Although I wasn't able to completely sway his view of eggplant, Adam loved the flavor of the dish and ate his fair share. (Sorry, but this picture does not do the caponata justice.)


Eggplant Caponata

Last night we ate the caponata with a fork straight out of the bowl, but you could top pasta or bruschetta with it for a delicious meal or appetizer. You could turn it into a dip by scooping it up with hearty pita chips. I am even considering topping cottage cheese with the mixture for lunch.

1 large eggplant, cubed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 to 3/4 of a can (24 oz.) whole tomatoes, diced, reserving liquid (a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes or 2 tomatoes diced, would work perfectly as well)
1 Tbs. capers
scant 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 oz. unsweetened baker's chocolate
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and cook approximately 8 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic, sauteing until fragrant, and then the tomatoes. Allow the mixture to soften and steam slightly.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Make sure that the baker's chocolate melts and is thoroughly mixed throughout the caponata. If the mixture looks slightly dry, add some of the reserved tomato liquid until the caponata has reached the desired consistency.
3. Eat and enjoy in your preferred manner.

A Perfect Combination

I have to say, that my blog entries may be coming a bit more sparse. This week I've started two jobs: one as an Instructional Assistant at a Special Education High School, and the other as a dancer in Peninsula Ballet Theatre. My days from sitting and relaxing all day have drastically changed to being busy all day, every day. Don't worry, I will still find time to cook and post new entries. This past Monday, Adam and I made a fantastically delicious meal. We've made meals similar to this before, but I suggest trying this particular combination. We made Herbed Pork Chops/Grilled Lemon, Thyme Tofu, Lemony Grains, and Grilled Broccoli. I have posted the grilled broccoli recipe before, so I won't repeat. I have to say, the Lemony Grains were the highlight of the meal for me. We purchased a mix of grains at Trader Joe's, but you could certainly substitute any grain that you prefer. If you have access to a Trader Joe's, I would strongly suggest trying the Harvest Grains Blend; it adds texture, flavor, and nutrients to the meal that you wouldn't otherwise get from pasta or rice.


Herbed Pork Chops (Adam)

Be creative with this recipe. Add what you are in the mood for and think would be tasty. I guarantee, if it sounds good to you, and you put the pork chop on the grill, you will enjoy it.

1 can/bottle beer (your favorite variety)
spices/herbs of your choice
2 pork chops

1. Drink the can or bottle of beer to help the creative juices flow.
2. Cover your pork chops in whatever herbs and spices you deem to be extra delicious at the time.
3. Allow the pork chops to sit and meld with the herbs for a few hours or, preferably, overnight.
4. Grill for approximately 6 minutes on each side, or until they no longer stick to the grill.


Lemon, Thyme Tofu

I made the mistake of trying to marinate the tofu slices in a bowl. It works much better if the tofu is sitting in a flat surface rather than a rounded one. That way, the tofu can absorb the liquid marinade on all sides more easily.

1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. thyme
salt
pepper
2 slices tofu. 1/2-inch thick (1 slice per serving)

1. Prepare the marinade of lemon, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the tofu and allow to sit for an hour or more, rotating the tofu slices occasionally.
2. Grill until each side has blackened slightly and received grill-marks.


Lemony Grains

All I can say is Mmm, good.

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1 scant Tbs. butter
1 1/4 cups grains
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp. rosemary

1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add butter and stir in the grains. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Stir in the juice of one lemon, and top with rosemary. Serve immediately.