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A Brief Break!

CheeverSauce is taking a brief break at the moment but is looking forward to returning soon with more great recipes! :)

4th of July Mixed Berry Buckwheat Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce

It's officially July and time for every American to don the good ol' red, white and blue to celebrate the only time of year it's cool not to be related to Wills & Kate. Ta-ta Ta-ra Great Britain it's the Fourth of July! But before you head off to celebrate your independence in a fun filled day of beach and booze, impress your weekend guests with some delicious patriotic grub.

I grew up with my dad making the best pancakes on earth. Thin, yet fluffy, with a little buttery crisp around the edges. I know, I know, you think your dad made the best pancakes growing up - but you're wrong. His famous recipe basically consisted of butter and Bisquick (hold the Bisquick) and the crucial addition of real maple syrup - none of that Aunt Jemima crap. And while I still believe nothing tops this winning combination, it isn't the healthiest of breakfast go-tos.

This weekend I wanted to make healthy pancakes without sacrificing flavor, and this recipe was a perfect solution. By using whole wheat flour, (the recipe called for whole wheat and I by mistake bought buckwheat - it was still good) minimal sugar, and loading fresh berries into the batter, these pancakes were delicious and guilt-free. The maple cinnamon yogurt sauce was a fun new way to top off the stack, adding some great flavor and protein to the dish, rather than dowsing the stack in sugary maple syrup. And while I of course will never turn down my dad's classic version, this recipe offers a satisfying and healthy twist and on an old favorite.

Read on for the recipe slightly adapted from Fit Sugar:

#pancakes #buckweat #blueberries #rasberries #strawberries #maple syrup #cinnamon #yogurt #breakfast

Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic-Cherry Sauce

The idea of cooking chicken as a main dish has always felt awkward to me. I always thought if I am not doing something pretty amazing with it, there isn't much to look forward to. Chicken has earned its reputation as one of the most basic dishes served in our culture, landing high up on peoples favorite foods list but low on the high brow culinary totem pole. Don't you ever notice the quizzical, sometime even dirty look you get from everyone when you order the chicken at a restaurant, like why did we even invite this girl if she was just going to order the chicken. No? Ok, maybe that was just me at the table passing judgement.

Nevertheless if you're having guests chicken is always a safe option because it's cheap, easy to prepare, and when cooked right - enjoyed by all (except vegetarians). The trick is to mix it up a little and give the dish some excitement. Enter Pan-Seared Chicken with Balsamic Cherry Sauce. Cherries are finally in season and there is no better way to step up your culinary A-game like combining fresh fruit and meat into a main course dish. This recipe was very easy to follow and tastes like it took hours to cook, prepared with complicated ingredients, when in fact the opposite is true.

Read on for the recipe from Women's Health Magazine

#chicken #cherries #balsamic #shallots #wine #cherry jam #pistachio

(The Best...) Chicken Lettuce Wraps (...You Will Ever Eat)

I often will cook a meal, take a bite, roll my eyes into the back of my head in a fashion that suggests my mouth is full of the most delicious food I've ever eaten, and then proceed to smack myself on the forehead asking "Why Kyley, whyyyyy did you not pay attention to exactly everything you did to create this dish?!" Such an instance occurred when I was in Los Angeles last month, staying at the swankiest bed and breakfast in town known as Perry Costello and Matt Helderman's apartment. I often barter my cooking skills in exchange for room and board, and this meal seemed like the perfect dish for me to serve my gracious hosts...after I made them be my sous chefs.

Now I knowwww P.F. Changs started the Chicken Lettuce Wrap frenzy, but at the risk of sounding like a snobby New Yorker, Phillipe/Mr. Chow's version are what got me hooked. Oh..pardon me...they use squab. I took inspiration from my overpriced favorite and combined it with other recipes I found online to create the ultimate chicken lettuce wrap recipe.

Unfortunately, in a fit of delusional hunger we rushed and scrambled to cook our meal, only to vaguely remember how exactly it all came together. The good news is, it tasted so amazing I attempted to create it ohhh I don't knowwww....as soon as I got home to NY. And although it took a little guess work, they came out just as good...if not better. Honestly, no matter how much of this and how much of that you put into these things, it all comes together as a scrumptious, savory pile of mouth watering Asian-inspired deliciousness, all wrapped up (not so neatly) in some crisp and crunchy lettuce.

This CheeverSauce original has a little more veggies than most recipes will call for. My way has has more nutrients, more flavor, more crunch, more substance, and more pizzaz.

Read on for the recipe:

#ground chicken #zucchini #carrot #mushroom #peanuts

Coconut Crusted Tilapia with Vegetable Mint Salsa

Sometimes it's fight night inside my head. In one corner is my healthy, fit, skinny (!), self whose already drank her eight servings of water a day, ran 4 miles, and went to Bikram yoga...twice. And putting on her gloves in the other corner is my more lazier, indulgent, woke up at noon but will muster up enough energy to fight for right to eat carbs self. It's easy to predict which side battles for the healthy meals and which one screams, "It's Sunday and Westville's Mac and Cheese is so close and accessible!" And while I would hope that after a couple rounds, my healthy side will win, it's always good to have a back up plan.

This meal is a perfect compromise. A white flag if you will, that surrenders and satisfies both sides of my subconscious. This fish is light and fluffy and preparing it with a coconut crust is the perfect amount of indulgence that doesn't put me over the edge. Oh, and did I mention that it tastes absolutely, positively, and incredibly delicious. The coconut crust has that deceptive deep fried feelings to it without all the added fat. This crunchy sweet fish is perfectly complimented by the salsa's bitter radishes, cool cucumbers, fresh mint, mild scallions and bold garlic. It's a genius combination of flavors and you can't get enough.

All in all this an amazing summer dish, that offers a fun mix of ingredients and flavors reminiscent of a tropical island feast. I served it with a side of brown basmati rice which I later mixed with the leftover salsa for my lunch the next day. If you're looking for something new and different to make for dinner this week that satisfies both your healthy and indulgent sides - this meal is a winner.

Read on for the recipe adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen:

#tilapia #raddish #mint #cucumber #garlic #fish #coconut #panko #brown rice #scallions #pepper

Shrimp and Vegetable Curry

Pushing your boundaries. Some people sky-dive, some rock climb, others will run a marathon. I cook Thai. While this may bring on some eye rolls, it's actually a big deal for me to cook up a cuisine I'm typically not used to preparing, especially when there are so many pros doing it around the city.

When I need to go Thai, curry always hits the spot. More times than not, I always find that the curry dish I want on the menu doesn't have enough of the delicious ingredients I'm looking for. I always embarrass whoever I am eating with by pestering the waiter, "Can you add baby corn? And maybe some shrimp too? Oh! and pineapple, yes I'll have some pineapple too with that."

This dish is perfect for someone like me who wants pretty much everything, because it's just a simple curry sauce recipe. All I had to do was steam up my favorite veggies and pour the sauce over them to enjoy my perfectly balanced Thai feast.

Read on for the recipe adapted from Paul Jarvi's Eat Awesome

#shrimp #curry #peppers #eggplant #onions #bamboo shoots #bean sprouts #sweet potato #garlic #cashews #quinoa

Super Super Easy: Baked White Fish with Mediterranean Topping

If I am in a rush and find myself with hardly any time to cook dinner, fish is usually my go-to for a quick and easy meal. Line a baking tray with some tin foil, slab on a nice piece of fresh fish, add a delicious topping, bake, and voila! Dinner. Eating fish always makes me feel super healthy and satisfied without leaving me overly full, which is generally the aim I go for when cooking.... even if that doesn't always happen.

I've been making this dish for myself for some time now, and it's a classic example of how to make an impressive dish with minimal ingredients. I was inspired to make this after eating a similar plate at Tia Pol in Chelsea a couple years ago. Tia Pol is known for their amazing tapas, and this dish came on a sizzling plate drenched in Mediterranean goodness. I remember being taken aback how delicious such a simple fish could taste and realized the combination of flavorful ingredients like warm olives, capers, shallots, and basil, really brought the dish to a whole new level.

Tia Pol's dish was also baked in oil and butter which certainly added to its rich flavor, but I decided to lighten up my version by swapping those out for fresh lemon juice. Personally, I love this variation more because the lemon juice ads a sweet tang to the dish, which is a nice contrast to the strong flavors that make up the fish's topping. This dish is super super easy because it takes just 5 minutes to prep your topping, and only 20 minutes to bake. It's a great fast solution to a typical "what to make for dinner" dilemma that doesn't taste like your typical everyday meal.

Read on for the recipe!

#red snapper #olives #capers #shallots #garlic #basil #lemon juice #arugala #tomato

Spicy Shredded Chicken Chili

I've kept this chili recipe on the back burner for a while. I was waiting to post it on that unbearably cold day that usually comes around this time of year. You know, to remind us that winter isn't finished with us yet, usually freezing one into a depression because you begin to believe the cold will engulf you forever. Whelp, it's now looking like we're being spared this misery, so I am posting this as an au revoir to Winter: "Thanks! It's been great. I appreciate the brief visit...I never really got wear my new snow boots but maybe see you in November? If you decide to even show up at all next year."

Cold weather or warm weather, this recipe is the best chili you will ever cook in your life. My mom made it often for our family growing up. I. Could. Not. Get. Enough. It is incredibly flavorful and delicious, yet also surprisingly light for a hearty chili with not one unhealthy ingredient in the recipe. The chicken and beans give it its sustenance and ingredients like onions, jalapeno peppers, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce add a lot of kick and zing to the dish.

I was originally motivated to make this chili on my own (typically I ask...or beg for it on visits home to CT) when I couldn't help but buy one of those "raised on an organic farm, happily fed and taken care of, lays golden eggs every morning" chickens from the Union Square Farmer's Market and the vendor instructed me to boil this chicken "as long as I could possibly bear to." Ummm ok....

Nevertheless, I'm a sucker for slow cooking and I knew that I wanted my chili to have that pulled chicken consistency. Boiling the full chicken for 4 hours also allowed me to use homemade chicken stock where it called for it in the recipe, which really amped up the flavor. You could of course just boil your chicken normally and use store bought stock, but if you have the time, I would definitely recommend trying out the slow cooked route....as long as you can possibly bear to.

#beans #chicken #chilli #hot pepper #pepper #tomato #onion #chilli sauce

Oyster Mushroom, Corn, and Edamame Farro Risotto with Melted Gouda

This definitely isn't your classic risotto dish. In fact, there is nothing about this dish that resembles risotto other than the fact that it contains a grain that was slowly cooked in broth to a "creamy" consistency. I use that word lightly because I didn't use parmesan cheese or butter, which most recipes call for. I did however include the classic risotto method of stirring in hot stock into the uncooked rice, a ladleful at a time, cooking slowly as the stock is absorbed. This is a crucial step because it releases the grain's starches, giving you a nice creamy, velvety dish.

I recently bought some farro and oysters mushrooms at the farmer's market, so my original intention was to cook just a mushroom risotto. However, because of time and budget restraints (whomp whomp), I usually need dishes to last me a couple meals. I figured the corn and edamame peas I had in my freezer would add some hearty flavor and diversity to the dish, making it more of a meal and less of a side dish.

I have to say, despite the stockpiling of random ingredients I threw into this dish, it came together very nicely and tasted absolutely delicious. The dish as a whole is packed with energizing nutrients with no skimp on flavor.

#risotto #corn #mushroom #oyster mushroom #farro #edamame #vegetarian

Super Super Easy: Blueberry Balsamic Steak with Kale and Blue Cheese Salad

My timing is the worst because this would have been a great post for Valentine's Day. Something about this meal felt incredibly romantic. Is red meat still considered an aphrodisiac? The sweet blueberry sauce was also giving off its own intoxicating, amorous aroma. Everything in this dish came together beautifully, so despite the Super Super Easy tag, it was still Super Super Special.

I totally stole the idea for this dish from the steak meal of all steak meals in Italy...a dish I didn’t even eat firsthand, which can be found at Aqua Al 2 in Florence. As a food blogger it’s pretty embarrassing to admit I have never been to Italy. And I realize going abroad to Florence is like a right of passage for most girls raised in Connecticut, but in college I had shit to do, which didn’t include going abroad. I’ll make up for it when CheeverSauce goes international and I’m cooking pizza out of my own Tuscan wood burning stove.

Nevertheless, I heard this steak was pretty amazing, and a highlight of everyone I know who's made the trip to Florence, so it's been on my list of food to cook on my own as the concept sounded easy enough to guess and replicate. Turns out, it was even easier to replicate then planned. The whole thing came together with minimal ingredients in 15 minutes, and I sided it with a raw kale and blue cheese salad because...well...nothing beats the combination of blue cheese and red meat.

Onwards to the recipe:

For Steak:

In a shallow dish, mix together 6 count of balsamic vinegar, 2 count of soy sauce and a 2 count of olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder on each side of the steak and marinate in the vinegar mixture for 30 minutes. (I marinated for 15 while I prepped the rest and still tasted amazing)

Grill or broil your steaks to your desired specifications. I broiled mine for 3 minutes on each side, and then turned down to heat to 500 degrees and cooked for 3 more minutes for a medium cook.

For Sauce:

In a small sauce pan, combine 1/2 cup of blueberries, 6 count of balsamic vinegar, a dash of sugar, 2 count of soy sauce and garlic powder.

Simmer until the sauce thickens. Once the blueberries soften, smash a few of them to release the juice. Top on your steak.

Kale and Blue Cheese Salad:

At the bottom of a salad bowl whisk together a spoonful of chopped garlic, a 5-count drizzle of honey, a 6-count pour of red wine vinegar, a 5-count pour of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a pinch pepper.

Add two handfuls of sliced almonds (walnuts would be good too), two handfuls of golden raisins, and crumbled blue cheese.

Add chopped kale from 1 head of raw kale. Toss the salad

Enjoy!

Click here for more great recipes!

#berry #blue cheese #blueberries #kale #meat #steak #super super easy #almonds #raisins

Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze

I don't always post the food I make in the order I make it, so it's a little coincidental that I am posting two soy sauce based, glazed dishes, one after another. I love these dishes because accompanying soy sauce with flavors like ginger and honey, really masks its strong flavor, that sometimes tends to be a little too much for me, and I'll eat something that is "glazed" any day.

Anyway, meatballs are allll the rage right now. The Meatball Shop (yes for all your non-New Yorkers, there is a shop...in Manhattan....that just serves meatballs....) is sprouting up new locations faster than you can say polpetta. And I can't turn my head without finding a restaurant that serves up this delectable fair.

To tell you the honest truth, I'm not a huge meatball person. I totally dig the whole concept of them, but for some reason they never really stuck with me. I enjoy them at restaurants and when others make them, but not enough to cook up my own. But something really struck me about these scallions meatballs. An asian meatball seamed like such an antithesis of meatballs. Shouldn't this Italian staple be covered in red sauce and cheese? I was intrigued, which meant only one thing, it was time to roll up my sleeves and cook my very first meatball.

All I can say is that I am now hooked! They were super easy to make - just throw all the ingredients into a bowl, mix, and cook. Each bite was loaded with the flavors of sweet, juicy, and tangy meat. It tasted like an inside of the most perfect dumpling...in the best possible way. The sauce/glaze that accompanied them was beyond restaurant quality, and I ended up jarring some to cook with eggplant later in the week. These are a must try that I can't recommend enough. :)

Read on for the delicious recipe adapted from Canal House Cooking:

These can be cooked either in a skillet like above or baked (the latter being the healthier option)

Make sauce: Use 1/2 of a cup of all ingredients unless otherwise noted.

Bring dark brown sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar melts completely.

Reduce heat to a medium-low and add soy sauce, mirin (I used white wine/sugar mixture), 1/4 cup of fresh grated ginger, black pepper to taste.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

Keep it on a back burner, stirring it frequently, while browning the meatballs in the next step.

Make meatballs:

Mix 1 lb of ground turkey, 1 head of chopped scallions, 1 handful of shopped cilantro, 1 egg, 3 count pour of sesame oil, 3 count pour of soy sauce and several grindings of black pepper in a bowl. Mix with a fork.

Roll tablespoon-sized knobs of the mixture into balls.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, generously cover bottom of pan with vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place meatballs in pan and cook, turning, until browned all over and cooked inside, about 8 minutes per batch.

Spoon a little sauce over each meatball, and enjoy!

Click here for more amazing recipes!

#meatballs #asian #scallion #soy #ginger #glaze #appetizers #food #small bites

Super Super Easy: Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon with Bok Choy

Sometimes I get carried away with what kind of food I can whip up in this little kitchen of mine. I have that mentality that if some of the top chefs in NYC can work out of some of the smallest kitchens in the United States, so can I. But I hear your plea for faster, easier, less ingredient dishes, so I am going to begin posting "Super Super Easy" meals that can be prepped in as little at 5 minutes, and ready to eat in less than 20 (Because I still feel that a lot of my recipes are just Super Easy). I'm not talking about plain baked fish and steamed veggies here...I do have a certain caliber for what's considered a delicious dinner. Just some basic ingredients that you might not think to put together, that can offer a wonderful, easy to make meal.

So if you're strapped for time, and looking for a last minute meal, resist the urge to visit your best friend Seamless and cook up a Super Super Easy CheeverSauce dish - you'll surprise your closeted chef self with how easy it can be. The other week I only had salmon, bok choy, and other limited ingredients in my fridge, but this recipe is a classic case of how a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, goes a long way.

Onto the recipe from Serious Eats:

Preheat oven to broil. Whisk together a cup of soy sauce, juice from one lemon, 5 squirts of honey (about a 1/4 cup), fresh grated ginger, and a spoonful of chopped garlic. Pour half of your marinade in a separate bowl and place your salmon, skin side up in marinade for 10-min (or half hour if you can spare the time).

Place fish skin side down in a baking pan, on the rack closest to the broiler. Do not turn. Broil until top is caramelized and the fish is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes depending on how thick your fish is.

Bring 1/4 cup of water to a boil in saucepan. Add your boy choy (2 heads per person) and let steam for about 4 minutes. Then add the marinade you set aside and toss to combine, cooking for another couple minutes until your sauce reduces. Remove from heat.

Arrange bok choy on plate, top with cooked salmon and enjoy!

#bok choy #fish #ginger #honey #salmon #soy sauce #vegetarian #Super Super Easy

Roasted Veggie Sandwich with a Light Arugula and Parsley Aioli

Everybody loves a great sandwich. A truly outstanding sandwich has just as much emphasis on the bread and a creative sauce, as the fresh and high quality ingredients that go inside. I am a sucker for sauces, especially on a sandwich, it just gives it that extra umph! we're all looking for when we bite in between two pieces of bread. Big Macs didn't become a hit for no reason...it's all about the special sauce. So when I stumbled upon a recipe for an arugala and parsley aioli, I instantly knew I found the perfect companion to the roasted veggie sandwich I've been dying to make.

Preparing a veggie sandwich is one of the easiest things you can do and I prefer my veggies over deli meat. I chose some of my favorites to roast: portabella mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. I put a little olive oil on the mushrooms, olive oil and garlic powder on the eggplant, and olive oil and rosemary on the tomatoes. I put everything on 1 baking sheet with the red peppers at 400 degrees, and watched them until I knew each was roasted properly. The mushrooms came out first, and I stuck my sheet back in to let the tomatoes, eggplant and red peppers cook a little longer. The peppers will be blistered and charred when done (Be sure to remove their skins before serving). Roast everything to your desired taste and remove from the oven.

I spread a little of the Arugula and Parlsey Aioli on one slice of whole grain crusty bread from Balthazar, and goat cheese on the other. I topped off my veggies and added some arugala for added texture. It's simple and delicious and packs up easy for lunch the next day.

Read on for the recipe for Arugala and Parsley Aioli

For the Aioli:

1. Place a large handful of arugula, a handful of parsley, 2 spoons of chopped garlic, 1/3 cup of light mayonnaise, 1/3 cup of low-fat yogurt, 4 splashes of white wine vinegar, lemon zest, into food processor.

2. Pulse to blend.

3. Remove aioli to medium bowl.

4. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy on your favorite sandwich!

Click here for more great recipes!

POST UPDATE:

Had a lot of extra of the aioli so I roasted up some chicken breasts, shredded them, and mixed them in the sauce. Made for a great wrap with some more arugala.

#arugala #eggplant #food #parlsey #portabella mushrooms #roasted red pepper #roasted vegetables #sanwich #tomoato #vegetables #veggie #whole grain bread #balthazar

Sour Cream Cornbread with Aleppo and Honeyed Butter

Nothing encourages a stay at home and cook all day marathon like fresh fallen snow. Seems a bit backwards that during my first winter snowfall, a time when most people are out skiing, sledding, ice skating, and enjoying the fresh powder, I chose to spend the day in my kitchen. I'm not sure whether my pessimistic New Yorker attitude, dreading the thought of trekking through street sludge, only to discover that ongoing traffic won't even slow down for me when I inevitable slip on ice while crossing the street, was keeping me indoors today. Because even without these homebody thoughts, something about the crisp winter air was telling me it was a day for cooking, and that same voice was telling me it was a day for cornbread.

Like I've stated before, baking isn't my thing. But the chilly air was making me crave something that would compliment the warm and cozy atmosphere of my apartment, and nothing screams soul and comfort like corn bread. I love this particular recipe because it's different than the cornbread I am used to in restaurants. Don't get me wrong, I love the taste of a nice, sweet, fluffy, cake-like bread, but I try to keep things on the lighter side here, and this recipe does the trick.

This bread contains no butter, minimal sugar, and the sour cream (I used low-fat and it didn't affect the flavor a bit) gives it a nice gooey consistency. The best addition is the Aleppo, which is a Turkish bright red pepper flake. This adds a subtle kick to the bread, which is a perfect addition to the corn flavor (If you don't have aleppo flakes, feel free to use red pepper - but just use a fraction of the amount). The taste feels like less of a dessert and more like a bread with it's grainy, hearty texture. It's delicious on it's own with butter and honey, but also amazing alongside a warm soup or chili. I will most certainly be serving it for breakfast tomorrow with a fried egg or two...

Onward for the recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Generously grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or coat it with a nonstick spray.

Mix together 1 cup of all-purose flour, 1 cup of yellow cornmeal, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon dried aleppo flakes, 1/2 teaspoon table salt in a large bowl. (CheeverSauce note: I don't have measuring spoons so I just used a small dinner spoon and a large dinner spoon for measuring - still came out delicious).

In a seperate bowl whisk together 1 large egg (lightly beaten), 1 cup low-fat sour cream, 1/3 cup buttermilk, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones, mixing until just barely combined.

Spread the batter in your prepared and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. A toothpick, or knife, inserted into the center should come out clean.

Slice and serve toasted with honey and butter.

Enjoy!

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#food #corn #cornbread #pepper #aleppo pepper #honey #butter #bread #sour cream

Fresh & Light Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Tarter Sauce

Nothing is better than fresh shellfish...except when it's free. When I say fresh, I mean the shellfish was still moving before I cooked it. When I say free, I mean I paid $2.50 for the subway ride from Matt's studio, where I received it, to my kitchen. That's right, another post about getting free ingredients from the chef series the photographer I work for is shooting...

This week, we had an amazing shoot with Sam Talbot, the Executive Chef at Surf Lodge (and a final contestant on Top Chef!). Not only is he an excellent chef, very down to earth, and dangerously handsome...he also is extremely generous. Post shoot, he left me with three extremely large Dungeness crabs to cook up for CheeverSauce.

I have to admit, I had my reservations - I never cooked a live crab before. Boiling them seemed easy enough, but for how long? Did I have a pot big enough? Would it scream like a lobster? Would I be found on my kitchen floor afterward...pinched to death? I was used to someone handing me crabs already cooked to a bright red perfection and I had never participated in actually taking the life away from something I was about to eat. Especially when it was sort of cute and looked like this:

(meet Moe, Larry, and Curly. So silly)

I decided it was time to behave like a serious chef and boil the damn crabs. And what better dish to whip up then an ultimate personal favorite -crab cakes.

During the cooking process, I just had to keep repeating Chef Talbot's words, "crabs don't have feelings," over and over in my head. This was especially difficult when one tried to climb out (!) while half its body was being boiled alive. Thankfully, the rubber bands around its large pinchers made it impossible and this only lasted a second.

This crab cake recipe is my own combination of several recipes I found online. One suggested serving it with a jalapeño tarter sauce, which couldn't sounds more delicious - I love a subtle spicy kick of flavor to any meal. The dish was surprisingly easy to make, and not expensive, as a lot of the same ingredients that went into the crab mixture also was included in the sauce. I wanted the main focus of the crab cake to be the crab meat, so I included lighter ingredients and avoided frying it in a lot of oil. Nothing is worse than eating a crab cake with too much filling and too much grease.

This was hands down one of the most delicious meals I have ever made (Is anyone counting on how many times I've said this so far?). The freshness of the crab was so apparent, and the light, fluffy texture of the cakes was complimented perfectly by the zing and sweetness of the jalapeño tarter sauce. I can't wait to make this dish again...even if I decide to go the quicker route and buy crabmeat vs. cooking up my Crustacean Three Stooges.

Onto the recipe!

I can't recommend enough purchasing live crabs for this dish. The fresh flavor was worth the hassle of boiling, cleaning, and cracking them. I have to admit, the process as a whole was kind of fun and a great learning experience. Here's a great how-to: http://santarosa.about.com/od/foodandwine/a/crab.htm . I didn't follow this, I sort of just cracked and clawed (wink, wink) my way through getting the meat out, but this sounds like less of a mess.

Recipe for the crab cakes:

I made this mixture in a separate bowl and added the mixture to the crab vs. the other way around. This allowed me to control how much filling I added to my crabmeat, since I wanted its consistency to be mostly crab.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of low fat sour cream, chopped scallions from 1 head of scallion, a large handful of chopped parsley, lemon juice from 1 lemon, lemon rind from the same lemon, two eggs, two handfuls of whole wheat panko crumbs, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper.

Add your mixture into a bowl of your crabmeat a little at a time, mixing in between adding so you don't add too much (I had mixture leftover). It looked like this:

Let the mixture chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, add about 3 tbs. of canola or sunflower oil (these are good for cooking at high heat which is what you need for these) over medium/high heat.

Once your oil is slightly smoking, spoon out your crab mixture and flatten/shape into a 3/4 inch patty.

Add crab cakes to your pan, cook for 4 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Carefully flip cakes and repeat until the crab cakes are throughly heated.

Recipe for the sauce:

Combine 1/3 cup light mayonaise, 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream, 2 spoonfuls of relish, lime rind from 1 lime, 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, and a pinch of salt.

Serve along side your crab cakes and enjoy!

Click here for more great recipes!

#crab cakes #crab #seafood #shellfish #tarter sauce #jalapeno #sam talbot #spicy

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

Cooking comes pretty natural to me. Am I coming off too arrogant? I should pat myself on the back a couple more times and submit my blog to the James Beard Foundation with a statement like that. But what I mean by that is, cooking just makes sense to me. I get it. Chess? No. Cooking? Yes. So it came as a surprise to me that while I was surfing other food blogs for recipe ideas, a pretty basic Italian dish...sort of stumped me. I can't put a finger on exactly what was so confusing to me about the idea of a rollatini, it seamed simple enough, but I nevertheless felt uncomfortable with the idea of rolling up some ingredients, in a breaded additional ingredient, topped with some more ingredients, and then baking it. Would this even work? Even the name of it -rollatini - sounded so foreign and uncertain to me. #foodbloggerproblems

I guess because I never ate rollatinis growing up, and wasn't familiar with the dish, (I'm guessing I spent my whole life scanning over it at Italian restaurants, in between the veal parmesean and pasta bolognese) I was sort of stumped out of pure jealousy. As a huge fan of stacking, why hadn't I ever thought to roll up my ingredients and bake them all together? It's genius. All of the sudden everywhere I looked I found a rollatini On menus, my interns leftover lunch, even a friend posted it to her food blog (Jewtalian - check her out!). So I decided it was time to buckle down and make some rollatini. With a protein craving paving the way, I decided to go the chicken route.

Apparently, you can roll anything inside a chicken. Chicken rollatini with zucchini and mozaarella, chicken rollatini Alfredo, Chicken rollatini with asparagus and pancetta...the sky's the limits with this poultry, and while the options are endless, I decided to go basic. I found this recipe on Skinny Taste and boy does that Gina know how to lighten up a dish without sacrificing flavor. The whole process was extremely easy and painless and the end result was a perfect winter dish. The best part is that you're getting all your flavors in one bite, and everything comes together in a simple and elegant way. I can't wait to try a different version next time I cook it - and now that I am no longer a rollatini virgin, it's time to get down and dirty - eggplant I'm looking at you.

Read on for the recipe adapted from Skinny Taste!

Wash and dry thin chicken breast cutlets depending on how many people you're serving, and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 450°. Lightlyspray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine 2 handfuls of whole wheat breadcrumbs and a bunch of your favorite spices you have on hand (I used dried thyme, and parsley) and 4 large pinches of grated parmesan cheese in one bowl and 5 egg whites in another.

Combine your 1 pack of frozen spinach (defrosted- make sure you squeeze it dry) with 1/4 cup of more parmesan cheese, and 2 egg whites. Stir until it's all one consistency.

Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 2 tbsp of spinach-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.

Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spray with olive oil. **(Cheeversauce note: I dipped my chicken in the egg then breadcrumbs before I added the spinach so it was breaded on each side before rolled. I found that there was too much breading so I suggest doing it the above way).

Bake 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, top each rollatini with marinara sauce and 1 slice of mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 5 more minutes.

Serve with additional sauce on the side and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

#cheese #chicken #chicken rollatini #dinner #italian #parmesean #poultry #rollatini #sauce #spinach #food

Pappardelle with a Light Mixed Mushroom Truffle Cream Sauce

The holiday season has been in my rear view mirror for about a week now, and while most Americans are looking to ring in 2012 with their soup fasts, juice fasts, slim fasts, or raw food fasts, I welcomed the New Year with carbs, carbs, carbs. Whoops. Now I'm all about healthy eating, but certain circumstances led this dish to fall into my lap whether I liked it or not (I liked it).

The photographer I represent is in the middle of shooting an amazing portrait series of the top chefs in America, a.k.a a food bloggers paradise. Being on set with these people is probably how CW actors feel at the Academy Awards. When it's brought up that I write a food blog, I nervously laugh it off "Ha, oh that? ha..oh it's silly really...nothing compared to what you do...hah...(eye wander around the room during an awkward moment of silence)…Oh but if you want to check it out, link it to your website, or give me a shout out in your next Food and Wine interview, its C as in cat-H as in Harry-E-E-V…yes that's V as in Victory-E-R-S-A-U-C-E.com."

As luck would have it, last week, chef Missy Robbins brought over some of her favorite ingredients for the photo shoot, and before I knew it, I had $200 of shaved truffles on my hands. This is what I know about truffles: 1. they are very rare and thus very expensive, and 2. I absolutely love how they taste. Cooking with truffle salt or truffle oil is always an added treat to any dish, but I had an inkling this would be the first, and possibly last time I would cook with fresh truffles. And when life gives you truffles...you make pasta. Starchy foods and liquid fats perfectly compliment this fancy 'shroom, and you typically want to keep your ingredients simple so that no strong flavor overthrows the truffle, which typically infuses its flavor and smell to everything around it.

So how convenient it was that Chef Robbins also left me with some wonderful homemade pappardelle. This wasn't any ordinary pasta. Her famed Italian dishes are known to be some of President Obama's favorites, so when she offered me pappardelle made fresh that morning in the A Voce kitchen, it was something I just couldn't turn down...I don't care how many articles I've read telling me how bad white carbs were for me.

I had the perfect recipe to compliment my ingredients - another Bethenny Frankel "healthier" spin on a classic Italian dish. I prepared my version a little different than hers, by melting the small amount of butter she called for in a separate pan, allowing it to brown so I could add the nutty flavor and aroma of browned butter to the sauce. I also let it reduce for about 15 minutes longer than she called for and added some sage to the mix. Overall the recipe was extremely easy to make, and bursted with flavor, tasting ten times more indulgent and decadent than it was. The dish can be made with just truffle oil, which is sold in most supermarkets these days, and I would recommend using whole wheat fettuccine when you make this at home, that is unless you have some of your own homemade pappardelle on hand :) .

Onto the recipe adapted from Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta:

Bring pasta water to a boil, season with a large pinch of salt

Lightly coat a large saute pan with olive oil over medium heat, spread 1 1/2 cups of your favorite mixed mushrooms (I used cremini and portabella) and 1 sliced shallot in your pan. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes without touching or moving the mushrooms. Then flip them over and leave them sautéing for another 5 minutes (Tip from Bethenny: Don’t overcrowd the mushrooms in the pan; you don’t want them to get watery. The idea is to brown them. Do not add salt – add nothing. Salt makes them soggy and watery).

Add a 4 count of vegetable broth to the mushrooms, and let simmer for 4 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of low fat sour cream, 2 tsp. of truffle oil, a large pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 stick of butter until browned. Add a small handful of fresh sage and let simmer for a minute. Then pour the butter and sage into the mushroom sauce. Let simmer for another 15 minutes until reduced.

Once your pasta water boils, add 16 oz. box of pasta and follow cooking directions. With tongs, remove cooked pasta (I prefer it al dente) from water and add to pan and toss thoroughly.

Top with parmesan, and shaved truffles.

Enjoy!

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#cremini #mushroom #pappardelle #pasta #portabella #sour cream #truffles #food

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