[tart-pastry]

Seattle-based online wine course company, Wine Folly, has created a flowchart on how to pick wine.

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Chipotle Ranch Chicken

Ingredients:

1.2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 cup Ranch Dressing 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, seeded

Directions:

Pour the ranch dressing into a food processor with the seeded peppers. Pulse until fine. Coat the chicken in the marinade and let it sit over night. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes and broil on high on the top shelf of the oven for another 5 - 7 minutes. Tah-dah!

My Thoughts:

This chicken actually came out quite well and tasted great! By reducing the time I let the chicken broil from 10 to 5-7 minutes, the dish won't come out as dry. The flavor was still great though! I served this with Arroz Amarillo and sauteed garlic asparagus. I walked in the door at 8 p.m. and was done eating by 9:15 p.m. so this is perfect for quick family dinners before rushing out of the door! Definitely a keeper!

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Key West Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon of chopped cilantro 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Combine the soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice cilantro and garlic in a bowl. Take chicken breast halves and dip each side into the marinade before refrigerating for around 30 minutes. Grill and enjoy!

My Thoughts:

This recipe is very simple and did not take an extra trip to the store. I served it with a bag of steam-able risotto and the flavors blended very nicely. Great for kids (and if they don't like the 'green stuff,' just omit the cilantro)! Very good for a quick dinner and you can marinate it in advance in case you don't have that extra time. Will definitely make again!

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Tzatziki

Ingredients:

1 cup grated, peeled, seeded cucumber 1/8 tsp salt  2 cups Fage Greek Yogurt 2 Tbs Dillweed 2 tsp lemon juice or 1/2 juice of lemon 1/4 tsp salt 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbs olive oil pepper to taste

Directions:

dry chopped cucumbers on paper towel, place salt on cucumbers to absorb water. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 1 hour for flavors to intensify. My thoughts:

This was pretty good but we modified it completely. Instead of dillweed we added a little cilantro and parsley, some hot sauce and a good amount of garlic. We only used 1/3 of the cucumber. Over all, it was a success. Very proud of the lovely gentlemen who made it with me!

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Falafel

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/2-1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon baking powder

4-6 tablespoons flour

Soybean or vegetable oil for frying

Chopped tomato for garnish

Diced onion for garnish

Diced green bell pepper for garnish

Tahina sauce

Pita bread

Directions:

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.

2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.

5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

NOTE: Egyptians omit the cilantro and substitute fava beans for the chickpeas.

My Thoughts:

This recipe tasted great. We followed the directions to the tee and the only problem we seemed to have was the actual falafel falling apart. I don't think our batter was wet enough because we did have to mash everything by hand, seeing as a boy in college's apartment doesn't have a food processor. I give HUGE props to the lovely gentlemen of the night, Rob and Ganesh, who were wonderful to cook with. I'm actually very pleased at the way this turned out. We didn't have cumin, but we added some hot sauce to it. The first four balls fell apart completely in the frying process (we also didn't deep fry them, just pan fry), so we added more flour to the last three. It helped for about 2 minutes before they completely fell apart again. Regardless, the taste was amazing and it worked just fine in the Pita. We also did not use tahini, we made a tzatziki sauce instead. Over all, I recommend it for taste. Next time, I'll have to see if the food processor helps liquify the batter a bit.

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Blanching

To at home cooks, this seems like a pretty standard practice, but to those of you just starting out, it's the easiest way to cook vegetables. Last night I made asparagus, blanched, with a little salt.

1. Boil a pot of water that is large enough to fit all of your vegetables.

2. Add salt and seasonings that will compliment your meal. Often times, I don't add anything extra in the water just because like to taste my vegetables plain. (MM Salt)

3. Once the water is bubbling and hot, throw your veggies in there! (Don't literally throw them, you might burn yourself!) The cooking process usually takes 4 to 5 minutes (for a small amount), so while that's happening, grab a large bowl and fill it with ice water.

4. Once the veggies are cooked to liking, take them out of the boiling water and put them into the ice cold water. If you're blanching tomatoes or other veggies (/ fruits) with skin, putting them in the cold water will be where you begin to see the skin peel off. You can continue to pull it off underwater if you'd like.

5. Once the veggies have cooled off, you'll see that the colors are brighter and more vibrant. Pretty!

6. Now eat up!

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Mac N' Cheese

After eating this macaroni and cheese you will never go back to the stuff in the blue box. It is great when you are a kid, but when you are an adult ? Really? It is time to step up the sophistication. This is a recipe that my mom adapted from one of the greatest southern cooks ever, Edna Lewis.

You will need

  1 3/4 cups gobbetti pasta (or any noodle shape you prefer)

Salt

2 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese (cubed)

2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon all- purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2/3 cup sour cream

2 eggs that are lightly beaten

1/3 cup grated onion

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)

To get this:

Step 1: Boil the pasta in salted water until tender. Remove and drain. Place the drained pasta into the baking dish of your choice. My mom used a cast iron pan, but you can use a 9x13x2 baking dish or whatever else you like. Mix in the cubed cheddar cheese.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350 F

Step 3: Take the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Stir them together so that everything is evenly mixed together.

Step 4: Add the sour cream, and eggs. With a wire whisk mix all ingredients together until mixture is evenly incorporated.

Step 5: To the mixture, Whisk in the onion, half and half, heavy cream, and Worcestershire until it is thoroughly blended together.

Step 6: Pour this mixture over the pasta and cheese and then stir everything together. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top and then place into the oven.

Step 7: Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes and then let cool for 10 minutes. The cooling is necessary to allow the mac and cheese to set up.

My Thoughts:

This is so so so easy to make. Just a little effort with the cutting / shredding cheese, but that comes with most of the really good mac n' cheese recipes. The pasta I chose was Medium Shells (Conchiglie), they're a favorite of mine, especially with cheese! The prep time is about the same amount as the bake time, but this is great if you've got an hour or so to kill and you want some comfort food. I'm so glad I found this recipe on pinterest! The taste. It's perfect. A little extra black pepper on top and you'll be in heaven. And there will be left overs. Lunch tomorrow. Perfect for a good night in... I will be keeping this recipe, no doubt.

(Pictures are from the site the recipe came from, they're not mine!)

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Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake

Ingredients

Cheesecake:

10 graham crackers, finely ground (1 1/3 cups crumbs)

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature for 30 minutes

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons pure grade B maple syrup

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Maple Pecan Glaze:

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup pure grade B maple syrup

3/4 cup pecan pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

For the crust: Here's a super-easy no-fuss way to make this crust. Break the graham crackers into a food processor with the sugar. Pulse until the crumbs resemble fine meal. Pour the crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan. Pour the melted butter over the mixture, bring together with your fingers and press into the bottom of the pan.

Cook's Note: Feel free to experiment with other graham crackers or cookies. Swap cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers for the original graham crackers for a tasty twist.

For the cheesecake: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until fluffy. Reduce the speed and, with the mixer running, add the eggs. Increase the speed to incorporate the eggs. Add in the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk and maple syrup. Next, add in the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat the mixture for awhile; this will make the cheesecake light and fluffy. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared crust. Tap the pan lightly on the work surface to remove any air pockets.

Bake until the center appears nearly set, but jiggles a little when shaken, 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours, or overnight.

For the glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and maple syrup and bring to a boil. Boil until slightly thickened, 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pecan pieces. Cover and chill. Stir together before serving.

To serve: Spoon the maple pecan glaze over the cheesecake.

My Thoughts:

This cheesecake was very easy to make, and I found it an excellent addition to the dessert menu this Thanksgiving. There were some slight kinks in the process (one of which was my own underestimating how much maple syrup my family goes through and having to run to the grocery store on Thanksgiving Day), including altering the recipe slightly. The cheesecake is very rich and very good, but when preparing the filling, I found that adding two whole teaspoons of cinnamon and a whole teaspoon of nutmeg would be a bit much, so I split the amounts in half. I also just added a dash of seasalt, instead of the 1/2 teaspoon. It still turned out wonderful, and I'm glad that I decided to modify because the spices would have overpowered the rest of the flavors. The flavor of the glaze really enhanced the cheesecake, and I must say that this was a hit with my family. The entire family. Everyone took extra home, and there's even a little piece for my breakfast in the morning. A perfect end to an excellent Thanksgiving dinner. I hope yours was great as well!

(via Food Network)

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Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons cold water

1 pinch salt

1 2/3 cups plain all-purpose flour, sifted

Caramel Apple Filling:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

10 apples (recommended: Granny Smiths or Reine de reinette)

2 tablespoons sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the pastry, let the butter soften to room temperature and put it into a mixer on low speed.Pulse for 2 seconds before adding the egg followed by the water. Mix for a few seconds and then add the salt and the flour, keeping 2 tablespoons aside to add later in case the dough is too sticky. Work fast because the gluten in the flour makes the dough go elastic.

Stop the mixer before the dough turns into a ball. Flatten the pastry and shape a circle about 6 inches wide. Place the pastry on a plate, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for 1 hour minimum to 24 hours. This lets the gluten relax and when you roll out the pastry it stays flat.

Caramel Apple Filling: Cut the butter into little bits and scatter on a 10-inch baking dish. Shake the sugar over it and add 2 tablespoons of water to keep it from crystallizing. Caramelize the sugar by placing the dish on a medium heat. Meanwhile, peel the apples, cut in 2 and remove the core. Cut them into 4 big pieces. Once the butter and sugar have caramelized take the pan off the heat. Place the pieces of apple vertically on top of the caramel in the baking tin, taking care to fill the gaps with more pieces so they stick together in a solid mass. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the apples. Put the dish back on a heat diffuser for 15 minutes at a medium heat until the caramel starts bubbling up through the apples.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the pastry out and place over the apples folding it in at the edges. Make 3 or 4 holes with a knife and 1 in the middle to let steam out when baking. Bake for 20 minutes and then let it rest for 15 minutes. It is important that you do this otherwise the apples will fall apart when you turn it over. Take a dinner plate and put it over the baking tin. Turn it over. Slowly remove the baking tin.

My Thoughts:

I love love love Tarte Tatin. I made this recipe my senior year of high school, before our winter break, as an intern for my Culinary program. The caramelized granny smith apples were so moist and amazing, it made you drool. The crust was a bit thick for my taste before baking, but because of the apples it ended up being just the right amount. I highly recommend this recipe to anybody who likes apples.

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Oregon Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

2 cans Oregon Blueberries 6 tbs sugar (more or less depending on your preference) 3 tbs cornstarch 2 tb lemon juice (optional) 1 tb butter or margarine Pastry for a double crust, 9 inch pie: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 4-6 tbs ice water 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drain the berries and reserve the syrup from one can. Stir the blueberry syrup into the combined mixture of the cornstarch and half of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Gently stir in remaining sugar, blueberries, and lemon juice. Let stand while preparing pastry. Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the ice water on tablespoon at a time until dough forms a ball. Do not over mix. Divide dough into two balls. Using a well-floured surface and rolling pin, roll each pastry ball from the center to the edges with long even strokes. Roll each pastry into a circle large enough to fit in a 9-inch pie plate. Tip: If the edges begin to over brown, cover edges with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Line a 9 inch pie pan with pastry and fill with fruit filling. Dot with butter or margarine. Adjust top crust on pie, cutting slits for steam to escape, and seal. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown.

My Thoughts: I actually love this recipe! The first time I made it was in September, and I did the double crust, but this time around I went with a single, just for ease. The filling is a perfect tart and sweet balance, and the pie itself is excellent with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. If the crust is done right, it comes out perfectly flaky and tastes phenomenal. The family definitely enjoyed it. 

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Restaurant Review: Hacienda El Mortero

This is a beautiful restaurant off of the main street in Cancun, right by the mall and clubs. It was a elegant, small place, where we ate the first night we were there. When you walk into the stone building, you are greeted by a host and walk right in front of an semi-open prep kitchen. The dining room looks much larger than the building itself and they have a large mariachi band. They are very interactive and they'll sing to you and take pictures!

Now for the important part: the food! The food was amazing. We got the family special for the night, fajitas, which came with different kinds of meat and seafood and different kinds of tortillas. Now, you aren't supposed to drink the water in Mexico, so we got bottled water. And then we gave up because I ate the salsa, guacamole, and everything else. And I didn't stop for the entire trip.

The food was to die for. It came out on a ceramic pig with a flame underneath to keep the food hot. There was chicken, steak, lobster, shrimp, and probably more, but this was in December... It was amazing. If you are ever in Cancun, definitely check this place out for dinner... And again the next day. (It's so good that I can remember the setting and the food like it was yesterday, and it's 10 months later.) 

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Feature: Green Tea

Green tea is one of the best things for your body, and with no calories!

For those of you ladies and gents who head straight for the juice when you get thirsty, I say you take an extra minute and a half to take a mug, fill it with water, and stick it in the microwave! And you can use the lame excuse that you hate the taste of tea, but I’ll reply with this: they make tea for every freaking flavor you could ever prefer in your entire life. And then add some Splenda (again, with 0 calories) and TAH-DAH!

The benefits of tea vary anywhere from preventing cancer to aiding in weight loss.

“Green tea and its extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL “bad” cholesterol — two risk factors for heart disease and diabetes — but in very limited studies. One study in the Netherlands and a study in Japan showed that green tea did both.

In the Dutch study, participants who drank caffeinated green tea lost more weight, but even those who typically drank the decaf variety saw a decrease in their waistlines and body weight. Researchers speculated that the caffeine helps with fat oxidation.

In the Japanese study, 240 men and women were given varying amounts of green tea extract for three months. Those who got the highest amount lost fat and weight and had lower blood pressure and lower LDL “bad” cholesterol.” (via WebMD)

“Taking weight loss supplements that contain green tea extract probably won’t hurt, unless you have liver problems.

But the best way to get the most out of green tea — even if your main goal is losing weight — is to drink it.

“Taken altogether, the evidence certainly suggests that incorporating at least a few cups of green tea every day will positively affect your health,” says Diane McKay, PhD, a Tufts University scientist who studies antioxidants. “It’s not going to cure anything and it shouldn’t be consumed as a drug, but it can complement the rest of the diet.”

McCullough bears the same reminder: eat your fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts — and go ahead, drink as much green tea as you want.

“I don’t think it can hurt to drink it. I’d focus on dietary sources rather than supplements because there are several compounds in green tea that might need to be consumed together. We just don’t know yet,” she says.” (via WebMD)

Green tea has been a huge part of my morning regiment as I started to lose weight, and you can believe what you want, but I have dropped 10 pounds this summer. I am very proud of myself. By just making a few healthier choices, being at work a ton, and drinking tea once or twice a day, I believe I have mastered my body’s weight loss. And I hope to keep going!

If you guys have any questions or need some helps with suggestions of tea flavors, brands or anything, please let me know! Happy drinking (:

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Chicken Marsala

Quick and company quality. Serve with buttered fettuccine. Begin with an arugula-tomato salad and end with some goat cheese or Gorgonzola, crusty bread, and fruit, for a delightfully elegant dinner.

Ingredients:

4 Tbs Butter 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness 4 shallots, finely chopped 1/2 lb mushrooms 1/4 cup dry Marsala 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp lemon juice TT, Salt and Pepper

Directions:

In a large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the btuter over meduim heat. Add chicken and saute, turning once, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Melt remaining butter in pan. Add shallots and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add Marsala and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add cream and lemon juice and return to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return chicken to pan and cook, turning in sauce, for about 3 minutes to reheat and finish cooking.

My Thoughts:

This was an excellent recipe, and I am very glad that my brother was not home to try it out. Since neither of my parents drink, they don't like the taste of alcohol. Chicken Marsala is a great way to bring in the slight flavor of the wine, without that aftertaste. I loved this recipe, and it was a great light dinner for a summer night.

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Buffalo Shrimp (and Chicken!)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons Creole-style seasoning 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails attached 4 cups oil for frying   BUFFALO SAUCE: 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/2 tablespoons butter 6 ounces hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, Creole-style seasoning, garlic powder, ground cayenne pepper, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Seal the bag and shake a few times to combine the ingredients well.

Rinse the shrimp under cold water and place them in the plastic bag with the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake to coat all of the shrimp well with the flour mixture.

Place the coated shrimp on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Save remaining flour mixture in the bag.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together garlic, butter hot sauce and cayenne pepper; set aside. In a pot, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Remove shrimp from refrigerator and shake a second time in flour mixture.

Place the shrimp in hot oil and fry until pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately coat with buffalo sauce.

My Thoughts:

Well to start, my dad thought that coating the shrimp a second time was unnecessary, so I'm not sure how much better it would have turned out. BUT. The Buffalo sauce is the best I've ever had. It's really spicy, though. I loved the flavor, and we ate it with bleu cheese. Tonight we're substituting the shrimp for chicken, and taking the cayenne out of the sauce. The hot sauce we used is Frank's RedHot XTRA Hot, and tonight we're mixing that and Frank's RedHot Wings. The Wings came our really well! You have to fry them for about 15 minutes per, so I put 8 in the pan at a time. Enjoy!

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Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

Ingredients:

4 cups heavy cream 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 1/2 lemon, juiced

Raspberry Coulis:

1 pint fresh raspberries, reserve 6 for garnish

Directions:

In a saucepan gently heat the cream. Add the sugar and gelatin. Once dissolved add the grated lemon and lemon juice. Bring the cream to a simmer infusing the flavors for about 10 minutes. Once it thickens pour mixture into 6 ramekins. Place ramekins onto a tray and then put in the refrigerator to chill and set about 6 hours or overnight. Serve with raspberry coulis and top with a fresh raspberry.

For raspberry coulis

In a food processor puree raspberries. Over a bowl strain puree into a sieve using a rubber spatula discard seeds.

My Thoughts:

I made this tonight, as a mother's day gift to the momma. The cream, before letting it set, tasted wonderful, and the raspberries are delightful! There were no fresh ones, so I had to get a bag of frozen, but it worked just fine! I'm hoping it turns out the way I'd like tomorrow! Fingers crossed. Happy Mother's Day & I'll tell you how it comes out!

It turned out beautifully! Mom loved it. I'm so happy! It's such a simple dessert, and it happens to be her favorite, so it's a recipe that I will keep for sure!