Thursday, October 6, 2016

Healthy Snacks

On occasion I find I have a sweet tooth but want something healthy.  That way I can feel good about grabbing a piece or two...
OATMEAL BARS
When you have a sweet tooth and want to stay on track, here’s a nice treat.
Sugar is NOT an added ingredient.

3 mashed Bananas
1/3 cup Apple Sauce
2 cups Oats
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon
¼ cup Almond Milk
½ cup Raisins (optional)
½ cup Craisins (optional)
¼ cup Chocolate chips (optional)
¼ cup slivered almonds (optional)

Bake at 325°F for ~45 min.  Let cool, then cut into desired bar size.

Friday, September 30, 2016

14 Things you need in your kitchen to 'Adultify' it...

Since I have two children already living on their own, and another almost there (soon to be in Alaska), I found the article I found on Tasting Table both timely and of value...

The 14 Products You Need to 'Adultify' Your Kitchen
Copied from a Tasting Table (I love that website!) article by Bailey Bennet
Soothe those growing pains with the simple, vital tools you need to get started.  Think back to when you were 23. Whether that was three weeks ago or 30 years, you remember what it felt like to live on your own for the first time. Suddenly, so many truths hit you: Couches are really expensive, food goes bad in the fridge insanely quickly and common household items you once took for granted are absolutely essential.

During this new phase of your life, you have to outfit your kitchen with products you never considered before. They’re obvious, inexpensive and not hard to find, but they’re all things that help ease the awkward transition from adolescence to adulthood.
That’s where this list comes in. These are the kitchen items you need in order to truly call yourself an adult. Some might seem very straightforward. And we get it. But you’d also be surprised how many people suffer through life without a good bottle opener.
Pot holders - If you’re going to start cooking for yourself, you’ll need something to grab those hot pots and pans. No, you cannot use paper towels. They don’t really work, and think of the trees!
A set of matching wine glasses (more than two!) - Sure, you can drink wine out of pretty much anything (bottle included), but having a matching set of wine glasses that you can pull out when friends come over is a serious adulting move.
Coasters - You spent good money on that furniture. Save it from the dreaded water ring.
Serving dish or platter - Someday you’re going to cook a meal you’re really proud of, and you’ll want to serve it to your guests on something worthy of your culinary masterpiece. Invest in a serving dish (or two) for just that occasion.
Steak knives - You cannot use a butter knife for everything. You’re an adult now.
Wine bottle opener - There are plenty of great hacks for opening a bottle of wine (with your shoe, on the wall; the list goes on). You know what’s the easiest way? Using a bottle opener.
Can opener - Stop jabbing at your can of beans with a knife. When it comes to opening cans, there is no substitute for the thing literally designed to open cans.
Cutting board - If you live in a major city, you probably have a tiny kitchen with an abysmal amount of counter space. But that’s still no excuse for chopping anything on that counter without a cutting board.
Baking sheet - Adult secret No. 1,345: You can make basically anything in your oven using a baking sheet, including a full meal. It is worth every penny.
Tupperware - On those rare days you have the foresight to pack yourself a work lunch, you’ll be glad not to reuse the container from last night’s Chinese food.
Cocktail shaker - Let’s get real. Have you ever NOT been impressed by someone mixing you a cocktail in their kitchen with an actual cocktail shaker? Be that person.
A coffeemaker of your choice - If anything’s going to get you through adulthood, it’s coffee. Sure, you could buy a $3 cup every day on the way to work, or you could purchase a decent coffeemaker for about $25. Now we’re feeling grown.
Drawer organizers - Don’t allow your kitchen drawer to become a bottomless pit of despair. Declutter your utensils, and you’ll instantly feel better about yourself.
A spice rack - This might be the ultimate sign of adulthood: a signal that not only do you own more spices than just salt and pepper, but you have so many that you actually need to display them. Piling them into a cabinet makes them impossible to sort through when you’re in seasoning mode, so invest in a spice rack to keep them easily accessible for all that adulting you’re doing.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

More 'One Pan' Recipes

I have been trying to come up with more tasty ways to prepare chicken that's quick and easy.  This one pan dish is based on a dish names for a village in northwest Italy and is usually prepared with veal, but chicken is as good if not better in this case...Enjoy!

CHICKEN MARENGO
Total Time: 35 min (Prep: 20 min Cook: 15 min) Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
3 large chicken cutlets, sliced into thin paillards (slice while partially frozen)
Seasoning: Lawry’s Season Salt, Garlic Powder, Mrs. Dash to taste
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 tsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped fresh
1 tsp. fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
½ lb. mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienned
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS
-Season the chicken with seasoning, to taste, and lightly dredge in flour.
-In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, until nicely golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
-In the same pan, add more oil, if needed, along with the onion, garlic, mushrooms and peppers and sauté until softened and fragrant, but not limp, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
-Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes to cook out the raw flavor.
-Turn up the heat, and add the wine/wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce for 2 or 3 minutes.
-Add the chicken broth, soy sauce and tomatoes. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add the browned paillards and any juices from the chicken and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is warmed through, about 3 minutes.
-Turn the heat off and stir in the butter. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately over rice or pasta.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Various recipes...

There are a few recipes I have been wanting to post for a while, but just haven't so here they are...


OATMEAL BARS
When you have a sweet tooth and want to stay on track, here’s a nice treat.
Sugar is NOT an added ingredient.

3 mashed Bananas
1/3 cup Apple Sauce
2 cups Oats
¼ cup Almond Milk
½ cup Raisins (optional)
½ cup Craisins (optional)
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 min.  Let cool, then cut into desired bar size.
 
 

BULGOGI (Korean BBQ Beef)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus marinating time
Cook Time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups beer
2 cups soy sauce
2 cups white sugar
½ cup sesame oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
½ Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger/powder
½ Tbsp. onion powder
pinch Korean red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
2 pounds rib eye steaks, thinly sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch slices
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Toasted white and black sesame seeds, for garnish
Steamed white rice, for serving
Kimchi, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Note: Sprinkle meat with baking soda and let sit for 1 hour or so.  Rinse well then proceed...
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic and onion powders and Korean red pepper flakes until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the sliced rib eye and let marinate for 1 hour.
2. In a large cast-iron pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat.  Drain the meat, discarding the marinade. Working in batches, cook the meat, flipping once, until caramelized and golden, 1 minute per side. 
You can also grill the meat for a smokier flavor. Transfer to a platter.
4. While meat is cooking, reduce marinade for ~10 minutes to serve over dish.
3. Garnish the bulgogi with the scallions, sesame seeds and more pepper flakes, then serve with steamed rice and kimchi.

 
I have had Bulgogi on many occasions, beef sliced thin and piled over rice.  This recipe uses larger pieces of meat and in my opinion is much more satisfying.  The marinade can also be used for Korean Short Ribs.

Looking for a quick, one pan, weeknight meal that's versatile enough to use many different types of meat and found the following:

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS
Serves: 4
You can also use skinless chicken thighs for this.

INGREDIENTS
•4 bone-in pork loin chops, 1 inch thick
•salt & fresh ground pepper
•1 Tbsp. olive oil
•1 Tbsp. butter
•1 large sweet onion, sliced
•3 cloves of garlic, minced
•2 cups sliced mushrooms
•2 Tbsp. flour
•1 tsp. dried thyme
•1 cup chicken broth
•¼ cup water
•¼ cup white wine (see notes)
•¼ cup heavy cream
•¼ cup sour cream
•2 green onions, chopped

Instructions
1. In a heavy ceramic skillet, heat up 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Season the pork chops generously with salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides.
3. Add the pork chops to the skillet and sear on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Remove the chops and transfer them to a plate.
5. To the same skillet melt 1 - 2 Tbsp. butter.
6. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic and sliced mushrooms and cook until soft and the moisture from the mushrooms has cooked off.
7. Add the dried thyme and flour to the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute.
8. Stir in the chicken broth, water and wine and simmer until the sauce thickens. Make sure to scrape up and stir in all the good brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
9. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream.
10. Add the pork chops and simmer for about 10 - 15 more minutes, or until the chops are cooked thoroughly.
11. Sprinkle with the chopped green onions and serve over rice or pasta (egg noodles or fettuccine noodles).

Friday, September 2, 2016

Almond Torte

Not really being a baker, pastry chef, etc. I usually like to stick to things I can do with the ingredients I can find in whatever portion I think works best.  For me, measuring properly then baking exactly usually tends to be more of a pain in the ass than is worth it.
However, in my old age I have found a soft spot in my heart for baking certain things...
One of those is a dessert that a friend of ours brought over and we devoured in about 25 minutes; and to top it off, it's very easy.  This almond torte is great with coffee, after dinner, midnight snack...Whatever!

MANDY’S ALMOND TORTE

 

Ingredients

¾ cup Sugar

1 cube Butter, softened

2 Eggs

¾ cup AP Flour

¼ tsp. Almond extract

¼ tsp. Vanilla extract

Slivered Almonds

 

Directions

Preheat oven (preferably Convection) to 325°F, and grease and flour an 8” round baking dish

Cream sugar, butter and eggs together until well incorporated.

Mix in flour, almond and vanilla extracts and mix well.

Pour into prepped baking dish, sprinkle with slivered almonds and put in oven, in a water bath.

Bake for 45 min. or until golden brown on top. A toothpick in the middle should come out clean.

Wait as long as you can for it to cool, then slice and enjoy!!!

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Mom's B-Day


Hey Everyone,
To celebrate Mom’s birthday, we would like to have an adults only, sibling & partner dinner on Sunday, September 4th at 5:00 PM at the condo.  Mom would like to have the following menu:
  • Spaghetti
  • Garlic Bread
  • Salad
I will make the spaghetti sauce, but we will need some volunteers for the following:
  • Appetizers - Tricia, ???
  • Pasta - Tricia
  • Garlic Bread -  Sandy
  • Green Salad ingredients (I will bring our HUGE metal bowl and we can assemble the salad on site):
  • Lettuce - Rachel & Tricia
  • Tomatoes -  Rachel
  • Cucumbers -  Rachel 
  • Croutons - JD
  • Salad Dressings - Ranch (Rachel), other (Clark)
  • Desserts - Adam (Mom's Favorite Peach Pie), ???
Alma will help Dad set up for the dinner.

Like with the Mom’s Day celebration, I will post this on my blog (yes, driving a ton of traffic).  Please let me know what you would like to bring by either texting me or posting a comment on the blog.
Thanks everyone!

Friday, August 5, 2016

Summertime Fare

Every week I grill a few pounds of chicken breasts for use during the week.  Lately, we have been getting tired of the same old stuff: chicken enchiladas, fajitas, chicken tortilla, etc. so I have been looking for tasty ways to use leftover grilled chicken.  I ran across a recipe the other day, adapted it a little to make it my way and came up with the following...

Grilled Chicken Breast with Raviolis and Citrus Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS
Grilled chicken - ~1 breast per person
1 Stick butter - melted
3 Sprigs Rosemary - finely chopped
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 Lemon - Juice and zest of ~1/4 of lemon
1/2 c White wine
1/2 c Heavy cream
Fresh ground pepper to taste.
1 pkg. fresh Cheese Raviolis

DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then add chopped rosemary.
Stir in flour just to make sure sauce will slightly thicken.
Add in lemon juice, zest, pepper and white wine.  Reduce slightly ~2 min. then add cream.
Gently simmer until the sauce is thickened and heated through stirring often to make sure the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.

Cook raviolis per package and serve on a platter/large pasta bowl.

Slice chicken to desired thickness, and spread neatly over raviolis, then pour sauce over chicken and raviolis.  Garnish with thinly sliced lemon pieces and a couple of sprigs of rosemary.

Enjoy