Kitchen Collaborations by Callie and Steph

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2009-11-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Here is an easy recipe for a yummy weeknight meal. I wanted to try making enchiladas by making them without the traditional green or red enchilada sauce (which is really good too, but can get a little messy). I have been thinking about doing this for a while, and I finally got around to it!

1 rotisserie chicken
1 cup chopped mushrooms (I used crimini)
8 oz cream cheese
1 packet taco seasoning (or Carne Asada flavoring)
2 Tablespoons dried onions
salt to taste
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (or cheddar)
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
7 or 8 taco size tortillas (I used low carb ones)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place the meat from the rotisserie chicken on a cutting board and chop it up pretty fine. In a large bowl, add chicken, chopped mushrooms, cream cheese, taco seasoning, and dried onions to the meat and mix until the ingredients are incorporated. Taste and add salt and more onions or taco flavoring if necessary (to suit your taste).

Grease a 9 by 13 baking dish. Place about 2-3 spoonfuls of mix into the center of the tortilla and wrap up tight. Place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remainder of the tortillas. Add Monterey Jack cheese to the top of the tortillas and spread evenly. Drizzle the cream evenly over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle more taco seasoning over the top if desired.

Place foil over the top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. The top should be bubbly and toasty looking.

Enjoy!

Chicken Saltimbocca

2009-11-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

We went to Buca di Beppo the other weekend and had a delicious chicken dish that translates into "jump in your mouth" and I think it literally did. I thought I could probably manage to make something similar at home and when I found a Buca di Beppo recipe on line, I just took it and ran with it. I made a few alterations but it turned out to jump in our mouth just as much as ever. It's actually really quick and easy too.

7 chicken cutlets or 4 chicken breasts
One piece of prosciutto for every chicken piece you have
2 tablespoons sage
Olive oil to coat pan
flour for dusting
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
capers for garnish
5 ounces white wine
Juice of 2 lemons, and lemon peel from one
4 ounces heavy cream
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
Salt to taste

Lightly salt chicken breasts. Sprinkle evenly with chopped sage. Place sliced Prosciutto on top the chicken and pound it into the breast until the thickness of the chicken measures 3/8-inch.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan. Lightly flour chicken pressed with prosciutto. Place in heated oil, Prosciutto side down. Brown one side, turn and brown the other side. Drain off excess oil, and deglaze pan with white wine. Add artichokes, fresh lemon juice, lemon peel, cream and butter and cook until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.

On a large platter, place chicken breasts topped with reduced sauce and garnish with capers.

Adapted from Buca di Beppo recipe.

In The Mood For Caldo Verde

2009-10-28T18:10:00.000-07:00

Caldo Verde is a Portuguese soup that is TO DIE FOR. It's Portugal in a bowl. The ingredients are so simple and the end result so satisfying.

3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes (the white ones),or 6 to 8 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (like potato au gratin style)
One big sweet onion (spanish or yellow), minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
10 ounces chourico, chorizo, or pepperoni if you can't find those, sliced thin (I used pork chourico that wasn't in a casing and it worked great, found at Sprouts)
3 Liters cold Water
1 lb Kale (this is what I used) or Collard Greens, washed, middle vein removed, and julienned (use a basil chiffonade technique)

Put 3 TB olive oil and 1 TB butter in the bottom of a big heavy saucepan and on med-high heat, cook the onions and garlic for about 2-3 minutes until onion becomes translucent being careful not to brown the onion.
Once onion is translucent, add potatoes and saute until they start to get some color, about 3-4 minutes.
Once the potatoes are getting some color, add the water, cover the pot, bring to a boil and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, julienne the greens (there will be a lot of it, don't worry, it's supposed to be that way)
and cook the chourico in a skillet until most the fat is cooked out. (If you are using a sausage with casing, remove the casing before you cook it)
Drain fat from sausage and set aside until the potatoes are ready.
Once the potatoes are soft, take a potato masher and mash the potatoes in the pot.
Next, add the sausage and lastly add the greens to the pot. Let cook for another 5 minutes until the greens incorporate into the soup. Taste for salt and pepper and pour the last Tablespoon of Olive Oil over top. serve with bread.

Here is a link to a website with some good visuals and a little more traditional recipe.

Slightly Sweet White Wine Salmon

2009-03-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is the first meal I ever cooked for Anthony back in my little NYC apartment in early 2007. He's been hooked ever since. Serve with rice and asparagus.

Ingredients:
1 lb salmon
1/3 cup white wine
2 T butter
1 T honey
3 T brown sugar
juice from 1-2 lemon slices

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Place salmon in rimmed cooking dish. Salt and pepper both sides. Place rest of ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour sauce over salmon and bake in oven for about 15 minutes, or until just opaque inside. Turn oven to broil, place salmon dish on 2nd to top shelf and broil for 3-5 minutes, until slightly browned. Enjoy!

Note: You can make this without the white wine, it's delicious either way.

Pork Schnitzel with Chantarelle Mushrooms

2009-02-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

I can't take credit for this recipe, but I can take credit for choosing such an amazing recipe to celebrate a special event with my husband. He spent a lot of time in Germany and every time it appears on a menu, he orders schnitzel. I always just have a bite, but I haven't been too ecstatic over schnitzel until now! This dish is mouthwatering, even if you don't have any ties to Germany. Wow, I will make this again and again, but I think I will try and substitute turkey next time for the meat and bacon. It's so easy and impressively delicious.

I doubled Hans Rueffert's recipe found here.

Ingredients

4 (3 ounce) pork cutlets, pounded super thin
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
all purpose flour, for dredging
3 eggs, beaten
breadcrumbs, for dredging
4 tablespoons butter
6 slices smoked bacon, roughly chopped
1 onion diced
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons capers, drained
butter
1 1/2 cup Chantarelle mushrooms, chopped if large
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Pat cutlets dry. Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. In a large skillet, add butter (clarified if possible) and saute cutlets on both sides until golden brown and crunchy. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

In a separate skillet over high heat, cook the bacon and the onions until they both start to brown. Add mustard and capers. Add a lump of butter to mix and immediately add chantarelles (I used dry chantarelles, so I turned down the heat and extended the cooking time a little bit until they were soft). As the mushrooms begin to absorb the butter, add just enough cream to cover the bottom of the pan. Simmer sauce to reduce slightly. Add more mustard or capers as needed (I didn't need to add anything.)

To serve, spoon sauce over browned schnitzel and serve with half a lemon. Squeeze over schnitzel right before eating.

Recommended authentic side dish: Cauliflower florets with butter.

Mashed Cauliflower

2009-01-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

I've tricked at least a dozen people with this recipe thinking it's potatoes, most of them admitting they don't like cauliflower. This is one of my husband's favorites. If you are carb sensitive like me, then this is the perfect substitute for starchy side dishes like potatoes and pasta. Hey, I never said it was low fat, just low carb okay?!

1 head cauliflower, cut up into small pieces
4-5 Tablespoons butter
2-3 Tablespoons sour cream
1 Tablespoons cream cheese
Kosher Salt and Fresh cracked pepper to taste

Steam or boil cauliflower florets until very soft (when touched with a fork, it falls apart). If boiling, salt the water. Strain if boiled. Remove saucepan from heat and return cauliflower to warm saucepan. Put butter, sour cream, cream cheese, and about 1-2 tsp kosher salt into saucepan with cauliflower and mash with a potato masher until well mixed and smooth (start out with smaller quantities of the ingredients first) Taste puree, make any adjustments needed. I usually end up adding a little more butter, a little more salt and just a tad more sour cream. That's what my tastebuds fancy. It seems to work well for the general population...

Strawberry and Grapefruit Salad with Vanilla Dressing

2009-01-11T21:11:00.000-08:00

These colors are so pretty together and they taste really good too. Strawberries and Grapefruits are both a little tart so this sweet dressing goes well with them. I made this as a side to my Monte Cristos. It was delicious.

1 Grapefruit, cut into slices and seeds and rind cut out
10 ounces (or so, you can eyeball it) strawberries, fresh or thawed

Mix fruit together in large bowl. Then drizzle with Vanilla Dressing (recipe follows).

Vanilla Dressing
adapted from Alton Brown's recipe

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayo (sounds weird, but it's good)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
pinch of fresh cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients. Let rest for one hour in fridge before serving. Depending on what fruit you are using, you might want to adjust the acidity (lemon juice) and the sweetness (honey and powdered sugar) to suit your tastes (the strawberries and grapefruit are both acidic and a little tart so I added less lemon juice and more sweetness).

Tempura Monte Cristos

2009-01-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

It was my Mom's Birthday and I know that one of her favorite things are Monte Cristo sandwiches. They are kind of a novelty and I've only seen a handful of restaurants that offer them. They are usually served as a brunch item. I decided that would be the perfect thing I could make for her on her birthday and it was! The whole family enjoyed them (including a 12 year old). Of course, when you see how they're made, it's no surprise they were a hit. (They're super easy too. Shh. Don't tell.)

Monte Cristo

2 slices sweet Hawaiian bread per sandwich
2-3 slices Honey roasted Ham per sandwich
2-3 slices Smoked turkey per sandwich
1 slice Gouda per sandwich(or Swiss which is the traditional way)
1 slice American Cheese per sandwich(also not traditional)
Mayonnaise
Blackberry Jelly(or Raspberry, traditionally speaking)
Store bought Tempura Mix(found in the International section)
Vegetable Oil(for frying)

Let bread sit out a little while so that it hardens a little bit, or you can toast it a little. Assemble the Sandwich by spreading Mayo on one slice and Jelly on the other slice. The layering will look like this:
bread-turkey-ham-cheese-cheese-ham-turkey-bread

Assemble sandwiches and then cut the crusts off to help seal the sandwich. Then, wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap and put in fridge for 30 minutes up to 6 hours. When ready to cook, take sandwiches out of the fridge and cut in half lengthwise. Prepare tempura batter as directed on the box and dip each half into mixture coating all sides of the sandwich. Put in oil and fry on both sides until the batter is a light golden color. Place on paper towel to dry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar immediately and serve. For condiments, offer jelly or maple syrup. On the side, I served it with a Strawberry and Grapefruit Salad with Vanilla Dressing. Oh Yeah.

Saganaki, Greek Turkey Meatballs and Zucchini with Tzatziki Sauce

2009-01-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

I love Greek food and I decided I would do a Greek themed meal that started with Saganaki, which is delicious cheese that is traditionally set to flame and drizzled with fresh squeezed lemon juice right before it is served, and if you go to a Greek restaurant and order this appetizer, they light it up right at your table.

Saganaki:
Kasseri Cheese (about 1/2 inch thick, you might have to cut the block down)
2 TB butter per lb of cheese, melted
1/2 of a lemon

Turn on the Broiler. Place the cheese into a pie dish or Corningware and pour melted butter ontop. Put into broiler until the cheese gets toasted and bubbly ontop. Take cheese out of broiler, squeeze lemon ontop and yell Opa! Serve immediately with bread or with no bread. It's good however you have it!

When we were first married, I started experimenting and these meatballs are one of he products of my experimentation. The meatballs are really simple and healthy and you can add different things to have them take on a different theme. I make these all the time and I will put in parentheses the things I added to make them more Greek. (They will feed about 4 people).

For the Meatballs:
2 lbs ground turkey
1 Tb Montreal Steak Seasoning ( or half Tb Montreal and half Tb Greek Seasoning)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
4 small shallots, minced
1 Tb fresh herbs ( I used Dill for Greek, but I have used Cilantro, Parsley, Tarragon, Thyme,etc)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese or Bread Crumbs
1 egg
2 tsp Worstershire Sauce or Soy Sauce
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar (or Lemon Juice)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are incorporated thoughout the meat. Roll into small balls. Heat a large frying pan with a small amount of olive oil. Add meatballs to hot oil and cook until the meatball browns, turn and brown on all sides. Make sure they are cooked through.

Tzatziki Sauce
(adapted from Georgette's recipe here)

2 cucumbers,peeled, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves
2 1/2-3 cups Greek Yogurt (you can find this in any Trader Joe's type health store)
1-2 Tb Fresh Dill, chopped
Juice of one lemon (3 Tb)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Cut up the cucumbers and put them in a strainer and add 1 Tb Kosher salt to the cucumbers. Let the cucumbers rest for 20 minutes (this process draws out the moisture from the cucumbers, this is a crucial step and sets this recipe apart and makes it super good). When the cucumbers are done resting, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and pepper to a food processor and mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Add cucumber mixture to yogurt and mix. Rest mixture in fridge for 2 hours so the flavors can mix (another crucial step).

For the Greek Zucchini and Squash:

Turn on Broiler
Cut up Zucchini and Squash and coat in olive oil. Add Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper and Greek Seasoning. Broil in oven until transparent. About 5 minutes. Splash some fresh lemon juice ontop when done.

Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Stuffed Chicken

2009-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have never made a stuffed chicken before and when I saw this recipe along with this recipe I was inspired to make a few adjustments and make it mine. In this picture you can see the melted goat cheese and pesto oozing out of the side. Yum!! It was easy but it looks elegant and difficult. The fun thing about it is experimenting with a ton of different fillings. Once you have the technique down, the possibilities are endless (and the technique is not that hard to get down). The filling that sounded good to me this time around was a Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and Goat Cheese combination (if these ingredients sound too exotic for you or your children, my 8 year old sister who can be picky LOVED it.) For the best results, I highly recommend making your own pesto. The store bought options for Sun Dried Tomato Pesto just aren't that good (in my opinion) unless they are super expensive.

Ready, Set, Pesto!

1 (8.5 ounces) jar Sun Dried Tomatoes packed in Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed in
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed in
Splash of Lemon Juice
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Blend all ingredients together except the Parmesan Cheese in a food processor until tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan.

Now for the dish:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6-8 ounces goat cheese (Chevre is the brand I used and I used about 7 oz)
1 Tb dried basil
6 ounces sun dried tomato pesto
1 egg
Parmesan cheese for breading (or bread crumbs if you like) about 3/4 cups
Fresh Basil for Garnish
8 toothpicks
Baking dish, greased

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the chicken breasts one by one inbetween wax paper or a freezer ziplock bag and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick.

Combine pesto, goat cheese and dried basil in a food processor just until the cheese is more evenly distributed throughout mixture, but not completely incorporated.

Lay out one of the chicken breasts and fill with 1/4 Pesto mixture and roll up starting with the smallest side to the largest side, tucking in any parts of the chicken that you need to. Secure with 2 toothpicks.

Crack an egg into a large bowl, pour 3/4 cup parmesan cheese into large plate. Dip the chicken into egg mixture to coat outside, then dip the chicken into Parmesan to coat. Place chicken into baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Make sure the chicken is spaced out in baking dish (not touching the other chicken) and bake for 40-60 minutes (mine took 55). Watch for the chicken to brown on the outside and be firm to the touch. Remove chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with some fresh basil. The chicken is actually quite filling so you want to keep your side dish light, like some grilled veggies. Enjoy!

Here is a hint for printing the recipes since we don't have one of those fancy options for printing the recipe only. Copy (right click on the mouse to find it) the whole recipe and open up a new document in Word (or whatever software you have) and Paste it onto the page and then print.

Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta

2009-01-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

My new favorite appetizer...Chimichurri is an Argentine sauce and it is unbelievably delicious. I am pretty sure I will be bringing this to every dinner party I ever attend again.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
¾ tsp. salt
dash of red pepper flakes
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
6 ½-inch-thick slices whole-grain or ciabatta bread, toasted

Directions:

Combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, and black pepper in small bowl. Whisk in oil, then stir in cilantro and parsley. Fold in avocado cubes. Spoon avocado mixture onto toast slices, and serve.

Portobello Burger

2008-12-31T17:03:00.000-08:00

This healthy and delicious vegetarian meal is satisfying...don't let the portobellos scare any of you meat-lovers away! My hubby loves a good burger, he was savoring every bite. I made homemade hamburger buns which made them even tastier.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 T olive oil

1/2 t dried thyme

2 T balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

4 large portobello mushroom caps

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

1/4 cup low-fat mayonaisse

1 T capers, drained

tomato, spinach and avocado to top

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, thyme, vinegar, salt & pepper.

Remove stems from mushrooms and place caps bottom side up in a shallow baking dish. Brush the caps with half of the sauce. Broil caps under the broiler for 5 minutes.

Turn the caps, brush with remaining sauce. Broil 4 minutes.

Toast hamburger buns lightly.

In small bowl mix capers and mayonaisse together. Spread mayo mixture on the buns, top with mushroom caps, tomato, spinach and avocado.

Ancho Chile Mushroom Enchiladas

2008-12-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

If you have access to ancho chiles (we find ours at the local Mexican market), you have to have to have to try this dish. I got my inspiration from the ancho chile enchiladas at Z Tejas, one of my favorite restaurants. They are so delicious and pretty easy to make. You can make the sauce ahead of time too, and freeze any extra for future uses. I make these enchiladas about once a week (and don't get sick of them), they make for excellent leftovers. Anth takes the leftovers to school the following days (where his fellow classmates drool over them).

serves about 5 or 6
Ingredients:

2 cups water
2 dried ancho chiles
4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1-2 T. mole sauce (optional)
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
12 ounces fresh wild mushrooms (such as oyster and/or stemmed and sliced shiitake and portobello)
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (you could also use queso fresco)
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 small avocado, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

8-12 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas

Preparation:

Bring 2 cups water to boil in small saucepan. Remove saucepan from heat, add chilies and soak 30 minutes. Drain chilies, reserving 6 tablespoons soaking liquid. Cut stems off chilies. Cut chilies open. Scrape out seeds and discard. Combine chilies, 6 tablespoons reserved soaking liquid and garlic in blender and puree until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine whipping cream, sour cream, & chili puree in heavy large skillet. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Whisk in lime juice and mole sauce (optional). Season with salt. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Melt butter in another heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and sauté until onion is translucent and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add cheese, cilantro, tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of the cream sauce. Simmer until just heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in avocado. Season filling with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Dip tortillas individually into warm sauce & transfer to baking dish. Spoon generous 1/3 cup filling down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, enclosing filling completely. Arrange seam side down in baking dish. Cover enchiladas with foil.

Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plates. Spoon some sauce atop each. Serve, passing any remaining sauce separately.

Notes: The corn tortillas crumble really easily. Since we eat them with a fork anyway and don't really care about presentation, it's not a problem. But, if you are worried about presentation, it might help to fry the tortillas briefly in some hot oil before dipping them in the sauce and filling them. It should help keep them from crumbling. I have tried microwaving them for 30 seconds, and although it helps they still seem to crumble. Another solution would be to use flour tortillas. They rarely crumble and taste heavenly too.

Lemon and Basil Marinated Cod

2008-12-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Anything marinated in these things has to be good right?! In Portugal, they eat Cod like it's nobody's business. They call it Bacalhau. After spending a year and a half there, I learned that there are literally thousands of ways to prepare it and it is a main staple of their healthy Mediterranean diet. Cod has a meatiness to it that most fish don't, which makes it an ideal fish for a winter meal. When Grant tasted this dish, he was surprised it was cod and said, "I would have told you not to buy cod, but I'm impressed." Another upside to buying cod is it is usually caught in the wild, therefore it is not farmed and does not have any added hormones or coloring, and if you get it at a reputable store, it usually hasn't been frozen. It's delicious.

For the Marinade:
4 cod fillets
A handful of fresh basil leaves (about 8), minced
the juice from 2 lemons
Leaves from one stem of rosemary, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger,
1 handful of fresh chives, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Stir all ingredients together (or use a food processor or Magic Bullet) and put the cod fillets in the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.

While they are marinating, Saute in large skillet
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks (white part only), minced
3 shallots, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
8 cloves of garlic minced
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Until onions are transluscent. Add cod to pan. Turn the heat up and brown the fillets, then turn down the heat and let them simmer until cooked through. (up to 20 minutes, it will vary depending on the thickness of your fillets)

Spoon the Cod and the Sauce over Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower (what we used) or Rice. Pour parmesan cheese over top and a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with a parsley sprig or whatever you have on hand. A half of a lemon would be nice to drizzle on top.

So healthy and so good, you'll think you're in the Mediterranean.

Ginger bread and "cement" frosting

2008-12-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe can be made for cookies or cut into larger pieces to make a gingerbread house(s). The dough is easy to work with and doesn't crumble.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in soda (it will foam up).
Stir in margarine till melted.
With a fork, stir in egg, then flour.
On a floured surface, knead dough till mixed. Divide dough in half, wrap half with plastic wrap; set aside.
Roll half the dough, with a rolling pin, slightly thinner than 1/4 inch.
Cut with cutters.
Bake at 325F on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
Makes about 3 dozen 3" gingerbread people.
NOTE: To make houses, cut out your house design (the 2 sides of the roof, 2 sides, a front and a back of the house) on paper, and then place the paper shapes on the dough and cut the dough shapes out with a knife.

Cement Frosting Recipe

3 egg whites
1 (16 oz.) bag powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Beat all ingredients with electric beater for 4 minutes.

Delicious Angel Hair Pasta

2008-12-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/2 pound angel hair pasta
1/4 c. olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
8 oz. mushrooms
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2-3 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
fresh basil leaves, cut into pieces
salt & pepper

Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and place in serving bowl. While pasta is boiling, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes. Pour over warm pasta and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss. Add half of the Parmesan cheese. Toss again. Let noodles cool slightly. Right before serving, add diced tomatoes and basil and rest of Parmesan cheese. Lightly toss and serve. This makes a great light dinner!

Toasted Pistachio and Manchego Cheese Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette

2008-11-28T21:17:00.000-08:00

Grant and I were in Scottsdale, Arizona where we ate at True Food (if you are ever in the area, you NEED to eat here). We ordered this salad for an appetizer and it was amazing. I wanted to try and recreate it at home. Luckily the best parts of the salad were no brainers. Toasted pistachios and Manchego cheese. The combination of the two is heavenly. You will want to keep the other ingredients of the salad to a minimum so as to bring out the great flavor of the star ingredients. Start with some shelled pistachios. So good, you will want to snack while you go!

To toast them, add two teaspoons butter to a saute pan and 1 cup of shelled pistachios and cook until the pistachios start to turn a darker color and look toasted. Dry them on a paper towel and sprinkle with just a little kosher salt. ( I use kosher because it has a great salt flavor, but rarely can you "oversalt" whereas with cracked rock salt, it because overwhelming fast.)

Next, you get yourself some Manchego cheese. A little pricey but WELL worth it.

Throw in an heirloom tomato and an avocado.

For the actual greens, I used a mix of spinach and romaine, you can use field greens which I would've used if I had some. I also like to throw in some fresh herbs with the greens. It seems to add freshness to the salad and isn't as overpowering as you might think. Fresh herbs are my secret ingredient to making a great salad. Here, I have flat leaf parsley, but I have added cilantro also. It just depends on the other ingredients you're using. Just about a handful of the leaves and mix them in well with the rest of the greens.

Mix them all together and pour Chile Lime Vinaigrette over them. The dressing is easy.
1/2 jalepeno seeded (and minced if you're making the dressing by hand)
juice of two limes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Combine ingredients in a food processor (or magic bullet) or by hand until mixed well.

This salad is very light and delicious in flavor. It's perfect as an appetizer or accompaniment to a heavier meal. I threw in some edible flowers for presentation. It's good enough to eat!

Sweet Potato Pie- Thanksgiving Style

2008-11-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

I made this pie last year for Thanksgiving, and I figured, might as well make it a tradition. Warning: If you make this pie for family or friends, you will become known as the pie lady (or gentleman), even if this is the only pie you've ever made.
Luscious Ingredients:
For the crust:
Preheat oven 400 degrees
1 small box vanilla wafers (or half Ritz, half wafers-very yummy)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 stick melted butter

In a food processor, finely chop vanilla wafers, add sugar, and pecans. Mix until resembles a coarse texture, but is smooth. Then, add melted butter. Mix until well incoporated. Press into a deep-dish pie pan and bake for 12 minutes.
For Filling:
1 1/2 cups egg nog
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (NOT yams, sweet potatoes will be light tannish in color)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
fresh mint sprigs (for garnish)
In a saucepan, combine eggnog, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger together. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and add whisk in gelatin until particles dissolve. Add vanilla. Cover filling in refrigerator until cool. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form gradually adding 1/4 cup granulated sugar and continue to beat until peaks are stiff. Fold in egg white mixture into cooled sweet potato filling. Spread filling evenly over the crust and refrigerate 1 hour. Put whipped cream on top and garnish with mint leaves. This recipe is adapted from one of Emeril's. It was a BIG hit at our Thanksgiving, people were even requesting it for Christmas.

Rosemary Chicken with Brussel Sprouts and Chestnuts

2008-11-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

This chicken is delicious.  It goes well with the Brussels Sprout and Chestnut dish that I made as a side.  Of course you don't have to make the same side dish but it's good together.

The first thing you do is marinate the chicken.
Marinade:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Mix all ingredients together ( I used a magic bullet). Reserve 1 tablespoon of marinade to put on chicken when it's done cooking. Put chicken (I used boneless skinless free range chicken thighs about 1 and 2/3 lb) in a ziplock bag and pour marinade in and coat chicken. Put in fridge for 1 hour (up to 24 hours). You will also need half of an orange or lemon to add to the chicken when it's done cooking.

For the side dish you will need:
2 cups roasted chestnuts
2 lbs boiled brussel sprouts, halved
1 stick of butter
1 cup of thinly sliced shallots
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

While the chicken is marinating, roast the chestnuts. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut an "x" into the flat part of the chestnut shell (with a very sharp paring knife). Now, the recipe calls for 2 cups, but you might want to make more since they are so fun to eat and are so good. They have a sweet meat inside and you can eat them right out of their shell with a little salt.

Next, spread the chestnuts out on a baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes.

When you get them out of the oven, pour them into an old towel and squeeze the towel so that you hear the shells crackling. This will make them easier to peel. Let them sit about 10 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the shell off and sprinkle them with salt. They should look like this. Cut them in half if they are whole.

Next, make the Brussels sprouts by boiling 4 cups of salted water and add 2 lbs of halved Brussels sprouts to the water. Cook for 10 minutes (this is vital to the sweet flavor you want them to have). After they have cooked for 10 minutes, strain them and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop them from continuing to cook. They will still be bright green.

Then, after the chicken has marinated an hour, take the chicken out of the fridge. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, then flip over and cook another 10-15 minutes. This will vary on the thickness of meat you have. Just make sure it IS NOT pink in the middle. After they have cooked, remove them from the baking sheet and place them onto some foil. Squeeze half of an orange (or lemon) onto the meat and close the foil and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

While the chicken is resting, make the shallot butter for the Brussels Sprout dish. Melt 1 stick of butter in a sauce pan and add 1 cup of thinly sliced shallots. Cook over medium heat until the shallots are limp and the butter turns a little brown. Then, add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt.

Combine Brussels sprouts and chestnuts into a large bowl and pour butter mixture over it and mix to coat. You can even add Parmesan cheese if you want.

After the side dish is complete, spoon whatever portion you want onto the middle of the plate. Take the chicken out of the foil and place it on the side dish so that it is draping down. Add a fresh rosemary twig and there you have it!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T23:01:00.000-08:00

The meal (more on that later):

More importantly the desserts...

Chocolate Mousse Pie
12 oz. chocolate graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs, separated (whites and yolks separated)
2 eggs (not separated)
1 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 cups whipping cream
10 T. powdered sugar
chocolate curls to garnish

Combine crackers and melted butter. Press on bottom and sides of greased springform pan. Chill. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double broiler.Add whole eggs and mix well. Add yolks and mix well. Add vanilla. In separate bowl beat 2 cups cream until soft peaks form. Add 6 T. of powdered sugar and beat until stiff. In another bowl beat egg whites until stiff. Fold whipped cream and whites into chocolate mixture until well blended. Pour into crust. Put in freezer overnight. Whip remaining cream and 4 T. powdered sugar until stiff to make whipped cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:	1 tsp. vanilla
1 -1/2 cups graham crumbs	1 cup canned pumpkin
5 Tbsp. butter melted	3 eggs
1 Tbsp. sugar	1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Filling:	1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 - 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese softened	1/4 tsp. allspice
1 cup sugar	Whipped Cream

Mix crust ingredients together, just till coated and crumbly. Press onto the
bottom and 2/3 up the sides of an 8" springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes at
350. Set aside. Combine cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl, mix until
smooth with an electric mixer. add pumpkin eggs,and spices, beat till smooth
and creamy. Pour into the crust. Bake for 60-70 minutes or till the top turns a
bit darker. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature, then
refrigerate. After it has thoroughly chilled, remove the pan sides and cut.
Serve with whipped cream.

Oven BBQ Chicken

2008-11-25T21:09:00.001-08:00

Despite these pictures being slightly on the unappetizing side of things, this chicken is yummy.

2/3 c. catsup
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
Add some honey if you like it sweet

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish.

Combine sauce ingredients and spoon over chicken. Bake just until chicken is no longer pink inside. Serves 4.

Caramel brownies

2008-11-25T20:52:00.001-08:00

Couldn't even get a picture before we devoured half the pan, they're that good!

I'm sure this recipe is familiar to most, but it's extra special for me because my mom used to make these all the time.

They are heavenly.

2/3 cup evaporated milk
14 oz package caramels (unwrapped)
1 German Chocolate Cake mix
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (NOT optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9"x13" pan. Combine butter, 1/3 cup of evaporated milk, and cake mix in bowl. Stir and add nuts. Press half in pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup of evaporated milk and caramels and melt in microwave. Remove pan from oven when done baking and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate, then crubmel remaining mixture over caramel. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Curry Chicken

2008-11-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

Allow about 1 hour start to finish

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
8 oz stewed diced tomatoes (Italian style works)
8 oz tomato sauce
5-6 tablespoons sugar-of course you don't have to add this much but I love me some sweet food!
Rice (cooked)

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don't let it burn). Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook ten minutes more or until onions are very clear. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add potatoes (you can keep the skin on), then add coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes or until sauce thickens. The sauce thickens upon standing, but is great served hot too. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

I love to cook, it makes my hubby very happy!

Wassail

2008-11-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

If for nothing else, you've got to make this divine hot drink to fill the air with simmering fragrance of Christmas.

4 cups apple cider or juice
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. allspice
1/4 t. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Makes about 6 cups. ENJOY!

Hole in the Wall

2008-11-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

I remember being in my grandma's kitchen in the evening. I wanted a snack and she made me a Hole in the Wall, and then another, and then another. Ever since I have been old enough to make them myself, they have been a "go-to" dish. My husband is so glad he has been introduced to this delicacy, and most people haven't had one unless their own grandmothers have made them for them, which is a shame. I have taken it upon myself to educate and enlighten my friends and family to this great tradition. With minimal effort, this dish always tends to hit the spot.

For Starters:

Good bread, eggs, butter and salt. (who doesn't have these laying around?)

So, you butter the bread on both sides...

Then, heat a frying pan on medium heat and while the pan is heating up, cut a hole out of the middle of the bread with whatever you feel like, I use a spoon. At this point, my grandma would let us eat the holes, but you can save them and toast them in the pan.

Put the bread in a heated pan and let it toast for a few seconds, then crack an egg into the center of the bread. Let it cook for a couple more seconds. I like to stab the yolk in the center, but to each his own.

This is the secret trick for my Hole in the Walls. Before the egg has completely cooked on the underside, flip the bread up just a little so that the egg gets on the bread underneath and spreads out a little, but not too much. Make sure it doesn't ooze past the crust of the bread. You want to keep the whole egg under the bread. Once it looks sufficiently toasted underneath, give it a flip!

Push down on the bread with the spatula, this will ensure that it gets all nice and toasty. While it is toasting up, be sure to salt, salt, and salt it up. This is what makes it especially midnight snackable.

And there it is ladies and gentleman

Yummy til the (regretfully) last bite!

The best Caramel Apples

2008-11-18T22:04:00.001-08:00

Directions:
Unwrap 1 bag of Kraft Caramels, put in saucepan with 2 T. water and melt on med-low heat, stirring constantly. Meanwhile heat up milk chocolate in the microwave (I used about 1/2 cup milk choc. chips). Dip apples in caramel (use a spoon if you need to) and then dip in milk chocolate. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over entire apple. Place on buttered wax paper and refrigerate 1 hour. Take apples out at least 15 minutes prior to eating (to let them sort of thaw).

Fajitas

2008-11-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

One of Anth's all time favorite dinners are these fajitas. Delicious-and super easy too!

Things you'll need:

1 red pepper (cut in slices)
1 yellow onion (cut in slices)
1-2 T. olive oil
chicken (either fresh or the frozen strips from Costco)
juice from 2 limes
avocado
cilantro
sour cream
cheese
flour tortillas (we use the kind you cook yourself, they're so much better)

Directions:
In large skillet, heat olive oil. Add red pepper & onion and cook until slightly browned. Set aside in a bowl. Using same skillet, cook chicken. When chicken is just about cooked all the way through, add the onion and peppers with the chicken and squeeze lime juice into skillet. Cook until all is heated through. Heat tortillas in fry pan and melt cheese onto one side. Add chicken mixture to center of tortilla and top with items of your choice (we can't live without sour cream, cilantro and avocado).

Just the beginning...

2008-11-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

I love to cook and share my recipes (although most of them are just borrowed recipes)! If you have any recipes you'd like to share on this website, send me at least one picture of your dish along with the recipe to stevieinthecity@gmail.com. Hope you enjoy!