It's been a while!

I finally decided to get on top of things and write another blog.  It's not that I haven't been cooking, but I have kinda felt like we were in a food rut.  I think that everyone has those go to dishes that everyone likes and they are easy to make, so we just get stuck there.  We have been living in a haze of French Onion Soup (which is my son Liam's favorite), Chicken Enchaladas and frozen Lasagna (yes, I am ashamed to admit that....) Even Papa Murphy's pizza has been frequenting our table.  "What woke you up?" you ask?  It was a long overdue trip to Seattle, in my opinion, the greatest culinary destination in the West.  A trip to Pike's Market and my spark was reignited.  While at the market, I was able to pick up some amazing ingredients; sun dried tomato pasta, amazing fresh goat cheese with garlic and dill, fresh black truffles, and a beautiful fig balsamic vinegar. 
For the appetizer course I made a flatbread with the goat cheese, pears, caramelized onions, the fig balsamic and some fresh arugala.   I spread the goat cheese on garlic flavored naan and chopped pears and caramelized some onions and put them under the broiler for a few minutes.  When I got them out I added the arugala and drizzled the balsamic on top.  The arugala added a beautiful cold crunch with that little bite that arugala gives.
For the soup course, I made a Jerusalem Artichoke and Cauliflower Soup. 
Roasted Cauliflower and Sunchoke Soup
Makes 4 servings
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 2 1/2 c.)
3 large sunchokes, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 1 1/2 c.)
3 cloves garlic, whole
1 c. water, divided (or 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided)
juice from one lemon (I used Meyer lemon)
1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 c.)
3 to 4 c. low-sodium vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 c. unsweetened soy or almond milk (or I used coconut milk and it was amazing!)
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix 1/2 c. water (or 2 Tbsp. olive oil) with lemon juice. Gently toss cauliflower slices, sunchoke slices, and garlic cloves in this mixture to coat (it’s okay if some of the cauliflower falls apart – it can go in the oven just the same). Spread vegetables in one layer on a baking sheet, pouring extra liquid over the top. Bake until cauliflower and sunchokes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, chop into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.
In a pot over medium-high, heat the remaining 1/2 c. water (or 1 Tbsp. oil). Add onions, and saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add 3 c. stock, coconut milk, and roasted garlic cloves, and bring to boil. Add roasted cauliflower and sunchokes and return to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer until vegetables are quite soft, about 5 minutes.
Blend until completely smooth using immersion blender directly in pot, or pour into food processor or regular blender (allow to cool 10-15 minutes if pouring into regular blender to avoid explosions!). Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, gradually stir in 1 c. remaining broth to thin out soup a bit. Reheat if necessary, and garnish with a little pile of sprouts (or pancetta, which you should dice, throw in a pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring periodically, until browned and crispy).  I garnished with the black truffle.

For the main course, I made the sun dried tomato pasta.  I took a basic alfredo sauce in the jar and used sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and roasted some garlic.  It took that jarred sauce from blah to really yummy.  I topped it with some parmesano reggiano.  Overall it was an amazing meal.  If you are going to make one of the items though, I would whole heartedly reccommend the appetizer!

Irish Dinner, French Dessert

On Tuesday I made the traditional Irish meal of Corned Beef and Cabbage. Normally, it's something that I reserve for special occasions or weekends when I have a lot of time to make an awesome meal, but every now and then I think it is good to celebrate Tuesday. Wouldn't you agree that Tuesday is an underrated day of the week? :) So I invited my sister over and we had a Tuesday party with my husband and kids. Everyone loved it! I am incredibly blessed to have kids that will eat anything I put in front of them.

Although this process takes a LOOOONG time, it is actually a fairly simple meal to make and it tastes like you worked your butt off on it all day. It is one of those meals that you can put all the ingredients together and forget about it for about 4 hours.

You start with a corned beef. You can get them at pretty much any grocery store. I get mine at WinCo and I prefer the St. Helen's brand. Believe it or not, it makes all the difference in the flavor and the consistency. It comes with a packet of seasonings in the package with the meat. That packet is one of the most important parts, don't lose it!!! When you take it out of the package dry the meat with paper towels. This helps the meat cook evenly and seals in the natural flavors of the meat. Then you mix all the ingredients in the pan and pretty much just let it go.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2 ½ lbs corned beef brisket

½ c. rice wine vinegar

½ c red wine

2 Tbsp beef base

¼ to ½ c water

5 red potatoes, halved

1-2 heads cabbage, quartered

½ to 1 pound baby carrots

In a large stockpot, add brisket, vinegar, red wine, beef base and water. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce to medium heat and cook 4-5 hours until meat is tender. An hour before meat is done, place potatoes and carrots in boiling water and cook until tender. Place cabbage in the pot with the corned beef so the cabbage will absorb the flavor of the yummy brine. When meat is ready it should fall apart easily.

Dijon Cream Sauce

½ onion, finely chopped

1 c heavy cream

¼ clove garlic, minced

1 c Dijon mustard

½ tsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp white wine

In a large sauté pan, sauté onions and garlic with vegetable oil until onions are translucent. Deglaze pan with white wine, then add cream and mustard. Stir until mixed well. Simmer until heated throughout. Serve on the side, to dip corned beef in.

*********

After enjoying dinner, I made a dessert that has now changed my life! Before Tuesday, I thought that Creme Brulee was something that I could only get in a restaurant. If I had known how incredibly easy it was to make, I probably would have made it every night.

Creme Brulee

Ingredients

• 4 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 whole Vanilla Bean OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract OR 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Paste
• 10 whole Egg Yolks
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Superfine (Baker's) Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour the cream into the saucepan. Add vanilla (whichever product you’re using) and simmer over medium-low heat.

Whip egg yolks with the sugar until pale yellow and thick.

Strain cream using a fine mesh strainer. (This step is not necessary if you use vanilla extract)

Whip yolks while you very slowly drizzle in 1 cup of warm cream. Go slowly so as not to cook the eggs! Once the first cup is added, you can add the rest of the cream slowly.

Place ramekins onto a rimmed baking sheet. Pour custard mixture into ramekins. Pour water in bottom of baking sheet until it comes halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until just set. Do not allow to get brown.

Cool ramekins on countertop, then chill for at least 2-3 hours, covered in plastic wrap.

To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each ramekin of custard. Use a kitchen torch to quickly (but carefully) brown the sugar. There should be a thin, crisp surface of burned sugar on the top.

Serve immediately!

TEASER!!! Coming tomorrow!

I am making a meal tomorrow that I am so excited to share with you! For the main course I am preparing a traditional Irish Corned Beef with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. I will also be making homemade breadsticks. Then for dessert, I will be making Creme Brulee. I have never made the creme brulee before, so I cannot wait to try it. Check in tomorrow night or Wednesday to see my recipes and more about my adventure.

Orange Juice Shrimp

I don't know how I never thought of this before... Orange juice and shrimp?! What a fabulous idea! This was the perfect meal for a nice summery evening. I paired it with some asian stir fried vegetables and it was perfect.

I made this dish for the whole family again, but this time, I did it without the help of my husband who is normally my cooking assistant. He was at his 2 week Annual Training for the National Guard, so my mom got some good uninterrupted time with my newborn while I cooked this time.

I, of course, have included the recipe for the shrimp, but I would also like to tell you how I made the vegetables because it was ridiculously easy and soooo yummy. I used asparagus and snow peas and sliced carrots and mushrooms. Onions and peppers would have also been yummy but alas, I had none (which is not something that happens often).

First, you must prepare the asparagus. It is not at all complicated, but you must do it right, or else you get a slightly nasty result. To prepare it, you must remove the woody, fibrous ends of the stalk. Some people just cut the ends off, but I was taught that you are supposed to bend the stalks and they will naturally break where they are good to eat. Then I sauteed them in a pan with a little bit of sesame oil (a necessity if you are planning on doing any sort of asian cooking). Then I added all of the other vegetables and a bottle of stir fry sauce. I allowed them to simmer on medium for about ten minutes and it was ready to serve. Make up some rice and this dinner couldn't be any more perfect! It was nice and light. You never want something too heavy on a hot summer day.

Garlic Orange Chicken

Ingredients

• 24 pieces (26-30 Per Pound) Deveined Shrimp
• 2 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
• Fresh grated Ginger
  
• 1 tsp Cayenne
• 2 Tbsp McCormick Garlic and Bell Pepper seasoning
  
• ¾ cups Orange Juice
• 3 Tablespoons Salted Butter, Divided

Preparation Instructions

Thaw and peel the shrimp. Thaw them by running them under cold water for a few minutes. Dry the peeled shrimp by draining them on a paper towel or two.

Thinly slice your garlic cloves. Add the garlic to ¾ cup of orange juice. Use a nice high quality orange juice. Measure out and add all of the spices to the orange juice as well. Grate ginger into mixture according to taste.

In a large skillet over high heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Once butter has melted add your shrimp. Cook them for about 30-60 seconds and begin flipping them over starting with the ones you placed in the pan first so they don’t get overdone. Cook for another 30-60 seconds. Remove the cooked shrimp from the pan, leaving the heat on high.

Once the butter and drippings begin to smoke ever so slightly add the spicy orange garlic mixture to the pan and give it a good stir. Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and after a few minutes of cooking and occasional stirring your sauce should be slightly thicker.

Return the shrimp to the pan and give them a nice toss to coat them in the sauce. Allow an intermingling of souls to take place for just a few seconds and then it’s time for the fireworks.

Week One with a New Baby

So, as expected the first week after having a baby is a little difficult as far as meals go. There were only so many times that our boys wanted to hear the words "corn dog" and "dinosaur chicken nuggets" as meal options, even at two and three years old.
In typical "me style," I tried to make an awesome dinner the day after I left the hospital. Anyone that knows me knows that I have a tendency to overexert myself; and I did, but dinner was TOTALLY worth it. I made French Onion Soup and my dad made roast beef sandwiches to go along with the soup. French Onion Soup is one of my go to meals for those stressful days when you want a good home cooked meal without the hassle of slaving over a stove.

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter
• 4 whole Large (or 6 Medium) Yellow Onions, Halved Root To Tip, And Sliced Thin
• 1 cup (generous) Dry White Wine (I actually prefer the flavor of Vermouth, it gives it a little more tang)
  
• 4 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 4 cups Beef Broth
• 2 cloves Minced Garlic
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Several Thick Slices Of French Bread Or Baguette
• 5 ounces, weight (to 7 Ounces) Gruyere Cheese, Grated (I use Muenster cheese instead, but it's just a personal preference)
  

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Place soup pot into the oven with the lid slightly ajar to ensure the onions will brown. Allow onions to cook in the oven for 1 hour, stirring at least once during the cooking process so onions won’t stick and burn.

Remove pot from oven and place back on stovetop over medium heat. Stir, scraping off all the brown, flavorful bits. Turn off heat and pour in wine. Turn heat back to medium. Cook wine for five minutes, allowing it to reduce. Add broths, Worcestershire Sauce and minced garlic and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Butter one side of the bread slices and broil over low heat, allowing bread to brown and become crispy. (You can also replace this step with some yummy croutons.)
When soup is ready, ladle into bowl or ramekin. Place crispy bread on top, and then sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve immediately.

Adventures into Indian Food

The full spread!

Coconut Chicken Curry


















I DID IT! I completed my first challenge! Nine and a half months pregnant none the less! Today, I created a masterpiece. Of course that is my opinion, but still... this dinner was fabulous! As you will see by the pictures as well, even my two year old, Jude, LOVED it.
I started prep around two o'clock today, dicing onions and garlic, chopping paneer (the cheese I mentioned in my last post), cubing chicken, mixing spices. I started out by making the base for my Coconut Chicken Curry.

**Side note: There are a TON of spices that go into this recipe. I found that the best place to buy spices for a reasonable price is actually the ethnic markets in town. There is a Middle Eastern market on Franklin and Curtis. There is also an Indian market on Fairview between Liberty and Curtis. Both are excellent options for your spices. They sell more than just ethnic spices as well, so with the grocery store prices, I would definitely recommend trying them first.**

Something I didn't know about spices, is that heat actually activates the oils in dried spices and gives them better flavor. It also makes your house smell really amazing.

Also, it takes longer to cook chicken in liquid than you realize that it does, just FYI. So, I cooked up the spice mix first and split it into two pans. From there I created a chicken and a vegetarian option of the same dish.

**Side note 2: I would not recommend doubling the spice mixture for the Curry if you are going to make a double batch. Maybe do one and a half, but do not double. After eating a bit of it, we noticed that our tongues were a little numb:) That is a lot of Allspice and Cinnamon and other spices to overwhelm your palate with...**

After that one was on the stove, I started on the Tikka Masala. Fewer spices go into this recipe for sure. It is a much simpler dish in my opinion. It also happens to be my favorite of the two. I also made two versions of this one as well. My little sister is not fully a vegetarian, but she would prefer vegetarian options most of the time, so I thought it would be a good way for me to experiment with vegetarian meals and make my sister happy at the same time. While making the vegetarian Tikka however, I had a bit of a mishap. I accidentally mixed the finished Paneer Coconut Curry with the Tikka sauce instead of the paneer mixture that was meant for the Tikka Masala. Thankfully I was able to recover some of the Tikka sauce and make the vegetarian one for my sister, however, she was not able to have the Coconut Curry in it's original state. (It wasn't half bad though, so it wasn't a total bust.) :) It, of course, was a bigger deal to me than it really was I think.

I also got papadam and naan to eat with the meal. For those of you who are unfamiliar with either one, you are missing out. Papadam is a very thin wafer made of lentils. It is often served in a similar way that chips and salsa are at a Mexican restaurant or breadsticks at an Italian restaurant. I bought it in the raw form and all you have to do is fry it for about ten seconds in vegetable oil and then let it dry. Easy enough for sheer bliss:) Naan is a flatbread that is common in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. I prefer the garlic flavored naan, but there are various flavors that you can try and see what you like the best.

I finished it off with plain white rice to eat with the main dishes. Believe it or not, I had never cooked rice before. I have made instant rice like in the microwave or Rice A Roni or whatever, but I have never made conventional rice where you put the rice and the water in the pot and aren't supposed to take off the lid and all that. I usually make what we call Brown Butter Rice, but it was a long day and it just didn't happen. (It is literally the easiest thing ever. Make up a pot of white rice. When that is finished cooking, brown butter in another pan. Add some parsley flakes or garlic to the mixture if you so choose. When the butter is melted and and browned, pour it over the rice. See? Sooooo Easy! Soooo fatty... and SOOOOOO worth it!)

All in all it took me quite a while to get it done, but it was so worth it. I started about two o'clock and we finally ate around five or five thirty. I have to say though, I am a very, Very, VERY slow cook, so you should not use me as a gauge of how long this meal might take you. Keep in mind also, that I made two versions of each dish to accommodate the vegetarian tastes in the family. I hope I didn't scare you off from trying it, because if you are at all interested in Indian or ethnic foods, or even just trying something new and fun, these dishes are amazing.

Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• salt to taste
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 (14oz) can coconut milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Spritz of lime juice to taste

Directions

1. 1. Place Curry, Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice, Paprika, Bay Leaves, Cayenne Pepper, and Black pepper in skillet and heat on medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the oils in the spices to activate.
2. 2. Pour olive oil in the skillet with Spices. Then Saute onion until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, yogurt, coconut milk, and butter. Bring to a boil, slightly reduce heat, and simmer until sauce reduces to desired thickness, about 30 minutes.
3. 2. Remove bay leaf and serve with lime wedges on the side, spritz with lime juice as desired.

Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• TIKKA MARINADE
• 1/2 Cup Dahi Yogurt (Substitute Greek or American)
• 1 TSP Turmeric
• 1 TSP Grated Ginger
• 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 1 TBSP Garam Masala
• 1 TSP Tandoori Masala
• Juice of 1 Lime
• Salt to Taste
• Cilantro Chopped as Desired
• 2 Cups Paneer Cubed(or Chicken)
  
• 1/2 Onion Diced
• 1 Tomato Diced
• 
  
• GRAVY
• 1 TBSP Ghee (Substitute 2 TBSP Butter)
• 2 Cups Tomato Puree
• 1/2 Onion Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 2 TSP Tandoori Masala
• 2 TSP Garam Masala
• 2 TSP Suger
• Salt to Taste
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Cilantro Chopped for Garnish
• Spritz of lime

Directions

1. TIKKA MARINADE
2. 1. Combine Yogurt, Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic, Garam Masala, Tandoori Masala, Lime Juice, Salt, and Cilantro. Mix well.
3. 2. Add Paneer or Chicken, Onion, and Tomato. Mix well.
4. 3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Longer is better up to 4 hours.
5. 4. Put marinated Paneer on skewers and bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until browned. (If making the version with chicken, ignore this step and just cook the chicken in the gravy mixture when you combine the two.)
   
6. GRAVY
7. 1. Heat Ghee in sauce pan. Add Onions and Garlic. Saute on medium for 5 minutes.
8. 2. Add Tomato Puree cook for 5 minutes or until oil separates.
9. 3. Add Tandoori Masala, Garam Masala, Suger, Salt, and Cream. Mix well.
10. 4. Remove from heat. Blend till smooth.
11. 5. Add Paneer. Fold gently into the Gravy. (Cook chicken at this point if you make the chicken version)
12. 6. Garnish with Cilantro. Spritz with Lime wedge if desired.