Monday, June 30, 2008

It's BURGER season again!



Last year I decided to pull us out of our hamburger-as-plain-beef-patty rut and try some fun gourmet burgers. Plain burgers are tasty and they are certainly convenient, but it's fun to play around with different and interesting combinations. There aren't too many other people who do this better than Rachael Ray.

Salsa Verde Burger
This time we tried her Salsa Verde Burger. Yet another winner. Some of her burgers can take quite a bit of prep work, but this one went together very easily. Take a little ground chicken or turkey and mix it up with your favorite salsa verde and the burger part is done. What really makes this burger special though is the avocado mayo - an avocado mashed with some garlic and mayo - really delicious. A straight up guacamole would work nicely here too. The burger is also topped with jack cheese and cilantro for even more flavor punch.

That's it. A simple burger with great Mexican flavors. This one will definitely be a repeater in this house.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Gao Li Dou Sha (Red Bean Doughnut)



Ingredients:
Egg white 5 pcs
Red bean paste 150 g
Plain flour 40 g
Corn flour 40 g
White sugar

Preparation:
Divide red bean paste into small balls (size as lotus seed)
Mix plain flour and corn flour, sift
Whisk egg white until it becomes gruel condition
Add 1/5 of the mix flour, keep stirring
Repeat to add mix flour, stir to form porridge
Dip the red bean paste ball into egg porridge one by one
Heat wok with oil in medium heat, deep fry the red bean paste ball
Drain out oil and dish up when the red bean paste ball turn golden
Sprinkle white sugar on the surface of doughnut and serve.

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip and Fleur de Sel Cookie Delights



.
It was a few days ago, and I was decked out in an outfit that can only be described as brown.

Head to toe in the stuff.

Sure, there was cashmere involved, but really, it was uncharacteristically monochromatic. And honestly dear-hearts, the color seems to have affected my palate.

It was as if the redundant luxuriousness of the ensembles tone became a launching (tipping?) point for a chocolate craving. A chocolate delight craving.

So like any sensible girl, off to the market I traipsed, clad in my cognac colored boots, and a cocoa drenched London-designer-re-imagines-Laura-Ingalls skirt focused on the idea that I needed some quality ingredients, stat.

Whatever else was on the day's agenda had to be forfeited for the cause.

You see my loves - trying to put more than one bit of imperative information into my flightly noggin at a time - just plain doesn't work.

Which can be my only explanation for why I had completely spaced what awaited me at that fine Whole Foods, and yet still headed there like a heat-seeking missile.

Upon arrival, my mind was still vacant, except for the notion I needed my intended delights to be chocolatey, salty AND sweet.

Moments later, I stood, in awe of the salt shelf options, stunned at my choices, (and as much so at the prices. Heavens! I may be incomprehensibly frivolous with my purse strings when it comes to my culinary adventures, but there is no way on this green earth I would purchase 3 ounces of salt for $80. Heck no Daddy-O! And shame on whoever is selling such a thing. Tisk tisk! You're selling salt! Stop being so pretentious! ...oops, sorry, soap box moment...back to my story) when I turned to the lithe and ethereal blond standing next to me looking equally perplexed. I brazenly queried if she had any kind of sodium purchasing preference. Alas, she did not, but we both agreed that with something like salt, the price is the point, and with that I snatched up a (only somewhat reasonably priced, but oh-so-worth-it) bag of crystals and sashayed over to the produce section...

And what did my shiny eyes behold signing books, right there in front of the Washington Delicious Apples? A pair of sensational red boots filled out by Washington's very own delicious apple...Miss Shauna of Gluten Free fame! And who stood next to this juicy peach of a gal? None other than her dear friend Sharon...my saviour from the salt section! It was kismet I tell you, kismet! Swept up in the excitement of the day, I had just plain forgotten that Shauna was in town! Yes, I had still headed right to her like the beacon of light she is...it's as if my mind was on its own agenda. Thank goodness!

Love it, doncha? I sure did. I can only thank goodness that sometimes my over-taxed mind pulls it together, consciously or unconsciously...

I can't really relate the rest of the experience, because it was far (far, far) too (too, too) brief, and non-to-culinarily inclined (unless you consider Pinkberry altogether culinary) but it was a shining moment of bliss in my week and an encounter that brightened my little life indescribably. I am a huge fan of Shauna - and of Sharon too - and their combined loveliness and was tickled pink to finally get to meet Shauna's sassy self. Kinda, sorta rocked my world.

I can only hope that the next time I see this fine woman, I will have a gluten free recipe to share...because these are most assuredly not. They do have the fantastic crackle of salt enrobed in the buttery fabocity of chocolate though, so they will do for now...

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons butter, room temp
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons fleur de sel
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Preaheat your oven to 350F.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda in a medium bowl.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, cream the butter. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, fleur de sel and vanilla and beat until combined. Beat in the sifted dry ingredients until blended; your dough will be kinda crumbly. Add the chips and combine.

Divide the dough in half and roll into a 1 1/2- logs. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, 20 minutes.

Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cut the logs into 3/8-inch slices and arrange about 1 inch apart on the sheets. If the slices crumble, just smoosh them back together.

Bake for about 17 minutes, or until puffed and cracked on top.

Cool for 5 minutes on the sheets, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dz. cookies

_________________________________

Fleur de Sel - "flower of the salt." A rare sea salt harvested by hand in Brittany, France and available only in limited quantities. - Recipe Gold Mine

According to the European Fair Trade Association, non-fair-trade farmers get barely 5 percent of the profit from chocolate, whereas trading organizations and the chocolate industry receive about 70 percent. This means that producers get only 5 cents from every dollar spent on chocolate, while the companies get 70 cents - 14 times more. - GlobalExchange.org


Saturday, June 28, 2008

Grilled Asparagus with Pistachio Aillade



.
All this glorious early summer sunshine is going to my head.

I tell you it's just peachy keen!

Trouble is, it has me forgetting lots of stuff too.

Like, to post recipes.

Whoopsee!

My shoulders are tanned, the garden is growing and my days are full with good friends and whimsical cocktails. This is just the richest, most soul satisfying business.

And now, for you, my glamorous readers, I am reprinting (with not so many words changed) a recipe from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Why?

Because kids, this little bit of knowledge is just far beyond a recipe, it strikes me as prose.

Seriously!

Read this recipe. Then, if you have a - oh, I don't know - Gordon Ramsay or some other hyper-masculine chef's cookbook at home, compare them.

It's easy to see.

This is so obviously written by a real woman. A woman with a gentle appreciation of her craft and a respect for her product. (Reminds me a lot of the beautiful writing by one of one of my favorite bloggers - Lucy at Nourish Me) It is a simple recipe with elegantly beautiful results.

Such a lovely thing to find in a world full of kitchen-intensity. I had to share.

It has such a wonderful layering of flavors and unexpected delights.

So try it my dears, and please do taste the joy.

1/2 cup pistachios
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of a tangerine or mandarin
Brandy or grappa (I actually used cognac)
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
salt

Turn the oven to 350F.

Go through the pistachios and discard any that are shrunken or brown.

Spread on a baking sheet and heat the pistachios until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes, long enough to heighten their flavor without burning their fragile oil. Coarsely chop.

Coarsely chop the garlic then pound in a mortar (or pulse in a food processor), scoop out and set aside.

Transfer the pistachios to the mortar (or, again, food processor) and pound to a dry paste. Blend in the pounded garlic to taste. Pound or grind in about half the oil to bind with the nuts, then stir in the remainder.

With a few strokes of a zester, carve a teaspoon of fragrant orange filaments. Chop, then stir them into the paste. Add the brandy or grappa and salt to taste.

The finished aillade will be a dense, heavy paste. Set aside to mellow. As it sits the crushed nuts will settle out of the oil, but a few stirs will reamalgamate the paste.

Prepare your grill.

For the asparagus break off the woody ends, then peel away the toughest skin. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and salt lightly. Blanch the asparagus for about one minute. Drain. Cool in lightly salted ice water, drain and pat dry. (Skip the blanching if your asparagus is pencil thin). Oil and arrange in a single layer on the grill.

Grill until hot through and emblazoned with pretty char marks, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Serve with the aillade.


© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

MIAMI (AP) -- South Florida schools are having to back away from goals to offer more nutritious meals because of rising food costs. Switching from fresh fruit to canned saves money and maintains the same level of nutrition. Schools have also cut some whole grain breads, replacing it with white bread. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach schools are all looking to increase the price of their school lunches. Besides food costs going up, another problem is that the money school districts get from the federal government for each meal has not changed since last year.

Aillade is the name used in southern France for two different garlic-based condiments. In Provence, it is a garlic-flavored vinaigrette, while in some other areas, it is a form of garlic-flavored mayonnaise. In the latter meaning, it is a synonym for aioli. - Wikipedia

Friday, June 27, 2008

Yummy, Comforting Pasta



Just a quick post tonight before I head off to bed.........

Although it's not really what I'd consider pasta weather at the moment, I'm actually still getting caught up on recipes from early this spring. This is a pasta dish from Rachael Ray that was full of flavor and oh-so-comforting.

Pasta with Swiss Chard and Bacon
There's quite a lot going on with the greens, the bacon, the ricotta and the lemon, but it all comes together nicely - I like it when you have an array of taste sensations to look forward to in each bite. If you can't find Swiss chard or happen to have other greens on hand, just about any kind of green would likely work well with this dish.

Mmmmm....just writing about this dish is making me crave pasta, but we're in grilling mode these days, so it may be a while before something like this hits the table again.....

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Squid with Broccoli



Serves 4

Ingredients:
1kg (2lb) squid
2 onions
2 sticks celery
1kg (2lb) fresh broccoli
4 shallows
cup of oil
2 teaspoons green ginger
1 tablespoon corn flour
cup of water
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 chicken stock cubes
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
~1 teaspoon sesame oil
~1 teaspoon sugar
~1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Hold squid firmly with one hand. With the other hand, hold head and pull gently. Head and inside of body of squid will come away in one compact piece. Remove bone which will be found at open end of squid; it looks like a long thing piece of plastic. Clean squid under cold running water, then rub off outer skin.

Cut squid lengthwise down centre. Spread squid out flat with the inside facing upwards. With sharp knife make shallow cuts across squid in diamond shape; this helps tenderize squid and make it curl attractively when cooking.

Cut onions into quarters; slice celery diagonally; cut broccoli, including stalks, diagonally. Slice shallots diagonally. Heat oil in pan or wok, add squid, cook until it curls, remove from pan, drain on absorbent paper. Add onions, celery, broccoli and ginger to pan, fry 3 minutes.

Blend corn flour with a little of the water until smooth, add remaining water, dry sherry, crumbled stock cubes, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and salt; mix well. Add to pan, stir until sauce boils, Return squid to pan, cook until heated through. Put on to serving dish, top with shallots.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Quick Pickled Fennel



.
Inspiration! Isn't it just key? Key!

My fully-fantastic friend The Hostess, who is just the peachy keenest, is forever inspiring me to reach for the stars when it comes to my cooking. She is such a natural talent I just can't help but be in awe.

Seriously, every idea she has just sounds so yumlicious, it makes it hard to resist heading right to the market whenever we finish chatting.

This, for example, was her idea. We were talking cheese plates (you do that all the time with your girlfriends too, don't you?) and somehow ended up rhapsodizing about fennel and pickles and well, the rest is pretty obvious...

Pickled fennel. Tart, tangy and salty with a hint of sweetness and a whisper of something divine. It is just too, too perfect with an assortment of cheeses and a well balanced gin and tonic. (Or, um, you could pair it with something non-alcoholic if that is your thing) Crisp, simple and sassy.

So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

1 large bulb fennel, sliced into large matchsticks
1 cup water
2 tablespoons salt
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon white pepper corns
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced onion

Have your chopped fennel in a glass bowl or jar.

In a medium sized sauce pot, simmer all of the ingredients except the fennel. Let simmer for 3 minutes to meld.

Pour the pickling solution you have just made over the fennel. Let rest 3 hours and up to 1 week.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

I am growing fennel in my garden this summer, I got the seeds from
Seeds from Italy.

Burpee's best-selling new vegetable last year was Golden Mama, a yellow-fleshed, egg-shaped tomato designed to make paste. It cooks down to a golden-yellow sauce instead of the unattractive grayish-brown that other yellow tomatoes typically produce.- WSJ.com

Are fennel and anise the same thing? No. Fennel is truly a vegetable and should not be confused with the herb, sweet anise. Even though they share a similar mild sweet licorice flavor, fennel comes from an entirely different plant. - Tony Tantillo.com

Chicken Sali-Parsi Chicken Curry Recipe!





Phew!! A very tiresome weekend. Loose ends at work, and some catch with friends and by the time the weekend was over, i realised I couldn't do the Curry Mela Round up.
Do wait till Next month. Also, I will be hosting it on this blog only, and only shift the curry mela posts into the new blog after each week. The Curry Mela Blog will be a repository of all previous Curry Mela. Inspired by Kalyn :-).

This is the picture of Chicken Sali. A Parsi delicacy which they prepare and relish especially during the Navroz. This is like a Normal Chicken Curry, with just a little Parsian Twist.. Will Post the recipe soon. Do Wait!!!


Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Hearty Sausage and Lentil Soup



Hearty indeed. This soup in flavorful, chock-full of all sorts of goodies and it's delicious. Any soup that gets my family to eat spinach without complaint gets a big old gold star in my book.

Sausage and Lentil Soup
This recipe was recommended by a member of the CLBB on the October Soup thread. It sounded like the perfect way to sneak some lentils and spinach past the wary and the skeptical - namely anybody in this family who is not me. At first glance the list of ingredients looks a bit long, but it really does go together pretty quickly, especially considering that everything you need for a complete meal is included in this soup: carrots, onion, celery, mushrooms, lentils, tomatoes, sausage. Truly a meal in one; just add some fresh fruit, some fresh bread and you're set.

This soup went over very well. Chopping the spinach was definitely key - the smaller the pieces, the smaller the objections. With so many different ingredients, this soup was a feast for the mouth (so many tastes and textures) and the eyes (lots of color). A great, hearty soup for a wintry day.

Chickpeas!



But first, a shout out to Blogger. My blog is NOT a spam blog, so please remove the word verification for my posts immediately! It's very annoying! I've sent in my unlock request as per procedure......surely it can't take too long to determine that my blog is legit! I'm tired of typing in the word verification letters every time I want to save a post or publish and I miss the automatic save feature. Half the time I can barely read the darn letters and then they tell me I've entered it wrong! SHEESH! Okay, vent over, back to the food.......

There will be more strawberry recipes to come, but I need to get caught up on some recipes we made earlier this spring.

In case you haven't heard, I love Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. In addition to introducing me to really simple, yet delicious cooking, it has also reacquainted me with the humble chickpea. I've always liked chickpeas in the form of hummus and I love chana masala, but I never prepared them much at home.

Chickpea Salad
I like chickpeas best when they are prepared with Indian spices. A nice chickpea curry or masala, maybe with some spinach, paired with basmati rice and a piece of naan.....mmmmmm..........I could eat that every day. It makes me happy just thinking about it. My family thinks I'm strange.

For something a little different, however, I decided to try a chickpea salad. The chickpeas are still flavored with with a couple of Indian spices, but they are served over spinach and arugula (another favorite of mine) instead of in a sauce. Sweet, charred red onions give even more flavor interest to this simple dish. (If you'd like to avoid using the oven during the summer, red onions are fantastic charred on the grill.) A bit of lime juice, paired with the olive oil from cooking the spices and chickpeas, serves to dress the salad and brightens up the rest of the flavors.

Serve this salad with a bit of naan and it makes a light, refreshing, nutritious spring or summer meal.

Laura over at The Spiced Life also recently reviewed this recipe with some local greens she scored and it looks like she's been strawberry picking too!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

H1b Official Website Bomb



I have posted this article on H1b official website on my other blog, and the post has made it to the Times of india here.

When you search for the keyword H1b official website on google, you'd expect the pages of uscis, but no. Well at least before I made the post, the first result was of a hate site, called send [them] back dot org. After my post, a few links from other bloggers, now the google result page has pushed down the hate site fron the number one spot of google result page.

But, it is still on page one. I want a few more links to push the result back to at least page two.
I want my dear readers and fellow food bloggers to read this post, and write a post titled H1b official website, with links to the genuine H1b sites below:


http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
http://www.h1b1.com/welcome.htm
http://www.infinitilaw.com/h1bquotacount.html
http://www.buchanan.org/blog/?p=618

With the anchor text H1b Official Website like below:

1. H1B official website
2. H1B official website
3. H1B official website
4. H1b Official Website

make it fast.
This hate site got into search result number one by getting link with H1b Official website as the anchor text. By linking to the other sites with the same text, we are going to oush the hate site back inside the google result pages.

Start Linking...

Simplicity Deconstructed



Okay, Erika, here they are! ;-) Finally......

This recipe is actually from the Spring part of A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, but what the heck - why not bring a little spring in? This recipe consists of 3 parts, the croquettes, the raita and the salad. As a whole, the recipe looks a little complicated, but each part is actually very simple and comes together quite quickly. It just takes a little planning since the lentil-rice mixture needs to be chill for 2 hours before hitting the pan.

The lentil-rice croquettes are seasoned with ginger and curry, but any combination of Indian-inspired spices would work well here. The croquettes were very good, but I thought they could use just a little more flavor and a little bit of heat (especially as a contrast to the cool raita). The raita is a simple combination of cucumber, garlic and yogurt.

Lentil and Rice Croquettes
What really surprised me though, was the romaine-mango salad. It's simple combination of lettuce, mango, lime juice, EVOO and salt. I could have eaten an entire bowl of this salad alone - there was just something about the fresh, simple flavors that really won me over and reminded me that sometimes less is more.

The only thing that I did not like about this dish is how it's constructed. You pile the salad, croquettes and raita on a pita - it looks pretty, but then what? It's difficult to eat - trying to cut through the toasted pita with a fork and knife while also trying not to turn everything into a big pile of mush. I would serve the toasted pita on the side next time - brush it with a little olive oil and season it a bit - it just didn't work as a base for me. Or - stuff it all inside the pita as one would do with falafel - that might work as well.

I feel indebted to this recipe for showing me you don't have to be afraid to simply let the flavor of fresh ingredients stand on their own and hopefully I will be able to incorporate this principle into my cooking more and more.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Fun BBQ Treat: S'mores Bars



Yesterday we hosted an end-of-the-school-year cookout for our boys. I just counted them up and it turns out we only had a total of 10 pre-teens and teens (ranging from 9-14) here, but it sure seemed like a lot more! We were lucky as far as rain goes, but it was so hot that they ended up being inside a lot anyway.

Shopping for this cookout was quite the experience. I tend to cook pretty healthfully and my cart is generally pretty devoid of junk, but when you're throwing a party for teens, you're not likely to be buying a lot of Brussels sprouts and tofu. As I walked through the grocery store, I tried to hold my head high as I loaded the cart with Doritos, chips, soda, white hamburger and hot dog buns, hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches, and even a box of Froot Loops. (The Froot Loops were for my son's birthday. The boys are borderline neglected and abused because they are not allowed to eat the crappy, sugary cereals, so we treat them once a year.)

So, as you can see, we kept the cookout simple and teen-friendly. I did make two things: baked beans and S'mores Bars. Of course the beans didn't get eaten - except for my boys who love them - but the S'mores Bars seemed to go over pretty well. Though I did have one of the boys ask me if we were going to heat them up. Hmmm...that's an idea, but a messy one!

S'mores Bars
There are quite a few variations on these bars out there and you can find quite a few good ones on this CLBB post. I've tried this version, but I found that they were a bit messy to cut so I decided to try one with an actual graham cracker crust. And as good as this version was, I really didn't think that something as sweet as S'mores really needed so much extra sugar.

This second version turned out a little more "orderly". The crust crumbled off the bars a bit as you cut them/ate them, but that seems to happen with lots of graham cracker crusts. I did line the pan with foil so that I could easily lift the bars out before cutting - otherwise I'm guessing it would really have been a mess to cut. I don't think I used the full amount of marshmallows - I just added enough to cover the top in a single layer. As you can see from the photo, I forgot to reserve some of the crumbs for sprinkling on top, and though it might have added some visual interest, forgetting that part really didn't alter the overall outcome of these bars one bit.

Since it was so hot and humid, these definitely benefited from a stay in the refrigerator before cutting and serving and I would recommend doing this no matter what the weather unless you have quite a bit of time to let them set up properly. Be careful not to chill them too long before cutting though (like I did), the chocolate hardens and makes it harder to cut them nicely without doing a number on the crust.

I was lucky to get a picture of these! I had to sneak around and grab a shot when none of the kids were looking. I didn't want the boys to have to explain why their mom goes around taking pictures of food!

Anyway, if you're every looking for a treat to bring to a cookout or picnic, these are just the ticket.

Chinese Crab Omelette



12 servings

Ingredients:
24 large eggs, beaten
12 oz. lump crabmeat, flaked
12 oz. cooked medium shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 Tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:
In large bowl, blend eggs, crabmeat and shrimp.

Stir in chives, soy sauce, chili sauce, green onions, and bean sprouts.

In each of two 12-inch oven-proof skillets, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add half of egg mixture, about 5 cups, to each pan.

Cook eggs, tilting pan to let uncooked eggs reach pan bottom, about 8-10 minutes, until omelet is firm throughout with no visible liquid egg remaining. Finish omelet under broiler until golden brown.

Cut each pan into 6 wedges and serve.


Wednesday, June 18, 2008

How To Cook a Perfect Steak (With Mushrooms)



.
I believe I was rhapsodizing to the Ombudsman about my unabashed crush on my butcher.

He is so smart! And his prices are the best! And did I tell you he knows everything about meat? Like, everything?

Swoon.

So what if he is in his mid 70's and has grandchildren! I still lurve him.

As this was going on, the Ombudsman was just looking at me. Quizzically.

I could read it on his face, he officially thinks I may have lost what was left of my fabubbloicity.

The man obviously cannot wrap his mind around that which is the brilliance of a true, old school butcher.

It's a joyful thing.

Noting the look on his face, I paused. I decided to start again.

"So, how do you want your steak?"

Plain. With mushrooms.

Good to go.

Simple steak, simply fantastic.

Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.

2 6 oz. filets of beef, room temperature
2 tablespoons high quality butter
salt and pepper
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thick
1 teaspoon minced fresh savory

Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, cast iron skillet over a medium flame. When it is good and hot add half the butter. When melted, add the mushrooms in a nice single layer. Then just leave them alone. Don't push them around, don't flip, just let them cook for three minutes. You can peek under one if you must, but really, trust me, just let them cook. Then flip. When they are golden on both sides, toss in the savory (or any fresh herb you are partial to.) stir a moment and remove all to a warm plate. Add the rest of the butter and then the steak. Again, don't touch it, just let it cook. Don't shake the pan, don't press down on it, just let it be. When golden, flip and repeat. When almost done (how long is that? However long it takes my peaches. I suspect you can tell) add back the mushrooms, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove from the pan, let rest at least 6 minutes then serve. Voila, perfect steak.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Last year 24,000 cookbooks were published in the U.S.

Wanna read the sweetest thing? That Hazel, what a peach!

Americans consume about 26 pounds of pasta per capita each year. Italians, it almost goes without saying, are the world champions, averaging 60 pounds of pasta a year for every man, woman and child in the country. - WSJ

Wright’s Hickory Seasoning is made by collecting the smoke from burning hickory wood in a condenser and cooling it until it forms water. The droplets are captured and filtered twice, before being bottled without any additional ingredients. - Chow.com



Salmon recipe from Rachael Ray



One of these days I need to have a marathon blogging session to try to catch up on all the recipes we're making, but one quick post will have to do for tonight....

We tried this recipe a couple of weeks ago - it's from the 365: No Repeats cookbook. It's a very colorful dish and pretty easy to throw together. Although Rachael's recipes usually take me longer than the supposed 30 minutes, they do tend to be complete meals, evening things out in the end.

Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon
This salmon recipe was good, but not spectacular. The flavors on the salmon itself - lime, honey and chili powder - didn't do much for me, but then I tend to like very strong flavors on salmon. It wasn't bad by any means, it just didn't stand out. I did, however, very much enjoy the black bean salad. I'm not sure the spinach really belongs, but it melded nicely, added color and nutrition - all pluses in my book. And it certainly was healthful and summery - as much as I love wintry comfort food, it's nice to have a bit of summer in January.

Like I said, short and sweet. That's the only way I'm going to get it all done!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Roasted Pepper & Caper Salad



.
Ooh, ooh. It's leap day! Also known as Sadie Hawkins Day. Or, apparently the day ladies are given social permission to ask men to marry them.

What sassy good fun. Hippity-hop.

Me, I'm avoiding (The Ombudsman) any such entanglements, just in case things get weird, and focusing on the important things.

With the blissful weather (Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus! The Groundhog was wrong! Spring has sprung! Whoopeeee!) I have a whole new zest for life (which was tricky, since I was a pretty zesty girl to start with) and renewed zeal for all things food.

The markets round the hood are a bounty of early strawberries, lithesome asparagus and the last of the sparkling citrus. Peppers are just coming to an end and me, I'm all aflutter (A flutter? Fluttery? Flibberty! I digress...Happy Leap Day!) over what's in store, in this cusp of the seasons.

It's as if we have it all right now. Winter, spring, summer and fall.

So what do I do with this co-mingling of delights? Why this salad of course. A salad without greens. Because darlings, not all salads are leafy.

It is a nice little way to combine the best of late winter/early spring produce in a summery-weather way. Ties is all up quite nicely, don't you think?

Try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


6 large red bell peppers
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and minced
4 cloves of garlic
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Roast your peppers over an open flame, or under the broiler until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover the bowl to allow the peppers to steam a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic and saute briefly in the olive oil. Add the capers just at the last moment then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool.

Remove the peppers from the bowl, rinse off the charred skin, and remove the seeds. Slice into strips.

Layer on a platter, drizzle with olive oil, garlic and capers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves six

__________________________________________________

The edible ice cream cone made its American debut at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis and now, the ice cream cone has won Senate approval to become Missouri's official dessert.

Pork producer Smithfield Foods said Thursday that third-quarter profits fell about 10 percent on lower live hog prices and higher raising costs, but the results beat expectations handily. The nation's largest hog producer and pork processor also forecast a difficult fourth quarter. - AP




Time for something sweet!



I actually have yet another burger recipe to share, but let's take a break from burgers and talk about something sweet.

Like these yummy peanut butter cookies. These cookies came to my attention through a post over on the CLBB, but they originated from Deb over at Smitten Kitchen. If you are not already familiar with her blog, you MUST take a look. You'll want to lick your computer screen. And she even makes her own graham crackers and marshmallows. You're not likely to get any of that over here, so go take a look. You can also read about how these cookies are connected to the Magnolia Bakery in NYC.

Chocolate Chip cookies
I was initially intrigued - apart from my interest in anything combining chocolate and peanut butter - by her photographs of these cookies. They looked nice and thick, something you don't often (ever?) see with a peanut butter cookie. The texture looked perfect.

As you can see, my cookies do not look like hers, but they were still good. I did not bake them by the rounded teaspoonful (I'm obsessed with using a cookie scoop and I don't have one that small), so that may account for some of the differences in texture. However, it's really hard to figure out why the same recipe can turn out so differently for different bakers - maybe the water content of the butter was different, maybe it was the brand of peanut butter, maybe the butter was too soft/not soft enough, and on and on.

Mine didn't bake up as thick as Deb's, but they did have a very nice texture - as Val on the CLBB said, they are dense and tender, not quite chewy, but not cakelike either (she's much better at describing cookies than I am!). Most peanut butter cookies are a bit dry and crumbly for my tastes - not so with these cookies.

My only problem with this recipe? I'm not sure they had enough PB flavor in them. As much as I liked them, I kept waiting for more PB to shine through. I skipped the peanut butter chips, thought, so maybe that would have bumped them up a notch. I'm certainly more than willing to give them another go..........

Monday, June 16, 2008

Semi Dry Chicken Gravy Recipe






Yummy looking isn't it. Taste real good with butter Chapatti.


Look at the dart board, used as a back ground. Amateur Photography haha.
Recipe will be updated soon.

The Recipes:

This is a Onion Based Gravy.
4 medium sized onions for 1 kilo chicken.
More onions and the dish will be sweetish. Go ahead if you want your chicken sweet :)


For the garnish:

Add 1 tsp Dhania Powder
Add 1 tsp Jeera Powder.
Add 1 tsp Chilli Powder.
Add half tsp haldi Powder.
Add 1 tsp garlic Crushed.
Add 1 tsp ginger Crushed.
Salt to taste.
1 tsp vegetable Oil.
Mix well and keep in fridge or outside for 2 hours.

4 Onions finely chopped Keep Aside.

Heat Oil in a Wok. I always cook my chicken in a Wok or Kadhai.
The bottom of the cooking vessel has to be thick so that heat distributes evenly.

I use about 3 TBS vegetable oil. Should be enough.
A trick to cook in less oil. Only fry 1/3rd of the onions. Put the rest later.

Crackle 1 tsp jeera and mustard seed in the oil.
Add about one onions portion from the chopped onions and fry till golden brown.

Add 5 green chillis sliced in halves.
Fry for 30 seconds in medium heat.
Add rest of the onions and fry for couple of minutes.
Increase the heat.

Add the chicken and Quickly mix.
Let it mix well. Stir well, such that all the chicken pieces are turned.

Cover the vessel and cook for 15 minutes in low heat.

Now open the lid, and increase heat.
Add 2 tomatoes finely chopped(Optional).
Cook till most of all the juice from the curry have evaporated.
Keep Stirring/mixing.
Add 1 tsp of off-the-shelf Chicken masala.
Cook for couple of minutes after you add masala.

Garnish with coriander for better smell.
I didn't.. Ran out of coriander :)
Bachelor's kitchen you see!!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

How to make paneer, Homemade paneer!



This a Part repost, part recap Blog post!

How to make Paneer at home?
Fresh Paneer that you can use to cook mouth watering dishes like Palak Paneer ,or the reason this post was made about a year back. Mattar Paneer, or Paneer with green peas.
I started that post with the lines "The secret of making paneer unvieled!!!" And BTW, the layout for my new blog is almost ready.. Just a little tweaks here and there and we will be in our new distination soon. All fresh posts in there.. No importing of posts.. I just can't have the thought of deleting this blog. Some dishes I will cook again and repost even, for new readers who are too lazy to browze the archives..




The picture above is of the paneer, prepared myself. Turned out quite easy. Otherwise it wouldn't have been posted on Bachelor Cooking!
I had prepared it with inspiration from Atabela..

This is quite simple, simple enough for green horn cooks.

And it was indeed tastier than the Dairy manufactured Paneers that we buy.

Steps:

Boil Milk in a vessel.

* I boiled 1 litre of milk for the purpose.. and The ball above is just about the size of a Cricket Ball, so if you want a bigger Ball, get two litres. I eat alone so It was enough for me.

Boil Milk in low heat ( Low heat so that the milk don't spill, no use crying over spilt milk right?) Boil until about 1/4 or a quarter of the milk has evaporated has evaporated.

When 3 quaters of the milk remain, squeeze some lime juice.

OK put pre-squeezed lime juice. For 1 litre of milk, it took s table spoons of freshly squeezed juice to get all the milk solidify or coagulate. (For more milk use more lime).

The milk will now start to coagulate. That is what we wanted. When you see that the solid and watyre has separated, remove the vessel from heat.

Now lay a muslin cloth like the seen in the picture above over the mouth of another vessel, and pour the milk over it so that only the solid if caught in the cloth.

gather up the sides of the cloth and hold it like a sack or purse.

When you have gathered the sides on the top, hold tight and turn the solid below, so that the cloth tightens over the solid milk or paneer.

(**Now, hot water will squirt from the mesh in the cloth and it will be really hot, so do the tightening under a running water tap.)

Hand the sack for sometime, and then Open..

If you want to cook it, you make cut them into cubes as below.


Deep fry the paneer cubes slowly and slightly till the color below. It makes for much better mattar paneer, paneer Masala or any paneer dish.

Fry just till this brown.. Is it golden brown?

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Springtime Spinach Soup with Gruyere Croutons



.
Just between us kittens, I simply have no idea why The Ombudsman isn't head over heels madly in love with me.

I mean, really. That man...he can be so exasperating!

This weekend, among other things, I fed him home-made soup (well, he fed himself, but I made it) and I surprised him with tickets to see the Derby Dolls.

And that isn't just some run of the mill roller derby mind you. No, no. I'm talkin' all-girl, indoor, bank-tracked roller derby. Described by someone as "a cross between a Suicide Girls photo shoot and a prison brawl...on wheels." In other words...an excellently good time to be had by all.

So really, it just doesn't add up.

I think he needs to reassess. Pull his head out of the sand. Open his eyes and realize this soup alone is worthy of a proposal, let alone the fact I am a super star friend.

Sigh.

Oh well, I guess it's just not meant to be.

But you should try the soup and see how fab it is. It may not set your heart afire, but it sure is tasty.

The Ombudsman swears it.

So try this my lil' Shamrocks, and taste the joy.


1 pound spinach leaves
2 T olive oil
1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups water
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 thin baguette, sliced on the bias, yielding four slices
2 ounces gruyere cheese, grated fine (this is best done with a microplane)
2 teaspoons English (Coleman’s) mustard
Oil


Rinse the spinach and drain but leave a bit damp.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sautรฉ the potato for about five minutes, until soft. It will totally stick to the bottom and brown, so if your pot is non-stick, all the better. If not, just scrape it up as best you can.

Add the spinach and stir until well wilted.

Add 4 cups water, salt and nutmeg to taste. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes.

While it is simmering, smear the baguette slices with some mustard. Heat a non-stick sautรฉ pan over medium heat and add four small piles of the cheese (in roughly the same shape as the slices of bread) then immediately top with a slice of the bread (mustard side down.) and let cook until the cheese is just browned. Flip the bread over and let toast a bit more, then remove.

Ladle the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth, then return it to the pot.

Stir in the cream and slowly bring to a boil. Adjust the seasonings. Simmer for a minute or two.

Ladle the soup into shallow bowls over a small pile of spinach leaves that you have chiffonaded and serve immediately with gruyere toasts.

Serves four as a first course.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

I based this recipe on one by Gordon Ramsay. Its pretty different, but still, I thought I would mention it. His is called Spinach Veloute with Goat Cheese Quenelles.

Gidon Eshel, a geophysicist at the Bard Center, and Pamela A. Martin, an assistant professor of geophysics at the University of Chicago, calculated that if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 % it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan — a Camry, say — to the ultra-efficient Prius. Similarly, a study last year by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Japan estimated that 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days. – Mark Bittman, NYTimes

The ladies of the French court of Louis XI subsisted mainly on soup because they believed that chewing would cause them to develop facial wrinkles.





Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Mademoiselle de Margaux Chocolate Covered Cherries



.
The downfall of the youth of today is that they just don't get the cultural reference of that moment-in-time arrangement of words,

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.*

Poor lil grommets, don't know what they are missing.

Such a quality expression too!. Not to mention it's got a really catchy tune.

Just try to say that and not smile.

So that, obviously, that is the golden phrase emitting from my rosy lips every moment I think of Shauna over at Gluten Free Girl (blog) and her breaking the news that she and The Chef are expecting a baby girl in August.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.

Of course, (in a fit of generosity) as a little mother-to-be, I guess it makes sense she had these chocolate covered booze-infused French delights from ChefShop sent to me instead of to herself...for one thing, she is just really nice in sending an unexpected gift, (which really, I owe her!) but she also probably pegged me as the perfect person to gain sympathy weight.

Oh those crafty pregnant ladies...

Well imbibing in calories is no trouble with these beauties (which are very much gone as of this writing) are as easy on the eyes as they are to eat.

I really was surprised and thrilled to receive two boxes of this incredible Mme de Margaux sweets at Ms. Shauna's request. One sky blue box of chocolate covered cherries with armagnac and the other of equally amazing chocolate covered grapes with rum. Which rhymes with yum. Happy Happy Joy Joy indeed.

They were so good, I simply must sing their praises. They were so boozy the Ombudsman refused to eat one before getting behind the wheel of his (hybrid) car. They made my head swim, my heart swell and my mouth smile. They are chocolate perfection.

Now peaches, on this random late winter (for some) 80 degree (for others) day, I am going to urge you to click on over to ChefShop and make a box of these your own.

So here is to the Happy Happy Joy Joy of new life, and new treats.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

Oh My GOODNESS. I am a terrible, bad and awful friend. I forgot to wish that sweet peach, Tiffany a very happy birthday last week...oy. Happy belated Birthday Tiffany!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please visit her blog and leave b-day wishes comment for her, won't you?

Based in the Mรฉdoc region of France near Bordeaux, the makers of these chocolates, Mademoiselle de Margaux draws its inspiration and know-how from the renowned Margaux terroir. In the quest for subtly powerful ingredients and aromas, Mademoiselle de Margaux creates new recipes inspired by the riches of nature. - Chefshop.com

Americans drink thirty-five million bottles of cognac each year. We're the world's No. 1 consumer by far. -NY Magazine

Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy made of mainly the same grapes as cognac. Its name comes from the Armagnac region of France where it originates.Armagnac has been making brandy for around 200 years longer than Cognac. And for every six bottles of Armagnac sold around the world there are one hundred bottles of cognac sold.



Gardening Updates!



Speaking of gardening, it's quite nice out this morning and truthfully, I'd rather be out in the garden than blogging, but it's been a while since I've posted and I'm excited to blog about what I've planted. I can see that the blog will be very handy for me in terms of serving as a journal for me to look back on to remember what I planted, what worked, etc. I'm officially off of work for the summer, so that means more time to garden and more time to blog. Whether it really means more time to cook will depend on our baseball schedule!

In the interests if getting outside, I'll try to keep this somewhat brief (though there will be a lot of photos).

Back around the 17th of May, I planted some cherry tomatoes, peppers, basil, sage, cucumbers and zucchini. Even though this was a couple of days past the frost date for our area, my plants promptly got zapped THAT VERY NIGHT. What really gets me is that I allowed my impatience to over rule the little alarm in my head that said a low of 40ยบ was too close to potential frost temperatures, especially since we live out of town where it's cooler.

The sage and one pepper plant made it through, but I had to rip out the basil, the zucchini and the cucumbers and start over. The cherry tomato plants looked like they might limp along and produce new growth, so I've left them in to see how things go.

Fast forward to Memorial Day (the 26th), well past our frost date. It's plenty warm and I plant again: more basil, more cucumbers, more pepper plants and the heirloom tomato plants that arrived in the mail. All seems good but I keep my eye on the temps and wouldn't you know it, the temps drop again and there is danger of frost. Knowing what happened last time, I decided I would play it safe and I covered the plants. I kept them covered for 3 nights and we did get significant frost one of those nights. Hello? It's almost June!

This time I had a lot more luck, but did not escape unscathed. Most of the plants were fine, but the cucumbers and the two Pink Brandywine tomato plants got nipped. Nipped, but not completely obliterated like the first time, so I'm leaving them in the ground (but bought one more of each as insurance). I think it must have been the cover I used on those particular plants - it was just a little too flimsy.

Besides learning to be patient and follow my gut (and not just the date on the calendar), I also learned not to leave tender plants outside where they might be exposed to gusty winds. I had no idea that gusty winds could cause plants to wither and shrivel up. Lesson learned. The good news is that so far, all but one plant survived the wind.

Anyway, after a rough start, the temps are now up and hopefully my plants will be happy. Now it's time to watch for pests and disease. So, why is that I want to garden so badly anyway???????

Here's what's in my garden...............(not including the parsley and chives I have in pots up by the house)...............

Cucumber
4 cucumber plants (pre-frost)

Bean seeds
I put in seeds for 6 green bean plants.

Sage
1 sage

Basil
5 basil plants

Mr. Stripey tomato
1 Mr. Stripey

Yellow bell peppers
1 yellow pepper

Red bell peppers
2 red pepper

Sweet banana peppers
1 sweet banana pepper

Husky Cherry Red tomatoes
3 Husky Cherry Red (this one didn't get nipped by frost)

Yellow Taxi tomatoes
1 Yellow Taxi (not sure how this one is going to do...looks a little pale)

Pink Brandywine tomatoes
3 Pink Brandywine (pre-frost)

Green Zebra tomatoes
1 Green Zebra

Fireworks tomatoes
1 Fireworks

1 Cantaloupe (I forgot to get a picture....will post later!)


Salvaged zucchini
1 salvaged zucchini plant....see story below....

Interesting story to the zucchini plant. It was one of the plants that I thought got decimated by the frost - I had thrown it on the compost heap. I was out putting in the last of the plants when I looked over at the compost heap and noticed my zucchini plant. It wasn't even completely ON the heap, it was sort of caught up on the sides in mid-air. But there was new growth! So, I plucked it off the heap and plunked it in the ground and I can already see even more new growth. You just never know!

Today I hope I can get in most of my flowers, finally. Flowers are a bit harder for me - they require more planning - what kind, how many, in what combinations. And no matter how many trips I make, I always think of somewhere else that I need more flowers......it just never seems to be quite done.

Believe it or not, that was actually keeping it short today! I had a lot more I wanted to share, but I'll keep that for another day. Time to get outside and get to work!



Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Rarebit Risotto



Okay, so I'm putting up a quick post tonight so that I can keep to my promise/goal of doing at least one post per week, but I have to admit it's a struggle! It's been busy as usual and the next few weeks will be even busier. I'm so ready for school to be out and work to be over! I like my job and I only work part time, but I'm ready to have no schedule for a while. What can I say, I got spoiled being a SAHM for 10 years.......

Anyway, the recipe for tonight is one a tried a few weeks ago as I was trying to sneak in a cool weather recipe - I love risotto, but it's not something I look forward to making once the weather turns warm.

168-6812_IMG
This vegetarian risotto (from Simple Suppers) sounded comforting with the rice and cheddar cheese and interesting because of the use of beer. Most risottos call for wine; I don't recall ever seeing one that called for beer. And with the broccoli and tomatoes, one could almost pretend it's halfway healthy.

Overall I liked the risotto, but it's probably not going to be a repeater as there are so many other risottos that I like better. Though the beer was an interesting addition, I think it gave the risotto an off flavor that I had a hard time getting past. I do like beer, so that wasn't the problem, I guess I just didn't think it fit. I used a lager, so maybe it was just too strong a beer for this particular risotto. I might, however, be inclined to try it again using white wine and see how that goes.

The four cups of cheese seemed like overkill and I was afraid the risotto would be a gloppy mess, but it actually worked pretty well - perhaps because cheddar has a healthy amount of oil compared to other cheeses. Still, I'm sure that if you used a really good quality sharp cheddar, you could still get great flavor using less cheese.

I was happy to finally fit in a little broccoli into a meal. My oldest son really HATES broccoli so I don't fix it too often but I love it, especially in the main dish, but I snuck this one in while he was gone for the night. When the youngest is gone, I like to sneak goat cheese or other things that HE really doesn't like. Whatever works.

This may be the last post for another week but who knows, maybe I'll be able to sneak one in before then............

How to Deep Fry Fish-II






There is this new blog on the block on Life, Happiness and Relationships called sound of Life . Do Bookmark it or spread a word.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Chinese Turkey Pie



8 - 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
2 (15 oz.) cans corn
2 (15 oz.) cans peas and pearl onions
Mashed potatoes
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Preparation:
Brown ground turkey, drain. Drain vegetables. Make 8 to 12 servings of potatoes. In 2 to 3 quart casserole dish mix ground turkey and vegetables, season with salt, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle liberally with Worcestershire sauce. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until golden brown (like Pooh) approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can also use 16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables instead of canned.

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Weekly Recap 1/6/08



This is what went on in my kitchen last week:

Sunday
*Polenta with Sausage Ragu
(made up on the fly - based on this recipe)
*tomato-cucumber salad

Monday
Our traditional New Year's Eve Appetizer Night!
*Sausage Stuffed French Bread (new)
*Pancette Crisps with Goat Cheese and Pear (new)
*Sea Scallops with Minted Pea Puree on Potato Chips (new)
*Crispy Cheese Rounds (t&t)
*Mushroom Crescents (t&t)

Tuesday
*Red Lentil and Basmati Rice Croquettes with Romaine-Mango Salad and Cucumber Raita (new)
*salad

Wednesday
Leftovers - time to clean out that fridge!

Thursday
*Wegmans cheese pierogies
*Wegmans tomato soup
*sliced pear

Friday
*Skillet Pasta Quattro Formaggi (new)
*salad

Saturday
*Lime-and-Honey-Glazed Salmon with Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad (new)
*jasmine rice


Saturday, June 7, 2008

Make Your Own Boursin-Style Cheese



.
I am filled with the joy of the season. The soft light of spring with it's promise of the new. I am just a big ol' puddle of happy-person.

Yesterday, upon waking, I could just smell it in the air. Picnic season had arrived.

Fab-tastic! (Insert girly-squeal.)

And you know full well by now that nothing makes me flash my pearly whites like a sunny day, a relaxed destination and a basket full of comestible wow.

Nothing beats it. Don't you agree?

So after a rousing go round on the Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel (which - as I write - is for sale on eBay. No, I'm not kidding.) we had worked up an appetite for something just so. Basket in tow, we made our way out to the sandy beach and indulged.

It was just what we needed to pair with our locally produced wine and home-made crackers.

Smooth, tangy, creamy...you know. All those things you look for in a cheese-spread kinda thing on a perfect spring day.

Now sweet peaches, I could ramble and raconte on the serious subject of copyrights, copyright infringement and boring legal mumbo-jumbo style speak for a few moments prior to sharing this most delightful recipe, OR I can just warn you (sternly) that Boursin is trademarked and (lovely) delightful and not at all this recipe.

I hopes to tells ya.

Nope, this recipe is just for something somewhat (but assuredly not) similar. Basically, its a soft, spreadable, flavored cheese. Whimsical and tasty.

So try it my peaches, and taste the joy.

2 ounces goat cheese
1 ounce cream cheese
1 ounce butter
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives

Using your hands, smoosh everything together and form into a nice disk. Pat, while smiling then serve with crackers.

Yup, its that simple, elegant and ready to devour.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at might be guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

Boursin's traditional cheeses (Garlic & Fine Herbs, and Pepper) are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. Boursin is also proud to support the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation.

Faced with rising demand and empty shelves, officials at a New Hampshire's
Fall Mountain Food Pantry are asking area farmers and gardeners to "grow a row" for them and donate the food.

Hot & Sour Soup



Ingredients:
1 can chicken broth
Approx 1/4 cup cooked shredded meat
Approx 1/4 cup sliced bean curd
Approx 1/4 cup sliced rehydrated wood ears
Approx 1/8 cup sliced bamboo shoots
Seasonings:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy
1 tbsp Chinese Black Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Corn Starch
1/4 tsp ground roasted schezuan peppercorns
Approx 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
A few drops of sesame oil
1/2 beaten egg
2 tbsp minced green onions

Preparation:
Combine the seasonings in a bowl and mix well. Rest of ingredients combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. When soup comes to a boil, add the seasonings, and keep over high heat for 2-5 minutes. Slowly add the beaten egg and then remove from heat. Place in bowls and garnish with minced green onions.


Friday, June 6, 2008

Creating Pathways in the Garden



Yesterday was quite nice out and I had a trunk full of free mulch I had picked up in town, so DH and I seized the day and decided to create pathways between our lasagna beds.

First, I pulled back the black weed barrier and found a surprise guest:

167-6787_IMG

Bailey was curious, but cautious:

167-6789_IMG

Bailey supervised as I got ready to mow the grass around the beds as short as possible:

167-6783_IMG

Next, I laid down a layer of cardboard and soaked it with a hose. Note to self: Putting down cardboard goes much faster than using newspaper! Second note to self: Since it goes so fast, it couldn't possibly hurt to put down 2 layers next time.

167-6790_IMG

A thin layer of mulch goes down on both pathways. I kept the pathways fairly wide because originally I was thinking I would need to get a lawnmower in between the beds. I decided to keep them wide anyway since I'll still need to get the wheelbarrow between the rows and we certainly have plenty of space, so may as well give myself plenty of room to work.

167-6791_IMG

Almost as soon as the mulch went down, I decided that it was probably a mistake. The idea behind mulching the pathways was to cut down on having to mow and try to keep the grass from encroaching on the garden beds. However, the more I thought about the mulched areas around our yard, the more I thought about all the weeding I have to do in those mulched area. Mowing grass in a narrow pathway would go WAY faster than weeding. I'm starting to think that keeping grass between the pathways would actually be the lower-maintenance option.

Instead of immediately ripping it all out, I decided to leave it for now. We'll build 2 more beds this season and leave the grass in place - this way we can have it both ways and see which way ends up being less work. Having it both ways will certainly bother the anal part of me that likes things to be just so, but it will be a useful learning exercise, so I'll try my best to overlook it.

I dug a trench around the remaining borders of the beds to discourage the grass from trying to take over the beds:

trench around bed

Next project - hopefully to be completed next weekend as long as the weather holds out - a fence to keep out the bunnies. But so far this week is looking rainy and cold, so who knows when we'll get out there again............