...but I have a somewhat good excuse. I have been in the garden! The patio garden at least. This spring I went a little wild and my patio looks like a jungle. With all the rain we have been getting this week there is dirt everywhere from constantly draining the pots out. This is the first time in years I have tried to grow veggies from seeds, and they are mostly turning our great! I have string beans growing already (most of which are not making into the apartment, but directly from the vine into my mouth) and squash that are blossoming all over.
I also bought seedlings to plant - tomatoes, onions, peppers and many more. The herbs are just out of control - 16 varieties and counting. I plan to dry a good portion of them and make tea blends for the holidays (yes, I just mentioned the holidays in July, I apologize).
I will be posting a variety of recipes here this week, no lies, all food.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Delicious Items
As the title suggests, many delicious items!
First off, a really awesome dish I discovered (Ok I was actually pushed into trying this) while at one of my favorite restaurants in Albany. It is an Israeli couscous dish with scallops. Normally I don't love scallops, but after trying this dish I was sold. Not to mention, there is bacon involved, and any food that involves bacon has to be good. Maybe one day I will post a recipe for healthier foods here, but that won't be today.
You will need:
Scallops
Israeli couscous
Yellow onion
Yellow or green peppers (or both!)
Smoked bacon
3-4 oz of chicken broth
Flat leaf parsley
Sazon seasoning (Goya™ brand)
Black pepper & salt for seasoning
Cook a 1/2 cup couscous in boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside.
Cook one...or two...or three strip bacon (sometimes I do more and make club sandwiches the next day with the extra)
Once bacon is cookies, 'crush' up into small pieces.
Saute onions until brown and soft, and then add peppers and saute. Toss the bacon back into the pan, and then add the couscous. Add the sazon seasoning, a few pinches, or if using packets, I used a whole packet. Season with pepper and salt as desired.
Add chicken stock and cook on simmer or low setting.
Cook the scallops in a small pan with cooking spray until cooked through and slightly caramelized on both sides.
Add on top of couscous mixture in other pan, and sprinkle with parsley.
Excellent dish, much easier to make than you might think! Recipe adapted from On Tapas & More!
Also, I felt I needed to add a dessert! Maybe unrelated, but it's an oatmeal-butterscotch chip cookies and it is a super easy and delicious recipe.
You need...
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1/4 cup butterscotch chip
Preheat over to 350°F. Either spray baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar til fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat in well, scraping sides of bowl and blending in.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Beat in wet mixture slowly.
Stir in the oats and butterscotch chips.
Roll into balls about 2 tbsps in size and arrange on cookie sheets. Bake 13-16 minutes.
You could add different chips into this recipe as you desire, I have always been curious about cinnamon chips!
- This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen -
First off, a really awesome dish I discovered (Ok I was actually pushed into trying this) while at one of my favorite restaurants in Albany. It is an Israeli couscous dish with scallops. Normally I don't love scallops, but after trying this dish I was sold. Not to mention, there is bacon involved, and any food that involves bacon has to be good. Maybe one day I will post a recipe for healthier foods here, but that won't be today.
You will need:
Scallops
Israeli couscous
Yellow onion
Yellow or green peppers (or both!)
Smoked bacon
3-4 oz of chicken broth
Flat leaf parsley
Sazon seasoning (Goya™ brand)
Black pepper & salt for seasoning
Cook a 1/2 cup couscous in boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside.
Cook one...or two...or three strip bacon (sometimes I do more and make club sandwiches the next day with the extra)
Once bacon is cookies, 'crush' up into small pieces.
Saute onions until brown and soft, and then add peppers and saute. Toss the bacon back into the pan, and then add the couscous. Add the sazon seasoning, a few pinches, or if using packets, I used a whole packet. Season with pepper and salt as desired.
Add chicken stock and cook on simmer or low setting.
Cook the scallops in a small pan with cooking spray until cooked through and slightly caramelized on both sides.
Add on top of couscous mixture in other pan, and sprinkle with parsley.
Excellent dish, much easier to make than you might think! Recipe adapted from On Tapas & More!
Also, I felt I needed to add a dessert! Maybe unrelated, but it's an oatmeal-butterscotch chip cookies and it is a super easy and delicious recipe.
You need...
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1/4 cup butterscotch chip
Preheat over to 350°F. Either spray baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sugar til fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat in well, scraping sides of bowl and blending in.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Beat in wet mixture slowly.
Stir in the oats and butterscotch chips.
Roll into balls about 2 tbsps in size and arrange on cookie sheets. Bake 13-16 minutes.
You could add different chips into this recipe as you desire, I have always been curious about cinnamon chips!
- This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen -
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Pasta! Salmon! Delicious!
As promised, more posting. Tonight I made something I have wanted to cook for a very long time. I adore this one dish at Papa Razzi, and I wanted to make a similar pasta entree.
This is a farfalle pasta with a salmon and pea cream sauce...so this isn't health food. Though Papa Razzi is a chain, I do enjoy many of the the dishes offered, as they are made to order and are more complex that many dishes found at other Italian chains. I suppose it is considered an upscale chain, as the one I am familiar with is in the upscale mall I worked at in college. Anywhere that offers and Versace store and a Neiman Marcus has to offer something better than fast food I suppose.
Anyway, I scoured the internet for a recipe, and I found a few that were close enough to base it on. My adaptation has a few tweaks to any I found online, and I think it came out pretty well. It could have been a creamier sauce, but in the end I think it's better we saved a few calories after the cooking we've done this winter :)
Ingredients (recipe serves 2 people):
1/2 pound salmon, cooked and flaked - I broil mine
1 cup peas (frozen or fresh)
pasta - farfalle, penne, etc. - about 1 cup per person, maybe a little less
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
sweet onion - just need a few diced up pieces
parsley, fresh or dried
salt and pepper, dash of nutmeg
Start by boiling your water for the pasta, while this is boiling, in another pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Add peas to butter and saute for several minutes, then add onions. After about 3 minutes, add cream and remaining tablespoon of butter. Turn burner to low, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
While your pasta is cooking, add salmon and cheese to the cooking peas and onions. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg as desired. Remember, the cheese has salt, so you may not even want to add salt. I add lots of pepper though!
Allow this to cook another 5 minutes or so, and once the pasta is cooked and drained, you can mix together with sauce. Add a sprinkle of parley on top.
You may want a creamier sauce, in which case you may want to add a bit more heavy cream and butter. I added a tiny bit more cream. However, you could try to add half and half or milk if you were leary of heavy cream, but I am not sure what the end result would be.
Enjoy! Super easy and delicious, especially when paired with homemade bread or breadsticks!
This is a farfalle pasta with a salmon and pea cream sauce...so this isn't health food. Though Papa Razzi is a chain, I do enjoy many of the the dishes offered, as they are made to order and are more complex that many dishes found at other Italian chains. I suppose it is considered an upscale chain, as the one I am familiar with is in the upscale mall I worked at in college. Anywhere that offers and Versace store and a Neiman Marcus has to offer something better than fast food I suppose.
Anyway, I scoured the internet for a recipe, and I found a few that were close enough to base it on. My adaptation has a few tweaks to any I found online, and I think it came out pretty well. It could have been a creamier sauce, but in the end I think it's better we saved a few calories after the cooking we've done this winter :)
Ingredients (recipe serves 2 people):
1/2 pound salmon, cooked and flaked - I broil mine
1 cup peas (frozen or fresh)
pasta - farfalle, penne, etc. - about 1 cup per person, maybe a little less
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
sweet onion - just need a few diced up pieces
parsley, fresh or dried
salt and pepper, dash of nutmeg
Start by boiling your water for the pasta, while this is boiling, in another pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Add peas to butter and saute for several minutes, then add onions. After about 3 minutes, add cream and remaining tablespoon of butter. Turn burner to low, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
While your pasta is cooking, add salmon and cheese to the cooking peas and onions. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg as desired. Remember, the cheese has salt, so you may not even want to add salt. I add lots of pepper though!
Allow this to cook another 5 minutes or so, and once the pasta is cooked and drained, you can mix together with sauce. Add a sprinkle of parley on top.
You may want a creamier sauce, in which case you may want to add a bit more heavy cream and butter. I added a tiny bit more cream. However, you could try to add half and half or milk if you were leary of heavy cream, but I am not sure what the end result would be.
Enjoy! Super easy and delicious, especially when paired with homemade bread or breadsticks!
Breads, breads, breads
So I finally figured out a great way to make bread. Apparently it's a tried and true trick, but no one ever shared it with me. I finally found the best way here. I send you to the main page of this blog instead of a specific page because it's a wonderful blog! Great recipes and ideas, and most of her ingredients are found in her own garden or locally, so if you are from the northeast, you might want to pick up some ideas here!
Anyway, about a month ago I really wanted bread. Homemade bread. I finally found this blog, and it says to add the yeast to warm water with sugar (in the amount directed by the recipe). Then stir, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 15 minutes or so. That way, if it doesn't rise you can toss it and start over without wasting too many resources. I love it! The second I started gushing about it to my mother, who I had just sent a loaf of rosemary bread to, she said "oh yea you didn't know about that??" Well, I guess everyone knew but me! But it's a great way to make sure that you're bread dough will rise, without having to waste anything more than the basics.
So, in celebration of my newly honed bread making skills, I present Rosemary Bread, adapted from allrecipes.com:
First, add one package (.25 oz) yeast to 1 cup warm (approx. 110° F water) with 1 tablespoon white sugar. Stir and cover with a damp towel in a warm spot for about 15 minutes, until it has risen.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons rosemary (fresh or dried, just depends on what you can get), 1 teaspoon italian seasoning (optional, this makes the bread very 'herby' as it has been described by others, so this step depends on how flavorful you want it to be). Mix these ingredients together well.
Once the yeast mixture has risen, add to bowl with herbs, salt and butter. Mix in well, and start adding 2 cups of flour. I like to use a half and half combination, some white flour, some whole wheat, but you could use all white or all whole wheat.
Now add in the third cup of flour. The last cup will be more difficult to work in, so I suggest using your hands to knead it in for about 5 - 10 minutes until well incorporated.
Coat the inside of the bowl with olive oil (though this step is not totally necessary as I have forgotten it in the past and the bread turns out fine!) Add the ball of dough to the bowl and cover with damp towel and place in a warm area for about an hour, or until dough has doubled in sizes.
Now uncover, punch dough down and divide in half. Shape into balls, or place in loaf pans.Re-cover and allow to rise again until doubled in size for about an hour. Brush with an egg wash, olive oil, melted butter or cooking spray, and sprinkle rosemary on top.
Preheat oven to 375°F and bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top. A good rule with bread is that if you can knock on it and it sounds hollow, it's done. I find my own bread usually takes a little more than 20 minutes.
Enjoy!!
Anyway, about a month ago I really wanted bread. Homemade bread. I finally found this blog, and it says to add the yeast to warm water with sugar (in the amount directed by the recipe). Then stir, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 15 minutes or so. That way, if it doesn't rise you can toss it and start over without wasting too many resources. I love it! The second I started gushing about it to my mother, who I had just sent a loaf of rosemary bread to, she said "oh yea you didn't know about that??" Well, I guess everyone knew but me! But it's a great way to make sure that you're bread dough will rise, without having to waste anything more than the basics.
So, in celebration of my newly honed bread making skills, I present Rosemary Bread, adapted from allrecipes.com:
First, add one package (.25 oz) yeast to 1 cup warm (approx. 110° F water) with 1 tablespoon white sugar. Stir and cover with a damp towel in a warm spot for about 15 minutes, until it has risen.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons rosemary (fresh or dried, just depends on what you can get), 1 teaspoon italian seasoning (optional, this makes the bread very 'herby' as it has been described by others, so this step depends on how flavorful you want it to be). Mix these ingredients together well.
Once the yeast mixture has risen, add to bowl with herbs, salt and butter. Mix in well, and start adding 2 cups of flour. I like to use a half and half combination, some white flour, some whole wheat, but you could use all white or all whole wheat.
Now add in the third cup of flour. The last cup will be more difficult to work in, so I suggest using your hands to knead it in for about 5 - 10 minutes until well incorporated.
Coat the inside of the bowl with olive oil (though this step is not totally necessary as I have forgotten it in the past and the bread turns out fine!) Add the ball of dough to the bowl and cover with damp towel and place in a warm area for about an hour, or until dough has doubled in sizes.
Now uncover, punch dough down and divide in half. Shape into balls, or place in loaf pans.Re-cover and allow to rise again until doubled in size for about an hour. Brush with an egg wash, olive oil, melted butter or cooking spray, and sprinkle rosemary on top.
Preheat oven to 375°F and bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown on top. A good rule with bread is that if you can knock on it and it sounds hollow, it's done. I find my own bread usually takes a little more than 20 minutes.
Enjoy!!
oh heck!
oh the kitchen. yes it's 3:15 am. But I have not written in months. Get ready for a WHOLE TON of new stuff this week!!!!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Oh the baking
So, Maple Apple Cake: 0 and Pumpkin Spice Muffins: 1
The maple apple cake was a pain to make for something I didn't enjoy. First of all, the recipe made too much, the apples I used were not that great, and I just didn't like it. But, that said, boyfriend liked it a lot. Or at least he told me that so I wouldn't feel bad. Anything where I have to sift is out I think.
I found a recipe for the muffins on my bodywash bottle. The super overpriced body wash that I bought myself...yes. So they were pretty good, and I think they would make a really great coffee cake...
I will post the recipe this week. I have been making Starbucks-style pumpkin lattes also! I don't have an espresso machine, so I just brew strong coffee and I use Green Mountain pumpkin spice coffee which is awesome. The key to making this recipe a success is to strain the milk after to get all the pumpkin out...
I am going to be making cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, and potentially relish. I am not sure if boyfriend's family likes this but I may bring it anyway. The relish can be made in a food processor or blender, or as my grandmother (and now my aunt) did, by grinding the cranberries in a meat grinder. A meat grinder is like a family heirloom to my family. I'm not sure why. But anyway, make sure the cranberries are nicely ground, and if you like (which I do) add orange quarters and grind or process those as well. You can add as much sugar as you like, probably about a cup or less. Most recipes call for more, but you really don't need as much. Also, leave the rind on the orange, it tastes really great all mixed in.
More the come...
The maple apple cake was a pain to make for something I didn't enjoy. First of all, the recipe made too much, the apples I used were not that great, and I just didn't like it. But, that said, boyfriend liked it a lot. Or at least he told me that so I wouldn't feel bad. Anything where I have to sift is out I think.
I found a recipe for the muffins on my bodywash bottle. The super overpriced body wash that I bought myself...yes. So they were pretty good, and I think they would make a really great coffee cake...
I will post the recipe this week. I have been making Starbucks-style pumpkin lattes also! I don't have an espresso machine, so I just brew strong coffee and I use Green Mountain pumpkin spice coffee which is awesome. The key to making this recipe a success is to strain the milk after to get all the pumpkin out...
I am going to be making cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, and potentially relish. I am not sure if boyfriend's family likes this but I may bring it anyway. The relish can be made in a food processor or blender, or as my grandmother (and now my aunt) did, by grinding the cranberries in a meat grinder. A meat grinder is like a family heirloom to my family. I'm not sure why. But anyway, make sure the cranberries are nicely ground, and if you like (which I do) add orange quarters and grind or process those as well. You can add as much sugar as you like, probably about a cup or less. Most recipes call for more, but you really don't need as much. Also, leave the rind on the orange, it tastes really great all mixed in.
More the come...
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Don't forget the Tums
So today I set out to do two things: drain my checking account and bake. I accomplished both and then some.
I did some holiday shopping, as I am making some gifts for my aunts this year and needed some supplies so I headed to Michael's for some craft stuff. Then over to the supermarket to restock on baking supplies, Walmart, maybe I stopped at Payless shoes (but I did NOT buy anything, I swear!). Once I got home I realized I forgot raisins and needed some other stuff, so over to Target (which, sadly for my bank account, is a mile from my house) and to TJ Maxx.
Once I returned, I made almond biscotti, same as how I made the anise biscotti, but with 1/2 tsp. of almond extract and some chopped almonds. They will go well with coffee, but I still like the anise better.
I also made raisin bread, but had to start over. This morning last night's dough had not moved, so it got tossed, which is a HUGE waste and I am really disappointed about that.
The boyfriend made chili with turkey as promised and it was EXCELLENT. He also made tortilla chips which I thought were really awesome.
And I made an infused olive oil dipping sauce.
And now I need tums from sampling it all.
I did some holiday shopping, as I am making some gifts for my aunts this year and needed some supplies so I headed to Michael's for some craft stuff. Then over to the supermarket to restock on baking supplies, Walmart, maybe I stopped at Payless shoes (but I did NOT buy anything, I swear!). Once I got home I realized I forgot raisins and needed some other stuff, so over to Target (which, sadly for my bank account, is a mile from my house) and to TJ Maxx.
Once I returned, I made almond biscotti, same as how I made the anise biscotti, but with 1/2 tsp. of almond extract and some chopped almonds. They will go well with coffee, but I still like the anise better.
I also made raisin bread, but had to start over. This morning last night's dough had not moved, so it got tossed, which is a HUGE waste and I am really disappointed about that.
The boyfriend made chili with turkey as promised and it was EXCELLENT. He also made tortilla chips which I thought were really awesome.
And I made an infused olive oil dipping sauce.
And now I need tums from sampling it all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)