Chocolate covered strawberry Popsicles

4c trimmed strawberries

1c water 

1/4c sugar

Blend 

Strain out seeds

Waiting... 15 min maybe 

Just dipped the first batch in magic shell and these are sexier than sin! Dying to try them!!

Signature pasta salad

This was originally for Memorial Day weekend, but I ended up with too much food & this ended up for dinner instead. 

My signature pasta salad ALWAYS includes: pasta (varying shape- usually rotini but sometimes cheese tortellini), marinaded artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, fresh tomato, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, s&p, oregano and garlic (not photographed), basil, parsley... Then I add extra veggies on hand. Today it was a green pepper and some celery. Sometimes it's tri color bell peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes... But it's essentially all cut up and mixed... And left to marinade. 

I couldn't fit it all into the bowl I was using so the leftovers went in here.

Soft shell crab

I went today to buy muscles for my dinner tomorrow and I bumped into these soft shelled crabs- I thought what my luck!!! I asked the guy at the fish market how many weeks are left in the season & he said maybe 2 or 3 weeks!!! What luck! For $4.50 a pop I thought they were a bargain.. I scratched my original lunch plans & fried these little guys right up. 

I used an egg & milk and then a flour, salt, pepper & old bay mix... I breaded them and fried them in veg oil.

I served them on ciabatta bread with some mayo & tomato... Because this fish market gets a daily delivery from New Bedford MA I have seriously never had more fresh soft shells & I had no idea they were so reasonable!!  

Chicken in lemon garlic sauce

Marinade chicken cut into chunks:

2tea- thyme

2tea- rosemary 

1 lemon zest 

Juice if half lemon (possibly the whole thing)

2T- EVOO

1tea- sea salt 

1/2tea- pepper 

When ready- sauté in 2T EVOO (set aside)

Garlic sauce

1/2 stick butter

2T- EVOO 

Melt both 

Add

4 cloves of garlic fine chop

2T heaping flour

Cook 1min

3C- chicken stock

1T- basil

S&P

Add until thickened

Add cooked chicken & cooked pasta in..

Finish with

1/4C- parsley

Cherry tomatoes

Thank you Jeannie Maristela

 

Spiced Waffles (topped with whipped cream & berries)

2C- Flour
4tea- B. Powder
1/4C- Sugar
3/4tea- pumpkin pie spice
1tea- Salt

add

2- eggs
1 1/2C- Milk
5T- Shortening, melted
4T- Butter, melted


Top with whipped cream and berries

Cheesecake

crust
	1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, about 10 whole graham crackers
	1/4 cup sugar
	6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, three quarters stick
	filling:
	1 1/2 cup sugar
	1/4 cup flour
	five packages cream cheese, at room temperature, 8 ounces each
	1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
	1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
	4 large eggs
	1 cup sour cream
	2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Directions 1 place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter the bottom of a 10 x 3" springform pan. 2 To make the crust, in a small bowl, mix the crumbs with the sugar and butter and stir until moistened. Press evenly over bottom of pan. Bake the crust until Golden, about eight minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Leave the oven on. 3 To make the filling, in a large mixer bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Add two packages of the cream cheese and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining cream cheese, the vanilla, and lemon zest and beat on low speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and lemon juice and beat just until smooth. Don't overbeat the filling, or you will incorporate air which could cause the cake to sink when it cools. Spoon the filling into the pan. Bake one hour and 15 minutes or until the cake is set around the edges but there is about 3 inches in the center is still soft and slightly wobbly. 4 Place the cake on wire rack and let cool one hour. This cake always cracks, but it tastes great anyway, and it can be topped with fruit when served. 5 Wrap the cake, still in the pan, in foil and refrigerate at least eight hours or overnight. The cake can be refrigerated for up to three days before serving. Remove the cake from the refrigerator about one hour before serving. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Serves 12 to 15. THANK YOU Entertaining with the Sopranos

Homemade Pasta

2 cups all-purpose flour

9- 12 egg yolks from large eggs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

Garlic Mussels

2 pounds mussels

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 shallots, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

salt and ground pepper, to taste

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup dry white wine

juice of 2 lemons

1. With stiff brush, scrub mussels under cold running water. Place in large bowl with cold water to cover and set aside until ready to steam. Before steaming, discard any mussels with open shells.
2. In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, scallions, parsley and salt and pepper to taste and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add wine and water and let simmer 5 minutes, then raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
4. Add mussels, cover pan, and steam until mussels have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels with unopened shells.
5. Transfer mussels to a platter with prepared pasta and spoon juices over them.

THANK YOU Jess Simpson

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 1/2C- Flour
3T- Sugar
1T- B. Powder
1/2tea- Salt

Whisk 1 1/4C- Milk
1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs
vanilla

Sprinkle mini chocolate chips before you flip ;)

THANK YOU Food Network

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients

I used green peppers, eggplant, vadallia onion, portabella mushroom cap, yellow & green squash.

I tossed them all in EVOO, s&p then we grilled them

Then I put in the food processor: EVOO, balsamic vinegar, a couple of garlic cloves, fresh parsley & fresh basil, dried rosemary, s&p

Then I tossed the grilled vegetables in the "dressing" I made.

We took chiabatta and brushed EVOO and grilled it at the same time as the veggies. 

We took the veggies and stuffed them into the ciabatta bread... We made them into veggie sandwiches. I meant to take a picture of this sandwich except it was so good we inhaled them! Look, if I ever opened a restaurant I'd sell this & people would love it. I'd make it if I had company- it's disgustingly delicious!

Eggplant, 2 green peppers, vadallia onion, portabella mushroom, green & yellow squash...

 

Fresh parsley, basil & garlic... EVOO, balsamic, dried rosemary, s&p 

(Very upset that I can't capture the aroma of this dressing for you--- it makes you want to bury your head further and further into the bowl)

Inspired by: Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Memorial Day Weekend Menu 2013

Saturday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Lunch: Grilled  Vegetable Sandwich 

Dinner: Hot Dogs



Sunday

Breakfast: Apple Dutch Baby

Lunch: Bruschetta (tomatoes, basil, garlic & mozzerella)

Dinner: Linguine with Muscles

Dessert: Homemade Cheesecake


Monday MEMORIAL DAY

Breakfast: Homemade waffles with whipped cream & berries

Lunch: Hamburgers

Dinner: Grilled Chicken & Corn on the cob

Dessert: Fresh strawberry popsicles dipped in chocolate



*** I'm adding pictures as I make these items over the weekend

Apple Dutch Baby

Ingredients

• 2 large gala apples
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450. Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Melt butter in 10 inch frying pan (that can be transferred into oven). Cast iron is optimal. Add in cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar. Once melted, add in apples and cook until apples are softened, about five minutes. 
   
2. Place pan in oven while making batter.
3. Mix eggs with flour until smooth. Add in milk and vanilla.
4. Pour batter over apple mixture.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Dust with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into wedges
6. Note: If you don’t have a frying pan that will go in oven, fry apples on top of stove and pour into a round cake pan, add batter and bake

 

Thanks Easy Recipe!!

Ginger beef stir fry

Thanks McCormick! This is just slightly adapted from a recipe of theirs... 

I am going to use the suggested measurements loosely as I'm using more than a pound of meat. 

3T- soy

2tea- ginger

1tea- garlic

1/8tea- red pepper flakes

Beef sirloin 

Reserve half of the marinade, put the rest in a plastic bag with your meat.

1T- sesame oil

* heat oil and brown the meat, then remove meat & set aside... Don't worry if its not fully cooked yet ;)

5C- veggies to stir fry

* add to seasoned oil & stir fry for 3-5 minutes

1T- honey 

1tea- cornstarch 

Reserved marinade

* mix together and add to the veggies... Boil for 1 min

FINALLY add the meat back & add you 1 tea of sesame seeds.

Serve over rice 

Buckwheat pancakes

This is the mix I used. I ended up putting in 2 eggs, 2T veg oil, 1 1/2C- milk, & 2C- mix... (Oops- looks like I should have added 2 more eggs...)

 I had to take a picture of the mix- it reminded me of cement actually...

This is what it looked like when they were done. I normally never put things like butter or syrup on my kids pancakes but I was terrified they wouldn't eat them because they looked different I put a small bit of each on.

 They are heavier and have a coarser texture than regular pancakes. This mix is not gluten free but buckwheat flour alone is. Buckwheat flour is a high source of fiber & protein... I don't think the pancakes were a big hit, but I could see myself throwing this flour as an alternative to whole wheat in a bread dough.

Sushi

Tuna Avocado Sushi & Shrimp Cucumber Sushi

Random sushi notes:

1C sushi rice = 3 rolls

Sushi Rice Recipe

1 1/2C- Sushi Rice
1 1/2C- Water
1T- Mirin

1. Wash Rice Thoroughly (I had a large bowl, then put the rice in a colander and then rinsed it with very cold water, it's easier to drain this way)
2. Set it aside for 30 minutes to rest
3. Put the rice, the water & mirin in the slow cooker- let it all sit there for 20 to 30 minutes THEN switch on the rice cooker.

Meanwhile put...

4T- Rice Vinegar
2T- Sugar
1tea- Salt

in a small saucepan on low heat until the sugar disolves and leave it to cool.

Once rice is "ready" pour the rice out into a wooden bowl and "cut" with a rice paddle and pour the disolved mixture over the rice... use a fan or do this in front of an open breezy window.
Cut and mix for 10 minute until the rice is cool. Avoid any burnt pieces from the rice cooker.

Cover your rice with a damp cloth.

Pork Chops with Garlic & Red Wine

Mine cookin'!  :)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/02/pork-chops-with-garlic-and-wine/

Very yummers!

Coconut Blackberry Martini

 

• 1 oz Malibu Rum

• 1 oz Chambourd (or Blackberry Liqueur)

• 1 oz Coconut Milk

• 1 oz Pineapple Juice

Shake and chill in a martini glass.

Brazilian Cheese Puffs

1 egg

1/3C- veg oil

2/3C- milk

1 1/4C- tapioca flour

1/2C- cheese

1 tea- salt

In blender until smooth liquid consistency.

450 oven, greased mini muffin tins bake 15-20 min yields about 29

Eat right away... Won't really hold as leftovers

http://kirbiecravings.com/2011/04/brazilian-cheese-puffs.html

Follow the recipe- it's disgustingly addictive & VERY YUM!

Mongolian Beef

Beef Flank Steak- cut against the grain

Put in a ziplock with the following overnight:
2T- Soy Sauce
1/2 T- Oyster Sauce
1 tea- hoisin sauce
1 tea- chinese rice wine
1 tea- cornstarch
1/2 tea- sesame seed oil
1 tea- sugar
1/4 tea- salt
3 dashes of pepper



Then when it's ready:

Heat 2 1/2 T- sesame seed oil
and stir fry beef until beef is browned on the outside but still pink inside. Dish out and set aside.

Add 2 minced cloves of garlic & 1 inch of thinly sliced ginger... stir fry until aromatic.

Put the beef back in and cook until beef is totally cooked. Add 3 scallions that are cut in about 2 inches in length.

Serve over white rice

THANK YOU- Bee Yinn Low for this fab recipe in your Easy Chinese Recipe cookbook ;)