It's Easy - Italian Drip Beef

I love to cook. I love to feed people. I love for people to come over and eat what I've made.

As much as I love to cook, I hate food that involves hours of active work time and a plethora of ingredients. The joke is that when my friends tell me how good my food is, my answer is always "it's EASY". In fact, to me, the biggest compliment to my cooking is when people take my recipes and try to make the same food at home.

I read Cooking Light, I frequent the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards, I read food blogs and I peruse cookbooks. I mark recipes I want to make. Looking through the recipes I have tagged, there is a running theme. There aren't too many ingredients and I have most of the ingredients at home (or can easily substitute).

One of my favorite blogs is The Pioneer Woman. Her food always looks AMAZING and super tasty. The best part about her recipes - they are all low on the number of ingredients and pretty darn simple to make (or at least she makes it look that way).

This weekend I made her Italian Beef Drip. Wow!! For about 5 minutes of work and a couple of ingredients, this is about as good as it gets.

I modified her recipe just a little bit to use what I had on hand, but I don't think that she would be too upset. If you read her blog, she's all about the simplicity and using what's on hand.

If you want to see pictures of what this looks like, check out the link above. I tried to take pictures of mine and they did not turn out well.

Italian Drip Beef
Servings: 10

Ingredients
1 whole Beef Chuck Roast, 2.5 To 4 Pounds
1 can Beef Consomme Or Beef Broth – used 2 cups Turkey broth, because it’s what I had
3 Tablespoons (heaping) Italian Seasoning – used 3 tablespoons of Pasta sprinkle and 1 tablespoon of Northwoods seasonings from Penzeys, because it’s what I had
1 teaspoon Salt – omitted because the Northwoods blend has salt in it
¼ cups Water
½ jars (16 Oz) Pepperoncini Peppers, With Juice
Buttered, Toasted Deli Rolls

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot or dutch oven. Stir lightly to combine seasoning with the liquid. Cover and bake in a 275 degree oven* for 5 to 6 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and falling apart. Remove from oven. With two forks, completely shred all meat, leaving no large chunks behind. Serve immediately, or keep warm over a simmer on the stove.

I used my crock pot – combined all ingredients and set on low for 8 hours.
May make the day before, then store in the refrigerator. Remove the hardened fat from the top before reheating.

Serve on buttered, toasted rolls. Top with cheese and melt under the broiler if desired. Serve with juices from the pot.

Asian Summer Salad

Months ago I had a Pampered Chef party. The consultant gave me a couple of recipes to get ready so that she could demonstrate some of the products.

This recipe was a COMPLETE hit. In fact, I made it for the New Years party and I got rave reviews for it again. One of our friends said that it was one of her favorite things that I made!

Asian Summer Salad

Salad
8 ounces uncooked vermicelli pasta
3/4 cup julienne-cut carrots, 2 inches long
3/4 cup julienne-cut zucchini, 2 inches long
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions with tops
3/4 pound deli roast turkey or chicken breast, cut 1/2 inch thick - I usually omit the meat

Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 T. rice vinegar
3 T. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 t. sugar
1/8 t. ground red pepper
1 t. finely chopped, peeled fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, pressed
Coarsely chopped peanuts or cashews and fresh cilantro (optional)

For salad, break vermicelli into quarters. Cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Place vermicelli in large Bowl and set aside. Using Julienne Peeler, cut carrots and zucchini into julienne strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces using Chef’s Knife. Chop bell pepper and slice green onions. Cut turkey into thin pieces, 2" long. Add vegetables and turkey to vermicelli. For dressing, combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and ground red pepper in Small Batter Bowl. Peel gingerroot; finely chop using Food Chopper. Add gingerroot and garlic pressed with Garlic Press to batter bowl. Mix well using Stainless Steel Whisk. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Spoon salad into serving bowl. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro, if desired. Yield: 6 servings

Cook’s Tips: This salad can be prepared up to 1 day in advance.

per serving: (1 2/3 cups): Cal: 300, Fat 11 g, Sat. Fat 1.5 g, Chol: 25 mg, Carb: 35 g, Pro: 16 g, Sod: 980 mg, Fiber 2 g

Orange Sesame Chicken

I brought a dish to my friends house to complement the boiled lobster we were having. I had seen it that day on one of my favorite blogs, Culinary in the Desert. The way Joe describes the recipes, they all seem do-able.

This one was quite easy, and OH SO tasty! I doubled the recipe and these were devoured in about 10 minutes flat!

It all came together very quickly - I threw the shrimp in the marinade and brought it to my friends house, along with the sauce mixture, and whipped it up at her house.

Sesame-Orange Shrimp (Adapted from Culinary in the desert, who adapted it from Eating Well)

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large egg whites
16 ounces (1 pound) peeled and deveined raw shrimp
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided (I used cooking spray)
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry (I used mirin - a rice wine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 scallion, thinly sliced
cooked brown basmati rice, if desired for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, sesame seeds, salt, pepper and egg whites. Add shrimp and toss well to coat.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add half of the shrimp - cook until each side is golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Scoop shrimp out onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Repeat process with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp, scooping them out onto the plate when done.

Into the skillet, stir in orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil - cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add shrimp back into the skillet, stirring to coat, then remove from the heat. Sprinkle sliced scallion over the top - serve over brown basmati rice, if desired.

Makes about 4 servings.

Beef in Pomegranate Sauce

I love looking at blogging websites and came across this recipe from Karina's Kitchen. I adapted it a bit.

Beef in Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients:
2 pounds beef tips
Sea salt
1 onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup agave (I didn't have any maple syrup)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon Penzeys Pasta sprinkle (or other dried herbs)
A small pinch of cinnamon



Directions:
Turn your Crock Pot to High. Add in sliced onion and garlic. Place the beef on top. Pour in the pomegranate juice, crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Stir to combine. Add the raisins, dried herbs, a pinch of cinnamon, sea salt and ground pepper.

Stir a little bit to co-mingle ingredients. Cover and let the magic happen- about 6 hours until the meat is tender. Taste test the sauce for seasoning adjustments.

I served this on top of soft Polenta originally and on top of steamed rice for left-over lunch today.

Serves 4.

Polenta with Smoky Mushroom Ragout

Tonight we had a play date. The older child is in the same grade as the older monkey, and the younger child is in the same grade as the younger monkey.

This was the first "get-together". The mom brought pizza for the kids (the monkey's other friend was there too) and I made dinner.

I prepped/cooked most things last night. Tonight I only needed to put the crock pot on and put one thing in the oven (the polenta below).

Of course I didn't have time to photograph anything. :(

One of the dishes I made was a SUPER simple polenta. Most people don't like polenta because you have to stand there and stir forever! Also, most polenta has heavy cream or tons of butter or milk.

With this recipe, you can easily make it non-dairy, and almost no fat, without sacrificing ANY of the taste.

In fact, my friend's daughter is lactose intolerant and went nuts over it. I gave her the polenta leftovers and had to call her to snap a picture and send it to me :)

Polenta with Smoky Mushroom Ragout
Serving Size : 8
Cooking Light April 2004
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Ingrediants
POLENTA
6 cups water
1 1/2 cups cornmeal -- (polenta)
1 tablespoon butter - I used olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
RAGOUT
1 tablespoon olive oil - I used less
2 cups chopped onion
8 cups oyster mushrooms -- sliced (about 1.5 pounds) - I omitted this because I didn't have any
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon chipotle chile canned in adobo -- finely chopped - I subbed chipotle powder because it's what I had on hand
1 tablespoon dried oregano - I subbed dried parsley and dried italian blend because it's what I had
3 cloves garlic -- minced
28 ounces canned tomatoes -- whole, drained and chopped - I just used canned diced tomatoes
8 ounces queso fresco -- 2 cups - I omitted for my lactose free friend
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro -- chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350

To prepare polenta, combine first 4 ingredients in a 13x9 baking dish, stirring well. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed. Cover and keep warm

While Polenta is cooking, prepare ragout. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and salt, saute 10 minutes or until mushrooms release liquid and begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add wine, chile, oregano, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly (About 1 minute). Stir in tomato, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes or until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally.

Spoon ragout over polenta, sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 350 15 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Easy Lobster Paella

I was looking to make dinner tonight with ingredients I had on hand. One of my FAVORITE cookbook authors is Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa.

Looking through her books, I decided on Easy Lobster Paella (except I used scallops, since I had them on hand).

The flavors were rich and flavorful. Had this been an entree in a restaurant, it would have been at least $25 a serving. I served this with some chopped up heirloom tomatoes, dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. The wine we opened was a 2004 Cakebread Pinot Noir. It ended up being the perfect choice - not too bold and hearty, but enough of a bit of a bite to cut through the richness of the paella.

Easy Lobster Paella
Copyright 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
10 min
Cook Time:
30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips - used 1 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
2 cups white basmati rice
5 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade - used water with a vegetable buillion cube
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup licorice-flavored liqueur (recommended: Pernod) - used Pinot Noir
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat - used 1 lb. sauteed scallops
1 pound kielbasa, sliced 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick - quickly sauteed kielbasa in the same pan as the scallops, after removing the scallops
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas - omitted - didn't have
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. After 15 minutes, stir the rice gently with a wooden spoon, and return it to the over to bake uncovered for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.

Transfer the paella back to the stove top and add the liqueur. Cook the paella over medium heat for 1 minute, until the liqueur is absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat and add the lobster, kielbasa, and peas and stir gently. Cover the paella, and allow it to steam for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve hot.

Beer and Onion Braised Chicken

I have been looking at this recipe for weeks, vowing that I would make it soon.

Tonight I came home from Latin Jam and was DETERMINED to make this recipe. This one defeinitely warented smell-o-vision while cooking!

Beer and Onion Braised Chicken
http://www.tuesdayrecipe.com/tuesday-recipe-archives/
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
8 large chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons canola oil (omitted)
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar (used honey)
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 bottle (12 ounces) dark beer

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice. In the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add half the chicken thighs, skin sides down, and cook until the skin is browned and the thighs release easily from the pot when turned with tongs, about 4 minutes. Brown the meat on other side. Transfer to a plate and continue with remaining thighs, adjusting heat under pot as needed. Remove thighs and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions to pot and stir until they soften a little, about 2 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover pot; cook until golden brown, lifting lid and stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in bay leaves, mustard, and beer and bring to a boil. Arrange chicken thighs in pot in one layer; pour in any accumulated juices from plate. Transfer pot to oven, but DO NOT COVER; cook until chicken is almost falling from bone and sauce is slightly reduced, about 40 minutes.

Sunday Dinner

I was just talking to a friend and we were discussing her coming over for dinner. She made the comment, "but you have to cook for us" since she's heard that I cook well. I thought about it for a moment and realized that aside from picking up some side dishes (like pickles, cabbage, etc...) at the russian store, I cook 99% of the time when people come over.

If it's a last minute thing, I can order chinese food, etc... but when I invite people over, I cook. To me - that's a big part of the enjoyment.

On Sunday, the husband and I made dinner for ourselves and the monkeys. We didn't use and recipes. We made:

Salmon - the husband used salt, pepper, olive oil and covered the salmon filet in bay leaves and dill weed. Grill on a plank or salt tablet (which is what we used) and then discard the bay leaves and dill.




Heirloom tomatoes - I sliced them, added some salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Green/Yellow Beans - saute with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, lawrys and lemon juice.

Spinach - saute fresh baby greens with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, lawrys and lemon juice.




My secret to the vegetables - only cook them for about 3-5 minutes. They get warmed though but keep their crunch and flavor!

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce

Friends came over today to swim (well, the monkeys and their friends swam while the moms and I gossiped) so I made lunch.

I got another great recipe off of Mom's Cooking Club and thought is would be the perfect one dish meal.

Because thee were four adults, three pre-teens and 5 kids, I bulked up the dish by doubling the pasta, adding a 1/2 lb. more of shrimp, doubling the sauce and adding mushrooms, asparagus, patty pan squash and yellow squash to the mix.

Everyone loved it!

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce
Cooking Light
August 2007

Neutral-tasting canola oil allows the flavors of orange juice, honey, ginger, and chiles to shine. It can also withstand the heat of stir-frying in this tasty take on sweet-and-sour shrimp. Serve over rice or udon noodles.

1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped green onions (omitted)



Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside.
Combine juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, and chile paste, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger and garlic to pan; stir-fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add shrimp mixture; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add juice mixture and onions; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens and shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

CALORIES 301 (30% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 1.1g,mono 4.6g,poly 3.2g); IRON 4.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; CALCIUM 103mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.8g; SODIUM 621mg; PROTEIN 35.3g; FIBER 0.5g

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Last week I was looking at a great new blog, http://momscookingclub.blogspot.com/, when I came across a recipe for Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine. It was from Cooking Light so I knew it would be relatively healthy. It was just what I was looking for to bring to Saturday nights girls night!

The recipe was a hit!

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Cooking Light – September 2006
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup water
1 can fat-free -- (14-ounce) less-sodium chicken broth (I used a low sodium vegetable bouillon cube soaked in 2 cups boiling water)
6 ounces uncooked linguine (I used 1 box of penne)
1 pound medium shrimp -- peeled and deveined (I used 1.5 lbs)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (I used 2 teaspoons)
1 package presliced mushrooms -- (8-ounce)
1 large red bell pepper -- cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used 2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup half-and-half (I used 1.5 cups of fat free half-and-half)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used 1/3 cups)
1 Patty Pan squash and 1 yellow squash



Combine 1 cup water and broth in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Break
pasta in half; add to pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat,
and simmer for 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan. Cover and simmer for 3
minutes or until shrimp are done; drain.

Note: I did not drain the liquid since there wasn’t THAT MUCH LIQUID.
I just took out the pasta and shrimp and proceeded in the dutch oven.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, squash and
pepper to pan.

saute 4 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add flour,
seasoning, and salt to pan; saute 30 seconds. Stir in half-and-half; cook
1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add pasta
mixture and parsley to pan; toss.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items and my additions): 173 Calories; 6g Fat (33.8%
calories from fat); 23g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 184mg
Cholesterol; 401mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2
Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

This picture is of the leftovers because I forgot to originally take a picture of the finished product. It looked MUCH better than this :)

Braised Chicken in Coconut Milk

Looking through the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards (OK, I say that all the time) I came across this recipe at the same time as I can across the beans recipe.

I bought the chicken breast a couple of days ago and they were in the refrigerator. I knew if I didn't use them today, that I would be scared to use them tomorrow and would throw them away.

Before going to Latin Jam tonight I quickly cooked up this recipe (about 10-15 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of total cook time). I ended up eating this when I got home from class.

The braised chicken was SO tender. The flavors were rich but not so much that you can't eat a big portion of this. The spice was very mild, and the cayenne pepper can easily be increased if you want SPICY.

I can easily see myself making this meal for company, and will definitely be making this again for just our family.

Braised Chicken in Coconut Milk
PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings

2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used rice wine vinegar)
4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (5 to 6 oz. each)(I used about 2 lbs. of chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon salad oil (I cooked on a little chicken stock instead, since it was already on the stove)
1 cup thinly sliced onion (I used 1 sweet onion)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I used 1 tsp. ginger powder)
1 can (14 oz.) reduced-fat coconut milk (I only had regular coconut milk, hence me saving on the oil and using more chicken to increase the servings)
About 1/2 teaspoon salt
Thin red or green bell pepper rings (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mix coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and vinegar until smooth.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub spice mixture all over breast halves.

3. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat, swirling to coat bottom. When oil is hot, add chicken and turn as needed to brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a rimmed plate.

4. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan; stir often until onion is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir often until mixture boils. Add chicken and any accumulated juices, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered, turning pieces once, until no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a rimmed platter.

5. Turn heat to high and boil sauce until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 4 minutes. Spoon evenly over chicken. Add more salt to taste, and garnish with pepper rings if desired.

Per serving (without my changes): 253 cal., 30% (76 cal.) from fat; 35 g protein; 8.4 g fat (3.9 g sat.); 10 g carbo (0.8 g fiber); 411 mg sodium; 82 mg chol.

Beer Glazed Beans

Every Sunday morning we cook for the monkeys. Today, my in-laws came over and we made breakfast for the family. We made both waffles and eggs. This meal kept me full until about 7pm.

I decided to make something a bit different for dinner. A couple of days ago I was tooling around the Cooking Light bulletin board and came across a recipe that sounded WONDERFUL. A complete pantry meal (with a little substitution).

Beer-Glazed Black Beans
(Mark Bittman: HTCE, 2008 revised edition)

Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes with cooked beans

It's amazing how much flavor you can get from adding beer to black beans. Lagers and wheat beers will produce a lighter, fruitier dish; porters will add richness and stouts a deep, caramelized flavors.

Other beans you can use: pinto, pink or black-eyed peas

2 Tbsp. EVOO (I used 1 tbsp.)
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup beer (I used Sierra Nevada)
3 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained but still moist (I used 1 can black beans and 1 can garbanzo beans because that’s what I had on hand)
1 Tbsp. ground chili powder or ground cumin (I used 2 tsp. each)
1 Tbsp. honey
salt & freshly ground pepper

1. Put the oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cook for about a minute, then add the remaining ingredients with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.

2. Bring to a steady boil and cook til the liquid is slightly reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot or refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat.

I added sliced chicken and apple sausage I had in the freezer to the mix as the been mixture was starting to boil.

The first 15 minutes of tasting this, the beer COMPLETELY overwhelmed this dish. It could have been the beer I used (I'm not a beer connoisseur) but it took about 30 minutes for the flavors to join together and be quite tasty.

I have a feeling that this will be AMAZING tomorrow for lunch, after the flavors have had a chance to completely meld together over night.

A Dinner Party with Friends

On Sunday I had some friends over for dinner (it had been a while since the last time) and decided to make a couple of dishes I hadn't made before.

One of my friends says that EVERY time she is with me, she tries something she has never had before. I am seeing how long I can keep this streak going for. So far it's been about 7 months :)

She had never had duck, so duck was definitely on the menu. Also, for a while now, I have been craving garlic noodles from Crustacean restaurant. I found a copy cat recipe which I then bastardized even more. Both of these dishes were very good, but I have got to say, the noodles were phenomenal!!!

I don't have pictures because I has 1.5 hours to put the whole mean together, but both dishes came out beautifully.

Chinatown Steamed and Roasted Duck
Recipe By: Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
1 whole (4 to 5 pound) duck
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 slices big fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch green onions
1 tangerine,peel cut in big strips
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:
Duck is notoriously a fatty bird, to diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body. Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out. Salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate. Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin.
Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium. Set a V-rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.
In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until thick. The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out (this is great to use in other dishes like fried rice.) Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan. Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Roast the duck for 1 hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany color. Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark. The legs will wiggle easily when it's done. Carve and serve.

Crustacean-inspired Garlic Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh noodles
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic (pounded)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder (used vegetable bouillon cube)
2 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
5 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese (omitted - it REALLY didn't need it so I'm glad I left it out)

Directions:
Rinse the noodles with cold water and set aside. Heat up a pot of water and let it boil. Boil the noodles in the hot water until they are done, drain the water, and set aside to cool down the noodles.

In a pan, saute the garlic with the olive oil in medium heat. The purpose is to infuse the olive oil with garlicky flavor. Discard the garlic and then add in 4 tablespoons of butter and turn the heat to low. Add in the chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, oyster sauce and blend well. Set aside to let it cool.

Once the garlic mixture is cool and the noodles are cool at room temperature, pour the garlic mixture over the noodles and toss them together to blend well. Add in the grated parmesan cheese, toss well, and serve immediately.

Quick, simple dinner with friends

After working today, I invited two of my friends over for a light dinner. One brought these really YUMMY shrimp pinwheel appetizers from Costco, and another brought some amazing desserts from Porto's.

I bought some cheese 's from Trader Joe's and opened some Sprats (similar to smoked anchovies).



I found this AMAZING recipe for marinade and dressing from The Pioneer Woman. Her recipe was for Ginger Steak Salad. I made mine with Salmon instead.

Ginger Salmon Salad
Marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
2 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 lb Salmon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Salad Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 generous tablespoon fresh ginger, minced I used 1 tsp. powdered ginger because it was what I had
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced I OMITTED

8 ounces salad greens: baby lettuces, endive, radicchio, etc.
I added: Raw Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Garbanzo Beans

Combine steak marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Mix and place steak into bag. Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Combine salad dressing ingredients. Slice green onion.

When salmon is finished marinating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a hot skillet. Cook salmon about 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until medium rare. Remove from skillet and keep on a plate, allowing to cool slightly. Toss salad greens in 3/4 of the salad dressing. Place salmon on cutting board and slice thinly, then pour juices from the plate over the top. Mound tossed salad on a platter, then place sliced salmon on top of salad. Pour remaining salad dressing over the top. Sprinkle green onions over the salad, and add cherry tomatoes if that makes your skirt fly up. I also added raw mushrooms and garbanzo beans.

Sorry for the crappy quality of the picture. I used my cell phone.

Dinner was wonderful and so was the company. Sadly, at about 10:30pm I started feeling horribly sick and it has lasted through today (upon re-reading this I thought I would add that it is a cold not food poisoning;)). Hopefully tomorrow I'll be better.

Happy Chanukah!

One of my closest friends just sent me a virtual card.

Happy Chanukah everyone!

This pictures also really epitomizes the party I had today - the Jew"ish" Chanukah celebration.

From 10am-10pm I sat down for 30 minutes in total. I have no idea if my kids ate. Thanks to all the squeals of laughter I know the kids had a great time. All the adults told me they had a great time. The part started at 4pm with people coming in in waves. The last family left at 9:15pm.

The matzoh ball soup was the big winner of the night. I made about 30 matzoh balls and they were going in like 10 minutes! I should have quadrupled the batch. Three separate people told me that they were the best that they had ever had. The balls were light and fluffy and had almost an air-like quality to them.

My favorite part of the evening was when all of the kids lit about 15 menorahs in unison and said the prayers all together. My friend read the prayer and had everyone follow along. Not all the kids were Jewish but everyone lit the candles and said the words. It was a magical sight to see. I was so busy I didn't take ANY pictures, but others did and as soon as they email me I will post them here. All in all a very fun night.

A couple of high lights:

*My friends daughter got her hair singed by the candles. My friend took it in stride and was happy she didn't have to go to the ER.

*The same friends daughters (they are Asian) were the ones who wanted to play dreidel the most.

*One of the moms commented to me, "Wow! You're cooking the latkes now, while we're here. If it was me, I would have made them in the morning so that I could enjoy this time with my guests". To which I replied, "Um, they are better fresh and hot". And no I didn't add "BEYATCH" to the end of that even though I REALLY wanted to! There always has to be one, right????

I was going to take pictures of all the food but again I had no time. But trust me, it looked amazing. And tasted really good!

Here are the recipes:

Oprah's Pomegranate Martini
Recipe courtesy of Oprah Winfrey

Ingredients:
Serves 2
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
2 ounces Absolute Citron vodka or white tequila
1 ounce Cointreau liquor
Cup of ice
Splash of sparkling water (optional)
Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Shake ingredients in a shaker and put in chilled martini glasses. Put pomegranate fruit into glass as garnish.

Latkes
Serving Size : 8

Ingredients:
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
1/3 cup matzah meal -- or unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)

Serve with: non-fat or low-fat sour cream and applesauce

Peel the potatoes and onion and coarsely grate in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk or on a box grater.
Grab handfuls of the grated vegetables and squeeze tightly between your fingers to wring out as much liquid as possible.
Transfer the grated vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the matzah meal, baking powder, eggs, and plenty of salt and pepper. (The latkes should be highly seasoned.)
Spray the frying pan with oil (or drizzle the oil on it and spread with a wooden spoon).
Spoon small mounds of potato mixture onto the pan to form 2-1/2 inch pancakes, leaving 1 inch between each.
Fry the latkes in the oven until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning once with a spatula. (When you turn the latkes, try to flip them onto spots on the baking sheet that still have oil.)
Transfer to plates or a platter and serve immediately with sour cream and/or applesauce.


MATZO BALLS
Ingredients:
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup chicken fat (reserved from broth, if available) or pareve kosher-for-Passover margarine, melted, cooled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup unsalted matzo meal

Stir egg yolks and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture alternately with matzo meal in 3 additions each. Cover and chill until cold and firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Drop cold matzo mixture by generous tablespoonfuls onto sheet of plastic. Using moistened hands, shape into balls (each about 1 1/4 inches in diameter). Drop matzo balls into boiling water. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until cooked through, turning matzo balls over after 15 minutes, about 35 minutes total. Using slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls to dish, arranging in single layer. (Can be made ahead. Let stand up to 2 hours or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Simmer in salted water until heated through, about 10 minutes, and drain before serving.)

Jugged Chicken
Ingredients:
1 3-1/2 pound chicken (use thighs and drumsticks)
2 T unsalted butter
1 jar pearl onions (in canned vegetable aisle)
4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8 oz prosciutto, chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup Port
1/3 cup brandy
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Rub chicken with butter and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to large, heavy, deep casserole. Combine onions and all remaining ingredients in large bowl. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake until chicken is done, about 55 minutes. Serve in bowls with crusty bread.

**I don't always have Brandy on hand, and in cases like that, I just add extra of the other alcohol, and it still tastes great.

Makes 16.

Arugula Salad with Beets
Source: Light Basics Cookbook by Martha Rose Shulman
Makes 4 Servings

For the Salad:
4 small to medium-size or 2 large beets, red, yellow or a combination
6 ounces arugula, washed and dried
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, slivered, or goat cheese or blue cheese, crumbled (about ¼ cup) (optional)

For the Dressing:
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced or pressed
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt or low-fat buttermilk

1. Roast the beets if they are uncooked. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cut away the leaves by slicing across the top end, just below the stems (save the leaves for another purpose). Trim away the root and scrub the beets under warm water with a vegetable brush. Place in a baking dish and add about ¼ inch of water. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the beets. Test for doneness by sticking a knife into the beet; it should slide right through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
2. When the beets are cool, it will be easy to slip their skins off. Skin and cut in half lengthwise, then slice the beets very thin or cut into small wedges. Transfer to a salad bowl with the arugula.
3. Stir together the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and optional mustard. Whisk in the olive oil or olive oil and yogurt or buttermilk. Thin out the dressing if desired with about a tablespoon of water.
4. Just before serving, toss the arugula and beets with the dressing and the optional cheese.

Per serving: 13.9 gm total fat; 1.8 gm sat fat; 156 calories; 7.6 gm carbohydrates; 2.0 gm protein

BRISKET

4 LBS BRISKET (WITH FAT ON TOP) OR I BUY THIS MEAT AT COSTCO (SUBSTITUTE FOR
BRISKET).
CUT A POCKET IN THE BRISKET (HORIZONTALLY)
RUB THE MEET WITH GARLIC (FRESHLY SQUEEZED), SALT, PEPPER
POUR A BOTTLE OF BEER OVER IT
COVER WITH FOIL
BAKE AT 300 DEGREES FOR 6 HOURS

TAKE OUT OF THE OVEN AND CUT UP INTO CHUNKS. SPRINKLE WITH GINGER, CINNAMON
AND POUR B-BQUE SAUCE OVER IT (ABOUT 3/4 OF A BOTTLE). BAKE ANOTHER 2
HOURS.

TAKE OUT OF THE OVEN AND CUT INTO SMALL PIECES. POUR 1/2 OF A SMALL BOTTLE
OF HONEY OVER. BAKE 1 MORE HOUR.

Cranberry Broccoli Salad
Posted by Cate
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups broccoli florets
4 cups coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage with carrots)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
6 slices of bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled (I double the amount of bacon)
Dressing:
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

In a small bowl, combine the fresh cranberries and sugar; cover and chill in fridge until serving time (berries will juice out). In a large bowl, combine broccoli, shredded cabbage, walnuts, raisins and onion. To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and mix. Chill covered at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Just before serving, gently fold in bacon and cranberry mixture.

I also had a bunch of different hummus, pate, cold cuts, cheeses, brie, pickled vegetables, etc...

I had hot chocolate going in the crockpot for the kids, with baileys on the side for the adults.

Friends brought/bought desserts.

If I forgot something I will post tomorrow. OK - I am brain dead! I will go to work tomorrow morning to recover. Can I wear slippers to work?