Making Your Own Salad Dressings

In this post I want to share a few great but simple recipes from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food cook book. I use these basic vinaigrettes all the time and it really makes a difference in the salads. When you are watching your weight and the food you put in your mouth, making your own dressing really helps. The bottled dressings are loaded with fats you really don’t need to make a salad amazing.

These vinaigrettes also make a big difference when tossed with vegetables, such a steamed green beans or boiled potatoes, as well as main dishes such as broiled chicken or fish.

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Martha’s Favorite Vinaigrette

Makes 1 Cup

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Total Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

¼ cup white-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Pinch of sugar

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and sugar.

2. Slowly add the oil, whisking until emulsified. Or shake the ingredients in a jar, or whirl them in a blender. Store in an air tight container or jar, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Shake before using.

Variations:

Garlic Vinaigrette: Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic or ½ clove, crushed.

Balsamic Vinaigrette: Substitute balsamic vinegar for the wine vinegar.

Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette: Use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar; add ¼ cup finely grated parmesan.

Scallion Vinaigrette: Add 3 chopped whole scallions (About ¼ cup).

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette: Add ½ cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort.

Herb Vinaigrette: Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, or tarragon.

Keep ‘Em In Da Freezah!

This is one of David’s beloved cookies. His bff (best friend forever), the ultra talented Efrat used to make it for him all the time. The great thing about these cookies is that after you bake them you can put them in a container and keep them in the freezer for a very long time. This way they stay fresh and you can nibble at them for as long as you want. I call these freezer cookies but they are really chocolate chip cookies that you plop on a cookie tray and then ¾ of the way through you slice them thinly like a biscotti and bake them a little more and then you have these amazingly delicious cookies. You can also shape in any way you want. I haven't tried because why mess with David's perfect cookie--but I'm sure they'll be JUST as great!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Bake Time: 1 hour

Yields: About 25-35 pieces

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of all purpose oil

4 eggs

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (the liquid, not the powder).

8 oz. crushed walnuts (you can also use pecans or almonds, or a mix)

11 oz. of chocolate chips(you can also use bitter sweet chocolate, or a mix like I like to)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1. Mix sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs in a bowl.

2. Add the flour through a sifter with the baking powder.

3. Mix ingredients together.

4. With a spatula, add the walnuts and chocolate chips. Fold in these ingredients very well. Constantly keep folding the dough in, while rotating the bowl so everything is well incorporated.

*The mixture should be very sticky!

~Hint: Wear disposable gloves, and spray your hands with cooking spray to handle the dough.

On a cookie tray, either line it with parchment paper or spray with nonstick baking spray.

Plop the dough onto the cookie dray and mold the mixture into a loaf (it doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth, in the oven it will smooth out as it melts together.)

Bake for 45 minutes. Take it out and slice into thin slices, like a biscotti. Lay them flat and return to the oven and for another 15 minutes.

Let cool down for 15-20 minutes. You can serve them or put them in an airtight container and keep them in the freezer and serve them with tea or dessert.

South-Asian Inspiration

I recently realized how much Indian food has to offer. They are by far the masters of spices and I always wanted to experiment with the spices and mixtures they work with. I visited this amazing spice store in Manhattan and bought every spice I heard of but never tried. I ran home and read a million recipes online, printed a few and went to my kitchen. I had two recipes: one was Lamb Tandoori and another was Chicken Tikki Masala, which I recently tasted with my biffle Flora at Curry in a Hurry which is next door to this spice market. Of course in my frazzle and tiny kitchen, I mixed up both recipes and had to work with what I had. I decided I wanted to make the Tikki Masala with Lamb. However, I was reading the Lamb Tandoori recipe and made the Tandoori marinade instead of the Tikki Masala marinade. The next day I continued the day after recipe with the Tikki Masala recipe. And so I ended up with some new age Indian dish I named Lamb Tandoori Tikki Masala. Please note that this is probably not appropriately titled but it works for me. The Chicken Tikki Masala calls for a different over night marinating. However this dish came out so amazing that David and I ate the left-over’s the day after. We never eat left-over’s so you can only imagine how happy we really were =). This is a very long recipe because it calls for so many ingredients. However, if you are a fan of spices please feel free to try this out. If you want to try this recipe but do not have the ingredients visit this website, of the spice market I went to (http://www.kalustyans.com/) where you can just order the spices online and have it delivered to your home. Once you have these spices, you can store them in a cool dry place and use them as you feel.

Please note that the recipe for Garam Masala is just one version. Different regions in Indian have their own recipe and so this is one that I found that works best for me. You can also order the ready-made mixture on Kalustyan’s website or in their store and save yourself some time. Garam Masala is very popular and used in many of the south-Asian dishes. Do not get scared of the recipe. If you have all of the ingredients and a really good food processor (Which every cook should invest in one) you will be good and on your way.

Also, if you are interested in beginning to create your own spice mixtures you should invest in a coffee grinder that is designated specifically for spices. Do not use the coffee grinder you already use for coffee for these spices. These spices have very distinct tastes that might not leave the grinder ever. Coffee has a very strong taste as well, so it’s hard to fight against that taste as well, no matter how much you wash and soak it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

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Lamb Tandoori Tikki Masala

Prep Time: 20 Minutes the day before and 20 Minutes the next day

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Lamb Marinade:

4 palm sized pieces of lamb chunks cut into 4. (You can also use lamb chops, or lamb with bones).

2 cups of yogurt

½ tablespoon of cumin seeds, toasted and cracked

½ tablespoon of coriander seeds, toasted and cracked

½ tablespoon of ground black pepper

½ tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons of honey

2 teaspoon of Garam Masala (recipe follows)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, minced

5-6 flakes of red Chile

1 tablespoons of peanut oil

1 scallion chopped

½ cup of cilantro leaves (stems removed)

Tikkie Masala (day of) ingredients:

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil

¼ cup blanched whole almonds

1 large onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 ½ tablespoons Garam Masala

1 ½ teaspoon pure chilie powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

One 35-ounce can peeled tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved

Pinch of sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Garam Masala:

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

½ tablespoon whole cloves

1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds

3 tablespoons cumin seeds

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

4 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks

¼ cup dried red chilies

½ tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg

Directions to make Garam Masala:

In a large sauce pan, combine black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon sticks, and dried red chilies. Over medium heat, cook just until slightly toasted, stirringly constantly. Turn off heat and stir in grated nutmeg. Transfer to a food processor and grind to a fine powder. Pass through a fine strainer. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in an airtight jar. Use as needed. If your kitchen is known to be very warm (like mine) it is a good idea to keep your spices in the refrigerator or even the freezer.

Directions for Lamb Marinade:

The night before, In a food processor using a metal blade, combine the yogurt, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, salt, honey, garama masala, garlic, ginger, red chilie flakes, peanut oil, and scallions and process until well blended. Add the cilantro leaves and continue to process until pureed and well blended. Arrange the lamb in a non-reactive pan. Pour the marinade over and make sure both sides are well coated. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Directions for the Next day:

Take out the lamb from the marinade and scrap off with a spoon all the excess sauce on the lamb. Cover the pan with foil. If you have the new non-stick foil it works wonders. If not, spray the foil lightly with cooking spray. Heat a grilling pan really well (for about 4 minutes) on high. Reduce the heat a tad bit and place the lamb on the pan. Do not touch the lamb. Grill for about 5-8 minutes and then peak to see very fine grill marks. Once it has the grill marks, flip over and cook for another 10 minutes or so. Remove to a plat and repeat if you have more pieces.

In a separate deep skillet begin the tikki masala sauce. First, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden. Keep an eye on this so it does not burn. It will take about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let it cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.

In the same deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until simmering. Ad the chopped onions, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chilie powder and cayenne and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the lamb; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir frequently.

Serves this with white jasmine rice, naan bread and even a cilantro mint chutney. You can also just add some freshly chopped cilantro and mint on top of the dish.

Cilantro Mint Chutney Recipe:

Ingredients:

6 ounces coconut milk

3 cloves garlic

4 ounces yogurt

1 ounce honey

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 cups cilantro leaves

1 ½ cups mint leaves

Salt

Black pepper

Sugar

Directions:

In a blender, combiner the coconut milk, garlic, yogurt, honey, and garam masala. Process until well blended. Add the cilantro and mint leaves and process until the herbs are pureed (mixture will turn to a green color). Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Keep refrigerated until needed. (Yields about 1 2/3 cups)

Potatoes are the Devil!

Hello Dear Readers. This recipe was taken from my friend Keren who spoiled us this past Chanukah at her house get-together. This recipe is so super easy it’s disturbing. It’s delicious and addictive and people will keep going back for more so if you are having a lot of guests over make two trays =). To some, the Osem soup mix might not be known but it is one of those Israeli ingredients everyone has in their kitchen and uses religiously. These soup mixes have a very nice mix of spices, as well as dried herbs and vegetables. It already has the salt and pepper too so you don’t need to add much of anything when using it. My mother was known to use this in much of everything when cooking. Even in the Israeli MasterChef you saw cooks using this as their base for their winning dishes. However if you cannot find this in your supermarket because you don’t have Jews over taking your neighborhood go ahead and buy any type of dry soup mix that is onion or mushroom based. You can make this either onion flavored or mushroom flavored. Or when you are making two trays, like I did last night for my friends holiday party, I made one of each.

So anyways, thanks Keren for sharing this recipe with me! Now everyone has it and can make it!

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Potatoes in Cream

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour (about)

Serves: 8-10 People

Ingredients:

4.5 pounds of potatoes (I used plain Idaho potatoes)

1 ½ pints of heavy cream

1 package of Osem Onion Soup or Mushroom Soup Dry Mix

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Take a large bowl, and fill it half way with cold water. Peel all the potatoes and place them in the water to keep them from browning. Slice the potatoes in either direction semi-thin (a little less than a quarter inch). In a half size aluminum tray (or ½ size oven safe tray), lay one layer of potatoes. They do not need to be over lapping, but just closely together. Once you finished one layer, sprinkle the soup mix all over the layer. Don’t be too generous with this mix. This soup mix has a ton of salt in it. So sprinkle a light layer all over the potatoes. Then repeat the process. Layer potatoes, sprinkle soup mix, etc. When you get to about a inch from the top of the pan stop. You might get 3 layers; you might get 4 or 5. It really depends how think you cut your potatoes and what type of tray you are using. You want to aim for at least 3 layers. On the top layer you want to also sprinkle soup mix on top. Then you pour the heavy cream on top. You do not need to cover the tray, just pop it in the center rack of your oven and let it cook. It will come to a bubble and begin to brown on top. You want to check the potatoes after 1 hour to make sure they are fork tender. If they are not, give it another 10-15 minutes. If the top is getting brown too quickly, either reduce the heat by 10-15 degrees or cover the tray with foil wrap.

*If you cannot find the Osem mix (Which is typically available in jewish/israeli neighborhoods you can feel free to use any American dry onion soup or mushroom soup mix.)

*You can also add some zing to it by adding in between the layers thinly sliced mushrooms or onions. This recipe it just super easy but sometimes adding a little more to it makes it extra special!

Creamy Garlic Loveliness!

I was watching the cooking channel late one night and “The best thing I ever ate” was on and the topic was garlic. I saw this cream of garlic soup and was like… I love garlic and I love cream soups that soup has to be amazing. This soup is really a mix between garlic and onion but the taste is AMAZING. It goes exceptionally well with some toasted French bread. It’s pretty simple to make but you do need to give it time. Cooking it as slow as possible is what makes it so amazing. If you have a hand blender it will really make life easy here.

I got this recipe from this website: http://gumbopages.com/food/soups/garlic.html, but I made some changes.

CREAM OF GARLIC SOUP

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
4 cups onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cups garlic, peeled and chopped roughly (I just cut each piece in half)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1.5 quarts of chick stock
1 bouquet garni (parsley stems, thyme sprigs, rosemary, and bay leaf, tied together)
2 cups stale French bread, torn into 1/2" pieces (I used whole wheat French bread so it gave it a nuttier texture).
1 cup half and half (or 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 cup heavy cream)

Directions:
In a large soup pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the butter and oil. Stir frequently over low to medium heat until the onions are a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Stir in the bread cubes and simmer for 10 minutes, until the bread is soft. Remove the bouquet garni and purée the soup in a blender, carefully! Remember that hot liquids can splash up in a blender; you can use one of those hand-held blenders and purée it right in the pot if you like. Strain the soup through a medium strainer. Add the half and half, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
To Garnish (Garlic Chips): I took a few garlic cloves and sliced them thinly. I took a small frying pan and heated it up really well. I added about ¼ cup of olive oil and let it get very hot. I then fried the garlic chips giving them lots of room (do not over crowd, they will stick together). I flipped them over once, till they got a nice golden color. I topped each soup with a few pieces. Place them gently on top so they do not sink into the soup. Gives it a nice kick!

Yummy Yummy Fish In My Tummy!

Okay that was corny but anyways, ha ha...

We ate this fish at David’s birthday and really loved it. It is a meaty but yet delicate fish that is delicious. It is not over powering in taste (doesn’t taste like the ocean) and a small piece goes a long way. At first, I bought two ½ pound pieces for each of us for dinner. I quickly realized, as we started to eat it, that we could only eat a quarter of it, with the side dish of couscous. This is a pricey fish (I bought it at $13.99 a lb) but it’s nice to know 1 lb. can serve 8 people easily. So if you decide to do this for dinner you can easily get ½ a pound for 4 people and make 2 small sides with it. I made baked corn kernels with sun dried tomatoes (just take a can of corn, drain the water throw it in a oven safe dish with a handful of sun dried tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake it for about 20 minutes on 400 degrees). I also made Israeli couscous. Just buy any type of couscous you like. I use whole wheat couscous. You just follow the packaging instructions, its very easy. Anyhow, this is a great meal even for someone who isn’t crazy about fish. (You’d never hear David ask for fish, but he ate this meal happily!)

Chilean Sea Bass

with Almond Herb Sauce

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 6 Minutes Each Round of Fish Searing

Serves: 4-8 People (4 large servings or 8 small servings, great with side dishes)

Ingredients

Fish:
1 Pound of Chilean Sea Bass
½ coup of all purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter

Almond Herb Sauce:
1 piece of green onion, ends trimmed
¼ cup cilantro, packed
¼ cup mint, packed
¼ cup of parsley, packed
¼ cup of basil, packed
2 tablespoons of dill, packed
2 tablespoons of chopped almonds
1 small shallot
4 cloves of garlic
¼ cup of red wine vinegar
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

First make the sauce:
In a food processor, combine all the greens (green onion, cilantro, mint, parsley, basil, dill) and process till it is full minced. Add the shallot, garlic and almonds and process to fully incorporated. Add the red wine vinegar through the top cover, slowly-processing the whole time. Then as the machine is still working slowly add the olive oil. You can add less oil if you feel that sauce is fluid enough. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and taste. If you want more salt and pepper feel free to add.

For the fish:
Heat the skillet on high heat for about 3-4 minutes till it’s nice and hot. Add the olive oil and butter and let it melt. As soon as the butter melts, you want to place the fish inside. You don’t want to begin burning the butter/oil.

Wash the fish well and then pat dry with a paper towel. In a plate mix flour with a little salt and pepper. Dredge the fish on both sides with the flour, making sure to also get the sides. Do not over crowd the fish in the skillet. If you need to do one piece at a time that is fine. It only takes about 5-6 minutes to cook the piece through. Place the fish in the center of the skillet. Do not fuss or flip the fish over too much as it is delicate and can break apart. Just slightly shake the pan to insure the fish doesn’t stick to the bottom. Give it about 3 minutes, peak to see that the bottom has browned well, and then flip over. Give it another 3 minutes—you should see that they side of the fish has shrunk. If you have skin on the fish sides, it’s even easier of an indicator as you will see the skin cooked and crispy.
Remove the fish onto a paper towel plate.

On a plate, put a nice amount of sauce on the center and then place the fish on top. You don’t want to soak the fish in the sauce because the fish is amazingly tasty on its own but you want to give the almond herb sauce its moment to shine as well.

Smooth Sailing Through a Dinner Party: A Thanksgiving Special

In lieu of the Thanksgiving holiday I have begun to prepare my home and my mind for the festivities and the amount of work to come. This entry is all about the recipe of smooth sailing through a dinner party. Here are some simple steps you can follow for this Thanksgiving and any holiday party to come. These are the 10 steps I have followed and will follow this Thursday. I might be missing some steps that you might find helpful so please add them below in the comment section. Thanks!

1. De-cluttering your home. My house is spacey for two but cluttered for 18. Since we are having a few families and children over I want to get rid of any nick-knacks that make a clutter or are dangerous to the little ones. Get rid of any candle sticks, souvenirs, pictures, etc. that are in children and pet reach. Also anything fragile should be put away. Don’t leave the crystal vase your great grandmother gave you out in the open on such a cluttered day. My advice, get a big storage box and pile everything in there. Shove it in the close or on the balcony for the night and feel the space just OPEN up. Also if you have a small kitchen, like I do, get ride of anything on the countertop that isn't needed. You'll need as much counterspace as possible and the air in the kitchen for this day.

2. Prepare ahead what you can, in terms of decorations, tables capes, silverware, etc. I already curled up all my napkins and stuck some rings on them. I already printed out all the table seating cards and have them ready to go. I prepared my centerpieces and votives on a tray so I can get them to the table as soon as needed. These little things can be done a week ahead and just be there waiting for you.

3. As much as you are dying to use your fancy china and crystals leave those to small dinner affairs and invest in some beautiful disposable settings. I went to Amazing Savings and picked up everything from napkins, utensils, serving plates, plates and soup bowls for my big crowd. Yes it cost about $100.00 but the clean up with be quick and we will all have a ton of time to relax and enjoy our company. I don’t have a dishwasher so I really need this, but even if you do—use the dishwasher for the wine glasses, the large serving trays and the pots and pans. Trust me your clean up will be there with or without the real plates and cups.

4. Know your menu. Don’t try to come up with your menu the day of. Sit down a few days before and really map out your menu. Write down what you need and guy out a few days before to pick up as much of the goods as possible. Some things are better bought the day of, but don’t keep everything to the night before or the day of, chances are things will run out on such holidays or you’ll end up not finding what you need.

5. Don’t experiment too much with new recipes on such days. The last thing you need is 18 people NOT eating your food because you screwed up the recipe. If you have a chance, try the recipe before to make sure it’s good and that you know how to make it successful. Also, a holiday like thanksgiving is all about traditional foods so make things you’re good at and you know will come out successful. Also, don’t make a bunch of foods that have no connection and don’t make too much of the same thing. My mission is to make a little of everything so at the end of the night nothing is left over. I’d rather people get a taste of everything on the table than just eat once dish and then me have one huge bowl of cranberry jelly left.

6. When deciding on recipes, consider how many people you have to fill. If it’s a small crowd then it’s not an issue but if you are planning to feed 15-20 + people you want to be conscious of the foods you choose. Why? Because you don’t want food that will cost you an arm and a leg. I almost spent $20.00 on brussel sprouts today and was like um never mind I’ll go for the zucchini instead. Look at your prices and make some conscious decisions. Even simple things like buying spinach. You have bunches spinach, bagged spinach and boxed baby spinach- which one would you choose? I do an entire math calculation in my head to get my money’s worth and you should too. See how much you are getting per pound and see what’s a better value. Don’t just grab and go like many people do.

7. On the night before plan out what takes the longest to prepare, the longest to cook, etc. Plan out what to do first, second and third. Check to see if you have everything you need. If you still need to run to the supermarket in the morning for one last fresh ingredient make not of it so it can be your first run in the morning.

8. The night before would be a perfect night to set your table as well. Arrange your seating. This way if you realize you need more chairs, more cups, or an additional table you still have time to call a friend and ask them to borrow. (My cousin Raya does this and so I realized what a wonderful idea it is and stole it. Thanks Raya =)

9. An hour before your guests arrive make sure the kitchen sink is clear, the counter tops are cleared of clutter and that the garbage cans are empties and refreshed with a new bag. This will really help with the clean up during and after dinner.

10. Make sure to shower before dinner, do your hair and makeup. You want to be a part of the dinner and not the servant. This is why time management is key here. Thanksgiving lunch/dinner is typically done at an early time than typical dinner parties so you want to make sure you have time for yourself.

*Thanksgiving Recipes will be shared after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Chili and Garlic Take Over!

I wanted to see what can be done with one set of ingredients and a few different main ingredients. I decided to take the chili and garlic combination and apply them to vegetables, poultry and seafood. I served them all during dinner last night to see the reactions. They all work amazingly well together and apply to each of these foods. The chili paste is from the Asian supermarket and it is very strong and spicy. I do not use as much because I don’t want to burn my mouth. However, if you love the spice feel free to add more. It might seem that you are putting a lot of garlic, but it is indeed a chili and garlic dish so do not deny the garlic breath! Perhaps this isn’t a first date kind of meal, but once you all get over the garlic breath this is a delicious meal. With the shrimp, you want to try to serve it right away. Once it gets warm, it doesn’t have the same kick to it. It’s a very quick dish to make so once your guests arrive you can make it and in 15 minutes your meal is ready! I’d like to confess that I have NEVER ever cooked shrimp and it was an interesting experience. I didn’t know how to take the shells off, I wasn’t sure how to devein them and so I goggled it and saw a YouTube video which helped me a lot. So if you are a shrimp virgin like me, just goggle how to clean shrimp and it will take you some great information!

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Steamed Chili and Garlic

Cauliflower and Broccoli

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

1 Small head of cauliflower (about 3 cups)
1 small head of broccoli (about 3 cups)
1 large pot
About 1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of chili paste
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of salt to season steamed veggies
1 teaspoon of salt for sauce

Directions:

Cut off the stalks from both the cauliflower and broccoli. You want to leave very little to just hold the cali/broc together. Take these stalks and wash them and then cut them in even sizes. Layer them flat into a soup bowl. This bowl should be large enough to hold all the cauliflower and broccoli. Fill the pot up with water, enough to cover the stalks. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into mouthful sizes. Wash the cauliflower and broccoli. Place them in the pot sprinkling salt over each layer. Cover the pot and put it on medium heat. Allow it to cook for about 15- 20 minutes. You will see the cover begin to sweat. This is a nice easy method to steam your vegetables if you do not have a steamer. If you have microwavable steam bags, you can use those instead but I like this method. I like mine very crisp so I don’t cook them for too long but if you don’t like them as raw, keep steaming them till you like the texture.

At the same time, in a sauce pan, heat up the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, about 4-5 minutes place the rest of the ingredients (chili paste, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper). Mix all of the ingredients well and keep on a low flame. When you are vegetables are steamed to your liking, place as many as you can into the put and turn them I the sauce and then place them in your serving dish. Repeat till you have coated all of the vegetables. Once you are done take the remaining sauce and drizzle it over the vegetables.

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Chili and Garlic Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4-6 People

Ingredients:

14-16 chicken wings, tips cut off, washed and paper towel dried
2 tablespoon of chili paste
1/3 cup of olive oil
5 tablespoons of garlic, minced
2 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of salt
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix all of the ingredients together. I would first put everything together and then throw in the chicken and mix the chicken wings in. Use your hands, don’t be afraid. I use disposable gloves to mix them so I don’t feel so icky. Take a flat baking sheet and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the chicken wings flat. Put in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 20 minutes or until a little crispy and golden brown. Serve with some sticky white rice or some steamed vegetables (or both!)

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Chili and Garlic Shrimp

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

¼ cup of olive oil
1 pound of large shrimp, tail on
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of chili paste
6 tablespoons of garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash your shrimp and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, heat the pan for 4 minutes on high heat, then lower the heat to medium and add the ¼ cup of olive oil. Give it another 3 minutes and throw in the garlic. Let it cook for about 4-5 minutes till they begin to get a little brown. Add the chili paste, sweet paprika and smoked paprika and stir. Let it simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes allowing all the flavors to infuse. Add the shrimp and stir constantly. You are not drying to fry them, but rather sauté them. The shrimps will curl up and turn a solid white/pink color. Flip the shrimp back and forth making sure to cook both sides. This will be quick, about 5-8 minutes. If you are not sure, take out one shrimp and taste the texture. If it is still a little raw give it another minute and it should be ready. Do not overcook it, because you can’t go back and you will have hard chewy shrimp that are not so great to enjoy.

Making Some Sides

If you ask me what my favorite part of any meal is, I’d have to say all the side dishes and salads. I can eat them and skip the fish and meat part. Not even desert wins over the side dishes. Luckily, Thanksgiving is coming up and I do believe that we really don’t like the turkey- because it’s generally dry or not as flavorful as we like to make it seem… What we really can’t wait for is all the side dishes. Here are three side dishes you can enjoy that are really easy and pretty quick to make. Enjoy!
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Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 4 People
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

14-16 small white potatoes- skin on, washed and quartered
1 large pot of water, enough to cover the potatoes
1 tablespoon of salt, to season the water for the potatoes
1 large white onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced thin
1 pack of mushrooms, stems left on, washed, patted dry, and sliced thin
¼ cup of light oil (canola, vegetable or an olive oil)
1 stick of butter (you can use less to reduce calories, and instead add water to make it looser, but it’s not my favorite choice)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In the large pot of water, place the quartered potatoes in with the tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. Once a fork easily comes off the potatoes they are ready. It will take about 12-15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a large frying pan with the 1/3 cup of oil. Let it heat for about 5 minutes. Place a handful of the mushrooms in and space them out. You do not want to crowd the mushrooms. Give them space to breath. This will insure crispy golden fried mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with a dash of salt and pepper. After 2-3 minutes, flip them over and give them another 1 or 2. Remove them onto a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the mushrooms till you have finished all of them.
Afterwards, if you need a little more oil you can add it and let it warm up. If you have enough in your pot then don’t add. You will now fry your onions in the same manner. Take a handful of onions and break them up so they become loose. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper. Fry your onions till they are tender and brown. If the heat is right they will also get a little crispy at the ends of the onions, that’s good =). Just don’t burn them. Remove them to same paper towel and repeat till you have finished frying all of the onions.

Once your potatoes have come to a boil, drain them well and put them back into the pot. With a potato masher, mashed them to your desired texture. I like them chunky so I don’t work them too hard. Add the mushrooms and potatoes. Slice the stick of butter into a few pieces and throw them in. Mix your potatoes with a spatula, large spoon, or large fork. You don’t want to mash the potatoes to a puree because then the mushroom and unions will have nowhere to belong. Add salt and pepper to your liking. I add about a teaspoon of each. If you like a creamer texture you add about ¼ of a cup of whipping cream or milk. ***Also, if you like cheese as much as I do, I really enjoy putting this an oven safe pan and mixing in cheese and then topping it with cheese and baking it for about 15-2 minutes till it’s golden brown. It takes the mashed potatoes to a whole other level!

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Tomato Almond Salad

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 3 Minutes
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

8-10 small red vine tomatoes (they sell mini ones in boxes now, too cute and tasty!) cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on the size even into 4 if they're real small.
½ cup of sliced almonds
¼ cup of balsamic vinaigrette
1/3 cup of dill, washed and removed from large stem parts
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of black pepper
½ teaspoon of salt

Directions:

In a small frying pan, put it on a low flame and add the ½ cup of almonds. Let them toast, watching them carefully so they do not burn. Stir them every minute for about 3 minutes. Once they are toasted remove from heat and turn off.

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, finely chop the dill, add the balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together will and put into your serving dish. Sprinkle all the almonds on top and serve!

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Couscous Salad

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

1 cup of fine couscous, prepared by package’s direction
½ cup of cilantro, washed, removed from stems and finely chopped
1 lemon
2 small plum tomatoes, chopped into small cubes
1 small red onion, finely chopped into small cubes
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black ground pepper

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the couscous, cilantro, tomatoes, red onion, salt, pepper, and squeeze in the juice of one lemon very well. You want to grate out any lemon pieces from the lemon but make sure to pick out any seeds that might have fallen in. Mix all of the ingredients, place them in your serving dish.

Kebab'n It Up!

I was told the greatest thing a man can tell his woman today. David told me that I am one of the best cook he’s ever known. Total Heart squeezer! Do you think he means it? I think so. Got to love him! Of course today’s meal inspired his comment because it was an innovative meal where I combined by love for balsamic and honey and our summer favorite beef kebab patties. Since we aren’t doing much BBQing these days, I figured I’d throw in a little twist to some favorites and make this amazingly easy recipe! This will definitely be a crowd pleaser and also something you can play around with. This is much easier if you have a mini chopper or food processor because you can throw in all the herbs and things for the kebabs and they are ready to fry in no time. I am also working really hard on presenting my food better. I’m not sure how to go about it, so I am trying and I hope you all bear with me. You need to have the right plate, the right shaped food and a steady hand. This plate display was okay but I really hope I can get better. It probably also doesn’t help that I am taking these pictures in my horribly lit kitchen and with my cell phone but it’s the best I got for now. I hope you enjoy this meal!
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Mini Beef Kebab Patties

with Onion and Zucchini

Glazed with Balsamic and Honey.

Serves: 3-4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground beef (you want it to have fat in it, so look for one with lots of white spots)
2 small red onions
2 eggs
¼ cup of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of minced garlic (about 8 cloves)
¾ cup of finely chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
I tablespoon of chicken style consommé instant soup & seasoning mix powder
3 tablespoons of oil
3 medium sized red onions
1 medium sized zucchini
1 stick of butter
1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette and ½ cup extra for glaze
6 tablespoons of honey, eyeball it
A teaspoon of thyme leaves (Dried or two three sticks of fresh thyme)
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of corn starch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Take the 3 red onions cut off the top off leaving the bottom. The bottom will hold the onion together when you cut them in half. Cut the onions horizontally, straight in the center of the bottom creating halves. Peel off the first layer and place in an oven tray, inside part facing up. Take the zucchini and cut the bottom and top off. Cut the zucchini into 1-2 inch pieces, keeping them round. Place them flat onto the oven tray as well. Pour the cup of balsamic vinaigrette all over the onions and zucchini. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons of honey all over the onions and zucchini. Sprinkle the thyme over the vegetables. If you have a few fresh sticks just break them up and sprinkle them atop. Count how many pieces of zucchini and onion you have and cut that much butter slices. Put a slice on top of each piece. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Pop these in the oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, consommé seasoning mix, and pepper. You are not putting any salt because the consommé seasoning mix is very salty already. Add the ground meat and with your heads mush it all together till everything is well incorporated. Make 20 small round balls out of the kebabs and place them on a plate. You want the balls to be a little more than a teaspoon big. Like small little meat balls that you’d find in spaghetti. Heat a frying pan with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once its nice and hot, place as many of the balls in the frying pan. Do not crowd them. Do not move them until you see the sides start to brown a little. About 3 minutes. Flip over the balls and press down a little to flatten the round just a little. Be gentle so the meat doesn’t fall apart. Let it fry for another 3-4 minutes until the bottom is nicely golden brown. Remove and repeat till you finish all of the kebabs.

In a small sauce pan combine the balsamic vinaigrette, honey and 2 tablespoons of corn starch and stir with a wish or fork well. Make sure the corn starch has fully dissolved. Put this on a low flame on the stove top and allow it to simmer till it reduces to about ½ and it becomes nice and syrupy. This will be your glaze.

Plate your kebabs in the center and surround them with two pieces of onions and a few pieces of zucchini. With a spoon, drizzle some glaze all over the kebabs, onions and zucchini.

Delish! Enjoy!

Some Good 'Ol Soup for Lunch!

I have been sick the past two weeks and so I have been craving some really good soup. David was sweet enough to make me some chicken soup last week but it didn’t go so well. I ate it, because I love him. But he didn’t even eat it, so that has to say something about his cooking, ha ha. Today’s vegetable and bean soup was inspired, shockingly by Rachael Ray. I was watching her show, the one where she cooks one day for 5 days and she made this vegetable soup with white wine. I decided to make me some soup for lunch. She used vegetables and dumplings but I didn’t want the dumplings so I substituted some beans instead. I also didn’t have any white wine left so I used some red wine. It came out amazing. In David’s words, “It’s one of the best soups I’ve had.” He says that because he loves me but I sort of believe him, to an extent. It’s good, it’s very hearty and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Perhaps it’s the warmth of the red wine or perhaps it’s because it’s my recipe and I like to brag.

Bean and Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 20
Minutes Cook time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic slice, sliced
1 can of beans (red kidney or mixed Beans)
1 can of chick peas
1 carrot, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
A few pieces of basil, left on its branch (I used two full branches)
¼ cup of dill, left on its branch
¼ cup of mint, left on its branch
1 mesh cooking bag OR you can use cooking string to tie the herbs together
½ cup of red wine (I used merlot)
6 cups of chicken stock
Olive oil
2 teaspoons of black pepper
3 teaspoons of salt
Dill, Cilantro and/or green onion (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

In a large pot (enough to hold all the ingredients) heat some olive oil at the bottom of the pan, just 2-3 turns of the pan. Once it’s nice and hot drop the onion and garlic to simmer a little. You just want it to get the onions and garlic soft, but not brown. After about 3 minutes, drop all of the vegetables into the pot and stir. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. Drain and wash the beans and chick peas and then strain out all the excess water. Drop the beans and chick peas into the pot and stir into the vegetables. Let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add the red wine, stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and then put the herbs in the bag or tied up in as well. Allow it to simmer on medium heat for about 20 more minutes. Garnish your soup with chopped cilantro, dill or green onion—or mix all three. If you are eating carbs., go for some freshly toasted soup dough or Italian bread. You can even make your own crotons and add them on the top of the soup.

Very simple and easy, and DELICIOUS!

*You can put any types of vegetables in here, tomatoes, squash, parsnips, etc.

OOooPPppAAaaa!

I have had this yogurt in my fridge for over a week now and had no desire to eat it for what it is—plain yogurt. I decided to play with my Greek look-a-like roots and see if I could really be Greek if I wanted too. Not many people would consider marinating chicken in yogurt but amazingly enough it is great and really makes your chicken tender and juicy! One thing I did mess up is putting TOO much ginger. Luckily, ginger is good for the immune system and I definitely needed the boost so I enjoyed it. I cut down the ginger for this recipe because I really didn’t intend for the ginger taste to dominate the flavor so a tablespoon isn’t needed but rather just a teaspoon. This was a very refreshing salad and it was delightfully fulfilling. I enjoyed it and I think that this is a great salad to make ahead and take to work/school! For those of you that are wondering why I started mixing my meats and dairy’s, I have to say that I just gave up. When I have my kosher friends/family over I’ll refrain but for now I really enjoy my yogurt and meats and I’ll eat it at my own discretion, sorry my fellow Jews, I’ll cook Kosher another day. (Well, at least I didn’t use Prosciutto, even though some day’s I wish I could!!!)

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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Marinating Time: Minimum 1 Hour
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

6 thin cut chicken cutlets
½ cup of fresh dill, finely chopped or marinade
½ cup of fresh dill, finely chopped for dressing
1/8 cup of fresh basil, finely chopped
1/8 cup of fresh mint, finely chopped
Teaspoon of finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves of garlic, minced for marinade
4 cloves of garlic, minced for dressing
½ teaspoon of black pepper for marinade
½ teaspoon of black pepper for dressing
1 teaspoon of salt for marinade
½ teaspoon of salt for dressing
1/3 cup of water for marinade
1/3 cup of water for dressing
1 cup of Greek plain yogurt (you can use any %) for marinade
1 cup of Greek plain yogurt for dressing
6 vine ripe tomatoes
3 cucumbers
2 small shallots
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed, air dried and cut into large pieces
½ cup of feta cheese either crumbled or a block cut into small cubes

Directions:

Take the chicken cutlets, wash them and pat them dry and place them in a large bowl. Throw in the dill, basil, mint, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, water and yogurt. With a tong, toss the chicken thoroughly in the mixture. Make sure both sides of the chicken are fully covered with yogurt. Once it is well mixed, cover and place in the refrigerator to marinade for at least one hour.
In a medium sized bowl, take the remaining cup of yogurt and water and mix will. Then you will put the remaining salt, pepper, minced garlic and dill in the yogurt and mix well. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator till it is time to serve the salad.

When you are ready to cook the chicken cutlets heat up a grill pan and spray non-stick cooking spray on it. Cook each side (with the yogurt on the chicken) for 5 minutes, or until you see fine grill marks and then flip over and repeat. Let the chicken cool for 10 minutes and then you want to cut each piece diagonally . You want to keep the pieces together for when you are placing them on the salad. So you want to cut each piece right before you are ready to place it over your salad.

This part is for individual servings. I will give the directions for 1 serving and then you would repeat it for the 5 others. Take one large plate, place the cut up lettuce in the middle. Take 1 vine tomato and cut into 8 wedges and place around and over the lettuce. Take ½ a cucumber and cut thinly and spread around. Take 1/3 of the shallot and cut very thinly and sprinkle around. Place the 1 piece of thinly cut chicken cutlet in the center over the salad. Take about a tablespoon or more if you like of the feta and sprinkle all over the chicken and salad. For the last step, bring out the dressing from the refrigerator and drizzle it over the salad. I love a lot of dressing but you might want to start with a little for your guests and then serve extra on the table.

If you do not need to make 6 salads, this is a great chicken and dressing to use throughout the week. Every time you are ready for a salad just cut up some veggies, slice up some chicken and drizzle some dressing and you’re ready to go. Enjoy!

It's Yummy To Be French.

I love French onion soup but since we are on a diet I can’t have the toasted bread and cheese all over the soup so I decided to take the delicious soup, condense it and serve it with some beef. David was really hesitant about this dish because he realized the recipe probably doesn’t actually exist—that’s what I loved so much about it. I will make history by creating my own recipe and soon Paula Deen will be using my recipes on her show =) that’s the plan at least! This seems like a long and tedious recipe but it’s really pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Everyone that ate it, LOVED it. The beef was so tender and juicy and a small piece of beef really filled you up, even though you wish you had room to have some more. If you have any questions about the beef preparation please let me know as it might sound a little confusing at first. Also, if you are aren't carb-phobic definitely toast some French bread, rub some garlic on it, and melt some cheese in the oven and serve it side by side--it will really seal the deal on this dish!

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French Onion Beef Tenderloin

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 ½ hours
Serves: 4 People

Ingredients:

1-1 ½ pound of beef tenderloin (if you can’t find this, look for a clean round piece of beef that is almost fat free and a nice bright red color or a flat long piece of beef that you can roll up)
1/3 cup of dried rosemary, plus a little more to sprinkle on
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for frying the garlic and to drizzle over tomatoes
18 cloves of garlic: 12 for beef, 4 for onions, and 2 for tomatoes
2 large white onions thinly sliced.
½ stick of butter
3 cups of beef broth
1 cup of dry white wine
4 vine tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking string

Directions:

Take the beef and cut it half way down the middle and across to create an opening in the meat. It should look like a flat thinner piece of beef. Drizzle ½ of the 1/3 cup with olive oil, sprinkle ½ of the 1/3 cup with rosemary, and mince 6 garlic cloves and spread into the meat. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt and pepper and rub it in. Roll the meat up and tie the meat with the cooking string. It does not have to be any fancy way just make sure you tie it a few times creating secure knots so it does not roll open. Take the 6 other cloves of garlic and cut in half. Poke holes into the meat and press the half of the garlic into the holes. Do this for all of the remaining pieces in even locations on the meet. Drizzle the meat with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle the reaming rosemary; a few pinches of salt and pepper all over the beef (do not forget the bottom). In a deep skillet, heat some olive oil (a few turns of the pan) till it is very hot. Place the meat and sear it. By searing I mean, leave the meat to brown well so it looks like its burnt. It creates a nice crust. Do not worry about the black bit, that’s a good thing—the entire flavor is packed in these burnt bits. Sear all sides of the meat and the sides. Hold the opening sides in place while they sear. Each side should take 4-5 minutes. Once each piece is nicely seared remove the meat to a plate. The meat will not be fully cooked, that’s okay. It will finish cooking in the onion “soup”.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the top rack all the way to the top and the second rack all the way at the bottom.

Melt the butter in the same pan. With a wooden spoon scrub all the burnt pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the 4 garlic cloves minced to the butter and cook a little. Do not let them burn (about 2 minutes). Take the sliced onions and put them in the pan. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt and pepper all over the onions. Turn them a few times to coat them with the butter. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, till the onions have settled and are nice and limp. Add the cup of dry white wine. Let the wine simmer with the onions for about 5 minutes. With a thong constantly toss the onions around making sure they are fully marinating in the wine. Once the liquid comes to a nice simmer, add the beef stock. Allow this to simmer, occasionally stirring. After 10 minutes, place the beef back into mixture. Put the beef into the oven. Every 15-20 minutes, go into the oven and flip the beef to another side. You can also pour the onions over the beef. The beef will most likely not be covered with the onion soup, and that’s okay.

Cook this for at least an hour and a half, but you can cook it up to 3 hours. The more you cook it the softer the meat will come out. However if you are going to cook it longer you should reduce to the heat to about 350 degrees.

Take the tomatoes and slice them in half. Mix the olive oil, minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper and a pinch of rosemary together and brush the cut open sides of the tomatoes with them. Bake them in the oven for about 20 minutes, until tender.

Bon Appetite!

Rolling In Cashews

It was one of those days where it took me forever to get out of bed but once I was out of bed I was on a roll. I was highly excited today because I went to see about wedding invitations. I went to this astonishing little print shop in Forest Hills that made some amazingly beautiful invitations and it just got me excited all over again. She was so personable and friendly it made me want to squish her, that’s one heck of a business woman. Although the overall price seemed a bit pricey she really did give me a great deal and I think she won my heart over. I can’t wait to get these things printed.

And since my head was all taken over with this exciting moment in my day, I totally forgot about dinner. Well I knew I had to make dinner but I forgot to thaw some meat or chicken to cook. Luckily, I have a fish market down the block so I walked over there and picked up some salmon. I was inspired to do this fish when watching Paula Deen’s best dishes show. I love that woman. She made this interesting Pistachio crusted salmon with a lemon cream sauce. I of course can’t follow directions so I added some twists and turns and came up with this dish. I would have done pistachios but they didn’t sell them without the shells in the supermarket, so I went for some cashews instead. As for the lemon cream sauce… I had some mascarpone cheese in my fridge for a while now and really needed to use it. Mind you I never even tasted mascarpone cheese but I heard it was good and bought it a few weeks ago not really knowing what I’d do with it. If you don’t have mascarpone or don’t want to shell out for it you could also use some Philly Cream Cheese that comes in a block, it seems to have the same texture like mascarpone.

As for the side dish I just thought, hmmm, what goes good with cream—well corn does… and so doesn’t mushrooms, so I went for it. I had some left over crushed cashews and figured I might as well throw them in the pan as well. It came out so good! This is a really quick dish so you want to cook right before it’s time to eat. You can even make these into little servings (for 8) and serve it as a starting appetizer. It really hits a lot of taste buds. It’s not overly lemony and it’s not very fishy. The fish is light and fluffy and the crunch of the garlic and cashews really give it a great twist! I hope you give this little meal a chance because it’s the first time I ever made it and we both really enjoyed it!

*For the chopped cashews, you can either put into a food processor or the mini chopper and chop it that way or put it into 2 Ziploc bags and beat it with a rolling pin till they are broken down well.
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Cashew Crusted Salmon with Mascarpone Lemon Sauce and A Corn and Mushroom Side Dish

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. of Salmon Filet, cut into 4 pieces (palm sized)
1 cup of Cashews, finely chopped (2/3 for Salmon and 1/3 for Corn and Mushrooms)
Peanut Oil (about ½ cup)
6 cloves of garlic, chopped (4 for salmon, 2 for corn and mushrooms)
Salt and Pepper for seasoning
1 tablespoon of butter (unsalted)
1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
½ cup of chicken broth
4 oz. of Mascarpone cheese
¼ cup of heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
The zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pack of frozen corn (about 1 ½ cups)
1 pack of white mushrooms (remove caps and cut into 4, about 14 mushrooms)

Directions:
This is a 3-part meal. Part one is the salmon: Wash the salmon and pat dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and black pepper on both sides. Drizzle oil on both sides and rub in well. Drench the salmon in the cashews, covering the salmon. The salmon won’t be totally covered because it’s hard to do that, but it should be pretty well covered. Heat the frying pan with about ¼ cup oil (make sure the pan is covered with oil and has a little height to it, but not too much. You are not trying to deep fry the fish). Once the oil is nice and hot, add the 4 chopped cloves of garlic. As they are frying mush the garlic against the pan allowing the garlic juices to expose. Once they are lightly browned (you do not want to burnt he garlic) add the salmon skin down. Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side. If you can fry the sides do that as well. Do not over cook the fish. Once you see the outside of the fish all change to a cooked salmon color, give it 1 more minute and remove from heat.

Part 2: Mascarpone Lemon sauce. In a small sauce pan. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter, don’t let it brown. As soon as you see the tiny little piece melt add the flour and stir constantly. Once that is fully incorporated add the chicken broth and whipping cream. Stir till fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the 4 oz. of mascarpone cheese and stir thoroughly till incorporated. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Wisk together constantly. Put it on a very low heat and allot it to get to a simmer. Once it is done (it should all take about 6-8 minutes) Pour a nice spoon full over the salmon to serve.

Part 3: Corn and Mushrooms: In a small frying pan heat a few tablespoons of peanut oil. Once the oil is hot add the 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Let it slightly brown. Add the mushrooms and stir constantly allowing all sides to cook about 2 minutes. Add the frozen corn and a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper and stir well. Constantly stir so nothing over cooks or gets too watery. Once the corn is full cooked (defrosted) add the 1/3 cup of chopped cashew nuts and stir about 2 minutes. Cover the pot and turn off the flame. Serve this side by side with your Salmon and Mascarpone sauce. I even like to pour the sauce over this side dish as well. It’s so yummy!

A Quickie. If Planned Accordingly.

It’s funny how home cooked meal each day is an odd thing. A friend of ours walked into our house and said, “Every time I come over you’re cooking”. I’m sorry? Ha ha. I guess it is an odd thing. And perhaps I won’t be cooking every day when I’ll have a full time job or children but I guess for now it’s a good thing to make a habit.

Growing up, my mother cooked almost every day. One a week we would order take out or go eat at a restaurant but that was mostly to give her a break and allow her to just relax. Our culture is engulfed in the spirit of eating. Every Friday night and every Saturday afternoon we have a beautiful meal with a variety of salads, dips and 3-4 courses. My mother used to make something different from week to week. We were blessed I guess, to have meat, chicken, fish at our disposal. I guess if you can have it, you might as well make the best of it.

When I used to visit Israel as a child, I remember my grandmother telling me that red meat and chicken was expensive so they wouldn’t eat it every day. They’d eat a lot of rice and macaronis. I never really thought of the meat and chicken as being expensive and a treat, it was always there. Like I said, we were blessed and I didn’t even know it.
Now as a grown up, buying our own meat I realized how pricy it could get, especially buying kosher meat. I could only imagine how it would be if I vowed to eat only organic. I think about the things they do to cows and chickens and realize I probably wouldn’t want to expose my children to such foods. Hopefully, I’ll be economically blessed by the time my children come around and I could offer better quality foods.

Today we had some chicken wings. David wasn’t too excited in the beginning when he realized I didn’t marinate them in the typical sauce I use but I wanted to try something different. When I made the marinade in the morning and tasted it, well, in all honesty, it wasn’t that great. It was just too citrusy. But I figured I’d go with the flow and trust my extinct and figured if it was really bad I’d just debone them and feed them to the dogs. But of course, I’ve been on a roll and the chicken wings were amazing. I guess once they’re cooked the taste of the honey and zest really make an amazing combination.

This is a dish for working mothers/wives. You can make this the night before and when you get home just throw them on the grill and in 30 minutes you have delicious chicken wings. You can also make this marinade and put the chicken wings in a ziplock and put them in the freezer and thaw them on the counter before you go to work and when you come home you can cook them and serve them.

The side dish, Brussels sprouts is one of those dishes that you get funny looks from people at first and then it’s gone in 5 minutes. I made a serving that I thought would serve 3-4 people but it was dissolved by the 2 of us, and we wanted more. Point being, these little sprouts are delicious and they’re so simple to make its amazing! I never ever ate them growing up but after eating them at my friend Efrat’s house I decided to give them a try. Thank you Efrat for exposing me to a new veggie.
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Cilantro-Lime Chicken Wings

with Brussels Sprouts and Tomatoes

Serves: 2-3 People
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
16 chicken wings, tips cut off
2 limes
1 lemon
4 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of crushed dried onions (or 1 tablespoons of finely chopped white onion)
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of crushed black pepper
1 bunch of cilantro
¼ cup of olive oil
20 small Brussels sprouts
1 shallot or 1 small white onion
2 vine tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl, zest the two limes and one lemon and then squeeze the juice from all 3 into the bowl. Add the honey, the crushed onions, salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a food processor or the kitchen aid mini chopper, place the thoroughly washed cilantro into it with the olive oil. If it doesn’t fit, put ½ the bunch and ½ the oil, blend and then add the rest to the mixture and blend the rest all together. Blend it till it becomes finely chopped and incorporated. Add the mixture to the bowl.
Wash the chicken wings well and then cut off any excess skin or fat. Pat the wings dry and then add them to the bowl. Allow the chicken wings to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but more if possible. This is great to prepare a day ahead and make the next day. 3 ways to cook: 1. Turn the oven to broil and broil on each side for about 5-8 minutes. You must watch the broil to make sure the chicken doesn’t burn. 2. You can also do these on a grill pan, grilling each for about 15 minutes until golden brown and flip over to do the same. Poke the chicken with the knife to see that the juices run clear. 3. On the BBQ grill. Grill each side for about 10-15 minutes.
For the side dish, wash the Brussels sprouts and remove any dried layers. Remove the tips and split in half the long way. Season the sprouts with the salt and pepper. Take the 2 tomatoes and cut into 8 wedges. Heat a frying pan with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the finely chopped shallot/white onion and allow it to brown. Finely chop or mince the garlic and put it in the oil. Allow it to simmer for a moment but do not let it get brown. Add the sprouts bottom down and allow it to fry for a 4 minutes. Lay the tomatoes on top and allow it to simmer. Flip everything over and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. The sprouts should be tender. Remove to a plate and make sure to pour all of the oil, shallot and garlic left over on to the sprouts.

A Tropical Vacation in My Kitchen

There is this commercial advertising ready-made food and it starts with a myth. It stated something along the lines that it is a myth that chopping and preparing food after a long day at work is therapeutic. It then went to show a bag of freezer food that is supposed to be a better source for therapy. All you need to do is throw it on a plate and pop it into the microwave and your day will turn to tranquility and happiness. In all honesty, that would probably depress me. Who REALLY wants to eat food that was made who knows how, sealed in a freezer pack and frozen for god knows how long before it made it to your microwave? Not to say I have never prepared myself one of those meals in my past, but really… Homemade food is so much better and chopping and preparing really does help heal my soul, especially when the food comes out so good I want to dance with it.

I wasn’t having the greatest day. My fingers began to ache after the 20 or so cover letters I typed up attempting to really be genuine to perspective employers. I’m frustrated and at times even depressed as I begin to doubt if I’ll ever find a job this year doing something I can value and enjoy. Remembering the amount of mush I got in high school about going to college and how it will guarantee a successful career for myself, really doesn’t seem to be owning up to the promise. A lot of people are in my boat, I know… A lot of people are struggling and searching for a job and I am definitely a lot better off because I am not alone in this battle. And even though some might love to be home all day and have an extensive TV schedule to follow (can’t miss my Dr. Phil or Oprah) but it really begins to drown a person when it’s not what you pictured 5 years ago in that college prep class you took in high school. I gave up around 3 p.m., decided to miss Dr. Phil and catch it on a re-run at around 9 p.m. and went to cooking.

Today’s meal is probably the reason for this blog. It is a recipe I invented out of sheer boredom and a sack of mangos I bought at the supermarket because the price was too good to pass. I wanted to see if I could actually make something without a recipe and actually have it turn out to be edible. Indeed it did and it actually began an ultimate favorite of ours. The salad was inspired by Susanna, who was the ultimate pusher for my blog. So this post is for Susachka =) I ate the tropical salsa at Susanna’s house one evening and wanted to make my own. Not asking her how she made it I just put some things together and called it my own.

This is a sweet dish and it does take a little prep time, but it’s delicious, I promise you that much!
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Tropical Chicken and Salsa

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Serves: 6 people (or 3 Hungry ones)

Ingredients

6 chicken breasts (bone in and skin on)
3 mangos
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 can of sliced pineapple
½ can of young coconut meat
2 medium red onions
2 small bunches of cilantro (or 1 large one split in ½)
2 tablespoons of corn starch
Salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of Chicken Soup Seasoning or soup mix
1 lime

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel all of the mangos with a potato peeler. Cut the sides of two of the mangos and put aside (cut against the seed). The rest of the meat on the mango should be shaven off the seed as much as possible. The other one can also be cut away from the seed (this will be for the chicken).It doesn’t matter how you cut them because no one will really notice.

Salsa: Take the 4 cut sides of the mangoes and slice them the long way into 3 thin layers. Then cut them into strips and dice them as small as possible. If you have the dicer you can use that to create uniform squares. Take 1 red onion and peel, and slice thin and dice as well. Take one bunch of cilantro, wash well, dry on paper towel and then finely chop it. Take the sliced pineapple and cut into strips and then dice into small squares. (I would not recommend putting the pineapples in the dicer, it mashed mine into juice the one time I tried it). Add 2 pinches of black pepper and salt and squeeze one lime into it. Mix well, cover and put into the refrigerator to marinade.

Chicken: In a small pot, chop the pieces of mangos roughly into medium sized pieces and put it in the pot. Take the mashed pineapple with the juice and throw it in the bowl. Take ½ a can of young coconut meat and chop it up roughly and then throw it into the pot. You can pour 1/3 of the juice from the can into the pot as well. Take the 2 tablespoons of corn starch and mix it into the pot. Simmer the pot on a medium flame till the sauce comes to a bubble. Put the pot in the freezer for a quick cool (about 15 minutes). Make sure to put down a towel or heat protector below the pot so it doesn’t burn the freezer.

In a deep dish tray, take the chicken wash it well and pat it dry. Cut any excess skin or fat from the sides of the chicken. Put the chicken top down in the tray. In a little bowl put the oil, chicken seasoning and a teaspoon of black pepper and mix. Brush the chicken thoroughly with the oil mix getting in every creak and even rubbing it underneath the skin. Flip the chicken over and do the same. Take the sauce out of the freezer and lay the sauce around the chicken and lay a little amount on top of each chicken as well.
For the last step, take the second red onion and dice it finely like you did for the salsa. Dice the second bunch of cilantro as well. Top the entire dish with the red onion and cilantro, do not mix it. The onion will caramelize and the cilantro will become crispy.

Throw it in the oven covered for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes uncover the chicken, crank the oven up to 450 degrees and let it sit inside for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is crispy and golden brown on top. The sauce will have bubbled and become a thick paste. Serve each piece of chicken with a large spoon of the sauce. Each bite of my chicken has to be topped with the sauce it doesn’t work any other way! (Just kidding).

Serve the salsa as a side dish or buy a bag of mixed greens and lay the salsa over it.