tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86430689945188549622024-03-21T15:05:50.801-04:00Creating Post it NotesPost its of baking, cooking, scrapbooking, and my life....squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.comBlogger301125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-78066891505577709032014-04-24T19:38:00.000-04:002014-04-24T19:39:21.963-04:00.sweet corn tamale cake w/ grilled shrimp.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend I'm catering a special anniversary dinner for my friends, David and Shannon. They had a baby last summer and due to some digestive issues the baby had, Shannon has had to cut all gluten and dairy from her diet. Dave wanted to give her a special meal - thought about taking her out to a restaurant - but because of her dietary needs, he was afraid she wouldn't be able to enjoy much and asked if I could come up with something.</div>
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So tomorrow night I'm making them a 4-course dinner. Tonight I did a trial run of the appetizer to make sure everything tasted good. Well, smack my butt and call me Sally ... it was amazing!</div>
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This is sort of a spin off of Cheesecake Factory's Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes but I added grilled shrimp. Just so you know, this is 100% completely gluten and dairy free (we put some sour cream on ours but you can use vegan sour cream or leave it off)!! You'd never know by the taste. </div>
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Here's how I made it.</div>
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TAMALE CORN CAKE</div>
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1/2 cup butter (I used a vegan butter), softened</div>
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2 Tbsp sugar</div>
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1 1/2 cups corn</div>
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1/4 tsp salt</div>
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1/2 cup masa (corn flour)</div>
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2 Tbsp flour (I used sweet rice flour found in the Asian aisle - it's not grainy at all!)</div>
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Cream butter using a mixer. Add the corn, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add masa and flour. Mix together. Divide and form into patties (this made 6 patties). I used my electric griddle to cook these. I set my temp on 400*. If you don't have a griddle, use a cast iron or regular skillet over medium heat. Fry until both sides are nicely browned. Remove. You can hold these in an oven until the shrimp is done - or just time everything so it all comes together at the same time.</div>
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SHRIMP</div>
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1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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Sea salt</div>
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pepper</div>
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1/2 tsp chili powder</div>
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1/2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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1/4 tsp cumin</div>
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1/2 tsp oregano</div>
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1/4 tsp paprika</div>
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Put the shrimp in a bowl and add all the ingredients. Mix well. Skewer and set aside. Grill on the BBQ until both sides are pink. Don't over cook!</div>
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PICO DE GALLO</div>
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1 Roma tomato, seeded and finely diced</div>
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4 green onions, sliced</div>
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2 Tbsp chopped cilantro</div>
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1/2 jalapeno, finely diced</div>
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1/2 lime, squeezed</div>
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Mix all ingredients together. Set aside.</div>
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To plate, you want to spoon some salsa verde on your plate. I cheated and bought jarred salsa because I didn't need a lot and if I made it homemade, I'd have way too much left over. After you spoon some salsa down, place a tamale cake in the center. Pull your shrimp from the skewer and lay them all pretty like in a row. Spoon on some pico and then put on a slice of avocado and a dollop of sour cream (or vegan sour cream).</div>
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Here's to hoping my friends enjoy this appetizer as much as we did! </div>
squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-22588775684670378032013-12-03T16:26:00.004-05:002013-12-03T16:28:22.198-05:00.seafood chowder.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fall is my favorite time of year. Love the colors, love the weather and I love making soups and stews. Nothing speaks to me of comfort more than a hearty bowl of something warm. A few years ago I had some seafood that needed using up from a low country boil dinner we had and I thought it would work really well in soup form. It sure didn't disappoint! I don't make this very often because it can be expensive to make, but I had this stuff on hand to make this week. Feel free to use whatever kind of seafood you want! Love the flexibility of this recipe.</div>
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2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced</div>
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5 stalks celery, chopped</div>
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1 large onion, diced</div>
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2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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1 cup frozen corn</div>
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4 cups chicken broth (or if you shell the crab and shrimp yourself, you can use the shells to make seafood stock)</div>
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2 cups milk</div>
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1/2 cup flour</div>
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Old Bay seasoning</div>
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salt and pepper</div>
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Seafood of your choice: I used crab, shrimp, clams, and smoked salmon</div>
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In a large soup pot, heat a little oil over medium to medium high heat. Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until the potatoes start getting glossy around the edges. Add the broth and let this come to a simmer. While that simmers, mix together the flour and milk, whisking to remove lumps - strain, if necessary. When the potatoes are fork tender, add the flour/milk mixture and bring to a boil. If it's not thick enough, add a little more milk/flour until you get the consistency you want. Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay. At the very end, add your seafood and corn. Taste and re-season if needed.</div>
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Serve with fresh dinner rolls and a salad!</div>
squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-12058063964356028662013-11-25T19:13:00.003-05:002013-11-25T19:21:02.562-05:00.momma's apple pie.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's nothing better than someone coming up and saying my apple pie is the best dang pie they've ever had. Or when they say it reminds them of their mother's pie "God rest her soul". I mentioned earlier that I've been selling pies at my local farmers market. Market days were 2x/week and it was an insane summer for me. Needless to say, it's taken me years to perfect my pie recipes and this one, I am so proud to take anywhere I go and it's always welcomed with open arms (and mouths). :)</div>
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Your standard apple pie is apple, cinnamon, and sugar. I add more to my pie to give it a little more flavor. Here's what you'll need. </div>
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PIE CRUST:</div>
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2 1/2 cups all purpose flour</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco</div>
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1/2 cup regular Crisco</div>
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ice water</div>
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Mix together your flour and salt in a bowl. Add the Crisco and cut in using a pastry blender. Mix until you've got a nice crumbly mixture. Add some water, a little at a time, and use a fork to "fluff" the dough. Keep adding some water until the dough starts pulling together. When it's no longer dry but not overly wet, you're ready. Now at this point you can form the dough into a ball, press into a disc shape and then wrap with saran and chill for about an hour. </div>
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Put some flour on your counter and place half the dough on top and sprinkle again on top. Return the other half to the fridge. Roll until you have a large enough circle to line the bottom of your pie plate. Trim the edges and put the pie plate in the fridge while we make the filling.</div>
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FILLING:</div>
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1 lb granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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1/2 cup brown sugar</div>
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1/3 cup flour</div>
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1 tsp cinnamon</div>
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a small sprinkle of cloves, ground ginger, and nutmeg</div>
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squirt of lemon juice</div>
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Mix all filling ingredients together and spoon into your prepared pie crust. *NOTE: Don't let the filling sit too long because the sugar will make your apples macerate and you'll wind up with a lot of liquid.</div>
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Roll out the other half of your pie crust and place on top. Trim the edges, tuck under and crimp. Use a knife to make some vent holes on top and then brush with some egg wash (1 cracked egg and a little milk) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Place in a 350* and bake for about an hour or until the juices start bubbling out of the vent holes.</div>
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If you've never made an apple pie before, don't be afraid! And don't be afraid to make your own pie crust! You can do it!</div>
squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-4046550158175177352013-11-22T00:02:00.002-05:002013-11-22T00:04:24.423-05:00Pre-Thanksgiving: Corn Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Growing up, there were certain dishes that had to be on the Thanksgiving table, or else it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving. This isn't one of those dishes. We had just about every other item under the sun (literally) and I'm rather surprised a deliciously moist corn pudding wouldn't be there. Go figure. We're Seattle folk!</div>
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When our family transferred to the southern states, we picked up a lot of southern traditions and this was one that we gladly adopted. Now, when you think pudding you might think of something sweet and creamy like chocolate pudding or butterscotch pudding. Au contraire, this is a savory steamed cake that isn't really cakey and it really isn't pudding'y. </div>
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I used fresh corn to make this, but if you can't find fresh corn, use frozen - not canned (if you can help it!). Super easy to make and I bet you'll find yourself making this throughout the year and not just for Thanksgiving. </div>
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8 fresh ears of corn, cut off the cob (approx. 3 1/2 cups)<br />
2 Tbsp butter<br />
1 small clove garlic, finely minced<br />
1/4 tsp garlic powder<br />
kosher salt and white pepper<br />
1 cup cream<br />
1 small can diced green chiles<br />
1 small onion, chopped<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 Tbsp sugar<br />
1 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1/4 cup flour<br />
1/4 cup cornmeal<br />
1/4 cup butter, melted<br />
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Put 2 Tbsp butter in a heated skillet. When melted and bubbly, add garlic, HALF of the fresh corn and onion. Saute. While that's cooking, put the rest of the corn in a blender with the cream. Blitz until the corn starts moving around. Don't over-blitz!<br />
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Sprinkle the corn, onion, and garlic with some salt, white pepper, and garlic powder. Add the can of diced green chiles. Keep sauteing until the onion becomes translucent.<br />
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Add the creamed corn and mix in. Cook until it's heated through and bubbling. Pour into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to incorporate. Pour into a casserole dish. Place your 9x13 casserole dish in another pan and add hot water to the larger pan (don't put it in the corn pudding! We're going to steam it!). Cover both pans together with foil so the steam will cook the pudding. Place in a 350* oven and bake for 1 hour. Serve immediately.squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-8713008162972701292013-11-17T17:57:00.001-05:002013-11-17T18:05:22.705-05:00Pre-Thanksgiving: Sausage Sage Stuffing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8ZWBT08S19VSRMmefTUC_AxPjkSN4k4T2T-znnr_wIsFA8xNpG_q6l9O9tgXnYd0i-SbueWCj7pXo8LhZ6Vlk2zFuuLCRqUp78mEU_0iHhgKFIftDI8ZxDvvJA91yckp21wnOBK8UEHm/s1600/thanksgivingdinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8ZWBT08S19VSRMmefTUC_AxPjkSN4k4T2T-znnr_wIsFA8xNpG_q6l9O9tgXnYd0i-SbueWCj7pXo8LhZ6Vlk2zFuuLCRqUp78mEU_0iHhgKFIftDI8ZxDvvJA91yckp21wnOBK8UEHm/s320/thanksgivingdinner.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcreatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F11%2Fpre-thanksgiving-sausage-sage-stuffing.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-4LR4GIrZBdc%2FUolIHcsGXEI%2FAAAAAAAAHfU%2FzR71a6by42s%2Fs320%2Fthanksgivingdinner.jpg&description=Pre-Thanksgiving%3A%20%20Sausage%20Sage%20Stuffing" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png" /></a><script type="text/javascript" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script></div>
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I'm having to reuse my Thanksgiving plate image again because I never got a picture of the stuffing all by itself. Stuffing vs. Dressing. It doesn't matter to me. <em>"It's allll good!"</em> said in my very best Southern accent. Love the stuff. Probably my most favorite thing ever! Wouldn't you agree?<br />
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I always stuff my bird. I know there are skeptics out there, but I have never (and I repeat "NEVER") gotten sick, or gotten anyone else sick. There are a couple important tips to know about stuffing your turkey, though:<br />
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RULE #1: NEVER stuff until just before you're ready to put the turkey in the oven.<br />
RULE #2: Wait until just before stuffing to mix all your ingredients together. <br />
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Because turkey takes such a long time to roast, I always get all of my stuffing ingredients prepped the night before, so all I have to do is mix things together in the morning, stuff, and pop in the oven. Works out perfectly. I also stuff the neck cavity and use needle and string or skewers to tack the flap down to hold it all in place.<br />
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Here's my recipe for sausage sage stuffing. <br />
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2 bags bread cubes for stuffing (I like the kind that has white and wheat)<br />
1 tube sage sausage<br />
1 large onion, diced<br />
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely diced<br />
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp sage<br />
1/2 tsp thyme<br />
approx. 3 cups chicken broth or turkey broth<br />
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Cook the sausage in a skillet using a spatula to break apart the sausage. Set aside.<br />
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Heat a little oil or butter in a skillet and saute the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery until onion becomes translucent. (I like to add 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms to the saute, too but if you don't like mushrooms, leave them out.)<br />
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*The sausage and veggies can be cooked the night before so everything's ready to go in the morning when you stuff your turkey.<br />
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In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Drizzle some broth around the top and mix around. Stuff the neck and body cavities of your turkey and stitch up so nothing falls out. Put your turkey in the oven immediately. Don't let this sit around or you could contaminate your turkey and stuffing with bad bacteria.<br />
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With the leftover stuffing, wet more with broth and put in a casserole dish. Put in the fridge until you're ready to put it in the oven. Bake approx. 1 hour or until nice and hot.<br />
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We mix the stuffing from the casserole dish with the bit that comes out of the turkey. Serve hot.<br />
<br />squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-73538614141287285072013-11-14T07:39:00.006-05:002013-11-14T08:39:34.434-05:00Holiday Craft Project! JOY SIGN<a data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcreatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F11%2Fholiday-craft-project-joy-sign.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-8rLTY6qyi6g%2FUoTAx7OVyBI%2FAAAAAAAAHfE%2FPo-SgZfDv-M%2Fs640%2Fjoysign.jpg&description=Christmas%20JOY%20Sign!"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_gray_20.png" /><script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script></a><br />
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Don't judge.
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My house is already decorated for Christmas. :D
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I started a pie business earlier this year and it's kept me so busy all summer long. I sold at our local farmers market twice a week and now we're going into the winter market. Plus, Thanksgiving has me loaded up with orders and then we have Christmas! Craziness. I had a slow week and figured I better get the decorating done now otherwise I might not have the energy (or time) to do it later.
The decorations I have, I've had for quite some years. My husband and I will be celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary in January and while our decorations aren't quite THAT old, I was feeling like I needed some new stuff - or even arrange things differently.<br />
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I decided to hit Pinterest for inspiration. If you want to follow me, <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/suzannequillen" target="_blank">check it out</a>. :) I found some super cute DIY ideas but one I really liked was <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/463096774154577770/" target="_blank">this wood plank "BELIEVE" sign</a>. I changed it up to make it my own and am very happy with the results.<br />
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Here's how it turned out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRKTyNNwLi3Ntr4a-ERy34KFWs2CdnryUUm4sru8b4sDHJIZDaUERK3CsmZ7hXqXzP2CyXHGfxGIuG_3M5UklgM4CoEsrLp0ODvNJplhgj4rzX_OMJjwrjFQHcrHrxi2VZcNehhySHmrz/s1600/joysign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRKTyNNwLi3Ntr4a-ERy34KFWs2CdnryUUm4sru8b4sDHJIZDaUERK3CsmZ7hXqXzP2CyXHGfxGIuG_3M5UklgM4CoEsrLp0ODvNJplhgj4rzX_OMJjwrjFQHcrHrxi2VZcNehhySHmrz/s640/joysign.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
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It took me two days to get it done, but I could have probably gotten it finished in one had I started earlier and if my nail gun hadn't gotten jammed, and if I had wood glue on hand. So, hoping you don't have any of those problems, this should be very easy for you to make!<br />
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First you want to paint your entire board RED. I bought little quart cans of paint at Lowe's - one red, one cream, and one grey. I'm going to have this paint forever because you don't use much at all. Let the red paint dry.<br />
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Now here's where I would do this differently. I made my letters on Photoshop and printed onto regular paper. Not a good idea. I would print out, then cut them out of vinyl or something that won't go weird when coated with 3-4 layers of paint. (oops!) Take the cut out letters and spray the back side with a spray adhesive. Carefully lay your letters down the center of your board and rub the edges well so everything is good and stuck on.<br />
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Next, paint the entire board CREAM! Go ahead and roller right over those letters. We're doing a resistance technique and those letters will stay red - don't you worry about that. You'll need to let the first coat of cream dry completely and then put on a 2nd coat. Let that dry completely.<br />
<br />
If all your paint is dry, then you can move onto the next step.<br />
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Use extra wide (2 inch? I can't be certain how wide mine was) blue painter's tape. Make a diagonal stripe, then put a 2nd strip of tape on that so you get wide stripes. I didn't measure at all - just eyeballed it, but if you want to make sure it's perfect, measure and then tape. Leave equal sized gaps between your painter tape stripes so you get the candy cane effect. Once you have the tape done, then paint all those white gaps grey. Again, you might need to do one or two coats, depending on how dark you want the color.<br />
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Don't leave your tape on very long. Once you're done painting, go ahead and pull it off to reveal your stripes. Let dry completely!! When everything is 100% DRY, carefully pull up your letters! I had a bugger of a time pulling off my paper, but if you USE VINYL (please use vinyl) they should come up in one piece. You will probably have to touch up your letters a little bit with some more red paint. Dry.<br />
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Now that everything is painted, you can begin sanding to give it more of a rustic look. I didn't sand the entire thing. I did spots here and there with 180 grit sandpaper. Wipe with a tack cloth and let dry.<br />
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While things are drying, you can paint your trim moulding (if you want to use moulding). I used the same red as the letters. Use a miter saw to cut your edges at a 45* angle and then nail or glue down. Use painter's tape to hold things in place while it dries. Once it's all dry (lots of drying, right?), you can distress the moulding a little with that sandpaper. Wipe with tack cloth.<br />
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At Lowe's you can buy a little bottle of something called Antiquing Glaze. It's in the paint department. Wet a rag or a paper towel and put some of that antiquing glaze on your rag. Make sure you're wearing gloves or something because you don't want to give your hands that antique look. lol Start rubbing all over the surface of your sign. Use a dry rag to wipe some off if it's too dark. Work until you have a look you want. Dry.<br />
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Polyurethane that baby to death since it'll be outside (maybe?) and exposed to the elements. Let dry between each layer and voila! ALL DONE!!!! If you have any questions as to how to complete any of the steps I listed above, leave me a comment! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-39727939313227388582013-11-08T13:54:00.002-05:002013-11-08T13:56:37.858-05:00Pre-Thanksgiving: Roasted Green Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gone are the days of steaming vegetables in this house. When I was young, my mom would put things in a pot and cook them in some water until they cooked through. Corn, peas, beans, etc., leaving the vegetables soggy, sad, and almost flavorless. I admit when I first got married and started cooking for my husband, I did this too - for a long time, actually. A friend had mentioned roasting broccoli in the oven, so I thought to myself, "Self! Let's try it!" And I did and I have been a changed woman ever since. I roast broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans... you name it! Roasting vegetables in the oven brings out a whole new flavor - pure deliciousness.</div>
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Green bean casserole seems to be the norm on many Thanksgiving day dinner tables. I have never seen the point in taking something that's supposed to be healthy and turning it into a fat and carb laden dish. Granted, I do put bacon in this, but it's a meat.. right? So good. So good. You'll never do that casserole stuff again! Here's how you do it:</div>
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Approx. 2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed<br />
5-6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped<br />
2-3 shallots, sliced<br />
2 cups mushrooms, sliced<br />
olive oil<br />
Kosher salt and pepper<br />
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Fry up the bacon and drain on paper towels. Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss well to coat the beans with some olive oil. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast at 350* until the green beans are cooked through. Spoon into a serving dish. Eat warm.<br />
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**NOTE: If you're roasting the turkey and making sides (including this one), put all of the sides in once the turkey has cooked. I said in my last Pre-Turkey Dinner post to let your turkey rest for at least 30 minutes. Well, you'll probably need 45 minutes to an hour for these which is fine. Just put some foil on your turkey and keep it on the stovetop so it stays warm. Trust me -- even after an hour, the turkey is still hot but won't burn your fingers when you go to carve it. Enjoy!squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-71915120360165430932013-11-06T13:21:00.000-05:002013-11-06T13:23:13.595-05:00Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner - Turkey Talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzC-PvgqCokfb5axwq0pE2pfeFe79iDaI4u2aHTL-uat0dZu1bzMiaNBt1yG5iLXgcbU5_O86lgwTjKmFfS7megqxxB1RC3i1bk6JWe77pKBtlouRvpMVFtnBdbmWVgsVS1R_OA-PMWSQ/s1600/thanksgivingdinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzC-PvgqCokfb5axwq0pE2pfeFe79iDaI4u2aHTL-uat0dZu1bzMiaNBt1yG5iLXgcbU5_O86lgwTjKmFfS7megqxxB1RC3i1bk6JWe77pKBtlouRvpMVFtnBdbmWVgsVS1R_OA-PMWSQ/s400/thanksgivingdinner.jpg" /></a><a href="//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcreatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com%2F2013%2F11%2Fpre-thanksgiving-dinner-turkey-talk.html&media=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-NnROODubh5o%2FUnqEWDFu7uI%2FAAAAAAAAHec%2Fx3r0Uk42mn4%2Fs1600%2Fthanksgivingdinner.jpg&description=Thanksgiving%20Turkey%20Talk%20%26%20Recipe" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-config="above"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" /><script type="text/javascript" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script></a>
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About a month ago, I started craving my full-course Thanksgiving dinner. Roast turkey, sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls, cranberry sauce... ahhhh I love it. Thanksgiving, in my opinion, is every home cook's, or chef's "Olympics". If you're making the meal yourself, that is! </div>
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So I started planning my "Fakesgiving". I invited some friends over - because there is no way our little family of 4 could eat all the food I was about to prepare. The next few posts will be entirely devoted to dishes for your Thanksgiving dinner!</div>
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Today, I want to talk turkey. Years ago, I made my turkey using a Reynolds roasting bag. It kept the turkey moist and it cooked quickly, but the look of the bird was something less than desired. You don't get a beautiful crispy skin (which I love!) when you use the bag. I had never brined my turkey before, either. About 5 years ago, I tried it for the first time and oh my goodness... I won't ever not brine again.</div>
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Now you can spend a ton of money buying a bringing mix from Williams Sonoma or other places. I make my own and really, you can make it however you want! It's easy, but you need to give yourself plenty of time to allow for this process - not just for the best results, but for safety reasons, too.</div>
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Fill the biggest soup pot you have with water. If you don't have a big pot, then you'll probably have to do this twice or three times. You'll need a gallon or two of brine to cover the entire bird. In the pot, add 1 1/2 cups salt. I use sea salt or kosher salt. Then I toss in some crushed garlic cloves, a couple bay leaves, peppercorns, fresh rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, one orange sliced, one lemon sliced, 2 cups apple cider or apple juice, 1 cinnamon stick, and if you can find them, juniper berries.</div>
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Bring this to a boil. When the salt is completely dissolved, turn the burner off and move the pot off the heat. Allow this to cool completely and then put in the fridge. Like I said, it's a long process. I always start my brine in the afternoon, let it cool until bedtime, then put in the fridge overnight.</div>
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In the morning, I put my turkey in a brining bag. If you can't find a brining bag, use one of those Reynolds roasting bags! They work great! Put the turkey in the bag, then place in a tub or roasting pan for easy transporting, and just in case you spring a leak! Check to make sure you've emptied out all the of the cavities of the turkey - removing the neck and innards. (Don't toss those - you'll want them to make turkey stock for the gravy!) Carefully pour the COLD brine into the bag. Removing as much air from the bag as possible, seal it up and pop the entire turkey into your fridge. If you don't have room in your fridge, use a cooler and keep on ice so you don't get food poisoning.</div>
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Every 12 hours, rotate your turkey so all sides get evenly brined. I brine my turkey for at least 2 days. So if you do the math, that means you need to start three days before Thanksgiving for this whole thing to work.</div>
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The night before Thanksgiving, remove the turkey from the brining bag. I put my turkey on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet. You want your turkey to drain before you start roasting so you get a crispy skin. Cover the turkey with saran or foil and put in the fridge for overnight. In the morning, put your turkey in the roasting pan, rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with sage and thyme. Pop into a 400* oven for about 25 minutes, then reduce to 325* and roast until your meat thermometer (stuck into the thigh - but not touching bone!) reads 165*. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.</div>
squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-15886523491069755562013-10-23T08:00:00.000-04:002013-10-23T08:00:07.132-04:00.fried chicken sandwich w/ jalapeno slaw.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKICph87GK3TUFecykx9BHr0LSC6PaYqoOCeFF-MZmU9fMKeIcRhRiSLzKdygDXOYbQKHtO6M-A5cIpAl__79n3mwED_PbGLGRpLcBEGtjsdAspFlZmNtZZR-S2iwZYhcl_yIleiKXOum/s1600/friedchickensandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKICph87GK3TUFecykx9BHr0LSC6PaYqoOCeFF-MZmU9fMKeIcRhRiSLzKdygDXOYbQKHtO6M-A5cIpAl__79n3mwED_PbGLGRpLcBEGtjsdAspFlZmNtZZR-S2iwZYhcl_yIleiKXOum/s320/friedchickensandwich.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love burgers, but sometimes, I want something different. This isn't necessarily lighter in calories, but it makes for a great alternative to throwing patties on the grill. It works best if you have some kind of fryer to keep the grease mess minimal. (I have <a href="http://www.target.com/p/presto-digital-profry-deep-fryer/-/A-10425373#prodSlot=medium_1_13&term=fryer" target="_blank">this one</a> that I bought at Target. It's awesome!)<br />
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<u>JALAPENO SLAW</u><br />
The first thing you want to do is make the jalapeno slaw. I make this slaw all the time and everyone raves. Don't let the name deceive you. It's not spicy at all, unless you want it to be. What you get is a wonderful jalapeno flavor without much heat. Here's what you need:<br />
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3-4 jalapeno, diced<br />
1/2 head cabbage, finely sliced<br />
1 large carrot, peeled and grated<br />
1 small onion (or 1/2 medium), grated<br />
1 cup mayonnaise<br />
2 Tbsp sugar<br />
2 Tbsp cider vinegar<br />
salt and pepper<br />
celery seed<br />
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*For more heat, keep the seeds and ribbing on the jalapeno and add to your slaw. If you want virtually no spice at all, remove the ribbing and seeds before dicing.<br />
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Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Keep refrigerated.<br />
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The slaw can be made earlier in the day, or even the day before. It holds up great for days.<br />
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<u>FRIED CHICKEN</u><br />
You can grill a chicken breast if you want to make this lighter, but there's something about a fried piece of meat on a bun with that slaw on top that knocks it out of the park.<br />
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In a bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp garlic powder. In another dish, scramble 2-3 eggs. In a 3rd dish mix together the same flour mixture we have in the first dish. You could use the same dish for the flour if you want -- just double the ingredients.<br />
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Take 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and coat well with the flour mixture. Dip in the egg, then back into the flour. Set on a cake cooling rack that's placed on a cookie sheet. When you've coated all the breasts, put in the fridge and let set for an hour. This is VITAL to getting a nice crispy crust when it's fried. If you don't give it enough time to sit, you'll have a soggy crust.<br />
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Heat your oil to 350*F. When the oil is ready, carefully put each breaded chicken breast in and fry for 10 minutes. Remove from the oil and sit on paper towels to drain. <br />
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To serve, I put on toasted hamburger buns and add a generous helping of the jalapeno slaw on top. Serve with fries or salad or whatever you want with it. I think I'm going to convert a few new fans. Enjoy!squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-79629121300870483732013-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:002013-10-18T08:00:10.815-04:00.grilled garlic prawns w/ mango salsa and roasted poblano lime gastrique.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had friends over for dinner to celebrate the husband's birthday. We made it a four course meal with appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert. This was the appetizer course and it was delicious and quite easy to make! If you're looking for a showstopper dish at a party, or if you just want to fancy up your dinner, I really recommend you try this recipe.</div>
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NOTE: The gastrique and salsa can and should be made ahead of time so they're ready to go once the shrimp is grilled.</div>
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<u>SHRIMP</u></div>
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Put your prawns in a large Ziploc and drizzle in a little olive oil. Add TONS of minced garlic, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Let marinate all day, or overnight.</div>
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<u>ROASTED POBLANO AND LIME GASTRIQUE</u><br />
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded<br />
2 limes, juiced<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 shallot, finely minced<br />
1/2 cup white wine<br />
1/2 cup white vinegar<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
4 Tbsp butter<br />
Put the peppers and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth; set aside.<br />
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Saute the shallot for a minute, stirring once or twice. Add the pureed poblano, the white wine and vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil and allow to reduce by half. It will become syrupy. Remove from the heat and add 1 Tbsp of butter at a time, mixing as it melts to incorporate into the sauce. Set aside.<br />
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<u>MANGO SALSA</u><br />
1 mango, diced in small pieces<br />
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced<br />
1 bunch green onion, thinly sliced<br />
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped<br />
1/2 lime, juiced<br />
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.<br />
To plate: Spoon a layer of gastrique on the bottom of your dish. Place your shrimp and then top with the mango salsa. Drizzle with a little more gastrique. Serve immediately!<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DuhwTAMba0MGM9Tv8u6C2xjNhphxvUZEf7PUEKXq00s/edit" target="_blank">Printable recipe</a>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-18786204064518831092013-10-14T17:21:00.000-04:002013-10-14T23:07:23.770-04:00.barley beef soup.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The weather here in New York has been relatively nice this month. Typically we're cooling down and I start wanting things like soup, stew, casseroles; so you can imagine my culinary winter "appetite" is confused. While at the store this week, I picked up the ingredients to make barley beef soup and here it is .. a 70 degree day and I'm making it. Shoot. I even made homemade rolls. Go me!<br />
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Barley is a grass, like wheat. Barley is used in making beer, soup, it can be ground to make bread, etc. It has many uses. I learned all of this on Wikipedia and my oldest daughter was happy to read that it grows in the Fertile Crescent of northern Africa (aka Egypt). (She's learning about the Fertile Crescent in school right now!)<br />
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This is a soup I cook in my Dutch oven and let it go all day in the oven at 250*. My husband asked me today why I didn't use my crockpot and I informed him that 1) I destroyed my crockpot insert when I attempted to make overnight steel cut oats (oops!); and, 2) nothing EVER turns out in my crockpot. It's even one of these nice ones and I have this great disdain for the dang thing. So, I stick with my method of just letting it go low and slow for hours and hours.<br />
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Here are the ingredients you'll need:<br />
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2-3 lbs stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 large onion, diced<br />
2 cups carrots (I buy the bag of baby carrots and cut them in half)<br />
5-6 medium sized white or gold potatoes, peeled and diced<br />
3 stalks celery, chopped<br />
3/4 cup barley<br />
2 Tbsp tomato paste<br />
2-3 cups beef broth<br />
2-3 cups chicken broth<br />
1/2 tsp sugar<br />
bay leaf<br />
fresh thyme<br />
Italian parsley<br />
salt and pepper<br />
oil<br />
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Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in your Dutch oven or skillet and fry up the meat. Sear. Remove and put on a plate or bowl; set aside. Heat a little more oil in the pot and sauté the garlic and onion for about 30 seconds. Add carrots, potato, celery, and bay leaf. Saute until the potatoes get a little glossy on the outside. Return the seared meat to the pot and add barley, broth, sugar, herbs, and a little salt and pepper. Pop the lid on and put in your pre-heated oven. Let cook for 4-5 hours. <br />
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Because I use stew meat, the long cooking time helps to break down the fat and sinew resulting in the most amazingly tender beef you'll ever have in your life, so don't be tempted to rush this dish.<br />
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This makes a big pot of soup so you'll have plenty of leftovers (if you're a family of 4, like us) or you can freeze half for a later meal.<br />
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I always serve this soup with <a href="http://creatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com/2008/03/dinner-rolls.html" target="_blank">homemade dinner rolls</a>. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jjPYVY-sdq_wMEZefSdqKWV9odweMM98BguC61Koyk8/edit" target="_blank">Printable version</a>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-16386218800493592102012-08-10T16:26:00.000-04:002012-08-10T16:53:10.084-04:00.chicken curry.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My husband's birthday was earlier this week so I've been making dinners that I know he loves to give him a "week of Jim" sort of birthday. He retired from the Navy in 2008 and I remember him talking fondly of the curry dishes he would have whenever he deployed. I have experimented many times making curry. Most were good, but not exceptional. I was looking for real, authentic flavors and heat and I think I've nailed it this time.</div>
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There's an Indian grocery in Poughkeepsie that I pass all the time so I decided to stop in there last week to see what I could find to make my curry. They had a couple varieties of curry powder. I picked up some Hot Madras curry powder, Indian red peppers (they look like little tiny super skinny red jalapenos), and fresh curry leaves! </div>
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Begin by heating a dutch oven, or a skillet - whichever you have. Heat over medium high heat and add some oil -- preferrably ghee. Season chicken thighs and legs with salt and pepper and sear in the heated oil. Once they're beautifully browned on both sides, remove and set aside.</div>
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You shouldn't need any oil as the fat from the chicken has rendered into the pan. Add the following aromatics and vegetables in the heated pan:</div>
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3-4 cloves garlic, crushed</div>
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1 1/2 to 2 onions, halved and sliced</div>
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4-5 Indian red peppers</div>
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5-6 curry leaves</div>
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1 red bell pepper, chopped</div>
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2 cups red or gold potatoes, large cubes</div>
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2 cups carrots (I use the little mini snack sized carrots and leave them whole or if they're really big, cut them in half)</div>
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Saute all of these vegetables together for about 5-10 minutes. When the onions begin to wilt and become transparent, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top of the vegetables with curry powder (I used quite a bit to get lots of flavor in there) and half cup flour. Stir everything up and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.</div>
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If you're using a dutch oven, return the chicken to the pot. If you aren't, put your vegetables in an oven safe baking dish (that has a lid, perferrably -- or seal tightly with foil). Top the veggies with the chicken. <em>*Note: I also largely diced one tomato and put those on top before putting in the oven.</em> </div>
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Add 1 can coconut milk and 2-3 cups chicken stock -- enough to almost cover everything in the pot. Cover with lid or foil and pop in a preheated 300* oven. Let this cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. This dish can also be made the day before and reheated. The flavors will be amazing the following day!</div>
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Serve over cooked rice. Enjoy!</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVRWZv0dgzky3l3MIXS5Oh3Bk3ozyYmXCDCD83LPnHSlLfTYJKM_9nOS8e5jZafAWNtdy34H2f8FvngV_L4qDFVVyDeAw5yn7TGa64l_9-Qktn32HuysmQv8BSfhkZaY7H0cKT-u4DlM6/s1600/chickencurry_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVRWZv0dgzky3l3MIXS5Oh3Bk3ozyYmXCDCD83LPnHSlLfTYJKM_9nOS8e5jZafAWNtdy34H2f8FvngV_L4qDFVVyDeAw5yn7TGa64l_9-Qktn32HuysmQv8BSfhkZaY7H0cKT-u4DlM6/s320/chickencurry_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-84914448153532354582012-07-25T10:36:00.000-04:002012-08-10T16:54:09.984-04:00.southern caramel cupcakes w/ candied pecans.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25ruDmMymOBhavPW5gHWbKbs8NsfyAUM113I3JGiJCAh-l6Kn1illtmsT0cnanApENfRQeYfAXeblOM878ttHOOBx7RM2t319B4V-AB0s3vqdUA1fyqlqXU4mtcam27ordiQrQ-rlLjj5/s1600/southerncaramelcupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25ruDmMymOBhavPW5gHWbKbs8NsfyAUM113I3JGiJCAh-l6Kn1illtmsT0cnanApENfRQeYfAXeblOM878ttHOOBx7RM2t319B4V-AB0s3vqdUA1fyqlqXU4mtcam27ordiQrQ-rlLjj5/s320/southerncaramelcupcake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't know many people who don't love cupcakes. These individual serving sized treats are perfect for someone who would like to splurge a little, but not overindulge.<br />
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I make cupcakes whenever I go to my scrapbook weekends. I take two varieties and these deliciously moist, Southern Caramel Cupcakes were the ones I took just recently to a crop. A light, buttery cake topped with homemade caramel and a candied pecan. Could you get any more southern than that?<br />
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These take time to make -- at least, the caramel does. So make sure you give yourself ample time. Whomever you make these cupcakes for, they will love you for it! Enjoy!<br />
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<u>Butter Cake</u><br />
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1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 Tbsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
3 cups cake flour<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
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Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Your batter at this point will be really light and fluffy. <br />
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In a bowl, mix together all your dry ingredients. In a measuring cup, put your milk and vanilla.<br />
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Alternating, add some dry ingrediens and then some of the wet. Do this until all has been added and mixed in. Your batter should be slightly thick, but fluffy like frosting.<br />
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Using a large cookie scoop, scoop your batter into paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 350* for approx 15 minutes. When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, remove from the oven and dump onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.<br />
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<u>Homemade Caramel Topping</u><br />
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In a large, heavy bottomed pot, put 4 cups sugar and 1 cup butter (cut up into pieces) and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the butter/sugar begins to turn a caramel color. (Approx. 10 minutes)<br />
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When the sugar turns a deep amber, add 2 cans evaporated milk (Pet brand preferred) and 1 tsp sea salt (no substitutions). Whisk until smooth. It might take a few minutes, but as the milk heats up, the sugar will dissolve.<br />
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Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and lower the heat a smidge to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. When your candy thermometer reaches 245*, pull the pot from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla. Mix in well.<br />
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If you have a stand mixer, pour the hot caramel into your mixing bowl and using the paddle attachment, beat on slow for 30 minutes, or until the caramel becomes thick and is spreadable. Let sit again for 30 minutes.<br />
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Spoon some caramel onto each cupcake. Using a knife or small offset spatula, spread the caramel around to cover the surface of each cake. <br />
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<em>*NOTE: Do not let this caramel sit too long otherwise it will set up too much and won't spread out as easily - and you could pull up the top of your cake. </em><br />
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<u>Candied Pecans</u><br />
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Put 2 cups pecan halves in a skillet and add 1/2 cup sugar. Over medium heat, keep stirring the pecans and sugar around until the sugar melts and coats the pecans. It will turn an amber color like the caramel. When it does, remove from the heat immediately and dump the coated pecans onto a piece of foil or on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Allow to cool, then break up into pieces. <br />
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<em>*NOTE: These can be made up days in advance. Store in an air-tight container until ready to use.</em>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-22632923065982231472012-07-19T21:02:00.002-04:002012-07-19T21:02:17.397-04:00.chile-rubbed short ribs w/ sopes, greens, & pickled onions.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love short ribs, but whenever I make them, I always go to my go to recipe with tomatoes, red wine, Italian herbs and all that good stuff. It's always an Italian dish! I decided to try something new. While searching around the internet, I came across a recipe for chile rubbed short ribs, which gave it a more Latin/South American flavor. Something I definitely wanted to try. <br />
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With short ribs, you need to make them well ahead of time. They take 4 hours to braise in the oven to ensure the sinew has broken down and for the fat to render completely. Do it properly, and you'll have a finished product that's juicy and tender and mouthwateringly delicious!<br />
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There are a lot of components to this dish and while it may look awfully fancy in my picture, it's really not. In fact, I would even consider this dish something a beginner could <em>easily</em> make. So if you're feeling intimidated, don't! <br />
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<strong><u>Step 1: SHORT RIBS</u></strong><br />
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Put chile powder and salt in a bowl (2:1 ratio). Generously coat all of the short ribs and set aside. If you can, do this step the night before so they can soak in all that smoky chile flavor.<br />
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Put some oil in a large dutch oven and heat over medium high heat. When hot, put in your short ribs and sear all sides of the pieces. If all of your short ribs didn't fit in the pan, sear some and then put them on a plate. Repeat searing the remaining ribs. Place all seared ribs back into the dutch oven. <br />
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Add to your pot:<br />
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1 1/2 cups red wine (a good Spanish wine would be fantastic for this)<br />
4 cloves crushed garlic<br />
1 Spanish onion, sliced<br />
1 lime, cut in half, squeeze juice into the pot and drop the lime into the pot<br />
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme<br />
1 can green chiles, diced<br />
2 tomatoes, diced<br />
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Put the lid on and pop this into a preheated 250* oven. Cook for 4 hours.<br />
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<strong><u>Step 2: PICKLED ONIONS</u></strong><br />
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Peel and thinly slice 1 red onion. Put in a large ziploc with 1/2 cup warm water, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Seal up the ziploc, removing as much air as possible. Pop in the fridge and let sit. This step can be done a day in advance to give your onions more time to pickle.<br />
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<strong><u>Step 3: SOPES</u></strong><br />
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Sopes are these lovely little fried corn pancakes. They have a hint of sweetness that pairs well with the robust short rib.<br />
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In a bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups masa (I used Maseca), 1 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp salt.<br />
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In a saucepan, put 2 1/2 cups milk and heat to boiling. Once boiling, turn off the burner and add 1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces.<br />
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When the butter has completely melted, pour the hot milk into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes for the masa to absorb the liquid.<br />
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If you have an electric griddle, use it. If you don't, you can use a skillet over medium heat. Heat your griddle to 350*. Drizzle the hot griddle with oil or melted butter. Use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop and scoop blobs of batter onto your griddle surface. Take a metal spatula and carefully press down each blob to make a little pancake. (I did have to coat the back of my spatula with some butter so the dough wouldn't stick to it.) Cook for 6 minutes on each side. When they're golden brown on both sides, remove and set aside. Repeat until all the batter is cooked up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1P2oE-2Cl5EFNq8JwtzssRouCf3Fs859Q0i_RHprz_RZEbn1M-eklJHm6covF7Dh_ID6Lwno2ZP-7Yxu6MRVVtGdyn7g3el1_-Z2SMJ8y6RB_Dre-2pPyDfhEHEmHSlL25HIWNwu9x9b/s1600/chile_shortrib2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1P2oE-2Cl5EFNq8JwtzssRouCf3Fs859Q0i_RHprz_RZEbn1M-eklJHm6covF7Dh_ID6Lwno2ZP-7Yxu6MRVVtGdyn7g3el1_-Z2SMJ8y6RB_Dre-2pPyDfhEHEmHSlL25HIWNwu9x9b/s320/chile_shortrib2.jpg" width="212" /></a><u><strong>Step 4: PLATE!</strong></u><br />
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When all of your steps are done, it's time to plate.<br />
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Begin by placing your sopes down first. I used spring greens and layed them down on top of each sope. Then I put a piece of short rib meat on top of that! Crumble a little Cotija cheese on top of that, then drizzle with some Mexican Crema. The final step is placing some of those pickled onions as the garnish.<br />
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Voila! So simple. So SO delicious. Your family will be amazed by your mad culinary skills! Enjoy!squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-65408401150780187452012-07-17T15:58:00.003-04:002012-07-17T15:58:55.786-04:00.tagliatelle w/ bolognese.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bought a pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid last year and have only used it a couple of times... to roll out pieces of fondant. No pasta. Something about making homemade pasta scared me. I don't know what it is. It was this irrational fear that it wasn't going to turn out.</div>
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Well, I decided to give it a try. I read a lot about pasta making online, checked out YouTube videos and I felt confident that I could do it!</div>
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Tagliatelle is one of the traditional pastas to use with bolognese sauce. It's a lot like fettuccine but not as thick.</div>
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For the pasta, I used:</div>
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1 cup flour</div>
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1 cup semolina flour (If your store carries Bob's Red Mill brand, you can find it there)</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 Tbsp olive oil</div>
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Cold water</div>
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Mix together the flours and salt. You can either mix in a bowl or on your counter. I used my counter. Make a deep well in the center and add the eggs and olive oil. Using your fingers of one hand, start mixing things together, being careful not to knock down the walls of your dam. Use your other hand to keep the dam intact.</div>
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Add Tablespoons of cold water as needed until you have a nice, slightly dry dough. Keep working the dough until you have collected and incorporated all of the dry ingredients. Add more water as needed.</div>
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Knead the dough for 5 minutes. This helps relax the gluten. Cut the ball of dough into four pieces. Flatted out slightly like a pancake and round edges. Wrap each piece well with Saran wrap and let rest for 30-45 minutes. This will help relax the dough so it can stretch well.</div>
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To learn how to use your pasta maker and roll out the pasta, check out this great <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rLPWiwR-_Q" target="_blank">YouTube clip</a>.</div>
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Make sure you roll your dough to the #6 setting and then run through your fettucine cutter. Make sure you dust your cut pasta with a little flour to keep it all from sticking together. </div>
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Now bolognese. This needs to be made well in advance. In fact, make it the day before you plan on having it for dinner because it gives those flavors a lot of time to marry together, forming a wonderful sauce. Here's my recipe for bolognese ------</div>
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1 lb ground beef or sirloin</div>
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1 lb ground pork</div>
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1/2 lb medium thick sliced pancetta, diced</div>
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3-4 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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1 onion, diced</div>
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2 carrots, peeled and finely diced</div>
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2 celery stalks, finely diced</div>
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1 large can tomato sauce</div>
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1 can tomato paste</div>
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1 Tbsp sugar</div>
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3-4 fresh roma tomatoes, chopped</div>
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Rind off of your parmesan wedge</div>
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1 1/2 cups red wine</div>
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1 cup cream</div>
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Fresh herbs (oregano, basil, bay leaf, Italian parsley)</div>
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Heat some oil in a large sauce pot or dutch oven. Put in the pancetta, sirloin, and pork and start browning. When the meat is halfway browned, add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Mix around and let those aromatics cook with the meat. When the meat is completely cooked, add your sugar, tomato sauce, paste, diced tomatoes, and red wine. Add more wine if you need to. Tie your fresh herbs into a bouquet garni and drop into the pot. We'll fish these out later. Also drop in the rind cut off your parmesan wedge. This will add a lot of flavor to your bolognese. </div>
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Lightly season with salt and pepper. Don't go crazy with the salt right now, because as the sauce cooks, that rind is going to add a lot of salty flavor and you don't want to wind up with something too salty.</div>
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Stir in the cream and cover with a lid. Pop in a 300 degree oven and let it cook for about 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.</div>
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Remove from the oven and either serve, or let it cool so you can put it in the fridge. Like I said earlier, this is best if it can sit in the fridge overnight. The next day, remove the parmesan rind and bouquet garni. Taste and reseason with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot.</div>
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You don't have to be of Italian heritage to make an amazing pasta dish with authentic bolognese! Enjoy!</div>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-79235095462222821192012-06-11T20:37:00.002-04:002012-06-11T20:37:28.893-04:00.thai peanut chicken.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB7AIv_BTn2uQw3LZOfUb4wr1xiCMCCbsB1_n2QOCB2s3ZG_Lhg1l1e-scJdBT5M1f7-Y095Z62Vq_tMzJAslT_O_sFUzfSlCISSvvbe4rB_H_0rlmIBEFVBfykeQ7s1MX6cRn_GEw86o/s1600/peanutchicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB7AIv_BTn2uQw3LZOfUb4wr1xiCMCCbsB1_n2QOCB2s3ZG_Lhg1l1e-scJdBT5M1f7-Y095Z62Vq_tMzJAslT_O_sFUzfSlCISSvvbe4rB_H_0rlmIBEFVBfykeQ7s1MX6cRn_GEw86o/s320/peanutchicken.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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In recent months, I have made a pledge to myself and to my family to cook healthier meals. I'm the one who has made this commitment, but you'll notice I use <em>some</em> unhealthy things - because my family would revolt if we went 100%. Baby steps, people.. baby steps.<br />
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We love Asian food. My husband has been to Thailand many times and he is usually all over anything Chinese, Thai, Japanese.. you name it.<br />
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When I was at the commissary, I bought this bottle of something called PB2 (see image below). It's basically the pulverized remains that are usually discarded after they make peanut butter. It's 85% less fattening than regular peanut butter, but you still get all the protein benefits -- and right now, I'm doing this protein forward diet so I'm all over this stuff!<br />
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Not only is this dish HEALTHIER than it's original, it's tasty and I swear, your family won't even notice the difference. At least <em>my</em> family didn't until I told them there was no sugar in this dish and it was less fattening.<br />
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Now on to the recipe!<br />
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In a bowl, mix together:<br />
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1/2 cup PB2<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar<br />
1/4 cup soy sauce <br />
1 packet (2-3 tsp) Splenda<br />
1/4 tsp chili oil<br />
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes<br />
1 Tbsp fish sauce<br />
1/2 cup coconut milk<br />
1 Tbsp cornstarch<br />
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Mix all ingredients together and set aside.<br />
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For the main component of the dish, I used:<br />
3 chicken breasts, cut against the grain, into strips<br />
1/2 cup green onion, sliced on the diagonal<br />
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped or julienne<br />
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and grated<br />
2-3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped<br />
1/2 to 1 cup peanuts<br />
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I also added some peas, but you can add whatever vegetables you want. <br />
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Heat your wok until it starts smoking. Add 1 Tbsp peanut oil and saute the chicken with 2 cloves garlic, minced and 1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated. I also added the red bell pepper, since they take some time to cook. If you use broccoli, add in the beginning.<br />
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When the chicken is almost cooked through, dump all the peanut sauce into the center of the wok. Stir until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. Add cilantro, green onion, carrots, and peanuts at this time. Remove from the heat and serve with rice or noodles (if you want).<br />
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This will make enough food for 6 people. Enjoy!<br />squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-74330790302884668282012-06-05T08:48:00.002-04:002012-06-05T08:48:33.530-04:00.cubano skirt steak w/ grilled corn.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's a restaurant near us that I absolutely love. It's classy and swank and the food has <em>always</em> been excellent. You should see their brunch buffet!!!! One of my favorite dishes there is a grilled Cubano skirt steak. It's actually an Asian-Latin fusion dish because they put a spicy Thai Tamarind sauce on top.<br />
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I decided to try and recreate this recipe once and was very pleased with the results. (<em>verrrrryyy pleased!)</em><br />
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First, you want to make sure you use the right cut of meat. Skirt steak. It's also referred to as hangar steak. It comes from the belly of a cow and is a very thin cut. It has a ton of flavor all on it's own, but it's not particularly tender on it's own so I like to marinade it. I wouldn't replace with flank steak. Flank steak is thicker and you won't get the same results. Trust me.<br />
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Here's a diagram of where the skirt steak comes off a cow!<br />
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This is a marinade recipe I came up with on my own. I really wanted to get a lot of flavor into the beef.</div>
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In a bowl, mix together:</div>
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1/2 cup olive oil</div>
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1/4 cup soy sauce</div>
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3 cloves garlic, crushed</div>
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a handful of cilantro</div>
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1 tsp chili powder</div>
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1 tsp cumin</div>
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1/4 cup honey</div>
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1/4 cup red wine vinegar</div>
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1/4 cup orange juice</div>
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1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes</div>
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a couple dashes of chili oil (found in the Asian aisle of your grocer)</div>
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Mix everything together with a fork. Put your skirt steaks into a large ziploc and dump the marinade in. Seal up the bag, pushing out as much of the air as you can. This will help the marinade envelope the meat and keep it sitting in the marinade at all times.</div>
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You want to marinate your meat for at *least* 8 hours. Overnight is best.</div>
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About an hour before you grill, take the steak out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter. Beef always cooks better when it's closer to room temperature. Gives you even cooking. </div>
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Because this steak is so thin, it won't take very long to grill up. Also, personally I would never cook these past medium rare otherwise you will wind up with shoe leather.</div>
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Since we had this with grilled corn on the cob, put the corn on first, as this takes a lot longer to cook than the steak. Here are good directions on <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/GrillingCorn.htm">how to grill corn</a>. </div>
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Drain the marinade and pop the steaks onto a very hot grill. Let sit for about 2-3 minutes to get grill marks then flip over. Repeat so that you've grilled the steak twice on each side. Press the fattest part of the skirt steak and if it's still squishy, you might want to turn the grill down and lower the lid so it can cook through some more. Don't be tempted to cut into this to check the doneness. Just remember the general rule -- if it's squishy, the meat's still a little raw. If the meat is soft but not hard, it's perfectly medium rare. If there's no bounce back at all and firm, you've done gone and killed it. :P</div>
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Remove the steak from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Your corn will probably be done at this time, too. I love mixing together some soft butter and a little bit of smoked cumin, salt, and pepper. Take a knife and rub that all over your corn. It gives you a wonderful smoky, spicy flavor on your corn that complements this dish very well.</div>
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Slice and serve the steak and eat! This is going to be the best steak you ever ate. Guaranteed!</div>
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</div>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-78347330893462472182012-05-21T19:27:00.003-04:002012-05-21T19:27:53.828-04:00.shrimp chorizo & red potato hash w/ poached egg and manchego cheese.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Paige was craving shrimp last night and I didn't want to make scampi or any kind of pasta dish. I normally make this dish without the shrimp, but thought it would be delicious in this.<br />
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This will make enough for 4 people, depending on how big a serving you want. It's easy to add a little more here and there to adjust for a larger group.<br />
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1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />
6-8 new red potatoes, large dice<br />
1 large onion, sliced<br />
1 lb chorizo sausage, sliced in half, then sliced into 1/2" pieces<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
Manchego cheese<br />
olive oil<br />
4 eggs<br />
salt and pepper<br />
white vinegar<br />
chives (garnish)<br />
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Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with water and salt. Bring to boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and cool.<br />
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In a skillet, heat about 3-4 Tbsp olive oil. When it's hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are slightly translucent. Add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Let the potatoes get some color on them. Add the chorizo and shrimp. Cook and stir occasionally to make sure all the shrimp cooks. When the shrimp is light pink, remove the pan from the burner. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper, if needed.<br />
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In a medium sized saucepan, put 3-4 cups water and 3-4 Tbsp vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so it is no longer boiling. You can have this water ready and waiting on the side so your hash doesn't get cold while waiting for this to get to temp.<br />
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When your water is good and hot, take a wooden spoon and swirl the water to make a little whirlpool. Have an egg already broken in a bowl and quickly, but carefully pour directly into the center of the whirlpool. This helps the white swirl into the center. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to dry.<br />
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Dish up some hash and put the egg on top. Use a vegetable peeler and shave some manchego cheese on top. Manchego is a wonderful sharp Spanish cheese that complements this Spanish influenced dish. Sprinkle chopped chives on top to give it a splash of green. Serve immediately.squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-83211453361761528602012-05-07T13:36:00.002-04:002012-05-07T13:36:59.494-04:00.chinese chicken salad.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIzWiv8BdO0jIYvOTzt3sNuc9HdWsy8BQe0ukfbkGIu7ZofgooQzIUlQDJgreTUFP06ajoEkcYhZbrbvoRxgLnWObcQslUDQiE3hMPsQAMayIPwRRUeCaE937eLQoTH6gztuDfpjzCEds/s1600/chinesechickensalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIIzWiv8BdO0jIYvOTzt3sNuc9HdWsy8BQe0ukfbkGIu7ZofgooQzIUlQDJgreTUFP06ajoEkcYhZbrbvoRxgLnWObcQslUDQiE3hMPsQAMayIPwRRUeCaE937eLQoTH6gztuDfpjzCEds/s320/chinesechickensalad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The weather is starting to warm up here in New York and this is when I start wanting salad. I love salad. This is a recipe I got from my sister, Ronda, but I tweaked it a little to give it a more Asian flare. There are four different steps to this dish. Each can be done early in the day or even the day before and then tossed together when you're ready to eat. Make sure if you <em>do</em> hold it for another day, that you don't add the mandarin oranges or chicken until you're ready to toss. This will keep the lettuce from getting wilted and soggy.<br />
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<strong><u>STEP 1: DRESSING</u></strong><br />
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In a jar, mix together:<br />
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1/3 c. vegetable oil<br />
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar<br />
1/4 c. sugar<br />
3 Tbsp soy sauce<br />
2-3 Tbsp chopped cilantro<br />
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1/4 tsp chili oil (optional* - use only if you want your salad to have a kick!)<br />
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Put a lid on the jar and shake it up. Set aside and add to salad when you're ready to eat.<br />
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<strong><u>STEP 2: CANDIED ALMONDS</u></strong><br />
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In a saucepan or skillet, put 1 cup slivered almonds & 6 Tbsp sugar<br />
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Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is melted and coats the almonds. Dump onto a piece of foil and let cool completely. Break apart and add to the salad. <em> (I think you can find candied almonds in the produce section of your local grocer. So if you find them, take the short cut and use them!)</em><br />
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<strong><u>STEP 3: SALAD</u></strong><br />
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In a large bowl, put:<br />
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4 cups chopped lettuce<br />
2-3 cups chopped cabbage (you can use red or green)<br />
1 bunch green onion, sliced on the diagonal<br />
1 cup celery, sliced on the diagonal<br />
2-3 carrots, peeled and shredded<br />
1 - 11oz can mandarin oranges, drained<br />
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled, and diced<br />
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<u><strong>STEP 4: WONTON STRIPS</strong></u><br />
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Take a package of won ton wrappers and slice them into strips. Heat some oil (1 cup) in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Test the oil by tossing one strip in. If it just sits there and doesn't immediately start frying, the oil is too cold. You want these to fry quickly so they don't absorb a lot of the oil.<br />
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Fry up a handful of wontons and remove when golden brown. Put on paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the wontons are fried up.<br />
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Toss everything together (minus the wonton strips). Put a handful of crispy wontons on top and serve! The perfect Spring/Summer meal for you and your family! Enjoy!<br />
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<br />squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-67864812625353175422012-04-13T12:33:00.006-04:002012-04-13T12:54:57.006-04:00Deb's Birthday CakeMy BFF Deb turned 50 in March. Her husband and kids threw her a surprise birthday party - that really wasn't a surprise to <em>her</em> because she's too observant and picked up and subtle things. lol.. but not once did she ever ask me if I was part of the planning. She probably didn't want to put me in an awkward situation where I'd have to lie to her (right, Deb?).<br /><br />Anyway.. I was asked to make the cake for her birthday party. I kept trying to think of what I should do for the theme of the cake. I thought about the things she enjoys -- photography, horses, scrapbooking. Then I thought about what she does for a living -- a nurse. I thought I should just do a basic birthday cake but I couldn't do it. It had to be something <i>special</i>. Something <i>one-of-a-kind</i>. It couldn't be the same ol' for my friend.<br /><br />So I thought about her favorite scrapbooking company - <a href="http://blog.basicgrey.com">Basic Grey</a>. I went to their website and searched through some of their recent paper lines and fell in LOVE with their "What's up?" papers and thought the design would transfer well to a cake.<br /><br />Here are the papers I used for inspiration. Beautiful, right?<br /><center><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-UF_FnMcECPWmcXcc3V2GugnerveMkxB951dPNMc89UxqsjQYgHGEMKa8MtYClx1rPmOIr6yHdnR7ePngQelv2ckDsEupxUPu-y0WF-9o3bwIFpCx7QdapEAemEYXX-GpJ_HG3boqh11/s1600/whatsup1.jpg"><img style="width: 145px; height: 145px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730929565675291970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-UF_FnMcECPWmcXcc3V2GugnerveMkxB951dPNMc89UxqsjQYgHGEMKa8MtYClx1rPmOIr6yHdnR7ePngQelv2ckDsEupxUPu-y0WF-9o3bwIFpCx7QdapEAemEYXX-GpJ_HG3boqh11/s400/whatsup1.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWGKkc107hrbFgYjE3mOxKOwgejrtYLrNXA3ful8n5K0aFm70sD0x2dkNPNJ0X5HQDCf6Yco6Y8gJpVtLwiMYAolCGDuZnMd16RNlpijZWXPH-1C8E3FB3T55s-uLur2VZzIe-jXKmdMu/s1600/whatsup2.jpg"><img style="width: 145px; height: 145px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730929561455359714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMWGKkc107hrbFgYjE3mOxKOwgejrtYLrNXA3ful8n5K0aFm70sD0x2dkNPNJ0X5HQDCf6Yco6Y8gJpVtLwiMYAolCGDuZnMd16RNlpijZWXPH-1C8E3FB3T55s-uLur2VZzIe-jXKmdMu/s400/whatsup2.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt4WVdFKVNRvcK6tDozFcVBzA7SZbJ2yOGlsg4jN60gu8nfyRjQ1r-sq7Ecw6MfhhJY8tiEBI909TAxV2Hu_u9EokH4Cx12z6C4qVeLDkfBOzCBvX35kawzyDYp6q_ay06sluDpXsqNao/s1600/whatsup4.jpg"><img style="width: 145px; height: 145px; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730929554163381826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCt4WVdFKVNRvcK6tDozFcVBzA7SZbJ2yOGlsg4jN60gu8nfyRjQ1r-sq7Ecw6MfhhJY8tiEBI909TAxV2Hu_u9EokH4Cx12z6C4qVeLDkfBOzCBvX35kawzyDYp6q_ay06sluDpXsqNao/s400/whatsup4.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />And here's how the cake turned out!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogNs3NflFIp7wzzl3jd1SGhd5O0CpuUP__VFSUdF3Ldv4ZWJEgicMuPykAGE2EiqdqbePpxhSR1v4Z4FxMEITnYTk1j8UisjXDa83nmEmAXjgnYgBj2GRsa99i5DB5uzGDOvOciXAGS0M/s1600/debs_cake1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730925132440967042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgogNs3NflFIp7wzzl3jd1SGhd5O0CpuUP__VFSUdF3Ldv4ZWJEgicMuPykAGE2EiqdqbePpxhSR1v4Z4FxMEITnYTk1j8UisjXDa83nmEmAXjgnYgBj2GRsa99i5DB5uzGDOvOciXAGS0M/s400/debs_cake1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kJ_o0cN1HUpLnwCCxy_whLXJz41IGAmk-LeKfdjFXH6wfLflfR4gCpK9lYxcO7ySItEwtijMrlllRvIHBiPSad_9CZ_mEUx0g0WBj94V0UOXOEhIs2XhonaeDB9d2TRxhJrCyJ-eYPon/s1600/debs_cake2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730925123233327698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kJ_o0cN1HUpLnwCCxy_whLXJz41IGAmk-LeKfdjFXH6wfLflfR4gCpK9lYxcO7ySItEwtijMrlllRvIHBiPSad_9CZ_mEUx0g0WBj94V0UOXOEhIs2XhonaeDB9d2TRxhJrCyJ-eYPon/s400/debs_cake2.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLifzFJGAMTaf03Z5n0yrmiBClQ2diBNv22YEooFcPv6UzZanQJyuvU-OlySjlgEqBkRx1dDQhnwEn5CqVpUC4J5MRApgXMGr3zjAQKmAQscAGqUHBwUdrfczwMMHHYOAf96s6bOekwoVp/s1600/debs_cake3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730924977101255138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLifzFJGAMTaf03Z5n0yrmiBClQ2diBNv22YEooFcPv6UzZanQJyuvU-OlySjlgEqBkRx1dDQhnwEn5CqVpUC4J5MRApgXMGr3zjAQKmAQscAGqUHBwUdrfczwMMHHYOAf96s6bOekwoVp/s400/debs_cake3.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkb41jDqmNQbRY39U7KmzrjJ9YSzHNBL54eAiyngVTymVk01JCGlnYrMAsHSRs9H0aDBjg6UxG9jRqGVpB6m1JRqM9NOhT9H9jfB89gh9H7fpbG0_dllEWYHbEidB2g-lcoLtmt2uedu3/s1600/debs_cake4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730924971935806610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkb41jDqmNQbRY39U7KmzrjJ9YSzHNBL54eAiyngVTymVk01JCGlnYrMAsHSRs9H0aDBjg6UxG9jRqGVpB6m1JRqM9NOhT9H9jfB89gh9H7fpbG0_dllEWYHbEidB2g-lcoLtmt2uedu3/s400/debs_cake4.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ftl-y7r0uxAKCa5USkdgRsWLbplPqqNG-1Krjk2LZT5v_LhCiHMU_hRA9-FwV_Am63tc3XzQwJD4vZeio_uctifNfnij-Kvzd3RSeW6XrTU9vZw_TyNAtSAhg_rIUneumlSc7YNfUeyY/s1600/debs_cake5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730924965764803650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ftl-y7r0uxAKCa5USkdgRsWLbplPqqNG-1Krjk2LZT5v_LhCiHMU_hRA9-FwV_Am63tc3XzQwJD4vZeio_uctifNfnij-Kvzd3RSeW6XrTU9vZw_TyNAtSAhg_rIUneumlSc7YNfUeyY/s400/debs_cake5.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ15iLIBBm4bar2J8-O1G3V8yE_4YNxComgYWFJWsOsvsKRnRV5KLt0GNr52GTiAusWRMILulT57lKOChxPoXQz2JREBki6U2-2rXH8QrMO6EeU3rXIbWbkSbgzC2dS1gPGFm4U-ADsZLX/s1600/debs_cake6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730924956235692498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ15iLIBBm4bar2J8-O1G3V8yE_4YNxComgYWFJWsOsvsKRnRV5KLt0GNr52GTiAusWRMILulT57lKOChxPoXQz2JREBki6U2-2rXH8QrMO6EeU3rXIbWbkSbgzC2dS1gPGFm4U-ADsZLX/s400/debs_cake6.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSX5nPaZtPl3uI196x8yC3rV28eSLVzvd7VEtkSX40QQZiHFKJeMSWC2P8E-DZNSePf0f7W388F9tAoicb4VmHwxlwALt54uybBbQThZkLnTe6hthg0UE92NYOxJpLlMSEOK_5QM0evt/s1600/debs_cake7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730924954625250786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSX5nPaZtPl3uI196x8yC3rV28eSLVzvd7VEtkSX40QQZiHFKJeMSWC2P8E-DZNSePf0f7W388F9tAoicb4VmHwxlwALt54uybBbQThZkLnTe6hthg0UE92NYOxJpLlMSEOK_5QM0evt/s400/debs_cake7.jpg" /></a>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-83798921655254824832012-04-04T13:19:00.004-04:002012-04-04T20:49:35.929-04:00.chocolate zucchini bread.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9gRKu-mnDNrB70J4ct4ah3ZIGjAmICjF0ZNyYV_yk21ooxqWIZrbrte_tn_hIusPYy1LvN-f14F3S5ZrT-U2dDjB6Bfs86zz8cZGC7DV1eohXyuO42JxLHiiQJoec7asbC6DslvwUJ6Q/s1600/choczucchinibread.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727596437396759986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9gRKu-mnDNrB70J4ct4ah3ZIGjAmICjF0ZNyYV_yk21ooxqWIZrbrte_tn_hIusPYy1LvN-f14F3S5ZrT-U2dDjB6Bfs86zz8cZGC7DV1eohXyuO42JxLHiiQJoec7asbC6DslvwUJ6Q/s400/choczucchinibread.jpg" /></a><br><br><br /><br />Now before you turn your nose up and close the browser, I want you to give zucchini a chance. You don't taste it and it provides not only nutrients to your bread, it makes it moist and delicious!<br><br>I've been making this recipe for years now and it's one of my favorites. I'm sure it will become one of your favorites, as well.<br><br>This recipe makes 2 loaves, or about 1 dozen large, Texas sized muffins. (Those are the kinds of muffins we made at my bakery -- we like em big!)<br><br>In a large mixing bowl, combine:<br><br /><br />1 cup sugar<br>1 cup brown sugar<br>3 cups flour<br>1 Tbsp baking soda<br>1 tsp baking powder<br>1 tsp salt<br>1 tsp cinnamon<br><br>In another bowl, mix together:<br>3 eggs, beaten<br>1 Tbsp vanilla<br>1 cup oil (you can substitute applesauce, if you like)<br>2 1/2 cups grated zucchini<br>1/2 bag mini chocolate chips<br><br>Dump all the wet ingredients into the dry and mix using a fork just until the dry ingredients are slightly wet. Don't overmix.<br><br>Spoon into prepared bread or muffin pans and pop in a 375* oven and bake 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350* and continue baking until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.<br><br>Trust me... you're going to love this bread! (you can thank me later. ;) )squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-66808030469843727772012-03-27T08:25:00.002-04:002012-03-27T08:51:04.920-04:00.beef and cheese empanadas.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAutIbFbdDTqPLW-WavuiuVbQDTaX4hCkTB8EIo2AFWXXfKpeQYq-iknqHXzgQOzibiMvad0fPBuzDkUbImtH9sA1b6M8RjekWoLGpb5dCOTOTY_gJxoaWRyrUW61YhFJVVn7bKj7sBIp/s1600/empanadas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724552235606279842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAutIbFbdDTqPLW-WavuiuVbQDTaX4hCkTB8EIo2AFWXXfKpeQYq-iknqHXzgQOzibiMvad0fPBuzDkUbImtH9sA1b6M8RjekWoLGpb5dCOTOTY_gJxoaWRyrUW61YhFJVVn7bKj7sBIp/s400/empanadas.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />I love empanadas but have never made them before. I'm always looking for new things to make because I get very bored with the same ol' same ol'. I hardly ever cook with hamburger, yet I had a pound in the freezer that I wanted to use up. Taco salad? Nah. Chili? Nah. Empanadas!<br /><br />These little hand held pockets are so delicious. They're a little time consuming to make, but well worth the effort. Mine aren't very traditional, but they were exactly what I wanted. My kids ate them up!<br /><br />Here's what I put into my empanadas:<br /><br />Ground beef<br />1 small onion, diced<br />2 cloves garlic, minced<br />2 jalapeno, seeded and fine diced<br />salt and pepper<br />garlic powder<br />cumin<br />chili powder<br />approximately 2 cups grated monterey jack cheese<br /><br />Heat 3-4 Tbsp oil in a skillet and saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook until done. Add 2-3 tsp chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Add more seasoning if needed.<br /><br />Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Stir in until melted and coated.<br /><br />Make the empanada dough --<br /><br />1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />1 cup masa harina<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled<br />3/4 cup water (plus or minus 1 tbsp)<br /><br />Mix together dry ingredients. Using a fork, mix in the butter and distributed within the flour. Slowly add water, carefully mixing with the fork until it begins to pull together. Form into a ball and wrap with saran. Pop in the fridge and hold for 30 minutes.<br /><br />Divide the dough into approx. 1 ounce balls (think ping pong ball size). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle. Spoon filling into the middle.<br /><br />Now here's where you can decide how to close the pocket. Traditionally, you are supposed to braid the edge, but some people use a fork to crimp it closed. Personally, the braid/twist thing is MUCH prettier and it isn't very difficult to do. I found a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkYH7EtjOH4">very handy YouTube video showing you how to fold the edges to give it the braided look.<br /></a><br />Once your empanadas are made, cover and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes. <br /><br />There's one final decision to be made. Fry or bake? They can be cooked either way. We fried ours because I think they looked better that way. Plus, I didn't want a super hard crust from baking, know what I mean? (Not saying they would, but my husband was pushing for fried)<br /><br />If you use the oven, preheat to 375* and bake for 25-30 minutes.<br /><br />If you're frying, heat your oil to 375* and fry for approximately 5-6 minutes or until the empanada is beautifully golden brown on both sides. Remove from the oil and sit on paper towels to drain.<br /><br />Serve with fresh guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-53665244646313917822012-03-09T12:12:00.005-05:002012-03-09T12:56:51.824-05:00.irish soda bread.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ07D7xEkvlWBP_EseESQObtJdoDgO1SdrnNYMgSPtWZzLhF1uF0w9zOJB81R2VTDOltL8_8_L3dIaY6zcPzVOf66fpTPuhoC1I6l4pVIsgXju3VvtlIbiopW3l-eVPz0q8NFwllQGP0GV/s1600/irishsodabread2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 266px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717946639297641554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ07D7xEkvlWBP_EseESQObtJdoDgO1SdrnNYMgSPtWZzLhF1uF0w9zOJB81R2VTDOltL8_8_L3dIaY6zcPzVOf66fpTPuhoC1I6l4pVIsgXju3VvtlIbiopW3l-eVPz0q8NFwllQGP0GV/s400/irishsodabread2.jpg" /></a><br /><br><br>I adore bread and I especially adore Irish Soda Bread. It's made more like a big giant biscuit - using no yeast for leavening, but with, strangely, baking powder. The recipe I use comes from a book I picked up years ago called 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood. I have tweaked his recipe a little bit, but it's one that we like. <br><br>In a large bowl, mix together:<br><br>4 cups bread flour<br>1 Tbsp baking powder<br>1 tsp sea salt<br><br>Cut in 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter until the mixture is nice and crumbly and no big pieces of butter remain.<br><br>In another bowl, add 1 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup milk, and 2 eggs. At this point, if you want golden raisins and/or caraway seeds, add them now. About 1 1/2 tsp of caraway seeds and 1/2 cup raisins. Whisk and add to the flour mixture. Using a fork, mix the wet into the dry until a dough begins to form. Using your hand, continue to work the dough until it pulls together and there's no more flour in the bottom of the bowl.<br><br>Dump contents onto a lightly floured counter. Split the dough in half and form into a nice smooth ball. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place each ball of dough on it. Take a sharp knife and score the tops of each mound with a criss cross.<br><br>Let sit for 20 minutes then pop into a well preheated 400* oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. The top of the bread should be beautifully browned. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-81583044764785676992012-03-05T08:44:00.004-05:002012-03-05T08:59:49.330-05:00.roasted pork tenderloin with apple-fennel garnish.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPJuS4OjEEkxHdtkRyrJJY59GIG9Q_aCjI-c0wQyxkVx-MrhczzHk-YQvPg-b2M6JR8JjL5Sqx3TYD-1c549NS3Nj9sf-y3JneYk9MRD0cjsWCrxsmsyAaWLlnsle3S0KBIq2yvw6CYcm/s1600/pork_loin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 266px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716408675277883266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPJuS4OjEEkxHdtkRyrJJY59GIG9Q_aCjI-c0wQyxkVx-MrhczzHk-YQvPg-b2M6JR8JjL5Sqx3TYD-1c549NS3Nj9sf-y3JneYk9MRD0cjsWCrxsmsyAaWLlnsle3S0KBIq2yvw6CYcm/s400/pork_loin.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />I admit that I am a friend of pork. Bacon, pork shoulder, pork tenderloin, chops... I'm not picky! This recipe was inspired by an episode of Top Chef or one of those shows. It was a couple years ago because this isn't the first time I've made this dish.<br /><br />Not only is it easy to prepare, it's delicious and something you can impress your guests with.<br /><br />Here's what you need:<br /><br />1 - 4lb pork tenderloin<br />1-2 granny smith apples, cored and sliced (no need to peel!)<br />1 onion, sliced<br />1 clove garlic, crushed<br />1 bay leaf<br />salt, pepper, and celery seed<br />1 bottle hard apple cider<br /><br /><br />Season your tenderloin with salt, pepper, and celery seed. Heat a little oil in a dutch oven. Pan sear all sides of the tenderloin to lock in moisture. When all sides are browned, top with the apple slices, onion, bay leaf, and pour the hard cider over the top. Cover and pop in a 350* oven and roast for about an hour. You want to pull this out when your thermometer reads 145* because pork tenderloin has very little fat so you don't want to overbake, otherwise you're left with really dry meat.<br /><br />Remove the pork from the dutch oven and set aside to rest (cover with foil). While it's resting, make the sauce. Dump all the cooked apples and onion into a seive and strain the liquid (make sure you set the seive on a bowl so you save it because we need that liquid for the sauce.<br /><br />Remove the bay leaf and put everything in the blender. Add a little bit of the liquid to the blender to help smooth out the sauce. Taste and re-season with a little salt, if needed.<br /><br />Now before you actually pulled the roast out of the oven, you want to make the apple-fennel garnish.<br /><br />Cut one granny smith apple into matchsticks. Thinly slice one fennel bulb. Heat a saute pan and melt 2-3 Tbsp butter. When hot, add the apples and fennel and saute quickly. Season with salt and pepper. (I sprinkled a dash of celery seed in here, too)<br /><br />Make sure you saute close to the end of the roasting time, or do it while the tenderloin rests (that's what I did).<br /><br />To assemble, spoon some of the sauce onto the plate. Put a slice of tenderloin on top and spoon some garnish on top. To make it extra fancy, put a little fennel frond on top.squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8643068994518854962.post-12603622776758656242011-08-29T12:09:00.004-04:002011-08-29T12:38:00.313-04:00Farmer's Market #2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVz0Fdkmpf4nr1DknXyGUuaYD3_8CfsidifscYK4njTtY2gtz8SLji6Lk646FITABLG4CqETEg4SajvpIO0JHiIfdjhqhNHmrrJVvl2IQ_7HhuBZE6JS3ExhiQtVpw6vb7K3zek-QO5pN/s1600/chop_w_slaw.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVz0Fdkmpf4nr1DknXyGUuaYD3_8CfsidifscYK4njTtY2gtz8SLji6Lk646FITABLG4CqETEg4SajvpIO0JHiIfdjhqhNHmrrJVvl2IQ_7HhuBZE6JS3ExhiQtVpw6vb7K3zek-QO5pN/s400/chop_w_slaw.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646311453524678290" /></a>
<br /><div>Last Monday I <a href="http://creatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com/2011/08/farmers-market-1.html">posted a recipe</a> from my first batch of Farmer's Market goods. My husband and daughter have been going every weekend and picking up secret ingredients and let me work my magic in the kitchen using the fruits and vegetables they buy. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>On their 2nd trip to the market, they bought me zucchini squash, pattypan squash, neon eggplant, garlic, pears, and celery. What on earth? I had some really thick pork chops in the fridge marinating in an asian marinade so I had to think of how I could use those ingredients with those chops.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>A-ha! Inspiration struck and I came up with my plan of action. I decided to make a slaw using the celery and pears, and using the squashes and eggplant to make hot and sour veggies underneath. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>Pear Slaw</div><div>
<br /></div><div>2 celery ribs - removed of strings and thinly sliced</div><div>1/2 lime, squeezed</div><div>2 Tbsp rice vinegar</div><div>2 tsp sugar</div><div>1 tsp gingerroot, grated</div><div>2 pears, cut into 1/4" matchsticks</div><div>2 green onion, thinly sliced on the angle</div><div>cilantro</div><div>a dash of crushed red pepper</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Mix all these ingredients together in a bowl and let the flavors marry.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Grill your chops on a BBQ grill. I let my husband grill these babies up and they were absolute perfection. Remember you don't have to overcook these. Overcooked pork chops = dry dry dry.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>For the hot and sour vegetables.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Peel and dice the eggplant and put in a strainer with salt. The salt will pull out the moisture in the eggplant. Leave it with the salt for 30 minutes. At that time, rinse well, and put on paper towels and wring dry.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Dice 1 zucchini</div><div>Cut up the pattypan squash into wedges</div><div>Quarter an onion and slice</div><div>mince 1 clove garlic</div><div>1 green chile, chopped (I used jalapeno)</div><div>
<br /></div><div>
<br /></div><div>In a bowl, mix together:</div><div>
<br /></div><div>3 Tbsp soy sauce</div><div>2 Tbsp red wine vinegar</div><div>2 Tbsp sugar</div><div>2 tsp cornstarch</div><div>1 tsp chili oil (I didn't use nearly this much because I have kids)</div><div>1 tsp salt</div><div>
<br /></div><div>
<br /></div><div>Put 2 Tbsp oil in a stir fry pan and heat over medium high heat. Saute the garlic and onion for 30 seconds, then add the remaining ingredients. Saute until the veggies are fork tender. When they're tender, add the bowl of liquid and stir. This will start thickening quickly. Coat all the veggies well with the sauce.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>To plate, put a spoonful of veggies on your plate, top with your beautifully grilled pork chop and then using a slotted spoon, put a spoon of slaw on top.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>You will find the acidic, bright flavor of the slaw a wonderful companion to the pork and the sweetness and slight spiciness of the veggies underneath is just perfect. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>So the next time you're at the farmer's market, think about the vegetables you might necessarily know how to use. In my case, it was the pattypans and eggplant and I was able to find the perfect dish. I hope you enjoy this recipe! </div><div>
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<br /></div>squillenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01985166445822128265noreply@blogger.com1