Tiny's Treats

CSA 5.19.11: spring mixed with a little summer

2011-05-30T19:39:00.004-05:00

We missed two weeks of our CSA produce deliveries since we were in Italy, but we came back to yummy goodness that was delivered on our anniversary. Here is a recap of the summer preview we enjoyed.

Blackberries
I had no idea that blackberries could taste this good! There is definitely something to be said for eating blackberries right away when they are picked at their peak ripeness. I’m still kicking myself for not actually making anything with these blackberries,we just snacked on them. But I guess they could be counted as an easy weeknight dessert because they did satisfy my sweet tooth after dinner a few nights.

Squash & Zucchini
I can’t get enough squash and zucchini during the summer, usually by the time August rolls around I’ve had enough. Most of the time I just slice it and throw it in the baking dish with salt, pepper, EVOO, and some truffle oil alongside a pork tenderloin or chicken. This time we had so much that we enjoyed it a variety of ways.

1. Grilled: We sliced and cooked some squash on our grill pan with some steaks and made a foil boat and cooked some on our outdoor gas grill as well.

2. Pasta: I subscribe to Health magazine and saw a recipe for farfalle with zucchini and white beans earlier this spring. I’ve been saving it to enjoy with fresh zucchini. The recipe was okay, if I were to make it again I’d maybe some sort of light sauce with lemon juice, lemon zest, and EVOO.

3. Pizza: I found this recipe for zucchini and basil pizza several years ago in a Williams-Sonoma catalog and its one of my favorites tasting so light and fresh. It’s easy to make and I took a shortcut with some fresh pizza dough from Central Market.

Cabbage
I used the cabbage for one of my favorite Bon Appétit fast easy fresh recipes, black bean tacos. I substituted the cabbage for the cole slaw mix, added two small diced mangos, and also substituted peppered goat cheese for feta since I already had some for the pizza. I also purchased the southwest flour tortillas from Central Market because their tortillas are just so yummy!

Collard Greens
I haven’t branched out on the collard green recipes like I should; instead I went with a “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” philiopshy since Ellie Kreiger’s short cut collard greens recipe has been a success every time, especially when made with applewood smoked bacon.

Onions
I use these as an ingredient as needed. The best part is that the delivery is now dry onions so I don’t have to worry about using them so quickly.

Patio Date Night with Italian Souvenirs

2011-05-27T18:38:00.003-05:00

Scott and I had a fabulous patio date night last Saturday as part 3 of our anniversary celebration. Since the weather was great we decided to take full advantage of the patio before the heat and mosquitoes invade for the summer.

Appetizer: crostini with black truffle salsa

We purchased this gem in Assisi. I really hope I can find more of this locally because it is amazing. I used half the tiny jar for our appetizer. This was very simple to make. I sliced and toasted some French bread and then topped it with the black truffle salsa.

Entrée: NY Strip Steaks with a southwest rub
This steak recipe is one our favorites from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook. I keep a container of “southwest rub” on standby to use on various meats. The steaks were coated in EVOO and then seasoned with salt and pepper and then I put the southwest rub on one side of the steak. They were grilled on a grill pan over medium-high heat for 4 minutes on one side and then 6 on the other.

Sides: Stuffed squash blossoms and grilled squash
The stuffed squash blossoms were my favorite item from the cooking class we took in Rome. I had my first farmer’s market experience the morning of to locate the squash blossoms. There were about 20 in the container so I made 8 for us and the remaining 12 as appetizers for our Sunday night dinner. The filling for the squash blossoms was a mixture of approximately ¾ cup ricotta cheese, zest of 2 small lemons, juice of one lemon, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg. Once the blossoms were stuffed I twisted the tops and put them in a baking dish and drizzled a little EVOO on top and then baked for about 7 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

For the grilled squash I sliced a squash and then drizzled some EVOO and truffle oil on top and seasoned with pepper. Then I grilled them on the grill pan for about 2 minutes on each side.

Wine: Unity
Our buddy Jason at The Tasting Room—Uptown Park had recommended this wine to us last fall. After sampling it we purchased a bottle and have been saving it for the perfect meal. I thought the symbolism of the name was very fitting in honor of our anniversary.

Dessert: BlueBell’s Fudge Brownie Nut ice cream with chocolate and caramel sauce

Delicious Destination: Italy

2011-05-25T20:41:00.020-05:00

Scott and I traveled to Italy earlier this month to celebrate 5 years of marriage. Time flies when you are having fun! Also many thanks to bloggers VA Belle and Elefantitas Alegres for traveling to Italy the month prior and giving us lots of tips and info for our trip…especially…drum roll please…the Rick Steves’ Italy 2011 guidebook and podcasts (these were priceless). We even traveled with only carry on luggage, no checking bags and I even packed lighter than Scott!

When planning our trip Scott wanted to learn all about the history and see the sights, I on the other hand think that is what Google is for and I wanted to eat, eat, and eat some more. Most importantly I didn’t want a vacation boot camp experience that was constant tourist attractions, bad food, and no time for leisure to feel like an Italian. We booked the Italian Dream tour through Trafalgar tours, so that we could visit multiple locations and have our lodging and transportation arranged for us. Dominic our tour director is Scottish and he is hilarious! I’m glad he wasn’t Italian because those British accents are so charming and his constant use of the word brilliant and lots of sarcasm and humor made us laugh nonstop. We also had a great group to travel with; I was expecting a bunch of elderly folks but most everyone was around their 50s (which is the new 30, so technically they were in our age group) and liked to have a good time. Also surprisingly everyone on the tour except for one lone traveler was from the US or Canada, so it was great to also learn about different states and regions in North America. We bonded with two couples from Charleston that were very fun and became our drinking buddies.

For starters all the food and wine was delicious. We are fairly knowledgeable about California wines but know nothing about French and Italian wines. We went with the house or local wine everywhere and never had a bad glass and added bonus it was super cheap!

Rome: Saturday—Day 1
Our flight arrived in Rome at 8:30 am and we met our new friends from Charleston while waiting for the bus to take us to the hotel. We decided to call our new formed group “the troublemakers” since we were determined to have a good time with lots of vino. We dropped off our bags at the hotel, freshened up, and found our way to the metro. Thanks to Rick Steves we had bought our tickets online for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel so we headed that way. With our fabulous guidebook, we stopped to grab some pizza to go from a Pizza Rustica place a few blocks from the Vatican. Believe it or not this is the only time I ate pizza in Italy. The rest of the days were filled with pasta, prosciutto, gelato, and vino! Anyway back to the pizza. The pizza rustica places have giant rectangles of different pizzas, you chose the one you want and they cut it according to the size you request. The pizza is warmed up to crisp the crust and then folded over much like a Panini, then wrapped in paper and napkin so you can eat it on the go. I opted for the zucchini blossom pizza since that is something that would be difficult to find on a menu in Houston, and it was so yummy! Plus I love a crispy crust!

It took us about an hour and half to get through the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Unlike the Louvre in Paris, the Vatican Museum is just the right size, well organized, not rooms of repetition, and had just enough variety to hold my attention. When we arrived at the Sistine Chapel we listened to Rick’s podcast, which conveniently also showed the images that were being discussed—this was very helpful since there is artwork everywhere.

That evening we went out with our tour group for a night stroll through Rome to see the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, some Cathedral I can’t remember the name of, and the Piazza Navona.

Trevi Fountain

Pantheon

We consulted the book and found a fabulous restaurant a block from the piazza that is a local favorite, called Cul de Sac. It was a bit chilly out so we grabbed a small table for 2 inside next to the door. The waiter recommended the Lazio Syrah which is grown in the region. I’m usually not a Syrah fan but this wine was wonderful and not to dry and smoky. I tend to think of BBQ when I think of Syrah. We started off with a platter of prosciutto, salami, and some cheeses—they were delicious. For our entrees Scott ordered the pesto pasta (spaghetti) and I ordered a tagiatelle with a hare (rabbit) ragu. Both were delicious, and I had to go with the rabbit since the pesto pasta is easy to reproduce at home.

Antipasti: cheese and meat platter

yummy local wine

yummy pasta, so good I almost forgot to take a pic

We finished the night with a stop at a gelateria, which even had a Viagra flavor! Yes they did, and it was blue just like the pill. I wonder how much of that they sell? I got a cinnamon flavored gelato which was super yummy since I am obsessed with anything cinnamon and always double it in a recipe.

Rome: Sunday—Day 2

We started the day at the Vatican to check out St. Peter’s Basilica. Scott was so excited by everything that he became our photographer for the trip.

The Vatican: St. Peter's Basilica

Afterwards we went to check out the Coliseum and Roman Forum. It was a bit crowded so we didn’t get to go inside (we’ll save that for our next Italy trip).

The Coliseum

We walked around and then wandered around to find another Rick recommendation for lunch the Caffé Dello Studente. We were given complimentary outdoor seating and campari spritzers just for having Rick’s book. I had a very yummy sandwich called the Regina which was filled with prosciutto, mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, and arugula.

The Regina

After lunch we travelled outside of Rome to Tivoli to see the gardens of the Villa D’Este. The grounds were beautiful and all the fountains were amazing! We wrapped up the afternoon with some gelato (lemon and mixed berry) on the square.

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli Gardens

Sunday night I had arranged a surprise for me and Scott. I booked a private cooking class through Nancy Aiello tours at the home of Nina and Alfredo. These two Italians were so charming and hospitable, we really felt as if we were among friends. In addition to the cooking lesson it was fascinating to learn about their life in Italy, the culture, and their travels abroad. Despite traveling light I had packed our aprons from home. Scott and Alfredo chatted while Nina directed me in the kitchen. We had a delicious meal that was all made with a few ingredients and very simple to prepare, which is great because we can easily reproduce everything for quick weeknight meal or casual dinner party. For our antipasti we made squash blossoms stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, lemon zest, anchovy paste, and nutmeg. These were my favorite thing on the menu, partially since they are so “exotic”. In Houston I can only find squash blossoms at the farmers market or rarely on a restaurant menu. For the primi we made spaghetti with a homemade tomato sauce. The foundation of the sauce was olive oil, garlic, and I think some red pepper flakes, but also added a mix of sundried tomatoes, anchovies, and onions, plus fresh vine ripened tomatoes. I was informed that no one in Italy buys jarred pasta sauce, everyone makes their own, and canned tomatoes are only used if desperate during the offseason. Four our main course we enjoyed a fabulous little beef roll ups, not sure what to call it but basically had some thin sliced steak, then a layer of prosciutto, some smoked mozzarella, fresh sage leaf, and then roll it all up and secure with a toothpick, coat with EVOO, and sprinkle with a bread and almond crumb mixture, and bake. Our side was some red bell pepper which was super yummy since I love bell peppers. This of course prompted a discussion about peppers and they do not have jalapenos in Italy. And finally for our dessert, we made a balsamic reduction which was sprinkled on chopped strawberries in a demitasse cup with a crushed amaretto cookie at the bottom. It was light and provided just the right amount of sweetness to finish the meal.

Rome to Venice: Monday—Day 3
This was a long travel day on the tour bus but it was also our first autogrill experience. An autogrill is basically a glorified truskstop that is like a Bucees’ with a mini Luby’s inside, except that Luby’s buffet is yummy Italian food and they even have wine to enjoy with your meal. The scenery on the road was beautiful, travelling through Tuscany and seeing the grape vines, olive trees, and old hilltop towns. When we reached Venice, we immediately had a gondola ride to relax and take in the city. I wasn’t sure what to expect of Venice since I’ve heard mixed reviews. Upon arrival we were in love. And it does not smell! Everything is so quaint and picturesque.

Venice: St. Mark's Square

Venice: Tuesday—Day 4

The morning started with a glass blowing demonstration and a little shopping at the Murano glass store. Then we followed Rick’s advice and got lost in Venice with our troublemaker friends. Since we were on a small island it’s really impossible to get lost or go too far. We just kept walking down streets and turning occasionally and then we stopped at one my favorite Venice places…a cicchetti bar! They are everywhere and you can even do “pub crawl” with them. Teeny little wine bars that also serve some crostini and antipasti. The boys had a beer and the girls had a glass of wine and we each had a crostini to snack on. We weren’t there very long and felt like we were chugging our wine, but when we looked around we saw everyone else had come and gone and slammed down their wine. I guess everyone is always in a hurry.

Cicchetti Bar

Afterwards we strolled over to the produce and fish markets and everything was unbelievably fresh. We made mental note to stop by later and pick up some snacks for a little happy hour before dinner. We also stopped by a wine shop to check out the local wines. We had a good laugh about the cranberry juice container that looked like it was written in Russian but said that it was made with real North American cranberries.

Produce Market

Seafood Market

Venetian water fountain

Following Rick’s instructions, we had lunch at charming spot called Trattoria da Bepi, which was a bit of walk but totally worth it, since it was off the beaten path and had some fabulous seafood. After all we were on the coast and needed to take advantage of the seafood since it was so fresh. Scott and I shared the sea bass, which was presented to us as the whole fish and then our waiter cut it up and served it to us.

After lunch we walked through St. Mark’s Basillica and then raced back to the market and wine shop and did a little divide and conquer to get our happy hour goodies…we ended up with delicious assortment of cherry tomatoes, raspberries, bread, prosciutto, salami, cheese, red wine, and some dessert treats.

Verona: Wednesday—Day 5
This was another day on the road with quick stops in two towns on the way to Florence. Our first stop was in Verona, and began at Juliet’s balcony. Then we headed to the Roman Arena and checked out the inside which is still relatively intact and is still used for concerts and other events. Scott and I did part of Rick’s self guided walk starting at the Arena, walking past the devotional column, and around to Porta Borsari and Corso Porta Borsari which was the main entrance to Roman Verona and functioned as a toll booth. We made a quick detour into Enoteca Oreste and had a glass of wine with the owner, who only spoke Italian and talked to us about his wines and pointed to various items with his cane, so we sort of figured out what he was trying to say. Then we made our way through the Piazza Erbe on our way back to our meeting spot.

Piazza Erbe and the whale bone

Porta Borsari

Roman Arena

San Gimignano: Wednesday—Day 5

The name of this town is a bit of a mouthful, so we have some nicknames for it…I call it “San G” and Scott calls it “San Chimichanga.” This medieval town is on the hill with a fabulous view of Tuscany. We chose to spend our time here doing two things, eating gelato, and sitting outside drinking some local wine enjoying the view. San G is home to the gelato world cup winner Gelateria Pluripremiata di Piazza and I enjoyed the lavender blackberry and rosemary raspberry flavors

View from San G.

San G.

Florence: Thursday—Day 6
Prior to the trip I really expected Florence to be my favorite city, but it was my least favorite (not that I didn’t like it, l I just liked all the other cities more). Maybe it was because it was one of the last places we visited so I had too much to compare it to, maybe it was because it felt more cramped and crowded, or maybe it was all the blog posts I read prior to the trip of people enjoying many a delicious meal so this is what I was expecting to be the culinary mecca…unfortunately I wasn’t there long enough to eat my way through the city but I ate as much as I could during the few hours I was there. We of course saw the David, he is so much taller than I had expected and even more perfect that he looked on Google Images. After the David it was time for me to begin my brief culinary experience. Scott and I went to the big market aptly named Mercato Centrale or Central Market. Since Central Market in Houston is my favorite upscale grocery store I knew this building had delicious treats inside. All the booths of meats, cheeses, pastas, and wine, all looked amazing, and it was a maze, very easy to get lost. I purchased four pastas while here to take home with me and was thankful I had packed the recyclable shopping bag to assist with transport since I was determined not check any bags at the airport…oh so back to my pasta purchases. I bought 3 flavors of tagliatelle: truffle, arugula, and plain, and then one package of saffron spaghetti.

Thanks to one of the bloggers for sharing her Rick Steves’ recommendation we lunched at a darling little place called Trattoria Icche C’e C’e. We enjoyed a bottle of the house white wine, and for antipasti Scott had a caprese salad and I had some melon with prosciutto. I never knew cantaloupe could be so tasty and juicy, it was seriously the best cantaloupe I’ve ever had. I can’t remember what Scott ordered I just remember being disappointed he didn’t order some pasta with boar since boar meat is very popular in the area, but he liked what he ordered so I guess that’s all that matters. Per the blogger recommendation I ordered the truffled cream tagliatelle which was every bit as delicious as it sounds. When the waitress first brought it to the table I sat there for a minute just wafting the savory truffle scent into my nose before digging in. There is a similar recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook which I have made at home, so it’s good to know that with a little truffle butter from Central Market, I can go to Florence any time I want.

Scott and I walked around a bit after lunch and then made our way across the Piazza della Repubblica to enjoy a glass of wine at Osteria la Congrega. This fun little spot has a variety of indoor, covered, and outdoor seating. We enjoyed the patio while sipping our vino. Then we stopped by Festival de Gelato to get my daily gelato fix (one of the goals of the trip was to eat gelato everyday).

The Duomo

The Duomo

View of Florence

That evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Fattoria Il Poggio winery in Tuscany. I don’t remember everything we ate, just that it was all delicious and the wine was bottomless and the night culminated with a dance party under the stars and singing along to the Mamma Mia soundtrack on the ride back to the hotel. The parts of the meal that do stand out, the bruschetta was amazing! I loved the soup and the chicken was very good. I bought their little leaflet cookbook which of course does not have any oven temperatures or cooking times, I guess they are masters and just know when everything is just perfect.

Assisi: Friday—Day 7
Assisi is another picturesque tiny town and the home of St. Francis. With my various European travels I really thought once you’d seen one Cathedral you’d seen them all, but the Basilica of St. Francis I found to be the most interesting since it had so many levels and worshiping spaces, and not to mention amazing panoramic views! After strolling through all the facets of the Basillica, Scott and I strolled into town to find a spot for lunch and were on the hunt for a little deli type shop called La Bottega dei Sapori. We got some delicious sandwiches; mine was on a rosemary foccacia with arugula, salami, and cheese. And one thing shocked me, they had bagged salad greens just like any grocery store in Houston. I thought “oh my they are cheating!” The owner let us sample various “salsas” and pestos with a variety of truffle and mushroom combinations. We bought a tiny jar of the black truffle salsa which is amazing! We would have bought a larger jar but were worried about our limitation of the airline mandated quart sized ziplock bag. Hopefully I can find more of this amazing stuff at Central Market or Spec’s. We of course also got a bottle of wine to enjoy with our sandwiches.

View from St. Francis Basilica

Roman Forum

Piazza Comune

St. Francis Basilica

Then it was on the road back to Rome to share in a farewell dinner with our new friends before parting ways and heading home the next morning.

CSA: Home Sweet Farm

2011-04-26T21:00:00.005-05:00

I’ve got a new project for some blogging material. This year I am participating in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with the Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, Texas. The farm makes produce deliveries to various drop locations around the Houston area for 30 weeks throughout the year.

This is a very exciting and challenging opportunity for me. Usually my weekly grocery store purchases have quite a bit of produce. So I thought this would be a great way to support a local farmer and have some super fresh produce to eat. Although this also means trying some new produce that I haven’t cooked at home before. Some new items so far have been radishes, collard greens, swiss chard, and bok choy. My weekly pickup is on Thursdays at the JCC, so my goal each week is to use everything before the next delivery. This is forcing us to eat more meals at home and also to eat more veggies than we might normally.

I’m on the 3rd week and have started to get the hang of all this. I always plan a weekly menu in advance but it’s usually based off of some new recipes I want to try, some weeknight staples, and my freezer, fridge, and pantry inventory. So now once I pickup my delivery I go to the internet and search Food Network, My Recipes (Southern Living), Epicurious, and Google to find out what recipes I can find that sound yummy to me. Not to mention Farmer Brad & Jenny also send a weekly update on Mondays with what’s coming available, the status of the crops, and some recipes to try for produce that might be delivered that week.

So here is what I have to work with this week…

Head Lettuce
Every week has included head lettuce and/or spring mix and after two weeks of having salads for lunch, I needed a break and this week Scott gets to enjoy some lunch salads. He usually takes sandwiches to work, and we spend ~$14/week on deli meat + ~$3 on a loaf of bread, so instead this week I purchased a colossal rotisserie chicken for $7 and shredded it to be added to the salad with the addition of some nuts, dried fruit, and Brianna’s blush wine vinaigrette.

Turnips
The Southern Living 2009 Christmas Book has a great recipe for a creamy turnip soup with bacon, caramelized pears, and onions. I had made this during the winter and it was delicious. Although I think the fact that this recipe allows me to use one of my favorite gadgets, the immersion blender, coupled with bacon might be part of why I like it so much.

Swiss Chard
Tonight I made Giada’s wheat spaghetti with chard and pecorino for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner. I made a few tweaks to the recipe. I only had one bunch of chard, used Italian style diced tomatoes, skipped the white wine since I didn’t have any open and substituted with pasta water, I also skipped the olives because I do not like olives, and used parmesan instead of pecorino since that is what I usually have in my fridge. Oh and I also had some leftover mushrooms so I added those as well.

Collard Greens
I’m planning to make Ellie Krieger’s short-cut collard greens as a side for my pork tenderloin tomorrow night. Scott is a huge fan of collard greens. I made these the first week with bacon instead of Canadian bacon and he really enjoyed them.

Radishes
I’ve had radishes every week and have tried them two different ways. The preferred method is to slice the radishes and add them to the baking dish/roasting pan with a pork tenderloin or chicken thighs and season them w/ salt & pepper, add a little EVOO, and a tiny bit of truffle oil. Also the radish tops can be roasted as well. For the radish tops toss w/ a little EVOO and sprinkle with salt, place on a sheet pan and bake at 400 for about 10 minutes or so until crispy.

Arugula
Arugula is another item I’ve had each week and have included it in pastas but have also made the Barefoot Contessa’s white pizzas with arugula. This is a delicious pizza, but I short cut with the fresh pre-made pizza dough from Central Market which is half the recipe and I make it as one pizza. Since I still have half of the cheeses left we are making this again on Thursday for a date night on the patio.

Onions
I just use these as an ingredient as needed. See swiss chard and collard greens.

Easy & Elegant Sunday Supper

2011-02-22T18:46:00.001-06:00

Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter and French Apple Tart
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

I have wanted to make the tagliarelle with truffle butter ever since I first saw Ina make it on the Food Network and it was just as delicious as I had anticipated it would be. This past weekend Scott and I went to New Braunfels to visit my Grandpa (he is 99 and has an iphone and ipad), so I knew we’d need to have something quick and easy planned for dinner on Sunday night when we returned and these recipes were perfect.

The Tagliarelle with truffle butter had a few challenges and adjustments. The recommended cipriani tagliarelle pasta is not available at Central Market, so instead I purchased some fresh tagliatelle. I love fresh pasta so I’m sure this was every bit as good as the original if not better. However I almost had a heart attack when I discovered that the truffle butter was not in its usual spot and fortunately the cheese lady found some hidden in the deli. The recipe calls for 3 oz of shaved parmesan, but I think 1.5 oz would be plenty and only 2 Tbsp of fresh chives as well. This made 3 servings, but I wish my dad hadn’t been there with us so I could have eaten more of it. So let’s say it make 2 generous servings, if you are serving it alone.

The French apple tart was very simple to make and tasted very light. I took a shortcut and used a puff pastry. I had made Ina’s apple and dried cherry turnovers for Valentine’s Day and only made half the recipe so I had a sheet leftover to use for the tart. The recipe calls for 4 granny smith apples but I only used 2.5 apples and less than ¼ cup of sugar and about 3 Tbsp of butter. For the glaze I used 1 Tbsp dark rum and finished off a jar of apricot preserves (so ~1/4 cup). I didn’t even strain it, just dipped the brush in the mixture and then onto the tart. Also the tart only took 45 minutes to bake.

Be Mine with Cookies & Cream Bites

2011-02-21T18:28:00.002-06:00

Cookies & Cream Bites
adapted from Peace Meals by the Junior League of Houston
makes 30 bites

ingredients:
1 package Oreos (1 lb, 2 oz)
8 oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat), softened
14 oz chocolate candy coating
sprinkles

directions:
1. Grind Oreos in a food processor and once crumbled add in cream cheese and combine until no cream cheese can be seen.
2. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
3. Once the mixture is chilled form into 1” balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and then chill for another 15 minutes.
4. Melt chocolate candy coating and dip balls into the chocolate using a skewer or toothpick, then dip into sprinkles and place back on cookie sheet to dry.

These cookies & cream bites were super easy to make and super rich and chocolately. They pulled double duty since Scott and I sampled some as part of our Valentine’s dessert tray and then the remainder was consumed at the monthly birthday celebration at work. Believe me when I say they didn’t last long. I'll admit I ate at least 6 Oreos before actually getting started. I was thrilled with the short ingredient list and also bought the store brand ingredients to save a little money. Next time I think I’ll buy the double stuffed Oreos. The best part was the Kroger brand candy coating came in its own microwavable tray so I didn’t have to rig a double boiler and had one less dish to clean. I used a small cookie scoop so I only made about 18-19 instead of the 30 suggested and I’m sure part of that was the upfront quality control testing.

Cozy Christmas

2010-12-27T13:59:00.004-06:00

Traditional Christmas Dinner
Williams-Sonoma Entertaining

Usually Scott and I host Christmas Day for ~14 people, but this year we only cooked for 4. This sounds like it would be simple, but choosing the menu was the hard part. Most holiday recipes are written for 8-12 servings. The Traditional Christmas Dinner Menu from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining was for 6 servings, so we had just enough for leftovers. The only change I made was to substitute the oyster stew for a salad. Everything was delicious and I’d definitely make each recipe again. One thing I found amusing was that 4 of these recipes had half and half as ingredient; I ended up needing a half gallon of half and half.

Winter Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
This salad was very yummy I deviated a little from the recipe and for the greens got a bag of mixed greens that also contained some soft butter lettuce. This salad was full of surprises with cashews, dried cranberries, walnuts, pear, apple, and Swiss cheese. The salad dressing ended up being lemon vinaigrette since Central Market was out of poppy seeds in their bulk section. I borrowed this recipe from Peace Meals but also stumbled upon a variation of it by another name in one of my Southern Living Christmas books. This could also be great as a meal salad with some chicken or pork.

Standing Rib Roast
I splurged and bought the Central Market Prime rib roast since it’s the holidays but a choice cut would be just as good. I made the herb paste a few days before so I’d have less to do on the big day. However the cooking time in the recipe was grossly understated, I was glad I used a meat thermometer to stay on track since even with my oven on convection roast it took an additional 30-60 minutes to cook. I also skipped the madiera jus since I had too many things going on at the last minute but I did make the horseradish sauce (since it could be prepped early).

Yorkshire Pudding

The puddings were easy to make and were very light and tasty. I substituted rosemary for the thyme since I love rosemary and its easier to handle that thyme. And lastly a smear of butter makes everything better.

Potato and Celery Root Puree

This was very light and tasty, I liked the addition of the celery root and they didn’t seem as dense as most mashed potato recipes.

Creamed Spinach

I was amazed by how quick this recipe was to make. I think about 5 minutes in total. Spinach dishes can be really good or just okay…since this one had almost 2 cups of half and half it was rich and delicious.

Bread Pudding

These “individual” bread puddings were really enough for two people each. They were massive and the cream anglaise really was the best part.

Delicious Destination: Belize

2010-12-24T13:06:00.003-06:00

Matachica Resort, Ambergris Caye

Back during the summer Scott and I decided to plan a trip to start off the Christmas holiday with some R&R. Our requirements for the trip were that it had to be a tropical location in the Caribbean and a direct flight from Houston. We wanted a place that was romantic and where we could get away from everything. A google search led me to the Matachica Resort in Belize. The photos on the website were beautiful and the reviews on Trip Advisor and Yahoo Travel confirmed that the experience would match the photos.

We had a 2.5 hour flight from Houston to Belize City, Belize. From there we took a propeller plane to San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye and Charlie from Matachica met us at the San Pedro airport and took us by boat the resort. The resort is only 5 miles from town, but the roads are sand primary land transportation is via golf cart so travel by boat is the way to go.

Upon arrival we were greeted with a welcome cocktail, settled into our bungalow, and then had delicious lunch followed by some relaxation at the pool. We had no TV or phone, and the main house did have some computers and wi-fi but I turned off my phones and left them that way the whole time.

A typical day was wake up, eat breakfast, short walk down the beach, layout on the beach, eat lunch, go back to the beach, and then finish the afternoon by the pool. Every evening we had a pre-dinner cocktail at the bar, then had dinner, and went to bed. Each meal we worked our way through the menu so we could try as many different items as possible, and all were delicious.

One day we actually went on a fishing/snorkeling excursion just the two of us and our guide. We caught enough snapper for our lunch and dinner which the chef prepared for us. We chose fish tacos for lunch and pouch of with snapper fillet, tomatoes, bell peppers, and white wine burre blanc sauce for dinner. This experience was one of the favorites of our trip.

Our last full day we indulged in spa appointments so we could be fully relaxed before returning home.

Lazy Lasagna

2010-12-14T21:57:00.002-06:00

Turkey Lasagna
adapted from Barefoot Contessa

I was not a lasagna fan until I tasted this recipe. Everything Ina Garten makes is delicious and when I first saw this episode on the Food Network for Turkey lasagna I knew it was going to be fabulous. The first time or two I made this recipe I actually used turkey sausage, a combination of mild and hot. One day I was at Central Market and instead chose half hot pork sausage and half mild pork sausage and it really took this recipe to the next level. But go ahead and use the turkey so you can pretend likes it healthy. I also do use lower fat cheeses in the recipe when available.

This is a great make ahead dish that can be stored in the freezer. I’m sure you noticed the crude presentation of a foil baking dish in the photo. I make two of these every year for our annual Labor Day trip. I use the foil pans for the trip so we don’t have to wash dishes and I don’t have to worry about anything breaking during transport. This year we were expecting more people so I had made 3 but some people had to drop out at the last minute so I left the third lasagna in the freezer to be enjoyed at some unknown date in the future. Well that date has arrived. See it’s my birthday and December is always a busy time of year, and we are leaving to vacation in Belize. So in addition to being out of town every weekend this month I just don’t have the time for a proper b-day celebration. But since several friends have inquired and insisted I do something to mark the occasion my compromise was to have a causal low-key girls dinner and thaw out that lasagna. Everyone else was responsible for vino, salad, and dessert (and my wonderful husband washed the dishes). One friend said it wasn't right hat I was making my own dinner, but the work was done back in August, I just threw it in the oven.

Sweet Potato Pie

2010-11-26T15:32:00.004-06:00

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue
Southern Living: November 2010

This delicious pie is on the cover of the Southern Living Thanksgiving issue and has the look of perfection. Mine of course does not look as fabulous since I don’t have a food stager or professional photographer on standby. Many years ago at a Thanksgiving buffet I grabbed a slice of sweet potato pie by mistake thinking it was pumpkin—they are both orange. I was disappointed when I was told it was sweet potato, but reluctantly tasted it anyway and was pleasantly surprised. This pie was absolutely delicious and exceeded the pie in my memory.

Also last night while eating Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner I realized this pie can double a side or dessert since its sweet potato!

I started off this year’s holiday season with our new tradition of a broken oven (it has broken 3 years in a row during the holidays). Fortunately the part was available and it was repaired on Tuesday allowing me plenty of time to bake my dessert to take to Scott’s family Thanksgiving.

There were several great things about this pie recipe. I was able to bake the sweet potatoes for the filling on Tuesday night, use a Pillsbury pie crust and assemble and bake the pie on Wednesday, and then prepare the meringue on Thursday morning. For the sweet potatoes, I poked them with a fork, wrapped them in foil and baked them in a 400 degree oven for about an hour and half and then scooped out the filling. I absolutely detest making a pie crust from scratch--I feel like it’s a lot of unnecessary work for something that is in the background, and yet at the same time it’s so essential. I once cut my finger on the food processor blade while making a pie crust for a less than stellar pie, so maybe I am scarred for life. But there are some shortcuts I take to deviate from my scratch method, and for me the Pillsbury pie crust is one of those rare exceptions.

This pie also had several baking firsts for me. I don’t bake a lot of pies since my favorite desserts are cookies and I will occasionally bake a tart but tart crust is entirely different. Anyway this pie called for prebaking the pie crust using pie weights. I didn’t read over the directions until the last minute, so instead of braving the Thanksgiving shopper insanity at the grocery store to pick up some dried beans, I was already planning to stop by Williams-Sonoma for some pre-black Friday holiday shopping and purchased pie weights there. Scott made the mistake of biting into one thinking it was candy…good thing he didn’t bite too hard or he would have lost a tooth. Also this was my first time to ever make a meringue which sounds intimidating, but it was actually very easy thanks to my Kitchen Aid mixer. However I discovered in the car on the way to our Thanksgiving meal that meringue can melt so it needs to stay in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

2010-11-04T18:46:00.001-05:00

Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
By Paula Dean

I’m in love with these cookies and also very sad since this is the last time I will ever bake them. Hershey’s has discontinued the main ingredient. I used to be able to find the chocolate raspberry baking pieces at my local grocery store and then one day they were gone. I immediately went to the Hershey’s website only to discover they were no longer listed. I sent an email to Hershey’s urging them to bring them back and to let me know if there were anymore packages available in the Houston area. As luck would have it, I received a reply and headed over to the River Oaks Randall’s where I bought the last bag! This was over a year ago and I have been holding on this piece of heaven ever since, waiting for the perfect occasion.

That day has finally come. When I bake cookies I usually have enough for 2 occasions, so I try to be strategic about splitting up the cookies…I don’t want to end up with too many on my waistline. The two lucky recipients of this chocolate goodness are my Grandpa and my old boss Anita.

My Grandpa is 99 and recently broke his hip, had hip replacement surgery, and is temporarily living in a rehabilitation facility so he can undergo physical therapy everyday for several weeks to learn how to walk again. He has a serious sweet tooth and those genes were passed onto me. At his age I hope he is around long enough for this pain and suffering to be worth it. So I thought I’d cheer him up with a package of cookies and some cross word puzzles to keep him occupied.

Also Anita’s birthday was on Halloween, so I owed her some goodies. She was my boss for several years when I first started working and she is responsible for molding me into the employee that I am today.

Fall Flank Steak Salad

2010-11-01T20:56:00.002-05:00

This recipe was inspired by the November 2010 issue of Southern Living. It is filled with fabulous fall and Thanksgiving recipes, including a sweet potato pie that I have been dying to bake. I was looking for a quick and easy weeknight recipe and when I saw the Leafy Green Salad with Pears recipe I thought, “Add a protein and it’s a meal.”

Fall Flank Steak Salad
Serves 3-4

1 lb flank steak
1 Bartlett pear
¼ cup candied pecans
1 bag butter greens
Salt & pepper
Salad dressing (optional)

1. Heat skillet over medium heat
2. Season flank steak with salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
3. Slice pear.
4. Add lettuce to plates and top with steak, pear slices, and candied pecans. Add salad dressing if desired.

Blue cheese would be a great addition to the salad. I have a chunk in the freezer but was too distracted with all the leftover Halloween candy to think about it. I opted for no salad dressing; however Scott added some Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette. A honey vinaigrette or balsamic dressing would be a great addition as well. I will be enjoying the leftover salad for lunch tomorrow.

Date Night Any/Every Night

2010-10-17T21:05:00.004-05:00

Recipes from Peace Meals

Tonight Scott and I conducted our weekly Peace Meals recipe test with a few tests. 1. We finally used our new grill that my dad gave us for our anniversary back in May; and 2. We had dinner on the patio.

You are probably wondering why it took us ~5 months to use our grill for the first time, but really it’s a simple answer, it was just too HOT outside, plus we have a grill pan which is well suited for cooking for two and indoors.

And then there is the concept of dinner on the patio. Now that Fall has arrived, we have been trying to eat dinner on the patio regularly. Everyone loves dining al fresco whether on the patio of your favorite restaurant (Grappino’s, Teala’s, La Vista, etc.) or in your own backyard.

So tonight we made our usual Sunday dinner routine into an unexpected and perfect date night with dinner on the patio. We turned the television to the classical music channel, opened the patio doors, and were celebrating the Christening of our new grill. I usually try to limit my adult beverage consumption to Thursday, Friday, Saturday, but the ambiance made it hard to resist. Scott really wanted a glass of wine all we currently have in inventory is “the good stuff”. Speaking of “the good stuff”, our wine du jour was from our 4th anniversary trip to Napa back in May-- we enjoyed the Elyse “C’est si bon,” which is French for “It’s so good!”. I don’t think we need to explain that further because the name says it all.

And onto our meal…the Grilled Pork Loin Adobado and Honey Roasted Root Vegetables. I was expecting the pork to be spicy but it wasn’t at all. I roasted some Poblano peppers which are milder chiles, the pork had a good flavor, plus I have plenty of leftovers for lunch the next few days and for Scott’s dinner on Wednesday night while I’m at book club. The honey roasted root veggies were delicious and easy to make. I roasted butternut squash, carrots, turnips, fingerling potatoes, garlic, and shallots mixed with honey, olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt, and pepper for 45 minutes at 400. If I had it to do over again I would have turned the veggies along the way for even carmelization, or actually just left the garlic cloves whole instead of slicing. It was definitely a great fall/winter side dish and good compliment to the pork.

Stay tuned for a mushroom quiche which I’m hoping will turn out fabulous since I have very high expectations.

Butternut Squash Bisque

2010-10-04T19:56:00.003-05:00

Butternut Squash Bisque
Peace Meals by the Junior League of Houston

To celebrate the beautiful fall weather I decided to make Butternut Squash Bisque for dinner. This is a delicious and easy to make recipe. It took a little over an hour including prep but there was quite a bit of inactive cooking time so it was nice to not have to slave in the kitchen non-stop. Best of all is the surprise ingredient… a jalapeno! The jalapeno added some “heat” in the background in addition to some depth to the bisque. The carrots, celery, leeks, jalapeno, butternut squash, and chicken broth needed to be pureed after they had simmered awhile. The recipe says to puree using a food processor or blender, which translates to more dishes to wash. Luckily I had my secret weapon the immersion blender (and yes I do have the green one). My sister-in-law, Jill, gave me the immersion blender for Christmas last year and it’s a Godsend. This nifty tool makes pureeing soups and sauces a breeze since you can leave everything in the pot. I rounded off the dish with a chopped pecan garnish. I skipped the fried sage because it just wasn’t a step I felt was needed for a Monday night dinner. However I did think about frying up some bacon, but decided to forgo for the same reason.

The recipe claims to be 4 servings. I think a proper portion should be 1 cup; however Scott prefers 2 cups, so the recipe really yields seven 1 cup servings or ~three 2 cup servings. I have some leftover which I have frozen in individual his and hers servings to enjoy in the future.

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Yellow Pepper Mole Sauce

2010-07-27T20:15:00.002-05:00

Recipe by Bobby Flay

Saturday night Scott and I had a date night at home. We haven’t cooked a nice meal on the weekend in awhile and were long overdue. I always enjoy trying recipes from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill cookbook because they are always delicious and we are never disappointed.

I’ve never understood why my husband, or any man for that matter, is obsessed with pork chops. I’ve never had a pork chop I’m excited about until I made this recipe. These pork chops were tender and juicy, which I credit to their massive size. Often times when I buy pork chops at the grocery store they are cut thin, cook too fast, and I’m often left with a dry and tough meal. These chops were so big that they weighed a pound each, but for two I only spent $10 which is significantly less than I usually spend on a good cut of meat for the two of us. So not only are these delicious but also affordable.

There are two secrets to making this recipe a success...

1. Get really good pork chops! I of course went to Central Market and had the butcher cut me double cut bone-in pork chops.

2. You must make the mole sauce! This sauce is fantastic, it’s got a little sweet and savory all rolled into one. We have some sauce left over so I’ll be added it to my standard weeknight pork tenderloin recipe tomorrow night.

Restaurant Review: Killen's Steakhouse

2010-03-22T14:00:00.005-05:00

Scott and I recently went to Killen's Steakhouse per the recommendation of a friend--a friend that likes really good food. He had claimed Killen's had the best steak he'd ever eaten and we agree. The drive to Pearland was worth every bite. From the outside, it doesn't look like much, but the inside was very tastefully decorated and the cuisine, very tasty!

We had an excellent waiter who helped steer us through the menu.

I started with a cosmopolitan that was perfectly blended and Scott relaxed with a dirty martini. We ordered a bottle of the Reynold's Family Reserve Cabernet to compliment our steaks.

Appetizer

• NUESKE BACON WRAPPED U‐10 SCALLOPS •
Jumbo Scallops wrapped in bacon served on a bed of spinach, with lemon butter sauce

These scallops were amazing, some of the best I've had. I'm sure I was influenced by the bacon but they would have still been divine without it. The scallops and spinach rested upon a thick slice of fried potato. There were 4 jumbo scallops on the platter, I could easily come back and order the scallops as entree paired with a salad.

Salad

• GARDEN •
Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Cucumbers and Carrots

• WEDGE •
Fresh Iceberg Lettuce Wedge topped with diced Tomatoes, Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Chives and Chef Ron’s Roquefort dressing

Both salads were good, but not the focal part of our meal. We were planning to eat a lot, and I couldn't believe Scott wanted to waste valuable stomach real estate with a salad.

Entree

• 16 oz Kobe Beef RIB-EYE •
This was one of many Rib-eye options on the menu. They actually had a 32 oz one that we could have spilt but we decided on a divide and conquer approach. I did see two men at another table each ordered their own 32 ounce rib-eye and eat all of it, let's just say they looked like they could have each eaten two of them. I had a bite of Scott's rib-eye but it was nothing in comparison to the Kobe Beef filets that I had.

• (3) 3 oz Kobe Beef Filet Mignon •
I opted for the special, fully expected all kobe beef to be equal. This flight really surprised my palette.

1. Nebraska Morgan Ranch
The Nebraska beef was fantastic. It tasted like a hunk of meat drenched in butter.
2. Texas AKAUSHI KOBE BEEF
I fully expected the Texas beef to be better, since well everything is bigger and better in Texas, but it was least favorite. Had I had it on its own I'm sure it would have been awesome but in comparison it just wasn't.
3. Australia Blackwood Ranch
The Australia beef was so good I am speechless. We were told it was the most comparable to the highest grade of Japanese kobe and I believe it.

We split a side of macaroni and cheese, which was of course delicious.

Dessert

• Creme Brulee Bread Pudding •
I don't get very excited about bread pudding, but this one was excellent. It was moist, without being wet, and also won the best bites competition at the Houston Rodeo.

This meal was a super splurge for us so maybe next time we will attemp to try some of the more affordable items on the menu.

The Weekly Menu

2010-03-06T08:08:00.004-06:00

I plan my meals for the week and grocery shop on Sunday. I developed a spreadsheet to plan for each day and also prepare my grocery list. When planning for the week, I take inventory of my pantry and freezer to see if there are any ingredients I can use. I also mark our social activities on the menu so that my husband and I can keep up with each other's schedules. I use the other section for things such as baking for birthdays, book club, etc. This helps me stay organized and makes it easier to enjoy healthier meals more often. I hear people make excuses and say they come home from work and then can't decide what to have for dinner, then they don't want to go the store, and next thing you know its fast food for dinner. I have certain weeknight staples that I stick to during the week, and the weekend is my time to test recipes and enjoy extravagant gourmet dinners.

Also I am big fan of using the freezer. Often when purchasing chicken, meat, or pork I try to get a value pack and I'll freeze the extra pieces in the necessary quantity/serving combo to be thawed later as needed. I recommend reading "Can I Freeze It?", it provides a lot of great information on what types of food freeze well and the best freezing materials and methods. I haven't tried any of the recipes, but I use the methods all the time.

Click here to print a copy of the weekly menu plan.

Here are a few of my weeknight staples. I'll be sure to add more in the future

kebabs
You can skip the pomegranate glaze, it doesn't add flavor and isn't worth the effort to make

pork chops w/ sauteed apples

poblano & mushroom tacos

spice crusted pork tenderloin w/ roasted baby carrots

Restaurant Review: Chez Nous

2010-02-23T17:22:00.002-06:00

Scott and I celebrated Valentine's Day at Chez Nous in Humble. We celebrated our fist Valentine's day together at Chez Nous, back in 2004, so we decided we were long overdue for a trip back. The owner/chef was the executive Chef at Tony's back in the 80s, so its great food. Chez Nous is French for our home, and its just that...a cozy cottage with seating in various rooms. We were sitting in the library next to some wine bottles. We enjoyed the 5 course chef's table with wine pairing, everything was delicious. We were told the chef's table is logged with each reservation so that diners can have a new experience each time they request it. Chez Nous is worth the drive.

I
Riesling
Salad of Raindrop Farms Tomatoes, Organic Field Greens, marinated Red Onions, Feta, Chick Peas and our signature Vinaigrette
I love tomatoes so this was a treat for me.

II
Chardonnay
Grouper with oranges and roasted fennel
I don't eat a lot of seafood but this fish was light and delicious. The citrus added a nice flavor and was nicely complimented by the roasted fennel.

III
Pinot Noir
A Classic Country Terrine of Veal and Duck with Cornichons and Sauce Charcutiere
This pate was complete with some bacon...need I say more.

IV
Pinor Noir
Filet w/ Risotto a port reduction
The filet was delicious but the risotto made the course.

V
Rose Champagne
Passion Fruit-Raspberry Souffle
This souffle was delcicious and I wish we'd had a larger portion. I love anything with raspberries. The rose champagne was the perfect way to end the night.

Pork Chops with Sautéed Apples

2010-02-10T20:41:00.003-06:00

This is a super fast recipe that has become one my weeknight staples. Its so easy to make and delicious. I freeze the extra pork chops from the package to have on hand for a future weeknight.

Pork Chops with Sautéed Apples
serves 2

2 boneless pork chops
salt and pepper
1 granny smith apple, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup apple juice*
1 Tbsp butter

Heat skillet over medium heat.
Lightly sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper.
Cook chops for 5 min one side, and then 3 minutes on the other side for medium.**
Remove chops from pan.
Add apples to skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add juice and butter to pan and cook with apples for 1 minute.
Spoon apples and sauce over the chops and enjoy.

*I use whatever juice I have on hand. Sometimes cranberry juice, tonight I used blueberry pomegranate juice.
**Many people think that pork has to be thoroughly cooked like chicken, and that is not true. It is perfectly safe to eat pork that is pink in the center. If you want to cook your pork all the way through then cook for 5 minutes on each side.

Restaurant Review: The Strip House

2010-01-18T13:43:00.004-06:00

The Strip House is celebrating its 5 year anniversary during the months of January and February with a special promotion--5 courses for $55. Scott and I have never dined at the Strip House, so we decided to take advantage of this special. Due to the variety of the menu we decided to opt for wine by the glass so we could drink a compatible wine with each course. All of the courses were delicious and each better than the last. I would have like a few more minutes between each course, but I am a very slow eater, so maybe that's just me.

Wine: House Champagne
I opted for champagne for two reasons: 1. I became an aunt that week and wanted to celebrate and 2. I thought it would go well with the lobster bisque.

I LOBSTER BISQUE CAPPUCCINO, chopped lobster and chives
The bisque was the perfect amount and consistency, it didn't fill me up too quickly.

Wine: Flora Springs Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often paired with Scallops so I wanted them to taste their best.

II GRILLED TOMATO & BUFALA MOZZARELLA SALAD, balsamic glaze and basil
This was a delicious salad and a good twist on a caprese salad. It was also garnished with finely sliced red onion.

III SEARED SEA SCALLOP, edamame succotash, black truffle butter, corn broth
The scallop is one of the best I've ever eaten at a restaurant. Great flavor and meaty texture.

Wine: 75 Wine Co Cabernet
Cabernet and steak are two peas in a pod.

IV 6OZ. FILET MIGNON, black truffle creamed spinach, goose fat potatoes
The filet as cooked to perfection. The black truffle creamed spinach was amazing, I could not get enough of this. The goose fat potatoes were delicious with interesting presentation and flavor. They were like a fried mashed potato ball, bu the consistency and level of saltiness were a hybrid between a french fry and a hash brown.

V STRIP HOUSE PROFITEROLE, chocolate malt & espresso ice cream, hot fudge sauce
I think the best part was the hot fudge sauce! Yummy!

Restaurant Review: Lucio’s

2009-11-10T20:18:00.004-06:00

Scott and I are huge fan of BYOB restaurants, we frequent Collina’s and La Vista on a regular basis solely because they are BYOB. Last year we discovered a new BYOB favorite, Lucio’s. This place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the magic is in the kitchen. Both times we have dined here, the restaurant has been packed, the service excellent, and most importantly the food delicious. Lucio’s is what I will call an upscale BYOB restaurant, it’s a little pricier, but hey you can bring your own wine so you aren’t paying a markup. And my personal favorite detail is that Lucio’s uses nice wine glasses, instead of the short glasses I see at other BYOB places.

We brought two bottles of wine, a white and a red, to pair with the various courses of our meal.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Rancho Chimiles Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
Silver Oak, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Appetizer:
Jumbo Lump Crab Tower
Sliced avocado, pico de gallo, poblano coulis

The crab tower was the perfect start to the meal, the chunks of crab were huge and it was just enough to get our mouths watering for the rest of the evening.

Salads:
Goat Cheese Apple Salad
Shallots, mix greens, candied pecans, chevre, apple, honey vinaigrette

This salad was an obvious choice for me because I love goat cheese. The only detail not mentioned in the description, which I consider to be a very important one, is that the goat cheese medallions are fried. We all know fried things are always better. The second reason I ordered this salad is that apples and pecans are in season so it had “Fall” written all over it.

California Tomato Salad
Fresh mozzarella, basil, mixed greens, balsamic reduction

Scott ordered this salad with thick slices of mozzarella and tomatoes, and it was loaded with fresh basil. I love the smell of fresh basil.

Entrees:
Grilled Jerk Quail
Potato hash, red pepper, onion & asparagus

The first time we dined at Lucio’s Scott ordered quail and the tiny bite I tasted was fantastic, so this time my decision was already made. The quail was so tender and delicious and the veggie hash was fantastic. I was asked 3 times if I had finished eating because I wanted to savor every bite. I will only order the quail from now on. Plus quail is one of those ingredients that unless you are a bird hunter, you don’t usually make at home or see on restaurant menus.

Rib Eye Au Poivre
Thyme cognac sauce, cheddar mash, haricot verts

Scott ordered the rib eye which is a true man’s meat and potatoes dish. I had a bite of the cheddar mashed potatoes which were of course delicious as is anything with cheese, and covering the potatoes was a rib eye so huge it took up most of the plate. The bite of rib eye I tasted was delicious, but my favorite is still the quail…I can make a mean steak at home, so I usually try not to order steak when I go out.

Poblano & Mushroom Tacos

2009-11-08T07:58:00.004-06:00

The Fast Easy Fresh section of Bon Appétit is a great source for healthy, quick, and easy weeknight meals. These tacos are easy to make and very delicious. Scott and I both agreed this recipe is a keeper and I can’t wait to make it again. Maybe next time I’ll add some leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Poblano Mushroom Tacos
Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2009
Serves 2

2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1 Poblano chile, seeded and thinly sliced into long strips
1/2 small red onion, sliced
3 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 corn tortillas
4 thin slices Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
¼ cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add Poblano chile, red onion, and mushrooms; sauté mixture until brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Mix in ground cumin, and then transfer mixture to medium bowl.
4. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in same skillet.
5. Add tortillas in single layer, draping up sides of skillet to fit.
6. Divide mushroom mixture among tortillas, placing mixture only on 1 side, and then top each tortilla with a slice of Monterrey Jack cheese.
7. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling and press firmly.
8. Cook tortillas 1 minute per side.
9. Transfer tacos to plates. Open tacos and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and crumbled feta.

Spicy Cheese Straws

2009-11-02T20:53:00.004-06:00

I love anything with cheese! I first made this recipe two years ago for my holiday open house. I recently made them again for a shower and I had forgotten how yummy they are. I love the spicy kick from the red pepper flakes as well as the crispy crunch. In addition to being an edible treat these cheese straws also became part of the tablescape. Cheese straws can be displayed in crystal glasses, short vases, or mint julep cups.

Spicy Cheese Straws
Adapted from Southern Living, December 2007

1 1/2 cups (5 oz.) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese*
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and softened
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon half-and-half

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
· Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; pulse in 5-second intervals until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add half-and-half, and process 10 seconds or until dough forms a ball.
· Turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and roll into an rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Cut dough with a sharp knife into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide strips, dipping knife in flour after each cut to ensure clean cuts. Place strips on ungreased baking sheets.
· Bake for12-14 minutes or until ends are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 30 minutes.

*I use cracker barrel sharp cheddar and grate the cheese using a hand grater. Trying to grate in a food processor makes the cheese too fine in turn making the dough too soft.

I like to make a double batch, if I can resist from eating the block of cheddar. Straws can be also be made ahead and frozen.

Puffy Pigs

2009-11-02T20:37:00.005-06:00

These yummy appetizers are a twist on the classic pig-in-a-blaket. They are easy to make and guaranteed to be a hit. Small cookie cutters can be used to cut shapes for any occasion.

Puffy Pigs
Makes 40

1 lb chicken spinach asiago sausage (from Sam’s)
1 package puff pastry
Toothpicks

· Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
· Cut each sausage link into 8 slices.
· Cook sausage slices in a skillet over medium heat, 4 minutes per side.
· Thaw puff pastry according to package directions.
· Use cookie cutters to cut pasty.
· Top each sausage bite with pastry shape and secure with a toothpick and place on a baking sheet.
· Bake for 20 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden.
· Transfer to platter and serve.

Delicious Destination: Savannah, Georgia

2009-08-28T12:55:00.005-05:00

Scott and I traveled to Savannah in May to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. Earlier in the Spring I had read a feature on Savannah in Southern Living . The brief article had everything planned for a romantic weekend getaway. So with Southern Living as our guide I booked our trip. We had a wonderful experience in Savannah and will let Southern Living be my travel guide again in the future. The hotel said we didn't need to rent a car since most things in the historical district are within walking distance and if they aren't then you can travel via trolley, horse drawn carriage, or pedi cab.

We left Houston Friday morning and arrived to Savannah early in the afternoon. We checked into the President’s Quarters and stayed the weekend in the Ronald Reagan suite. The hotel was originally two townhouses which were later converted into the cozy bed and breakfast. We were greeted with sweet Southern accents and told about the morning breakfast on the courtyard and afternoon happy hour. Since we had some time to pass before happy hour, we made our way a few blocks over to River Street.

River Street is your typical tourist trap that every city has...its kind of like The Strand in Galveston. There are tons of souvenir shops, some good people watching, and lots of casual and water themed restaurants. We stopped into the Shrimp Factory for an afternoon snack and to quench our thirst. I had a peach martini* which was divine and some sweet tea. I rarely have Sweet Tea because good sweet tea is usually only found in places like Georgia. For our snacks we had the Seafood Bisque:Creamy Seafood Broth with Crab, Shrimp and Fish, sauteed Onions & Celery and the Shrimp Fan-tail BBQ (Honey-laced Barbecue Sauce). The shrimp was overcooked, so based on that I would not return to Shrimp Factory.

After our stroll down River Street, we returned to our precious Inn to freshen up for Happy Hour and indulge in some savory appetizers and wine. They had a creamy spread made of pecans, peach preserves, cream cheese, and few other tasty items I cannot remember...I just know it was really yummy and my book club would have loved such a treat. After happy hour we freshened up again (thanks to the humidity) and made our way to dinner at the Olde Pink House.

The Olde Pink House does not have a website. I was extremely disappointed in this inconvenience when researching the trip, but once I arrived it was evident they didn't need a website. Several people had recommended we dine at The Olde Pink House so we had to go. We first made our way downstairs into the Tavern to a pre-dinner cocktail. Let me tell you they make a mean Strawberry Mojito*. Then we made our way upstairs for our meal. We started out with a glass of champagne to toast our 3 years of marriage together and then enjoyed the Gary Farrell Pinot Noir* for the remainder of our meal. Due to lack of menu online here is what I remember to the best of my ability. I won't go into too much detail other to say that this place was delicious and I highly recommend you dine here if you ever visit Savannah. At the end of our meal our waiter discovered it was our anniversary and brought out a plate of whipped cream and berries complete with a candle and some chocolate drizzle.

Appetizer: oysters with relishes
Soup: She Crab Soup*
Salad: BLT with fried green tomato*
Entrée: Pork Shank
Entrée: Crispy half duck
Dessert: chocolate torte*

Saturday we began our day with breakfast on the courtyard. It was some sort of croissant french toast stuffed with strawberries and cream cheese. Then we made our way down to River Street to hop on the Old Town Trolley Tours for a tour of Savannah. This is a great quick way to see the sights and learn some history. Also trolley tickets can be purchased with on/off privileges for the whole day so you can get around town without hurting your feet too much. Everyone has asked me why we didn't go to Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons when we were in Savannah--and I have several reasons for not going. 1. All of her recipes are on www.foodnetwork.com so I could make them myself and 2. You have to get there at 9AM the day of to put your name on the list and then wait an hour when you show up for your time. While we were touring on the trolley we noticed Il Pasticcio* and thought all of the sidewalk tables looked cute so we went there for lunch. I had the WARM PROSCUITTO AND GRUYERE CHEESE ON FOCCACIA and Scott the had the SLICED AHI TUNA W/WASABI AIOLI ON CIABATTA, both were delicious. And since were on vacation we each had a glass of the White Haven sauvignon blanc with our sandwiches.

We continued to spend the afternoon walking around the historical district and visiting places we passed on our tour. There were also quite a few antique shops that I browsed in. And I found a Christmas store so I bought an ornament of a crab to remember our trip every year.

The Southern Living article had highly recommended Noble Fare so we dined there on Saturday night. We traveled via Pedi Cab, and our "driver" was a nice young man who is a student at SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) and his girlfriend is from The Woodlands...what a small world. Anyway we had a fabulous dinner and I must say that the scallops were the best scallops I've ever had...they were cooked to perfection (however the ones at The Grove recently are a close second)

cocktail: basil ginger lemonade*
appetizer: soft shell crab
soup: Shrimp Bisque*
salad: baby greens with raspberry dressing candied pecans and goat cheese*
entrée: Swordfish with lobster mashed potatoes
entrée: Scallops with corn mashed potatoes*
dessert: strawberry crème brulee*
wine: Vinium Chenin Blanc Viognier

After dinner we returned to Il Pasticcio for some drinks before calling it a night. Il Pasticcio is part restaurant and part lounge so its a great place for an after dinner drink.

Sunday morning we enjoyed our final brunch of shrimp and grits on the courtyard. Then I spent some time on the balcony of our room reading my book. We had a quick lunch down street at Café Ambrosia and enjoyed a Grilled cheese Panini with Colby jack and a hummus tray complimented by pita, red bell pepper, carrots, celery, mushrooms. Then it was time to go to the airport and head back to reality.

* super delicious would definitely order again

Restaurant Review: The Grove

2009-08-17T11:53:00.003-05:00

Scott and I joined some friends for dinner at The Grove on Friday night to participate in Houston Restaurant Week. We decided to use this opportunity to try something new. 3 courses for $35 per person with $10 of those dollars benefiting the Houston Food Bank. Their pre-fix menu had quite a few delicious options for each course. Everything sounded really yummy, but since I have 3 bathing suit trips in the next month I decided to order items that were light and summery. I have outlined several of the menu items our table enjoyed I didn't get to taste everything but what I did taste was excellent. I also enjoyed the openness of the restaurant and the view of Discovery Green. I am hoping to dine at The Grove again in the near future.

Cocktail:
Pomegranate Margarita
My friend Courtney had recommended the pomegranate margarita...this concoction was so delicious I ordered two of them. It had the perfect balance of tart and sweetness to get that yummy sourness without the mouth pucker.

1st Course:
Smoked Texas Quail Skewers
Pineapple Bourbon Dipping Sauce

I don't see quail on menus very often so I decided to indulge in this Texan delicacy and delicious it was.

The Grove Picnic Platter
Artisan Meats + Cheese + Pickles

Scott ordered the Picnic platter and he usually eats all of his food and at least half of mine, but I actually had to help him out there was so much to choose from. So I gladly helped myself to some prosciutto and cheese.

Fresh Fish Ceviche
Tropical Fruits + Chiles + Plantain Chips

Our friend ordered this and it was such a generous serving that I got to sample this too. It was very fresh, light, and had the perfect amount of citrus. I would order this for myself next time.

2nd Course:
Hand Rolled Fettuccine
Baja Scallops + Summer Corn + Basil

This dish reminds of one of my favorite summer recipes from Bon Appetite: Linguine with Summer Succotash. This is just a great balance of fresh and light flavors, a perfect summer dish.

Petit Filet
Grove Mashed Potatoes + Broccolini + Brasserie Butter

Our friend ordered the filet and enjoyed every bite and she said the mashed potatoes were particularly awesome. Had I not been watching my figure I would have been tempted by this dish too.

Colorado Lamb T-Bone
Braised Lamb Tamale + Mole Sauce

Scott ordered the lamb t-bone, most restaurants usually feature rib chops so it was good to see a different chop. He enjoyed every bite. Bobby Flay has a similar recipe in Mesa Grill cookbook that I will have to try at home soon.

3rd Course:
Frozen Lime Mousse
Ginger Snap Crust + Cherry Lime Compote

I love citrus desserts and the lime mouse tart was divine but it was so rich that I barely ate half of it. Maybe if I hadn't eaten so much during the 1st course I could have devoured it.

Chocolate Chess Pie
Whipped Cream + Shaved Chocolate

Everyone else ordered the chocolate chess pie but they also could not clean their plates. I heard it was really yummy but I didn't have any room in my belly for a sample.

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

2009-04-15T19:33:00.005-05:00

When I first received my copy of the Peace Meals cookbook and flipped through to preview all the recipes I knew this was going to be a great one! The ladies at the Junior League even dedicated a full page for a photo. I first had the pleasure of tasting these yummy treats at a sprinkle (shower for a second baby); they were everything I expected and more. A few weeks ago I hosted a bridal shower at my home and made these for the dessert buffet. All I sampled of this divine goodness was a scrap for the crispy edge. The shower guests devoured the blackberry bars and even came into the kitchen and ate all the crispy edges that I had left in the pan…not a single crumb remained. Last night I made these again to share at work for our monthly birthday celebration, in hopes that I could enjoy more than a few crumbs. I think I ate at least 4 and they barely survived past the lunch hour. Sweet Success!

Blackberry Shortbread Bars
Adapted from Peace Meals
Makes 24 bars

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 sticks butter, chilled and cut into ½” cubes

· Preheat oven to 350.
· In a food processor combine flour, sugar, salt for 45 seconds. Then add butter and process for 30 seconds or until mixture is crumbly and butter is distributed.
· Reserve 1 ½ cups of the mixture to sprinkle over the top of the filling.
· Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with Pam for Baking. Then fill baking dish with the remaining crust mixture, pressing the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan.
· Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and then cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Filling:
2 eggs, whisked
½ cup sugar
½ cup light sour cream
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
16 oz frozen blackberries, thawed*

· In large bowl whisk eggs and then add the sugar, sour cream, and flour to combine.
· After the eggs and other ingredients have been mixed together gently fold in the blackberries.
· Pour the mixture evenly over the prepared crust.
· Sprinkle the top evenly with reserved crust mixture.
· Bake in oven for 45-55 minutes or until crumble top is lightly browned.
· Let cool for at least one hour before cutting into bars.**

*when thawing blackberries place bag inside of a plastic grocery sack to prevent leaks.

**If the baking dish is lined with aluminum foil, once the bars have been cooled they can be lifted out of the baking dish for easier cutting.

These bars would also be great if made with raspberries or a berry medley of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

Restaurant Review: Catalan

2009-04-14T13:02:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday night Scott and I enjoyed our first dinner at Catalan. As we were browsing through the menu we quickly realized that narrowing down our choices would be next to impossible because everything sounded so good. We inquired about the Sandbox Tasting and discovered it was 7 courses of the chef’s choosing. This was the perfect solution to our problem. However, we were warned in advance that we should not have plans to go out afterwards, fortunately for us we did not. We also requested to have a wine paired with each course so that we could have a perfect complement to the meal. 3 hours later we made our way home with very full bellies. I highly recommend this option if you want to try some new culinary delights.

The Sandbox Tasting:

I
Market greens tossed in a local citrus vinaigrette with strawberries, goat cheese and Marcona almonds
Adelsheim Rosé of Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon)

This was the perfect starter with all my favorite components. I would definitely call it a taste of spring.

II
Ceviche
Raventós i Blanc L’Hereu Reserva Brut Cava (Penedes)

We couldn’t quite figure out the details of this since it was not on the menu, but it had a spicy kick to it, some chile oil perhaps and we think the fish was tuna but maybe not…it doesn’t really matter anyway because it tasted excellent.

III
Roasted Oysters topped with gruyere cheese on a bed of cauliflower puree
Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex et De La Salle (Vallée D’Aoste, Italia)

I think this might have been Scott’s favorite course since he is a big oyster fan. Once I figured out how to get them out of the shell I enjoyed every bite. These are the chef’s favorite however they aren’t a regular menu item since he’s very picky out his oysters.

IV
Snapper with jumbo lump crab meat and tomato rice
Dom. de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône, France)

Earlier in the meal the waiter brought out a whole snapper for our approval, it had just come in from Galveston that afternoon. I’m not much of a fish person but will branch out and eat it if I have to. I was pleasantly surprised…and wow it was a lot of fish.

V
Lamp Chop with chickpea, tomato, and zucchini salad
Marimar Estate “Dona Margarita Vineyard” Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)

I love lamp chops and had we not ordered the sandbox I most likely would have ordered this from the menu….I was not disappointed.

VI
Duck Confit with pickled red onion topped with fried duck egg
Miner Vineyards “The Odyssey” Syrah/Grenache/Mourvèdre (Napa)

Duck is one of those rare finds on restaurant menus but I love it…although I let Scott have my duck egg. The wine paired with this was very yummy and a great compliment.

VII
Local Meyer lemon cream tart, Texas pecan crust, and sweet tea ice cream
Chocolate Espresso Bread Pudding
Graham’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port (Portugal)

We got the best of both: Scott loves Chocolate and I love citrusy desserts.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-30T20:49:00.007-05:00

I made this cookie recipe for the first time about a month ago for my hairdresser’s birthday. Last year for his birthday I made him the traditional Neiman Marcus cookies, so this year I decided to kick it up a notch and bake the Neiman Marcus Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This of course meant that Scott and I had to perform some “quality control” testing. I have several chocolate cookie recipes (Mississippi Mud and Chocolate Raspberry) that I love to bake, however Scott said these were his new favorite. Scott is a serious chocoholic so this revelation came as no surprise.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Neiman Marcus Cookbook
2 dozen cookies

3 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

· Pre-heat oven to 300°F.
· Place 2 cups of the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring chips after each interval until chips are melted, about 1.5 minutes.
· Place butter and brown sugar in a mixer bowl and using the paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar for about 30 seconds until combined. Then with the mixer running on low, slowly add the eggs and melted chocolate. Slowly add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the mixing bowl. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl and mix a little longer, and then add the remaining chocolate chips and mix a little longer until chips are incorporated.
· Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1 oz (2 Tbsp) cookie scoop; scoop dough onto cookie sheet. Scoop about 9 cookies per batch.
· Bake cookies for 20 minutes.
· Let cookies rest for 1 minute on cookie sheet and then transfer cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.
· Repeat process for remaining cookies.

Spice Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Baby Carrots

2009-03-20T22:21:00.006-05:00

Serves 2-3
Adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2009

This is a great dish to serve during the week for a simple dinner or to entertain guests since the oven does most of the work.

Carrots
1 pound baby carrots, peeled, trimmed, leaving 1/2 inch of green tops attached
1 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter, diced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 small jalapeño (preferably red), seeded, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Pork
1- to 1-1/4-pound pork tenderloins
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

· Preheat oven to 400°F.
· Whisk together water, EVOO, butter, garlic, jalapeno, honey, chile powder, cumin, and salt in a med bowl.
· Arrange carrots in a 9 x 13 baking dish and coat with seasoning mixture.
· Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
· While carrots are baking, make pork seasoning mixture by mixing together oregano, cumin, chile powder, paprika, and salt in a small bowl. Rub pork tenderloin with seasoning.
· Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add EVOO. Brown pork on all sides about 5 minutes.
· When carrots are ready, remove foil, and nestle pork tenderloin among the carrots. Bake for about 18 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the pork registers 145°F.
· Let pork rest 5-10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Iron Chef: Bobby Flay vs. Neiman Marcus

2009-03-08T15:51:00.004-05:00

Last night Scott and I cooked a fabulous dinner inspired by Bobby Flay and Neiman Marcus. With spring around the corner, this was the perfect menu to get excited about the end of winter and the time change.

I love cooking recipes from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook, every dish I have made always surprises with me new elements of flavor. Last year I had the pleasure of eating lunch at Mesa Grill in Las Vegas and in my opinion it was the best meal I had that weekend.
The Neiman Marcus tea room is a great lunch spot. However, I always get the same thing Chicken Tortilla Soup and a Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie to go. The Chocolate Chip cookies are the reason why I purchased the Neiman Marcus cookbook (even though I do have an email forward with the infamous recipe). While planning my menu for the evening I needed an appetizer or salad that would pair well with my Bobby Flay choices and the Southern and Southwestern roots of Neiman Marcus were a perfect fit.

Scott and I went with a divide and conquer method so he prepared the NM shrimp cocktail while I worked on the BF rib-eyes and mashed potatoes.

Neiman Marcus Ten-Spice Barbeque Shrimp Cocktail

vs.

Bobby Flay Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks w/ Chipotle-Honey Glaze and Whipped Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto

Ten-Spice Barbeque Shrimp Cocktail
adapted from Neiman Marcus Cookbook
serves 4

Ten-Spice Barbeque Mix and Shrimp
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
12 jumbo shrimp (about 1 lb), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup EVOO

Mix together paprika, cumin, chile powder, coriander, salt, garlic, onion, thyme, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. In a large bowl coat the shrimp with olive oil, and then sprinkle with 3 Tbsp of the spice mixture. Cover the shrimp bowl with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours. Cook on a grill, grill pan or skillet (with oil) 2-3 minutes per side.

*Save extra spice mixture to season chicken, pork, or steaks for another meal.

Roasted Corn-Jicama Salsa
yields: 3 1/2 cups

2 cups roasted corn kernels (from 3 large ears of corn)*
1 cup peeled and finely diced jicama
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp seeded and minced jalapeno
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
salt

Mix together the corn, jicama, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno in a large mixing bowl. Then combine with lime juice and salt to taste.

*Roasting the corn is optional. If you are pressed for time,corn fresh off the cob will still be very tasty.

**Extra salsa can be saved as a snack later or garnish for other dishes.

Cilantro-Lime Dressing
yields: 2 cups

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp honey
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups EVOO

In a blender or food processor process the vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, honey, salt, and process while slowly adding olive oil.

*Dressing will last for several days in the refrigerator and can excess can be used for salads or season fish.

Assembly

Margarita or Martini glasses make a great presentation for this shrimp cocktail.

Finely shred 1 heart of romaine and add to a mixing bowl with corn-jicama salsa, and ½ cup of the dressing. Divide salsa mixture among 4 glasses and top each with 3 shrimp.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Chipotle-Honey Glaze
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook
Serves 4

1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
½ cup honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup canola oil
Kosher salt
4 (12 oz) rib-eye steaks
Black pepper
Roasted Pepper Relish*

Puree chipotle chiles in a blender or food processor. Place 1 Tbsp of chile puree in a medium bowl and reserve the remainder for another use. Add honey, mustard, canola oil, and 1 tsp salt to the bowl whisk together with the chipotle chile puree.

Preheat grill pan to medium-high heat.
Rub steaks with 2 Tbsp EVOO and season with salt and pepper. For medium rare grill steaks on one side for 4-5 minutes, then turn steaks over and brush with honey glaze and continue grilling for 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and brush with more glaze. Let steaks rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Top each steak with the roasted pepper relish.

Note: I prefer to get my rib-eyes directly from the butcher so they can be cut thick about 2 inches. Prepackaged rib-eyes are usually cut very thin and will cook to fast.

*Roasted Pepper Relish

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into strips
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into strips
3 cloves roasted garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl.

Whipped Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook
Serves 4

3 lbs Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
Kosher salt
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup packed fresh flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp pine nuts
½ cup EVOO
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Black pepper
1 stick butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup skim milk

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat and cook 25-30 minutes or until tender.

While potatoes are cooking make cilantro pesto and warm the milk and butter mixture.

To make pesto using a blender or food processer, add cilantro, parsley, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and then slowly add olive oil while processing.

Combine butter, cream, and milk in a small sauce pan over low heat.

Drain potatoes and return to the pot. Slowly add hot milk mixture while mashing potatoes. Then gently fold in cilantro pesto.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T07:24:00.012-06:00

Scott and I celebrated Valentine's Day part II with a delicious dinner at home with some bubbly, vino, and one of my all time favorites...lamb chops! I don't know what it is about lamb chops, but I love them. However, the downside is that most restaurants just don't make great lamb chops, the ones I make at home are much tastier. Exceptions to this are Ousie's Table and Da Marco which have the best lamb chops in town.

We kicked off our evening with some Champagne since it was a special occasion. We like to drink while we are cooking, so of course that meant the Champagne wasn't going to make it through dinner, even though it was the recommended beverage for the menu. Our wine with the meal was a Cabernet. Both of these bottles are what we refer to as Ike wines, which means they survived the hurricane. Ike taught us a lesson about wine storage. We have a wine chiller, and since we were without power for a week, and our wines came up to temperature, the wines were affected...which meant they just weren't the same. If we had never put them in the chiller to begin with they would be just fine. Luckily these two tasted just fine.

The inspiration for our menu came from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining cookbook's Valentine's Dinner for Two. The Williams-Sonoma recipes are always delicious and I have yet to be disappointed.

Crab, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad with Chive Vinaigrette
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining
serves 2

Chive Vinaigrette
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1 Tbsp creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the EVOO and chives in a blender and process until smooth, then set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream fraiche/sour cream, mustard, vinegar, and lemon juice.
While whisking slowly add in the chive oil.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Salad
1/2 lb Dungeness jumbo lump crab meat, picked for shell fragments (or regular crab meat)
1 Tbsp finely chopped celery
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pink grapefruit, peeled, sectioned (no membrane) and excess juice reserved
salt and pepper
2 cups mixed torn frisee and radicchio leaves
1/4 cup fresh chive pieces

In a bowl combine the crab meat, celery, and 3 Tbsp of the chive vinaigrette, and excess grapefruit juice.
In another bowl toss the avocado with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Then combine the crab mixture with the avocados, grapefruit sections, and 2 Tbsp of the chive vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the salad greens onto each plate, and top with the crab, avocado, grapefruit mixture. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

The great thing about salads is that if you are missing a few ingredients or can't find them you can easily improvise. I couldn't find Dungeness crab (and I went to two grocery stores), and while I could have just purchased regular crab, I have to buy it by the pound and I only needed a half pound...so instead I omitted the crab from the recipe. Also I only found one sad looking piece of frisee in the produce dept at Central Market (very unlike them) so I substituted my greens for a mix of arugula and radicchio.

Pink Peppercorn Rack of Lamb
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Entertaining
serves 2

1 rack of lamb, frenched with 6-8 ribs
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fine dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup EVOO
1/3 cup dry white wine*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rub the fat side of the lamb with mustard and set aside.
In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, and salt.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the mustard and lightly pat it, so it adheres to the lamb.
Place a nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add EVOO.
Sear lamb on both sides for about 3 minutes per side or until lightly golden.
Place skillet with lamb fat side up in the oven and roast until cooked to your liking. Medium Rare: 13-15 minutes.
Remove lamb from oven and transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let lamb rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile place the skillet back on stove top over medium heat (don't forget the oven mit, the handle will be hot from the oven).
Add wine to skillet, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom. Pour the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, and discard solids.
Carve the chops and spoon the pan juices over the chops.

*Since we already had the bubbly open, we used Champagne instead of a dry white wine. If you were drinking red wine that could be used as well.

These lamb chops were so tender and flavorful, I even nibbled the remaining meat off the bone when I through eating. So yummy and so easy to make.

Cauliflower Gratin
adapted from Williams-Sonoma Holiday Entertaining
serves 8

2 heads cauliflower, separated into florets
5 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup+ shredded Gruyere or white cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Steam cauliflower in a steamer basket over boiling water for 10 minutes or until barely tender.
Spray gratin dish with Pam and arrange the florets tightly in one layer.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp butter, heat until the butter foams and then remove from heat and stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Return the pan to medium-high heat and while constantly whisking slowly drizzle in the milk. Reduce heat to low and simmer stirring occasionally until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and half the cheese, stirring until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
Pour sauce over cauliflower florets, top with remaining cheese, and dot with remaining butter.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is browned and sauce is bubbling.
Serve immediately.

We scaled this recipe down to 2 servings, but it was so tasty and a nice alternative to the standard potato. Roasted Yukon Gold potatoes were the suggested side for this menu, but I wanted to try something different and was very glad I did. I will have to member to add this dish to my Christmas 2009 menu.

I had also made some Rosemary Popovers from this cookbook for New Years Eve and had planned to make them for V-day because they were so good...but we got distracted and forgot.

Chocolate Raspberry Fondue
suggested by my friend Courtney on her blog
adapted from Betty Crocker

1 container chocolate frosting
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
brownies cup into 1 inch cubes
dried apricots
strawberries
bananas
marshmallows

Combine frosting and preserves in a microwave safe bowl and zap it on high for 20-30 seconds.
Stir to full incorporate ingredients and transfer to a fondue pot to serve.

This dessert is so quick, easy, and sinfully delicious. But if you have some fruit with it you can pretend its healthy.

Restaurant Review: Bedford

2009-02-09T09:36:00.009-06:00

This past Saturday Scott and I celebrated Valentine's Day Part I at Bedford in the Heights. Yes we know Valentine's day isn't until this coming Saturday but we prefer to go out for a nice Valentine's dinner on a day other than February 14th. Restaurants are always so crowded and even with a reservation there is a sense of urgency for a quick table turnover to accommodate as many customers as possible on this Hallmark Holiday. And then there is a second issue...the prix fixe menu which drastically limits a diners choices for what they would like to order. So on the actual day we opt instead to cook a delicious gourmet dinner at home and enjoy some nice wine from our "collection" to go with it...stay tuned for the details on Part II next week.

We first heard about Bedford not from friends who had dined there, but from a show on the Food Network called the The Chef Jeff Project. The show is about helping at risk young adults live a better life learning skills used in the kitchen and cooking food. Robert Gadsby was a judge at the end of the show, and gave one of members of the project a job offer in his new restaurant Bedford. At the time the episode aired, Bedford hadn't opened yet. Scott and I immediately googled Bedford and found nothing, nada, zip. Well a few weeks later Bedford passed the google test, and several of our friends had dined at Bedford and all had glowing reviews. We knew we were in for a treat.

Bedford has an option to select an item from each of the 4 menu sections at a reduced portion for only $55 per person...we opted for the tandem selection so that we could try as many items as possible on the menu and not have to be rolled out of the restaurant. Scott and I prefer a mix-and-match approach when we go out to eat, and we both order something different so that we try some of each. Many of the items we ordered had a surprise Asian flare to them that we enjoyed as a little surprise in our mouths. Instead of ordering a bottle of wine, we went with wine by the glass options so that each item was paired with a wine that would compliment and enhance the flavors of the food.

Beginnings

Seared Scallops: Cauliflower Puree, Cucumber Red Pepper Relish, Lotus Crisps
wine: Pine Ridge Dijon Clones Chardonnay

Chinese Duck Ravioli: Mixed Shiitake Mushrooms, Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts
wine: house champagne

Fish & Crustaceans

Gulf Shrimp & Crab: Mixed Vegetables, Kaffir Lime Shellfish Sauce
wine: Pine Ridge Dijon Clones Chardonnay

Tellicherry Peppered Tuna: Celery–Apple Whipped Potatoes, Endive & Citrus BBQ Sauce
wine: Joel Gott Savignion Blanc

Poultry & Meat

Boneless Beef Short Ribs: Button Mushrooms, Fingerling Potatoes, Root Vegetables
wine: Kaiken Malbec

Pepper Glazed Texas Quail: Torn Pasta, Petite Vegetables, Minted Cilantro Pesto
wine: Rex Hill Pinot Noir

Desserts & Finales

Assorted Chocolate Truffles

Assorted Sorbet

Thai Pesto Shrimp with Coconut Rice

2009-02-03T20:06:00.003-06:00

This recipe is inspired by Southern Living, they actually have a "Healthy Living" section in their February 2009 issue. Not only is this recipe a tasty, quick to fix weeknight meal, but its good for you too. And my favorite part...you can freeze the extra rice and pesto and save yourself the prep time next time you make it. I like freezing extra portions because its great to have on hand for quick meals, especially if I need my husband to cook dinner without my assistance.

Thai Pesto Shrimp (Southern Living, February 2009)

yield: 6 servings*

1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp (16/20 count)
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher or 3/4 tsp. regular salt
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

While the rice is cooking you can make the pesto and cook the shrimp.
Thaw shrimp, peel, and devein.
In a food processor or blender process the cilantro, lime juice, peanuts, ginger, garlic, salt, honey, red pepper, and 3 Tbsp of the olive oil until smooth.
Taste pesto and make adjustments as needed, if its too tangy add more honey, if you want more a kick add more red pepper flakes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat remaining Tbsp of olive oil, then saute shrimp for 2 minutes per side or just until the shrimp turn pink (you don't want to over cook the shrimp or they will become rubbery).
Stir in the cilantro pesto and serve over rice.

300 calories, 13.9 g fat

*Since this recipe makes 6 servings, I scaled part of it down to two servings. I bought frozen shrimp and only used 1/2 lb of the shrimp. However I did make the full Thai pesto recipe so I could freeze the extra for future use. The extra small Ziploc containers are 1/2 cup and are the perfect size for freezing small portions of pesto or chicken broth.

Coconut Rice**

yield: 2 servings

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp light coconut milk
¾ cup water
½ tsp kosher salt
¾ cup basmati rice
½ tsp lime zest
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp thinly sliced green onion (both white and green parts)

In a small saucepan over high heat bring 3/4 cup coconut milk, water, and salt to a boil.
Add rice, reduce heat to low, and cover saucepan.
Simmer for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Keep pan covered, but remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Spoon in additional 2 Tbsp of coconut milk, lime zest, lime juice, and green onions.

**I have another recipe that I prefer over the Southern Living recipe, so I'm going to share it instead. The Southern Living version is 104 Calories, 2g fat per serving, so we are going to guesstimate this one is close to the same.

Pomegranate-Glazed Shish Kebabs

2009-02-02T21:11:00.006-06:00

I recently acquired a Weight Watchers cookbook so we can try some easy and healthy recipes for weeknight dinners. These kebabs were very quick and easy to make and also very tasty and filling. Its a great way to incorporate a variety of veggies.

WW Pomegranate-Glazed Shish Kebabs

1/4 cup low sodium low fat chicken broth
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (this part takes a long time to make and needs to be done in advance)
1 tsp salt
1 lb boneless sirloin, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 mushrooms halved or 1 portobello mushroom cut into 8 pieces
1 green or red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
1 red onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 zucchini, cut into 8 pieces

Make pomegranate molasses if it cannot be purchased at the store (click link for recipe)

Spray a broiler rack with Pam and preheat the broiler.

Combine broth, molasses, and salt in a small bowl.

Thread 4 skewers with veggies, mushrooms, and meat.

Place skewers on the broiler pan and brush with half the broth mixture.

Place broiler pan under broiler and broil for 4 minutes.

Then turn and brush with remaining broth mixture and broil for an additional 5-6 minutes.

4 servings (1 skewer = 1 serving)
189 cal, 6 g fat prep 10 min, cook 10 min

Restaurant Review: Ruggles Green

2009-02-01T15:55:00.007-06:00

This week Scott and I had our weekly date night at Ruggles Green, followed by the Wine Bucket. It was my first time to eat at Ruggles Green, which is sort of a miniature, green version of Ruggles Bakery. We arrived around 7:30 and the place was packed, and its a good thing we got there when we did because after we finished ordering the line went all the way to the door. This is a great spot for good food with a casual atmosphere. We will definitely make the effort to eat at Ruggles Green more often, and that shouldn't be too difficult since its located by our favorite place the Wine Bucket.

So here is what we ordered...

Hummus with homemade flat bread
This was a great way to start the meal, the hummus was creamy, the flatbread tasty, and it even had some sundried tomatoes and a few other garnishes to add.

Roasted Corn Chowder
This had a great corn flavor, but was also light enough that I could still eat my salad. I ordered the cup which was a rather large cup since it was more like a small bowl.

Honey Fried Goat Cheese Salad: Gundermann Farm Organic Arugula, Almonds, Raisins, Mango, Parmesan, Sliced carrots, Cracked pepper with a Home-made Mango Ranch Dressing This was a very tasty and unique salad. I love anything with goat cheese so I knew I would not be disappointed. My only complaint was that I felt the salad had a little too much dressing on it, so next time I will remember to request the dressing on the side. There was a light hint of honey on the plate, and I wasn't sure if it was part of the goat cheese batter or if the plate had been brushed with it, but it added a hint of sweetness with each bite.

Buffalo Burger: 98% Lean Buffalo Burger - Micro Greens & Fresh Mozzarella, Lettuce, Tomato & Red Onion, served on a Whole Wheat Bun
Scott ordered the burger and I'm guessing that it was really good because he did not even offer to share it with me. He did say though that it was better than the Barnaby's Buffalo burger.

Have your cake and eat it too...

2009-01-31T09:00:00.004-06:00

I spent 4 Saturdays this month taking a Cake Decorating Class at the Cake Craft Shoppe in Sugar Land. Wow, this was definitely more challenging that I had expected. The first class was lecture only, and I learned that since Crisco decided to remove Trans Fats from their shortening, buttercream icing is no longer as stable for decorating a cake as it used to be. So if I don't want to purchase special Trans Fat shortening from the CCS (Cake Craft Shoppe) I must go on the search for a needle in a haystack find shortening with Trans Fat. I havne't found it myself, but I've been told to look for Bake Rite at HEB...otherwise you will need to add a ton of powdered sugar to your icing recipe to thicken it up.

After practicing icing techniques each Saturday I learned that I need to start workout out my hands in addition to the rest of my body. Squeezing those piping bags is hard work and I began to feel as if I had arthritis at the age of 29.

The last class happened to be the same day as my Grandma's birthday celebration, so of course my class cake was made to honor my Grandma's special day. I don't usually bake with box cake mixes, as I prefer to bake from scratch. However I do highly recommend Betty Crocker's Butter Pecan cake mix. Per my cake instructor I substited the water for sprite, and added a softened scoop of vanilla ice cream at the end of the mixing process. Grandma is blind so she couldn't really see her cake, and I of course noticed all the crumbs in my icing, but for my first real decorating attempt I think it turned out pretty. I will be practicing more in the future.