From the category archives:

Appetizers

Recipes from Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

by Joi on June 28, 2010

The recipes below are from Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens by Chef Jennifer Schaertl. (You can read my review of this VERY delightful cookbook by clicking the link.)

Holy Moly Chicken Pasole

Makes 2.5 Quarts

A gourmet version of tortilla soup, this rustic version is actually thickened with finely diced pieces of corn tortilla that break down as the stew simmers. It’s also a great way to utilize leftover chicken, which makes it a standard on my rotation of Soupe du Jour in my restaurant. There’s always leftover chicken laying around!

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded off the bone
8 c chicken stock
1 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic
1 green bell, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
2 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1/2 c tomato puree
1 large tomato, diced
1 T oregano
5 corn tortilla finely minced
1/2 tsp red pepper
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 c cilantro, chopped

  1. In a large stock pot over a medium-high heat, bring the shredded chicken, stock, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, add all of the other ingredients except for salt, pepper, and cilantro.
  2. Once the tortilla has begun to break down and thicken the stew (about 30 minutes), season to your tastes with salt and pepper. Garnish with the chopped cilantro.

Nobody Better Lay a Finger on My Corn Fritter

Makes 15-20 fritters

Beautiful little side dishes, but I usually put them in bread baskets along with the rolls at my restaurants. The corn is sweet and juicy inside this fluffy pan fried biscuit. The kids will eat with butter and the adults will dip it in the soup, but everyone will be all over this moist and flavorful fritter.

3-1/2 c all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 T sea salt
5 eggs
2/3 c whole milk
3-3/4 c yellow corn kernels, canned or defrosted, but well drained
2 T butter, melted plus more for frying

  1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Add the eggs, milk, corn and melted butter and fold until completely moistened. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be lumpy!
  2. Place a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Add just enough melted butter to cover the bottom of the pan, and drop corn batter by tablespoon full into the hot butter. Fry until brown on both sides, and transfer to a baking sheet to bake at 500 degrees for 5 minutes once all the fritters have been fried. Cool slightly before serving.

Make no Mistake Coffee Cake

Makes approximately 18 pieces

Whether for brunch, dessert, or coffee table edible décor for company, this is a fool proof classic. It mixes together easily, looks beautiful, and tastes a buttery and divine. I’ve served it as a complimentary table gift at brunch serves, but my good friend and wonderful pastry chef friend, Tsuki, makes it for her family all the time.

Cake:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 T Baking powder
1 cup milk, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:

1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 T Cinnamon
4 T Butter
4 T all purpose flour

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13-inch disposable pan with pan spray.
  2. Make certain that the butter is a soft, room temperature to make sure it creams easily. Using a whisk cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until they become light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.
  3. Sift the remaining dry ingredients into a clean bowl or plate using a fine wire strainer. Fold in half of the dry ingredients to the cake batter and then half of the milk and vanilla. Repeat with the last of the dry and wet. Combine the filling ingredients in a separate container.
  4. In prepped pan layer add 1/2 cake batter, sprinkle 1/2 filling, and then the other 1/2 of the cake batter. Carefully spread the batter evenly with a spoon or spatula, trying to keep the filling in place. Sprinkle remaining filling over the top.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes and serve.

Rhubarb Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend

Makes approximately 18 pieces

Use the same bowl for the crust and the filling with this recipe, rather than making multiple dishes for washing. This is also a crazy adaptable recipe. Substitute berries or any other fruit that is in season for the rhubarb, or even 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of lemon zest to make a traditional lemon bar. Feel free to dust them with powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer, but I don’t feel the distraction is needed.

Crust:

2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1 c butter at room temperature

Filling:

5 eggs
1-1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 c rhubarb, medium dice

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, work the flour, sugar and soft butter together until a soft dough ball forms. Press this dough evenly into the bottom of a 9×11 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  2. Work quickly because this filling works best if poured over the crust while it’s hot from the oven. Simply whisk together the filling ingredients in the same bowl that you made the crust.
  3. Pour over the piping hot crust and put back in the oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and set. When cool, cut into desired shapes, but I prefer diamond shapes. They stack just as well as squares, but look far more striking to the eye.

For more recipes like these, order Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens by Chef Jennifer Schaertl today. This is one of the funnest cookbooks you’ll ever use. Again and again and again…

Vegetarian Recipe: Raw Hummus Romaine Roll-Ups!

by Joi on March 1, 2010

The vegetarian recipe below is from the wonderful cookbook you see pictured above – The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian. I’ve already reviewed this book on Get Cooking, so I’ll spare you the details about how much you need your own copy (which you do!). You can find my review linked below the recipe. I’m even more impressed with this cookbook now that I’ve re-read it and tried out more of the recipes. There are more than just recipes, of course, there is a wealth of information for everyone – whether you are…

  1. A vegetarian who hasn’t touched meat in years.
  2. A new vegetarian.
  3. A semi-vegetarian.
  4. A  fish, and chicken-lover who is trying to eat more vegetables and more vegetarian meals.
  5. Eating a burger right this minute and wish I’d shut-up about veggies.

No matter what category you’re in, you’ll love this book. Personally, I’m a 4… a very happy 4 who is about to eat a fish sandwich for lunch. :)

Vegetarian Recipe: Raw Hummus Romaine Roll-Ups

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Serving Size: 1 Roll-up
1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans (or steamed)
1/2 cup tahini
1 cup olive oil
2 TBS fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 TBS tamari
Salt
Pinch cayenne
Water
Large romaine lettuce leaves (washed, patted dry)
Feta cheese, crumbled
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped

Place the garbanzo beans in a blender or a food processor.  Add tahini, olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, tamari, salt, and cayenne, and blend until creamy.

Spread several tablespoons hummus onto 1 romaine leaf, and top with crumbled feta cheese, chopped tomato, and chopped cucumber.  Roll and eat.

This makes an outstanding hummus – whether you bring the romaine lettuce to the party or not.  I love this hummus served with raw vegetables and/or crackers.

From my own experience (this isn’t from the book), you can substitute creamy peanut butter for tahini and soy sauce for the tamari. Tahini can be pretty costly.  It depends on the mood I’m in at the grocery store whether I buy it or just use peanut butter.  I’m familiar with both and, honestly, can’t tell a discernible enough difference to recommend one over the other.

The wonderful recipe above is from The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Being Vegetarian by Frankie Avalon Wolfe, M.H., Ph.D. You can read my review of the cookbook and see if you’d be interested in a copy of your own. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, this really is an outstanding book.

Nigella Lawson’s Roquamole Recipe from Nigella Express: In a Word, Divine!

by Joi on February 10, 2010

Nigella Express

It’s been well-documented that Nigella Express is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks… and if there’s something I know inside/out it’s cookbooks. A collection numbering in the hundreds earns you the title expert.

A recipe I return to often is Nigella’s Roquamole. Like Nigella, I’m completely obsessed with avocados, so I thoroughly appreciate new and creative things to do with them. This recipe makes a throroughly modern Millie type of recipe that I know you’ll love.

Nigella Lawson’s Roquamole Recipe

Yield: 4-6 Servings
1 cup crumbled Roquefort or Saint Agur blue cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 ripe avocados
1/4 cup sliced pickled green jalapenos from a jar
2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
1/4 tsp paprika
large bag of blue corn tortilla chips (the blue corn ones make a huge difference, I recommend them with this recipe)

  1. Crumble or mash the blue cheese with the sour cream in a bowl
  2. Mash in the avocados.  If they are ripe, a fork should be all you need.
  3. Roughly chop the jalapenos and stir them into the mixture along with the finely sliced scallions.
  4. Arrange in the center of a plate or dish, dust with paprika, and surround with tortilla chips.  Dive in.

Original Super Bowl Recipes Courtesy of the Amazing Avocado!

by Joi on January 31, 2010

I can’t even tell you how much I love avocados.  I’ve tried before and felt that I came up short, so I figure why even try?  Suffice to say, I could eat two every single day for the rest of my life and want more.  I use them in guacamole (of course), on paninis, in tossed salads, in pasta salads, on pizza, in tacos, in fajitas, and I’ve even put them into scrambled eggs before.

I also love to slice them, remove the pit, and sprinkle a little fresh lemon juice inside.  Then I toss a little finely chopped tomato with a little olive oil and salt and glob the tomato mixture onto the avocado.  If I have fresh cilantro on hand, I sprinkle some on top.  Then I have a party in my mouth.  Naturally, I also simply slice them and eat them quite often as well.

A year or so ago, while reading a favorite cookbook, Nigella Express, I came across this quote from the beautiful author:  “I eat an enormous amount of avocados…. (I remember reading) when I was really quite young, just in my teens, that the dogs that lived in avocado orchards always had shiny, glossy coats because of all the windfall fruit they snaffled up daily.  That image has stuck with me, and it is such an appealing one.  I always have it in mind as I prepare myself an avocado, which is often.”

Ever since reading that quote, I picture Nigella’s gorgeous hair when I cut open an avocado!

Below you’ll find a wealth of Avocado information – how to pick an avocado, how to cut an avocado, how to prepare an avocado, the nutritional values of avocados, a guacamole recipe, and a Chicken and Avocado Pizza recipe.  Have mercy!   The avocado recipes below (as well as the ones linked to at the end of this Mega Avocado Post) can give you the power to have the best Superbowl Snacks on the block when the Colts and the Saints fight it out for the big one.  This has nothing to do with avocados or even cooking, but for the first time EVER, I honestly don’t care which team wins this year – I like them about the same.  Peyton Manning is a class act and the Colts are a classy organization -what’s not to like about them?  At the same time, the Saints are a lot of fun to watch and they’ve really built their program up to a position of dominance.  It’d be great to see them rewarded for all their hard work.

I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy the game, almost as much as the snacks!

Guacamole Monster Dip Recipe

1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico – halved, pitted and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon wasabi
1 cup plain thick Greek-style yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  1. In bowl, combine avocado, yogurt, ginger, salt, wasabi, garlic, and lime juice; stir until well mixed.
  2. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  3. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired.
  4. Serve as a dip with chips or vegetables or topping for iceberg lettuce wedges or romaine hearts.

Preparation time is about 5 minutes. Yields about 1-1/2 cups.

Chicken and Avocado Pizza Recipe

California-style pizza, ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes | Serves 2-4

1 12-inch Boboli ready-made pizza crust
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 teaspoon chipotle Tabasco
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico, halved pitted, peeled and sliced

-Heat oven to 425°F. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet; bake crust 7 minutes.
-In small bowl, combine pizza sauce and Tabasco.
-Spread pizza with sauce; top with chicken, Avocado and cheese.
-Bake until crust is crisp on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Yields 8 slices.

Nutritional Information for Avocados:

  • One-fifth of a medium avocado (3 slices), or about one ounce, has only 50 calories.
  • Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
  • Avocados contribute good fats to one’s diet, providing 3 grams monounsaturated fat and 0.5 polyunsaturated grams fat per 1 oz. serving.
  • Avocados have a favorable unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio of 3.5 grams to 0.5 grams, making them a great substitute for foods rich in saturated fats.
  • Avocados can help consumers meet the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA), which are to eat a diet that is low to moderate in fat. According to the AHA, mono and polyunsaturated fats, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease.
  • Avocados are cholesterol- and sodium-free, and more than 50 percent of the fruit’s fat content comes from monounsaturated fats. The avocado is virtually the only fruit that has monounsaturated fat.
  • Avocados act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
  • Avocados contain 76 milligrams beta-sitosterol in a 3-oz serving of avocado. Beta-sitosterol is a natural plant sterol which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
  • Avocados contain 81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein in a 1 oz. serving, which some studies suggest may help maintain healthy eyes.

How to Choose the Perfect Avocado from Mexico

(Or, How to recognize your Hass!)

  • Avocados from Mexico are available year round. You can spot a ripe Hass Avocado from Mexico by its green-black pebbly textured skin.
  • Look for the “Avocados from Mexico” sticker
  • It appears on only the finest Avocados imported from Mexico.
  • Hass has heft
  • When you hold the Avocado, it should feel heavy for its size and have no mushy spots.

Get it ripe
Avocados mature on the tree, but they soften and develop their fullest flavor after picking. You can count on a firm green Avocado to ripen within three to four days. If the skin is a mottled color – green with black patches – it will be ready for use in a shorter time, two to three days.

Need your Avocado now?
If you need Avocados to use right away, look for fruit whose skin has turned dark green or black. The Avocado should yield to gentle pressure from a thumb.

Avocado Ripening and Storage Information

How to tell if your Avocado is ripe
To determine if your Avocado from Mexico is ripe, gently press on the bottom with your finger; ripe Avocados will feel slightly soft. And when shopping for and storing Avocados, use this guide:

Storing ripe Avocados
Avocados at stages 2 – 4 can be stored at room temperature in an area with good circulation to continue their ripening. For speedier ripening, keep Avocados in a closed paper bag. To slow down ripening, refrigerate them until a few days before use.
Avocados at stages 4 – 5 can be stored in your refrigerator (36º to 40º F) for up to one week. When saving part of an Avocado for later use, cover the exposed flesh with plastic wrap to slow oxidation.

How to Cut and Prepare an Avocado

Cut
Using a sharp knife, cut into the Avocado straight down, longitudinally (from top to bottom) until you hit the pit.
Twist
Take the Avocado and twist it until it separates into two halves, one of which will contain the pit.
Hit
Carefully strike the pit with your knife. Using a twisting motion, use the knife’s leverage to loosen and dislodge the pit.
Spoon
With a spoon, gently scoop away the Avocado’s flesh from the outer skin.
Enjoy
Your Avocado is now ready to make your appetizer or entrée a work of culinary art.

Ways to Serve Avocados

Avocados are most commonly used to make guacamole, but they are so versatile and can be incorporated into many other dishes like main entrees,, salads, dips, desserts, and sandwiches.

Avocados substituted as a spread in place of many other popular foods may help reduce dietary intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

Images, recipes, and information are courtesy of  www.theamazingavocado.com.  Visit their site  for hundreds of recipes.  I just found one for Fish Tacos that I’ll be trying this week (I’d make it tonight  if I didn’t already have a huge pot of Great Northern beans, potatoes, and ham cooking!).   Another favorite is the Portabella Burgers with Avocado Spread.  I’ve linked you to the page containing these recipes – be sure to browse around for more.  That’s where I’m headed!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs for Dummies

by Joi on January 17, 2010

I just made some Sweet and Sour Meatballs that I found on, of all places, Dummies.com. How outrageous is that?

What’s more, these are the best meatballs I’ve ever had – they’re sensational! Click the link, print out the recipe and give these amazing meatballs a try asap. In the category of by the way, I used grape jelly (the recipe gives you a choice between apple jelly and grape jelly).

I also made my famous Spinach Artichoke Dip to serve with tortilla chips We take Game Day seriously in our house!

Outstandingly Delicious and Healthy Snacks for Game Day

by Joi on January 15, 2010

One of our biggest pitfalls as a family trying to eat healthy foods is snack time.  I make healthy meals and, even when we eat out, we make healthy choices.  But when we’re watching football games, basketball games, baseball, Survivor, The Biggest Loser, or anything else on TV – we love our snacks.

Also – aside from my youngest daughter and our cats – the members of my family come and go all day and night.  It can be exhausting for us homebodies watching them come and go.  I’ve noticed that they all love to snack along their journeys… fuel for the road, I suppose.   I try to keep healthier options in the kitchen and dining room for them to grab.  Sure, we’ll have various forms of chocolate at any given time – I won’t even try to deny that.  Besides, you’d smell the chocolate on my breath and call me out.

I always remind people that chocolate…

  • Is actually good for you – nutritionists sing the praises of dark chocolate almost as much as I do
  • Chocolate makes the world go round
  • Chocolate is sexy

So, you can count on this  kitchen always, always, always boasting plenty of chocolate goodness just as surely as there will always be a coffee pot ready to play .  The coffee will warm your body as the chocolate warms your mood.  But potato chips, soft drinks, and fried, greasy crap has been exiled from our home.

Nuts are also remarkably good for you, so I keep several candy dishes filled with different kinds of nuts and nut blends.  The largest candy dish is currently holding chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered nuts.  Another has almonds, which are a huge hit in my family.

Recently, I happened upon a combination that blew me completely away: Mariani Vanilla Yogurt Raisins and walnut pieces. I keep these yogurt covered raisins on hand because I’m totally addicted to them. They are ridiculously delicious. They had commandeered a large candy dish and I couldn’t find a spot for a bag of walnut pieces I’d just brought home from the store. So, I tossed the walnuts in with the yogurt covered raisins. When I passed by, I’d either pick out the raisins or the walnuts until I saw my husband grab a mixture and put them in his mouth. In an unsettling display of monkey-see/monkey-do, I jumped over and tried it for myself.

Holy deliciousness, Batman!!!

The combination reminds me of one of my favorite cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies. For whatever reasons, the vanilla-flavored yogurt, the raisins, and the walnuts make a powerhouse combination that convinces your mind that you’re eating the best Iced Oatmeal Cookie ever made. With less calories.

Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruit with your snackers… but, whatever you do, try the Vanilla-Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins paired with Walnuts first. It’ll blow you smack away.  These yogurt-covered raisins are also outstanding when eaten with fruit such as pineapple wedges, grapes, strawberries, raspberries (!!!), blueberries, blackberries, and so on.

Below is a great recipe for Trail Mix Bars from Mariani – makers, not only of the yogurt covered raisins I eat like a cat with salmon, but also makers of many outstanding dried fruits and other snacks. Look for them on the shelves at your grocery store. In my favorite store, they’re located in the health food section.

Mariani Trail Mix Bars Recipe

2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups mixture of Mariani Premium Banana Chips – crushed, raisins, mixed nuts, and chopped, Mariani Premium Mixed Fruit.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups granola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to butter and egg mixture. Stir in trail mix, oats, and granola. When mixed, drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For more healthy recipes from Mariani, see their website.

Did you know that walnuts are very good for your brain? Click the link to learn how!

Delicious Pace Recipes For Superbowl Snacks: From Wings to Spinach Dip

by Joi on January 11, 2010

As a nation, we love our food, don’t we?! So much so that in a study they conducted, Pace found that the Super Bowl has become as much about the food as it is about football. Especially if, like me, your team never seems to make it to the big game. But enough about my Broncos.

The study revealed that Super Bowl Sunday has become the top at-home party day of the year (surpassing even New Year’s Eve!) and is second only to Thanksgiving as the biggest eating day of the year. The study even found that more people remember what they ate on Super Bowl Sunday than who won the game.

I can attest to that… Who did win last year?

In preparation for Super Bowl XLIV (taking place Feb. 7 in Miami), here are four of Pace Kitchens’ favorite recipes for Super Bowl Sunday, to help make your party more festive and more memorable.

Warm Spinach Dip with a Kick
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Yield: 32 servings (2 tablespoons each)

Vegetable cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1cup)
Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables

1. Spray a 2-quart saucepan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it’s tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir the spinach and flour in the skillet. Gradually stir the milk in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the picante sauce and cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with the tortilla chips for dipping.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 35 min. Yield: 24 pieces

12 chicken wings or 24 chicken drumettes
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1. Cut off chicken wing tips and discard. Cut chicken wings in half at joint. Place chicken into foil-lined shallow baking pan.
2. Stir picante sauce, honey and ginger in large bowl. Toss chicken with 1/3 cup of picante mixture.
3. Bake at 500°F. on lowest oven rack 35 min. or until crispy and cooked through, turning chicken over once halfway through baking. Remove chicken and toss with remaining picante mixture.

Sweet & Spicy Barbecued Brisket
Prep: 10 minutes Marinate: 8 hours Bake: 4 hours 30 minutes Yield: 10 servings

1 trimmed beef brisket (about 5 pounds)
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cups Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 Pepperidge Farm® Classic Sandwich Buns with Sesame Seeds or Pepperidge
Farm® Farmhouse Premium White Rolls with Sesame Seeds

1. Season the beef with the black pepper and garlic powder and place into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Stir the picante sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire in a small bowl. Spread the picante sauce mixture over the beef. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
2. Bake, covered, at 300°F. for 4 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Slice or shred the beef. Divide the beef and sauce among the rolls.

Salsa Verde Meatballs
Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. Yield: 16 meatballs

1 1/4 cups Pace® Salsa Verde
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
4 green onions, minced

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Thoroughly mix 3/4 cup salsa, beef, egg, tortilla chips and green onions in large bowl. Shape mixture firmly into 16 meatballs.
3. Place meatballs into 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Top each with 1 tsp. salsa.
4. Bake 20 min. or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with remaining salsa. Mini Meatballs: Prepare beef mixture as directed above. Shape mixture firmly into 48 mini meatballs. Place meatballs into 4-qt. shallow baking dish. Bake at 350°F. 10 min. or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with remaining salsa.

Authentic Mexican Recipe: Fried Plantains with Ginger Jalapeno Cream

by Joi on December 30, 2009

Excerpted from Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico (Ballantine Books)

This is an appetizer from my New York City days after I had come back from Thailand and was cooking a blend of Thai-Mexican food. The sauce was inspired by my old friend Sarah Gross, and it works very well with the sweetness of the ripe plantains. One discovery made here in Oaxaca, was having the leftovers from cooking classes, for omelet fillings. The combination of the ginger and egg is more Thai than ever and is worth making extra just to have it leftover!

FRIED PLANTAINS WITH GINGER JALAPENO CREAM (PLATANOS FHTOS CON CREMA DE JENG/iBRE Y JALAPENO)
Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
For the sauce:
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves
3 chiles jalapenos en escabeche, stemmed and seeded
1/2 bunch parsley, leaves only
1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream, or 1/4 cup milk (optional)
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the plantains:
6 ripe plantains (but not real black), peeled
Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

METHOD
For the sauce:
Put ginger, garlic, jalapenos and parsley leaves in the bowl of a food processor and pulse it until it is all finely chopped. Add the cream cheese and blend well. Add enough sour cream or milk to soften the consistency of a dip. Add salt and white pepper. Chill for at least 15 minutes.

For the plantains:
Cut the plantains on an angle into slices about 3/4 inch thick. In an 8-inch cast-iron frying pan , heat the oil. When the oil is hot, fry.the plantain slices until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Arrange on a serving platter and serve immediately, with the sauce.

Hint: For unripe plantains, cut them diagonally into thick pieces and fry. Remove from the oil and drain. When all are cooled, smash each piece with a mallet or the side of a chefs knife or cleaver. Fry again quickly, drain and salt lightly.

For more deliciously authentic Mexican recipes, you’ll want to buy a copy of Seasons of My Heart: A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico!

Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Cheese Fondue

by Joi on January 19, 2009

In honor of National Cheese Day (tomorrow), below are a few more wonderfully cheesy recipes. They both sound amazing- I love the idea of using raisin bread in the grilled cheese sandwiches. So healthy! And the fondue? Sounds like something I need to have right away.

Wisconsin Cheese

ULTIMATE WISCONSIN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH WITH JACK & SMOKED GOUDA

Ingredients:
8 slices raisin bread
4 ounces (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/4 cup honey mustard
8 bread-sized slices Wisconsin Jack cheese
8 slices applewood-smoked bacon, fried crisp
1 large Granny Smith Apple, cored, quartered and each cut in six slices (24
slices in all)
4 bread-sized slices Wisconsin Smoked Gouda cheese

Cooking Directions:
Spread each slice of the bread on one side with soft butter. Turn over and generously spread with 1 tablespoon honey mustard. Place a slice of Wisconsin Jack (mustard side up) on each bread slice.

Top half the slices (mustard/Jack side up) with 2 slices of bacon. Shingle 6 apple slices over the bacon. Top remaining 4 slices (mustard/Jack side up) with a slice of Smoked Gouda.

Assemble the sandwiches, pressing together and leaving buttered side of bread exposed.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Grill the sandwiches in batches, cooking until golden brown on one side, then flipping the sandwich over and browning. Repeat process with all sandwiches. Cut sandwich in half or quarters on bias. Serve immediately.

WISCONSIN CHEESE FONDUE

By Chef Gregg Wangard

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine
3 1/2 ounces Wisconsin aged Gruyère cheese, shredded
3 1/2 ounces Wisconsin Fontina cheese, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/2 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced
1 apple, sliced
1 pear, sliced

Cooking Directions:
In medium heavy-bottom sauce pan, heat wine to a slow boil. Gradually stir in cheese. Cook over low heat until cheese is bubbly. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Stir into cheese mixture.

Simmer over low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth and cheese is completely incorporated. If
thinner mixture is desired, stir in additional wine, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Serve with bread, apple and pear.

* This is really cool:  Click HERE for a great cheese guide from Eat Wisconsin Cheese.com (they’re the ones who passed these recipes along to us).  This guide contains cheese descriptions, cheese storage guidelines, buying tips, handling and cooking guidelines and tips for serving.  Grab yours… I’m grabbing one now!

Eating Healthy Can Be Fun and Delicious

by Joi on January 5, 2009

Quakes Snacks

Like a lot of other people, I’m commited to making 2009 the healthiest year possible for my family. I intend to do everything in my culinary power to make certain my loved ones start eating more of the foods that will help them live longer and better and less of the foods that’ll stand in their way.

I’ve started my war with snacks. I’ve loaded up on celery, blueberries, tomatoes, avocados, carrots, bananas, tangerines, strawberries, and so on. I’ve also brought in several varieties of Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks (pictured above). These little guys are ridiculously low in calories and, get this, they’re crunchy and delicious. My favorites are Chocolate, Caramel Corn and Honey Nut.

The Caramel Corn is Heavenly when eaten with sliced of apple. If you have a little caramel to drizzle or dunk them in (go lightly, of course!) – all the better.

Like the Caramel Corn snacks, the Honey Nut Nut snacks are perfectly delicious right out of the bag, but I add a little pit of nutritional punch by layering them with peanut butter, a drizzle of honey, and slices of banana. I’m actually eating them right out of the bag right this minute. They’re a perfect food to have at the computer because they’re bite-size and leave no crumbs, stickiness, or anything else your keyboard hates.

And they’re so good!

As for the chocolate snacks, I’ve never had the gall to put anything on them – you know how it is, why mess with perfection?

Give these a try – you’ll be pleasantly surprised. They passed the ultimate test in my household when my daughter Brittany (she of the sweetest sweet tooth in the world) ate one of the Honey Nut/Peanut Butter creations today. She said, “These are actually really good.” When she went back for another one, I knew I’d struck gold.

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