From the category archives:

Spring Recipes

Banana Pudding Parfaits

by Joi on May 10, 2010

The recipe below is in the June issue of Cosmopolitan.  It sounds so simple and delicious that I knew you’d be as interested in taking it for a test drive as I am.

Banana Pudding Parfaits Dessert Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2-1/2 cups reduced fat milk
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 bananas, sliced
20 vanilla wafer cookies
Whipped Cream, for garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, flour, and salt.  Whisk in the milk and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a low boil and becomes thick – about 7 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low.

Stir a couple tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, then stir egg yolks back into the hot milk mixture.  Stir constantly until thickened to the consistency of pudding, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla.  Let cool.

Layer the pudding, cookies, and bananas in 4 to 6 glasses, depending on size.  Chill in the refrigerator until serving time – then garnish with whipped cream.

Sounds outstanding!

Bobby Flay and Hellman’s Make a Killer Potato Salad Recipe

by Joi on April 23, 2010

Our food blog has nothing but big love for Bobby Flay, nothing but mad love for Hellman’s, and nothing but wicked love for Potato Salad – so, yeah, this recipe falls under can’t miss as far as we’re concerned.

Be sure to click the link following the recipe for a video of Bobby Flay making the potato salad, himself.

Bobby Flay’s Green Onion Potato Salad

2 lbs. red potatoes
1 Tbsp. PLUS 2 tsp. Kosher salt, divided
1-1/4 cups Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
6 green onions (green and pale green part), thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley

Instructions:

  1. Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain and cool slightly. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
  2. Combine Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, vinegar, jalapeno peppers, salt and black pepper in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients and toss gently. Season, if desired, with additional salt and pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Check out the Bobby Flay Video for this Green Onion Potato Salad!

While in Hellman’s neighborhood, be sure to check out their special Sweepstakes – with instant prizes! You can play daily for a chance to win great stuff.  There is also a printable coupon to save $1.00 on two jars of mayo.

Fresh Ways to Make Asparagus: Grilled and Baked Recipes

by Joi on April 12, 2010

I mentioned a few posts back that I’ve kind of gotten stuck in Steamed Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce Heaven.  Not that’s a single solitary thing wrong with this delectable dish – but I’d been wanting to try a new dance step with asparagus.   So, I did just that a couple of times this week.

Baked Asparagus: Wednesday night, I baked asparagus.  I washed the fresh asparagus (about 1-1/2 pounds), and snapped off the tough ends.  I laid the asparagus down – with sides not touching – in a baking tray (a shallow cake pan is fine).  I sprinkled the stalks with olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, chopped parsley (about 2 tablespoons), and garlic powder.  Then I baked them just until the asparagus was tender – a little over 5 minutes.

Cast Iron Skillet Asparagus. Sunday Night, I used my cast iron grill skillet.  I let the iron skillet heat up (to a medium-high temp.) while I prepared the asparagus (washed, trimmed).  Then I brushed olive oil onto each stalk before placing it into the skillet.  I seasoned the asparagus lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic pepper.  I turned the stalks over after a few minutes, lightly seasoning the newly exposed side.  At this point, I added a small amount of water to the bottom of the pan.  The water created a lovely little sauna for the seasoned asparagus and, in no time at all, they were ready for the platter.  When I removed them to the platter, I lightly squeezed a little fresh lime over the glistening beauties.

Notice I say “lightly” seasoned?  The reason for this is the fact that cooking with cast iron gives you an outrageously amazing flavor that I frankly don’t want to mess with.  Because of this incredible flavor, you can bypass the extra calories that come with many sauces, seasonings, and spreads (sigh, even Hollandaise Sauce).  If you’re an asparagus fan, you seriously have to try this technique – it’s outstanding.

It’s tough to give exact times when giving vegetable recipes such as these simply because people like their vegetables cooked differently.  I prefer mine to retain a little crispiness, while others like for them to collapse under the weight of a fork.

As always, just stay close by and test for yourself when you think your vegetables (in this case asparagus) are done.

Another tip:  You might even want to use one asparagus stalk as a guinea pig.  Take him through the motions and see how much, if any, seasonings you think are necessary.  I SWEAR, cast iron magically creates its own flavor and seasonings.  After taking my single stalk through the motions, I realized it was delicious as it was but that I wanted to experiment with more seasonings…. lightly.

I can’t wait to try asparagus recipes (as well as other vegetable recipes) on the grill.  Grilled asparagus, grilled corn, grilled bell peppers, grilled mushrooms – all served alongside an orzo/rice combination makes my mouth water and my heart beat a little faster.  What a tasty summer this will be!

The beauty at the top of the post is the Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Cobalt Square Grill Pan 10.25-in.. This grill pan, which will soon become your best friend in the kitchen, is available through Amazon. Click the link for more information.

Corn Pudding: A Perfectly Delicious Easter Recipe

by Joi on March 29, 2010

Corn Pudding Recipe: An Ideal Easter Casserole

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 TBS margarine
1 (17 oz) can creamed corn
1 (8 oz) can whole kernel corn (drained)
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten lightly
1 (13 oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
dash nutmeg

Saute onion and green pepper in margarine until the onion is tender – about 8 minutes.

Mix both cans of corn (remember to drain the whole kernel corn), flour, and eggs in a medium bowl. Stir in the onion mixture, evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Pour into ungreased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place casserole dish in a large baking pan and fill pan half way up the side of the casserole dish with hot water.

Bake at 325 degrees for 75-80 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 Servings

Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens? Why Not?!

by Joi on March 21, 2010

The recipe below is one of the many wonderful and fun recipes in Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens by Chef Jennifer Schaertl.  It’s just one of the many fun, delicious, and creative recipes in the chef’s first book.

My Big Fat Greek Salad Recipe

The colorful fresh veggies in this recipe make the presentation beautiful on its own, and its mixture of flavors and textures makes it impressive for the most discerning guests.

Serves 8

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced anchovy (1 or 2)
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup diced English cucumber
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 cup thinly sliced romaine lettuce (use your bread knife to make thin slices from a head of romaine)
4 slices sourdough bread, toasted

1.  In your blender, pulse the mustard, anchovy, and oregano until mixed. Add the sherry vinegar and pulse until well combined. While blending at medium speed, drizzle in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2.  In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, feta cheese, and romaine with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Taste the salad to see if it needs more dressing, salt, or pepper.
3.   Mound the salad in a large serving bowl. Cut the toasted bread into wedges, tuck the wedges around, and garnish it with more crumbled feta. For individual portions, hold the toasted bread wedge in the center of each small plate, and pile the salad high around it. This makes each plate look like a sailboat. You could also serve individual salad portions in margarita or martini glasses with the toast jutting out like a sail.
4.  Store the leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can toss the leftover salad as well as the dressing with some pasta for a great Greek pasta salad.

This is Chef Jennifer Schaertl’s cookbook debut but I’m certain it won’t be her last.  Everything about the cookbook has a super cool vibe – from the title and the cover to the recipe names to the recipes.

As for the cookbook’s title, it’s because the concept behind the book is that you don’t have to have a huge, tech-licious, gadget-filled dream kitchen to turn out great food. Chef Jennifer Schaertl believes that “…..cooking in a crappy little kitchen builds character and personality – two attributes of downright delicious gourmet meals.” Learning from her own experiences cooking in a crappy little kitchen in her first tiny apartment in Brooklyn, Jennifer created Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

Jennifer begins the book with The Art of Cooking in Your Crappy Little Kitchen, covering topics such as:

  • CLK Basics
  • It’s Not What You Have, It’s How You Use It
  • The CLK Pantry
  • Preventing Crappy Little Casualties
  • Nine Gourmet Rules

Recipes cover everything needed to create a delicious meal, including “A”-Game Appetizers, Toss Everything but These Salads, Dignified One-Pot Creations, Artful Accompaniments, Saucy Sauces, and Desserts to Die For. The fun Jennifer had creating recipes in her own crappy little kitchen shows through in every page. She makes home-cooking an adventure with recipes such as:

  • When the Saints Come Marchin’ in Gumbo
  • Smokin’ Leftover Turkey Soup
  • Scallops Ceviche
  • Hot-and-Bothered Dragonfly Prawns
  • Wassup! Wasabi Chicken Salad
  • Caramelized Fennel and Goat Cheese with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
  • Hunka Hunka Monkfish
  • The Perfect Pot Roast
  • Snake-Charmin’ Moroccan Lamb Chops
  • Barbequeless Barbequed Salmon
  • Rum-Infused, Caramelized Pork Chops
  • Leaning Tower of Tofu Lasagna Stacks
  • The-Morning-After Pasta Frittata
  • The Best Paella You’ll Ever Eat
  • Rock-‘n’-Roasted Vegetables
  • Butternutty Squash Bread Pudding
  • Under-the-Sea Timables
  • Fig and Lavender Honey Yogurt Pie
  • Coconut Poached Pears with Burgundy Sauce

Packed with color photos, line drawings, interactive sidebars, and chef tips and information, readers of GOURMET MEALS IN CRAPPY LITTLE KITCHENS will learn:

  • Why a Crappy Little Kitchen can actually be an asset, not a liability
  • The must-haves for every Crappy Little Kitchen pantry
  • Crappy Kitchen Saboteurs: Pointless items that eat up small spaces
  • How to enhance the functionality of your Crappy Little Kitchen space—emphasizing the surprising attributes of working in a small kitchen, plus space-saving ideas that help expand space and utility, allowing for the creation of the most complex dishes
  • How to double or triple the function of utensils to eliminate clutter
  • Swap It Skills: Replacing hard-to-find, gourmet ingredients with everyday items without sacrificing taste
  • How to cohabitate in Crappy Little Kitchens—Jennifer tells readers how to share the tight space and avoid Crappy Little Casualties with chef-proven techniques she learned working in busy and cramped restaurant kitchens
  • Ways to create beautiful plating presentations with secretly guarded tricks of the trade

“Don’t fall prey to the misconception that having a crappy little kitchen limits your possibilities or confines your pallet,” Jennifer explains. “In fact, the opposite is true. My own experiences shows fine food and cramped kitchen quarters are not mutually exclusive. Remember, what sets your Crappy Little Kitchen apart from all the others, is the gourmet chef – - you.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Schaertl met her first crappy little kitchen when she moved to New York and found the perfect brownstone apartment in Brooklyn. After all her worldly possessions arrived, she found out just how small 300 square feet truly was. Armed with determination, Jennifer learned a million little tricks in her crappy little kitchen. And so “Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens” was born. Deciding to become a chef, she moved back to Texas to study culinary arts at El Centro in Dallas, where she received a technical education about cooking, food style, and preparation, as well as Old World knowledge about recipes and techniques. Jennifer’s first job inside a professional crappy little kitchen was actually that of a dishwasher, where she eventually worked her way up to sous chef. Since that humble beginning Jennifer has worked as a chef in some of Dallas’ top restaurants, including Savory, Taste, and The Grape, and even as a pastry chef at Suze, all the while creating and documenting her own recipes both for her restaurant menus and her family gatherings. A native of Texas, Jennifer Schaertl now lives in Dallas working as an Executive Chef at the North Central Surgical Center. She has already completed the pilot episode of the television series Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens. To view this episode and join her monthly mailing list “The Crappy Little Newsletter,” visit www.crappylittlekitchens.com. From here you can also see her latest press, and get recipes and CLK tips.

Grab a copy of Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens on Amazon today!

Fluffy Blueberry Pie Recipe for the Win

by Joi on March 15, 2010

The recipe below is for Fluffy Blueberry Pie and couldn’t be easier to make – this I promise.  I also promise that it is so delicious, you’ll fight for the last bite.  You can substitute peeled, sliced peaches for the blueberries and the pie will be just as remarkable.  Either fruit would make an ideal Easter Pie recipe or a simple dessert for warm summer nights.

Fluffy Blueberry Pie Recipe

20 large marshmallows
1/4 cup whole milk
4 cups fresh blueberries (divided)
1 (8 oz) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked

In a heavy saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, stirring several times.

Stir in 3-1/2 cups of the blueberries (or peaches, if you go that route). Take out and set aside 1/2 cup of the whipped topping. Fold remaining topping into blueberry mixture.

Pour into crust. refrigerate for at lease 2 hours. Top off with the remaining blueberries and reserved whipped topping.

Once your familiar with the recipe, you’ll want to try out different fruit.  I would imagine that raspberries would be amazing and blackberries would probably have your family throwing themselves at your feet.   Note to self: Put blackberries on the grocery list….

Yield: One 9″ Pie or about 8 servings.

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.

Amish Iced Orange Juice Cookies

by Joi on February 23, 2010

Basset Hound Cookie Jar
Basset Hound Cookie Jar

Amish Orange Juice Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add the egg and blend well.  Add the orange juice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Beat well.  Add the flour.

Bake at 400 degrees until set and golden brown – between 7 and 9 minutes, depending upon the size of the cookies.  (Check at 7!)

Orange Butter Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBS butter
2 TBS orange juice

Blend together and spread onto cooled cookies.  The quality and brand of your orange juice will affect the intensity of the orange flavor.  Even the cookies with the least “orange” flavor are still outstanding, though.  And when I say outstanding, I mean can’t eat just one delectable!

******* The gorgeous cookie jar at the top of the post is just one of an entire collection of dog and cat cookie jars available. I chose the beautiful Basset Hound in honor of one of my favorite dogs we’ve ever had – Honey. She was, undoubtedly, one of the sweetest, most warm-hearted animals to ever live and I simply adored her. If you click through the link, you can find your own dog or cat’s breed.

Steamed Asparagus, Just Where Have You Been All My Life?

by Joi on January 20, 2010

My family and I have fallen completely in love with asparagus.  One of my Christmas gifts from my husband was a bamboo steamer and asparagus is its favorite resident.  Not only is steamed asparagus nothing short of delectable, it’s a nice, crunchy part of a healthy diet.

  • Asparagus is low in calories
  • Asparagus has very little sodium
  • Asparagus is a very good source of potassium and fiber
  • Asparagus is an excellent source of folacin, thiamin, and Vitamin B6

Naturally, even with all of that going for it, if it didn’t taste fantastic, it wouldn’t be invited back into the kitchen.

My favorite way to serve asparagus is steamed and, personally, I think I am the reigning queen of steaming  (dusts left shoulder, then right shoulder).   I guess it’s a personal thing, but I love for my steamed vegetables to retain a little crunch.. a little attitude.  I want to know that it’s a vegetable I’m eating, not pudding!  Below are a few key tips for steaming asparagus:

  • When buying asparagus, look for smooth, round, and tender medium-sized spears.  Be sure to look at the tips – you want the asparagus to have closed tips. Also, be sure the stalks are uniform in size, so they’ll all cook in the same amount of time.
  • Cut or snap off the tough ends. Wash asparagus and remove scales if they’re sandy or rough.
  • Steam asparagus in an electric steamer, a stove-top steamer, or a bamboo steamer for 6 – 8 minutes.

You can also microwave asparagus.  For spears: Place asparagus spears in a square microwavable-safe dish about 8x8x2 inches.  Add 1/4 cup water and microwave between 6 and 9 minutes.   For Pieces: Add 1/4 cup water to cut up asparagus and microwave for 6 to 9 minutes.

Asparagus is wonderful lightly salted and served with lemon but my favorite way to serve it is with Hollandaise Sauce.  Before you run from the room screaming, I’ve got your back.

McCormick and Knorr’s both make outstanding (and unbelievably fast and easy) Hollandaise Sauce mixes.

I have used mixes and I have made Hollandaise Sauce from scratch.  I actually prefer the mixes!  I’m not sure why that is, but the flavor and the texture is just 100 times better when made from a mix.  It’s also about 100 times faster as well.  Faster, easier, and tastier.  That’s tough to top.

Grab some asparagus and a package of Hollandaise Sauce on your next trip to the store.  If you haven’t eaten asparagus in a while, it might be better than you remembered.

While on the subject of asparagus, I’m going to hunt through some of my beloved heirloom cookbooks and recipes and find my grandmother’s wonderful Asparagus Casserole recipe.  Even as a kid in a  “But Granny, it’s greeeeeen!!!!” phase, I still licked my plate clean when she served her asparagus casserole.   I’ll post the recipe tomorrow.

Creamy Key Lime Pie Recipe with Zero Guilt!

by Joi on December 10, 2009

This beautiful, delicious, and surprisingly guilt-free dessert is JUST the thing health-conscious cooks are looking for this Christmas.  We want to serve beautiful and yummy desserts, but we don’t want to fall off of the healthy bandwagon we’ve been fighting so hard to stay on!  Think of this Key Lime Pie recipe as a rope to hang on to.

Creamy Key Lime Pie Recipe

Creamy Key Lime Pie Recipe

Prep Time: 30 mins. | Start to Finish: 3 hrs. 30 mins. | Yields: 8 servings

CRUST

2 cups Fiber One® original bran cereal
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING AND TOPPING

2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 oz (half 8 oz. package) 1/3-less-fat (Neufchâtel) cream cheese, softened
4 containers (4 oz each) Yoplait® Fiber One™ Key lime pie yogurt
1/2 cup frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping
2 teaspoons grated lime peel

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and finely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet until cereal looks like graham cracker crumbs (or finely crush in food processor).

2. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients until blended. Press crust mixture evenly and firmly in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until firm. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In 1-quart saucepan, mix water and lime juice. Sprinkle gelatin on lime juice mixture; let stand 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes.

4. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add yogurt and lime juice mixture; beat on medium speed until well blended. Fold in whipped topping and lime peel. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Nutrition Info:

1 Serving: Calories 180 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 7g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 180mg; Total Carbohydrate 16g (Dietary Fiber 9g, Sugars 4g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 6%; Calcium 10%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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