Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Chocolate Milk Shake


This is the bomb! It's from Emeril; I was on a summer heat wave kick.


1 pint premium chocolate ice cream 1/4 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons malt powder 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup


Place all the ingredients in a bar blender and process on low speed until all the ingredients are well incorporated and a smooth shake forms, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve immediately.


*Cook's Note: For an extra-special treat, add 3/4 cup of crumbled cookies (such as chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookies, or shortbread) along to the blender with all other ingredients.

Crab Louis

I love this recipie!!! It's from the Food Network Kitchens.

Ingredience:

2 cups lump crabmeat (about 1 pound)
1 cup prepared mayonnaise
4 teaspoons chili sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 scallions, finely chopped
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1 hard-boiled egg
4 to 8 Bibb lettuce leaves, washed and dried
4 thick slices beefsteak tomatoes
1 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled, and quartered lengthwise

Using your finger, carefully pick through the crab and discard any bits of shell or hard cartilage. Try to leave the lumps as intact as possible. Put the meat in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, bell pepper, lemon juice, 1/2-teaspoon salt, scallion, a couple dashes Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Season the dressing with pepper to taste.

Gently fold about 1/4 cup of the dressing into the crab with a rubber spatula. Take care not to break the crab into smaller pieces. Put the crab salad and the dressing in the refrigerator until cold.

Meanwhile, put the hard-boiled egg in a fine sieve set over a bowl. Using the back of a spoon, rub the egg through mesh to make a fine textured garnish. Set aside.

Divide the lettuce leaves among 4 plates. Top each with a tomato slice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place an avocado quarter across each tomato slice and top with 1/4 of the crab mixture. Spoon some of the dressing over the crab and sprinkle each salad with some of the egg. Serve and pass the remaining dressing at the table.


This is an Emeril recipie that is very good!
5 pounds prime beef short ribs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups brown veal stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sweet potatoes, julienned and soaked in cool water
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
Red Beans and Sushi Rice, recipe follows


Season the short ribs on all sides with the salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour to coat evenly. Set aside as you heat the oil in the Dutch oven.


Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and when hot, add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the short ribs, working in batches, and cook until very well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl or platter and set aside. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the red wine and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Add the veal stock, fresh thyme, tomato paste and reserved short ribs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the liquid just simmers and cover the pot. Simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender but not yet falling apart. The bones should come out of the meat easily at this point – remove them and discard. Continue to cook the beef until the meat is fork-tender and the braising liquid is thickened and reduced, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.


Preheat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 360 degrees F, and fry the sweet potatoes in batches until golden brown; about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper lined plate and season with salt.


To serve, place the sushi rice in the bottom of a large bowl topped with the red bean, beef short ribs, fried sweet potatoes, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.


Red Beans and Sushi Rice:


Ingredience:


2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 ham hock
5 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup red beans, soaked overnight in 3 cups cold water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
1 tablespoon sesame oil 2
tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves


Set a 2-quart saucepan over a medium high heat, and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, about 30 seconds, add the onions, bell peppers and celery. Sweat the vegetables stirring often until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ham hock to the pan and continue to stir while sweating the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf to the pan and cook for 1 hour. After an hour, add the red beans to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 1 1/2 hours. After 11/2 hours, the beans should be slightly tender, at this point, remove the ham hock from the pan and allow to cool slightly before removing the meat from the bone. Discard the ham hock bones and return the meat as well as 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the pan with the red beans. Cook the beans for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the stock has reduced to make a sauce-like consistency with the red beans. Remove the bay leaf from the red beans.


To make the rice, rinse the rice grains in a fine mesh strainer under running cold water. Place the rice in a 1-quart saucepan and add the water. Place the pan over a medium high heat, and when the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the saucepan. Cook the rice for 20 minutes and remove from the heat. Allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes before removing the lid and stirring the sesame oil and cilantro into the rice. Serve immediately.

Chicken Enchilada's


This is from Emeril


Ingrdience:


3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup oil, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup New Mexican chili powder

16 ounces chicken stock

10 ounces tomato puree

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin


3 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken

1 onion, chopped

10 corn tortillas

1 cup sour cream, for garnish

1/2 cup chopped scallions, for garnish


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make sauce: In a saucepan heat 3 tablespoons oil, add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook 30 seconds. Stir in stock, tomato puree, oregano and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until flavors are well-blended. Season to taste with salt.


Combine cheese, chicken and onion for filling. Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a skillet until hot. Using tongs dip in tortillas, one at a time, to soften, and drain on paper towels. Dip each tortilla in sauce. On a plate fill with a generous spoonful of filling and roll up; place enchilada seam-side down in a baking dish and repeat until all ingredients are used up. Top with remaining sauce. Bake 30 minutes. To serve, top with sour cream and scallions.

Tiramasu

This is actually a Weight Watcher recipie, but it is very good!

1 8oz package fat-free cream cheese; softened
1/2(4oz) mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlua(optional)
1 cup frozen reduced calorie whipped topping; thawed
3/4 cup cold strong brewed coffee
1 (3oz) package cake-style ladyfingers(12 lady fingers)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

1. Combine first 3 ingredience and kahlua in a large bowl. Beat with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

2. pour coffee into a shallow dish. Split ladyfigers in half legthwaise. Quickly dip ladyfingers, flat side dow, into coffee, arrange half of ladyfingers, dipped side up in a medium bowl.

3. Gently spread half of cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers. Repeat procedure with ramaining ladyfingers and cream cheese mixture. Sift Cocoa over the top. Cover and chill for 8 hours.

Spoon into dessert glassesor small bowls to serve. Lightly dust with cocoa if desired

182 calories
6 fat grams
2g of carbs
4 points

Seared Ahi Tuna and Salad of Mixed Greens with Wasabi Vinaigrette


This dish also includes sessame noodles; the Tuna part is a Racheal Ray recipie, the noodles also from Racheal Ray; very good!


Ingedience:


1 ahi tuna steak, 6 ounces 2

teaspoons five-spice powder, available on spice aisle

1 teaspoon grill seasoning, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning, or salt and coarse pepper Cooking spray or vegetable oil, for brushing the grill pan

5 ounces, half a sack, mixed prewashed baby salad greens

2 radishes, sliced

1/4 European cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste

1 tablespoon rice vinegar or rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons -virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Coat your steak with a combination of five-spice powder and grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan or griddle over high heat. Spray grill surface or wipe with a thin layer of oil. Add tuna steak to the hot cooking surface and sear tuna 2 minutes on each side. Remove tuna from heat.
Combine greens, radishes and cucumber in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk wasabi, vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk in oil to combine dressing. Drizzle dressing over your salad and toss to coat evenly. Slice tuna on an angle and arrange on the salad.


Sesame Noodles


Incredience:


1 tablespoon peanut butter 2 tablespoons soy sauce Pinch cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/3 pound thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente, drained and cooled 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 scallion, chopped
Whisk peanut butter, soy, cayenne, oil and sesame oil. Add noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle noodles with sesame and scallion to garnish.

Chocolate Malt Sundae


These are really good! I got this from Emeril



ingredients:


1 pint premium chocolate ice cream
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons malt
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Place all the ingredients in a bar blender and process on low speed until all the ingredients are well incorporated and a smooth shake forms, about 30 to 45 seconds.
Yield: 2 (10-ounce) servings
*For an extra-special treat, add 3/4 cup of crumbled cookies (such as chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookies or shortbread) along to the blender with all other ingredients.

Strawberry Margarita’s



A friend of mine wanted to learn to make margarita's and ask me for help; I told her I'd leard to make them, then teach her; so is my final product...


Ingrediance:

Sauza gold tequila 6 oz
Cointreau 2 oz
Grangala 1 oz
frozen strawberries in syrup 12 oz
ice ¾ full
Limeade juice 8 oz
Directions:

Mix tequila, Cointreau and Gangala in a glass
Place strawberries and limeade in a bowl.
Fill bender ¾ full of ice
Add strawberries and limeade
Add alcohol
Blend; pulsing a few times at first; in ice crush mode
Then blend on full; still in ice crush mode; until done about 20 seconds or so.


Wine Cake

This is from my gf's mom.

Ingredients

1 pkg. white cake mix.
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding.
1 t. almond flavoring.
4 eggs.
¾ C. vegetable oil.
¾ C. sherry wine.
1 t. nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and beat 5 minutes.
Pour into a well-greased Bundt cake pan and bake for 45 minutes @ 350.
Sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Wilted Spinach Salad

This recipe is from the Dec issue of Bon Appetit.

1 bag baby spinach
1 red onion
4-5 oz. feta cheese
4-5 tbs. olive oil
2-3 tbs. sherry vinegar (you could use red wine vinegar too)
salt and pepper

Place spinach in large bowl.
Cut onion in half and then into 1/2" slices. Saute onion over medium heat in 2 tb olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Add onions to spinach and toss well.
Add remaining olive oil, sherry vinegar and feta cheese to pan and allow feta to soften and melt slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour feta mixture over spinach and toss again well.

-tresjolie

Monday, January 7, 2008

Asparagus Parmesan

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds of fresh asparagus
Olive Oil
Seasoned Italian Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese

Prepare:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cut bottom third (or less) off asparagus stalks
Rinse in cold water

Lay asparagus in 9x13 baking pan (I use a stone)
Drizzle with a little olive oil.
Roll aspagus around so that they are lightly coated.

Sprinkle lightly with seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
Sprinkle lightly with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Roll asparagus around so that all stalks are lightly coated with breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes (uncovered) in 350 degree F oven.

Enjoy!

Rudy

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Tamari Roasted Almonds

Here is my DH's recipe for his tamari roasted almonds. He just dictated it to me so I hope it works out OK... We use San-J brand Tamari soy sauce.

Two pounds unroasted unblanched almonds
¼ cup tamari soy sauce (or just enough to coat almonds)
1 tbsp sea salt

Directions:Pre-heat oven to 450-500 F (or your maximum) Spread almonds out on a large flat baking tray/roasting pan. Lower temp to 200 F when when temperature is reached. Wait two minutes then insert the tray on a middle rack. Let them roast for approx 15-20 mins

In the meanwhile put tamari and salt in a medium sized pot. Take out almonds and pour them into the pot and toss them in the tamari /salt mix till they’re coated evenly

Spread them back on the tray and leave them in the oven for an hour at 200F.


SMAAKIT

Cheese Sauce

Here's one i got on the net, it is amazing.

ADD a tbsp of dry mustard, and a tbsp of Worcester sauce. a dash of nutmeg too. Trust me on this :) Ready in ten minutes!

2 tablespoons butter/margarine (replace with vegetable oil if you're feeling health conscious
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheese

Directions Heat the butter/margarine/oil over in a small saucepan over low heat until it's completely melted. Add the flour, salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth.

The ingredients you've just added may become lumpy. Just keep stirring. Add the milk. Stir some more. Add the cheese and heat it over .medium heat. Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted.

I love it on a baked potato with steamed broccoli. Sometimes I make some shells, and just smother them with this. Eat & enjoy. Also makes an awesome dip. If you don't want it that thick add more milk :)

Alicia

Triscuits and Cheese Appetiser

Here is something ........so simple....but so damn good...

Rosemary and Olive oil Triscuits
Spreadable cream cheese
Roma tomatoes sliced thin
Green onion sliced thin rings
Cracked black pepper

First the triscuit, then the cream cheese, 1 slice of Roma, about 2 onion slices, and cracked pepper to top. I can make a whole tray here, and set them out, and they will be GONE before I can get one.

RomanShopper

Black Eye Pea Soup

I made a great soup tonight (New Year's Day). See, we won't EAT black eyed peas, but you know, scared not to. lol

I cooked the peas in the pressure cooker in beef stock, a bit of onion, and minced garlic. Then 1 can of Hunts tomatoes with garlic and oregano, a handful of dried okra, a handful of rice, half a cup of chopped spinach, 1/2 tsp of pepper and sea salt

It was **GOOD** about as good a soup as any, and extremely low fat, if any.


RomanShopper

My Texas Aunt Annie's Lentil Soup

We love this soup! We omit the dill and the butter

1 lb lentils
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced
3 ½ quarts (14 cups) cold water
1 lb lean ground beef
2 oz butter (1/2 stick)
2 tsp salt
1 tlb dill seeds
1 tsp black peeper
1 15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz spaghetti ½ inch length
Scallions for garish

Lentils, garlic, onions and water. To simmer. 2 hours over low heat

Sauté meat and butter.

Add salt, meat, tomato sauce, pepper after the 2 hours. Then simmer for another hour.

Add pasta and cook for 12 – 15 minutes.