tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15478891300529940632023-06-20T06:08:09.973-07:00Luci's Tasty AdventuresHere are my chronicles as I explore the world of cooking!Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-46147833174140467992017-09-26T12:29:00.001-07:002017-09-26T12:29:39.126-07:00TestAmy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-68669117453462272872010-07-11T17:20:00.000-07:002010-07-11T17:20:41.405-07:00New Website Location!!<div style="color: red;">Hello everyone! </div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;">Thanks for stopping by, I've recently moved to my own domain, you can now find this blog at <a href="http://www.racerhino.com/">http://www.racerhino.com</a></div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><div style="color: red;">Please update your bookmarks! </div><div style="color: red;"><br />
</div><span style="color: red;">Thanks ;)</span>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-67050863814188922472010-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:06:51.508-07:00June 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0765-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0765-1.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br />
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<i>The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.</i><br />
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I'm a little late posting my challenge this month. I had my Meringue done on time and I was pleased with how easy making meringue can be. The second part of this challenge was to make Mascarpone cheese, I have made that before in past challenges so that was easy for me. And lastly to make the Mousse was really simple and really tasty.<br />
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The only beef I have with this challenge is the actual look of the desert. I made many different size and shape Meringues and tried to present them in different ways to make them look attractive. Don't get me wrong this dessert is really well put together and the flavor is great it's just not pretty. The chocolate Meringue topped with the chocolate mousse seemed to much of the same color. Next time I think I will switch this up and use different things to flavor the Meringue or the Mousse. Any way here is the recipe and some pictures. <br />
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<b>Chocolate Meringue:</b><br />
<ul><li>3 large egg whites</li>
<li>½ cup plus 1 tbsp sugar</li>
<li>¼ cup confection sugar</li>
<li>½ cocoa powder</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.<br />
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Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat them until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form.<br />
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Sift the confection sugar into the eggs along with the cocoa powder. Fold it in slowly till the mixture comes together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0739.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Put the Meringue in a pastry bag with a large tip. Pipe out the meringue into the size and shape you would like your dessert to be. This can be one great big meringue for a family style service or small individual serving sizes. I made individual size meringues.<br />
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Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0759.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 ½ cups heavy cream</li>
<li>zest of one lemon</li>
<li>9 ounces of 72% chocolate, chopped</li>
<li>1 2/3 cups <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-2010-daring-bakers-challenge.html">homemade</a> mascarpone cheese</li>
<li>pinch of nutmeg <span style="color: #a64d79;">*** ps say no to NutMeg***</span></li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Place ½ cup of the heavy cream and lemon zest in a sauce pan over medium heat. As it heats up add the chocolate. Once the chocolate starts to melt and become smooth remove the mixture from the heat and set aside till it is room temperature.<br />
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Place the mascarpone and remaining cup of cream in a mixing bowl along with the nutmeg. Whip it till it is blended together, do not over do this part as the mascarpone can break.<br />
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Take about 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture and add it to the chocolate. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse and add it to the top of your meringues. <br />
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Serve with some fresh fruit, enjoy!Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-54917136875242021662010-06-19T09:06:00.000-07:002010-06-19T09:06:35.530-07:00Macaroni Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This is a family recipe that I have altered a tiny tinny bit. Basically Mom adds more mustard to hers then I do. We have had this salad at countless family gatherings, and I know it is still a top choice for both of my Brothers. It is really easy to make and I whipped some up this morning for small dinner party. <br />
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Aaron and I are going over to my younger brother Kurtis's house to have dinner with his family. We are most looking forward to this dinner and hoping that little Cameron will love the salad and he will carry the tradition on for another generation. <br />
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I understand that most people already have a family salad whether it be potato, pasta, or macaroni. This is one of those recipes that is a crowd pleaser. You can make large quantity's of this for large crowds, and whenever I make it I always get requests for the recipe. Looking for a simple side that is a crowd pleaser? This is your dish. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>1lb macaroni pasta</li>
<li>1/2 red onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>4-6 celery stalks, finely chopped</li>
<li>4 ounces black olives, sliced</li>
<li>3 hard boiled eggs</li>
<li>Best Foods Mayonnaise to taste (1/4-1/2 cup, spoon in slowly)</li>
<li>2-3 Tbs Yellow Mustard</li>
<li>Kosher salt</li>
<li>Freshly grated Black Pepper</li>
<li>Paprika</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0617.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Boil water and cook macaroni per manufactures directions.<br />
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When macaroni is done drain in sink and rinse with cold water from the tap.<br />
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Put Macaroni in a large mixing bowl add a spoon of mayo and throughly coat the Macaroni to prevent it from sticking together.<br />
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Add celery, onions and olives. <br />
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Slowly add mayonnaise and a little mustard. Mix well. If it seems dry add more mayo (trick is not to add too much Mayo, so add it slow). <br />
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Chop two of the hard boiled eggs up and mix into Macaroni.<br />
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Generously add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Let Salad sit in the fridge for a few hours up to overnight, and then check it. If it seems to dry add a spoon of mayo, test for salt and pepper.<br />
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When you are ready to serve slice the last egg and arrange on top of salad. Add paprika, serve.Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-1335919509813223212010-06-15T12:10:00.000-07:002010-06-15T16:22:25.048-07:00June 2010 - Daring Cooks Challenge : Pâté<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0562.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Our hostesses this month, <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/users/cheapethniceatz">Evelyne</a> of <a href="http://www.cheapethniceatz.com/">Cheap Ethnic Eatz</a>, and <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/users/chipiechocolat">Valerie</a> of a <a href="http://thechocobunny.blogspot.com/">The Chocolate Bunny</a>, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.</i> <br />
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This was my first Pate and I was really impressed how easy it was to make. The hardest part for me was working with a mini prep instead of a proper food processor. I had to grind up my pate in several separate batches. It was messy and I was very glad that my Sous –Chef Aaron was there to help me mop up the madness that took over my small counter top.<br />
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This was very special challenge for me. My Grandmother and Aunt Karen were visiting from Chicago, and this was the first time they got to taste some of my food. I have cooked for them in the past but it was so long ago and I have learned so much since the last time they had anything I cooked or baked. My mother hosted a nice sized party at her house and I decided to bring the pate and the homemade sourdough bread along.<br />
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When I unveiled the foil from the small loaf tins everyone gasped at the beautiful strips of bacon that seemed to invite everyone to want to try a little. Leave it to bacon to get even the pickiest eaters to try something new. I peeled one piece of bacon away and asked my Grandmother to smell it; she said “that smells Bohemian”. We all laughed, and I smiled; it truly was a very special day. <br />
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You can find my sourdough bread recipe <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/02/sourdough-bread.html">here</a>; it comes in so handy to have a sourdough starter living on your kitchen counter. I served my Pate with Dijon Mustard, Watercress, Radishes, and Cornichons. I served my Grandmother and my Aunt some Pate first and they just loved it. I made one round with all the toppings and then told everyone they were on their own. My Dad loved the Cornichons, but he added that he would love to add some onions.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0565.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
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I plan on learning how to make other versions of Pate and upgrading my food processor so making an appetizer mid week for a weekend party should be a snap. Not only will it be easy but it will be a cheap way to entertain. I think I spent 6 dollars total on everything for this challenge. I love this challenge because it can be made in advance, and it is actually better if you make it days in advance. It is cheap, easy, and delectable! <br />
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Lastly I would like to clear a few things up about The Daring Kitchen. I had some questions from some family and friends regarding the challenges, and one person even said do you challenger yourself?? Any way I was put off because these people must not read my blog. If you would like to learn more about The Daring Kitchen please visit this <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">link</a>. Daring Bakers’ and Cooks are a very large group of cooks and bakers that blog and every month we receive a challenge that usually is out of most of our cooking comfort zones. It’s a great group and I was introduced to it by Sarah Belaire. Thank you Sarah, you and your hubby rock.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 lb pork liver (or beef or combination) – I used only beef</li>
<li>1/2 lb ground pork</li>
<li>1/2 lb pork belly, or pork fat back</li>
<li>2 cloves garlic, finely chopped</li>
<li>2 shallots, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk</li>
<li>1/2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1/2 tsp coriander (ground or crushed)</li>
<li>1/2 tsp cumin</li>
<li>3/4 tsp Kosher salt</li>
<li>1 Tbps coarse freshly cracked peppercorns</li>
<li>2 Tbps cabernet sauvignon</li>
<li>4 bay leaves</li>
<li>1 pound of bacon </li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0510.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop up the pork fat, liver, shallots and garlic. If you are lucky enough to have a real food processor add the ground pork, pork fat, liver shallots, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper blend till it is smooth.<br />
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Transfer liver mixture to a bowl and combine with the eggs and wine. Line a loaf pan with bacon; I used two small loaf pans for a more petite presentation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0516.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
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Place one bay leaf at the bottom of each loaf pan and then distribute the liver mixture evenly into pans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0517.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Top each loaf with a bay leave and seal it with the over lapping bacon.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0520.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Place loaf pans in a large baking dish, fill the dish with water till the water covers two thirds of the pan. Bake for an hour and half. After they are done baking let them rest on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes.<br />
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After they have rested for 15 minutes cover them in foil. You are going to see a lot of grease and fat around the pate loafs, they will actually be floating in it. The goal is to get the loafs submerged in the fat so the pate can soak it back up. I stacked one loaf pan on top of the other and then placed a weight on top. This seemed to work well. I left them like that in my refrigerator for 2 days before serving.<br />
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To server remove the pate from the loaf pan. I removed the bacon; however, you can leave the bacon on if you prefer. Plate on a nice dish and serve with some nice sourdough bread and your favorite pate condiments. Enjoy!<br />
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Yeah so I used self rising flour, mhm I did. Don’t you be judging me! <br />
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It was in my pantry going to waste. I really don’t have any recipes in my repertoire that call for self rising flour. In fact I think this is the second time I have ever used it. First time was for a daring bakers’ challenge of British style pudding. <br />
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Basically if you have self rising flour this recipe is pretty darn tasty and easy to make to boot. You could substitute milk for the cream or buttermilk or do a mixture like I did. <br />
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This recipe was inspired by Miss Andy Pants. I mocked her one day for trying to make biscuits out of self rising flour; I told her it was a bad idea. I am wrong, I was really wrong, and little Miss Andy was right.<br />
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These biscuits are a great way to start out a Sunday morning, or a fabulous way to rescue some leftovers. Give them a try you won’t be disappointed.<br />
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PS Grandma that is one of your plates, oh and also if you would like to make rolled biscuits follow the recipe and add about 1/4 less liquid. <br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>1/3 cup milk</li>
<li>¼ cup cream</li>
<li>1 tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>1 tsp freshly grated black pepper</li>
<li>1 ½ cups self rising flour</li>
<li>4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed</li>
<li>2 scallions chopped</li>
<li>1/3 cup cheddar cheese, cubed</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0463.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In mixing bowl combine the salt, pepper, and flour. Using a pastry blender, blend in the butter till the butter is smaller than a pea size in shape. Slowly add the milk and cream and stir till it is just combined. Add in the cheese and scallions and give it one more stir. <br />
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Drop the biscuits on a parchment lined sheet pan; try to make them uniform in size. This is something I really don’t ever get right, but I always aim to get the same size cookie or biscuit. Bake the biscuits for about 15 minutes till they are golden brown. Slide them off the sheet pan onto a cooling rack. Cool for as long as you can resist them and enjoy! Makes about 12-16 <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0482.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-55785301007624776982010-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:002010-06-02T13:05:00.431-07:00Scallop and Shrimp Spaghetti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the photo. Gosh she is pretty. Some of my dishes photo really well; and then there is this pasta. This dish steals all the thunder of any of my other posts (well maybe bacon looks better, but you get the point). Rarely do I get a photo that demonstrates how truly wonderful my food taste, well that up in till now. This is one of those moments, let’s just stop and take in the beauty of this pasta. The colors and textures are so vivid; I bet you could almost smell it. . . Can’t you? <br />
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This recipe does not need to be made with both scallops and shrimp, it does not need to be made with jumbo sized shrimp and large scallops. The cooking time just needs to be adjusted depending on the size of the seafood you choose. So if all you have is shrimp, use shrimp. Use what you have. <br />
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A few key things to keep in mind, if you choose to use scallops, make sure they are dried completely before putting them in the pan. The same goes for the shrimp, but I am more diligent about it when it comes to scallops. Wet scallops will equal no crust. Every loves crust right? Something else to keep in mind is you really need to have everything prepped before you start cooking. You totally need to get your Mes en plas on. This dish cooks fast, so basically it takes 8 minutes for the pasta too cook. This dish takes about 10 minute’s grand total to make. So make sure the pasta water is boiling before you start the seafood. <br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>2 small yellow onions, finely chopped</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped</li>
<li>3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, and diced</li>
<li>4 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade at the last minute right before serving</li>
<li>¼ lemon, juiced</li>
<li>3/4 cup white wine</li>
<li>11 ounces spaghetti noodles</li>
<li>½ lb large shrimp, cleaned, tail on</li>
<li>2-3 scallops per person</li>
<li>kosher salt</li>
<li>freshly grated black pepper</li>
<li>olive oil</li>
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<i>Please note photo was taken after I seared the scallops and shrimp.</i><b> </b><br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Bring a large pot of water to boil to cook the pasta. Wait for the water to boil, heat a large sauce pan over medium high heat. You need to make sure that sauce pan is hot before you start searing the scallops. <br />
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Add 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in the sauce pan. Sprinkle the tops of the dried scallops with kosher salt and pepper. Place the scallops’ salt and pepper side down in the sauce pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the other side of the scallops. The trick to scallops is not to overcook them. I did mine just under 2 minutes per side. So after about a minute and a half use a nice spatula and flip the scallops. Try not to lose the pretty crust that has built up on the scallop. That’s the tasty part! Right after you flip the scallops add the spaghetti to the boiling water and set your timer. After the scallops are done remove them from the sauce pan, loosely tent them.<br />
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Keep the sauce pan on, add more olive oil if it is needed and do the same process with the shrimp. They need to be dried, salt and peppered and cooked for about a minute a side. After they are done place them on a plate and tent. <br />
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Working quickly add a splash of olive oil to the pan and sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Sprinkle them with a little kosher salt to help them cook down faster. Once there is less than 4 minutes left on the spaghetti add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Add the wine and reduce down by half. At this point the spaghetti should be done, drain it and toss it in the tomato sauce. Squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the pasta, and add two basil leaves that have been cut chiffonade style.<br />
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Plate the pasta and then add the scallops and shrimp on top and garnish with the fresh basil. Sit back and enjoy with some wine. . . trust me you will love this recipe. <br />
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Serves 4Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-72279465836855916922010-05-27T15:34:00.000-07:002010-05-27T18:52:09.888-07:00May 2010 - Daring Bakers' Challenge : Piece Montée (Croquembouche)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0427.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of<a href="http://www.littlemisscupcakeparis.blogspot.com/"> Little Miss Cupcake</a>. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri</i>.<br />
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After making Pâte à choux for the first time I feel pretty impressed with myself. Learning how to work with the dough and cook the flour prior to adding the eggs is truely the hard part of making Pâte à choux. If you don't cook the dough long enough in the sauce pan you will end up with round jelly dounut looking Pâte à choux rather then big puffy clouds that are begging to be filled with tasty delights. <br />
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For this challenge I made the Pâte à choux, the pastry filling, and the Chocolate dipping sauce from scratch. The hardest part I had with this challenge was making my mounted piece look pretty. The second hardest part was really have no one to share this yummy desert with. Aaron and I ate it, don't get me wrong.. I just would of liked to serve it to family and friends. Here are my photos, if you would like to see the recipe please go to this <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/recipe/piece-mont%C3%A9e">link</a>. I did not have time to include my method of making the recipe, I started back to work this week and things have been busy.<br />
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on nom nom nomAmy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-36098320277123584212010-05-14T18:15:00.000-07:002010-05-27T18:52:28.833-07:00Daring Cooks Challenge May 2010: Enchilada Stack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0293.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Our hosts this month, Barbara of <a href="http://www.barbarabakes.com/">Barbara Bake</a>s and Bunnee of <a href="http://annafood.blogspot.com/">Anna+Food</a> have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/">www.finecooking.com</a> and written by Robb Walsh. </i><br />
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As you can see my Enchilada Stack is not green. Last month I worked on making some <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/04/chile-verde.html">Chile Verde</a> and felt that I would give making a red sauce a try instead. I made homemade corn tortillas and stacked the enchiladas with olives as an ode to my Mother's enchilada influence. <br />
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Please note that I made a large amount of enchilada sauce to freeze and use again on another day.<b><br />
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<b>Enchilada Sauce:</b><br />
<ul><li>3 Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded</li>
<li>3 Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded</li>
<li>3 cups of hot water</li>
<li>1 large, or two small yellow onions, chopped</li>
<li>2 garlic cloves, chopped</li>
<li>1 Tbsp ground cumin</li>
<li>½ tsp ground oregano</li>
<li>1 Tbsp vegetable oil</li>
<li>2 ½ pounds fresh tomato</li>
<li>1-2 serrano chiles, halved and seeded</li>
</ul><b>Corn Tortilla:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 ½ cup masa flour</li>
<li>1 cup warm water</li>
<li>¼ tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>tortilla press</li>
</ul><b>Enchilada Stack:</b><br />
<ul><li>Roasted chicken meat, shredded (white, dark, or both)</li>
<li>white onion, chopped</li>
<li>jack cheese, grated</li>
<li>black olives, chopped for the inside, some whole for the garnish</li>
<li>Queso fresco cheese, garnish</li>
<li>cilantro leaves, garnish</li>
<li>radishes, thinly sliced, garnish</li>
<li>avocado, sliced, garnish</li>
</ul><br />
<b>Enchilada Sauce Method:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees<br />
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Place clean tomatoes in a large glass heat proof dish. Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes to an hour, turning once. The skin should start to shrivel up and fall off.<br />
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After the tomatoes have cooled down remove the skin and discard.<br />
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Add the garlic and serrano chiles to the blender and then put the peeled tomatoes on top along with the cumin and oregano. Puree for about 20 seconds, you don't want to bust up the tomato seeds themselves because then the sauce will become bitter. Pour the sauce into a glass bowl and set aside. I try to always use nonreactive cook items when cooking with tomatoes.<br />
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Place the stemmed, and seeded Guajillo and Ancho chiles in a small sauce pan. Cover them with water and bring the water to a boil. Once the water boils turn the water off and let the chiles steep till them are plump and hydrated.<br />
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Remove the chiles from the water and place them in a blender. Taste the water the chiles stewed in if it tastes bitter discard. If it does not taste bitter add one cup chile water plus one cup tap water to the blender. Puree the chiles till the are completely blended. Run the chile sauce through a fine mesh strainer.<br />
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Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat and saute the onions in vegetable oil till they are translucent. Add the pureed tomato and chili mixture. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for flavor. You might need to add salt or even sugar to the sauce depending on the ripeness of your tomatoes. <br />
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<b>Corn Tortilla Method:</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0221.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Mix mesa with salt, and cover it with warm water. Stir it till it is loosely combined and then cover it for 20 minutes. Come back and form it into a large ball, you may need to add more water to help it come together; add 1 Tbsp at a time. Section the dough into 12 triangles.<br />
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As you can see mine are not all the same size. Whoopsie! <br />
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Roll them into little balls and press them out in the tortilla press.<br />
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Store them between sheets of parchment paper before and after you cook them. Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron over medium high heat. Cook each tortilla for about 30-40 seconds a side. Serve them right away or store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.<br />
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<b>Tortilla Stack Method:</b><br />
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Basically I heated a small amount of peanut oil in a skillet. Toasted each tortilla and then dipped it into the heated enchilada sauce. I stacked mine with layers of chicken, white onion, jack cheese, and sliced olives. I baked them for about 20 minutes at 350 just till the cheese started melted. I plated them and garnished with whole olives, fresh avocado slices, sliced radishes, cilantro, and Queso fresco cheese.<br />
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Great challenge, and a great way to spend Cinco de MayoAmy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-86135918705442373872010-05-07T13:21:00.000-07:002010-05-07T15:10:23.867-07:00Julia's Roast Chicken - Poulet Rôti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9350.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This recipe cracks me up, mostly because Julia try to help you create a spit roasted chicken without the use of a spit. The basic technique for cooking whole poultry is common in most cookbooks, first cook the bird at a high temperature and then lower the temperature to complete the roast. I do the same thing when I cook turkeys. <br />
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In Julia's cookbook <i>Mastering the Art of French Cooking</i> she states you can always judge the quality of a cook or a restaurant by roasted chicken. I believe that, I love that. Julia goes on to explain what makes a good roasted chicken, juicy meat, browned crispy skin, buttery flavor. She explains that to master cooking a bird you need to learn to listen to it crackle and pop in the oven, and most importantly make sure it continually gets basted. <br />
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Trader Joe's has some really nice roasting chickens and I would recommend them for this recipe.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<br />
<ul><li>4-6 lb roasting chicken</li>
<li>¼ tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened</li>
<li>1 carrot, cut into thirds</li>
<li>1 yellow onion, quartered</li>
<li>3 feet of kitchen twine </li>
</ul>for basting: a small sauce pan containing 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1Tbsp olive oil, and a basting brush.<br />
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</b><br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
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Estimated roasting time for a 5 pound bird is 1 ½ hours<br />
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with salt and 1 Tbsp butter. <br />
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Truss the chicken, for this I used Thomas Kellers method instead of Julia's. I did this because I did not have access to a trussing needle. Place the chicken on a large plate or tray with the legs pointing toward you. Wrap the string under the birds neck, pulling the strings over the breast line. Make a knot under he breasts to plump them up (you can see in the later pictures that I did not knot it there and it popped up). Then cross the strings and wrap them around the opposite drumstick twice and then bring the drumsticks together and knot them to finish. Keller normally also tucks the wings under, I started my bird with the wings tucked under but then found with Julia's method of rotating the bird while it cooked would not allow the wings to stay in the tucked position.<br />
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Place the chicken breast side up on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Strew the carrot and onion around in the roasting pan. Rub the rest of the butter all over the top of the chicken.<br />
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Now this is the tricky part. Julia's instructions are to brown the chicken at 425 for 15 minutes turning it every 5 minutes. My oven is an apartment oven and it does not hold heat well. Her instructions say to open the oven after 5 minutes baste and turn the chicken over on left side, let it cook for 5 more minutes and turn it on the right side. Basically breast side up for 5, left drumstick up for 5, and then left drum up for 5. Basting it while you do the flips. I did this every 10 minutes instead of the instructed 5 minutes. Mostly because I don't think my oven was holding the temperature properly. <br />
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So after you finish flipping the bird around for 15 minutes or a half hour if you have a crappy oven; turn the oven down to 350 degrees- leave the chicken on it's side and baste every 8-10 minutes. Halfway through the roasting time turn the chicken on it's other side, and salt it with a ¼ tsp of kosher salt. 15 minutes before the estimated roasting time is up turn the chicken breast side up and salt it again with ¼ tsp kosher salt; continue basting. <br />
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The chicken is done when a it reaches 165 degrees, or as Julia says you might see a sudden rain of splutters in the oven, a swelling of the breast and slight puff of the skin, the drumstick is tender when pressed and can be moved in its sockets.<br />
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Place the done chicken on a carving board and remove the trussing string. Let the chicken sit for 5 minutes before carving. <br />
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If you care to make a pan sauce remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the roasting pan. Place roasting pan over a burner and heat over medium heat. Stir in 1 minced shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup chicken stock and boil rapidly over high heat scraping all the bits from the roasting pan. Transfer the sauce to a sauce pan if you wish or keep it in the roasting pan. After the sauce has reduced by half and 1 Tbsp of butter and serve immediately.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9362.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-51108349656833466452010-05-02T19:33:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:33:49.061-07:00Shrimp Risotto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0177.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Before I started making Risotto I assumed it was a fancy dish that required time and fancy ingredients to make. I find myself making Risotto often with left over items. Cheese that is almost past its prime, last weeks leftover veggies all are good things to experiment with when making Risotto. I always have homemade stock in my freezer so all I really need is a few items to whip up a tasty dinner. <br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>½ to 1 lb raw shrimp, size does not matter.. ./giggle</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>Kosher salt</li>
<li>freshly grated pepper</li>
<li>½ cup Chardonnay</li>
<li>2 small onions, chopped</li>
<li>3 cloves of garlic, chopped</li>
<li>1 cup arborio (risotto) rice</li>
<li>4-5 cups shellfish stock, heated</li>
<li>¼ cup cream, heated</li>
<li>¼ cup Parmesan cheese</li>
<li>¼ smoked Gouda</li>
<li>3 green onions, chopped</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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After you have cleaned the shrimp heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Dry the shrimp, if the shrimp you are using has shells leave them on and remove them after they are cooked. Add the olive oil to the hot skillet. Sprinkle one side of the dried shrimp with kosher salt and freshly grated pepper. Place the shrimp into the skillet seasoned side down. Season the other side of the shrimp with the salt and pepper. Cook the shrimp about a minute and a half for each size, if you are using smaller shrimp adjust the cooking time accordingly. <br />
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After the shrimp are done, remove them from the pan and set aside. Once the shrimp are cool enough to handle take the shells off all of them and leave the tails on 8 of the shrimp for garnish, chop the rest of the shrimp up into bite size pieces. If you prefer you can chop all the shrimp up, I just think leaving a few shrimp whole to garnish the top of each plate makes a nice presentation. <br />
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Keep the heat on the pan and cook the onions and garlic for 4 minutes, or till they are tender. Add the risotto rice to the pan, and saute it for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the chardonnay, after the wine completely reduces start to add the shellfish stock. Add a half a cup at a time. <br />
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Let the rice absorb all the liquid before adding more, and stir the risotto constantly. This process should take about a half hour. <br />
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Test the rice after a half hour and if it is soft and feels done, stop adding stock.<br />
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Once the risotto is soft add the warm cream. Let the cream get absorbed into the rice and then add the cheese. <br />
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After you mix in the cheese add the green onions (save some for garnish), and the chopped shrimp.<br />
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Plate with a few whole shrimp and some green onions. Serve immediately. Serves 4 for a main course, and 6-8 for a small appetizer. Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-51700404834165702082010-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:002010-04-27T00:01:02.773-07:00April 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Steak and Kidney Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of <a href="http://lilackitchen.blogspot.com/">The Lilac Kitchen</a>. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet. </i><br />
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For this challenge I drew inspiration from <a href="http://lilackitchen.blogspot.com/">Esther</a>, <a href="http://audaxartifex.blogspot.com/">Audax</a> and from this <a href="http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-make-steak-and-kidney-pudding">video</a>. I went whole hog in and found suet from a butcher shop in Los Gatos, Ca. I had to render the fat down and turn it into a lard type substance, I did not post any of those photos because I don't think people really want to see that part. If I make this again I will just use vegetable shorting or butter. I am glad I had a chance to cook with suet; however, it is just not healthy, or a practical ingredient for me to use again. I also chose to do a savory pudding instead of a sweet pudding.<br />
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I made a gravy using <a href="http://audaxartifex.blogspot.com/">Audax's</a> instructions with the left over scraps of meat and kidney. I tell you the winner was the gravy.. I could of eaten that with toast. The pudding was good don't get me wrong, it's just not my cup of tea. I would like to give cheers to everyone who did this challenge. For me it was a learning experience, and I am really glad I participated in it, thank you Esther. <br />
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<b>Pastry Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>12 ounces self rising flour- wtb Andy's biscuit recipe for my left over flour!</li>
<li>6 ounces shredded suit or substitute like Crisco, Lard, or Butter</li>
<li>¼ tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper</li>
<li>½ cup milk, 2% worked fine</li>
<li>½ cup water</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Filling Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 lb of stewing beef, cubed</li>
<li>2-3 lamb kidney's, chopped-make sure to toss out the white portion</li>
<li>1 yellow onion, chopped</li>
<li>3 Tbsp chopped parsley</li>
<li>1 tsp ground mustard</li>
<li>1 tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>1 tsp freshly grated black pepper</li>
<li>4 Tbsp chicken stock</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Oyster sauce</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9935.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Oyster sauce and Chicken stock to shy to be photoed </i><br />
<i> </i><b> </b><br />
<b>Assembly: </b><br />
<ul><li>1 1/2 quart bowl oven safe bowl, like Pyrex. </li>
<li>Large pot with a steamer and lid</li>
<li>rubber-band</li>
<li>kitchen twine</li>
<li>heavy duty foil</li>
</ul><br />
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<b>Gravy: </b><i>(optional, sorry no photos)</i><br />
<ul><li>left over steak and kidney scraps</li>
<li>2 shallots, chopped</li>
<li>1 Tbsp oyster sauce</li>
<li>1 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon</li>
<li>1 cup chicken stock</li>
<li>2 Tbsp flour</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
First make the pastry by blending the flour and suet together with a pastry blender. Add the salt and pepper to the flour and suet mixture. Slowly add the water and milk, 1 Tbsp at a time. The dough should form a nice ball and none of it should be stuck to the bowl. Take the dough and place it on a floured work surface.<br />
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Cut ¼ of the dough out and reserve it for the pudding lid. Use a measuring tape and roll the dough out to fit your pudding bowl.<br />
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Coat the pudding bowl with some butter or fat before placing the dough inside. Roll out the lid, use a measuring tape to get the size right. Set the lid aside.<br />
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Place water in your steamer and bring water to a boil.<br />
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In a small bowl mix the ½ cup flour, ground mustard, salt and pepper together. Take one of the piece of beef and try to wrap it around a small piece of kidney, and then coat it the flour mixture.<br />
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<div style="color: purple;"><i>Me breaking down the lamb kidney, first time for me!</i></div><i> </i> <br />
Place the piece in the pudding bowl. Make one row of steak and kidney rolls and then cover them with a handful of sliced onions and chopped parsley.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Create another row of meat and cover it again with the onions and parsley. Continue this process till you run out of meat or your pudding bowl is filled up. <i>I had under a pound of beef and that is why my pudding bowl is not filled all the way. If you use a full pound you will get one more layer in. </i><br />
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Add the chicken stock and oyster sauce over the top of the last layer and then seal the pudding with the pastry lid.<br />
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Make sure you get a good seal on it, you don't want any of it leaking out. <br />
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Then cover your pudding with heavy duty foil. Secure the foil with a rubber-band and some kitchen twin. Cut away any excess foil as it might get in the way later.<br />
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Remove the lid from the steamer and carefully place the pudding inside. <br />
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The water should not touch the metal part of the steamer, fill it so it is just below that part. <b>Cover </b>and turn heat to medium. Steam for 3-5 hours. I did mine for about 4. <br />
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If you want the make the gravy take a medium size sauce pot and turn it to medium heat. Add one of the chopped shallots, beef and kidney scraps, wine, oyster sauce, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, let it simmer for about a hour, or until it has reduced by half. Strain the gravy and remove all the shallot, beef and kidney pieces. In the same sauce pan saute the other chopped shallot and after it is soft add the 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix together and cook for a minute and then return the strained gravy to the sauce pan. Heat over medium heat till it thickens.<br />
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After the pudding has steamed for atleast 3 hours you can remove it.<br />
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Let it sit on your counter for about 15 minutes before attempting to flip it over. If you made the gravy you can poke a small whole in the top of the pudding and fill it up with gravy.<br />
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Place a plate over the bowl and use pot holders to shimmieslide flip the pudding over. The pudding should just plop out.<br />
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Cut the pudding like you would a pie and drizzle more gravy if you fancy. Enjoy! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_0044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-82376378231043145872010-04-23T12:01:00.000-07:002010-04-23T12:04:12.349-07:00Potato Leek Soup - Soupe de Poireaux et Pommes de Terre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9714.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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After our wonderful trip to Napa I came home and was inspired to make Thomas Keller's Potato Leek Soup. This soup recipe caught my eye because it required leeks, shallots, yellow onions, and chives. I love onions, Aaron says I tend to onionize my food. Yes I am the onionizer!! Watch out!<br />
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This soup has very simple ingredients, for me what makes this soup special is the stock. I'm sure it tastes fine with store purchased stock, but making your own stock will take this from soup to a symphony in your mouth. I keep my chicken stock in the freezer, I make large batches so that when I want to make soup or need to make a sauce I am good to go. <br />
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The funny part is I used the last of my chicken stock on this recipe. So I was out of stock Monday morning, and Monday night Aaron went in for emergency surgery. He had an appendectomy at 6:30 pm. He is doing much better now but we are both still out of sorts. The surgery went well and I was able to bring him home from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. I got him home and into bed, and of course I made more chicken stock to make him some chicken noodle soup. Nothing says I'm taking care of you more than homemade soup. Trust me.<br />
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Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>2 lbs Leeks, about three</li>
<li>4 Tbsp unsalted butter</li>
<li>½ cup shallots, sliced</li>
<li>1/3 cup onion, sliced</li>
<li>Kosher salt and freshly grated black pepper</li>
<li>½ pound russet potato (about one large), peeled</li>
<li>1 Tbsp minced garlic</li>
<li>8 thyme sprigs</li>
<li>2 Italian parsley sprigs</li>
<li>2 bay leaves</li>
<li>½ tsp pepper corns</li>
<li>cheese cloth</li>
<li>5 ½ cups chicken stock</li>
<li>¾ cup heavy cream, warmed</li>
<li>½ cup minced chives</li>
<li>Extra virgin olive oil</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Make a <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/goodthings/herb-sachet-for-cooking">Sachet</a> with the cheese cloth, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and pepper corn. Set aside.<br />
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Prepare the leeks by cutting away the dark green portion, and the bottom root part. Slice the leek in half and clean well under running water. Place the leeks cut side down on the cutting board and chop them into ¼ inch slices.<br />
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Melt butter in a stock pot over medium-low heat, add the leeks, shallots, onions, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium and sweat the vegetables, stirring every 3-5 minutes. The vegetables will get soft, but should not brown.<br />
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In the mean time chop the potato into ¼ inch think slices. Add the garlic to the vegetables and cook for about a minute. Add the sachet and potatoes and cook for 4 minutes.<br />
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Add 5 ½ cups chicken stock and test for seasoning.<br />
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Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the soup from the heat and let cook for 15 minutes.<br />
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Transfer soup to blender and puree, start on a low speed to release the remaining heat in the soup. For a refined soup strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer.<br />
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Rinse out the stock pot and return the soup and heat up over medium heat. Bring the soup to a simmer and add the cream, simmer for 5 minutes. To serve the soup, remove it from the burner and stir in the chives, save some for garnish.<br />
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Ladle the soup into the serving bowls and garnish them with extra virgin olive oil and chives. Enjoy, serves 6-8Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-34382875207540493412010-04-18T11:54:00.000-07:002010-04-18T11:54:52.196-07:00Chile Verde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9896.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I was not going to post this recipe mostly because I plan to make it differently next time. This was a learning experience for me, and the end result was very tasty. So, I decided to post along with my notes and some of the corrections I plan to make next time I whip up some Chile Verde. I was inspired by <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/green-pork-chili-recipe/index.html">Bobby Flay's Green Chile</a> recipe and followed it loosely. <br />
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Learning how to make your own Chile Verde is a great recipe to have under your belt. Mostly because it is so cheap to make and it's not bad for you. You could make this with a lean pork tenderloin and yield beautiful results. This is another recipe where having homemade chicken stock in the freezer comes in really handy. It lowers the cost and ups the flavor. <br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>4 jalapenos</li>
<li>4 cloves of garlic, not peeled</li>
<li>2 lbs tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved</li>
<li>4 lbs pork shoulder, diced into 1-2 inch cubes</li>
<li>3 red onions, chopped</li>
<li>1 cinnamon stick</li>
<li>Flour, to dredge the pork</li>
<li>4 Tbsp canola oil</li>
<li>2 cups chicken stock (scratch is best, good store brand will do)</li>
<li>1 cup cilantro, chopped</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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In a large mixing bowl add the chopped tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic cloves, and toss with 2 Tablespoons of the canola oil. Transfer the tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic cloves to a foil lined baking sheet. Place the tomatillos flesh side down. Add the chopped onion to the same large mixing bowl, toss with the remaining canola oil, and spread them evenly over a foil lined baking sheet. <br />
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The reason I do not mix the onions with the tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic is because after I roast them I only want to put the tomatillos, jalapenos, and the garlic in the blender.<br />
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<i>I then roasted the vegetables for about 15 minutes. I noticed the tomatillos were releasing lots of liquid and not getting browned. I removed the onions and the tomatillos from the oven and then set the tomatillos under the broiler for a few minutes. This yielded the result I was looking for. Next time I make this dish I will only broil the tomatillos and blend them with the raw peppers in the blender. Also next time I will not roast the onions, I will saute them in my pot and remove them before browning the meat. </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9869.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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After you roast/broil the tomatillos, peppers, and garlic let them cool. Once they are cool remove the skin from the garlic, and then transfer them into a blender. Set sauce aside.<br />
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Heat a large stock pot or sauce pan over medium heat. Dredge the pork in the flour <i>(next time I plan not to dredge the meat in flour)</i>. Add one layer of pork to the pot, work in batches and brown the meat. Please note that the meat will not be fully cooked, just browned. Remove all the meat from the pot and add 1 cup of chicken stock. Reduce the stock down by half and scrape all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the pork to the pan along with onions, cinnamon stick and Chile Verde sauce. If the meat is not covered in sauce add stock till the meat is fully covered. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. After it has simmered for about an hour and a half remove the cinnamon stick. When you are ready to serve stir in cilantro, reserve some for garnish. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9887.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Serve with warm flour tortillas, enjoy!<br />
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So, next time I make this I plan on using 1 1/2 pounds of tomatillos and broil them. Blend the tomatillos with raw chilies for more heat. Saute the onions in the stock pot before browning the meat. Finally I will not dredge the meat in flour, just season it will kosher salt and pepper before browning it.Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-64837570442869965352010-04-14T00:15:00.000-07:002010-04-14T00:15:00.266-07:00Surprise Birthday Trip to Napa, CaMy birthday was such a treat this year. It started Saturday morning, April 3rd. I knew my boyfriend Aaron had something planned but I had no idea where we were going. He told me to pack clothes for the night and mentioned that I would not be back home till Sunday evening. We hopped in the car and started to head out. We got on 680 going towards Sacramento. I was really thrown for a loop.. I figured we would head to Monterey or Carmel. So I sat and eagerly anticipated my arrival location.<br />
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We crossed the Benicia bridge and I was still confused and then I wondered if we were going to the Sonoma race track? I asked and he laughed and said no we are not going to the race track. Any way a few miles went by and then I saw the big sign for Napa. I was like hrmm could this be happening. Is he really taking me to Napa? Finally he spoke, something like, did you figure it out yet? I was like yes, I think it's, it's Napa. He was like well all these signs did not help me keep my secret. <br />
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The rest of a trip was still top secret. My mind was racing with thoughts of wine, food, cheese, olives.. oh my where would we eat? So many good places.<br />
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The first stop was at the <a href="http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/default.php">Oakville Grocer</a>. Aaron thought it was best to get a little food in the belly before running off to wine tasting. This is a wonderful little shop with lots of goodies. We split a Black Forest Ham and Brie sandwich. The sandwich came on wonderful hard crusted french bread with whole grain mustard. Oh and of course I had to snatch up some of the house made kalamata olives to go with my sandwich. With our belly's full we headed out to do some wine tasting.<br />
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We stopped at <a href="http://www.robertmondavi.com/">Robert Mondavi Winery</a>. We tasted three wines for $20.00 per person. This is really not that good of a deal, but we decided to stay and try. We had 2007 PNX Pinot Noir, 2006 Cab, and 2006 T Block. We both ended up really liking the Pinot, and decided to purchase a bottle. The wine taster did not have enough bottles to sell at his counter and directed us to the main shop to purchase the wine. This is something I have never run into while wine tasting. No biggie I guess, especially since he never charged us for the tasting.<br />
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The next stop was <a href="http://www.turnbullwines.com/">Turnbull Wine Cellars</a>. I have never visited this winery before, but it was across the street so we decided to hit it up. We tasted about 4 wines and walked out with a bottle of 2007 Old Bull Merlot. <br />
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Finally, we ended up at <a href="http://www.peju.com/">Peju Province Winery</a>.<br />
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This is one of my favorite winery's to visit, firstly it is a beautiful place, and secondly they make really good wine. When we got there we waited in the main lobby shop for about five minutes then we were escorted up stairs to a tasting room above a wine barrel room.<br />
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We tasted about 5 different wines, and left with 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Cabernet Franc, and Provence. The first time I had Cab Franc was at Peju and I always make a point to pick some up when I am in Napa. <br />
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A big thing also about Peju, is that most all of their sales are direct to customer, you cannot pick their stuff up at any stores - so if you want the good stuff, you gotta make the trip, or hit up their <a href="http://www.peju.com/">website</a>. <br />
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Well, after all the yummy tastings I needed a break, so we headed to the hotel. We stayed at the Marriott Napa Valley Hotel & Spa. After checking in and resting a bit in the room I sent Aaron to get some ice. He came back with ice, and booked me a facial in the spa for the following morning. The surprises just kept coming! <br />
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We got ready for dinner, and heading out. I had no idea where we were heading. We ended up in Yountville, home of <a href="http://www.botteganapavalley.com/index.html">Bottega</a>, <a href="http://www.frenchlaundry.com/">French Laundry</a>, <a href="http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/">Adhoc</a>, <a href="http://www.bouchonbistro.com/">Bouchon</a>, and many more. Well, we stood in front of the <a href="http://bouchonbakery.com/">Bouchon Bakery</a> and he said we are eating at Bouchon. I looked at the bakery, and was a little concerned. Then he said over there, I did not even see the Bouchon Bistro. I was so happy, I love my Bouchon cookbook and eating there for my birthday was a wonderful surprise.<br />
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Before sitting down to our table we wondered next door to the famous Bouchon Bakery. We picked up some Chocolate Bouchon's, and Caramel, and Chocolate Macaroon.<br />
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Aaron went back to the car and stored the bakery goods. I waited for him watching all the people come in and out of the bakery with goodies in hand. The smell of the fresh bread could of kept be busy for some time. Before I knew it Aaron was back and we heading into Bouchon. <br />
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The food at Bouchon was out of this world. We ordered a bottle of wine and started with French Bread, Toasted Croutons, White Bean Spread, and Butter. I am looking forward to making that bean spread, it was so tasty with the bread. I almost liked it more than the butter and I am a butter girl. I did not get a picture of the bread they bring to the table, it is in the shaped to resemble a wheat stock- so beautiful. <br />
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Then we had Pâté De Campagne, a country style pate that literally made my knees shake. So many wonderful flavors, absolutely delicious. <br />
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For the main course Aaron ordered Bouillabaisse. They bring this bowl filled of seafood and then they pour the stock over it, the smells for the proper made stock made me feel so proud. Knowing that I learned how to make stock from the same method they use made me so giddy.<br />
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I ordered Gigot d'Agneau: roasted leg of lame with English peas, green garlic, rhubarb confit, young turnips & lamb jus. Mouth watering lamb, very simple and cooked perfectly. I ordered it medium rare and loved every last bloody bite of it.<br />
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For dessert they made me Chocolate Bouchon with caramelized banana, and a banana ice cream with chocolate sauce.<br />
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We fished that off and headed back to the hotel.<br />
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The next morning we had a little bite to eat before my facial. As you can see I look a little nervous.<br />
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After receiving my first facial I was so relaxed and ready to head back to Yountville. Another winery we always hit up is <a href="http://www.jessupcellars.com/">Jessup Cellar's</a>.<br />
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I'm not sure if they have a tasting fee, most of the people are there because they have been there before and they are going to buy wine. I like tasting there because they let you taste so many of the wines they make, 6 total I believe. We ended up leaving with the 2006 Zinfandel, 2006 Cab, and 2008 Chardonnay. They finished off the tasting with some Cabernet Port. I really enjoyed this port and dreamed of all the things I could cook with it. Next time I will have to treat myself to a little bottle.<br />
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On our way out of town we hit up Bouchon Bakery one last time for a dozen brioche rolls, and a pistachio and raspberry macaroon. We went back to the Oakville Grocery and picked up some meats and cheese and headed home. Our Easter dinner was just perfect. Wonderful meats and cheeses on those tasty Bouchon Bakery brioche rolls. Perfect end to the perfect birthday.<br />
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Thanks you my Sweet for the wonderful weekend, and my new <a href="http://www.global-knife.com/">GLOBAL 10" Chef Knife</a>!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9613.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-27086125971278533312010-04-14T00:09:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:48:06.013-07:00Daring Cooks Challenge April 2010: Brunswick Stew<a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9603-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9603-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<i>The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of <a href="http://wolfsilveroak.insanejournal.com/">Wolf’s Den</a>. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club. </i><br />
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This months Daring Cooks Challenge was super fun for me. Mostly because I got to break in my newly acquired WagnerWare Dutch Oven. We purchased this Dutch Oven off E-Bay and it works like a dream. It heats evenly and retains temperature like no other pot I have.<br />
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I created my stew using a Game Hen and Chicken Carcass Vegetable base stock. I pulled the game hen out of the stock pot after the stock had been simmering for about an hour. I let it cook off then I skinned it and removed all the meat and set it aside to add to my stew later. The other meat I chose for my stew was the economical choice of country style pork ribs.<br />
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Basically, I had one random game hen in my freezer along with a chicken carcass and 3-4lbs of country style pork ribs. They spoke to me and my Brunswick Stew was born. Also, please note I cut the recipe provided by half. The other adjustments I made were to brown the onions first in the pot and add flour to them. I then took them out and reserved them for later. I used Cannellini beans instead of butterbeans, mostly because I had Cannellini beans on hand. I try to cook with what I have to save money, and doing this usually prompts me to be more creative with my recipes.<br />
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I served my Brunswick Stew with some tasty homemade <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/02/sourdough-bread.html">Sourdough Buns</a>. I was particularly pleased as this was the first time I used my <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/02/sourdough-starter.html">Sourdough Starter</a> without adding any yeast to help the rising process. I was told that the added yeast would take away the Sourdough flavor of the bread, and this is pretty much true. My starter is now a few months old, and this was really the first time the end result tasted like Sourdough bread. When I bit into my first roll I was like OMG it tastes like Sourdough, I win!<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>4 slices of bacon, chopped</li>
<li>2 Serrano chilies, seeded, and chopped</li>
<li>The meat of one Game Hen, shredded</li>
<li>3-4 pounds country style pork ribs</li>
<li>2 Tbsp flour</li>
<li>1 ½ tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>4-8 quarts of chicken stock</li>
<li>1 bay leaf</li>
<li>1 large celery stalk, chopped</li>
<li>1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped</li>
<li>¾ cup chopped carrots</li>
<li>1/ ¾ cup chopped yellow onion</li>
<li>1 cup corn</li>
<li>1 ½ cups Cannellini beans</li>
<li>2 cups canned peeled tomatoes, drained and mashed </li>
<li>1 Tbsp red wine vinegar</li>
<li>1 lemon, juiced</li>
<li>hot sauce to taste</li>
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Heat a large stock pot over medium heat, and saute the onions till they are almost translucent. Add the flour to the onions mix it around and then dump the onions in a small bowl, reserve them for later.<br />
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Add the chopped bacon to the stock pot, saute it over medium heat till it starts to crispin. Transfer the bacon to a large bowl. Toast the chilies in the stock pot for about a minute, and then remove them and place them in the same bowl as the bacon.<br />
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Season both sides of the pork with kosher salt and pepper. Place them in the pot and sear them for about 4 minutes a side (work in batches, try not to over crowd the pot). <br />
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This is just a sear, this will not cook the pork all the way through. Remove the pork from the pot and place it in bowl with bacon in it.<br />
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Add 1 cup of the chicken stock to the sauce pan. De-glaze the pan and get all the bits up off the bottom, simmer the stock till it reduces by half.<br />
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Add the remaining stock (start with adding 5 cups) the bay leaf, celery, potatoes, pork, bacon, and chilies. Bring the pot to a boil, and then lower the heat so it simmers. Cover it and let it cook for about 2-3 hours till the meat is falling off the bone.<br />
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Remove the pork with a pair of tongs, and place in a colander to cool. Remove the bay leaf and discard. After the meat has cooled, shred it off the bones using a pair of forks. Discard the bones.<br />
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Return the the shredded pork and game hen to the stock pot. Add the carrots to the stock pot and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the carrots are soft.<br />
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Add the cooked onion, Cannellini beans, corn, and tomatoes.<br />
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Simmer for another 30 minutes uncovered. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar, hot sauce, and the lemon juice. Serve immediately with a bread. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9591.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-65505985317576402222010-04-09T10:04:00.000-07:002010-04-13T20:18:51.233-07:00Roasted Vegetable Lasagna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9829.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This is a great recipe for company because it can be made in advance and it is not expensive to make. It is also great because it allows you to use up all the odds and end vegetables you accumulated over the week in the refrigerator.<br />
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I'm also posting this recipe for all my family and friends who have the ability to farm vegetables in backyards. In the next coming months people will have zucchini and other fresh veggies come out of their ears. This is a nice way to use them up, enjoy! Please note the roasted vegetables equal about one cup of veggies per items for a total of 5 cups. Mix and max with what you have on hand.<br />
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<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>1 cup carrot, chopped</li>
<li>2 onions, 1 chopped, 1 quartered</li>
<li>1 cup broccoli, chopped</li>
<li>1 cup zucchini, chopped</li>
<li>1 cup Chinese eggplant, chopped</li>
<li>1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped</li>
<li>1 28oz can of unsalted plum tomatoes (note I double my batch of sauce in photos for other uses)</li>
<li>3 Tbsp unsalted butter</li>
<li>kosher salt</li>
<li>freshly grated black pepper</li>
<li>olive oil</li>
<li>2 eggs</li>
<li>1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped</li>
<li>1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese</li>
<li>2 ½ cup ricotta cheese</li>
<li>1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated </li>
<li>1 pound lasagna sheets (store bought will work just fine, follow this <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/01/lasagna.html">link </a>to make them homemade)</li>
<li>1 tsp dried oregano</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet-pan with foil and place chopped carrots, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms.<br />
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Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and dust them with Kosher salt and pepper. Roast them for 20 minutes, and then add the zucchini, eggplant, and roast for another 20 minutes.<br />
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When the vegetables are done set them aside till you are ready to assessable.<br />
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While the vegetables are roasting take the plum tomatoes, quartered onion, and butter and place them in a pot. Cook them over medium heat till they start to glug and pop.<br />
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Simmer them for an half hour or so, no longer than one hour. Let the sauce cool for 15 minutes. Take the onions out of the sauce and discard them. Transfer sauce and puree it in food process. Transfer sauce into a sauce pan and reserve till you are ready to assessable.<br />
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Taste the sauce and add Kosher salt if needed.<br />
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In a medium size bowl mix together 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 2 ½ cups ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for assembly. Please note that if you are just using plain Parmesan cheese you will need to add a tsp or two of kosher salt to this filling. <br />
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<b>Assemble:</b><br />
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Boil a large pot of water and cook the lasagna sheets. Set them in an olive oil lined cooked sheet while you put the lasagna together, this way they will not stick together. If you purchased no boil sheets, simply skip this step. <br />
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Coat the bottom of lasagna pan with olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with 3-4 sheets of lasagna pasta.<br />
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Coat the sheets with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese filling.<br />
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Spoon marinara sauce over the ricotta filling. I like to make little dollops of the sauce and then use a metal spoon and swirl it over each dollop of sauce. This way it covers the ricotta filling with out mixing into it.<br />
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Sprinkle 1/2 the the roasted vegetables over the sauce layer.<br />
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Sprinkle some of the grated mozzarella cheese over the vegetables. Cover the roasted vegetable layer with 3-4 sheets of lasagna pasta. <span style="background-color: white; color: magenta;"> </span><i style="background-color: white; color: magenta;">Yes those are hand made lasagna pasta sheets you see ;)</i><br />
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Cover the pasta with 1/3 of the ricotta filling, cover the ricotta filling with sauce, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Cover with 3-4 sheets of lasagna pasta. Coat the pasta sheets with the remaining ricotta filling, cover the ricotta filling with the marinara sauce. Sprinkle the remaining roasted vegetables over the marinara sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. <br />
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Cover the roasted vegetable layer with the final sheets of lasagna pasta. Spreed about one cup of the marinara sauce all over the top layer of lasagna pasta sheets. Cover the sauce with the remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the dried oregano over the cheese.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover lasagna dish in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another five minutes till the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let the lasagna sit for 5 minutes before serving. <br />
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Serves 10Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-74241573525659653992010-04-06T09:36:00.000-07:002010-04-06T09:59:21.468-07:00Amy's Mini Burgers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9674.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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For my Birthday Aaron took me on a surprise weekend trip to Napa, Ca. I will blog about the trip later. One of the stops was Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery. On Sunday morning before we left, we made one more stop back at this truly magical dreamland bakery. I picked up a 12 pack of Brioche Rolls and a few more Macaroons for the trip home. We also hit up a local market in Napa on our way out, and picked up some Salami, Black Forest Ham, Aged Smoked Gouda, and Cheddar. So, after are long drive home our Easter dinner was yummy. Brioche Roll Sandwiches with Meats and Cheese.<br />
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I had more than a few rolls left over so I decided to store them in the refrigerator and make Mini Burgers with them for Monday nights dinner. I really like using Brioche for Burgers and for French toast. Trader Joe's sells a larger Brioche Roll that can also work for larger size Burgers.<br />
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PS.. you can see my new fancy Global Knife in one of the photos... Love it! TY Aaron!<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 small sweet white onion, sliced</li>
<li>2-3 crimini mushrooms, sliced</li>
<li>2 gloves of garlic, chopped</li>
<li>2 tsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 tsp brown sugar</li>
<li>Kosher Salt</li>
<li>freshly grated black pepper</li>
<li>1 pound of ground chuck, divided into six pieces (80-20 or 85-15 fat content is best for burgers)</li>
<li>6 slices of cheese ( I used Smoked Gouda for three, and Cheddar for the other three)</li>
<li>6 small Brioche Rolls </li>
<li>1-2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard</li>
<li>1 tsp Mayonnaise, optional for the bread</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9646.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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In a small sauce pan over low heat add 1 tsp of the olive oil, onions, garlic and brown sugar. Sprinkle them with Kosher salt and let them caramelize. Keep them on low to maybe medium heat for about 25 minutes. When they are done remove them from the pan and add the remaining olive oil and the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with kosher salt and pepper and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. When they are done scoot them to one side of the pan and return the onions to the other side. Keep over very low heat till you are ready to serve the burgers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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While the onions and mushrooms are cooking prepare the patties. Take one piece of the beef and lightly form it into a patty shape. The less you work with this the better the burgers will be.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot sprinkle the burgers with Kosher salt and black pepper. Place them in the hot pan and sprinkle the other side of the burgers with Kosher salt and pepper. I did not put all my burgers in the pan at once because I did not want to over crowd the pan. After flipping the first 4 I added the last two because I was confidant that they would not get crowded.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9656.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I cooked mine for about 4 minutes a side for medium to medium rare. After you flip them add the cheese to the tops and wait out the last 4 minutes and serve.<br />
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To plate, cut the Brioche Rolls in half and spreed them with Dijon Mustard.<br />
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Add the patty to the bun and top the burger with the caramelized onions and mushrooms.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9670.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Serve with a nice green salad and some Cornichons (french pickles). Serves 3 for dinner, 6 for appetizer. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9683.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-89816553124883639482010-04-01T09:48:00.000-07:002010-04-01T13:44:07.189-07:00Ravioli Napoletana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9468-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9468-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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This recipe comes from my Silver Spoon Pasta Cookbook. The filling for this ravioli is a perfect way to use up some of that left over Easter Ham. If you don't want to make your own ravioli pasta dough, you can always buy wanton or egg roll wrappers in your local grocery store. They stock these wrappers in the fresh and frozen sections. <br />
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This sauce I chose is a very delicate tomato sauce. It's beyond simple to make and can be used on a variety of pasta dishes. Trust me try it once you will be hooked. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
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<b>Pasta:</b><br />
<ul><li>2 ½ cups all purpose flour</li>
<li>3 eggs </li>
<li>½ tsp kosher salt</li>
</ul><b>Filling:</b><br />
<ul><li>½ cup Ricotta cheese</li>
<li>1 egg, lightly beaten</li>
<li>1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped</li>
<li>½ cup cooked ham, finely chopped</li>
<li>3 ½ ounce dried Mozzarella cheese</li>
<li>1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese</li>
</ul><b>Tomato Sauce:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 28 ounce can of peeled tomatoes</li>
<li>2 Tbsp unsalted butter</li>
<li>1 small onion, peeled and quartered</li>
</ul><b>Assembly:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 egg, beaten</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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To make the pasta dough, put flour in a large mixing bowl along with the salt. Create a well in the middle of the flour and put the three eggs in the well. Slowly mix the flour with the eggs. Once the dough comes together divide it into three equal size balls and place in the refrigerator for an hour.<br />
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For the sauce, plop tomatoes, butter, and onion in a sauce pan and simmer for about an hour. Take out the onion and discard. For a chunky style sauce smash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, for a less chunky sauce remove them or puree the sauce in a food processes. Set aside and keep warm.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9454.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. <br />
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Mix together the Ricotta cheese and egg in a medium size bowl. Add the parsley, ham, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9424.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Roll out the pasta dough into very thin sheets, I used a pasta machine. Cut rectangles out of the dough approximately 2.5 inches by 4.5 inches. (Mine are a little bigger, I use the width of the pasta machine sheets and them cut them into strips)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9436.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Place about 1 Tbsp of the filling onto the rectangle. <br />
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Brush a the pasta with egg wash and the press together and seal ravioli.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9440.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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After you seal the ravioli place it onto a floured cookie sheet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Add a few Tbsp of kosher salt to the boiling water. Gently drop the raviolis into the boiling water, bring the water back up to a nice simmer and cook them for 3-5 minutes. Toss them into the tomato sauce and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9460.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-49693944072603616722010-03-27T13:52:00.000-07:002010-04-08T12:23:50.690-07:00March 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Orange Tian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9541.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris. </i><br />
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I made a Blood Orange and Pink Navel Tian. I included the recipe for the caramel; however my caramel did not come out. I made two batches and I was not satisfied with it's flavor or texture so I omitted it from this dessert. In the end the winner was the homemade blood orange pink navel marmalade. I am already planning other savory uses for this tasty treat. Overall this was a good challenge. However, I was disappointed in my caramel. <br />
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<b>Pate Sablee:</b><br />
<ul><li>2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature</li>
<li>6 Tbsp + 1 tsp granulated sugar</li>
<li>½ tsp vanilla extract</li>
<li>¼ cup + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, ice cold</li>
<li>1/3 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a flat bottom bowl and blend together with a pastry blender.<br />
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After it is well blended take bowl and stick it in the freezer for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Add to flour mixture and blend together with the pastry blender. If the dough does not come together add some water to it. Get the dough to form a loose ball and cover in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for an hour.<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. <br />
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Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle. Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet.<br />
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Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden. <br />
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<b>Marmalade:</b><br />
<ul><li>¼ freshly pressed blood orange</li>
<li>1 small blood orange, sliced thinly</li>
<li>1 small pink navel orange, sliced thinly</li>
<li>5 grams pectin</li>
<li>½ cup sugar</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Place the sliced oranges in a sauce pot and cover them with water. Bring water to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.<br />
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Drain the oranges and fill the pot back up with water. Simmer for another 10 minutes, and repeat this process one more time.<br />
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Drain and cool the orange slices. Once they are cool chop them up and put them in a pot with the blood orange juice, pectin, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes then transfer to a storage container. Cool and then refrigerate. <br />
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<b>Orange Segments:</b><br />
For this step you will need 8 oranges. Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.<br />
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<b>Caramel:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 Cup sugar</li>
<li>1 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbsp orange juice</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Put sugar in a medium size sauce pan over a medium flame. Heat the sugar till it starts to bubble. Slowly add the orange juice and remove from the heat once the mixture boils. Poor half of the caramel mixture over the orange segments and reserve the other half for service. (<i>please note I had trouble following this caramel recipe, and I did not use the caramel in my dessert</i>) <br />
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<b>Whipped Cream:</b><br />
<ul><li>1 Cup heavy whipping cream</li>
<li>3 tablespoons of hot water</li>
<li>1 tsp Gelatine</li>
<li>1 Tbsp confectioner's sugar</li>
<li>orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 Tbsp </li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.<br />
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<b>Assembling the Dessert:</b><br />
Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer. Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone. <br />
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Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel. Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use. <br />
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Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.<br />
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Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough. Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact. Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.<br />
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Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately. (please note I did not use the caramel in my Orange Tian. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-45514073551580356512010-03-23T17:08:00.000-07:002010-03-23T17:13:07.071-07:00Potato Pancakes (Latkes)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9178-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9178-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Every time my dad goes to Chicago to visit his family he always comes home with Kielbasa Czosnkowa Sausage (Polish Sausage). This sausage has always been such a treat to me. I decided to barbeque one link and serve it with some tasty potato pancakes (Latkes). These Latkes are so nice because they can be made in advance and reheated in the oven. They make a great appetizer or a side dish to so many meals. Enjoy!<br />
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Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>2 large Russet potato, peeled</li>
<li>1 large, or two small onions, chopped</li>
<li>1/3 cup all-purpose flour</li>
<li>1 large egg, lightly beaten</li>
<li>2 cloves of garlic, chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp kosher salt</li>
<li>1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper </li>
<li>2 Tbsp vegetable oil</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Grate potatoes and place them in a dish cloth or some cheese cloth. Squeeze all the moisture out of the potatoes over the sink.<br />
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Put grated potatoes in a bowl along with the egg, onion, garlic, flour, salt and pepper.<br />
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Heat a skillet with the vegetable oil over medium heat. While the skillet heats up make your Latkes. You can use a ice cream scoop to get uniform style pancakes or just eyeball it, should make 8-10 pancakes. <br />
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Fry Latkes for about 4 minutes aside till they are golden brown.<br />
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This can be done in batches and stored in a warm oven before serving.Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-57135335883033938752010-03-18T20:34:00.000-07:002010-04-01T10:01:00.154-07:00Reuben Sandwiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9327.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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After making a 3lb <b><a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/03/corned-beef-and-cabbage.html">Corned Beef</a></b> for St. Patty's Day I had plenty of leftovers. Making Reuben Sandwiches with the leftovers seemed like the logical next step. What makes a Reuben? To me it's a fancy grilled cheese sandwich. There are few key things you need, mostly some good rye bread, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and a Russian dressing. So I'm not here to show you all how to make grilled cheese, more so to show that making your own dressing can bring a bright flavor to an otherwise simple dish.<br />
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My recipe for Russian (thousand Island) dressing is fabulously delicious. This dressing is so easy to make at home with things commonly found in most pantry's. I highly recommend using this dressing the next time you barbecue shrimp, or even over a nice green salad. Save yourself some bucks, and make your own dressing, it literally takes minutes, and you can make as little or as much as you need. My next goal is to make my own mayonnaise to make rémoulade . Fun times! <br />
<b><br />
Reuben Sandwiches Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>4 slices of rye bread</li>
<li>unsalted butter, softened</li>
<li>Swiss cheese, sliced- I used about 4 slices per sandwich </li>
<li><b><a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/03/corned-beef-and-cabbage.html">Corned Beef</a></b>, sliced thinly- Enough to make two sandwiches, I eyeballed it.</li>
<li>3/4 cup sauerkraut, well drained</li>
<li>¼ cup onion, diced</li>
<li>2 tsp olive oil</li>
</ul><b>Russian Dressing Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>3 Tbsp Mayonnaise</li>
<li>2 tsp white wine vinegar</li>
<li>2 tsp sweet pickle relish</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Ketchup</li>
<li>1/2 tsp horseradish</li>
<li>kosher salt and freshly grated pepper to taste</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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In a small bowl mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, pickle relish, ketchup, and horseradish. Salt pepper to taste. Store Russian dressing in the refrigerator till you are ready to assemble the sandwiches, can be stored for two days. <br />
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Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat, and olive and saute onions till they are soft and sweet. Sprinkle them with a little kosher salt to help the process along.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9263.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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After they are soft, add the drained sauerkraut and heat up. Add freshly grated pepper to taste and set aside (keep over very low heat while you prepare the sandwiches).<br />
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Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. Butter the outside of each slice off bread. Place cheese on one of the non buttered sides, and then top with corned beef, and then put another slice of bread to finish the sandwich.<br />
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Grill the sandwiches till they are golden brown on both sides and the cheese has melted.<br />
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After the sandwiches are golden brown, take them out of the pan and open them up and add the sauerkraut and Russian dressing. Close the sandwich back up, cut in half and server. Enjoy!Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-33294744984201619552010-03-17T22:10:00.000-07:002010-03-17T22:11:30.330-07:00Corned Beef and Cabbage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Growing up, Corned Beef and Cabbage was something I never looked forward to eating. To this day I won't eat boiled cabbage, I mean if I am someones guest I will be polite and try to find the smallest piece to put on my plate. My mom often made sauteed cabbage, we would eat it with polish sausage. I could deal with cabbage cooked this way and in fact I actually enjoyed it. The flavor of the browned cabbage with the onions and garlic is just so yummy. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day. So it sure comes in handy if you need to make dinner ahead of time. <br />
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After doing some research I decided to bake my Corned Beef. I really liked this recipe <a href="http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/2009/03/corned-beef-glazed-in-honey-and-mustard.html"><b>here </b></a>and I decided to simplify it. Boiling just did not sound good to me so I skipped that part, and I had some yummy apricot jam in my refrigerator so I decided to use that as well. This is one of those days, I looked in my pantry.. Went to the store and picked up a Corned Beef and a head of Cabbage. Everything else was on hand. My $10.00 Corned Beef and Cabbage was born, and it was delicious. <br />
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<b>Corned Beef Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>3-4 pound Corned Beef</li>
<li>1/4 cup Dijon mustard</li>
<li>2 Tbsp apricot jam</li>
<li>2 Tbsp brown sugar</li>
</ul><b>Sauteed Cabbage Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>½ head of green cabbage, sliced</li>
<li>1 yellow onion, sliced</li>
<li>3 gloves of garlic, chopped</li>
<li>2 Tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper</li>
<li>1 Tbsp flour</li>
</ul><b>Corned Beef Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set one rack in the middle and the other under the broiler. Mix together the Dijon mustard and apricot jam. Set corned beef fat side up on a large piece of heavy duty foil. Spread all but 2 Tbsp of the mustard and jam mixture. Sprinkle the top of the roast with the brown sugar.<br />
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Take another piece of foil and place it over the top of roast creating a pouch over the top. Make sure the foil pouch is set up to catch the juices and not leak them while the corned beef bakes. I ran out of heavy duty foil so I had to use regular foil and double it up, my foil package is a little sloppy ;)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9195.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Place corned beef in a shallow roasting pan and bake for 2 hours.<br />
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After the two hours is up, take corned beef out of the foil, spread the remaining jam and mustard over the top and broil for three minutes. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 4-6 people.<br />
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<b>Sauteed Cabbage Method:</b><br />
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In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; dust them with some kosher salt to help them cook down. Cook them for about 5 minutes then add the cabbage, stir every couple of minutes. Don't over mix it though, you want the cabbage to get browned in the bottom of the saute pan. If you don't see brown bits at the bottom of the pan you are stirring it to much.<br />
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The cabbage will begin to soften and cook down after about 15-20 minutes. Add the flour, cook for another 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serves 3 people. This recipe can be doubled to feed 6.Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-89129463202114070872010-03-14T00:01:00.000-08:002010-04-08T12:23:08.670-07:00Daring Cooks Challeng March 2010: Risotto<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/risottoblogpic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/risottoblogpic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<i>The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf. </i><br />
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This months Daring Cooks' challenge was Risotto. We were given lots of creativity in making this recipe. The two mandatory items were making the stock from scratch, and risotto base.<br />
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I really enjoyed this challenge because I have been wanting to post a "how to make stock recipe" for some time. I decided to go with a shellfish stock. I am in the process of becoming a stock making master thanks to my Thomas Keller book. His method of ladling the stock out of the pot into the cheese cloth vs dumping it all out into your colander yields such a beautifully clear stock. No clouds for me! A couple of quick tips for making stock, always roast your vegetables and bones before you make stock. Never boil stock, or stir it. Bring it to a nice simmer, 180-200 degrees. On a side note, I freeze my bones and shells pretty much year round. When I have enough bones I whip up stock and freeze it. It comes in so handy, it's a really valuable and easy skill to have under your belt.<br />
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Trying to come up with an idea for risotto was harder than I thought. I decided to make my base with a Mirepoix, olive oil, and white wine. After cooking the rice I mixed in cream, Fontina, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I gave it a quick taste and added the salt and pepper, chives and lastly the crab. The end result was like grown up mac and cheese, it tasted great, but in no way shape or form is this recipe good on your waste line. Thanks for this challenge, fun times. <br />
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<b>Shellfish Stock Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>6-8 cups shellfish shells (crab, lobster, shrimp)</li>
<li>2 carrots, chopped in thirds</li>
<li>1 large onion, quartered</li>
<li>1 celery heart, chopped in half</li>
<li>olive oil</li>
<li>1 cup fresh parsley with stems attached</li>
<li>6 sprigs of fresh thyme</li>
<li>1 bay leaf</li>
<li>3 Tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>½ dry white wine</li>
<li>kosher salt</li>
<li>15 pepper corns</li>
<li>cheese cloth</li>
</ul><b>Risotto Ingredients: </b><br />
<ul><li>1 small onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>¼ scant cup carrot, finely chopped</li>
<li>¼ scant cup celery, finely chopped</li>
<li>2 Tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>¼ cup dry white wine</li>
<li>1 ½ cups Arborio rice</li>
<li>4-5 cups shellfish stock, heated </li>
<li>1/2 cup cream (next time I make this I will only use a ¼ cup)</li>
<li>1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese</li>
<li>1 cup grated Fontina cheese</li>
<li>1 Tbsp chopped chives, plus extra for garnish</li>
<li>1-1/2 cups fresh crab meat, shredded</li>
<li>Salt and Pepper to taste</li>
</ul><b>Shellfish Stock Method:</b><br />
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place quartered onion and carrots in a baking dish and lightly coat with olive oil. Roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes, then take them out and flip them and roast them for another 20 minutes. In the meantime break up shellfish shells and place them on a cookie sheet. After the vegetables are done roasting, roast the shells for 7-10 minutes at the same temperature.<br />
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Take a large heavy bottom stock pot and place the shells in it, fill stock pot with water. The water should go about an inch and a half over the top of the shells. Heat the stock pot over medium heat. The stock should always simmer between 180-200 degrees. Do not stir the shells, just wait for them to release small foam bubbles (impurities). <br />
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While you are waiting for the stock to come up to temperature take a large piece of cheese cloth and make an herb pouch. Put the parsley, thyme and bay-leaf inside the cheese cloth bouquet. <br />
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Remove the foam with a slotted spoon and slowly add the roasted vegetables to the stock pot. Try not to move the shells around. Add the roasted vegetables, celery, herb bouquet, pepper corns, tomato paste. DO NOT MIX STOCK.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bring the stock back up to temperature add the white wine and simmer for 45 minutes to no longer than an hour. Taste stock, add salt if needed.<br />
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Line a colander with cheese cloth. Do not dump the stock onto the colander. Using a ladle slowly ladle the stock into the colander, try not to disturb the shells. This takes longer but it will yield a much clearer stock. After you are finished make and ice bath for the stock, once it is cooled refrigerate it for up to 3 days, freeze for 3 months.<br />
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<b>Risotto Method:</b><br />
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Heat a sauce pan over medium to low heat, add the oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery to pan and cook for a few minutes till it is tender. <br />
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Add the rice and stir it around, to toast it evenly. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate.<br />
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Add about a cup of stock stir constantly till it is absorbed.<br />
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Add another cup and repeat till the Risotto is soft and creamy (the rice will no longer be hard to bite).<br />
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When the Risotto is soft, mix in the cream, cracked pepper and add the cheese.<br />
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Taste for salt. Add the chopped chives and right lastly mix in the crab.<br />
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Serve in a small bowl or dish and garnish with chives, and a nice glass of wine. Enjoy<br />
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If you have left over Risotto you can make fried Risotto patties the next day. For each cup of left over Risotto add one egg and a half of cup of dried bread crumbs. I formed mine in to little patties and put a little cube of mozzarella cheese in the middle of each one. Fry them in a 1/4 cup of oil about three minutes per side and enjoy!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1547889130052994063.post-92061857686797740552010-03-09T10:26:00.000-08:002010-04-01T10:01:34.318-07:00Tuna Melts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9125.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I have this <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/02/sourdough-starter.html">sourdough starter</a> living in my refrigerator, and I try to make fresh <a href="http://racerhino.blogspot.com/2010/02/sourdough-bread.html">sourdough bread</a> with it about twice a month. Trying to master sourdough bread is time consuming, but I hope eventually it pays off. So, this morning I really wanted to make some bread, and work on my sourdough recipe. The only problem I had was I needed something to do with the bread. Normally I bake little baguettes and make appetizers with smoked salmon, Mascarpone cheese, and lemon peel. I don't see any parties in the immediate future so I had to come up with something else. Tuna melts just popped into my head. So, here we are tuna melts with fresh sourdough bread for dinner. Sounds pretty good eh?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This tuna recipe is a combination of my Grandmother Kalivoda's recipe, and my Mother's. I really don't have their recipes I just remember how small my Grandmother chopped her celery and onions, and mostly I remember how my Mom's tuna was never chock full of mayo like so many tunas can be. I make my tuna melts as an open face sandwich. First I broil the bread, then pile it high with tuna salad and top it with cheese, then I plop it back under the broiler till it is golden brown. Sometimes I will move the tray in the lower part of the oven after the cheese has browned to ensure the entire sandwich is heated. When it comes to the cheese I usually try to use the cheese I currently have in my pantry. Today I will be using Fontina cheese, you can easily use many different types of cheese.<br />
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<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
<ul><li>¼ cup yellow onion, diced</li>
<li>¼ cup celery, diced</li>
<li>1 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp fresh lemon juice</li>
<li>2 tsp Dijon mustard</li>
<li>1/8 tsp black pepper</li>
<li>3 5-ounce cans solid white tuna, drained and flaked</li>
<li>1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise</li>
<li>1 cup Grated Fontina cheese</li>
<li>8 slices of sourdough bread, 1/2-3/4 inch thick</li>
</ul><b>Method:</b><br />
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Position one oven rack underneath broiler, and the other in the middle of oven. Turn broiler on. In a bowl mix together onion, celery, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, tuna and mayonnaise.<br />
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Toast bread slices underneath the broiler for about 2-3 minutes. Remove them and let them cool for a minute. Divide the tuna salad up into 8 portions and spread evenly over each slice of bread. Top each slice of bread with cheese, 1/8 cup per toast.<br />
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Put tuna melts under the broiler for 2 minutes, then move them to the middle of rack for 2 minutes, then put them back under the broiler till they are toasted and browned. Serves 4 people.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy340/racerhino/100_9133.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Amy Lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05407649790680463632noreply@blogger.com0