Saturday, July 31, 2010

Stay tuned for a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

I have some exciting news to share with everyone... so stay tuned and stop by on Monday!

On a side note - I'm have a demo/tasting of an incredible new dessert I created and I need help naming it!

Please join me on Saturday, August 7th from 10 - 2 p.m. at Faraday's Kitchen Store in Lakeway!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Foodbuzz 24x24: Port Aransas Paella Dinner Party

My Port Aransas Paella Dinner Party, which benefits the Greater New Orleans Foundation, begins with Margarita's on the Rocks loaded with lime and rimmed with sea salt. Next, I served a mixed greens salad with shallots, cherry tomatoes and a zesty lemon vinaigrette with a generous dusting of pepper. The main course is my hearty Paella, utilizing gulf shrimp, clams and tilapia as the seafood aspect, with chicken and jalapeno sausage as well.  This menu is bright, colorful and full of flavor, perfect to celebrate the wonderful Gulf Coast!

My Margarita
  • 2 1/2 jiggers Cedar Door Margarita Mix (the BEST in Austin)
  • 1 jigger tequila
  • 1/2 jigger Grand Marnier
  • juice of one lime
Directions: Wipe a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and rim with sea salt.  Fill your glass half full with crushed ice. Add the mix, tequila, Grand Marnier and stir well.  Top with lime juice and serve with an addition lime wedge on the side.


Mixed Greens Salad
  • your choice mixed greens, rinsed and patted dry
  • cherry tomatoes
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • juice of 3 lemons
  • 4 T olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste 
Directions:  Make the vinaigrette by mincing the shallots and adding to a small bowl.  Add the lemon juice and slowly add the olive oil, whisking until incorporated.  Salt to taste and slowly drizzle onto your salad, making sure you don't drown it... a little goes a long way. To finish, add fresh cracked pepper.

Hearty Paella 

Ingredients:
  • 1 T fresh oregano
  • 1 T fresh thyme
  • 1 T Italian parsley
  • 1 T rosemary
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T red wine
  • 1 T coriander
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 T cayenne pepper
  • 1 t. red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 chicken breasts
Put fresh herbs into the Cuisinart with the garlic and process until finely minced and almost a paste.  Remove half and set aside.  To remaining herbs and remaining ingredients above but chicken and process until a course paste forms.  Rub chicken with paste but reserve 1 T for later use.
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 6 oz Chorizo
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 4 links jalapeno sausage, sliced

In your Paella Pan or Dutch Oven, add olive oil then remaining ingredients and reserved herb paste from above.  Cook until onions are soft but not brown, crumbling Chorizo and stirring frequently.  Transfer to bowl.

  • 3 C chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 C clam juice
  • 1 t saffron threads
In heavy saucepan over medium high heat, bring stock and clam juice to a simmer.  Add saffron and mix well.
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 1/2 C short grain rice
  • 3 T red wine
  • 1 lb uncooked shrimp, deveined and tails ON
  • 12 clams
  • 2 large tilapia fillets, cubed
  • 2 bay leaves
In Paella Pan or Dutch Oven, add olive oil and rice, cooking until opaque, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Add 3 T wine and scrape up all previous cooking bits.  Add stock mixture and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil , reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, about 25 minutes.  Midway through cooking the rice, add your shrimp, clams and tilapia cubes.  If a clam does not open, discard it.
  • Herb rubbed chicken breasts
  • red, yellow and orange bell peppers
Fire up your grill and cook the chicken breasts from step 1 until cooked through with a little char.  Toss the peppers on the grill and roast until soft with char marks.  Cut the tops off, remove the seeds and cut into 2 inch strips.  Tent the cooked chicken, letting it rest for 5 - 10 minutes, then slice.

  • 8 oz frozen petite peas
  • lime and lemon wedges

To assemble: Over low heat, add the chorizo/sausage mixture to your rice and seafood in the Paella Pan and gently toss.  Add the roasted peppers and sliced chicken and gently toss.  Finish with the frozen peas and stir them in.  Turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes, covered.  Serve with your lemon and lime wedges and enjoy!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

A small hiatus

I'm Stacey Rider, your Four Points Foodie.  I've been quiet on the blog front as we were on vacation!  It's been a long time since we took some time off and we really had a wonderful time in New Mexico.

 View from our back deck in Ruidoso, NM.

My family rents a home in Ruidoso each year and that's where our journey began, with cooler temperatures, nature, family and no stress.  We saw bear!  We took turns cooking and I made my signature dish Fettuccine with Italian Sausage and Leeks to rave reviews. Took the kids to a small trout farm where they could fish for dinner and we ended up with 17 little fillets.

A Black Bear (though brown in color) walking in our backyard.

Emma with one of the trout she caught.

Trey and I escaped on our own and headed to the northwest of New Mexico on the San Juan River where I fly fished for the very first time.  Loved staying at Soaring Eagle Lodge www.soaringeaglelodge.net and our fishing guide, Jeremy Nolan, was incredible.  In fact, our second day of fishing was amazing as we hooked a double and Trey found his honey hole - named Trey's Rock now.   You can check out his web site at http://headsupflyfishing.wordpress.com

My first Rainbow Trout on the San Juan.

Double trouble on the San Juan, thanks to Jeremy.

But it's back home and back to cooking and creating... which I did!  I have a HUGE announcement coming which will involve a demo/tasting of a new dessert and I will be in a bit of a spotlight!  More details soon!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Mandola's Italian Market Commercial Shoot

My husband Trey and I were extra's in the Mandola's Italian Market commercial shoot and here is the first of two commercials that are currently on TV!



Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin with roasted sweet potatoes

Having an herb garden offers me variety in cooking and this recipe compliments all that grows in my yard.   I added cubed sweet potatoes to the pan and finished it all in the oven - made for a great dinner.

Herbed Crusted Pork Tenderloin with roasted sweet potatoes

Ingredients:
  • 1-2 pork tenderloins, rinsed and patted dry and at room temperature
  • olive oil
  • 2 T fresh rosemary
  • 2 T fresh thyme
  • 2 T fresh oregano
  • 4 -5 fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubes
Directions: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, chop all fresh herbs with garlic until minced very fine. Toss with salt and pepper and set aside.  Drizzle olive oil onto the tenderloins and then using your hands, press minced herbs into the meat. In a large pan over high heat, add some olive oil to almost smoking and sear the herb crusted tenderloins on all sides.   Remove from stove top, add the cubed sweet potatoes and finish in the oven for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and the pork is cooked to your desired liking.

Tent the pork separately and let it rest for 10 minutes.   There should be enough au jus in the pan to serve with, but if you'd like a bit more, deglaze with 1/2 C red wine and some beef stock, cooking over medium high heat until reduced to the desired thickness.   Slice the tenderloin and serve... enjoy!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Faux Fillet Mignon - fantastic!

In trying to please every pallet in our home, I pondered a faux Fillet Mignon.   Trey and I adore the "real deal" while daughter #1 wants to "keep it healthy" and youngest daughter #3 is the pickiest of them all.   This is my effort and I'm sure there are many variations to this - what are yours???

Faux Fillet Mignon

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb organic lean ground beef
  • 1 lb ground lean turkey
  • 6 slices jalapeno bacon
  • 1 T Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 T Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions:   Combine the ground beef and ground turkey using your hands.  Add the minced shallots and garlic to the meat mixture.  Add 1 T of the Montreal Steak Seasoning to the meat mixture and combine well.   Make patties with your hands and wrap with bacon.  I secured with a toothpick that I removed after grilling.   Season both sides with salt and pepper and the additional 1 T of Montreal Steak Seasoning.


Heat your grill, and I always use a little bit of Pam Grill Spray so things don't stick.   Grill on medium high heat until cooked to your preference.  Me, I'm a medium rare kind of girl.   The jalapeno bacon adds just the right bit of added flavor to the Faux Fillet and I love the Montreal Steak Seasoning!   It's a great combination.   I served this on top of a cloud of mashed potatoes and a side salad!   For the health conscious, discard the bacon, but for the rest of us... yummmmm!