The Four Points Foodie

Vanilla Bean Oatmeal with sauteed apples

2012-01-30T13:05:00.000-06:00

Emma has been eating Oatmeal every day for the past month. Today I wanted to change things up a bit for her and decided to use my new favorite Vanilla Bean Paste from Nielsen-Massey.. The flavor of the oatmeal was amazing and then I topped it off with yummy sauteed apples. Great breakfast that packs a long lasting punch. It's so good I made some for myself!

Vanilla Bean Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 C quick oats (I use Quaker 1 minute Oats)
3/4 C water
pinch of salt
1/2 T vanilla bean paste
1/2 T butter
2 T milk

Directions: In a mircowave safe bowl, combine quick oats and water and zap on high for 90 seconds. Once done, add a pinch of salt, vanilla bean paste and butter.

Stir until butter has melted then add milk and mix again. Serve with sauted apples or any other fruit or nut.

Sauteed Apples

Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and peeled and chopped
1 T butter
1 T brown sugar

Directions: In a small saute pan, melt butter. Add apples and brown sugar and simmer a few minutes until tender. Spoon onto Vanilla Bean Oatmeal and serve warm!

Stuffed Jalapeno's

2012-01-29T09:14:00.000-06:00

This is the ultimate!   Perfect Superbowl Appetizer!   MAN FOOD!   Grab with your hands with bacon... did I mention that it's jalapeno bacon???

We're heading to a couple Superbowl parties and the Bionic Man and I thought a jalapeno bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno would be the best thing to take.   I can make them all ahead of time and just pop them into the oven at our destination.

There are so many like recipes out there but I took it up a couple notches with the shallots, sausage, thyme and shot of Sriracha. You can make them as spicy or mild as you like and offer up a side of Ranch to dip.   That'll help cool the tongue!

Rider's Stuffed Jalapeno's

Ingredients:

10 jalapeno peppers, cut in half and seeded
1 lb pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 med. shallot, minced
1 pk cream cheese
1 T fresh thyme, minced
1/3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 C fontina cheese, grated
1 T Sriracha (more or less for taste and heat)
pepper
toothpicks

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay a wire rack into a baking sheet and set aside. In a medium bowl, place cream cheese and set aside. Brown pork sausage in a pan until cooked through and once done, spoon over cream cheese in bowl (this will soften the cream cheese so it'll mix together easier).

Add minced shallot to pork pan and cook until translucent. Add to cream cheese mixture with minced thyme and grated cheeses. Stir to mix well... then add the Sriracha and pepper to taste.

Slice jalapeno's lengthwise and using a spoon, scrap out the seeds. I like to leave the stems on for looks.

Slice the jalapeno bacon in half and lay out the toothpicks.

Using a spoon, fill each jalapeno half with the cream cheese mixture then wrap each one with 1/2 piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place on wire rack in baking sheet.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and crisp.

Serve with a side of Ranch for dipping!

Champagne Cupcakes

2012-01-23T14:40:00.000-06:00

In thinking ahead for Valentine's Day, some of my favorite treats are Champagne with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. Lately, I've been in a cupcake mood so I got creative today and combined all those decadent flavors into a luscious cupcake. Perfect for a romantic Snack or a stunning Tea or for no special occasion at all.

Champagne Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla bean paste
1 3/4 C cake flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C champagne

Directions: In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to incorporate. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, sifting well. Alternate adding the flour mixture with the sour cream and champagne. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Set aside and cool well.

Filling Ingredients:

1 C heavy cream
8 oz Mascarpone
1/2 C champagne
1/2 C confectioners sugar

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix together the Mascarpone, champagne and confectioners sugar. Gently fold the Mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream. Use a piping bag fitted with a large, plain tip and fill the center of each cooled cupcake.

Strawberry Buttercream Ingredients:

1/2 C solid vegetable shortening
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 t strawberry extract
4 C confectioners sugar
2 T milk

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening and butter. Add strawberry extract then gradually add confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time. You may need to scrap down the sides. After all the sugar has been incorporated, add the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. If you want a bit more pink tint, add a drop of red food coloring. Use a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice and pipe frosting onto each cupcake.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

1 C heavy cream
1 C dark chocolate chips
1 t. vanilla bean paste

Directions: Place dark chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until just before it boils. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Using a whisk, beat until smooth then add the vanilla. Cool and place into a squeeze bottle to garnish the cupcakes.

I added some sliced strawberries and little white pearls to make these cupcakes extra special.

Baked French Toast

2012-01-21T11:59:00.001-06:00

I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen and served it Christmas Morning. It's really like a warm bread pudding and it was devoured! Making it again as we have house guests and wanted to share the recipe with my modifications.

Baked French Toast

adapted from

Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

1 large loaf french bread, sliced to 1/2" thickness
8 eggs
1 1/2 C heavy cream
1 1/2 C half and half
1/4 C brown sugar
1 t vanilla bean paste
1 T freshly grated nutmet
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
bit of lemon zest
1/2 t salt

Directions: Slice bread into 1/2" thickens and arrange slices in a greased baking dish, making 2 overlapping rows. In a large bowl combine eggs, cream, half and half, sugar, vanilla, spices and salt and beat with a whisk until blended together. Pour the mixture over the bread, making sure to spoon it between the slices, getting each one wet. Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove Saran Wrap and spread topping over the entire top. Bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and golden. Serve!

Praline Topping

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, melted
1 C brown sugar, packed
1 C chopped nuts
2 T molasses
1 t fresh grated nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt

Golden Mushroom Soup

2012-01-12T09:28:00.000-06:00

This soup turned out GREAT - so great, in fact, that our children ate it all gone in a matter of minutes, leaving their Dad and I with nothing. I will be making this often during the colder months.

Golden Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 T butter
1 C sweet onion, chopped
1/2 C white wine
4 C (about 32 ounces) baby Portabella mushrooms, washed and sliced
4 T soy sauce
1 T paprika
1 C vegetable stock
1 1/2 C heavy cream
2 T lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions: Heat butter in a large pot and cook the onions over medium heat until they start to brown.

Add the wine and mushrooms, stirring well, and cook about 5 minutes. Add the soy, paprika and stock. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Turn heat to low and slowly add the heavy cream, whisking as you add it. Finally add the lemon juice, then salt and pepper to taste and serve with crusty bread!

Oven Roasted Acorn Squash

2012-01-12T09:03:00.001-06:00

I love these deep green gems! No matter how you serve them, they are delicious. For a simple side dish, I cut them in half and oven roast them. By adding a few ingredients into the center once the flesh is soft takes them to a new taste level!

Oven Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients:
2 Acorn Squash, cut in half and seeds removed
water
2 T olive oil
4 T Parmesan
1 T oregano
salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. I usually trim the ends so the little acorn cups can stand up. Fill a baking tray with water and place the squash, cut side up, in the pan. The water ensures the skin doesn't burn and the squash doesn't dry out. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil then salt and pepper and bake for 45 minutes. After the 45 minutes, add a bit of oregano and Parmesan to each squash cup and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the flesh is soft and tender. Remove from oven and serve.

Blue Cheese Buffalo Burgers

2012-01-07T18:21:00.001-06:00

Who knew buffalo meat was so lean and yet full of flavor? Made burgers tonight that we devoured fast. Juicy burger with sauted shallots, tangy blue cheese and a little crunch from the toasted onion bun. Note to always saute the onions or shallots before using them as it adds so much more flavor.

Blue Cheese Buffalo Burgers

Ingredients:

2 lb buffalo (Bison) hamburger
2 large shallots, minced
1 T butter
splash of bourbon
salt and pepper
blue cheese, crumbled
onion buns, toasted
lettuce, mayo, etc

Directions: Fire up your grill! Mince the shallots. Add 1 T butter to a saute pan and over medium heat, cook the shallots until soft and slightly toasty.

In a large bowl, add the buffalo, splash of bourbon, sauted shallots, salt and pepper. Mix well with hands and create the patties to your preferred size. Grill over medium coals or via your gas grill to your own specific doneness.

While grilling, toast the buns either on a griddle or the grill until slightly brown. Once done, assemble that burger. I used a little bit of mayo, lettuce, the buffalo burger, blue cheese crumbles - in that order. Either way you stack it up or slice it, you'll have an amazing Buffalo Burger!

Homemade Croutons

2011-12-26T13:03:00.000-06:00

There is leftover everything and yet, I don't want to waste a thing. I had a leftover baguette from my favorite bistro and bakery and thought since we'll be eating lots of salad (indulged in too much food over the holidays) that homemade croutons would be perfect. It adds crunch, flavor and texture to any salad and is super easy.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients:

1 day old baguette, cubed
2 T olive oil
2 T dried onions
2 T dried garlic
2 T dried rosemary
1/2 t celery salt
salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cube day old baguette and place on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine dried herbs, salt and pepper and set aside.

Drizzle bread cubes with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning.

Place in oven and bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

Keep croutons in zip lock baggie and use wherever you want to.

The Magic of Christmas Cookies

2011-12-11T11:01:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted much this December, only because I have focused on getting our home ready for the Holidays and have started baking for my food demo next Sunday... entitled the Magic of Christmas Cookies. All our children will be home this year so we are a bit more festive in our home! Did I go over-board on the decorations... maybe, but it's worth it when I see the sparkle in the kids eyes (though everyone is in the 20ies other than Emma). Maybe it's all to make me happy!

But, in the spirit of sharing... here is my Sugar Cookie and Royal Icing recipe that I have used year after year. The cookies are tender and bite after bite melts across your tongue with a hint of citrus and a dusting of sparkle.

You can join me tomorrow on KEYE-TV during the We Are Austin LIVE segment between 4 and 5 sharing with Bettie Cross a few Christmas Cookie tips.

I hope you get a chance to makes these special treats with your family and above all... May the Spirit of the Season find and bless you!

Magical Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookie Dough
Ingredients:

4 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 stick butter, softened
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C half and half
1 t vanilla paste
1 T orange extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.

Mix a large mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the half and half, vanilla paste and orange extract, beating well. Wrap and chill for at least an hour before cutting into shapes.

Roll a section out on a floured surface and with your choice of cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Remove to wire rack and let cool before icing. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Royal Icing
Ingredients:

2 C confectioners sugar
2 t meringue powder
2 T water
1 T fresh lemon juice
food coloring

Directions: In a small bowl, mix the meringue powder with the water and let sit a minute. Mix the sugar, meringue mixture and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. It should be smooth and creamy. Tint with food coloring or gel colors to get the colors you want. I like to use clear squeeze bottles to pipe the frosting onto each cookie and embellish with sprinkles, dragees, and sugar dust.

Cookies can be boxed and stored in the refrigerator and make the perfect gift for neighbors, teachers and friends.

To brine or not to brine?

2011-11-15T17:11:00.001-06:00

Here's my We Are Austin LIVE segment on KEYE-TV, touting the benefits of a brined Turkey. It's moist and flavorful!

To brine or not to brine?

Candy Cap Mushrooms, Marx Foods and an inspiration!

2011-11-13T10:41:00.001-06:00

I was invited by Marx Foods to participate in their Candy Cap recipe contest. "What's a Candy Cap" you ask... it's a little gem of a mushroom that smells just like maple syrup. Seriously, as soon as I unpacked the little sealed baggie, my entire kitchen smelled like breakfast! My task was to come up with an original recipe using those tasty morsels. Throughout the day, all I could think of was breakfast... but I wanted to make dinner. Fried Chicken and Waffles came to mind, but I wanted something original. I ended up marinating some chicken in maple syrup and created a Candy Cap Risotto that was OH SO GOOD! Now I'm sharing my recipe with you! If you haven't tried Candy Cap mushrooms, put it as a must on your list!

Maple marinated Chicken with Candy Cap Risotto

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 C maple syrup
3 strips bacon, chopped
1 medium shallot, minced
2 C hot water
Candy Cap mushrooms, reconstituted and rough chopped
2 C vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 C arborio rice
2 T butter
1 t brown sugar
salt and pepper

Directions: Trim all fat from chicken breasts, rinse and pat dry then marinate them in a zip lock bag with maple syrup for an hour.

Heat 2 C water until at a boil and add the Candy Cap mushrooms to reconstitute. Let sit for 5 minutes, remove from water, rough chop and set aside.

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add mushroom water and 2 C chicken or vegetable stock. Meanwhile, cook bacon until done and drain on a paper towel. Use bacon drippings to saute minced shallot then add the arborio rice and saute a few more minutes.

Add a ladle of hot stock mixture to the rice, stirring well, until the liquid is absorbed.   It's important to keep stirring the rice as the stock is absorbed then add another ladle when the rice is almost dry.   Keep this up, a ladle at a time, for about 20-30 minutes or until the rice is tender but firm.   When the stock is almost gone, add the chopped Candy Cap mushrooms, butter, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

As the rice is cooking and using an outdoor grill, cook your chicken until done.   Crumble cooked bacon.

To assemble your delicious dinner, start with a nice helping of Candy Cap Risotto, then a whole and sliced maple syrup marinated chicken breast and top with a bit of bacon.   You'll think breakfast for dinner!

Pumpkin Roll

2011-11-07T13:28:00.001-06:00

After my mother had her back surgery, I wanted to make something yummy for her. Since we are finally in autumn I grabbed my new favorite, the trusty pumpkin, and made a lovely pumpkin roll with a cream cheese frosting garnish with salty roasted pumpkin seeds and dusted with freshly grated nutmeg.

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 C vegetable oil
1/2 C apple sauce
1 t vanilla
2 C canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 T cinnamon
1t ground cloves
1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a jelly roll pan and set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices and set aside. In a large bowl combine the sugar and oil. Blend in the applesauce, vanilla and canned pumpkin. Beat the eggs in one at a time. The 1 cup at a time, add the flour mixture. Spread the batter into jelly roll pan and bake for 20-24 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool a bit. Generously dust a large kitchen towel with confectioners sugar and turn out the cake. Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and gently roll cake up to cool.

While the cake is cooling, toast some pumpkin seeds for garnish...

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
2 C confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Directions: In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter, then mix in the vanilla and gradually the confectioners sugar. Add the nutmeg and if it's too thick, thin with a bit of heavy cream to your desire consistency.

To assemble the pumpkin roll, gently unroll cake and fill center with frosting. Roll back up and transfer to serving platter. Frost the outside of the roll, garnish with crunchy and salty roasted pumpkin seeds and dust with freshly grated nutmeg. SERVE!

Brined Thanksgiving Turkey

2011-11-07T10:11:00.001-06:00

I like to brine my Turkey because it's my belief that brining makes it moist. The salt causes the meat tissues to absorb water andflavorings and breaks down the proteins, resulting in a tenderturkey. This means that despite the moisture loss during roasting and the longcooking time, you still end up with a juicy bird.

It's important to find a containerthat's large enough to submerge the turkey, yet small enough tofit in your refrigerator. Try a stock pot or a bucket. You can also purchase brining bags, like I did, and use the roasting pan, but you'll need to turn the bird periodically so thateach side rests in the brine.

The basic ratio for turkey brine istwo cups of kosher salt to two gallons of water. Some recipes includesweeteners or acidic ingredients to balance the saltiness.

Dissolve salt (and sugar, if using) in two cups of hot water. Stir in remaining gallon plus 3 ½ quarts of cold water.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey.
Immerse turkey in brine and refrigerate for at least eight hours but no longer than 24 hours.

I have a tried and tested recipe that is full of flavor and I use every year to rave reviews!

Stacey’s Savory Brine

Ingredients:

1 C course Sea Salt
1/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C Chopped Apple
Zest of 1 Orange
2 T Sage, rough chopped
1 T Juniper Berries
1 T whole BlackPeppercorns
1 T Thyme, rough chopped
1 T Rosemary, rough chopped

This makes about 2 cups. Add this to 1 gallon boiling water and stiruntil solids are dissolved. Cool to roomtemperature then refrigerate to chill. Using a large bucket or brining bag, place thawed Turkey breast side down in brine withan additional gallon of water to fully submerge. Chill for 12 -24 hours. Remove bird from brine, rinse and patdry. Now it’s ready to roast. Tuck the wing tips behind the back and place the bird, breast side up on the roasting rack. I like to rub my bird with a bit of olive oil then pepper the skin, add fresh herbs to the cavity and tie the legs together. Follow the roasting instructions for your size Turkey. Remember that the turkey has already absorbed a significant amount of salt and any drippings that you use for gravy will already be salty, so taste before you add any additional salt.

Weight Watchers demo and recipe

2011-11-07T09:38:00.001-06:00

I was invited to demo some great food for the Weight Watchers Round Rock grand opening! Met so many wonderful people that afternoon and wanted to share the recipe that was gobbled up. I apologize that I didn't get it up on the blog as soon as I should have, but LIFE stepped in and we've had a house full of children.

Weight Watchers Friendly

Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Saute

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
4 chicken breasts
1 C fat free chicken stock
1 C artichokes, quartered
1 small spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
1 C green beans, cut into 1 inch segments
pepper

Directions: Trim any fat from chicken breasts, rinse and pat dry. In a large saute pan, coat with a quick blast of cooking spray and saute garlic and onion until soft. Push to the side and saute the chicken breasts until cooked thoroughly. For faster cooking, slice the chicken into strips before sauteing. If things seem to be sticking, add 2 T of the fat free chicken broth to the pan. Remove the chicken only and hold. Once cooled, slice into strips. Deglaze the pan with the fat free chicken stock, then add the artichoke quarters to the onion/stock mixture.

I like to cook my spaghetti squash in the microwave, cut in half with seeds in, covered with a damp paper towel. A small squash will take about 12 minutes. Remove the seeds and shred with a fork. Add the cooked and shredded spaghetti squash to the pan as well as the sliced chicken and stir. Finally add the green beans and saute until cooked. I plated mine then added fresh ground pepper.

I can't divulge the Points Plus for this entree, but I can tell you that everything but the chicken is free!

Seared Scallops with Crab Buerre Blanc

2011-10-20T08:46:00.001-05:00

Grabbed some scallops at the store and came home to make dinner. After peering in the frig for a few minutes I spied a can of crab and thought I'd create a crab infused buerre blanc to top those lovely little seared sea gems. Placed on a bed of greens, we had the perfect dinner!

Seared Scallops with Crab Buerre Blanc

Ingredients:

1 lb scallops, rinsed and patted dry
2 T olive oil
2 shallots, minced finely
8 oz white wine
2 oz lemon juice
1 T heavy cream
12 T cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
salt and pepper
parsley

Directions: Start by making the buerre blanc. In a small pan over high heat add shallots, wine and lemon juice and reduce till it's about 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and as soon as it starts to bubble, turn the heat to low. Add the butter 1 knob at a time, whisking to incorporate, until it's all gone. Remove from heat, add crab, salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.

Rinse all grit from scallops and pat dry. If scallops are wet, the olive oil will pop. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on high. You want to get a good sear or crust on the scallops so make sure the oil is hot and the scallops are dry. Season with salt and pepper and place into the pan and leave undisturbed for 2 - 3 minutes, then turn and cook an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

To plate, start with fresh salad, scallops then top each scallop with a spoonful of the crab buerre blanc. I finished with parsley and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!

Amazing Roasted Pumpkin Bread - it's healthy too!

2011-10-18T16:50:00.002-05:00

I have been asked by Weight Watchers® to do a cooking demonstration at the grand opening of their new Round Rock facility. In addition, they asked if I could come up with some new recipes that are healthy and Weight Watcher® Points Plus friendly. I love heading into the kitchen to create something brand new and this pumpkin bread is great. To make it a bit more "kid friendly" I made a brown butter glaze and served it on the side to my daughter, who gobbled it up.

Roasted Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin, quartered, seeded and roasted, flesh removed (about 15 oz - or used canned)
1/2 C fat free egg substitute
1/2 C Truvia sweetener
1/4 C brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves
1 C Whole Wheat flour
1/2 C Oat bran flour
1 t baking powder
pinch of salt
1 C uncooked oatmeal
1/2 C golden raisins

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray bottom of loaf pan with baking spray. In a large bowl, beat eggs substitute with roasted pumpkin flesh, then add sugars, vanilla and spices.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, powder and salt and mix well. Add about 1/2 C flour mixture to egg/pumpkin mixture, combining well, then adding additional flour mixture until it's all incorporated.

Mix in oatmeal and golden raisins and turn out into loaf pan.

Bake for 50 minutes. Note that bread will still be moist in the center but fully cooked. A loaf will provide 12 slices.

Brown Butter Glaze:

1 stick unsalted butter
2 C confectioners sugar
2 t vanilla
2-4 T milk

Directions: Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour butter into a bowl, leaving sediment behind. Add sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to butter, and stir until smooth. If glaze is too thick, add more milk. Drizzle over a slice of the Roasted Pumpkin Bread.

Tarte Normande

2011-10-17T12:39:00.000-05:00

Had such a wonderful time with the participants at my Apples Everywhere Food Demo at Faraday's Kitchen Store in Lakeway. I showcased three of my signature apple desserts, had different apple varieties to taste and gave away fabulous door prizes. A huge thank you to Tony, Sharon and Blakely from Faraday's who are always gracious hosts and have a wonderful kitchen.

As promised, here is the Tarte Normande recipe that I needed to upload onto my website. This is a very traditional French tarte that at the demo I topped with unsweetened whipped cream. Growing up in England I have learned that the Europeans do not sweeten their whipped cream on a normal basis. I actually love it this way as you are able to fully enjoy the taste of the apples and Calvados custard.

Hope you are able to re-create this and enjoy in your home with your family and friends.

Tarte Normande

Ingredients:

Tart Crust (recipe below)
1 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 C unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/3 C sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t freshly grated nutmeg

Custard:

1 egg
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C flour
3/4 C heavy cream
1 T apple cider vinegar
4 T Calvados Apple Brandy
confectioners sugar

Pate Brisee Ingredients:

2 1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1/2 lb cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 C ice water

Directions: Put flour and salt into food processor. Add pieces of butter and pulse for about 10 seconds each time until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, a little bit at a time, until the dough holds together but is not sticky. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and form a disk for easier rolling, wrap and place in refrigerator for about an hour.

Lightly spray tart pan with cooking spray. On lightly floured board, roll out pastry to a 1/8th thickness and press into the pan. Trim the edges by running your rolling pin over the top. Poke the pastry with a fork and bake blind (lined with foil and weighted by dried beans) for 12 minutes.

Mix the apple slices with the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and arrange in concentric circles in the tart crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until the apples begin to color. While that is baking, begin the custard by beating the egg and sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Next add the cream, apple cider vinegar and Calvados and beat again until smooth. Pour the mixture over the apples and return tart to the oven. After 10 minutes, sprinkle with confectioners sugar and return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is browned. Serve warm with whipped cream.

You're invited!

2011-10-16T10:51:00.002-05:00

Please join me TODAY at Faraday's Kitchen Store, Lakeway for a festival of apples at my Apples Everywhere Demo. Lots of samples, different apple varieties to try and lots of door prizes - and it's all FREE.

Noon till three today, Sunday Oct 16th... hope to see you there

Lemon Bundt Cake with Blackberries and Cream

2011-10-04T07:59:00.000-05:00

Autumn mornings take me back to my childhood growing up in England. Though the grass was green, the air was brisk and the leaves were crisp under my feet. I remember walking to my Primary School in my uniform and drinking a little bottle of milk around 9:30 with a tinfoil lid. The best memory by far was all the glorious hot lunches we would have. Our entire class would sit around tables with real silverware while our teacher would serve lots of fresh steamed vegetables along with our meal and we'd finish with the most amazing desserts such as warm Treacle Sponge Pudding with Golden Syrup or Chocolate Sponge Pudding with Custard. Sometimes we'd get to pour cream on our sponges (cakes) which would make them moist and delicious. I kept that idea in mind when I put together this recipe, and topped off this wonderful Lemon Bundt Cake with a drizzle of fresh cream. Perfect along with the blackberries.

Lemon Bundt Cake with Blackberries and Cream

Ingredients:

1 C butter or margarine, softened
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 C half and half
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

GLAZE:

1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1 T water
1/2 t lemon extract
3/4 C sugar

Directions: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in lemon peel. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper.

For the glaze, combine all the ingredients then drizzle over the warm cake. Cool completely before serving. To plate, add fresh blackberries and a drizzle of cream. Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup

2011-10-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

Now that autumn is FINALLY here in Austin and our temperatures have dropped out of the 100's to a nice 85 degrees, its time to fire up the oven and roast vegetables. I had a beautiful butternut squash and made a great tasting soup. For an added variety, we grilled and sliced chicken and added it on top of the soup for a complete meal.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash, cut into chunks
1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks
1 jar prepared fire roasted red peppers
3 T heavy cream
2 C chicken stock
salt and pepper
creme fraiche
thin sliced roasted red pepper strips
fresh nutmeg

Directions:   On a large baking tray, toss the squash and onion chunks with a light drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.   Once roasted, remove from oven and cool.

Remove the roasted butternut squash flesh from the skin and place into a blender.   Add the roasted onions, 2 fire roasted red peppers, 3 T heavy cream and 1 C of chicken stock.   Blend to a smooth consistency and transfer to a heavy pot over medium heat.   Slowly add additional chicken stock until the desired thickness is reached.   Taste then season with salt and pepper and make sure to heat thoroughly.

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and swirl in a little creme fraiche into the center of the bowl.   Top with thin slices of the fire roasted red pepper and dust with freshly grated nutmeg.   Serve with hot crusty bread or embellish with grilled chicken and enjoy!

Fire Roasted Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2011-10-01T13:05:00.000-05:00

Mmmmmmm is the only word I can think of when smelling the Hatch green chiles roasting. I love that smell, as it signifies fall in our area! Of course when I made these, it was still 100 degrees outside, but it allowed me to envision fall for a few minutes. The Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas can be frozen - just cover with Saran Wrap then foil, and freeze. To heat - pull from the freezer and let thaw for 3 hours and place in the oven, following the baking instructions below. This is the perfect "casserole" to use when bringing meals to someone else.

Fire Roasted Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

4-6 Hatch Green Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat removed and torn into chunks
1, 15 oz can green chile enchilada sauce
1 C chicken stock
2 C sour cream
3 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12 corn tortillas
1/3 C canola oil

Directions: To fire roast the Hatch green chiles, place whole chiles onto the grill and blister each one black. Remove from grill and place into a brown paper sack to steam, rolling the top down to seal the bag. Once cooled, remove from the bag and peel the skin off. Cut the top off and remove the seeds and chop. Set aside!

In a large bowl combine the fire roasted chopped chiles, green chile enchilada sauce, chicken stock, sour cream and 2 C of the cheese.   Mix well and set aside 1 C of sauce.   Add the chicken to the large bowl of sauce and mix well.

In a fry pan, heat oil over medium high heat and fry each tortilla, both sides, for about 30 seconds each.   Drain well on paper towels.

To assemble, add 2 T of reversed sauce to the bottom of a casserole pan.   Add chicken mixture to lower side of each tortilla, roll up and place into pan.   Once all tortillas are rolled, layer with the remainder of the reserved sauce, top with the remaining 1 C of cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until cooked through.   Serve and enjoy!

Asparagus Risotto

2011-09-10T15:40:00.003-05:00

I have been in a fog for the past several days once we returned home from being evacuated due to the Steiner Ranch fires. We are trying to get back to normal, though the fire is still only 80% contained and there are flare ups often.   Today after hearing sirens and seeing StarFlight, I thought "here we go again" then sadly found out later that a Sheriff who had been protecting our neighborhood died of a heart attack.   What is normal now?

They shut the power grid to our subdivision off during the fires so you can imagine what the status of our refrigerators was.   Almost everything had to go and we have been back and forth to the grocery store twice this week alone. A note of thank you to HEB, who gave every Steiner Ranch family $5.00 off their bill at checkout.   That was a very kind gesture.

At our last grocery outing I saw a small bag of arborio rice and grabbed it.   Yesterday afternoon I pulled out some asparagus and knew it would be perfect to add to my risotto.   The Bionic Man bought two Sea Bass steaks as well and we had the fixings for a lovely, peaceful dinner.   I enlisted the help of our daughter, Emma, who likes to be in the kitchen the same time as me, and she was the perfect little stirrer and monitor for the risotto.   I hope this recipe helps you to create the same serene setting as it did for us!

Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:

1 shallot, minced
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 C arborio rice
1 C white wine
4 1/2 C chicken stock, simmering on the stove
2 T butter
1 lb asparagus, chopped into 1/2 " pieces
salt to taste
Parmesan, freshly grated

Directions: In a stock pot over medium-low heat, bring chicken stock to a simmer. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallot, cooking for a few minutes. Add the arborio rice and saute another 5 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn. Add the 1 C of wine and continue stirring (watching) until it is almost evaporated. Then, systematically add 1/2 C chicken stock to rice, stirring to incorporate. When it is almost completely absorbed, add another 1/2 C chicken stock. Repeat until almost all the stock has been used. Add 1/2 of the chopped asparagus at this point so it can cook (not the tips) and finish using the chicken stock by the method above. This usually takes upward of 15-20 minutes.

While adding stock to your risotto, and in a separate little fry pan, melt the 2 T butter and saute 1/2 of the chopped asparagus (include the tips here). Hold as this will be the garnish.

Remove Risotto from heat once the chicken stock is gone. Rice should be creamy and tender but not mushy and the asparagus should be steamed but again, not mushy at all. Taste, season with salt, stir and taste again. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese directly into the rice and stir once more to incorporate.

Plate the risotto and top with the sauted asparagus and serve. We added a simple pan seared piece of Sea Bass next to our risotto and topped both is the sauted asparagus for a delicious meal.

asparagus risotto with seared sea bass

Evacuated from the Steiner Ranch Fires

2011-09-06T15:45:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful I have a moment to pause, reflect and write a blog post about our experience in having to evacuate from our home in 10 minutes due to fires in our neighborhood of Steiner Ranch, Austin, Texas.   Our home is standing without damage just a bit of soot, though many of our friends and neighbors lost everything.

We knew there was a fire nearby, but had no idea of the BEAST it had become.   My husband and I debated about if we'd go or stay, and talked about what we would need to take, and where we'd go. He had already packed the guns into this truck and I had taken my daughter's 5 year old goldfish, Happy, out of his tank and into a small to-go bowl, just in case.

We were standing in the dining room when I got a call entitled Emergency on caller ID.   It was the Travis County Sheriff's Department, press 1 for a message... "evacuate NOW".   Pause... don't cry.... deep breath.... MOVE!   We didn't communicate verbally but went to work systematically grabbing what we could.   I ran upstairs to tell our 8 year old daughter, Emma, it was time to go.   Tears welled up in her eyes and she became a bit hysterical.   "Go grab some toys," I told her calmly, trying not to cry myself.   I knew if I had her focus she would do better.

I grabbed Happy the Goldfish, who wasn't really happy in a small bowl and got him wrapped up in a towel, plate, blanket contraption so he wouldn't jump out and would be safe on our journey.   Grabbed files from our desk; social security file, birth cert file, wills file, auto titles file, insurance file, passports.   Then unplugged the computer and grabbed the PC tower. In and out through the garage to my SUV while my husband was loading up his truck with what he thought was necessary.   Jewelry box, address books, a change of clothing, tooth brushes and that was that.   We were out the door in 10 minutes.

Our drive to my Mother-in-Laws home was longer as the main road across Mansfield Dam had been shut down. Those were the longest 25 minutes of my life as I was listening to a hysterical child cry, two yowling cats in different tones and a flipped out fish.   My husband, in front of me, had total peace and quiet.   How did that happen???

The next two days I tried to get as much information as I could about the fires, and luckily through social media was completely informed.   Knowing I needed to do more, I've started a clothing collection point in the storage building behind my office.   Starting tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m., I'll be accepting donations of all kinds for those families who lost everything.   Additionally, I've contacted Austin Christian Fellowship and will be coordinating through them in getting the clothing, etc to those in need.

Whew... we are home and so blessed but so many others are not as fortunate and it breaks my heart knowing our friends, neighbors and Central Texans have lost everything.   If you are in the local are and would like to donate, please drop off at the Bartlett Real Estate Group, 6816 N FM 620. We are next to the Boat House Grill in Four Points. If you'd like to help sort, come on over!   If anything, please say a prayer for those affected and ask God for some much needed rain as well!

Stuffed Strawberry Bites

2011-08-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

The United States produces the largest amount of strawberries in the world, over 1.3 tonnes in one year! Our largest crop comes from California and it's the milder temperatures that allow us to have fresh strawberries almost year round. Here in Texas we are anxiously awaiting fall but it was 112 degrees in Austin so we are still in summer-mode. I wanted to create a snack for Emma that was on the healthier side but yet easy to pop into her mouth, so I prepared my stuffed strawberry bites! She loves to grab the leaves, take her bite and throw the stem away. Cool, creamy and sweet - these are sure to please!

Stuffed Strawberry Bites

Ingredients:

15-20 strawberries, washed and dried
1 C mascarpone cheese
1 T sugar
1/3 heavy cream

Directions: Wash and dry the strawberries and leave the leaves and stem attached. I used a hand corer to core the center of each strawberry, then a small paring knife to remove it. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the cream and beat until stiff. Fill a piping bag with a star tip and gently pipe mascarpone cream filling into each strawberry and serve! You can prepare these ahead of time, cover with Saran Wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Perfect for a Girls Night Out cocktail party, just serve with your favorite champagne!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-08-28T15:16:00.002-05:00

Even on Sunday mornings I get up rather early and enjoy the peacefulness of a quiet home alone. It's my time to just be...
silent, still, serene.

perfect sunrise

As the coffee was brewing, I noticed a container of blueberries and knew they would compliment my fluffy buttermilk pancake recipe. It has simple ingredients but it's the buttermilk that makes it taste as wonderful as it does. I like to toss the blueberries into each pancake after I ladle it onto the griddle. One flip and they cook up, soft and juicy. Top with a pad of butter and warm maple syrup - I didn't have to call anyone to the breakfast table, they were just waiting for me to finish!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 C flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
11/2 C buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 C canola oil
1/2 C fresh blueberries

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt, mixing to combine. Meanwhile, preheat your griddle over medium-high heat and lightly oil. In a bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs and oil using a whisk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently, basically until just blended and do NOT over stir. Ladle pancake mix onto the griddle (about 1/2 C) and add the blueberries. Flip when browned to cook the other side. Serve immediately with butter and warmed syrup.

toss the blueberries into the pancake on the griddle

Emma likes *lots* of syrup

just can't resist this delicious stack

Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese Salad

2011-08-26T16:41:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite Austin restaurants is Chez Zee. They have an amazing menu which includes a Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese Salad. I decided to make it at home for my family and wanted to share it with you. Wonderful how a little dab of pecan crusted goat cheese can make a relatively plain salad dance in your mouth.

Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

4-8 oz goat cheese
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 C pecans, chopped finely
pepper
parsley, minced
butter lettuce
any simple vinaigrette

Directions: In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and minced shallots. Roll into individual balls and set aside. Finely chop pecans and place in a separate bowl. Add pepper to taste and mix. Take one goat cheese ball and press into the chopped pecans, flattening it into a disk. Try to keep them uniformed in size

goats cheese mixed with minced shallots

finely chopped pecans with pepper

goat cheese balls

pressed into pecans to become medallions

To serve, place butter lettuce on a plate, top with 1 or 2 pecan crusted goat cheese medallions, sprinkle with a touch of fresh minced parsley and drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

2011-08-24T16:44:00.001-05:00

Keeping in line with my Afternoon Snack theme, today could be the pinnacle. We are anxiously awaiting autumn here in Austin. We've had 70 days over 100 degrees with temperatures reaching upwards of 107 degrees plus we're in a severe drought. Things aren't green nor are there any indications of fall - everything is brown, dry and cracking. However, in my home this afternoon, it SMELLED like fall. I just couldn't resist packed pumpkin and created my Pumpkin Cupcakes. I used orange papers too and could almost envision the cooler temps and falling leaves. These are yummy, with a dollop of cream cheese frosting, and dusted with fresh grated nutmeg. If these don't scream fall, I don't know what will. The neighborhood kids (big and small) seem to think so!!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, room temperature
1 C brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1 t soda
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t fresh grated nutmeg
1 1/4 C packed pumpkin
3/4 C butter milk

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 T butter, softened
1 T vanilla
3 C confectioners sugar
fresh grated nutmeg for garnish

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin cups with papers. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, soda, salt, ground spices and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Add vanilla and scrape down sides of bowl. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and pumpkin, in about three additions. Finally add buttermilk and mix well.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake papers 2/3 way full (depending on the scoop size, about 2 scoops). Bake in oven for 18 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool before frosting.

For cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth then add the butter and vanilla and mix well. Add the confectioners sugar a cup at a time and beat until fluffy. Pipe onto the cupcakes and sprinkle with fresh grated nutmeg as a garnish. Makes 24 cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes!

Toasted Oats, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2011-08-22T16:11:00.001-05:00

My morning today was all about back to school! Made coffee the night before, set everything for 6 a.m., got Emma up and rolling and we were off! Once back home in the quiet and peaceful house, I settled in at the desk to check my emails, foodbuzz, blogs, etc. On foodbuzz I noted a great blog post from Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts; the Hershey's Double Peanut Butter Bar. What a great idea - so I ran into the kitchen but ended up making modifications for a slightly different After School Snack! Check out Erin's food blog at www.dinnersdishesanddesserts.com for more of her wonderful recipes and thanks for the inspiration!

Toasted Oats, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter, softened
1 C crunchy peanut butter
1 C brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 T molasses
1 t vanilla
2 1/4 C flour
1 C rolled oats, toasted
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 1/2 C chocolate chips

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch baking pan. Toast oats in a saute pan over medium heat and set aside. Mix butter and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add sugar, mixing well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one then add molasses and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and stir into wet peanut butter mixture. Add toasted oats and chocolate chips and mix well.

Spread batter into greased baking pan evenly and bake for about 22 minutes. Cool, then cut into desired sizes.

Cranberry Citrus Cream Scones

2011-08-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss in blogging this past week as I've been super busy getting our youngest daughter ready to start 3rd grade. From clothes shopping (she has grown 2 inches in 4 months) to school supplies (spent over $45.00) and organizing her closet, we are now set.... or at least I thought I was. I remembered she has to take a snack to school every day in addition to lunch. "Hmmmm.... what to make, what to make", I pondered. Rather than buying some store bought, overly processed and full of sugar snack I decided to make Cranberry Citrus Cream Scones. I love knowing each ingredient that goes into her tummy and dried cranberries add such a nice texture with the flavor of the lemon and orange. NOW I am ready for her to happily skip into school Monday morning. Try these for yourself, they are great for breakfast too!

Cranberry Citrus Cream Scones

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/4 C + 3 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 C dried cranberries
1 T + 1 t lemon zest
1 T + 1 t orange zest
1 C heavy cream (you can use half and half, I did)
3 T butter, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 C sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cranberries and 1 T of both lemon and orange zest. Add cream (or half and half) and stir just until the dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times, until dough holds together. Form into a 3x10 rectangle, about an inch thick and cut into wedges.

Place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat liner. Combine remaining sugar with the remaining lemon and orange zest and mix well. Brush each scone with melted butter then sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Bake scones for 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool and serve - store remaining scones in a zip lock bag.

Apples Everywher Food Demo with giveaways!

2011-08-11T17:19:00.001-05:00

Please join me, The Four Points Foodie, for a fun and tasteful Food Demonstration

Apples Everywhere

Sunday, October 16, 2011

12:00 - 3:00

Faraday's Kitchen Store, Lakeway, Texas

Where you can sample different apple varieties and three of my most popular apple desserts:

Apple Cranberry Dumplings

Calvados Tarte Normande

All American Apple Pie

This event is FREE and we will have some fantastic giveaways to include $50 Faraday's Gift Certificates given out each hour (total of 3) plus the grand finale, a
Gadget Gift Basket ($150.00 value).

Mark you calendars now - you don't want to miss it!

Faraday's Kitchen Store 6th Annual Foodie-Palooza Kitchen Gadget Expo

2011-08-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

Faraday's Kitchen Store (1501 Ranch Road 620 North, Austin, TX 78734) is excited to announce this years 6^th Annual Foodie-Palooza Kitchen Gadget Expo. On Saturday, September 24, 2011 from 10 AM to 4 PM, attendees will be able to test drive all the hottest kitchen tools from the most innovative culinary vendors of 2011. Their will be a Special Guest appearance by Legendary and World Renowned Garnishing Expert Chef Harvey Rosen. Admission is FREE! For more information around this event, please visit http://faradayskitchenstore.com or call 512.266.5666

We also invite everyone to come by and become a “Gadget Master” by trying the hottest NEW kitchen tools. Stop by all the gadget stations and try out the tools to complete your punch card. After completion, you will be put into a drawing for the Grand Chef Master Gadget Basket! Local Food Vendor Samplings, too! All this…and you won’t even believe how much more! If you would like pictures from previous Foodie-Palooza events please let us know.

Faraday's Kitchen Store is a locally owned Austin Kitchen Store specializing in cookware, bakeware, cutlery and the coolest in kitchen tools- with the BEST PRICES in town! We normally get several hundred people at these anniversary events (this years Foodie-Palooza represents our 6^th year of being in business). This year we are doing less with chef demonstrations and more with customer involvement. This year’s Gadget Expo will be more about providing customers with hands-on approach and getting them to test drive the latest in kitchen tools themselves. It should be a blast!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Mango Avocado Salsa

2011-08-05T15:40:00.001-05:00

Saw some gorgeous Portobello Mushrooms the other day and thought how great they'd be on the grill. Since it's so HOT in Texas right now, we are really into cold food. Decided that a mango and avocado salsa would be delicious on top of the grilled mushrooms then added blackberries and balsamic vinegar to round out the wonderful flavors of this dish!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
with Mango Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

5 large portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
1 mango, cut into chunks
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1/2 small red onion, finely minced
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
10 blackberries, cut in half
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

Directions: Wipe down the mushrooms to remove any dirt. On a baking tray, drizzle mushrooms with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Heat the grill to med-high and grill the mushrooms for 8 - 10 minutes per each side.

In a large bowl, combine mango, avocado, red onion, tomatoes and blackberries. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper to taste, mixing well.

To plate - start with the Portobello Mushroom as the base, top with the salsa then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve!

Beer Marinated Onion Rings

2011-07-25T16:50:00.003-05:00

Made my beer marinated Onion Rings for the family - they were almost gone before we sat down to eat. I fry them in batches, and as soon as they're cool enough to touch, everyone is gobbling them up. I use stiffly beaten egg whites to keep the flour coating on, which creates a very light but delicious crunch. Use season salt for extra flavor, or try any other seasoning to make this recipe your own.

Beer Marinated Onion Rings

Ingredients:

4-5 large sweet onions, sliced into rings
3 cans of your favorite beer
6 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
3 C flour
peanut oil
salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning

Directions: In a large pot, add peanut oil to the desired level and heat until ready to fry.

Slice the onions into rings about 1/4 of an inch thick, toss into the largest zip lock bag and pour the beer in - remove as much air as you can, zip it shut and marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs white until stiff peaks form. Drain the beer from the onion rings and toss them with the egg whites. Shake off the excess.

In a separate zip lock bag add the flour then add the egg white coated onion rings and zip shut then shake like crazy. Add to the hot peanut oil and fry until browned. Drain and season with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning.

into the fryer

ready to eat

Southern Living - Holiday White Cake Cover Contest

2011-07-19T08:46:00.002-05:00

SOUTHERN LIVING ANNOUNCES CHRISTMAS IN JULY:
HOLIDAY WHITE CAKE COVER CONTEST
---
Winning Recipe Will Grace the Cover of the December Issue and Winner Will Receive $1,000
---
Two Runners-Up Will Win $500 and Their Desserts Will Appear in the Issue
---
Deadline for Entries is July 31st

Summer is in full swing, but Southern Living is dreaming of a white Christmas. The magazine is announcing a cover contest challenging readers to create their rendition of a white cake — and the winning recipe will grace the cover of the December issue of Southern Living and win $1,000. Two Runners Up will receive $500 and will have their recipes featured in magazine’s dessert story in December.

Here’s how to enter: Start with one of Southern Living’s five favorite holiday cake batters listed on the Web site, add your own snowy white finishing touches — fill it, frost it, make it fabulous!

To enter, go to: http://www.southernliving.com/cakecontest

Deadline for entries is Sunday, July 31st.

For inspiration, peruse the gallery of past cover cakes:
http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/christmas-cake-recipes-00417000070121/

Sid Evans - New Group Editor of Time Inc.’s Lifestyle Division

2011-07-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

Award-winning editor Sid Evans (formerly VP and Editor-in-Chief of Garden & Gun) has been named Group Editor of Time Inc.’s Lifestyle Division and, starting in early September, will oversee editorial for five of our brands – Cooking Light, Southern Living, Coastal Living, Sunset and This Old House.

Congratulations Sid!

Speaking of Southern Living, this August marks Lindsay Bierman’s first year as editor, where he has introduced countless new columns including: “The Paper Napkin Interview,” a Q&A with a Southern star at her hometown diner (debuted in July), “Mother/Daughter Style,” where a Mom and daughter showcase two looks, and many more.

The August issue of Southern Living (hitting newsstands next Friday 7/22) profiles individuals and communities who weathered the recent tornadoes that struck the South. On 12,000 copies of distribution across the bulk of Alabama, Southern Living is giving 5% of the cover price on every issue sold to the American Red Cross to help tornado victims in the South.

Homemade Dill Bread

2011-07-17T08:39:00.001-05:00

Fresh from the oven, warm with melting butter - nothing is better than homemade bread. I don't have a bread maker, but that didn't scare me, as I've done this before. It's hard to imagine that women would get up very early each morning and make a loaf of fresh bread for the family for the day. This recipe produced a moist bread with a great crust and within an hour, 3 adults had eaten about 2/3 of the loaf! I took lots of pictures so you can successfully do this as well!

Homemade Dill Bread

Ingredients:

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 C warm water
1 C sour cream
2 T buttermilk
2 T honey
2 T shallots, minced
1 T butter
3 T dried dill weed
1 t baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 1/2 C all purpose flour

Directions: Combine the yeast with the warm water and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream, buttermilk, honey, shallots, dill weed, soda and egg and mix well.

Pour contents into a saucepan and add the butter. Heat over low just until the butter melts, remove from heat, and add the yeast.

Stir to incorporate and gradually add the flour to form a stiff dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead for 5 - 10 minutes.

Place in a large, well oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about an hour, covered.

Punch down and place into an oiled loaf pan of your choice. I used a round one. Let rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-50 minutes, and serve hot with lots of butter!

The perfect Restaurant Style WEDGE SALAD

2011-07-14T09:24:00.002-05:00

Lately I've been on a Wedge Salad kick, ordering it at almost every restaurant I go. With the Bionic Man still house bound after his hip replacement surgery, I knew it was time to make it at home. What was most important for me was to get the dressing right and after playing with it, I think I nailed it! Try it and let me know what you think.

Wedge Salad

Ingredients:

Iceberg Lettuce, cut into wedges
3 green onions, chopped
cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
bacon, crumbled
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
pepper
creamy Gorgonzola dressing (see recipe below)

Directions: Cut iceberg into individual wedges and place on serving plate. I like to add the dressing first then the green onions, cherry tomatoes, bacon, Gorgonzola crumbles and pepper.

Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing

Ingredients:

1 C sour cream
1 C mayonnaise
4 T buttermilk
3/4 C Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 T chives
salt and pepper

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Serve over wedge salad and keep left over in the refrigerator.

Sweet and Spicy Braised Short Ribs

2011-07-10T11:27:00.002-05:00

I have been "thinking" about this recipe for a long time. I had the basic idea written down in my work in progress cookbook, which is basically a huge 3 ring notebook with all my recipes and potential recipes in a semi organized fashion. After a quick trip to the grocery store for the short ribs - I was ready to go! Making the sauce in the blender is super easy, searing the short ribs a piece of cake and putting the entire pot into the oven for 3 hours a breeze! The end result was sweet and spicy fall off the bone tender meat served with a side of mashed potatoes. This is amazing.

Sweet and Spicy Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients:

6 lbs short ribs, excess fat trimmed
3 dried ancho chiles
2 C boiling water
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 C tomato sauce
3 T canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
4 T molasses
2 T honey
1 t peppercorns
1 t cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
1 1/2 C water
2 T canola oil
6 slices jalapeno bacon, chopped
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stem ancho chiles and tear into pieces then soak in boiling hot water until soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer chiles to blender and puree with the onion, garlic, tomato sauce, chipotles with adobo, brown sugar, molasses, honey, peppercorns, cumin seed, cloves, 1/2 C water and a pinch of salt.

In a large dutch over or heavy oven proof pot, heat oil. Season short ribs with salt and pepper and brown ribs. I did this in batches so I didn't over crowd the pan. Transfer to platter and hold. In same pot, cook bacon until crisp and transfer to platter to hold. Remove all but 2 T of fat from the same pot, stir in chile puree and bring to a boil. Return ribs and bacon to the pot and add the broken cinnamon stick. Cover and place in preheated oven to braise - about 3 hours.

To serve, skim as much fat off the top of the sauce and plate with mashed potatoes or grits, with lots of sauce!

A Davis Cup Brunch

2011-07-10T10:19:00.001-05:00

I catered a special event Friday morning - a Davis Cup Brunch. GO USA was the theme and the idea was to keep it entirely American. What's more American than Buttermilk Biscuits??? The menu consisted of biscuits three ways; mini biscuit bites with local honey butter (that I made), mini biscuits with hash (gravy and crumbled sausage) and then finally a biscuit sandwich, sort of a cross between a BLT and Eggs Benedict - sliced tomato, bacon and a poached egg between a buttermilk biscuit. When you cut or bite into it, the yolk oozes out to create a wonderful "sauce". With a side of salted fruit and lime, the ladies were set for the 7 hours of tennis matches.

Patriotic Table Setting!

Davis Cup tickets!

Mango, watermelon and papaya salad with salt and lime!

Mini biscuits - just pop in your mouth good!

Local honey butter - easy to make.

Biscuit Sandwich with a perfectly poached egg.

Honey Roasted Figs with Goats Cheese

2011-07-05T10:43:00.001-05:00

While the Bionic Man was in the hospital, well, becoming the Bionic Man, I picked up some Mission Figs. I have always wanted to roast them but my husband was never really excited about it. Here was my opportunity to experiment in the kitchen and it was so much fun. I bought two types of cheeses, goat and brie, and after sampling the flavors, opted for the fresh goat cheese. I ate myself silly as it is so good.

Honey Roasted Figs with Goats Cheese

Ingredients:

8 Mission Figs, sliced in half
olive oil
salt
3/4 C honey
goats cheese
fresh baguette

Directions: Wash and de-stem the figs, then slice in half. Arrange on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Drizzle with honey during the last 5 minutes of roasting, then remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes.

To serve, I broke the baguette into small pieces, smeared with goats cheese, then a fig with a bit more honey drizzled on.

Chilean Sea Bass with Crab Thermidor

2011-07-04T22:18:00.001-05:00

The Bionic Man gets what he wants and he really wanted Chilean Sea Bass. It's pricey so we don't have this often, but we love it grilled. As an added bonus, I made my Crab Thermidor that we used to top the sea bass. It was amazing - either would be wonderful separately, but combined, it creates an "oh wow" culinary moment.

Chilean Sea Bass with
Crab Thermidor

Ingredients:

1-2 lb Chilean Sea Bass
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat grill. Brush the fish lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When hot, grill fish about 5 minutes on each side or until it is opaque in the center.

Crab Thermidor

Ingredients:

3 T butter
3 T all purpose flour
1 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t nutmeg
1 1/2 C half and half
3/4 C white cheddar, shredded
1 T lemon juice
16 oz crab meat, pre-cooked

Directions: In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, paprika, nutmeg and salt until smooth and cook for a few minutes. Gradually add the cream and mix well to incorporate. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese and lemon, stirring well. Add the crab, mix well and cook an additional 5 minutes. Sauce should be thick. Taste and re-season if needed. Remove from heat, let cool briefly then serve over fish!

Fresh White Asparagus

2011-07-03T11:01:00.001-05:00

While my husband Trey was in the hospital undergoing his 2nd hip replacement, I quickly ran to Central Market to grab a bite to eat. Of course I whizzed through the entire store and ended up finding white asparagus. I haven't had it since I was a summer exchange student living in with my french friend Aygness and her family in Strasbourg for a month. Since it is a bit milder than its green-skinned cousin, I paired it with a spicy Chipotle Aioli Sauce. I had a great dinner that night while my Bionic Man Husband had hospital food!

White Asparagus with Chipotle Aioli

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs fresh white asparagus
10 C water
4 T fresh lemon juice
3 T butter
2 T salt

Directions: Bring water with lemon, butter and salt to a simmer in a large pot. Trim 1 inch from the ends of the white asparagus. Since white asparagus has a tough, bitter peel, it must be removed before cooking. Lay each spear on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler, peel the thin skin from just under the top to the bottom. Gather the peeled spears into a bundle and tie with kitchen string. Add to simmering pot and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Lift bundle with tongs and drain slightly on a paper towel before removing the string and serving.

Spicy Chipotle Aioli

Ingredients:

1 C mayonnaise
3 chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 T fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
parsley, minced

In a food processor, mix mayonnaise, chipotle peppers with sauce, garlic and lemon together until smooth though a few bits of the peppers will be visible. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over the white asparagus, garnish with parsley.

Homemade Basil Pesto

2011-06-26T12:32:00.001-05:00

We have lots of basil and after picking a full bag, I knew today was going to be homemade Basil Pesto day! It is simple and so good!

Homemade Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

2 C fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 C Parmesan
1/3 C Pine Nuts, toasted
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1/2 C olive oil

Directions: Toast your pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat. Using a food processor, combine basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic. Slowly add the olive oil while the food processor is running. You may have to scrape the sides a bit. Add the quick squeeze of lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times in the food processor and serve or store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

ready to use

simple pasta with pesto

...and the winner is...

2011-06-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to...

Christine Lamb

Christine's Pantry

She's the winner of the $100 Williams-Sonoma Gift Card.

Thank you to everyone who participated and keep your eyes peeled as I'll be doing another one soon.

Beer Burgers

2011-06-19T15:22:00.000-05:00

I've got an incredible marinade recipe that uses Shiner Bock beer. While making burgers one day, I decided to add some to the ground beef and came up with this gem of a recipe. With blue cheese, shallots and the marinade, you get a beautiful burger that is juicy and moist. Of course, the marinade goes well with almost very protein!

Beer Burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 C Bock Beer Marinade (see below)
2 lbs. ground chuck (80/20)
1 shallot, minced
1/2 C blue cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper

Bock Beer Marinade ingredients:

1 bottle Shiner Bock beer
1/3 C dark brown sugar
3 T soy sauce
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1/3 C pineapple juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T molasses
1 T fresh ginger, grated
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. I like to put it into a large mason jar, shake it to use, then keep the remained in the refrigerator. Just watch for the carbonation!

Directions: Combine beef with 1/2 C Bock Beer Marinade, shallots and blue cheese. Mix with hand to incorporate. Form into 6 equal patties, salt and pepper and grill to desired doneness. I always butter the buns and mark on the grill. Add your favorite fixings for a great burger!

Lemon and Blackberry Bars

2011-06-16T17:08:00.001-05:00

Growing up in England, I had the lovely experience of wild blackberries. These brambles would grow everywhere and my friends and I would harvest whenever we saw them, without washing, and pop them into our mouths. In fact, they grew along the back hedge of one of the schools I attended and we'd eat them during recess, staining our hands and mouth a delightful purple.

With big, fresh blackberries showing up in the grocery store, I thought I could add these to the standard lemon bar and enjoy two favorite flavors in one bite! The results - YUM! The crust is flaky, the lemon bars are zesty with a blackberry surprise and then I had to top it off with a creamy cheesecake topping. Dessert is served!

Lemon and Blackberry Bars

Crust Ingredients:

1 C butter
1/2 C sugar
2 C flour
1 t salt

Lemon Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C flour
juice of 4 lemons
zest of 2 lemons
1 C blackberries

Cheescake Topping Ingredients:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 C powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon

Directions: Heat over to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of an 8x8 pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, blend together butter, sugar, flour and saltl. Press into pan and bake for 12 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and flour then whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the hot, baked crust. Add the lemon zest and blackberries and bake for 25 minutes. Cool.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the lemon juice and powdered sugar and beat until silky, about 4 minutes. Spread this onto the cooled bars and sprinkle the lemon zest on top as a garnish. Chill in refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving. Chilling makes them easier to cut. They won't last long...

Lemon Shrimp

2011-06-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

I dream about food often and if I've had a particularly vivid dream, I'll write down the idea for a recipe. This is the case with my Lemon Shrimp and I scribbled a semi coherent recipe down as soon as I woke up. It happens to be one of those recipes that you just know will be good. My husband scarfed down about 75 shrimp and kept making those "mmmmm" sounds as he ate. Serve with lots of napkins and enjoy!

Lemon Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
2 lemon grass stalks, peeled, smashed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T fresh tarragon, minced
juice of 4 lemons
zest of 2 lemons
2 T chili pepper flakes
1/2 C olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 C white wine

Directions: Rinse, peel and devein shrimp and set aside. In a medium bowl, add remaining ingredients and taste before adding the shrimp to make sure it's spicy enough or seasoned enough to your liking. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let marinade, covered, for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Skewer shrimp and grill until done. In the mean time, pour the marinade into a small sauce pan, add the white wine and simmer over medium high heat, until reduced by 1/3. Once reduced, pour through a strainer and hold.

To serve, I plated with jasmine rice, lemon shrimp and the sauce. It's delicious!

Simple sauteed carrots

2011-06-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

Since it's so hot outside and the AC is trying to cool the inside, I don't want to stand over a hot cook top for too long preparing dinner. Also, with the temperatures soaring past 100 degrees here in Austin, our meals have taken a turn for the LEAN as we are just not that hungry! In addition to our grilled chicken last night, I blanched some carrots then quickly sauteed them in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. They were a perfect accompaniment to the arugula and chicken and something I will do more often.

Simple sauteed carrots

Ingredients:

6 - 7 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions: Peel and diagonally slice the carrots. Blanche in boiling salted water for 4 minutes and drain well. In a saute pan over high heat, quickly cook the carrots and season with salt and pepper. Perfect side dish for many meals!

with a little olive oil

our yummy dinner last night

Pico with Pizazz!

2011-06-05T20:38:00.001-05:00

With fresh tomatoes at every Farmer's Market - it's time to make Pico de Gallo. We love this zesty condiment on almost everything we eat. Chopped tomatoes, sweet onion, jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice... then I add a special secret ingredient to throw a spin on a simple recipe to add a bit of pizazz!

Pico de Gallo with Pizazz

Ingredients:

6 medium fresh tomatoes, seeded, cored and chopped
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 large bunch cilantro, rinsed and minced
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T tequila
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Wash your ingredients well and dry. Combine all the chopped/minced ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to incorporate. Add lime juice, tequila, salt and pepper and taste to see if you need to add additional seasoning. Serve with chip (I love blue corn tortilla chips), on a salad, as a side to grilled steak or chicken. Delicious!

Fish and Chips - the British Tradition

2011-05-31T17:05:00.002-05:00

Fish and Chips were a normal staple in my life while growing up in England. We'd visit this little shop on High Street and pick up several orders, wrapped in newspaper which was fairly greasy. Several hearty dashes of malt vinegar and we devoured our meal and then promptly washed our hands.

While at our local grocery store my husband spotted cod and asked the question... "can you make that too?" "Of course I can" I said with a bit of a chuckle... and thought to myself what a great recipe post too!

Traditional Fish and Chips

Ingredients:

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into the desired "chips" or fries
peanut oil for frying EVERYTHING
6 - 8 pieces of fresh cod, rinsed and patted dry
1 bottle Newcastle Brown Ale
1/4 C club soda
2 C flour
1/2 C flour for dredging
salt and pepper
season all or crazy salt if desired for your chips
Malt Vinegar
newspaper is optional

Directions: In a deep pot or fryer, bring the peanut oil to 375 degrees. Fry the potatoes first, until golden brown and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Drain well, dress with your favorite seasoning and place on a cookie sheet in a warmed oven (225 degrees to hold).

In a large bowl, mix flour, beer and soda together to form the batter. Coat each piece of fish in the batter then dredge through flour and put into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 4 - 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the cod. It's best to fry in batches and to allow the oil to come back up to 375 degrees after each batch. Drain well on paper towels. Plate your fish and "chips" and serve with your malt vinegar! A nice cole slaw would be a great accompaniment.

Peach Pie

2011-05-30T16:16:00.001-05:00

Nothing says Happy Memorial Day like pie and I had a ton of peaches so it was Peach Pie day at our house! Topped with a dollop of ice cream it was a perfect ending to our meal and a great way to remember all who have served in the Armed Forces to protect the USA.

Peach Pie

Double Pie Crust Ingredients:

2 C flour
3/4 C butter
1 t salt
2 t sugar
1 small egg, beaten
1/2 T vinegar
1/4 C water

Directions: In a large bowl sift together flour, sugar and salt. In a food processor, cut in butter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. In a small bowl add egg, vinegar and water, mixing well and adding to flour mixture. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Divide dough in half and roll each one out to form a 12 inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into pie plate, fill then cover with second crust. Turn top crust under bottom one and crimp. Make cuts or create decorative shapes with any excess dough. Brush top with cream and sprinkle with sugar prior to baking for a gleaming and golden crust with extra crunch.

Peach filling ingredients:

5 C fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1 T lemon juice
1.2 C flour
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 T butter, diced

Directions: Toss peaches with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir well. Add to peaches and mix well, coated each peach slice. Turn into pie crust and dot with butter. Add top dough piece and follow directions above to crimp and finish top.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 50 - 55 minutes (until crust is golden brown). Cool slightly and serve with ice cream if you want!

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

2011-05-27T08:49:00.000-05:00

This is a delicious and quick snack for children of ALL ages! Emma wants to be able to make healthy snacks for her and her friends and this is one we all enjoyed. With the start of summer right around the corner, it's important to have nutritious yet tasty snacks ready available - a grab and go - that will satisfy them. It's too easy to grab a bag of chips. These no bake peanut butter balls store easily in the frig and were gone in a day!

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Old fashioned rolled oats (oatmeal)
1 1/2 C nonfat dry milk
1 C creamy peanut butter
1 T cocoa powder
4 T butter
2 T honey
1 t vanilla

Directions: Toast the oatmeal in a saute pan over medium high heat until light brown, making sure it doesn't burn. Turn into a medium mixing bowl. Add the dry milk, peanut butter and cocoa powder to the oatmeal and combine all the ingredients.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the honey and remove from heat. Add the vanilla, mixing well and pour over the peanut butter mixture. Stir well to incorporate and refrigerate for 30 minutes to cool.

Shape the mixture into balls and place onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Serve plain or have fun rolling the peanut butter balls through crushed nuts, cocoa powder, chocolate jimmies or any other fun topping.

May Newsletter and give-away

2011-05-17T08:07:00.000-05:00

My May Newsletter went out yesterday... did you get yours? If not, send me a note or click the link below to join in the fun!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Want-a--100-William-Sonoma-Gift-Card-.html?soid=1102906895038&aid=9CUpi4i_4g8

Follow and be rewarded; my early summer give-away!

2011-05-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

I love William Sonoma - from their kitchen towels and spatulas to their mixing bowls and cookbooks. Just stepping inside my local store gives me a feeling of exhilaration. I want my followers to have that same feeling so it's time for my early summer give-away!

Follow my blog - it's that easy! One lucky follower, whether current or new, will be chosen as the $100 Williams Sonoma Gift Card winner. This contest will end on June 19th and the lucky winner announced on Monday, June 20th.

Tell your friends, tweet it out, share on Facebook and follow my blog... it's that easy!

In the kitchen with Emma - healthy afternoon snack.

2011-05-15T12:37:00.001-05:00

My 8 year old daughter Emma loves to cook. She has taken numerous culinary classes, has her own knife and a great recipe collection. She told me she's the only girl at school who takes mozzarella and tomatoes in her lunch. She reads labels and refuses to drink flavored milk at school because "it has too much sugar". She wanted to share her favorite after school snack as it's easy, tasty and good for you. If I'd let her, she would sell these instead of cupcakes at a bake sale!

Caprese Salad on a Stick

Ingredients:

wooden skewers
grape tomaotes
small mozzarella balls
baby spinach leaves
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions: Give birth to the funniest girl in the world... oh wait... haha... not those directions!

Thread skewers with a grape tomato, spinach leaf, then mozzarella ball, filling it up.

Once you've done as many as you want, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Emma will lovingly serve you if you're at our house and will clean up as well.

Decadent Chocolate Pie

2011-05-12T08:11:00.000-05:00

Rich and creamy is the best way to describe this delicious Chocolate Pie. I made two versions, one in a large spring-form pan, the other as tartlets. No matter which was you shape the crust, this will always be a hit!

Decadent Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C crushed chocolate cookies, either Oreo's or try Thin Mints for a twist on the taste
3 T butter, melted
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1 T instant Espresso
2 C heavy cream
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/3 C dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 T vanilla
2 T butter, cubes

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If using Oreo's, remove center filling and crush in a food processor. Add melted butter and mix well. Press cookie mixture into the bottom of your chosen pan and bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool.

In a large pot, add cream, sugar and flour, whisking well, over medium heat. Before it gets too hot, add beaten eggs and whisk well so it doesn't scramble as it heats up to cook. Stirring continually, cook for 15 minutes then remove from heat.

Add chocolate and stir as it melts then add vanilla and stir to incorporate. Finally, add the cubes of butter, mix well and pour into cooled cookie crust. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to fully set.

Let stand at room temperature for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. You can top with a dollop of whipped cream, fruit or mint.

Seared Scallops with Spicy Aioli Sauce

2011-05-11T09:36:00.000-05:00

A spicy sauce with quick sauted carrots, jasmine rice and seared scallops - what's not to like about this dish? I needed to come up with a quick dinner and I pulled these ingredients together. I used the 90 second microwave style Jasmine Rice which was great and costs less than $3.00 a package. Quick and easy... add this to your list of "I must try".

Seared Scallops with Spicy Aioli Sauce

Ingredients:

4 carrots, peeled and cut into long quarters
15 scallops, washed and patted dry
sesame oil
Jasmine Rice
green onions, finely sliced
soy sauce
salt and pepper
Spicy Aioli Sauce (recipe below)

Directions: In a small pan, saute carrots in sesame oil until slightly cooked but still crunchy. Remove and hold to plate. Make sure you scallops are very dry before searing or the oil will pop and potentially burn you. In a large pan, add enough sesame oil to cover the bottom and bring to a medium-high heat. Add the scallops, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. You are looking to form a nice crust on the bottom of each scallop, then flip over and do the same on the other side. As the scallops are cooking - follow the heating instructions on the Jasmine Rice package.

Spicy Aioli Sauce:

1 C mayonnaise
2 T Sriracha Sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 t soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Mix everything together and taste... adding more hot sauce if desired. Place in refrigerator until ready to plate.

To Plate: Place the Aioli Sauce on the bottom of each plate in a decorative fashion. Add the sauted carrots then top with Jasmine Rice. Next add the seared scallops, top with scallions and a drizzle of soy sauce. Serve!

Irish Cheddar Cheese Ball

2011-05-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

Since my oldest daughter Lindsey is moving to Dublin this month, we wanted to honor her with a big farewell party. I decided to throw an Irish Farewell Shindig for her and the menu was... well... Celtic! Made an Irish Cheddar Cheese Ball as part of the appetizers and it got rave reviews from everyone, so I had to share it.

Irish Cheddar Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 block cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C. Irish Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1 1/2 C. white Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 small shallot, chopped
1/4 C Jameson Irish Whiskey
salt and pepper
fresh chives, minced

Directions: In a large food processor, mix cream cheese, cubed cheddar, and shallots together until incorporated. Add whiskey and salt and pepper and continue to mix until semi smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add additional grated cheddar cheese to whiskey cheese mix, stirring well and taste, adding more whiskey or salt and pepper if needed. Cover with Saran Wrap and chill for at least an hour. Roll cheese mixture into a ball and then roll through minced chives, so that the ball is coated.

Serve with toast or crackers. Store left overs in the refrigerator, wrapped in Saran Wrap.

Caramelized Three Onion Jam

2011-05-09T11:30:00.001-05:00

I've seen a lot of hype lately about Onion Jam. Recently several food bloggers have posted their versions, in addition to some of the big name Chefs like Nigella Lawson. As I was menu planning for a Royal Wedding catering event, I knew I wanted to incorporate this somehow so into the kitchen I went. This stuff is seriously good and is a beautiful accompaniment to so many items. I found myself putting it on bread, crackers, pate toast, lamb, roast chicken and hamburgers. You must try this!

After my successful and entertaining "A Royal Tasting and Feast", I received a jar of Balsamic Onion Spread as a thank you gift. It's very similar to my recipe, except I don't use balsamic vinegar. Try different variations, experiment and above all, have fun in your kitchen!

Caramelized Three Onion Jam

Ingregients:

3 large sweet onions, rough chopped
3 large red onions, rough chopped
3 large shallots, rough chopped
2 T butter
3 T honey
salt

Directions: In a heavy pot over medium heat, melt butter and add all the onions and shallots. Turn heat to low and slowly and carefully caramelize until deliciously dark brown and sweet. It takes me upwards of two hours and I'm close by, stirring and making sure nothing is burning as that will result in a bitter taste.

Once onion mixture has caramelized and reduced (amazing at how little product you end up with), add salt to taste and finish with the honey, stirring well to incorporate. Either serve once it has cooled or store in a jar in the refrigerator. It's a great garnish or create an appetizer like I did with the pate or on a slice of tomato or my Caramelized Onion Bruschetta. Add it to a turkey panini... it is so versatile!

Avocado's ARE for Breakfast!

2011-05-04T18:03:00.004-05:00

Received a beautiful box of Avocado's from Mexico the other day, courtesy of Lewis and Neale Inc., a leading communications agency devoted exclusively to the marketing of food and beverages out of New York. I was asked to come up with a few breakfast recipes and I said "sure" enthusiastically. I love avocado's and adding them into a breakfast recipe was so much fun. Hope you try at least on of these!

Avocado's ARE for Breakfast!

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Bacon and Cheese Omelet with Avocado

Ingredients:

6 eggs, whisked
4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 T butter
1 avocado, sliced
limes
salt and pepper
Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk eggs well. In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Ladle 1/3 of the egg into the pan and rotate the pan, making sure the egg is evenly across the bottom. Cook until no raw egg is visible.

In the center, add the cheese and crumbled bacon then fold in tri-fold fashion, bringing in the right third then the left third of the omelet. Plate and garnish the entire omelet with sliced avocados topped with my Spicy Yogurt Sauce (recipe below). Add a bit of salt and plenty of pepper and serve!

Spicy Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

1 C Greek Yogurt
1 T Ancho Chile powder
1 T Cumin
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Mix the above ingredients together and serve over the omelet.

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Breakfast in the Clouds

Grits, Eggs, Shrimp and Avocado

Ingredients:

1 C grits
2 C chicken stock
1 C half and half
1/2 C Monterrey jack cheese, grated
6 eggs, whisked
4 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
16 large gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 avocado from Mexico, mashed
1 t cajun spice
juice of 1 lemon
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
4 T hot sauce
1/2 C amber beer
4 oz butter, cubed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a small saucepan, combine chicken stock and half and half and bring to a simmer, adding the grits, stirring continuously. Cook for 12 minutes, remove from heat and add cheese. Stir well and hold. In a large fry pan, fry bacon until crisp then crumble, set aside. Season shrimp with cajun spice. In the same fry pan and using the bacon drippings, saute the shrimp until cooked through. Hold the shrimp in a bowl. De-glaze shrimp/bacon pan with the juice of the lemon. then add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and beer. Simmer and reduce to 1/2. Remove from heat and add butter to finish sauce, whisk together.

In a separate pan, scramble eggs to your liking! In a small bowl, de-seed avocado and mash, seasoning with salt and pepper.

To assemble - start with a thin layer of grits, topped with the scrambled eggs, then the mashed avocado. Add shrimp and finish with sauce spooned over. Top with crumbled bacon then dive into the cloud!

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Avocado Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1 C crushed ice
1 C skim milk
3 T whey protein powder (I use Vanilla flavored)
1 banana
1 avocado
2 T peanut butter
1 T honey
1 t vanilla extract

Directions: Combine all the ingredients into a blender and process until mixed and smooth. Drink immediately!

Strawberry Stuffed Cream Puffs

2011-05-02T09:08:00.001-05:00

For our Easter meal, I made Strawberry Stuffed Cream Puffs drizzled with Ghirardelli Ganache. They were a hit... and I witnessed my Mother eating the ganache right out of the bowl. Seriously good!

Strawberry Stuffed Cream Puffs with Ganache

Ingredients:

1 C water
8 T butter
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1 C flour
4 large eggs
2 C + 1 C heavy whipping cream
4 T confectioners sugar
vanilla bean
6 oz Ghirardelli Chocolate 72%
1 pint strawberries, sliced.

Combine water and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in salt and sugar. Remove from heat and add the flour, stirring until smooth. Place back on the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until a smooth mass forms and the bottom of the pan is coated with a thin film. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and let it cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter until very smooth.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon mounds onto the baking sheet, 2 inches wide and about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 375 degrees and continue baking until the puffs are golden, for about 20 minutes more. Lower the oven temp once more to 325 degrees and bake until the puffs are firm, about 8 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool puffs. Use immediately or store in an airtight container.

Split open a vanilla bean and scrap the seeds out. In a mixing bowl, add the 2 C heavy whipped cream, 4 T confectioners sugar and vanilla bean seeds and mix on high, forming stiff peaks. Set aside. Wash and slice the strawberries.

In a small saucepan, add the 1 C heavy cream and the vanilla bean pod and bring to a simmer. In a bowl, break the chocolate into pieces. Pour the simmering heavy cream over the chocolate, remove the vanilla bean pod and stir well until smooth.

To assemble - split the puff in half, add a scoop of the whipped cream, top with sliced strawberries and put the puff top back on. Drizzle with the chocolate ganache and serve!

Rider On Recipes - the completed show

2011-04-25T13:46:00.001-05:00

Shopping to the big networks... so so so excited! Here is our finished product!

AMAZING Cookie Recipe

2011-04-19T11:09:00.001-05:00

The copy of my amazing cookie recipe is tattered and splotchy, with water marks and additional writing. I've had it for over 20 years; it's my tried and true cookie recipe, the one I fall back on over and over again. Until now, I've kept it under wraps and haven't shared it with anyone. Note, I said until now. What I'm offering is the chance to get your own copy of this recipe. If you'd like to have it - just send an email to RiderOnRecipes@gmail.com and I will forward it to you.

Take a look at this cookie - it's soft and warm and screams for a glass of milk!

Don't you want to try it?