Day 10 - Pantry Challenge - Rustic Tart II

Can you tell what my new passion is? That's right, it's baking. Over the past week I have made 3 banana breads and 2 pie tarts and I'm loving it. Here is a picture of a strawberry tart I made the other day. All I did was replace the two cups of peaches for two cups of strawberries and it turned out really nice. Top it with whipped cream and it tastes likes strawberries and cream.

Mom invited us to come over for dinner on Sunday, so I think I'll bake something. Maybe I'll make another tart.

So far, so good on the pantry challenge. Here is a list of the grocery items I bought this week:

Corn on the cob 1.00

5 lb bag of baking potatoes 1.99

2 lbs of butter 3.58

Sour cream 1.29

Ice cream 2.50

Avocado 2.00

Watermelon 4.88

Kraft Real Mayo 3.22

Mustard 1.59

Cherries 3.59

Assorted Peppers 3.99

Parmesan Cheese 3.75

Total 33.38

In total over the past two weeks, I've spent about $100 to cover food costs and supplement the meats with fresh veggies for our meals. I have tons of stuff left in my pantry and I barely put a dent in it. I think I managed to use a few cans of black beans, corn, garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, a box of spaghetti, a box of pasta shells, 2 containers of roasted red pepper soup, lots of flour, sugar and oatmeal. I still haven't used the black bean sauce I bought a while ago, but I plan to use it soon. Promise.

Day 9 - Pantry Challenge - Breakfast Spaghetti

Last night, Richy and I were watching the Food Network and this recipe was screaming to be made. My brother likes to eat at night, I don't, but I managed to pull myself to the kitchen to watch him make breakfast spaghetti at 11:00 at night. It's a very simple dish which was born from mixing together leftover spaghetti and eggs for breakfast. It's a breakfast version of carbonara and it only requires a few ingredients which are sure to be on hand.

Richy was supposed to make dinner and we were looking forward to BBQ chicken on the grill with corn and taters, but he hurt his back, so I decided to make burgers on the grill. It's always nice to have a burger on hand and all the trimmings for those "oh, Lord, what am I going to do for dinner tonight?" moments. I will be highlighting this dinner tomorrow night.

The recipe for breakfast spaghetti is as follows:

Breakfast Spaghetti
Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of bacon fat (or olive oil)
2 cups cooked pasta
3-4 eggs
1/4 to 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup crumbled bacon (or chopped ham)
pinch or two salt
pinch pepper
parsley sprigs for garnish

Directions:

1. Beat eggs in a bowl, Add parmesan cheese, bacon (or ham), salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a skillet or large pot: add bacon fat (or olive oil) and toss in pasta. Cook and stir for a moment (until fat has coated pasta).

3. Add egg mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Day 8 - Pantry Challenge - Rustic Peach Tart

On our way home from the Harbor on Sunday we stopped by a fruit stand tucked away on Georgetown Pike. When we walked in we immediately smelled riped peaches. I have recently started doing more baking and thought of making a peach pie. When I got home I started looking for recipes and I came across this recipe for a rustic peach tart. I served it warm topped with whipped cream.

You can use this recipe and substitue any fruit when making this. I plan to use strawberries tonight. The good thing about this is once again it's easy to make and you can prepare it in a flash. The recipe says to use a pie pan, but you can use a baking sheet as well.

Rustic Pie Tart

Serves 6

1 refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust (1/2 of 15 oz. pkg)
4 fresh, ripe peaches, sliced thin
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon/sugar mixed
Cool Whip topping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pie crust on a greased 10-inch pie plate.In a bowl, mix together the peaches, flour, and sugar; toss to coat. Pour the peaches onto the pie crust, and gently fold the crust about 2 inches over the peaches, leaving the center of fruit uncovered. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over tart.Bake 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit juices are bubbly. Cool slight before lifting pie out of pie plate. Cut into slices; top with whipped topping.

Source: Adapted from Kraft Foods

Day 7 - Pantry Challenge - Tomato Mozzarella Salad

This is one of my new favorite salads. A simple salad made with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and a balsamic vinaigrette. I love the simplicity and beauty of this salad. The other day when Richy made us dinner, he made this salad and I couldn't wait to have it again so I made it to go with the quick lasagna. The salad was perfect and I could have eaten it by myself.

Tomato Mozzarella Salad
Serves 5

2 or 3 tomatoes, any color, any size, cut into cubes
4 slices of buffalo mozzarella, cut into cubes
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
Fresh basil

Mix together tomatoes, mozzarella, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a bowl. Refrigerate for a half an hour before serving. Separate salad among 5 plates and top with fresh basil.

Day 6 - Pantry Challenge - Quick Lasagna

I skipped writing for Day 5 of the pantry challenge because Richy cooked dinner for us when we got home from the Harbor. We had marinated steaks, corn on the cob with leftover lime cilantro butter, marinated tomato salad with fresh buffalo mozarella and baked potatoes. I rounded off the meal with a rustic peach tart. It was the perfect summer meal.

Here is what we are having for dinner tomorrow. I love this recipe because it's so easy to make and has three simple ingredients; frozen ravioli, pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. What is even better is it takes 25 minutes to make and I have everything in my freezer. Serve with a salad for a quick easy dinner.

Quick Fix Lasagna

1 bag of frozen ravioli
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb shredded mozzarella

Layer a 13x9 pan with sauce, ravioli, sauce, cheese repeat. Throw in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Top with fresh basil as a garnish and serve with salad on the side.

Day 4 - Pantry Challenge - Dinner out at Grace's Manadarin

Steven and I finished our evening by having dinner at Grace's Mandarin. We have been to this restaurant several times now and each time our experience is always memorable. When you first walk up to the restaurant you are greeted by glass and steel doors that gently swing open to let you in, as if they knew you were coming....very magical We were even more wowed when we walked in and saw a larger than life Buddha (33 feet tall to be exact) greeting you and inviting you to venture further into this very sexy chic Asian restaurant. The staff further welcome you and if you are lucky they will seat you at the window which has a wonderful view of the newly built Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

The home page of their website says it all:

"East meets west in a sensual fusion of tastes at Grace’s Mandarin at the National Harbor, Maryland. Pan Asian flavors come together to arouse your taste buds in a casual, elegant atmosphere with views of the Potomac River from every table. Enjoy our sushi bar or our intimate lounge featuring stylish cocktails, an expansive selection of wines, and the area’s largest selections of sakes. Our three-story waterfall and 33-foot Buddha will heighten your experience.Flavors that will stimulate your senses. Service that will seduce you. A view you’ll fall in love with."

When we sat at our table we were greated by Grace herself. What a wonderful and "graceful" lady. Being that she is the mastermind behind such a wonderful restaurant it was nice to meet the insipration that came to be Grace's Mandarin. I always love the special touch of the owner coming over to welcome you. We felt right at home and after we commented on how lovely her chopstick rests were and she surprised us by giving us a pair of our own complete with chopsticks. Thank you, Grace!

We started out with a spring mix salad and miso soup. The salad was a fresh spring mix topped with a nutty and sweet sesame dressing and the miso soup was described as soy broth with tofu, scallions and seaweed, what they forgot to mention was the exotic blend of mushrooms added. We ordered the crunchy scallop roll as an appetizer which was a roll made with avocado (my favorite), scallop, sirachi sauce and tempura flakes. The sirachi sauce gave it a nice kick, the kind of kick that hits from behind the palette and sneaks up on you. Steven ordered the sesame chicken and I ordered the sushi deluxe platter. Both were equally good.

Over all I would give this a 5 star rating. The atmosphere was warm, the food superb and the service was top notch. If you are looking for a restaurant for a special occasion or to impress a business client or a date, then Grace's Mandarin is the place to be. We will visit again the next time we come to the harbor even if we don't have an excuse to celebrate.

For the Day 4 of the Pantry Challenge Maddie made rotini and used some of the Olive Garden spaghetti sauce I made.

Reception at Art Whino

Before dinner we stopped off at Art Whino, which is an art gallery with art from the underground world. It's off the wall art and reminds me of Gus Fink who is one of my favorite artists. They were having a reception and served appetizers and had a cash bar. I tried a bite of each of the above. The first is a beet terrine which is layers of yellow and red beets and a layer of creamy goat cheese in the middle. The second is a walnut and bleu cheese salad served on endive. Both were beautifully displayed and delicious.

Lunch at Rosa Mexicana

Pictures from lunch at Rosa Mexicano. The first picture is of Ceviche de Atún y Camarones which is a chilled citrus-marinated tuna and shrimp. The second is of my lunch, steak tacos and Steven's old standby the con queso hamburger.

Day 3 - Pantry Challenge - Shopping Day

Steven and I went to Costco today and stocked up on some things that we need for the week. The picture of Beasley has nothing to do with our shopping day, but I thought I'd share it with you. Isn't she adorable??? Tommorrow Steven and I are going to the National Harbor so we'll be out most of the day and will eat dinner out, so I won't be blogging tomorrow, but I will blog about our dinner when I come back.

In total we spent $62.05 to supplement our food supply. Here is what we got:

3 dozen eggs $2.95
Schmidt hamburger buns 2.99
Long rolls 2.19
Twin pack of cereal 6.99
Half and half 1.75
Roma tomatoes 3.99
4 pack of assorted cheeses 6.99
English cucumbers 3.29
Romaine lettuce 3.79
Limes 4.99
Cherries 4.79
English muffins 4.19
Bananas 1.32
Vitamin D Milk 2.49
2% milk 2.35
Grape juice 6.99

Total: $62.05

Since my budget is $50 per week, I'll need to spend less over the next couple of weeks to compensate. A lot of the items will last about two weeks, so I'll be able to spend money in other needed places. I am sure it will balance out.

Day 2 - Pantry Challenge -Black Bean Salad

I woke up this morning and discovered a leftover piece of corn and a ripe avocado, so I decided to make a black bean salad. To me black bean salad shouts, "summer." We have had a mild summer so far, but I am sure the mercury will be edging past a hundred degrees soon. I remember making this a year back when I had a craving for avocado and wanted something other than the traditional guacamole. I love the wonderful creaminess of avocado and often eat it in salads or straight up with a touch of cracked sea salt.

The basic structure of a black bean salad is black beans (canned or freshly made) with corn kernels (canned, frozen, or fresh). Cilantro can add a bitter touch to the flavors and a squeeze of lime cheese for some acid. Jalapeno or cumin will give it a kick, and avocado and olive oil will smooth it down. A quick toss and you have a wonderful salad for lunch or an accompaniment with lime tequilas wings for dinner. Obviously, this salad will be extra good if you have freshly cooked corn and beans on hand. But if you don't, just use the canned beans and corn. I won't tell anyone.

Recipe for Black Bean Salad
Serves 5

2 cans 15 ounce black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 or 2 ears of corn taken off the cob
1 jalapeno minced
1 avocado cubed
1 mango cubed
1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
2 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together in a bowl the olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add black beans, corn and cilantro and toss. Fold in avocado and mango. Chill for a half an hour or serve immediately.

Items used from pantry:

1 can of mango
2 cans of black beans

Day 1 - Pantry Challenge

Day one of the pantry challenge went really well. Meredith and I made banana nut bread and muffins today. We bought some ripe bananas the other day and I cut them up and put them in a ziplock bag and put them in the freezer. We make a lot of smoothies in the summer and having bananas on hand is a must. I also love to make banana ice cream in our HealthMaster blender. When bananas are ripe and sell for a $1.00, I take full advantage of that. While Meredith was visiting her Aunt in FL she went to cooking camp with her cousin and they learned how to make marinara sauce, zucchini bread and banana bread. We had a fun time and I am sure my Aunt will appreciate it tomorrow when she gives her the bread.

The other part of cooking today was making a delicious mexican dinner. I made grilled tequila lime chicken wings, roasted corn and everyone's favorite tortilla soup. This soup is becoming a big hit in our house and it's so easy to make. I served the corn with a cilantro lime butter which was to die for. I took 4 T of butter, a squeeze of lime and a 1/2 c of cilantro and put it in a food processor and blended until mixed. The combination of the lime and the cilantro is so refreshing.

Super Moist Banana Bread

Serves 14

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter softened
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
4 tbsp. Sour Cream
1 1/2 cups Flour
all-purpose (white)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1.5 cups (2-3) ripe Bananas mashed

Directions:

1. Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan.
2. Beat together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs. Mix well.
4. Add sour cream, flour, baking soda, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well.
5. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 - 55 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean

Being In Touch with My Inner Pantry

As I was foraging through blog sites the other day for recipes, I stumbled upon a blog called The Perfect Pantry. Check it out at http://www.theperfectpantry.com/ The blog features ingredients used in everyday cooking -- common ingredients like salt, pepper, butter, flour -- and ingredients fundamental to a wide range of ethnic cuisines. The blogger writes about and photographs the actual things she keeps in her pantry and she includes in her post the recipe using the featured ingredient, as well as several links to interesting recipes on other food blogs. I love the concept because I like to see what other people have in their pantries. Even better it inspired me to really be in touch with my inner pantry.

After reading the blog, I immediately ran to my pantry and started organizing and seeing what I had in there. It's therapeutic for me to clean or organize something and I was looking forward to being in touch with the foods I have in my pantry. Since things are tight right now with Steven and I both not working, I'm really trying to keep our costs down by using what we have before going out and spending money in excess. I teach my children to appreciate and take care of the things they have and not to be wasteful. Leading by example speaks louder than words as they say. If it applies to them, it applies to us as well. I did some contemplative thinking and thought about how I could be in touch with my inner pantry and started by asking myself how I felt about what foods were there and what my intentions were when I bought them.

Hell is paved with good intentions as they say and my pantry is filled with great ideas to start but then they fall flat. For instance I bought a jar of black bean sauce a while ago and my intentions were to bake tofu and top it with black bean sauce. That was months ago and the jar has moved from one house to another and has accumulated a dusty top that is painfully noticeable. I need to be in touch with my food and not lose touch with it. In other words, I need to be in the moment. When I buy something and I am excited about it I should use it within that week and not let it sit their forever losing it's luster.

So, the challenge is on. I will allow myself $50 a week to supplement and cook only the foods that we have on hand. Over the next month I will be using the foods I have in my pantry, fridge and freezer and supplement the essentials such as eggs, milk, butter, fresh fruits and veggies. I will update my website daily to document the challenge and to keep you informed on my progress. Feel free to join me in the challenge and send me updates on how you are doing as well.

Recipe for Hummus and Pita Chips

Everyone has heard the term, "don't try this at home" well, I am asking you to try this at home and anything else you can get your hands on to try at home. It's so much cheaper and better for you. I decided to make some homemade hummus and pita chips today. We had some leftover pita bread that was getting old so I sliced it up into triangles and sprayed Pam on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 375 degrees until crunchy. Add a touch of salt when they are out of the oven while cooling. Delicious!

There is nothing better than homemade foods as far as I'm concerned because you can monitor how much oil and salt is used. I use either a kosher salt or sea salt because the taste is more bold and believe it or not on the average each teaspon is 500 milligrams less sodium than regular table salt. Adding lemon juice gives it an even bolder taste. To me there is nothing better than taking a bite of food and tasting every ingredient. Honestly, what would you prefer, a banana in it's purest form or a banana flavored pudding? I'd go for the banana. Speaking of bananas I bought a big bag of ripened bananas so I'll be making banana nut bread this week. Stay tuned for the recipe and pictures.

Hummus is one of the more popular Middle Eastern dips. Served with fresh or toasted pita bread, hummus makes for a great snack or appetizer. Tahini is an important part of the hummus recipe and cannot be substituted. However, it can be omitted. For the hummus I used garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic clove and a touch of salt. It turns out really nicely and it is so cheap to make. The texture is creamy and the color is a beautiful reddish yellow. I sprinkled the letter R with paprika on top, but you can use parsley, pine nuts, a mound of diced red peppers just to name a few toppings.

My pantry is full of garbanzo beans, black beans and corn so I can make hummus and tortilla soup in minutes. After eating soup at home, it's really hard to go back to canned soups. I think I blogged about my tortilla soup once before, it should be in the archive, but if it is not, feel free to email me.

Recipe for Hummus

1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1 jar of roasted red peppers

1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus. Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional). Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Grilled Pork, Cilantro Rice, Yellow and Green Beans

This was our dinner tonight. It's been a busy day, it's 11:30 and I'm just getting to blog so I'm going to make this short. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!! This dinner was absolutely perfect and it's one of my favorite combinations for a meal, grilled something, rice of some sort and a fresh veggie. I noticed today that we have two squash in our garden, so I'll be highlighting a squash recipe in one my upcoming blogs. When I was in my early twenties, a friend of mine made a wonderful squash casserole with tomatoes and butter and squashed squash. I'm going to look for the recipe, but if anyone out there has an idea for a squash recipe, please let me know.

The past week or so I've been talking to people about different careers in cooking. I met with an executive chef last week and he highly recommended that I didn't go into a franchised business because a lot of the work in the kitchen is just prep work. As an example he said one of his line cooks sliced 800 slices of cheese and then another prepared 600 mexican eggrolls. It's almost like being on an assembly line. I thanked him for his honesty and in the end he thought going into a catering business or opening up my own restaurant would be the best way to go. That is something I have been thinking of for a while.

I'm just in the research stage right now, but I'm hoping to accomplish this soon. Every time I watch Diners, Drive Ins and Dives I get a craving to own my own place. Since my brother and husband love to cook, I think a family owned restaurant is a great idea. I asked Maddie the other day if she would want to work there and she didn't seem too enthusiastic, but I have a feeling once we opened, she would change her mind. If we can get my mom to be the hostess, we'd have a very successful place. Oh to dream.....

Mr. Gibbs

Mrs. Beasley's boyfriend, Mr. Gibbs.

Weekend Cooking Blitz

This weekend was one of those weekends where you didn't really have any solid plans, so you just go with the flow. We ended up doing a lot of cooking and enjoying really good food. I have included a few pictures of the things we made but it doesn't nearly tell the whole story of our weekend cooking blitz. Friday, Richy made his Cilantro Pesto Chicken and I made Olive Garden Spaghetti Sauce, Saturday, we made S'mores and today, we made Blueberry Pancakes, Maryland Crab Soup and Banana Ice Cream.

As you know we did a spur of the moment run to get crabs last night and we still had a few leftover so Richy decided to make the Maryland Crab Soup out of the crabmeat. He used the recipe I posted yesterday, so I won't post it again. We sat out in the sun and picked the crabs and had about 8 ounces of fresh crabmeat to put in it. Earlier we stopped at the Farmers Market and got some corn and when we got home he assembled the soup. It was really good and had a nice peppery finish. The only thing that was missing was the sound of crashing waves, the smell of the ocean and cool a summer breeze. We had a cup of soup with hamburgers and then I topped the dinner off with Banana Ice Cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and sprinkled chopped walnuts.

My daughter, Maddie, helped me make the S'mores and they turned out awesome. The recipe was only three ingredients and they were really simple to make. Basically, all you have to do is melt 8 bars of 1.55 Hershey's chocolate, add 2 cups of small marshmallows and 8 crushed graham crackers and mix it all together. Then you take the mix and divide it evenly amongst 24 cupcake holders and refrigerate for a half an hour. Of course they were a big hit and for those of you who follow Weight Watchers they were only 2 points each. I found the recipe on one of the blogs that I follow. Here is the link if you want to check out the recipe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qakxd7SRg5o. I am sure we will make these again.

I also made blueberry pancakes and a pot of Olive Garden Spaghetti Sauce. The blueberry pancakes were delicious and I will make them again for the breakfast. The spaghetti sauce I wasn't so impressed with. I found the recipe on a copycat page and followed it to the T. It turned out good, but it was too sweet for me. I was surprised to learn their secret to making their sauce is adding grape jelly. Who would have ever thunk it???? I am not sure I will make this again, but it was fun making it. Here is the recipe for those of you who might be interested.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground round
6 oz V-8 juice
2 Tablespoon Oil
1 jar Prego Spaghetti Sauce
1 Can stewed tomatoes, (14 ounces)
1 Envelope onion soup mix
1/2 c Grape jelly

Brown meat in oil until cooked. Crumble with fork, then drain. Stir in tomatoes, V-9 juice, Prego, soup mix and grape jelly. Cook, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes or until jelly melts and sauce is piping hot.

Serve with your favorite pasta. Don’t forget the bread sticks!

Crab Heaven

I think we died and went to crab heaven today. I wanted to do something special and it was such a beautiful night to be outside, so I thought crabs would be the perfect fit for dinner. After spending the whole day running errands, making s'mores with Maddie, taking the dogs for a walk, cleaning out the fridge and organizing the pantry, Richy and I headed down to Maine Avenue in SW, Washington DC. Years ago my brother and my Dad would head down to DC and bring back a bushel of crabs and we would sit around the table and barely talk to each other as we cracked a bunch of crabs and dipped them in butter.

When we were growing up, one of my fondest memories is of my Uncle Danny. He and my Aunt would drive from Pittsburgh and he would bring his boat and take my brother crabbing for the day. We were living in MD at the time and we were very close to the Chesapeake Bay and they would get up really early and spend a good amount of the day in the hot sun and come home with sunburned faces carrying a big cooler of crabs on ice. My Uncle would steam the crabs and clean them for us and we would eat crabs for hours in the hot summer nights. The crabs reminded me of the fish and the loaves that the Lord provided for the multitude because they were never ending!

The crabs we got tonight were huge and very sweet. We got them steamed right there and had to wait about 20 minutes for them to finish steaming. While we were waiting, we decided to get a half a pound of shrimp and a dozen oysters to split. OMG, they were fantastic! I ended up picking up a pound of crawfish for Steven since that is one of his favorites. When we got home we set up a table outside and spread the crabs on the table and served them with hot butter. Everyone was so generous because when they had a big claw they would throw it my way. Maddie was the most generous because she gave me all of her claws. Thanks Maddie! I ended up eating 3 crabs and probably 20 claws. When I opened the claws, water would gush out and the meat would come out whole. Like I said, we were in crab heaven. Richy said they were the best crabs he had in a long time.

The only problem is what do we do with the 20 or so crabs we have leftover? I was scoping out some recipes and I think we'll make some crab soup as a start. We'll probably finish picking the other crabs for lunch. Here is the recipe I plan to use:

Maryland Crab Soup

adapted from Old Bay

INGREDIENTS

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, cut into small pieces
3 cups water
2 cups beef broth
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen baby carrots or sliced carrots
1 cup frozen yellow sweet corn
1/2 cup frozen chopped onions
1 tablespoon Old Bay® Seasoning
1 pound backfin blue crab meat, picked over

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients except crab meat in 4-quart saucepan.
Heat to boil, cover and boil 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, add crab meat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

Recipe for Shrimp and Grits

My Lord, look at that picture. It makes my mouth water when I see it. The other day I was watching Tyler Florence and he was making Shrimp 'n' Grits and it looked so good. So I did a little digging and I came across this recipe the other day and I am dying to try it. I'll let you know how it turns out once I make it.

Georgia Shrimp 'n' Grits

adapted from Joe Barnett's Recipe

3/4 lb. wild Georgia shrimp
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup quick-cooking grits
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon butter
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
4 teaspoons flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 slice cured country ham, cooked and torn into pieces

Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Combine in a small bowl the Cajun seasoning, the paprika, the Italian seasoning, and the pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the shrimp, tossing until they are well coated. Set aside.

Next, pour the water, the chicken boullion, and the butter into a heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a full boil. Slowly add in the grits, and whisk constantly, cooking over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, the cream, and the cheddar cheese. Continue to cook and whisk for 2-3 more minutes, until grits become very creamy and thick. To quote the original recipe, "Don't skimp on the butter and the cream, folks."

In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Pour in the spiced shrimp and cook JUST until they are done and tender, about 2 minutes (depending on the size of your shrimp). Do not overcook or your shrimp will get rubbery. Remove the shrimp from the pan to a clean bowl and set aside.Return the pan to the stove. Add the flour to the drippings, stirring to make the base of a roux. Cook for 10 minutes until medium tan in color. Slowly whisk in the chicken stock and the cream. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the worchestershire sauce and hot sauce, stirring to incorporate. Finally, add the country ham. Serve the shrimp on a generous bed of grits, topped with the roux sauce.

Double Stack Heart Attack with Bacon

Today, I, Carol's husband will guest blog about my dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. My dinner consisted of a double stack BBQ bacon burger with cheese. Now we all have had a cheese burger once in in our lifetime... ok more than once but no two burgers are alike. I should know I am a certified burger expert. This baby measured in at a height of 8 1/2 inches and must have weighed in at around 2 lbs. A side of fries and a touch of BBQ sauce completes this masterpiece. After consuming this monster and yes I ate the whole darn thing, I completed my meal with an upside down pineapple cheesecake. After the meal I was rolled out of the restaurant where I spent the next 2 hours digesting and resting. My ritual is to have a burger once or twice a week because the cheeseburger is the ultimate comfort food. Boy, eating is sure a lot of work. Next week I will be back to talk about my super delicious crepes. You don't want to miss this.

Humanity versus Katie Courage

I know this blog is meant for food blogging, but my heart is broken today. Earlier this afternoon, my daughter Madeleine and I were on our way out to get our nails done and have sushi. As I have mentioned before Madeleine is my sushi buddy and as she's maturing we are becoming really good friends. I think every mother should be blessed with such a wonderful daughter. She has a passion for food just like me and I see so many things in her that remind me of myself. I love it when we spend time together.

On our way, we were sidetracked by a doe that was sitting on the side of the road. A truck was protecting her from oncoming traffic. We looked over and decided we would go back to see if everything was alright. Well, it wasn't. She was hobbling across the street on three legs and the fourth was badly broken. We knew then that she would be put to sleep. We decided to pull to the side and sit with the deer before Animal Control could come to tend to her. It certainly was a very sad situation, but we wanted her to feel loved before she went on to heaven to be with Bambi.

The compassion I felt for that deer was overwhelming and my heart was very sad, but we both knew that we should stay. During that time Madeleine and I unfortunately were met with the realities of humanity and lack of compassion. A man who was on a bicycle decided to stop as well and his first reaction was to get a rock and as he said "bash her in the head." My heart sank to the ground and confronted him and told him not to. He replied with a smart answer which I replied that she should die in peace and let's keep her calm until Animal Control could come and put her down peacefully. He disagreed and was attempting to find a rock and I told him I was calling the police. I am sure he felt he was doing good by putting it out of it's misery but I disagreed.

Our next reality of human nature and lack of compassion was a man who stopped to see if he could help. When he found out it was a deer, he proclaimed, "oh, it's not a human, it's just an animal." My question to him was "what's the difference?" He tried to justify his comment by implying that the animal wasn't important enough to be concerned over. I promptly replied that to me they were one in the same.

My husband was kind enough to come to the scene and stay with the deer as they put her down. I had to leave because I couldn't watch her die. He said it was peaceful and she died with loving people around her. I'm jealous because I know she is in heaven enjoying the presence of the Lord and possibly our dear guinea pigs who have passed away in the last year, Latte, Elvis, Mocha and Butterscotch. I am sure she is grazing in a field full of sun and green grass and flowers and that her leg is completely whole. Madeleine and I named her Katie Courage because she was so courageous today. We love you Katie and we hope you rest in peace.

Recipe for Lobster Bisque

Richy made hamburgers on the grill for lunch and we were so full we decided not to cook dinner tonight. Steven sent to me this picture the other day so I decided to include this picture of my favorite dinner, Lobster! Every year Clyde's has a lobsterfest special and Steven treats me to a dinner lobster. Besides cracking a bushel of crabs, eating a lobster is one of my favorite meals. I'm not the type of person who just eats the claws and the tail and I'm done. It takes me almost an hour to eat because I get every piece of that sweet, juicy meat that I can.

One of my other favorite ways to eat lobster is to make a Lobster Bisque. Here is my favorite recipe:

LOBSTER BISQUE SOUP

1 lobster
1 to 2 lb.2 ribs celery
1 shallot, minced
1 c. butter (1/2 lb.)
1 c. chopped onion (1 med.)
2 c. half and half (or milk)
Lobster broth
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
1/2 to 1 c. sherry
1 tsp. concentrated chicken stock or 1 cube chicken bouillon
Salt, white pepper
1 c. flour
3 c. reserved lobster broth

Place lobster and celery in heavy saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then boil 10 to 15 minutes or until lobster is red and cooked.
Remove lobster, strain broth (let lobster cool), set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter, then sauté onion and shallot until soft and translucent. Add half and half plus some of the lobster broth, reserving 3 cups for later use.
Heat milk mixture thoroughly, then add paprika, sherry, chicken stock, Old Bay Seasoning, salt and pepper. In bowl, mix together the flour and reserved 3 cups of lobster broth. Heat until thickened.

Meanwhile, remove meat from lobster and add to the bisque. Allow bisque to simmer (do not boil) for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley.

Recipe for Tortilla Soup

Have you noticed a theme in our eating lately? Gazpacho, Shrimp Cheviche, Taco Seasoning, Tortilla Soup, Fajitas, Corn on the Cob with Lime and Cilantro..... Lately I been having cravings for Mexican so I've been looking up recipes for homecooked Mexican meals. I always feel overloaded when I go to a Mexican restaurant because everything is swimming in grease or full of cheese and overloaded with garlic and onions. We all agree that eating at home is much better than going to a restaurant. And lately with the way Richy and I have been cooking the only restaurant we really like is Don Corleone's, because no one makes pizza better than Don.

Last night we had Mom over for dinner since Dad was supposed to be in the hospital. He ended up coming home yesterday but he was supposed to come home today. Today is his 75th birthday. Happy Birthday Poppa! Richy made Fajitas on the grill and I made Tortilla Soup. I saw this soup being made at Costco when they were promoting the BlendTec Blender. We ended up getting the HealthMaster and we love it. We make smoothies every day and yesterday I wanted to try the soup recipe. The soup was fantastic and low in fat.

Here is the recipe:

Tortilla Soup

Serves 6

Phase One

1 container of Tomato Red Pepper Soup (I get a six pack from Costco)

1 or 2 jalapenos

1/2 cup of frozen chopped onion

1 T cumin

1 T chili powder
1 t salt

Blend in the blender for 8 minutes or until steaming hot.

Phase Two

1/2 cup of corn (I used roasted corn by Trader Joe's)

1/2 can of black beans

10 tortilla chips

Add to blender and give it a quick blend.

Phase Three

1/2 cup of corn

1/2 can of black beans

Pour soup mix in a pot and add the the corn and black beans. Heat to serve. Top with sour cream, tortilla and a jalapeno pepper slice.

This soup is low and fat and is sure to be a hit.

Stupid Cake

Steven and I took Meredith to the airport this morning to stay with her Aunt Cheri in FL for a few days. On our way we decided to grab a snack for the car ride. Meredith and I both chose a piece of pound cake. When I looked at the calories and fat in it, I almost had a heart attack. It was 430 calories and 24 grams of fat. In Weight Watchers points that is 11 points for the day. My points for the day are 27 so that left me with 16 points for the rest of the day. It was a TOTAL waste of food for me. It made me feel miserable and it made me really think of what kind of junk I am putting into my body.

For breakfast every morning, I usually have a bowl of oatmeal, an egg and a piece of fruit. When I eat food like that, I have more energy and it sets the mood for the rest of the day. I feel much better and I tend to make better choices at later meals. I have seen so many people lose weight on South Beach Diet and it's not the path I'd like to go. I do not like a lot of meat and I prefer veggies and fruits. I need to incorporate more exercise and tone down the eating out.

Nothing too exciting to report today for recipes or food. It was just an ordinary day as far as eating goes, but tomorrow should be fun. We are having Mom over for Steak Fajitas.

My Father/Recipe for Pad Thai

This is a picture of my Dad after his knee replacement surgery. When I came into to see him he said he was feeling pretty good and he wasn't feeling any pain. I imagine the spinal block and the pain meds they are giving him are keeping him pretty stable. He has been having issues with his knees for a couple of years now and it was time to replace the knee. The doctor said the xray's really didn't show the degeneration in the knee and it was a lot worse.

I love the first picture where he is smiling. I love my father and I think he is a wonderful man. I married my husband, Steven because he reminds me a lof of my father. I always wanted a man I could look up to and trust to keep me safe and I found that in Steven. My father has been married to my mom for 50 years and they are a lovely couple. My mom loves my father and her cooking shows it. I am a lot like him because I love to try different foods and I love a homecooked meal. Before his surgery I brought him over his favorite dish of Chicken with Eggplant in a Green Curry sauce. I learned how to make this from Nongkran Daks who is a Master Thai Chef. She owns a restaurant in Chantilly called Thai Basil and recently won a Pad Thai showdown with Bobby Flay.

One thing I love doing with my Dad is going to a new restaurant and introduce him to a new food. Recently for Father's Day, Steven and I took him out for sushi. This is the first time he ever tried it and he really enjoyed it. I have a lot of fond memories of my Dad cooking when my mom was working. He always tried new dishes with a really interesting diversity. Today the only thing he can handle is water because of the nausea. When he is feeling better again, we will venture out to try something new.

Feel better soon, Daddy, we love you!!

For those of you who are curious. Nongkran won the throwdown with the following recipe:

Pad Thai
Recipe courtesy Nongkran Daks

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, optional
1/2 cup sliced pork
1/2 cup whole shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon (shredded) preserved radish
1/4 pound medium-size dried rice noodles (soaked 60 minutes in cold water and drained)
Water
5 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce, recipe follows
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground hot chiles, or more to taste
2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sliced garlic chives or green onion
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed, plus more for garnish
1 wedge lime

Directions

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden brown. Add the meat and shrimp and keep stirring until the shrimp changes color. Remove the shrimp to prevent overcooking and set aside.

Add the noodles. They will stick together so stir fast and try to separate them. Add a little water, stirring a few times. Then add the Pad Thai sauce, and keep stirring until everything is thoroughly mixed. The noodles should appear soft and moist. Return the cooked shrimp to the wok.

Push the contents of the wok up around the sides to make room to fry the eggs. If the pan is very dry, add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs and spread the noodles over the eggs to cover. When the eggs are cooked, stir the noodles until everything is well mixed-this should result in cooked bits of eggs, both whites and yolk, throughout the noodle mixture.
Add chiles, peanuts, garlic chives and bean sprouts. Mix well. Remove to a platter. Serve with raw bean spouts and a few drops of lime juice.

Pad Thai Sauce:

1 cup tamarind juice
1 cup palm sugar plus 3 tablespoons
1 cup water
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 teaspoons salt

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan for about 60 minutes until it is well mixed and syrupy. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Teriyaki Chicken with Braised Bok Choy

Before I begin to write, I would like to thank my wonderful husband, Steven for taking the pictures for the blog. For now he has been using his iPhone and eventually he will use his big boy camera. Thanks for doing a wonderful job, honey, I love you so much and I look forward to many more meals with you!!

This meal was so delicious and filling. I had a very busy day today so by the time it was time to eat, I was hungry. Richy, Meredith and I ran over to Giant to grab some of the great specials they had on chicken. We bought 4 family packs of breasts and 3 family packs of thighs for about 15$. Everything was on sale and had an additonal $2 off each pack. I never pay full price for anything and when I see a great deal, I grab as many as I can. This will last us a couple of months for sure.

I decided to make the thighs tonight by marinating them in Island Teriyaki glaze and throwing them on the grill. I then took baby bok choys and braised them lightly in olive oil and a touch of water. After they were cooked I drizzled a touch more of olive oil and added salt and pepper. Bok choy (also known as pak choi or Chinese cabbage) is a green leaf cabbage that is used quite often in Chinese cooking. It is full of nutrients, delicious, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Baby bok choy is a smaller, tender variety of bok choy. They are very simple to make and a perfect companion to the chicken and rice. The green herbs on top are cilantro. Chopped green scallions will work just as well.

Iron Chef Morimoto

We didn't cook dinner tonight because we still had chicken and rice leftover last night, so I decided to highlight my favorite chef, Iron Chef Morimoto and his restaurant in Boca Raton, FL. Last December my best friend, Jackie and I traveled to Boca Raton, FL for my birthday. We have been best friends for 10 years and every year for my birthday she always does something extra special. I didn't know when we were traveling there that it would turn out to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. When we checked in we were asking about Chef Morimoto's restaurant, Morimoto that had just opened. The manager overheard us asking and told us that he would be there shortly to do a photo shoot and if we wanted to watch to make our way down there, so we did. It was surreal because we got a front row seat to the photo shoot. After the shoot I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Morimoto and got his autograph. He is a very soft spoken man and demands your respect because of his humble spirit.

The restaurant was a beautiful small space with a long marble bar where you can get up close and personal with the friendly sushi chefs and be hypnotized by the videos shown on the array of flat screens behind the bar. An extensive and expensive menu of traditional sushi/sashimi along with a wide assortment of innovative offerings. Morimoto offers his own line of sake and beer to pair with your selections. We started out with a beautiful salad that was topped with a lovely orchid flower. It was served with a jasmine tea that was very aromatic and soothing. They had items rare for south florida; all grades of tuna > otoro, maguro, chutoro along with suzuki, tai, kinmedai etc. We were told that 80% of the fish is flown in from Japan daily, 15% from New York and 5% locally. We ended up ordering a few rolls and shared. The restaurant definitely had some pluses; a beautiful space• artfully prepared dishes• friendly, experienced, knowledgeable sushi chefs• wide selection of appealing seafood, however the quality of the sushi was not worth the money we paid for our meal. Our lunch was over a $100, but worth every penny to meet the Chef personally and get his autograph. It was magical and I'll never forget it.

SUSHI ETIQUETTE 101

DO
Sit at the sushi bar whenever possible, observing and requesting items you see that look interesting to you.
Introduce yourself to the sushi chef if dining omakase, and make clear what you prefer without stressing what you dislike.
Eat sashimi before maki, ordering as you go rather than all at once.
Eat maki with your hands, if you like.
Use the hand towel that finer establishments provide in between pieces.
Use fresh wasabi whenever possible.
Share comments, questions and sake with the chef.

DON’T
Eat sushi on Mondays. Traditionally fresh fish is flown in Tuesday through Friday.
Rub your chopsticks together or leave them crossed; these are considered ill omens.
Spear pieces or pry them apart.
Pick up sashimi by hand.
Take a partial bite then place the remainder down; sushi is intended for one bite.
Put wasabi in soy sauce; only a dab is required per piece, applied directly to the fish.
Place sushi in soy sauce rice-first; soy sauce is intended to gently flavor seafood.
Put ginger on pieces of sushi; ginger is intended only as a palate cleanser between pieces.
Pass a piece of sushi with chopsticks, unless they are turned around to the end that has not touched your mouth.

Recipe for Cilantro Pesto Chicken

My brother had to run out, so I decided to post the pictures and do some writing for him. Lately I have noticed that my herb of choice is cilantro and I love to add limes to anything I make with cilantro. Thus, our dinner idea was born. Richy put the chicken breasts in a brine and let them refrigerate overnight. I made a cilantro pesto and Richy marninated them for a few hours and put them on the grill for 30 minutes or so. The chicken was moist and full of flavor. I had made a gazpacho salad earlier and we rounded out the meal with grilled corn on the cob and yellow rice. The dinner turned out really good and Madeleine said if it was close to her birthday, she would want that for dinner. That's the highest compliment she can pay anyone. Meredith ventured out a little bit and took a bite of the gazpacho but said it was too spicy. If it was up to me I would have added peppers to the point of no return, but I have a family to please with different levels of tolerance. Since we are dreaming of opening our own restaurant in the future, I think we'll tuck this recipe away as a keeper.

Cilantro Pesto Chicken

6 servings

Prepare the chicken by putting it in a brine made with 1 quart of water, 1/4 c of salt and sugar. Refrigerate overnight.

Prepare the cilantro pesto by putting in a food processor 2 cups of cilantro, 1/2 c of olive oil, 1 garlic clove, juice of one lime, touch of salt.

Marinate the chicken by rubbing it with the pesto under and over the skin for a few hours. Grill for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.