Month: May 2016

Shrimp Risotto with Garlic, Thyme and Parmesan. 

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I learned how to make risotto in culinary school. I love it. It’s a process, but totally worth the effort. The key is warm broth and near constant stirring. The perfect risotto is just done in texture and has a creamy consistency. I find that using red wine and beef broth gives the risotto a nice depth of flavor, feel free to experiment once you have the process down, white wine and chicken broth is a flavorful option as well. Since this dish requires a lot of maintenance I like to serve this alone or with a side salad. (after addition of red wine) Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup onion, chopped 3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 cup dry red wine 1/2 tsp dry thyme 4 cups beef stock 1 cup small raw shrimp, shelled and deveined 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder 2 Tblsp Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1 Tblsp butter Chopped parsley for garnish Extra Parmesan for garnish Process Sprinkle salt and garlic powder …

Oh Nora… 

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I’ve become quite your fan Nora, I only wish you were still gracing us with your wonderful writing skills today.  I am so enjoying the book… The Most of Nora Ephron currently. I highly recommend it! 

Savory Grits Breakfast Tower 

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Here’s my recipe for savory grits.  Ingredients  3 cups chicken broth  3/4 cup quick grits 1/4 tsp garlic powder  1-2 tsp butter (of course your level of  this decadence is your choice) 3 Tblsps Parmesan cheese (if you have fresh on hand use it, if not regular parm. cheese in the plastic shaker, the type used more on the daily… works wonders)  These make a delisiously great and economical side dish, and as you can see here grits can make for a grand tada too!  Layer the grits (about a 1/4 – 1/3 cup), an over easy egg  and a slice of bacon (or two), and there you go… your tada breakfast presentation!                                                         Enjoy!     g.  The Grits… Amazon offers them here… http://amzn.to/257M8nU

Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff w/Noodles 

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Here’s a great recipe for Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff, serve it over noodles if you like. The total cooking time is about 45 minutes, totally worth your time and effort, this recipe is a real keeper! Enjoy.  Yields 4 servings Ingredients  6 chicken tenderloins (or about 3 cups chicken breast) chopped Extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder  1/4 tsp thyme 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp paprika  1/8 tsp cayenne 1/8 pepper  Sliced Mushrooms, 8oz (I used button)  2 Tblsp white wine 4 Tblsp butter 4 Tblsp flour 2 cups chicken broth 1 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce  1/4 cup sour cream (a few good dollops more for service) 1/2 package 12oz wide egg noodles  Fresh parsley, finely chopped for garish  Meanwhile ;), I cooked half the package of wide egg noddles according to package directions, that yields about 4 good (under stroganoff) servings. Cook your noodles, drain and set aside for service. Some recipes call to combine the noodles with the stroganoff, I prefer not to. I like …

The Salsa That Reigns Supreme

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Okay so I am beyond excited to share this recipe with you. It was a surprise supreme thing taste-wise when completed (in less than 5 minutes I might add) as I was faced with the fact that I was missing tomato sauce, did not want to use fresh tomatoes and really wanted/needed a homemade quick-like salsa asap! I discover tomato paste as a new (to me) key ingredient in salsa making.  I give you my Salsa Supreme… 🙂  1 Tblsp good quality tomato paste 1 cup water 1 Tblsp chopped onion 1 Tblsp chopped cilantro 2 whole chipotle chiles  Here’s the type of chipotle chiles I use  1 small garlic clove 1/2 tsp salt 1 quick squeeze of lime  Process  Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth  That’s it, it’s ready! Refrigerate any unused portion for later enjoyment  * the salsa may seem a bit thin to you, I was ok with the consistency. Next day it certainly does thicken up a bit.  

Tacos al Pastor

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Look for this packaged seasoned pork at your local grocery store it can make for a quick, easy and delicious meal! It’s really simple to prepare. Serve with toppings of your choice and a couple of sides or on  their yummy taco 😉 own.  I will add a few step by step instructions soon, for now… feel free to  follow the pics. 🙂  Here’s a Epicurios BBQ recipe version http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tacos-al-pastor-242132  to prepare Al Pastor pork at home.  A crockpot recipe version of Al Pastor can be found here… http://pin.it/zp8tyjg

Corned Beef Hash with Egg and Béchamel 

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How to Béchamel ;)……. The presentation here just adds to the goodness of this already great combo, maybe you’ll want to walla your next guests or your significant other with this for a special occasion, or maybe just because it’s a  Monday and you’re feeling fine!  And there you have it!    Stay tuned I will be posting my yummy recipe for kicked up corned beef hash… very soon. g. 

Moving On

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It’s Motivational Monday, here is a great article a dear friend of mine shared recently via Facebook.  This is such a good read, here you will find some practical advice on getting unstuck in your life… Maybe you are facing some challenges right now, or you might be unhappy in your current situation whether it be in your home life or in your career, my hope is that this article will help motivate you to begin to face those challenges, make life changes as you see fit and eventually move on!  g.  About moving on… by Shannon Kaiser.

Blueberry DumpCake Delight 

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My daughter, son in law and grandson recently went blueberry picking in the lovely Temecula Valley in Southern California. They came home with a few  pints of these delish little morsels of goodness. Here’s what we made with some of them… Blueberry DumpCake topped with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Oh, and here’s some info on the Temecula Valley Berry Farm in Southern California… http://www.temeculaberryco.com/U-Pick_Blueberries.html?no_redirect=true Be sure to rinse your blueberries.  Here’s the recipe I followed… so simple and the finished DumpCake is really quite scrumptious! I omitted the cinnamon, I’m not a huge fan of it in certain recipes.  I topped this yummy dessert with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream, the combo was delicious.