Monthly Archives: June 2012

Pork Chops with Sweet Potato and Beet Latkes and a Blackberry Salsa

Posted on by
1

This post has been a work in progress for a little while now. A SMAK follower from Minnesota contacted me with a request…

“Hello Master Chef! My kids LOVE beets. We eat them plain or as a salad with goat cheese. I need a great summer beet recipe. Do you take requests?”

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that a majority of recipes involving beets are some sort of salad! Not that there is anything wrong with that, but can’t we get a little variety up in here?

I’ve been sitting with this on my plate for a few weeks now, not sure where to take it. The majority of my research resulted in salad recipes. Fail. Yes, I found some salads that got my salivary glands working, but I couldn’t let myself give a follower a salad recipe, not today at least! I wanted to provide her with another option.

Blogs have become my obsession. My blog, food blogs, music blogs, style blogs. They are everywhere. Haunting me. I stay awake until the wee hours of the morning writing, looking at blogs, and writing some more! I am not sure how I am still functioning.

However, one big plus to this recent obsession is the mass influx of recipes that allows my creative juices to start flowing… While scouring the internet for recipes I came across one for latkes. I thought to myself, why can’t I switch out the potatoes for beets? Or even better, MIX beets with sweet potatoes! Hello genius. So, there was my idea for beets. But what would I pair it with? A meal of sweet potato and beet latkes alone would be boring.  The beet latke recipe I found came from Bon Appétit and then I did a little switching around of my own. Hope you don’t mind Bon Appétit!

“Sweet potatoes…beets….sweet potatoes…..BLACKBERRIES!” I remembered seeing a recipe on How Sweet It Is for a blackberry salsa. It had to taste good together. I decided to pair it all with grilled pork chops. Nothing elaborate there – we already had enough going on with the latkes and salsa! I love to pair some kind of fruit with pork chops which have a tendency to be a little drier than other meats.

I. love. beets. Yes, they are a weird food, I know, I know. But why are so many people skeptical? STOP IT! There is no reason to be scared of these vegetables. If you don’t like them by themselves, then don’t eat them by themselves! I think that is why I love this recipe so much – you definitely get the flavor of the beets, but it is enhanced by the combination of sweet potatoes, cumin, coriander, and the rest of the spices.

Don’t be surprised if you come across more beet recipes in the future. In fact, I know that I will be doing a post on juices – ABC Juice? Yup, that is my favorite. Apple. Beet. Carrot.

I freaking love the farmer’s market.

You will find a “how to shop a farmer’s market” post jumping out at you sometime this summer. It would be dumb to think that it’s not going to happen… I am so enthralled by the atmosphere at farmer’s markets. They feel like a community in and of themselves – venders all coming together to share their fresh produce and products with people. You are surrounded by individuals just like you – people looking for inspiration, fresh produce for that day’s meal, or simply going for a good morning’s walk!

I am starting to feel like a walking billboard for kitchen gadgets! Is it just me, or am I advertising a new gadget every week?! But seriously…this one’s cool!

Crap…the next two are cool!

Say hello to my little friend, the Jalapeño Corer! He is my new best friend. Have you ever tried to core a jalapeño or pepper? It’s annoying. Scraping out the seeds and innards. This tools does all of that for you!

This one is the Garlic Twist and is technically meant to easily mince up garlic. However, use a little innovative thinking, and you’ve got yourself a jalapeño twist, an onion twist or a nut twist! Thank you Tommy’s genius…or the back of the packaging…

As I was making the salsa, I was convinced that these tools would help prevent a little tragedy that I like to call “Jalapeño Eye.” I was SO wrong. There was no jalapeño juice squirting into my eye, no jalapeño chunks getting lodged between my eyeball and eyelid. All it took was for my contact to move out-of-place. I innocently went to fix it with my right index finger…

“AHHHHHHHH __________________________!!!”

Insert whatever you would like into the blank. All you need to know is that it could perhaps be the most pain you’ll experience outside of childbirth. But considering I am a guy, I don’t have to worry about that. So yes, this IS the worst pain I will ever feel.  I am going to leave you with one piece of advice.  If you take it, I love you. If you choose not to take it, I pity you…

NEVER TOUCH YOUR EYE AFTER HANDLING JALAPEÑOS!

There was already quite a bit going on with this meal, but I came across these at the farmer’s market. Have you ever in your life heard of RED carrots? I had not. They are very similar to normal carrots, but they tends to be a little sweeter. Hello inspiration for a salad. I chose not to peel the carrots because I didn’t want to lose the gorgeous red on the outside. If you do this as well, just make sure to wash them very well and pick off the little hairs.

I threw the lettuce, also from the farmer’s market, into a bowl and mixed it with the red carrots, some red onion, cucumber, and feta cheese. Top it off with a little balsamic vinegar and voilá!

As far as the pork chops go – lightly season them with salt and pepper and grill them. Easy as that!

And here’s the main course…

Pork Chops with Sweet Potato and Beet Latkes with a Blackberry Salsa!

A very special thank you to our Minnesota follower who requested this! I had so much fun putting it together. It really is a delicious meal and I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as I did!

Blackberry Salsa

1 pint fresh blackberries, chopped
½ red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, finely diced
½ cup chopped cilantro
the juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix.

Sweet Potato and Beet Latkes

3 cups coarsely shredded peeled beets
3 cups coarsely shredded sweet potatoes
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
canola oil (for frying)

Place beet in large bowl; press with paper towels to absorb any moisture. In another large bowl, whisk flour and next 5 ingredients. Mix in beets, then eggs.

Pour enough oil into large skillet to cover bottom; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, drop beet mixture by ¼ cupfuls into skillet; spread 3 1/2-inch rounds. Fry until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer latkes to baking sheet. (Can be made 6 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350º F oven until crisp, about 10 minutes.)

“New York Style Quinoa”

Posted on by
2

Excuse me while I get a little nostalgic for a moment…

NYC. The City that Never Sleeps. The concrete jungle were dreams are made.

ugh…

…okay, I think I am ready to continue.

As you may or may not already know, I lived in New York City for a year starting in January of 2011. I worked at the Lincoln Center Starbucks at 63rd & Broadway. Following my stint at the NYC Starbucks, I began working at YARD NYC, a creative agency that worked with fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands.  I was the office coordinator and executive assistant.  If you have ever seen The Devil Wears Prada, that gives a fairly accurate portrayal of what I went through at YARD. I loved it. I hated it.

Whether it was that I could not make it financially ($30,000 a year is rough to live on in Manhattan), or I just didn’t fight hard enough, I ended up moving back to Chicago in December of 2011.  Looking back I may have done things differently, but you live and you learn.  I am back in Chicago and I am beginning to discover what I truly want to be doing with my life – writing. If it is about food, amazing! But what it really comes down to is that I want to spend my time writing. I want to write books, papers, essays, articles. Anything, everything.

The memories that I have of living in New York City will always be with me. I have heard that NYC is a city that you either love or you hate. I love it. More than you could ever know. However, it wasn’t until I moved to New York that I really began seeing the reality of the real world. There were times I was scraping by on very little, desperately trying to make things work.

My NYC Starbucks was open from 5:00am to 12:00am. More often than not, especially towards the end, when money was running low, I worked the closing shift.  Oh, the stories I have… At the end of each day, we had a lot of food left over that would be thrown away or donated. My store was the largest food store in our district, so we had to make sure that we had enough food to last the entire day. We never ran out. In fact, Starbucks ended up donating to the Feed Tommy Engstrom Foundation. Each night I would bring at least one large shopper full of Starbucks food home with me. Chicken Santa Fe Panini, Chicken Tarragon Sandwich, Protein Plate, Croissants, the list goes on. Starbucks fed me for quite some time.

My cousin Gretchen lived in New York City as well. We saw each other almost everyday. Some nights we would go out to restaurants like Dos Caminos, Café Condesa or Westville. Other nights we would stay in and make dinner. This was one of our favorites! I was recently talking to her about putting this recipe on the blog. I could not figure out what to call it. Quinoa with black beans and broccoli sounded too boring. “What about New York Style Quinoa?” Gretch asked. I don’t know what makes it “New York Style” besides the fact that I made it all the time in New York, but it seems like a fitting name to me.  So without further adieu…

New York Style Quinoa!

This recipe is SO easy! The first time that we made this, we were at Gretchen’s apartment in the West Village. Neither of us had money that we wanted to spend. Well, we had already had two bottles of wine delivered to the apartment and we didn’t have any more money to spend. So to the kitchen we went, on a scavenger hunt for food. This is what we found:

  • a half empty jar of salsa.
  • a tupperware container of quinoa
  • a can of black beans
  • and some broccoli

We decided to give it a whirl! And the result was delicious! Gretchen is a vegetarian. When I first moved to New York and had meals with her, all I wanted was meat – steak, chicken, fish… In the end, I ended up becoming more vegetarian. Even my roommate would say things from time to time about how I rarely ate meat anymore. I did not consciously make this decision, I guess it was just a product of my surroundings.

The moral of this all is that this recipe is very easy! And does not require a lot of time or effort.

I chose to use Frontera Chipotle Salsa with Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic, but feel free to substitute this for any salsa of your choosing!

Quinoa. When I was making this at home, both of my parents looked at me like I was crazy. Neither of them had ever heard of quinoa before. Neither of them could pronounce it either. Quinoa is still fairly unfamiliar to the vast majority of people. When in fact, it is one of the healthiest grains for you! ”Quinoa is a true wonder food,” says Daniel Fairbanks, Ph.D., a professor of plant and animal science at Brigham Young University. “It has about twice the protein of regular cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and even a dose of healthy fats. Plus, it’s considered a “complete” protein, which means that, like meat, eggs, and dairy, it packs all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle.” If you have never tried it before – run to your local grocery store and buy it. It really will become something that you can incorporate in any meal.

How to prepare quinoa…

Be sure to wash the quinoa first. There is an outer coating that will become bitter and not very tasty when cooked. Washing the grains first will remove this coating.

  1. Bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil.
  2. Add 1 cup rinsed quinoa to the boiling water.
  3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff.

Roasting the broccoli…

  1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
  2. Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil.
  3. Lay out the florets of two broccoli stalks on the pan.
  4. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
  5. Sprinkle with olive oil.
  6. Put into the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the broccoli begins to brown.

New York Style Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
3/4 cup salsa
1 can black beans
florets of 2 stalks broccoli
olive oil
red pepper flakes

Cook the quinoa. Roast the broccoli (with olive oil and red pepper flakes). Mix all ingredients together. Enjoy!

Servings: 4-6

Raspberry Mojitos

Posted on by
Reply

Ugh. Hello Chicago summer. I love it. I hate it. But the past two days I have felt like this…

It has been hot as Hades in the Chicago-land area. I ran Tuesday evening with my brother-in-law in 85° weather. We only ran 2.5 miles but I wanted to puke my brains out afterwards. I did not actually throw up, but I definitely did not feel good. We ran again Wednesday morning – while I felt way better than I did the previous night, it was still hot as balls.  I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of summer running.  Sun + heat + running does not necessarily equal a good time!  Just a little something that I am going to have to get used to as I train for the Rock’n'Roll half-marathon and the Quad Cities marathon.

So we know that running is not the most fun thing to do on a hot sticky summer day. What else is there to do? Pool. Beach. Picnic. Water sports. Bike ride. Drink a Raspberry Mojito.  Hmmmm…. That last one sounds pretty genius if I do say so myself.  In fact, I did that Monday evening!

Although I said that Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy is currently my favorite summer beer, there are so many other great options!  I absolutely love mojitos and this is a great twist on a classic.

Growing fresh mint in your garden is the perfect excuse to make this cocktail on a hot summer evening!

Unfortunately the raspberries in our garden weren’t ready yet… We also grow blackberries, which much like their “cousin,” were quite ready yet. The grocery store was out of blackberries as well. I love making this drink with blackberries, but I was forced to improvise a little this time around…hence, raspberry mojito.

I am slowly beginning to realize how amazing it would be to have a full garden stocked with fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs! In recent years, edible gardening has seen a huge rise in popularity. Here are a few reasons to consider making this lifestyle an invaluable aspect of your everyday life:

  1. Money! While gardening does take a little more time and effort than running to the grocery store, you will be saving money in the long-run. How much better could it get than having a replenishing supply of ingredients in your backyard?
  2. It is local! The idea of supporting local producers or eating locally grown food has become something that many people talk about. It may just be a current trend, but it has definitely made its mark. What could be more local than your own backyard?
  3. You know exactly what is going into your food. With store-bought food, we sometimes are forced to play the guessing game. What exactly am I eating? Were pesticides used? By growing your own fruits and vegetables, these reasonable questions now become obsolete. You grow it, you know it!

If gardening is not up your alley, there are other great ways to still get fresh produce from local growers. FARMER’S MARKETS! These pop up everywhere during the summer months. In fact, my hometown’s started this morning…too bad I am sitting in my bed writing this post. My mom made it though, I will just have to join her next week!

Talk about refreshing! When I am looking for a summer drink – this is my #1 priority. I don’t want something heavy and dark. Yes, summer cocktails may be slightly “girly” in that most tend to be fruity, but sometimes all we need is a little girly drink. If you’re a guy, don’t be ashamed to have one from time to time. If you’re a girl, well, enjoy!

Raspberry Mojito 

1 oz simple syrup
mint leaves
ice
2 oz Bacardi Limón Rum
raspberries
club soda
juice of 1/2 lime

Place simple syrup and mint leaves into glass – muddle. Add ice, Bacardi Limón, and raspberries – muddle.  Top off with a little club soda and the juice from 1/2 lime.  Stir and garnish with mint leaves and raspberries.

Peppered Steak with Horseradish Sauce and Arugula & Parmesan Salad

Posted on by
1

This one’s a double-wammy! One post. Two recipes.

Hello Father’s Day dinner! The first recipe, Peppered Steak with Horseradish Sauce, we got from a family friend who I believe got it from Bon Appétit. So thank you to Danny and thank you to Bon Appétit! The second, Arugula and Parmesan Salad, I found in one of my issues of Men’s Health about three years back when I was a junior at the University of Illinois. Both are insanely delicious and go great together.

WARNING: The peppered steak has a definite bite to it! Do not expect it to be a walk in the park, especially if you are eating the steak alone. The first time I had this meal, I was convinced that I hated horseradish and refused to eat the sauce. It made for an interesting meal. The steak was delicious, but I had a rough time downing the whole filet – so. much. PEPPER! There is a reason that it is paired with a sauce to pour over it or dip it in. In fact, I recommend pairing it with mashed potatoes or the arugula and parmesan salad. It helps cut the kick for people who aren’t huge pepper fans.

Now is not a time to try to be “skinny” and use margarine.  In fact, you really should never use margarine.  Margarines typically contain trans fat, which like saturated fat, increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.  Also, our bodies are not meant to consume these artificially created substances.  So yes, there is more fat in real butter, but it is all-around better for you.

Make sure that you make the sauce first, allowing it time to cool in the refrigerator while you prep the rest.

I’m obsessed with Nea. My sister and brother-in-law were over at our house with the girls and Nea saw me using the Veggichop (remember this guy!?) to chop up the parsley. “Nea do?” She jumped right in and wanted to help out with the fun! Do I see another future chef in our midst? This little girl is quickly becoming quite the celebrity on this here blog!

This part was so much fun! And this is coming from a guy who doesn’t really like getting dirty…unless I’m in the right mood. Make sure you wash your hands! Seriously, I, nor anyone else, wants nasty germ hands touching the food they will be eating in about 30 minutes….

Once the filets are covered in Dijon mustard, butter, horseradish, and parsley….roll ‘em around in that pepper!

Pop ‘em on the grill and you’re good to go!

Next up…Arugula and Parmesan Salad. Pure. Genius.

The recipes that I find in Men’s Health are typically a hit or miss. Some of them are amazing, some not so good, some are in middle of the road. However, this salad goes down in the books as the best recipe that I have ever taken away from a magazine. Seriously. When I need to make a salad, this is typically my go-to. Here are a few reasons why this will become one of your favorite salads:

  1. It is so easy – only four main ingredients. Mix and serve.
  2. It is crazy fresh and crazy healthy – everything you use is good for you, no fake stuff, no preservatives, all natural.
  3. Looks great!
  4. Taste amazing!

I love pine nuts. I feel as though they are a forgotten nut. Peanuts? Walnuts? Cashews? Pistachios? All good, but over used and boring. Pine nuts are delicious, especially when toasted. The most common way to toast pine nuts is to do so in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. I like using an oven more. Preheat the oven to 350°F, throw the pine nuts on a baking sheet and bake them for about five minutes, remove from the oven and shake them around to rearrange the nuts, then return to the oven for about 3-5 additional minutes, until they are golden brown.

Okay, I am sitting here writing this blog…looking at these pictures…and my mouth actually just started watering. I am not kidding you. Now all I want is this salad! Pathetic taste buds…being conditioned to react when you see something delicious as all get out! It is NOT time to eat! Or maybe it is the “Fat Tommy” that I suppress daily trying to climb out and eat everything in sight. Sometimes I disgust myself. Really, I can eat absurd amounts. Okay, I think it’s time for me to go for a run.

Here it is: Father’s Day Dinner 2012!

Whether you choose to serve them together or on different occasions, both of these recipes are great and definitely worth bookmarking.  I hope you try them out and enjoy them as much as I do!

Peppered Steak with Horseradish Sauce

4 filet mignon
Pepper/salt mixture:
9 tablespoons pepper mixture (3 black, 3 red, 3 green peppercorns)
3 tablespoon Kosher salt
Paste:
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup real butter (don’t use margarine)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Horseradish Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (found in the refrigerator section of your grocery store)

Get steaks to room temperature (about 2 hours). Mix all peppers (green, black, & red) with the Kosher salt. Rub paste on the steaks and roll in pepper and salt mixture.

Rub your grill with oil and grill 8 minutes per side.

Arugula and Parmesan Salad

4 cups arugula
1/4 cup parmesan cheese shavings
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the salt and pepper. Toss gently, and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 2 servings.

Lazy Sunday Morning

Posted on by
Reply

Okay, I am pooped.  If I could just crawl in my bed, play Damien Rice quietly in the background, put up light-proof blinds, and sleep for the next 72 hours, I would!  Actually, that sounds like an ingenious plan…  Too bad it’s not going to happen.

  • Two jobs.
  • Writing a food blog – taking pictures, cooking, baking.
  • Writing a book.
  • Being an anal retentive individual and hyperventilating because I am NOT in an organized, clean state of mind right now…
  • Trying to find my place in this world (corny cliché, but true none-the-less).

GAH!

So today is June 17, 2012.

Today is Father’s Day.  Happy Father’s Day Scott!

Today is also Tommy’s day of attempting to get things done and be productive while relaxing and enjoying my day off.  Not sure how this is all going to work out.  The morning was pretty brilliant though!

I slept in until 9:00 (late….I felt like half of my day was gone already).  Coffee, where WAS my coffee?  Here comes the only recipe of the day.  But it is not a recipe at all.  It is just a simple tip of how to make your own kick-butt cappuccino in the comfort of your own home.  Let’s save that $5 we’d be dropping on our Starbucks addiction…

As you can see, I own an espresso machine.  And I use it every. day.  Way to only further my addiction to caffeine…I am really thinking I need to chilax on this?  Anywho, we all know that is not going to happen anytime in the near future.

I have to say, there are some days, especially ones like today, where I just don’t want to leave the house.  Especially to get a cup of coffee.  But I want a latte, with brilliant foam. As much as I love my espresso machine, the foam that it makes is sub-par…  It’s just not great.

enter solution:

FRENCH PRESS

Hold up, wait a minute.  For reals?  Yes!  You can use a French Press to make some café quality foam for your latte or cappuccino!  How you may be asking…

  1. Heat up your milk in the microwave.
  2. Dump the heated milk into French Press.
  3. Put the top on.
  4. PLUNGE AWAY!

I typically will plunge about 10-15 times.  It all depends on how much foam you like – the more times you plunge, the more foam you’ll have.  Once you’ve got your desired amount of foam, pull some shots of espresso into your mug and pour in the foamed milk!  Voila!

Funny story: last summer I was taking the train into Chicago quite often to interview for jobs, none of which worked out.  My friend Emma had told me about this amazing coffee shop called Intelligentsia.  Every time I went into the city I bought a cappuccino before the interview and a latte afterwards to take on the train home.  Holy addiction!

I like Starbucks.  Really, I do.  But the  Intelligentsia drinks tasted so much better!  I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why.  So, on a slow day at the ‘bux I began playing around on the bar…what were they doing that Starbucks wasn’t?!

The answer was simple.  Default milk.

Starbucks = 2% milk.
Intelligentsia = whole milk.

HELLO WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!

I always thought that I hated whole milk.  Too much fat.  I felt as though I was drinking cream.  But in a latte?  It is the most delicious thing!  I still make my lattes with nonfat latte at home, though.  I would feel too guilty about drinking a whole milk latte everyday.

Grease.  No, not the John Travolta/Olivia Newton John movie.  I am talking about the fat lard that comes from animals.  The stuff that is not good for you, yet makes everything tastes like pure ecstasy!  What an unfortunate conundrum…

Today, I took the grease!

Bagel’s By the Book is a small bagel shop in my hometown that serves the most amazingly greasy and delicious breakfast sandwiches you’ll ever shove into your face. Egg, cheese, bacon and sausage on an egg bagel.  Best combo.

Sitting outside, drinking a cappuccino, eating a breakfast sandwich, and catching up on my Men’s Health reading was exactly what I needed.  Thank you Father’s Day for giving this yet-to-be-father (or should I say far-from-being-a-father) a GREAT Father’s Day!

A Few of My Favorites…June 2012

Posted on by
Reply

1. STARBUCKS TRENTA ICED COFFEE…I know, I know.  Didn’t I just post an entry about sticking it to the man and making my own iced brew at home?  Yes, but I still work at Starbucks!  I get this baby for free DAILY!  It is summer.  There is no way I am going anywhere without one of these in my hand!

2. JUSTIN BIEBER’S BOYFRIEND…I am MORTIFIED that this is on here.  This seriously must be a sign that the 2012 apocalypse is upon us.  I am kind of at a loss for words.  I like it.  I know the intro rap.  Don’t judge…  We’ll leave it at that.

3. LEINENKUGEL’S SUMMER SHANDY…This is the perfect summer beer!  If you’re out at a BBQ, sitting by the pool, reading a good book in the hammock, or just relaxing with friends or family – this beer is so refreshing.  It is straight up SUMMER.

4. RAY BAN CLUBMASTERS…These suckers are my most recent purchase and I do not leave the house without them!  They may scream hipster…but I don’t care.  A genius throwback to the 1960s and the Don Draper era, these glasses are definitely IN!

5. KIEHL’S CREME WITH SILK GROOM…I was first introduced to this product when I was living in New York City.  I was told that I look too “Midwest” and that I needed better hair product.  I personally thought that what I was using was just fine…looks like I was wrong.  Now here I am, addicted to this stuff.  Quick throw it in your hair for a natural look.

6. INDIVISIBLE WRISTBAND…This product is amazing and goes towards a great cause!  Starbucks has teamed up with the Create Jobs for USA Fund to sell coffee, mugs, tumblers, and these wristbands!  For every purchase that is made at a Starbucks location, a donation will be made to the Create Jobs for USA Fund.  ”One hundred percent of the materials are from right here in the U.S.A. The red, white and blue cord is manufactured in Rhode Island, and the brass crimps come from Florida. The zinc alloy bead is made in a woman-owned manufacturing plant in Los Angeles where the wristband is also being assembled.”

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Posted on by
2

Here it is…the remaining recipe from the other night!  And boy, I’d say it’s a good one! I have made this cake before and I will continue to make it!  The recipe comes from Cooking Light’s “Five Star Recipes” cookbook – a definitely keeper!

I am well aware that the thought of baking a cake from scratch is enough to throw the cookbook in the trash and run for the hills screaming…  The idea is daunting.  There is so much that goes into it.  So many ingredients.  So much time.  Some of this is true. Some of it is not true.  I am not going to say that baking a cake from scratch is child’s play, especially if it is your first time.  BUT, I will say that the final result, and the sense of accomplishment, is so worth it.

When I moved home from New York City, I was bummed, mad that I didn’t fight hard enough, etc, etc.  There were a lot of things that I wished I had done differently, things that I wished I could have gone back and changed.  However, things have a funny way of working out exactly how they are supposed to.  If I hadn’t moved back home to Chicago, I wouldn’t have been able to spend so much amazing time with my niece Linnea (referred from here on out as Nea).  It has been such a joy to watch her grow up and develop such a personality.  She is a little punk!  She is an adorable little punk!

I drafted Nea to be my sous chef in the kitchen.  Best. Decision. Ever.  The words and phrase that came out of her little mouth were precious.  I could not have asked for a better day in the kitchen.

As I whisked together the ingredients that went into the cake batter, Nea stood atop her high chair, watching with amazement.  ”WOW! OH MY GOODNESS! NO WAY!”  I kid you not.  This 2-year old girl was astonished at what she was witnessing in front of her eyes. Talk about making your heart melt…

Throughout the baking session, I would stop to take pictures.  ”NO! No pictures Nea. Cake only.”  Nea refused to have any pictures taken of her.  She would only allow me to take pictures of the ingredients or cake.  We did obviously sneak in a few of her, but she refused to let me take a picture with her.  Like I said…she’s a little punk!

Dropping in the cream of tartar to form those peaks!

The thing about baking with a 2-year old is that is takes considerably longer than it would otherwise.  Patience is key.  As we were mixing the dry ingredients, Nea would lean over the counter and start blowing the flour everywhere!  I would tell her to stop, and 30 seconds later…she was at it again!

Needless to say, we both got tired and needed a break! A PIZZA BREAK!

I wish I were 2 again, when it is socially acceptable to take 3-hour naps in the middle of the day and have no one question whether or not you are okay.  But, we all have to work, and we all have to be responsible adults…so…no naps.  As Nea took her THREE HOUR NAP (jealous) I finished baking the cake and put them aside to cool until she woke up.  I knew that she’d be upset with me if I had finished the entire thing without her there supervising me.

Clearly she didn’t let anything slip by her observant eyes!

Sneaking a taste while I frosted the cake…

My dad has a pretty stellar garden in our backyard – jalapeños, chives, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, blueberries, and herbs, herbs, and more HERBS!  I stole some fresh mint out of the garden to help garnish the cake.  Unfortunately, no blueberries were ripe enough to use…off to the grocery store I went!

And….here it is!

Nea patiently sitting by while Uncle Tommy took pictures of the cake.
“Can’t I just eat it now?”

Not only is this an amazing tasting cake, but I had one of the best days I have had in a while!  Baking this cake with Nea and then going on to share the Cajun Chicken with Pineapple Salsa with my family was the cherry atop a perfect day!

Please enjoy this recipe…  And remember, don’t be afraid to bake a cake from scratch!

Fresh Lime Chiffon Cake

Filling:
1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Cake:
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cake flour
2 cups sifted cafe flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
3 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Frosting:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed
mint sprigs (optional)
fresh blueberries (optional)
lime wedges (optional)

  1. To prepare lime filling, combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until blended.  Cover and chill 3 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 325°.
  3. To prepare cake, coat bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper.  Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
  4. Combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well combined.
  5. Combine oil and next 5 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add oil mixture to flour mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
  6. Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy.  Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form.  Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into flour mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture.
  7. Divide cake batter equally among prepared pans, spreading evenly.  Break air pockets by cutting through batter with a knife.  Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans.  Remove wax paper from cake layers.  Cool completely on wire racks.
  8. To prepare frosting, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons lime juice in a small microwave-safe glass bowl.  Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until sugar dissolves.  Cool completely.  Fold into whipped topping.
  9. To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of filling over cake layer.  Top with second layer, remaining half of filling, and third layer.  Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.  Garnish with mint, blueberries, and lime wedges, if desired.  Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.

16 servings.

Cajun Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Posted on by
2

Thank you Jane Hornby and thank you for the gem that is What to Cook & How to Cook It!  This cookbook is crazy trendy right now – it is sold at Urban Outfitters – but for good reason!  The pictures and format in this are absolutely amazing.  To be honest, that was the only reason I initially bought this book.  The photography is just so spot on that I could not pass up owning it.

My family came over for dinner last night and I wanted to try something new for them. You should have seen me on Tuesday night – I was sitting at the kitchen table, a glass of wine in hand, surrounded by cookbooks.  I was having a terrible time trying to choose just one recipe to try.  My hope is that eventually I will make everything, but I had to be smart in my choice.  I was just about to give up and go to bed when I opened up this book one last time and chose it – Cajun Chicken with Pineapple Salsa.  Ding, ding, ding!  You are the winner!

I have never in my life cooked anything like this before.  However, I have had a similar dish before at The Firkin, an amazing restaurant in my hometown of Libertyville, IL.  I also love Cajun and Caribbean-style foods, so I had a good feeling about this one…

I made the rub and almost called it quits.  It looks rather…unappetizing, to say the least.  IGNORE THE APPEARANCE!  The end result is worth it.

My mom’s response when I walked in the door with whole pineapples, “Wait a second.  Why would you actually buy whole pineapples?  I would have just bought already cut up ones.”

Well Carla, that is the difference between you and me.  I had never sliced up my own pineapple, but I have always wanted to.  And…I will do it again!  Yes, it is kind of time-consuming, but I feel so much cooler walking around the grocery store with a whole pineapple rather than a dinky can of pre-cut pineapple.

I mixed up all of the fruit/vegetable ingredients and Holy Mother of Pearl!  This salsa is perhaps the more aromatic concoction that I have ever made.  The combinations, even if they seem strange, compliment each other so well.  I think, in fact I know, that I would eat this salsa by itself (I am guilty of doing so as I finished the rest of dinner).  Spoonful after spoonful.  Even throw it over a little rice for a light lunch.  DELISH!

The recipe says to broil the chicken for 12 minutes.  You could do this, and it probably would be pretty easy.  But I personally think grilling any meat – chicken, beef, turkey – is so much better and flavorful! Ultimately, chose whatever cooking method best fits your capabilities.  Ultimately, both will work.  It is simply a matter of personal preference.

NOTE: This is only the first recipe from the night…another recipe…dessert, maybe? will be hitting the web very soon!  Keep your eyes peeled for another update.

Cajun Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus optional marinating time
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves: 4

For the chicken:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
salt and pepper

For the salsa:
1 medium, ripe pineapple
1 small red onion
1 green chile (I used a serrano pepper)
1/2 red bell pepper
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 lime, plus more to serve in wedges, if you like

First, prepare the chicken.  Preheat the broiler… (HOLD UP – I did not broil the chicken.  I grilled…so much better!)  Slash each breast three times using a sharp knife, cutting about a third of the way through the flesh.

Crush the garlic, the put it into a small bowl with the dried thyme, paprika, black pepper, allspice, and oil.  Season with salt and mix well.  Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken and down into the slashes.  The chicken can be left for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator in this marinade, if you life.  When ready to cook, put the chicken onto the rack of a broiler pan.  Broil the chicken for 12 minutes, turning it once or twice during cooking.  Again, I chose to grill the chicken instead of broiling.

While the chicken cooks, start the salsa.  Cut the ends off the pineapple.  Cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise, then slice off the strip of hard, pale core that runs along the middle of each quarter.  Cut criss-cross lines about 1/2 inch apart across each pineapple quarter, cutting all the way down to the skin.  Then, starting with the knife about 1/2 inch away from the skin, run the knife between the flesh and the skin to release the small cubes into a large bowl.

Finely chop the onion.  Seed, then finely chop the chile and the pepper.  Add to the pineapple and mix.  Roughly chop the cilantro leaves, add to the salsa, then squeeze in the juice from the lime and stir.  Season with salt and pepper.

After 12 minutes’ cooking, the chicken should be dark golden brown – almost black in places – and cooked through.  If you haven’t yet finished chopping the salsa ingredients, don’t worry – the chicken will benefit from resting for a while, covered with foil to keep it warm.

Serve the chicken with spoonfuls of salsa, wedges of lime, and some plain rice, if you life.  ENJOY!

East Coast Evening

Posted on by
Reply

Okay, there are no real recipes for today’s blog.  But perhaps inspiration for a party or get-together of your own?

I came home yesterday after a long day at work to a nice little surprised on my parents’ end – they had purchased fresh oysters from one of our local grocery stores.  Ever since my parents first went to Boston, MA and ate oysters at the Union Oyster House (seen in the picture below), I have heard nothing but how much they want to go back and eat oysters.

Considering it isn’t worth spending about $300 for a meal of oysters (as much as I’d give anything to go back to Boston), this seemed like the next best thing!  I personally had never eaten oysters before, but I like trying new things!  Plus, I love seafood, so it was kind of a no brainer that I would enjoy this.  My mom purchased a oyster shucking knife from Williams-Sonoma and my dad had at it on the oysters.  With a twist and swipe of the knife, the oysters were dead and ready to eat.  (I don’t think I realized that they were living up until you broke open the shell…)

Quick Tip: When eating oysters at home, you typically have about three days until the oysters go bad, once shucked.  However, the sooner you eat them after the shucking, the better.  We ate them within 30 minutes of the at-home-shucking.

There IS a method to the oyster-eating-madness.  There are a few key ingredients, or condiments, to put on these puppies before sliding them into your watering mouth:

  1. Horseradish
  2. Tabasco sauce
  3. Cocktail sauce
  4. Lemon juice

Once the oyster is all pimped out the said toppings, slide it into your mouth – chew, swallow whole, do whatever your little beating heart desires.  But no matter what, ENJOY IT!

I realize that this is one food that a lot of people may be skeptical of….don’t be!  They are so delicious.  Just close your eyes, light a “Sun & Sand” scented Yankee Candle, pop open a nice cold Sam Adams Summer Ale and envision sitting in Boston, the salty smell of the ocean whiffing beneath your nose.

I made a delicious caprese salad to go with this!  I guess this where I could give you a recipe…  You can make it as a thrown together salad or as little finger food bites.  This is for sure one of my favorite summer salads.  It is so stinking easy and tasty!

So whether or not you have been to Boston, or the East Coast for that matter, this is a GREAT idea for a summer get-together.  If you’re into the whole decorating thing…throw up some anchors or flags, buoys, fishing nets, something!  Put on a Vampire Weekend CD and enjoy an iced cold beer!  I wish that I had a house on Nantucket so I could live this way…  Maybe one day…

Caprese Salad

tomatoes
mozzarella cheese
fresh basil
balsamic vinaigrette dressing
freshly ground pepper

Throw the ingredients together (or layer them tomato, basil, mozzarella) and drizzle with the balsamic dressing.  Grind pepper over the salad.

Gazpacho

Posted on by
3

As I write this blog post this is my view…

I am at the lake house and summer is officially here!  No matter what the date is, what the temperature outside is, or what type of clothing I am wearing, nothing feels more like the beginning of summer than relaxing on Green Lake in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

What better way to start out the summer then at the lake house with a fresh bowl of gazpacho!  Gazpacho (in case you don’t already know) is a tomato-based cold raw vegetable soup that originated in Southern Spain.  It is hands down one of my favorite recipes to make during the heat of the summer months.  Plus, it is very healthy for you, with tons of raw vegetables.  Today’s recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa.  If you’ve never checked out those cookbooks, run to your nearest bookstore and grab one!

Every time I see I see a red bell pepper I can’t help be picture one of Georgia O’Keeffe’s infamously sensual flower paintings.  They both have a raw visceral texture.  I love art…

Um, where were we?  Oh, right!  Gazpacho!  Today’s post is a two-for-one: amazing recipe and infomercial for must-have kitchen tools!

First up is something called Veggichop and is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen.  I use it for everything from fresh salsa or guacamole to chopping up cashews for shirataki noodles with cashews and chili.  The best thing about this is that it is small and easy to clean up!  I used this sucker for chopping up every. single. vegetable. in. this. recipe.  Okay, enough with all the periods – you get it!  This is an amazing product!

Next up…a garlic peeler from The Pampered Chef.  Have you ever tried peeling a garlic clove?  Most say to lay the flat side of a knife on top of the clove and simply press down.  Yes, it works.  Kind of, but I have never thought it was as easy as they say it is.  My way is SIMPLE.  Throw a garlic clove into this rubber tube and roll it against the counter for a second or two.  Voila!  Seriously, buy one.  Right now…you’re already online!

I am so excited to share this with you all!  Please take one day this summer and make gazpacho.  Really, there is nothing more refreshing and delicious to have on a hot summer’s night.  The recipe is very simple and rather inexpensive – I doubled the recipe and everything only cost me about $25.

Gazpacho

1 hot house cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
23 ounces V8 (3 cups) [original recipe calls for plain tomato juice, but I love V8 for this]
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roughly chop the cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes.  Put each vegetable separately into a food processor (OR VEGGICHOP) and pulse until it is coarsely chopped.  Do not over process!

After each vegetable is chopped, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, V8, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Mix well and chill before serving.  The longer the gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Enjoy!