EASY SOUP!

I am making the world's easiest chicken soup right now!!! The broth is delicious- I will be posting the recipe later tonight!!! Can't wait to eat!

How does your garden grow...

I've been a bit quiet on the blog as holidays and long weekends passed in all our households. It's crazy to think we are only days away from March which includes, St. Patrick's Day, the beginning of Spring, and plans for Easter! 

This is also the time that my family and I start planning our garden. What hte heck does this have to do with cooking? EVERYTHING! Come summer, I hardly buy a single vegetable or fruit - I just go pick them fresh!

My husband, thank goodness, enjoys the manual labor that helps our harvest come to fruition... I lucked out in finding someone who enjoys it as much as I do! He was taught how to garden by his grandfather, so we make sure our kids know how to do it too! 

Even though it's a bit early we jumped at the chance to pick up some early plants at the nursery this year we will have:

Tomatoes -

   Cherry

   Early Girl

   Hawaiian

   Roma

Corn - Sweet White

Carrots

Cucumber - Pickling 

Onions - Sweet Yellow 

Artichokes (existing)

Asparagus (existing)

Peach (existing)

Blackberry (existing)

Almond (existing)

Nectarine

Apricot

Pepper - Anaheim

Chamomile - I have no idea how to make my own tea... YET!

Stevia - have no idea what I'm doing here, either! 

English Thyme

Italian Oregano

Sweet Basil

Spearmint (existing)

Strawberries (existing)

Figs (existing)

Grapes

   Thompson (existing)

   Flame (existing)

   Concord (existing)

I am glad that my Dad was someone who loved to grow a garden! I am also very glad that I listened and let it become something close to my heart! I see his pride and happiness when he sees our garden and vines thriving - I also see him anxious to help and take part in it too! Tradition is important... even if that means you are the one that starts it! 

Cheers!

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients:

2 filet mignon steaks, each with a thickness of 1 1/2"

course salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp olive oil, plus additional for drizzle

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Season steaks generously with salt and pepper.

2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook to desired temperature, 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks form the heat, transfer to a plate to rest. Tent loosely with foil.

3. Keeping the same pan over medium-high heat, add the vinegar and deglaze the pan (scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan). Cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter. This will form a smooth, glossy sauce.

4. Plate the steaks on individual plates, top with sauce and drizzle with a very small amount of oil.

Lobster Bisque

Lobster Bisque 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb lobster meat, or one tail worth, cut into small chunks

2 tbsp shallots, minced

2 tbsp scallions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup dry, white wine

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp tabasco sauce

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 cup dry sherry, cooking wine

1 tsp paprika

1 cup hot water

2 bay leaves

4 oz tomato paste

2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

1. In a medium sauté pan, heat about 1 tbsp olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.

2. Deglaze the pan by adding wine, scrape any brown bits at this time. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tabasco and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze again, this time with the sherry. 

3. Add the paprika and hot water and stir well. Stir in the tomato paste and add the bay leaves. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Whisk in the heavy cream (slowly pour in) and butter and bring to a boil. Add the lobster meat and simmer until cooked through, about 4-6 minutes (keep an eye on the meat - do not over cook). Serve immediately with warm crusty bread.

Cornish Game Hens with Roasted Vegetables

Cornish Game Hens with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

2 large onions, quartered

4 shallots, halved

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (alternatively you can use a bag of baby carrots)

3 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus additional for tops of hens

2 tbsp olive oil

course salt and pepper

2 Cornish Game Hens

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 340 ℉. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the vegetables with the thyme sprigs, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

2. Tie the hens legs with kitchen twine. Arrange the hens in the vegetables, breast side up. Season additionally with salt and pepper and sprinkle thyme leaves on them.

3. Roast the hens and vegetables, basting the hens occasionally with the pan juices, until a thermometer registers 160 ℉  (avoid inserting thermometer into a bone. Do insert in thickest part of meat on leg), about 30-35 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Pork Loin with Fig Chutney

Pork Loin with Fig Chutney

Ingredients:

Chutney:

10 oz. dried Black Mission figs, quartered

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups port wine

1/2 c water

zest of 1/2 lemon

2 dried bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

Pork:

2 pork tenderloins 

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 medium onion, 3/4" slices

3 medium carrots, peeled, and cut into 1" chunks

2 celery ribs, cut into 1" chunks

Directions:

1. Make the Chutney: Combine the figs, butter, and remaining eight ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered until the liquid is a consistency of a loose jam, about 40 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.

2. Roast the Pork: Preheat the oven to 450 ℉. Rub the pork with the garlic, oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the onions in a rimmed baking sheet, and place the pork on top. Scatter the carrots and celery around meat. Drizzle lightly with oil. Roast, stirring the vegetables 1/2 way through, until the meat registers at 145 ℉ , about 25-30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Serve with warm chutney.

Linguine and Clams

Linguine and Clams

Ingredients:

2 lb little neck clams, scrubbed

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 lb linguine noodles 

1 bottle clam juice

1/2 c olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can canned clams, whole

Juice of 2 lemons

Red pepper flakes, pinch

course salt and fresh ground pepper

chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, put the clams in a large pot or skillet pan. *Discard any clams that are open or do not close to the close. Add the white wine and clam juice, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to open, about 3 minutes. Individually remove each clam from the pan and set aside in a large bowl. Discard any remaining clams that did not open. Strain the broth through a cheese cloth into a bowl and set aside.

2. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions.

3. Meanwhile return the skillet pan over medium-high heat to warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, and sauté until just brown. Add the clam broth, the clam juice, and lemon juice and simmer over low heat, about 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Taste the sauce and then season with salt if necessary.

4. Drain the pasta and add directly to the pan. Add the clams and any juices accumulated. Toss gently but well over low heat for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

Steak Au Poivre with Grilled Asparagus

Steak Au Poivre with Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of asparagus

course salt and fresh ground pepper

olive oil

1 pound beef sirloin

Directions:

1. Heat Grill on Medium-High. Meanwhile, clean asparagus and break off woody ends. On a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. 

2. Drizzle steak very lightly with olive oil and salt. Liberally add fresh ground black pepper over entire surface of steak. Rub salt, oil and pepper into steaks and set aside.

3. Begin grilling asparagus, if using a vegetable tray add directly to tray and cook until tender. If not using a vegetable tray, lay the asparagus going against the grill lines, to avoid asparagus slipping through grates. Cook, turning frequently, until tender, about 8 minutes.

4. About 2 minutes into the asparagus cooking, add the steak to the hottest part of the grill. For Medium-Rare: grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. For every cooking temp high add an extra minute to each side.

5. The asparagus and steak should finish at the same time. Serve immediately. A simple steak sauce or as shown here, herbed butter is a great finish.

Steamed Lobster Tails with Herb Butter

Steamed Lobster Tails with Herbed Butter

Ingredients:

2 Lobster tails, raw

1/8 cup Old Bay Seasoning

1 Lemon, juice of

1/4 c unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/4 tsp dried tarragon

1/4 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper, small pinch of each

Directions:

1. Make butter: working with room temp butter, light whip butter with spoon, add 1/4 of the lemon juice, garlic, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix together well and set aside. 

2. Bring a 5-6 qt. stock pot 3/4 full of water, Old Bay added, to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, prepare the lobsters.  To cut shell, start by laying lobster on flat working surface, top side of shell up. With kitchen shears, start with at the "top" of the tail (not flapper end) and insert the shears on top side of tail, cut down the length of the tail. 

3. Place steamer basket in pot. Add lobster to the steamer basket and cover. Cook until done through, about 8 -10 minutes.

4. Remove lobsters and plate. Top each lobster with remaining lemon juice and herbed butter. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

The sauce and meatballs can be made ahead of time - and reheated at time of serving. If doing this method, reheat on the stovetop if possible to keep the meatballs moist and juicy.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (28 oz, each) crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried thyme

course salt and ground pepper

1 large egg

1/3 cup milk

1 large onion, chopped and separated

2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (and more for serving)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 lb ground beef (or turkey, or bison), the leaner the better!

1 lb spaghetti

Directions:

1. The Sauce: In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, dried herbs, 1/2 of onion, and season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 -30 minutes.

2. The Meatballs: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir in the breadcrumbs, remaining onion, cheese and parsley. Add the ground meat and mix until combined (I do this part with my hands, it ensures the meat is well moistened and seasoned.) Form into 1" balls. 

3. Add the meatballs to the skillet, and fold into sauce, coating the meatballs. Simmer over medium to medium-high heat until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 8 minutes.

4. While the meatballs are simmering, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add directly to the skillet. Toss gently with the meatballs and sauce. Serve, topping each serving with more cheese

Mommy's Mac and Cheese

Mommy's Mac and Cheese

This is a bit more labor intensive than the pizzas, but so delicious! If possible bake them in individual bowls. Children love great presentation too!

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow macaroni

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk

2 cups half and half

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

2 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

salt and pepper (to taste)

1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 ℉. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside (drizzle lightly with olive oil to prevent noodles sticking). Meanwhile, in a 4-6qt stock pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour, coating the onions. In a steady and slow stream, add the milk, whisking continually until there are no lumps. Cook, whisking often until the mixture is thick and bubbly, about 6 to 8 minutes longer. 

2. Stir in the nutmeg and 2 cups of the cheese, season with salt and pepper. 

3. Toss the pasta into the cheese mixture. Transfer to a 9x13" baking dish, or 8 individual baking dishes. Set aside.

4. Toss the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Top the pasta with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. (The crisp cheese on top is the trick to a great oven-baked Mac and Cheese!)

Up next: Spaghetti and Meatballs!

Kids and Hearts and Food...

Pizza My Heart:

This is a fun family time experience that allows the kids to be hands on with you  in the kitchen as a special treat on Valentine's Day! Making a mini-pizza bar is a fun way for children to express their likes while making something delicious. I use refrigerated pizza dough, because it is quick and easy. Remember most of prep and cook time will be for the "grown-up's" meal! Here we made Pesto and Tomato Pizzas!

Ingredients: 1 can refrigerated pizza dough
Marinera sauce or Pesto Sauce
Mozzarella cheese, grated 

Any toppings desired, such as:
mushrooms, sliced
Italian sausage, cooked
canadian bacon, sliced
pineapple chunks
tomato slices
basil ribbons



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to directions on dough package. Roll out Pizza dough on flat, dry, lightly floured work surface. With a paring knife, freehand cut out hearts for individual pizzas. (You could also use cookie cutters, but these would be rather small). Bake dough as instructed. Remove and begin adding toppings.

2. Let the children help you put on the sauce of their choice. Add cheese to the pizza hearts- as liberal as they want - remember this is for their enjoyment. Add 

3. Have the children assemble their desired toppings and bake remainder of time as instructed on dough package.


Up Next: Homemade Mac and Cheese!

Valentine's Day

I can only speak for my husband and I, but we prefer to celebrate Valentine's at home with our kiddos.

There's a certain pleasure for me in preparing a nice, fancy meal for my hubby. This is also one of the only nights that I cook something different for the kids and have them eat earlier so the hubs and I can dine alone.

Over the next couple of days I will be sharing Valentine's inspire menus for kids and adults... Enjoy the valentines in your life and share some great eats!! Cheers!

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Honey Sesame Chicken

Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 x1 inch cubes

Marinade:

 dash of pepper and salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 c water

1/2 c cooking wine (Mirin, or white cooking wine)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Batter:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 c cornstarch

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 egg white, beaten

3/4 c water

2 tablespoons light olive oil

pinch of salt

Honey Sauce

3 tbsp honey

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 tablespoon rice vinegar 

pinch of salt

sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Mix together batter. Mix flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Add egg white, water and oil. Put the mixture aside and let sit for 30 minutes*. Make marinade and honey sauce while waiting

2.  Stir the marinade ingredients together in medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss to ensure even coat. Let stand 10 minutes.

3. Mix all the honey sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside for use after the chicken has been cooked.

4. Pour enough oil into a 4 qt stock pot to have the depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat until it registers 320 ℉ on a thermometer.

5. Place the chicken pieces into the batter and coat. Using tongs* drop into hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. 

6. After the chicken is fried pour the Honey Sauce over the chicken and mix tossing gently getting a slight coat on chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately over steamed brown rice.

* The batter, immediately after mixing should be a loose consistency. Similar to a light crepe or pancake batter. After waiting 30 minutes the batter should have rested, risen slightly and have a more spongey quality, resembling a wet yeast batter.

* I prefer to use small bamboo tongs. This enables me to grasp individual pieces of meat without being hard on the batter.

Weekly Menu

A not-so-secret of mine is to make a weekly menu. (I've been known to make yearly menus, but 2013 hasn't been blessed with one yet!) :) In addition to keeping the menu in my "notebook" I also write out the menu on a small dry erase board that I keep in my kitchen. It's posted where all family members can see it. This helps me in two ways: 1) I do not have to hear "What's for dinner?" (except from my 4 year old who doesn't read yet) 2) It keeps me in check and less likely to veer to eating out and oh yes, 3) It also notifies the family of other events that might keep us out at dinner: Bimpa's Birthday or Valentine's Day... etc. 

Here is my menu for this week:

And yes, we are really having octopus - William's request! I've never prepared octopus before, so wish me luck! I'm sure you will all hear how it turns out - good or bad! Cooking is an adventure and I am, more than anything, so pleased that my children have the interest to try something new (and a bit out of the norm!) 

One of the best parts about creating a menu is getting my family's input on what they have been craving or what their favorite dishes are. My sons are the ones who usually challenge me to cook something that I haven't before- but when I pick their favorites, their eyes light up with pure pleasure. (This Wednesday is Aiden's favorite, simple yet delicious!)

A tip - I try to alternate proteins throughout the days, I give us one pasta day and Saturdays and Sundays are longer cooking days since weekends can be less harried in the evenings, sans homework crunch, etc. This week we are salad heavy (which is a good thing) - I think that's our Post-Super Bowl Bellies talking!

If you have cookbooks, break them out! Or, hopefully, you give some of my recipes a whirl too! Try those dishes that always intrigued you but you might have always shied away from. The best advise I can give any one is HAVE FUN IN COOKING! Stay tuned this week for some requested recipes! Cheers!