ive been gone from the internet all weekend until today... Can i just say i was going through tastespotting withdrawal! Oh, how wonderful it is to be back and surrounded by mouthwatering recipes & food!
But, while i was gone I went to this amazing diner (and i didnt think i liked diners) where i ordered a cobb salad. TALK ABOUT SALAD! that was the biggest & most gourmet cobb salad i have ever eaten & boy was it good. if had huge chunks of avocado & bacon, & those little corn thingys that are often in Chinese dishes. Also since i dont like blue cheese... and am allergic to milk... i had them put on mozzarella cheese instead (for some reason i don't always get a reaction to that)... YUM! (I even went back the next day and ordered the same thing!)
anyway... the salad was so good, i decided to make my own.! Except minus the avocado and corn thingys and plus crispy apple chips & fresh purple basil...boy was it good.!
Lettuce + Tomato + Bacon - Burger x other stuff = Delish Cobb Salad
Fresh Yum-bo Gumbo!
mmm delicious gumbo with farmers market fresh Peppers as well as fresh Okra, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions & Cilantro with Roasted Corn kernels. Sautéed with spicy sausage & seasoned with fabulous ethnic spices such as Cumin, Saffron, Tumeric, Paprika, All Spice, OldBay & more!
this was amazingly wonderful. it had the perfect spicy, tangy, tartness that satisfied every tastebud. mmm my mouth is watering.
didigetthosefromthebakery? Lemon Cookies
yummmy, chewylicious tangy lemon cookies. Taste like they would be bought from a bakery or something.!
ofcourse i quickly jotted down the recipe on a random piece of paper in my kitchen, as the cookies were baking, so that I wouldnt forget how to make them... but of course being that it was a random piece of paper... im not exactly sure where it went... so once i find it! I can give you my exact recipe! yay!
7/25/08
victoryy is mine! upon searching and digging throughout the newspaper and cook books in my kitchen.. i found the recipe i wrote down! Here it is! i hope you enjoy!!
Chewy Soft Lemon Cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbls or so Honey
1/4 c. softened butter
1 egg
1 1/8 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
Combine the sugar and honey until it resembles a crumbly brown sugar. Add softened butter and mix til smooth. Add egg and continue stirring until smooth and creamy. Then combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and a dash of salt. Add to the first mixture. Mix until well combined and add the lemon zest and juice! Drop by tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet, be sure to keep them about 2-3 inches apart since they will spread. Bake at 350º until golden brown. !
(FYI. Mid way through the baking, i like to bang my cookie sheets against the racks to make sure my cookies stay flat. incase you were wondering. ha.)
Bean Salad! With Fresh Tomatoes & Peppers!
i. love. beans.
( ...ok well maybe not the side effects of bloating & whatnot. ) BUt they taste good in so many different ways! As a snack, as breakfast, as lunch, as dinnner, as supper, as a midnight snack, on crackers, in soup, on a salad, in tacos, on a sandwhich, in a potpie, on brownies, in a biscuit... ... joking about the brownie part. but heyy... technically if you make tofu brownies, then theyve got beans!
But this time, I made a salad with them! A delicious two bean salad (Garbanzon & Kidney Beans) with sautéed onions & peppers and diced fresh tomatoes. DELISH!
The Bold Flavor of Jasmine Rice with Cilantro & Cumin.
I wanted to make a delicious rice to accompany the bean salad I had made. So I decided to add an Indian twist to it. SO! Here we have a sticky Jasmine Rice with Cilantro & Cumin. Also in it is a delicious chicken broth and soy sauce for added flavor.
It is an amazing dish by itself.
Plum & Nut Tart with Dried Blueberries on a Shortbread Crust
I had leftover plums left in the fridge from the farmers market last week & needed to do something "summery" with them. So instead of making a typical pie or crisp, I made a tart out of the sliced fresh plums, tossed with honey, lemon, walnuts, pistachios and dried blueberries on a simple butter shortbread crust!
pistachio blueberry granola.
i warned you i was a granola addict. !
hehe well this time I made my cinnamon molasses granola with corn pops in it! & then added dried blueberries & pistachios.
((I made a delicious peanut butter granola the other day, but I forgot to take a picture. I will next time though! And I still have yet to make granola bars, but when i do... ill let you know!))
yumm. this will be gone by the end of the day! I guess that'll just mean i have to make more!
have no fear of a leftover omelet.
sometimes its scary having leftover scrambled eggs sit in your fridge. but have no fear! you can make a breakfast sandwich!
Just stick the omelet under the broiler with some cheese, so its nice and bubbly and melty! then place that on some hearty white bread or a bagel that has been slightly toasted and buttered and voila!
breakfast for dinner. Cilantro Pita Omelet with Polska Kielbasa & Bacon
everyone knows the best dinner is breakfast. Whether is french toast and sausage or pancakes & bacon. Breakfast dinners never seem to disappoint. !
Here, I made delicious cilantro omelet with pita triangles cooked right in!
cinnamon zucchini biscuits.
these are pretty tasty too! I have to work on the texture though!
Cinnamon Zucchini Bizcuits
1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla ext
dash of salt
dash of clove (opt)
1.5 cups bisquick
2 tbs milk
1 tbs melted butter
Combine the bisquick, sugar, cinnamon, salt and clove. In another bowl mix the vanilla ext, milk and 1 tbs melted butter. Combine all ingredients. If it is too dry or too wet add a little more milk or bisquick! just don't over mix!
Roll into balls and place on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake 350º until golden brown.
garlic butter biscuits.
who doesn't love to walk into their home & smell the wonderful goodness of garlic. !? yesterday I made these amazing, melt-in-your mouth buttery garlic biscuits with a delicious garlic butter drizzled on top! They would be sooo good with stew or pasta or something! And even better in the winter when the real hearty meals are prepared.
The only reason I really made biscuits was because I bought Bisquick from the store the other day thinking my parents or someone might use it to whip up a quick batch of pancakes or waffles... but who was I kidding... if there is something in the house to be made or experimented with ... ill undoubtedly be the one making/using it. but atleast the family reaps the benefits...right? ... that is ... if my experiment pans out.
Today, however, was a success. I was able to make these delicious garlic butter biscuits and cinnamon zucchini biscuits (whose texture could use some tweaking)!
Unfortunately for the garlic biscuits though, my parents are a little afraid to try them bc of the side effects they may cause ha! they aren't that garlicky though... i think it has just the right balance.. but who knows! Either way, I individually wrapped them in foil & froze them for my garlic loving sister to take to her apartment!
Mel-in-your-mouth Garlic Butter Biscuits
1 2/3 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup butter (chilled)
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk
1 clove of garlic (finely minced)
Cut the butter into the bisquick until smaller that pea sized. Then mix in the finely chopped garlic clove. Using the pastry cutter, pur in cold milk little at a time until dough forms. Divide into 8 sections and drop onto buttered baking sheet. Bake 350º until begins to turn golden brown. Now you will drizzle on the butter topping and continue baking
Garlic Butter Topping
2 tbs butter
1 clove of garlic (finely minced)
dash of salt (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper (or red pepper flakes)
Melt butter with garlic for 20 - 30 seconds in microwave. Mix in salt and pepper.
Drizzle onto each biscuit, make sure you get some of the garlic pieces on them! And continue baking another 5 or so minutes until browner!
Mmmm these are so good.
Tangy & Spicy Barbecue Shredded Chicken & Crispy Rosemary Potato Slices
Why is it then whenever I have a moment of sudden revelation of a great recipe idea or should i say... food experiment... my family always seems to order out "Just in case"?
Well yesterday our fridge was on the verge of empty and seeing that my mom had just previously cooked a great broccoli rabe & kale dish a few days before... I only thought it was necessary to follow that up with some good southern styled cooking...or atleast what my mind believes is southernesque...
the idea that had been dwelling in my mind was some sort of barbecued chicken and fries. However, although I have been yearning for some great fries... I have not at all been in the mood to linger over boiling oil for hours.
(For some reason, whenever I decide to fry... I can never keep it to one food item or group like potatoes or vegetables... my last frying venture ended up being an entire feast of cholesterol consisting of funnel cake, fried pickles, apple fritters/donuts & ... general tso chicken... random... i know.)...hence... when i fry... it takes hours.
So, instead of frying... i figured why not roast the potatoes however, not julienned like fries but sliced like chips.
... And so came my first creation of Olive Oil & Rosemary Potato Slices.
Olive Oil & Rosemary Potato Slices
10 Potatoes, Thinly Sliced (I used Red & Yukon Gold)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 tbs Salt
1 tbs Dried Rosemary, (add as much or as little as you like)
Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
Preheat oven to 400º. While the oven is preheating, put in your greased baking pan/s (I needed to use two) so they can get hot.
Toss potatoes in oil and add the salt, pepper and rosemary.
Spread onto baking sheets with spoon or something in thin layers & bake til slightly brown... then rotate pan, loosen & flip potatoes and continue baking until brown.
Now for the chicken.
As i had been pondering a barbecue chicken... I wanted it to be more of the sloppy joe variety or steak sandwich sort... as in sliced or ground... so upon cooking my tenderloins on the stove, I pulled them apart with two forks, so they became shredded. Then i added a few seasonings & sauces here and there and ...KAAAPOW... i think created one of the best chicken recipes I have ever thought up!
If a chicken wants to be anything in its afterlife... i think it would want to be this.
Tangy & Spicy Shredded Barbecue Chicken
yummy simple granola.
ok ill admit it. i have a granola addiction. (but its not as bad as my homemade buttery popcorn addiction that fell into once I received my absolutely fabulously WhirleyPop for Christmas one year... talk about one divine creation...) ... anyway. who doesn't love granola? From my maple nut granola concoctions to my almond berry experiments... if there are oats in my cabinet... then there are granola crumbs everywhere!
Yesterday, after making a great batch of cinnamon honey granola with huge chunks of walnuts, pecans and dried cranberries for my aunt, I realized... i cant just make her some and not have any myself... who does that? So i took the remaining ingredients that I could work with... which was basically just a few drops of honey, some oats and a measley handful of cranberries... and whipped up a pretty decent batch of granola...which by now is almost gone... unfortunately... as with most of my own recipes... i dont measure... so giving you guys an exact recipe is pretty impossible... unless its like... muffins or cookies or something... but hey... heres what I put into this one...
honey
sugar
molasses
oil
vanilla extract
salt
& oats
I'm sure ill have tons more granola pictures and experiments to come... and hopefully... ill remember to measure...
... ... well. i tried. ... and so continues my delicious addiction ...
Tomato Salad
Fabulous tomato salad with fresh onion, garlic, purple basil & olives! Its sooo good on everything... from steak sandwiches, to salads & even omelets!
Want recipe? let me know!Summery/Autumny/Wintery Peach Pie
I was absolutely dying to make a fruit dessert the other day && just had to use the organic peaches we had just purchased from the local Farmer's Market! It has the perfect balance of tart and sweet & is great hot or cold!
Summery/Autmny/Wintery Peach Pie
1 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour ( use 1 1/2 if necessary)
1 stick (1/2 cup) Butter
1.5 tbs Sugar
tsp Salt
4 tsp Cold water (only enough to form dough)
Combine Flour, Sugar and salt. Cut in chilled butter until pea-sized. Then add only enough water to form into a ball of dough. Mold into a buttered pie dish, prick with fork and pre bake crust at 350º for 10 minutes.
Filling
5-6 Peaches or 3-4 sm cans of peaches ( I suggest using atleast 1 can of peaches so you have added liquid to work with)
2 tbs lemon juice (depend on how lemony you like it!)
1 to 2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
2 tbs. melted butter
brown sugar or granulated sugar, (sweeten to taste)
(I also enjoy the taste of nutmeg & cloves in my peach pies sometimes, but I didnt add them this time)
Slice peaches into large chunks & combine with remaining ingredients. Make sure you taste them so they taste just how you like! (You can even add walnuts, cranberries, fresh blueberries, pears, etc!)
Pour into pre baked pie crust & cover with the remaining dough! (If you used all canned peaches, you may not need to add all of the liquid)
In order to cover my pie, I didn't roll out my dough, I simply took small pieces of dough and pressed them between my fingers and layered them across the top of the pie. This allowed lots of little holes where the bubbling liquid could seep through! Brush the top crust with additional melted butter or remaining liquid (this time, I used leftover liquid) and bake until bubbly and golden brown!! YUM!
Want recipe? let me know!
pasta circles.! (transformed into a wonderful salad.)
So I found these pasta circles at Trader Joes and HAD to do something with them. Even though it's only pasta, I couldn't exactly wrap my mind its cheerio shape.
My first thought was to string them on a licorice rope just like all the cheerio and fruitloop shaped edibles have once experienced.. or maybe i could cut them all in half so they look atleast a little bit like normal macaroni... no, that would take too long... so instead I insisted on deceiving my mind and telling myself that it is only pasta...
it's only pasta...
it's only pasta...
... no.
it's not only pasta. its circles. im cooking circles.
who cooks circles?
I must be loosing my mind!? My sister is going to call me up and ask what i cooked today...
"I cooked circles ..."
spicy cabbage salad.
Thinly sliced cabbage sautéed and tossed with toasted Ramen noodles and a variety of oriental-ish ingredients.
Great as a light summer salad or a warm nightime meal!
Want recipe? let me know!graham cracker toffee bars.
just plain wonderful. Delicious graham crackers coated with decadent white and dark chocolates and topped with a homemade soy toffee and other yummy ingredients. mmmmmmm!!!
pignolia spinach chicken rolls.
delicious, juicy and savory chicken rolls. Stuffed with a pignolia (pine nut) spinach mixture and drenched in a buttery lemon marinade. so good.
wannabe caramel apple pie.
first attempt at a caramel apple pie.
Note to self... dont put on the caramel until AFTER its baked...duh.