Sweet and Spicy Asian Hot Wings

Years ago, Grant's sis Sheri invited us to go to Lake Powell on a boating trip. Four fun filled days of houseboat, camping, water sports, and of course eating. You know how people always say food is so good on a camping trip? I never share that feeling, because camping + me= don't go together. Except this time. We had a guy come with us who was a master of grilling. He brought along some chicken and I still remember, 25 years later, how delish that chicken was. It was cooked low and slow (one secret to grilling chicken successfully, that I have never mastered bc I'm too impatient) and it practically fell off the bone.

One of the guys on the trip taught Grant how to properly eat a chicken wing. We still laugh about his technique. It was: place the entire wing into your mouth (this was a full size wing, not the party wings we now have available), with the exception of one small corner or end of the whole wing. Now I'm not sure how to explain the next step(s)- but when the bone was removed from his mouth, no meat remained. This all happened without opening his mouth. It's all a mystery to me.

This recipe is adapted from Tyler Florence. I added a little honey to sweeten it to my taste. Loved the sauce. Great for chicken, especially if you are grilling. Sweet, spicy, tangy. If you are into wings, or basketball, a perfect dish for your March Madness party!

Sweet and Spicy Asian Hot Wings
adapted from Tyler Florence- Hot Wings

printable recipe

2 dozen chicken wings, about 3 1/4 pounds, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned
Leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Teriyaki Sauce:
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 fresh, hot red chile, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed with the side of a large knife
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil on them to prevent sticking. Lay the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the skin gets crispy and the wings are cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat and reduce until slightly thickened. Pour the sauce into a large bowl. Dump the wings into the bowl and toss to coat them with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve hot.

Tips:

-I made these for a party, and purchased a large (10 lb) bag of frozen chicken wings at Costco. Tripled the sauce, perfect amount of sauce to wings.

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Sweet and Sour Meatballs

It's that time again. The Superbowl is just around the corner. Superbowl= supersnacks. Unfortunately, Grant's all time favorite pro football team, the Vikings, lost last night in overtime to the Saints. Looking back, Grant has come a loooong way since we were first married. This is the team he latched onto as a 10 year old. A kid from SLC, UT, loving the Minnesota Vikings? Makes no sense to me. He's stuck with them through good (few and far between), and years and years and years of bad. For years I tried to persuade him to switch teams. Maybe pick a team with a better winning average? Last night he, along with the entire state of Minnesota were let down, again. Oh well. The good news? He is maturing, a bit. In fact he left at halftime with the score tied, to attend a church meeting. He told our boys- "there are more important things in life than football".

Wow. Revelation.

Now, if I could get him to grow out of the bow hunting phase that has lasted 25, umm actually 27 years...

So, the meatballs...This is a basic recipe I spiced up a bit. It's quick and easy and unbelievably better than store bought meatballs.

Oh, frozen meatballs- don't go there.

As my boys like to say - not good for your game.

SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS

printable recipe

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg


SWEET & SOUR SAUCE:

1 c. packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
2 cans (13 1/4 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice

1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger

1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 green pepper, large dice
1 red pepper, large dice

MEATBALLS:

Mix ingredients, shape into 20 (1 1/2 inch) balls. Cook in ungreased 9x13 pan in 400 degree oven until light brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:

Cook meatballs as directed above; remove from cookie sheet, set aside.

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in juice from pineapple, ginger and dry mustard. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Add meatballs and pineapple. Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes. Stir in green and red pepper. Cover; simmer until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Keep warm in chafing dish or crock-pot.

Make approximately 24-28 (about 1 1/2 ") size meatballs.

Tips:

-I wait to add the peppers until just before serving. It helps keep the veggie colors bright.

-These are great served over rice for dinner.

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Sweet Fresh Cranberry Salsa

I love sweet-spicy salsa. Sara brought some of this over the other night, and it was love at first bite. This recipe came from Sara's friend, Joy, who just released a cookbook called "Bliss" (order it here). The salsa takes 5 minutes to make, and about 2-4 hours in the fridge to let the flavors mix together. Perfect for a holiday partay. Yummy.

Sweet Fresh Cranberry Salsa

printable recipe

1 bag fresh cranberries, washed
1 handful cilantro
1-3 serrano or *jalapeno pepper
1/2 chopped red onion
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons lime juice

Wash and remove seeds from jalapeno, using food handlers gloves, or plastic sack. In a food processor, place cranberries. cilantro, pepper, garlic and red onion.
Stir in sugar, salt and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hour to allow flavors to mix. If serving over cream cheese, drain excess juice before using. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips:
-*I used one jalapeno, but more could be used if you like your salsa hot.

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Autumn Brie in Braided Bread Ring

I love this Brie appetizer. It is topped with all things fall. Apples, dried cranberries, golden raisins, candied spiced pecans. A beautiful item for a holiday dinner party. The bread ring is made out of frozen dough, so it's really simple. Note: The bread is suppose to be a garnish.

1gar·nish
Pronunciation: \ˈgär-nish\
1 a : decorate, embellish b : to add decorative or savory touches to (food or drink)
2 : to equip with accessories : furnish

Have you ever been to a party, where people are eating the garnish?? It's like that scene in "You've Got Mail" where Meg Ryan is annoyed with Tom Hanks for eating the garnish. In that case it was caviar, but it's basically the same. I don't get it. I'm usually a fairly practical person. But eating the decor on the table? Even if it is edible. It just doesn't seem right to me. I am probably the only person on the planet who cares or thinks this is weird (besides Meg). On cruises, it always AMAZES me that people will eat the fruit or vegetables used as a garnish, even though there are seriously enough prepared food items on the serving table to feed two small countries. Don't they know everyone touches the display, and they are used over and over again without being washed?? Anyway. Whether you eat the garnish or not, you will love this yummy dish. A great appetizer for the big holiday coming up in less than 3 weeks...

Autumn Brie with Braided Bread Ring

adapted from Maine Ingredients cookbook, Portland, ME

Printable Version

1 small apple, I prefer McIntosh
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup apple cider mixed with ¼ cup sugar
1 (4-6 inch) round of Brie
1/3 cup dried cherries or Craisins
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup sugar
dash cayenne
1 loaf frozen bread dough (Rhodes, or 1 round Dicks Market scone dough)

1 beaten egg
sliced baguette or Carr Water crackers


About 2 hours before baking, thaw dough on counter.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Split the loaf into three equal pieces. Roll dough out into long rope so you end up with three long ropes of dough about 18-24 inches long. Starting at one end, place dough on counter and begin braiding. Press dough together and tuck ends under. Shape with hands so dough is even in width throughout braid. Unwrap the Brie from round paper carton, set aside. Cover the empty carton with foil and coat lightly with cooking spray around sides to prevent dough from sticking to carton. Form the braided dough around the foil covered carton on a foil or parchment covered cookie sheet or pizza pan without sides. Brush the dough lightly with a beaten egg. Let rise for about 20-30 minutes. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and remove Brie carton.

After the bread ring has cooled for about 10 minutes, unwrap the cheese, and place in center of the bread ring. Prepare the fruit and nut topping.
Core and chop the apple. Place in a saucepan with raisins, cider, and ¼ cup sugar. Boil gently until the apples are tender, but not mushy (approx 5 minutes). Strain the liquid from the apples, mix in dried cherries or Craisins, and place on top of Brie. In a separate pan (preferably Teflon) , cook the pecans with ¼ cup sugar and cayenne over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes. Remove from pan, break up the nuts when cooled a bit and sprinkle on top of fruit mixture. Bake the braided bread and Brie with topping for about 10 minutes or until Brie is softened. Take care not to over cook. The Brie melts quickly when overheated. Slide the bread ring filled with Brie onto a serving platter. Serve immediately with baguette slices or crackers.

Tips:

-I like to purchase the Brie at Costco. Usually found with the specialty cheeses.

-Carr brand crackers are my favorite (if I don't serve with a baguette) because they are big and substantial enough to hold the cheese and fruit mixture. "Water Table" crackers or sesame flavors are great because they are simple and won't compete with the flavors in the appetizer.

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Smoky Grilled Corn Salsa

Two lessons I have learned as a cook:

1. Read the recipe. Twice. How many times have I made a recipe and not had all of the ingredients, or botched the assembly? Yearly lesson: Jam making. How it should be- Gather all of the ingredients. Check the list. Twice. Read the instructions. Twice. Follow the instructions. Make Jam.

My jam making experience: Read through ingredient list quickly. Start talking on phone, or to someone in the kitchen, throw the fruit in the pot, add sugar and pectin, boil. Pick up direction sheet. Rats! First batch, now (insert fruit used) SYRUP. This happens EVERY SUMMER.

Blackberry Syrup '09

2. Lesson #2. My kids will laugh about this bc when they were all learning to drive Grant would say "Lesson #1 Always buckle your seat belt." The next time they got in the car, lesson #1 would be "Always check the rear view mirror." Lesson #1 was always changing. They have had SO many laughs about that.

Anyway- back to my lesson #2: if you make something and the recipe says let it sit for ___ hours, then LET IT SIT. It really may taste better, set up better etc. e.g., Smoky Grilled Corn Salsa.

I made this last week when our local corner fruit/vegetable

stand had a delivery of fresh picked corn.

I love any type of corn salsa, and thought the grilled flavor would be a fun change. I made it, mixed it up - and tasted. Well, I won't be making this again, I thought. I would give it a 5 on a scale of 10. I placed it in the refridge until dinner time. A few hours later I took it out and WOW. Transformation. This is one recipe that really needs to sit so all of the flavors can blend and develop. So yes, my lesson #2 is an important one.

Oh - and the driving lessons. Thankfully we are 3 down and 1 to go with kids learning to drive. Teaching kids to drive...not one of my talents.

Smoky Grilled Corn Salsa
printable recipe

2 red bell peppers, quartered, seeded
3 ears of fresh corn, husked
1/2 sweet onion, quartered
4 tablespoons (about) olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon bottled chipotle hot sauce
1 bunch green onions, green part only, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare barbecue (high heat). Brush bell peppers, corn, and sweet onion with some olive oil. Grill vegetables until well charred in spots, turning occasionally with tongs and removing pieces as they brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut bell peppers and onion into 1/3-inch pieces. Cut corn off cob.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin; sauté until garlic begins to sizzle but does not brown, about 30 seconds. Pour into large bowl; mix in lime juice and hot sauce. Mix in vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely; mix in chopped green onion and cilantro. Let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

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Spiced Pear Flatbreads with Goat Cheese and Mustard Cream

I was entering some recipes on the index last week, and noticed I was a little heavy on desserts, and sparse on appetizers. Wow! Surprising. Since I could practically live on desserts and appetizers. So, while sitting at a double header (I know it's FOOTBALL season, not thrilled about the fall baseball thing, but trying to be a supportive non-martyr-mother) I flipped through September Bon Appetit, and found several yummy looking recipes. This recipe caught my eye. It originates from the Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore. Flatbread. Love it. Pears and goat cheese - is there a more perfect combo? Add a little spinach, sauteed onion, grainy Dijon and cream. Can you say Chick food?

Spiced Pear Flatbreads with Goat Cheese and Mustard Cream

adapted from Bon Appetit September 2009

printable recipe

Oven Prep

30 minutes before cooking flatbreads, preheat oven with *pizza stone or baking sheet placed in oven upside down, to 500 degrees.

Mustard Cream

6 tablespoons whipping cream

3 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon water

pinch of kosher salt

Whisk together in bowl. Set aside.

Flatbread

3 cups flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup plus 7 tablespoons warm water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon yeast

Topping

2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (I used red pears for color) halved lengthwise, cored

Olive oil

cayenne pepper

sea salt

5 cups arugula or spinach

8 oz crumbled goat cheese

1/2 chopped sauteed onion, (optional)

Pizza Stone

Flatbreads:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with a dough hook. Beat at low speed until dough forms and comes away from side of bowl, about 2 minutes. Scrape dough off hook. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Clean hook and re attach to mixer. Mix dough at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic again and let rise until light and slightly puffed about 1 hour.

Using floured hands, turn dough out onto floured surface, turning and kneading a few times until dough is no longer sticky. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Cover and chill for 45 minutes. (I skipped this step)

Topping & Assembly

Cut pear halves vertically into 1/4 inch thick slices. Brush both sides with oil and place on foil lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little cayenne. Bake in oven at 350-400 for about 7-10 minutes or just until pears loose their shape. Or- just throw the pears into the oven that is preheating to bake the pizzas for about 5 minutes.

Stretch and roll each dough ball into a 9 inch round . Place on a floured rimless baking sheet or pizza peel. Brush dough with oil, sprinkle with sea salt. Scatter spinach over dough. Drizzle lightly with oil. Top with pear slices, sauteed onion and 1/4 of cheese. Slide flatbread onto hot pizza stone or baking sheet in oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining flatbreads.

Transfer flatbreads to plates. Drizzle with mustard cream, slice and serve.

Tips:

-*If you don't have a pizza stone, check out this article for an inexpensive way to create your own at home.

-I also added fresh mozzarella to one pizza. If you like nuts, pine nuts would be a perfect addition too.

-Don't overload the flatbread. If you want to try different toppings, stick to 3-4 per flatbread. In the world of flatbreads appetizers, in my opinion, less is more.

-We ate these hot out of the oven, but they were also good later in the evening at room temperature. Perfect party appetizer.

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Mary Mac's Chunky Guacamole

I love guacamole.

Grant always likes to say we are still in love, HA. I tell him, no I love you and you love me, but we are not still "in love". He always disagrees.

I DO believe I am "in love" with guacamole. I plan vacations around guac. Three times in the past six years, we have gone with our kids and Grant's extended family to Mexico. For the guacamole. Well, not really, but we do love the guac and chips. We make entire meals out of salsa, guac and chips. For 7 days, we eat guac and chips for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And two or three snacks in between. At home, I always mash up the avocados, throw in a little garlic salt, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper and call it good. Once in a while I add a chopped tomato to make it go farther. Last month my friend Mary made some for me. All I can say is YUM. Get out of the way. I wanted the whole bowl- for me. We ate this for dinner one night. And for a pre-breakfast appetizer the next morning. I love the whole chunky thing. Why didn't I ever think to leave it all chunky before? I love chunky. And the cilantro and lime. And the onions and tomato. Summer is the perfect time to make this when all of the ingredients are FRESH. I am in love with chunky guacamole. Don't tell Grant, but I think I am still in love with him too.

Mary Mac's Chunky Guac

printable recipe

2-3 avocados, not too ripe-peeled, pitted and chunked

1/2- 1 cup chopped red onion

1 large fresh tomato, chunked

1/3-1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1-2 limes, juiced

1 clove fresh garlic, chopped (optional)

Kosher salt to taste

fresh ground pepper

Place the chopped avocados in a bowl. Slightly mash a few of the avocado pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix together and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

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Avocado Corn Confetti Salsa

Have you tried the corn this year?? It's unbelievable. I love, I mean LOVE fresh corn. I could eat fresh corn on the cob for dinner. All by its lonesome. Tonight I had to come up with a quick appetizer to share at a church dinner, so I ran to the grocery, and picked up the ingredients for one of my all time favorite salsas. If you don't make this in the summer when the corn is fresh, you're missing out. It's good with frozen corn, but out of this world with fresh corn off the cob. If you want, it could be served as a side salad on top of some shredded lettuce, or on a piece of butter lettuce. In the word of a dear friend I spent the week with recently -"Yummalicious".

Avocado Corn Confetti Salsa

printable version

3 ears of fresh corn, white is good, yellow makes for better color contrast

2 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and diced

1 medium purple onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

juice of 2 limes

kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from pan and place in large bowl filled with ice and water. Cut kernels off cob, and place in medium size bowl. Make sure corn is completely cooled before adding to rest of ingredients. Add avocado and next 7 ingredients to corn. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill up to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Southwest Orzo and Black Bean Salad

It's tournament time! Three Utah teams have been invited to the BIG DANCE. Stock the fridge, make some yummy food and enjoy the games. How can you NOT love the NCAA tournament? Ok, well I didn't always love it... back in the early 80's "One Shining Moment" a video of tournament highlights and watching Jim Valvano hooked me. Over the years, I graduated from the highlights to the actual games. I'm a little backwards, I know. You've never seen "One Shining Moment" ?? click here, this is one of my favorites, 1998, when the Utes played in the championship game. I love that some unknown team (at least to me), this year- Morgan State (15 seed), can make it into the tournament, beat a top seeded team and before you know it the whole nation is talking about Morgan State. I have no idea where they are located- anyone?

Enough with the basketball talk, this is a cooking blog! This is a great recipe I adapted from Cooking Light a few years back. It's versatile because it can be served as a salad, or appetizer and is low fat (bonus). As an appetizer, serve with a big bowl of tortilla chips. If you are serving as a salad, chop some romaine lettuce onto a platter and pour the salad over the lettuce, top with the avocado mixture. If you've never cooked Orzo, you'll love this rice shaped pasta. One box will last a long, long time.

U know who I will be cheering for...how about you?

Southwest Orzo and Black Bean Salad

printable recipe

1 cup dried Orzo pasta
1 can (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups corn, fresh cut, frozen or drained canned
2 firm ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup thin sliced green onion
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, about 1/2 teaspoon each

Avocado topping:
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup non fat, low fat or regular sour cream
Salt and pepper
tortilla chips
chopped lettuce

Boil 2 quarts water. Add pasta, cook until barely tender 9-11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. In large mixing bowl, mix pasta, beans, corn, tomato, cilantro, onions, lime and lime juice. Toss to combine. Add seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste.
In small bowl, mash avocado with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and sour cream. Salt and pepper.

If serving as an appetizer, pour into serving bowl or platter, top with avocado mixture. Serve with tortilla chips. As a salad, shred romaine lettuce onto platter, top with salad and avocado.

Tips:

-If you are serving as an appetizer, tuck some chips around the inside edge of the bowl just before serving.

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Fresh Corn Cakes with Peach Mustard Sauce

Love the melted mozzarella in the corn cakes...

Want a good side dish to serve with soup or salad? I tried Fresh Corn Cakes today, and loved them. This recipe would also make a great appetizer, made as mini corn cakes with sauce spooned into a custard cup in the middle of a platter of cakes. Jake inhaled these as an after school snack. He ate 5 with the Peach Mustard. Preparation time was about 5 minutes, with the cooking time as long as it takes to cook a pancake. The recipe calls for fresh corn, but February isn't exactly harvest time, so I used some frozen corn, thawed in the microwave. Still yummy.

Fresh Corn Cakes with Peach Mustard Sauce

printable version

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cornmeal, yellow or white

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onion, green part only

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Pulse first 4 ingredients in food processor just until corn is coarsely chopped. Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients in large bowl, add just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon about 2 tablespoons batter onto a hot, greased griddle or non stick pan to form 2-3 inch cakes. Slightly spread batter while spooning onto griddle. Cook cakes about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Do not flatten cakes once flipped over. Serve with Peach Mustard Sauce.

Peach Mustard Sauce:

3 Tablespoons Peach jam (or apricot)

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Mix together in small bowl, serve with corn cakes.

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Hot Wing Dip

Scrumptious.

The essentials.

I'm all out of guy food after this post. It's just not my speciality. When I tried this appetizer at a dinner in December, I thought - Grant and the boys will LOVE this. My friend Diane made this, and believe me, she knows all about guy food. She is the mom of 4 boys, and Bob. It's yummy (sorry NOT a guy word) and easy. Speaking of - did you know there is an official list of words guys never use? Some of the words are: yummy, scrumptious, fabulous, cute, delightful... come to think of it - I hardly use any of these words. Except yummy. So, this fabulous appetizer will be added to our Super Bowl food lineup. I'm still trying to get excited over the whole thing. I just barely found out the Steelers and the Arizona team (don't even know their name) are playing... Delightful.

Hot Wing Dip

prinable recipe

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 chicken breasts halves, cooked and chopped, or one rotisserie chicken, chopped

1/2 bottle Franks Hot Sauce

1/2 cup grated cheddar/jack mix

1 cup Mozzarella, grated or chopped if using fresh

1 bottle Roka Blue Cheese Dressing

Spread the cream cheese in a 9 x 13 pan. In a bowl combine chopped chicken, hot sauce and 1/2 cup each of the cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Dump this mixture over the cream cheese. Drizzle the Blue Cheese dressing over top. Top with grated mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or baguette slices.

Tips:

- I spread this into two 9 inch round baking dishes.

-I used about 1/2 bottle of the Blue Cheese dressing.

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Oprah's Crostini with Wild Mushrooms and Mozzarella

I love mushrooms. And mozzarella. And spinach. And Oprah. This recipe is adapted from a recipe in the "Oprah Magazine Cookbook". I added a little fresh spinach, because I thought it was a little bland looking. Make sure to use fresh mozzarella, or it won't ooze over the sides of the bread like mine- instead it will sit on top of the bread, looking like a piece of white rubber with mushrooms on top.

You're going to love this.

Oprah's Crostini with Wild Mushrooms and Mozzarella

printable recipe

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound button or wild mushrooms (such as porcini, cremini, shiitake)with stems removed, chopped
¼ cooking sherry ,(Oprah used White wine)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
handful of fresh spinach
24 small (1/2-inch-thick) slices country-style bread (preferably ciabatta), toasted
1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 24 slices
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chopped mushrooms and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in cooking sherry; increase heat to high and cook, stirring, until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add a generous handful of fresh spinach. Cook just until spinach wilts.
Arrange bread on a large baking sheet. Top each piece with a slice of mozzarella. Bake 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted.Top crostini with mushroom mixture; sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.

Tip/confession:

-I used button mushrooms, because the grocery store (which will remain unnamed) only had slimy, old looking Shiitakes.

-I thought about using a baguette, because I like baguettes and they are so easy to use, but was glad in the end I used Ciabatta. This recipe is best with a softer bread as the base for the cheese and mushrooms.

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Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Creamy Lemon Sauce

My dear friend Diane made these scrumptious (don't you love that word) appetizers for our Recipe Club group last year at our holiday dinner. Diane is a great cook. Always up for trying something new. She is one of the few people I know who actually makes recipes out of "Cooking Light" magazine. She has a talent for finding good recipes that are low fat. I'm not a big fan of low fat, but I LOVE this recipe. I made these last year for a family party. The adults were shooing the kids away, and directing them to eat the store bought cheese ball, instead of our yummy crab cakes. The only thing I would do differently next time I make Cornbread Crab Cakes is - DOUBLE the recipe.

Mini Corn Bread Crab Cakes with Creamy Lemon sauce

printable recipe

Sauce:
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise ( I used Regular Best Foods Mayo)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped ( optional, in my opinion)
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Crab cakes:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise ( or regular)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups crumbled Corn Bread
1 pound lump crab meat, shell pieces removed
Cooking spray
Fresh chives (optional)

Cornbread:
You can bake the cornbread a couple of days in advance, and save 2 cups for making crab cakes.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. In a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
2. With a fork, beat buttermilk, oil and eggs to blend. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; mix just to moisten. Pour into an 8-inch square or 9-inch-wide round greased cake pan.
3. Bake in a 400° oven until bread springs back when gently pressed in center, 20 minutes.
4. Let cool.

Sauce:
Combine first 8 ingredients; chill.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crab cakes, heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Combine bell pepper mixture, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients (through Old Bay); stir in egg. Fold in Buttermilk Corn Bread and crab meat. Scoop mixture into 16 portions (about 1/4 cup each) onto 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly cover, and refrigerate 1 hour. Uncover and bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet with a metal spatula. Serve with sauce. Garnish with chives.

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Simple Sushi

Last week, I was able to travel to Okinawa, Japan to visit family. I met my mom and we had a great time experiencing Japanese/Okinawan culture. Most of my relatives speak as much English as I speak Japanese. Just a scoshie. I watched carefully as my cousin Kaori and her sisters in law prepared a huge meal. Sushi, Soba, Shrimp rolls, salad made with Goya (a weird, bumpy green veggie found in Okinawa) and many other types of speciality dishes. We ate and laughed, and I realized then more than ever before, how food unites us. Sharing meals and cooking together can bridge language barriers we may have- kind of like smiles. Hope you enjoy these pics, and the following recipe for Simple Sushi. I love the way they served it on a big platter with all types of fillings. Every year on Christmas Eve, we make sushi rolls with my mom. We order Chinese takeout, make sushi and tempura, and have an Asian dinner. We usually make individual (Maki) rolls. But this method is much easier and allows everyone to build their own roll. Just spread the seasoned rice over the seaweed wrapper, top with your favorite raw fish, shrimp, vegetables and fold over. Oishi!

One of my cousin's kids, with a giant sushi roll.



Beautiful hand made shrimp roll.

Some veggie dish...

A salmon and almond appetizer.

The feast prepared by my family!

This was yummy.

My fav, noodles.

The national vegetable, Goya.

Eaten in salads, stir fry, deep fried. Remove seeds first.

Simple Sushi

printable recipe

7-8 cups white sticky rice, cooked, hot

1/2 to 3/4 cups rice vinegar "for sushi"

Nori seaweed dark green, in sheets

assorted vegetables - avocado, cucumber, scallions,mushrooms dried or fresh

assorted raw fish sliced thin or shrimp

Soy sauce, Pickled Ginger, Wasabi

Combine the hot rice and rice vinegar, a little vinegar at a time. Gently fold together. When mixed and rice is desired flavor, set aside on large platter or bowl. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.

Serve with assorted filling ingredients. Stack Nori seaweed next to the rice, along side the veggies and fish. Let each guest spread the seaweed wrapper with a thin layer of rice, then top with fillings. Fold over to make a giant roll!

Tips:

1) Prepare all ingredients while the rice is cooking.

2) Brown rice does not form a firm roll. The flavor of the brown rice doesn't compliment the fillings.

3) Sushi tastes best right when you make it. If you have to refrigerate, let it warm up to room temperature before eating for best flavor.

4) Extras-must haves - Wasabi, soy sauce in small bowls for dipping, pickled sliced ginger, ohashi (chop sticks).

A couple of other dishes I ate while in Okinawa...

actually, I passed these little guys to my mom.

Really delicious, but chewy seaweed tempura.

Another favorite - gyoza.

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Calzones

My Sister in law, Sheri is one of the best cooks I know. She taught me a lot about cooking in the early days of marriage to her little brother! I lived a long way from home, so she took me under her wing. She became the sister I never had. Grant and his sister Janay, and brother Brett often joke about how she acted like their mother, even though she was only a year older than Janay, and two and three years respectively, older than the boys. When they were young Sheri would refer to them as "the kids". She has a gift for taking care of people and is one of the most generous people I know. This is a recipe she gave to me a long time ago, and it has since become a Foster family favorite. It is great as a main dish, or as an appetizer, cut into strips, with the sauce served on the side.

Calzones

Dough:
6 cups flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
½ cup cracked wheat (found in baking section)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
water

Boil 2 cups water and ½ cup cracked wheat in saucepan until water is absorbed and wheat is soft. Takes about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Place yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in ½ cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Measure flour, salt, ½ cup butter and ½ cup sugar into food processor with blade and process about ½ minute. Add yeast mixture, and cooled cracked wheat mixture. Add 1 to 1 ½ cups warm water. Mix well. Shape dough into a ball and place into large bowl. Cover with cloth and let rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.

**If you can not find cracked wheat, skip the whole boiling water and adding the cracked wheat step. Just add extra flour to the recipe. I would start with about 1/2 cup white or wheat flour.

Sauce:
1 can S & W thick and chunky tomato sauce
1 large clove garlic
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon rosemary
pinch of sage
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tomato, chunked
Put all ingredients into saucepan, cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

Filling:
Grated mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese
Chopped olives, onion, fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms, pepperoni etc.

Roll out dough into 6-8” circles. Put desired fillings into each circle, just covering one half of the circle. Fold the other side of the dough over, crimp edges, and seal. Bake on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet at 425-450 degrees for
15-20 minutes. Serve with sauce.

Note-
This photo is not mine, and I can't find the link to credit the original photographer. 

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