Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls This post could get me in some trouble. You see, this is a serious traditional side in our family and I don't know how they'll feel about me putting it out "in the wild", as it were. It might be surprising to some that, although I've been making these since I left home 24 years ago, I've never had a recipe. The idea of stuffing balls might seem odd, but it really makes a lot of sense. Enough of the explanation, let's get on the business end of some cooking. Ingredients1 bag (14 oz) Cubed herb stuffing (I prefer Pepperidge Farm)2 cups Chicken broth2 stalks Celery, diced to about 1/4" (approximately 1 cup)1/2 medium Onion, diced to about 1/4" (approximately 1/2 cup)1 can (10 3/4 oz) Condensed cream of mushroom soup (Campbell's of course)3 Tbsp Unsalted butter, melted2 Tbsp Olive oil1 tsp Garlic salt1/2 tsp Ground poultry seasoning1/4 tsp Ground white pepper MethodHeat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the celery and saute five minutes. Preheat your oven to 375º.
Top 10 best value destinations for 2011 Worried that the economy might put a crimp in your travel plans next year? Never fear: travel doesn't have to break the bank. Your currency may be depressed, but that doesn't mean you have to be; there are still many destinations around the world that can be enjoyed on the cheap. If you let the global economic ups-and-downs work to your advantage, adopt some personal austerity measures in pricier destinations, and head towards up-and-coming destinations, you can stay on the road longer for less. Fresh from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2011 (published in November 2010) we bring you this bargainous bounty of 10 budget-friendly destinations where you can get the most bang for your buck. 1.Bangladesh This subcontinental treat might just be the cheapest place on earth to travel. Bangladesh is almost disgracefully under-visited. 2. As other Central American destinations inflate prices with an influx of travellers, there are still a few good value delights to be found in the region. 3. 4. 5.
fish and chips or homemade fish sticks and oven fries Lately, more than usual, I find myself strapped for time. Keeping up this blog is definitely one of the reasons. Not wanting to cut back on posts, nor have my kids need to go out and join Big Brothers Big Sisters, I’ve decided they’re just gonna have to help in the kitchen. Now we can spend more time together, they can learn how to cook, and the best reason of all: they’ll look cute in the pictures. I used halibut in this recipe. It’s firm, white, tender, and cuts clean to make perfect fish sticks. It’s a good idea to wash hands before beginning. fish sticks 1 pound (450g) firm white fish, such as halibut salt and pepper 1/3 cup (50g) unbleached all-purpose flour 1-2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup (100g) panko breadcrumbs pinch cayenne pepper 2-4 tablespoons oil 1-2 tablespoons butter tartar sauce (recipe follows) french fry dipping sauce (now that I’ve lived in Utah, ketchup just won’t do) 1. 2. 3. 4. tartar sauce: It’s pretty obvious: Stir all ingredients together. chips (oven fries) 1. 2. 3.
The world’s best booze (and where to drink it) Drinking the local beverage is a sure way to warm the hearts of the locals. Here is a selection of alcoholic drinks that make the effort of travel all the more rewarding. 1. Sake, Japan Pin this image Image by katclay Called nihonshu in Japan, sake is a rice wine with an alcohol content of 15% to 17%. 2. Pin this image Image by ccharmon It takes 119.5 seconds to pour the perfect pint. 3. Pin this image Image by jonworth-eu Someone once said: ‘beauty is in the eye of the beer holder’; if that’s the case, then Belgium is exquisite. 4. Pin this image Image by plusgood For instant bohemian, just add water. 5. Pin this image Image by Megan Mallen The sought-after wines of Burgundy (Bourgogne) possess particular qualities attributable to the region’s 400 soil types. 6. This simple three-step cocktail is composed of vodka, limes and sugar. 7. Pin this image Image by nicksieger Only two people know the secret recipe to produce this all-natural liquor (36% alcohol volume). 8. Pin this image 9. Pin this image
Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe Unfortunately, I have yet to post a lasagna recipe but I have something just as good- Lasagna roll ups. Lasagna roll ups are cooked lasagna noodles rolled up with a cheese mixture and baked in a sauce. If you are not a fan of cottage cheese it could be replaced with ricotta. This dish uses three different types of cheeses- cottage, parmesan and mozzarella. Don’t worry if you want meat in your meals, the sauce is a meat sauce. Ingredients:Sauce- ¼ lb ground beef 2 tablespoons onion (chopped) 2 garlic cloves (minced) 1 (16 oz) can crushed tomatoes ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried oregano 1 dash cayenne pepper (or more to your taste)Filling- 1 ¼ cups small curd cottage cheese ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 1 egg (lightly beaten) 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (minced) ¼ teaspoon onion powder 6 lasagna noodles (cooked) ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese Cooking Instructions: Step 1: In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion and garlic until the beef is no longer pink.
Hidden flavours of Paris Want to savour the French capital's best steaks, freshest baguettes, most welcoming bars and secret street markets? Discover the hidden gems of Paris' food scene with the help of the experts. The article, taken from an edition of Lonely Planet Traveller magazine, shows you how. The secret patisserie - Gérard Mulot Image by Paul and Jill Gérard Mulot is a splendid patisserie and traiteur in St-Germain. It's not far from the Jardin du Luxembourg, so you can pick up all you need for a picnic. - Jeremy Lee, head chef of London's Blueprint Cafe The secret bar - La Cagnotte de Belleville La Cagnotte de Belleville (13 Rue Jean-Baptiste Dumay, 75020) is extremely scruffy but perfectly Parisian. - Trish Deseine, food writer and cook The secret cheese shop - Fromagerie Trotté Fromagerie Trotté (97 Rue St Antoine, 75004) is a tiny little shop in the Marais. - Sheila Dillon, present of BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme The secret restaurant - Benoit I've been eating at Benoit for 25 years. Image by Fil.Al
Bagels Living in Bermuda, I have cooked some things I would never make if I was living in the US. Homemade bagels are definitely one of them. Why would I bother making bagels if I lived in a city that had great bagels on every corner? It was a very dense yet soft dough. We halfed the recipe to make 6 bagels. It's best to make a smooth ball and then poke a hole through it rather than rolling out a log and trying to connect it. Making the onion topping. We like everything bagels. Salt and pepper added to the previous ingredients. Just like pretzels, bagels are boiled before baking. Lots of cornmeal to prevent sticking. Yum. The interior was soft and chewey, the outside had some crunch. We decided to make what might have been the best egg sandwich of my life. Bagels The recipe we were hoping to try was here, but we ended up doing this easier one.
Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadillas What is it about bacon & avocado that I absolutely love?? And these quesadillas… with their buttery, crispy, heavenly tortilla shells… are seriously yum. Don’t let the green scare ya, avocados have a really delicious taste. I promise they’re not just thrown in to “healthify” this recipe! ;) Quesadillas are one of our favorite quick and easy weeknight meals. Come on, let’s make these, you’ll love ‘em! Let’s start with the bacon. Now take about a tbsp of the bacon drippings and add to a skillet over medium heat. Add bite-sized pieces of chicken in a single layer, season with salt & pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking. Remove the chicken & scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet. Then add a little butter over medium heat… And when foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Now we can start layering with the good stuff. Bacon. Avocado. Do you know how to pick out a good avocado?
Dulce de Leche Brownies : : Miss in the Kitchen Dulce de Leche Brownies At seven o’clock last night I had a chocolate craving. I approach the pantry and see a can of Dulce de Leche and instantly think caramel brownies. I have been wanting to try a new brownie so I did a quick Google search and found these babies. Being seven at night and the fact that I live in the middle of nowhere, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips because that’s what I had. If you have fancy- shmancy chocolate feel free to use it, I am sure it would elevate these already fantastic brownies! If you aren’t familiar with Dulce de Leche it is basically caramel, like caramelized sweetened condensed milk (I can eat it straight out of the can). Dulce de Leche Brownies Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris (Broadway Books) David Lebovitz Cooking Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8-inch square baking dish with a sheet aluminum foil that covers the bottom up over the sides. Pour half of the batter into baking dish. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Enjoy! Miss
Risotto Balls (Arancini) Remember that butternut squash risotto I made a few weeks back? Well, we had tons leftover. (Why can't I remember that there are just the three of us now?) Anyway, I froze the leftovers and finally found time to make them into one of my most favorite appetizers ever, risotto balls. The beauty of these babies as it relates to entertaining is that the risotto is made in advance and the only prep work involved at party time is the dredging and frying. These risotto balls are stuffed with a little cube of cheese just to put them over the top. Risotto Balls (Arancini)2 cups risotto, chilled2 ounces cheese, cubed 1/2"1 cup all-purpose floursalt and pepper2 large eggs, lightly beatenTabasco (optional)1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs1 tsp Italian seasoning2 TBSP fresh parsley, choppedvegetable oil, for deep frying I used my deep fryer to make these, but if you're going to make them on the stove, use a heavy pan and heat about 3" of oil to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with waxed paper.
*Simply Scratch*: {Best} Fried Egg Sandwich In my last post I talked about joining a co-op, and how I mainly did it for the eggs. If you have time read this blog post {foodrenegade.com} about eggs and you’ll understand why! It will tell you what eggs to get if you can’t get local, free range organic eggs and the benefits. Pretty interesting stuff! Perfect for breakfast or lunch! When I make fried egg sandwiches for my girls, they always ask if the special salt is on the eggs, which would be the Lawry’s seasoning. *8/18/2010: SOOO exciting!! Here is what you will need: Bread, Cheese, Eggs, Lawry’s Season Salt, Black Pepper, Butter and Olive oil. Let’s get something straight. Toast your bread… …And when they ‘pop’ and are still hot, lay your slice of cheese on top to soften it up a bit. In a large pan over medium heat, add your olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. When the pan is heated up add your eggs. Fried egg goodness! Sprinkle with Lawry’s and black pepper. I like my egg yolks on the runny side but the whites have to be cooked.