Day 358: Jen's Guacamole

Another great recipe from Jen - easy and delicious!

10 Avocado’s
½ Red Onion
1 Roma Tomato
7 sprigs’ of Cilantro : remove leafs’ from stems
1 tbsp crushed Garlic
1 Jalapeño : remove or keep seed’s, you make it as hot as you want
½ a Lime : squeezed into a small ramekin
1 tsp kosher salt : or season to your liking
Tabasco


Chop all veggies and add to a bowl. Mix in cilantro, garlic, salt and fresh lime juice.
You can add all of the ingredients to your food processor and make this into a very creamy guac. Or, leave it chucky.

To serve; place 3 heaping tablespoons full onto a plate. Sprinkle a few drops of Tabasco over the top and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

365-Days of Scratch Cooking - Revised

My lofty goals of reducing food costs, losing weight, and spending more time with the family have evolved since I started this project. It's more about having fun with friends and family in the kitchen than anything else. Not to mention great food. Anthony Bourdain was right, it's not just about the eating.

Day 359: Diane's Avocado Spring Mix Salad

Diane rocked the house when she served this salad at brunch one Sunday. This is great served with Bloody Marys, tacos, fresh guacamole, and tortilla chips. The dressing in this salad combines beautifully with the cherry tomatoes and avocado. The result is a palate-pleasing salad that makes you want to eat the entire bowl yourself.

The Salad:
Large bag of mixed greens
1 -2 cucumbers - to taste
1 pint Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
Avocados - to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Sugar

Directions:

Put mixed greens into bowl.

Peel and rough chop cucumbers and avocado
Dice Red Onion
Cut cherry tomatoes in half
Throw in bowl with mixed greens

Then add the following:
4 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
4 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Day 360: Jen's Munchie Vodka Sauce

My BFF, Jen, created this dish on the spur of the moment, based purely on instinct. It is the definition of gastronomy: the art and science of good eating. Dinner was a perfect balance of fresh ingredients, depth, complexity and the company of good friends. There is no better testament to the Slow Food movement than this.

Ingredients:

1tbsp olive oil
6 Cloves of Garlic – sliced fine and chopped
2 Shallots- sliced fine and chopped
1 18oz can of Nina San Marzano Tomatoes with Basil and Tomato puree – you can get these at Tenuta’s
3 mild Italian sausages – remove the casings
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp Italian seasoning mixture – basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme mixture
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp of dry mustard – helps with coloring
2 shots of Vodka
1/3 cup of heavy cream
3 tbsp butter

I also like to add 3 tbsp of Tastefully Simple’s Onion Onion to this; it gives it a good flavor. If you don't have this at home you can omit or try to create your own version. It is a blend of onion, garlic, sea salt, shallots, red bell pepper, parsley, chives, and leeks.

Chop Garlic and Shallots; brown them in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add sausage and brown. Add in the can of tomatoes, spices and bring to a boil. Cook down for about 20 mins.
Stir in the heavy cream and vodka. Continue to boil for another 20 mins, and then turn down to a simmer. Add 3 tbsp of butter.

Cook for an additional 20 mins to let some of the liquid cook off.

Serve over your favorite noodle. I prefer a heavy noodle as this sauce is a little thick. In this case I used a a 3-foot long tube pasta from Tenuta's Italian Grocery in Kenosha, WI. The noodles had a flavor of their own that greatly contributed to the flavor of the sauce so I suggest choosing a very good quality noodle to accompany this sauce.

Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Day 361: Aunt Jeff's Marinated Tomatoes for Bruschetta & More

A good friend once told me that marinating chopped tomatoes in olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper will help bring out the natural flavor of the tomatoes. He was right! This is another recipe where the ingredients and measurements are not rigid.

• Several plum or other fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped (have not tried canned)
  
• Dash of salt
• Generous dash of pepper
• 1-2 TBSP Olive Oil
• Generous splash of red wine vinegar (I use Tenuta's extra strong)
• Additional seasonings to taste (for pizza and bruschetta I use Tenuta's Italian spice mix w/ salt)

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl (non-reactive). Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to using. I have used this blend to top pizza, bruschetta, in salads, and in guacamole.

Day 362: Pizza Crust (Cracker Bread) from King Arthur Flour

Continuing my search for my favorite pizza crust. Trying this one from King Arthur Flour (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pizza-crust-or-cracker-bread-recipe) today. Stay tuned!

Ingredients

View by: Volume Weight

• 3 cups Sir Lancelot Hi-Gluten Flour
• 3/4 cup Hi-maize natural fiber*
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pizza Dough Flavor (optional, but delicious)
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough
• *Hi-maize gives the crust an extra crisp bottom; if you don't have it, use a total of 3 3/4 cups high-gluten flour.

Topping

• seeds, herbs and salt, or pizza seasoning; tomato sauce, cooked meats, vegetables, and cheeses of your choice

• 13 ounces Sir Lancelot Hi-Gluten Flour
• 3 1/2 ounces Hi-maize natural fiber*
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pizza Dough Flavor (optional, but delicious)
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 7/8 ounce olive oil
• 12 ounces lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough
• *Hi-maize gives the crust an extra crisp bottom; if you don't have it, use a total of 3 3/4 cups high-gluten flour.

Topping

• seeds, herbs and salt, or pizza seasoning; tomato sauce, cooked meats, vegetables, and cheeses of your choice

Directions

1) Dough: Mix and knead together all of the dough ingredients, by hand, mixer or bread machine, till you've created a smooth, soft dough.

2) Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 hour; then shape and bake as directed below. Or refrigerate dough for up to 2 days; this step will develop the crust's flavor.

3) Divide the dough in half (or in thirds, for cracker-thin crust).

4) Shape each piece into a 10" to 14" circle or rectangle (thicker or thinner crust), and place each on a piece of parchment paper or greased pan.

5) Allow to rise for 30 minutes or so, covered, while preheating the oven to 475°F.

6) To make cracker bread, spray the dough with Quick Shine or brush it with garlic oil; and sprinkle with assorted seeds. Or top any way you choose. Bake for 12 minutes, till brown and crisp. For the crispiest pizza, bake the crust for 8 minutes, until set, before topping with sauce and cheese; then bake for an additional 4 minutes.

Day 363: Country French Toast

What a happy accident! Take one recipe of any fresh baked bread, soak for 20 minutes in French Toast batter and voila - you have a show-stopping breakfast or dinner. Note: ingredient amounts vary according to taste.

French Toast Batter:
3 - 4 eggs, beaten
1/2 - 1 cup whole milk, evaporated milk, cream, or heavy cream. Evaporated milk is the best in my opinion.
Generous dash of nutmeg
Generous dash of cinnamon (slightly more than the nutmeg)
Small pinch of ground cloves (optional)
1/2 to 1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 stick of butter for skillet + more for topping the French Toast
powdered sugar for dusting

Whisk together all ingredients. Soak thick slices of fresh or day old bread in mixture for 20-minutes or as long as it takes the batter to soak through the slices.

Preheat over to 175-degrees. Put oven-safe plates in oven to warm them.

Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet at medium-high temperature. When butter foams and just begins to brown, add 1-2 slices of battered bread. If it doesn't sizzle in the pan it isn't ready to cook. Cook each side 2-3 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. Top with sliced bananas for something truly decadent.

Day 364: Diane's Pan-Seared Filet Mignon

I found this to be a quick and easy dish that is restaurant worthy. I first had it New Years Eve when my friend, Diane, suggested it. It was so good that I made it again a few days later to satisfy my lust for a good steak. The family loved it. I will never cook filet on the grill again. It just isn't the same.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 pound filet mignon (buy as many filets as you have guests. each should be roughly 1/3 pound. You should ask your butcher to flatten them or do it yourself at home so they cook evenly).
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup flour or Wondra
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• Garlic powder (to taste)
• Enough olive oil to coat pan
• 3 TBSP butter
  
• Medium skillet
• jelly roll pan

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Dry each filet with a paper towel and then dredge in the flour mixture.
Heat skillet to medium-high heat.
Add olive oil. The filets are ready to cook when the oil shimmers in the pan. Sear filets on all sides for 2 minutes per side.
Place filets on jelly roll pan, topping each with a pat of butter.
Finish cooking steaks in the oven for 6-10 minutes for rare to medium rare. Add more time if you like your steak well done.

365 Days of Scratch Cooking

Starting today I will be cooking at least one meal per day from scratch. In addition, all breads will be made from scratch. My goal is to see whether or not this improves a) family finances; b) weight management; and/or c) brings about the joy of planning family meals together.

Day 1: Poached eggs for breakfast (easy and delicious!)

New Year's Eve 2009

The company was good - and the food was great. Best dishes of the evening included Hot -n- Spicy BBQ meatballs and the best pan-seared filet mignon I've ever had thanks to Diane's great recipe. Stay tuned for recipe details.