A Birthday Feast....

For my sons 2nd Birthday I decided to make a special dinner feast for my family.
Thanks to a few days off work I was able to catch up on daytime televison and saw some pretty interesting recipes by my favorite star chefs. Planning the menu was easy, I paired my personal favorites with a few new dishes from very trusted sources, Each dish came out perfectly delicious and super easy to make.
Menu:
1. Corn Bread
2. Artichoke and bean spread topped with prociutto - Giada De Laurentis
3. Vegetable Lasagna - Giada De Lourentis
4. String beans with feta cheese and candied walnuts  - Claire Robinson
5. Warm potato salad with leek, celery and carrots -  Rachel Ray
6. Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls
7. Baked Salmon
8. Baked Mahi Mahi

9. Mustard and rosemary roasted pork loin - Claire Robinson

10. Freshly Baked Flat Bread

 Artichoke spread on my home baked bread

 corn bread



vegetable lasagna



warm potato salad

string beans with candied walnuts

sweet and sour chicken balls

mahi mahi

Salmon

flat bread





prosciutto wrapped mustard pork loin



Corn Bread

Ingredients

1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 8 oz container sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 small can of corn – drained
1 small can of creamed corn
2 eggs
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup sugar
Mix all wet ingredients and corn, add corn muffin mix, transfer to a 9”x9” or whatever handy pan you have. Bake at 350 for 40 min uncovered in.


Artichoke and bean spread topped with prociutto - Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

4 very thin slices prosciutto

12 (1/4-inch thick) slices rustic country bread

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 (12-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray

Lay the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

On another baking sheet, arrange the bread slices in a single layer. Using a pastry brush, brush the bread with 1/4 cup of the oil. Bake until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the artichoke hearts, beans, cheese, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is chunky. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Spoon the artichoke mixture onto the crostini. Crumble the prosciutto and sprinkle on top. Drizzle with oil and serve.

Vegetable Lasagna - Giada De Lourentis
From the food network site:

Butter, for greasing

Olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices

2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into thirds

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thirds

1 orange bell pepper, cut into thirds

1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup plain bread crumbs

Directions

Put a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish.

Drizzle the eggplant slices, fennel slices and peppers with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes each side until softened.

Spoon 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange the peppers in a single layer on top. Spoon 3/4 cup of marinara sauce over the peppers. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange the fennel on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Scatter the bread crumbs over the cheese and drizzle liberally with oil. Bake until the top is golden and forms a crust, about 30 to 35 minutes

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook's Note: The vegetables can also be baked in a 375 degrees F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until softened.

4. String beans with feta cheese and candied walnuts  - Claire Robinson
Although the recipe inspiration was from Claire Robinson, I make string beans all the time, usually with balsamic vinegar and toasted almonds.  This time, I added some candied walnuts and feta cheese
1 lb string beans, trimmed( this recipe is best with haricot verts, these are just thinner string beans)
1 cup walnuts
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Throw string beans into boiling water for about 5 minutes then remove and place them in an ice bath ( pour cold water into a bowl and add ice, inorder to stop the cooking process)
Mix walnuts with mable syrup in a bowl, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, let cool
In a sautee pan, heat olive oil, add string beans, feta cheese and walnuts, cook for about 3 minutes.

Warm potato salad with leek, celery and carrots -  Rachel Ray
This recipe is from foodnetwork.com

4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Salt

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

8 slices center cut bacon, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 carrot, peeled then thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler, then chopped into bits

2 leeks

1/2 cup dry white wine, eyeball it

1/2 cup chicken stock, eyeball it

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, 5 to 6 sprigs, stripped and chopped

Black pepper

Directions

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, salt water and cook until just tender 10 minutes.

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add a liberal drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and the bacon. Cook bacon until crisp.

Reserve bacon on paper towel lined plate, removing it from the pan with a slotted spoon. Drain some of the fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pan. Add celery and carrots to the pan. While the vegetables cook, cut leeks lengthwise then into half moon slices 1/2- inch thick. Run the leeks under cold water and separate every layer to release the trapped grit. Drain well. Add leeks to sauteed veggies and cook another 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Deglaze the pan with wine and pick up any pan drippings. Reduce heat to low and add chicken stock and thyme.

Drain potatoes and return to hot pot to cook off water then transfer the potatoes to the skillet with the vegetables and stock. Carefully combine the potatoes and vegetables, add bacon back to the pan then season the warm salad with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Balls
Recipe in previous post
http://fastandgourmet.blogspot.com/2011/05/sweet-and-sour-chicken-balls.html

Baked Salmon/ Baked Mahi Mahi
I usually cook fish the same way.  Wash and pat dry fish, place in a baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper, squeeze lemon juice all over, cover and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. 
variation can be the spices you sprinkle with, italian seasoning, paprika or even curry are also great choices for variation.

Mustard and rosemary roasted pork loin - Claire Robinson
Recipe from foodnetwork.com, my special touch to this recipe was that i served it with warm fig jam, delicious!!!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves, plus 4 sprigs rosemary, with hard woody stems

5 large garlic cloves, 2 cloves minced, 3 cloves smashed

2 pork tenderloins, about 1-pound each

4 slices maple bacon

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, fresh ground black pepper, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic and mix well. Rub the mustard mixture over the surface of the tenderloins and wrap in plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic in the center of a roasting pan. Remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and top each with 2 slices of maple bacon. Tie with kitchen twine to secure bacon strips.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the tenderloins, registers 160 degrees F. Remove from oven when desired doneness is reached and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove kitchen twine, slice and serve with your favorite sides. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and garlic. Enjoy!

Freshly Baked Flat Bread
Recipe for the dough can be found in a previous blog post.  roll out and bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes
http://fastandgourmet.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-love-pizza.html

Cauliflower Gratin.....

When it comes to food, it doesn't take much to inspire me.  Somehow the ideas are just born within seconds of me thinking of a few ingredients.  I guess you can call it a gift :O)  Tonight I made a cauliflower gratin as a side dish for dinner alongside some chicken and rice.  The gratin recipe just came to me, I knew I wanted to use the cauliflower I bought this weekend, so I reached for my Le crouset pot and heat up some oilve oil, cut up and sauteed a medium onion.  I chopped up half the large head of cauliflower, after all, this was an experiment, and if it didn't turn out the right way, I didn't want to waste the full head.  I added the cut up florets to the onions, added about a 1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper and a few dashes of paprika, as well as 2 tablespoons of sour scream. I continued cooking it on low heat for about 5 minutes, then covered the pot and placed in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  I took it out, added 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and broiled until the top was golden brown.  The result.... delicious.
Yellow rice was prepared as per package instructions
for the chicken:
2 chicken breasts sliced thin and then sliced into strips 
2 green onions chopped
1/2 yellow and red pepper sliced thin
Heat up 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet, add chicken, cook for 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, i also added a few dashes of hoisin sauce, this adds sweetness, and about 2 tablespoons of Asian sesame dressing, continue cooking for about 8 minutes until chicken is firm and peppers are soft.
Enjoy!

cooked gratin

California Food Finds.

I recently came back from a trip to California.  Besides wanting to see the places Ive heard about and saw in movies, I was really excited to taste some new food and visit a few restaurants I have heard of.  Our itenerary was Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, LA, Malibu, and Santa Monica, and these were the places we found along the way.
1. Pinks Hot dogs - Awesome chili cheese dogs, and a landmark in La, after our delicious artery blocking lunch, we could have used some tums.

 2.The Original Pantry - a breakfast diner open since 1924 that serves a wicked breakfast in downtown LA

2 eggs with their amazing potatoes were delicious, but the showstopper was the sour dough french toast.  I really have never tasted french toast this good, I will definitely be trying this at home.

3. Taco Loco - a famous taco place in Laguna Beach

You cant beat these fresh and delicious shrimp and mahi tacos, plus cheese nachos with guacamole.  With a view of the pacific coast, this place made a perfect afternoon trip to Laguna Beach.

4. The Inn  - Malibu Cafe overlooking the coast

The food was just ok, but I really liked the way they served their guacamole, in a small bowl with chips arranged inside.  Here on the right you've got a deep fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich, now this was definitely worth the trip to Malibu, plus the great view of the beach and surfers.

5. Bazaar - an innovative restaurant in Beverly Hills.  This restaurant serves small plates so we shared 8 incredible dishes between the 2 of us.

We started with the sweet potato chips and yogurt sauce,  the chips were definitely hand made and the dipping sauce was delicious, decorated with balsamic vinegar and olive oil it was a beautiful and delicious start. 

 

This is their version of caprese salad,  if you placed a tomato ball ( which was scooped with a melon baller, impressive) with the melt in your mouth mozzarella ball, basil sauce and crouton, you get the most incredible flavor in your mouth all at once, no wonder this is their most popular dish.

Next was their version of a philly cheese steak, this was an air roll filled with cheese and thin sliced beef on top, incredible melt in your mouth flavor.

Focaccia bread with a spiced tomato spread and manchego cheese. Delicious.

 Deep friend chicken and cheese in a bite size popper.  Amazing.

This was a nice dish, chicken with figs in a mustard sauce.  Nice balance of flavors.

 This one was my least favorite because I'm not a fan of pork sausage, but the fried mixture on the bottom was very tasty, it was a combination of potatoes, mushrooms, white beans and corn, great flavor which I will have to try one of these days.

This was our final dish, boneless chicken wings, with an olive spread.  This was also ok, not my favorite.

Overall we had an amazing dinner, definitely recommend this place.

Summer Sides

I love making quick and easy side dishes that go great with any meal. Tonight, I made 2 great side dishes: Corn Salad and Basil and Sun dried Tomato infused Rice. I paired with my classic chicken cubes, and result was delicious. Corn Salad:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a splash of milk and sugar, this is a trick I learned from my mother in law, it makes the corn taste sweet and creamy all the time. Cook 2 heads of corn, both cut in half for easier handling for about 25 minutes.
Remove from water, let cool, and cut the corn off the cob. Add to a bowl, mix in 1/4 pack of boursin garlic and herb cheese, add some chopped dill and all done.  The heat of the corn melts the cheese and you get a deliciously flavored corn salad
basil and sun dried tomato rice:
ingredients:
1 package 15 minute rice - cooked
6 pcs sun dried tomato in oil- from jar
1/2 cup chopped basil
add half chopped basic to a bowl, and chopped sundried tomatoes, add rice and mix.
In a small bowl prepare dressing: 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil from the tomato jar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. the ratio of the dressing ingredients can be adjusted to your liking. if you don't like too much vinegar, add more oil. Mix dressing and pour over the rice and mix.  top with remaining basil.

Recipe for the chicken cubes can be found in an older post : http://fastandgourmet.blogspot.com/2011/03/blogworthy-dinner.html

Enjoy!!!

Goodies from the Garden: String Beans

Summer is my favorite time of year, not only because of the warm weather, but also because I get to plant my vegetable garden.  Every year I try something new, but there are always staples: Tomatoes, Peppers, String Beans, Zucchini and Arugula are a must!  They are easy to grow, and just so delicious especially knowing they are super fresh and organic.  I picked some wonderful string beans from my garden and decided to make something new.  Tonight I made Balsamic Chicken with string beans and cheese tortellini mixed with tomatoes, feta and basil.  I must admit, I was a little nervous putting this meal together because there were alot of ingredients, but somehow they all worked together.

Balsamic chicken: serves 2-3

1 medium onion  sliced in thin rings

2 chicken breasts, cubed
20 string beans, trimmed and cut in half - steamed for a few minutes

Sautee onions in olive oil until golden, move them to the side of the pan, and add your chicken, season with salt and pepper, continue sauteing until chicken pieces turn white, add string beans, mix everything together, and add about 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar.  Cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

Cheese Tortellini Salad:
1 package cheese tortellini cooked and drained
1/2 diced tomato
1/3 cup crumbled Feta
few basil leaves - chopped
Mix everything together while the cheese tortellini is warm, serve warm or cold
Enjoy!!

a Mexican inspired meal...

I declined to order Blockheads for lunch today, and instead took a stroll down 5th ave only to realize the city has been taken over by food trucks.  Its a new generation of eating out of fancy food trucks, not your regular hot dog stands.  While I walked by a Mediterranean, Korean and fish and chips truck, I ultimately chose a Cuban Truck.  I cant say my food was amazing, but for a food truck it was pretty good, however that's not saying much for the truck.  I think the whole point is to offer AMAZING food, and my chicken sandwich was about a 6 out of 10.  But back to my inspiration, blockheads is a tex mex place in the city and I decided I wanted to make Mexican for Dinner.  This meal was very quick to prepare, thanx to a few shortcuts, and most of it done while holding my 20 month old little boy in one arm because he loves to watch me cook.
I made a pilaf rice and grilled chicken topped with pico de gallo, and a side of  refried beans and guacamole.
Lets start with the easiest:
Pico De Gallo - very good when prepared fresh, today mine came in a glass jar, a mixture of onions, tomatoes, and peppers, Goya does a pretty good job.
Refried beans - black beans from a can, washed under cold water, fried on a pan with a little oil and shredded cheddar cheese, this takes a few minutes over a medium flame, mix and mash everything together.
Guacamole - 1 avocado, mashed and seasoned with salt and freshly squeezed lemon juice
Chicken - 4 thin sliced chicken breasts sliced in thin strips and fried with salt and paprika
Rice - a Pilaf rice mix, cooked according to package instructions.
I cant tell you how delicious this meal was, you'll only have to try for yourself.

Carmelized Peppers over PotatoMash and Grilled Chicken

The inspiration for tonight's dinner came from a vegetable stand.  I saw a display of red, green, yellow and orange peppers next to each other and I knew that I had to put them together into something pretty.  This meal was so easy and super delicious, try for yourself.

Grilled chicken breast prepared any way you like, I used a poultry seasoning and a squeeze of lemon juice and grilled on the stove in a grill pan.

Idaho Potatoes were boiled till soft, then drained and mashed with 1/2 cup warm milk and 1 TBS butter.

For the Caramelized Peppers:

1 of each - yellow, green, red and orange pepper sliced thin

1 onion sliced thin

Heat 2 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter in a frying pan, and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, turning often.
What you get is a simple yet delicious combination of flavors and a nice dinner idea. Enjoy!!


cut up peppers



Roasted Vegetables

There is nothing easier than roasting vegetables.  Its the quickest side dish to prepare, not exactly the quickest to cook depending on the vegetable, but nevertheless, its always worth it.  What you get is gorgeous colors, delicious flavor, and a healthy side dish or Snack.  I roast vegetables all the time, the best are broccoli and butternut squash. Just cut up vegetables in a uniform size, to make sure they cook evenly, line a baking sheet with foil ( spray foil with caooking spray) for easy clean up, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and kosher salt, and voila, you've got a meal. Bake at 400 degrees until soft and golden brown.  Enjoy
Other Roasting ideas: Asparagus, cut up potato wedges, brussel sprouts.

Burger and Fries!!!

Tonight's dinner was fast food inspired, Chicken Cheeseburger, Fries and Cole Slaw, and all made from scratch.  I was at Trader Joe's this weekend, and picked up the cutest mini buns, and I thought, they really deserve to be served right.  To think, the inspiration came from a pretty little bun. So I made mini chicken burgers and home fries, as well as my own cole slaw, and the result was amazing.  So much so that my husband called it his new favorite meal.  The fries recipe happens to be my childhood favorite.  Its so simple, yet the flavor of freshly cut fries is so delicious no wonder they call them home fries. 

Mini burgers: makes about 15 mini burgers

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped dill

Mix all ingredients, shape into mini burgers and fry on a skillet ( I have a grill skillet which is perfect) until golden.  The burgers cook quick, about 2 minutes per side, I also added a quarter slice of American cheese to each.  To make the sliders, I mixed ketchup and mustard and smeared on both sides of the bun, topped with a little cole slaw.

Home Fries:

5 Idaho potatoes

peel and wash potatoes and cut thin, heat 2 TB spoons vegetable oil in a non stick skillet and add potatoes, cook, turning often on medium-low heat till golden and soft, about 25 minutes, you can also cover to cook quicker, but check on it often and turn often.

Cole Slaw

1 package shredded cabbage and carrots

dressing:

This recipe I really eyeballed all the ingredients, a few tablespoons white wine vinegar, mayo, Dijon mustard, squeeze of lemon.  whisk everything together and mix with cabbage, I also added half of a pear, finely chopped, for the sweetness. Mix well and let stand for a few hours so the cabbage can marinate, or refrigerate overnight.

Creamy Corn Soup!!!!!

You only realize how many people read your blog when you stop blogging and suddenly everyone starts asking " what are you cooking" and "why aren't you blogging", the answer is I am cooking and I still take pictures almost every night, I guess that doesn't really count.  So here I am, back at it, and I've got lots to blog about.  Where should we start? How about today's experiment.  I've been making Split Pea Soup for ages, its actually a simple recipe I came up with myself.  It starts with sauteing chopped onions, celery and carrots in olive oil, you add water and dried split peas, a few cut up potatoes, a little salt and just let that cook for about an hour, mash everything up and you've got yourself a great soup.  Today, I decided to try something new, everything the same, except I substituted dried split peas for fresh corn.  The Result....Delicious.  Try for yourself.

Creamy Corn Soup - serves 3-4
1 medium onion
1 large carrot
2 stalk celery
1 leek - washed well
2 - fresh corn, cut from the cob
2 large potatoes-cubed
In a Large pot or dutch oven, sautee the onions, celery carrot and leek in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil until golden.  Add corn and about 4 cups of water, bring to boil, then reduce heat. Add salt ( start with 1 teaspoon and then taste and see if it needs more) Add potatoes and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Turn off the heat and let cool.  I then used a hand held immersion blender to cream the soup.  If you don't have this handy tool, you can always use a potato masher, or a real blender to get it really creamy, just make sure to cool the soup first. I garnished with a dollop of sour cream, fresh ground pepper and basil. Enjoy