Basic with a Twist...

 Growing up, the most basic meal consisted of mashed

potatoes and chicken cutlets.  You can’t get any more Russian than that.  It’s simple, so good and very quick to make. When I cook, I love giving the old classics a twist.  That’s exactly what I did tonight; I added an Asian inspired rainbow slaw to the classic and instantly took it to a new level.  I found this package of salad in the supermarket last weekend and decided to give it a try.  It’s made up of shredded broccoli stems and cauliflower stems, as well as red cabbage and carrots.  The combination is refreshing with a great crunch.  I knew that this salad mix needed just a bit of cooking, so for the Asian inspired slaw I pan fried about a cup and a half it in a little olive oil then added about 2 tablespoons of my favorite Asian sesame sauce, topped it with some toasted slivered almonds, about 2 minutes total cooking time.  Mixed in with the mashed potatoes, this really gave my dish a kick.

For the chicken Cutlets:
1 lb of ground chicken
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix all together, shape into a cutlet, and pan fry.

Enjoy!!!



chicken cutlets





almonds toasting



Food on Demand: Hummus

I realize there’s nothing easier than buying a container of hummus at a supermarket, but for me, besides the pleasure I get from making my own food, I love the idea of food on demand, I can make whatever I want, whenever I want it..... 
I really like Hummus, it’s such a simple flavor, straight forward and delicious and also pretty healthy.  Basically it’s just mashed up chickpeas.  I’m very aware that middle eastern people take pride in their hummus and even talk bad about each other’s hummus as if it’s a competition on which is better,  I on the other hand am not an expert on hummus and usually go by the Sabra hummus taste in the supermarket, and occasionally at Greek or Middle eastern restaurants.  I’ve wanted to make my own hummus for a long time, just never bothered to stock Tahini in my pantry since I couldn’t think of any other use for it.  Finally a few weeks ago I got a can of Tahini and my hummus was just waiting to be made.
I got this recipe from a food blog but cant remmeber which one so I cant give it credit.  Try for yourself!!

Hummus ( I used canned chickpeas and forgot to add garlic and it still tasted great)
1-1/2 cups freshly cooked chickpeas (or a 15-ounce can)
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini (well-stirred)
1 medium clove garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
optional: toasted sesame seeds and smoked paprika for dusting on top
If using canned chickpeas, drain them under cold water and shake dry.  Put chickpeas, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, garlic, 2 tablespoons water, cumin and salt in a food processor and process several minutes until very smooth.  Add more lemon juice if desired and a little more water to make a smooth consistency, if necessary.  Pack into a shallow dish or spread the hummus on a large plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and smoked paprika, if using.  Makes 1-1/2 cups

Cheese Tortellini with Chicken and Corn

I love recreating dishes.  Sometimes I switch out or add just one ingredient, at times its 2 or 3, the end result is always the same, I end up with something new and delicious.  That's exactly what happened tonight.  I went into the kitchen not really knowing what I was going to make, it kinda just happened. I had some corn on the cob and some Boursin cheese, perfect, I thought, I will make a delicious side dish I learned from a friend.  It involves boiling and grilling the corn and then cutting it off the cobb and mixing it in with the cheese.  The warm corn melts the cheese, a little chopped greens, parsley or dill, and you've got yourself a pretty great side dish.  So that was my starting point, only problem, there was no way I was going outside to grill corn in 20 degree weather, tonight it will have to just be boiled.  I also felt like a little cauliflower would add crunch and flavor to an already perfect salad so I added some chopped cauliflower to the boiling water at the very end.  The salad came out good, but was really missing that grill flavor, so I decided the dish will just need to be recreated. I wanted to somehow incorporate cheese tortellini and chicken into tonight's dinner, so a thought popped into my head, why not combine everything together and finish it off with some more of the cheese.  That's how I came up with tonight's spin off.  It was perfection, all the flavors married together and the cheese gave it that creaminess.  I boiled the cheese tortellini in salted water and drained it, 2 small Chicken breasts were cubed and sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper and paprika.  Then in a new skillet I combined everything together starting with the corn, then tortellini and chicken, adding about 2 tablespoons of the cheese.  Once everything was warmed up, it was ready to serve.  Try for yourself.

corn/cauliflower and parsley with cheese



the cheese, make sure to get the garlic and herb

cheese tortellini

cubed chicken



The Perfect Sandwich...

Sadly, I must admit, this creation is not my own because I am pretty simple minded when it comes to sandwiches, but this sandwich is truly a masterpiece.  Created by my husband a few years ago, it comes from a bagel/deli place called Gaby's Gourmet in Syosset by our house.  They do such a perfect job creating this sandwich that as much as I love recreating masterpieces, this is one I don't even want to attempt.
Contents:
Everything Flat Bagel
Honey Maple Turkey- alot of it
Swiss Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Russian Dressing
comes with coleslaw and pickle on the side
I'm not a huge fan of everything bagels/flagels, but for some reason it really works on this sandwich, perhaps its all the toppings of the flagel mixed with the turkey and Russian dressing, that make it so good.  The flagel adds the perfect crunch to this sandwich while bread would usually get soggy from the Russian dressing.  This is the ultimate sandwich and definitely worth a try!!! 

I Love Pizza...

I love pizza... Of course I can always order in or take out, but it just doesn’t do it for me. The personal satisfaction I feel when I make it myself and it actually tastes good, makes me so very happy.  I started making pizza a few years ago.  I got a pretty good and easy recipe for pizza dough, only problem was that the dough needed about 2 hours to rise, so if I wanted pizza for lunch I had to make the dough ahead of time, at which point it really would be easier to run out to a local pizzeria and get a slice.  However, about 2 years ago I got a great book called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day", this book has changed my life for the better.  As you all know, I am a big carb lover, well imagine having dough that can sit in the refrigerator for a few weeks and can be used a bit at a time whenever you feel like it.  The recipe below is just that, you can use it to make a loaf of bread, calzone, breadsticks, flatbread, pizza, you name it.  I keep the dough in a large plastic lidded container and when it runs out I just make a new batch.  I just love being able to bake some fresh bread whenever I want, its fast, easy and so delicious.  The Pizza made with this dough has a pretty crispy crust which I love, and my new Pizza stone makes it taste that much better.  I always keep tomato sauce and cheese in my fridge, and alternate toppings, sometimes its plain, sometimes I add veggies.  The pie above has pepperoni, scallions and broccoli, but you can add any topping you like.
The Master Recipe:
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoon granulated yeast ( 1.5 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
61/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all purpose white flour
Directions:
warm water slightly, In a large mixing bowl, add yeast and salt to the water, add flour and mix until you get a uniformly moist dough.  Transfer to a large container, at least 5 QT, I have a large plastic container with a lid that I keep this in.  Let rise for about 2 hours, you will see that the dough will double, even triple in size, and that’s it, once it rises, you can store in the fridge for a few weeks, this dough usually doesn’t last longer than 2 weeks in my fridge because I’m always making something.  By the 2nd week, you will see that the dough will slightly change color and smell, thats because it turns into a sourdough which is even more delicious. 
For the Pizza, roll out, add sauce and cheese, and any other topping you like and bake at 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!
Some of my creations below.

peperroni, spinach and red pepper pie



peperroni and cheese roll



bread rolls



Polenta...

Polenta has never been on my radar, until Sunday.  I was watching the food network and Melissa D'arabian, the host of Ten Dollar Dinners, was making polenta.  I have never made it before but the show really sparked my curiosity about this dish, I had to try it.  I may have had polenta in a restaurant but didnt really have any recollection of when and where, obviously it wasn't that memorable, so when I was making it I really had no idea what it will taste like.  Sometimes its good not to have any expectations because when a dish comes out great its that much more exciting. I'm sure polenta can be made many different ways, mine came out rich, creamy, and sooo delicious.  I really didnt even have a recipe, all I remembered from the show was that its a 7 to 1 ratio, 7 parts liquid and 1 part polenta.  Also on the show, a slow cooker was used to finish it off, I don't own one so mine was just cooked over the stove on very very low heat for about 30 minutes. This was an experiment so I didn't serve it with anything, but I can see serving this under some type of meat, like a veal/pork chop, or some kind of a roast.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 table spoons yellow corn meal
few dashes of salt
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
In a nonstick saucepan, bring the milk and polenta to a boil over medium heat, stirring with a whisk.  Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about half hour, stirring with a wooden spoon every few minutes, once its gets thick that it starts pulling away from the pan, add the cheese, mix some more, cook for another 2 minutes and done.  Enjoy!

Insane Brownies!

I love a moist fudgy brownie, but never really had a great recipe.   I have to thank my mother-in-law indirectly for this recipe, because when asked what I wanted for one of my 8 Hanukkah presents this year, I requested a subscription to a food magazine, after all, my inspiration has to come from somewhere.  When I saw the cover of the February issue of bon appetit magazine and a recipe inside, I just couldn't help myself, I had to try it.  If this brownie made the cover of a food magazine, it has to be good, and it was.  What attracted me to this recipe was that it was fairly simple with ingredients that I always have in my kitchen.  Try it for yourself, but warning, these are brownies that make you want to eat the entire tray, no joke.
Why are these so good?? because they have that hard top and a fudgy moist center.  The recipe called for walnuts which I included, I'm sure they can be left out if you don't like nuts.
Ingredients:
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in 1" pcs
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs-chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 TB spoon unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon water
1 cup walnuts pieces
preheat oven to 325 degrees, position rack in bottom third of the oven
line 8x8x2" metal pan with foil, leaving overhang on the sides so you can pick it up later, and coat with cooking spray
melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits start forming on the bottom, stir often, about 5 min total.
remove from heat, immediately add sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla and salt, stir to blend
leave to cool for 5 minutes
add eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition
when mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir to blend.
beat vigorously 60 strokes, stir in nuts. transfer to pan.  Bake for about 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs., cool on a rack, then lift foil and cut into pieces, I used a wet knife to cut and cleaned it often, because it got get very fudgy.
These are amazing, enjoy!!!

Nutella Cake

Nutella makes everything better. I know some people that cant be in the same room as nutella without consuming the entire jar, that's how good it is.  Nutella is in the same family as peanut butter and Dulce de leche, its a spreadable chocolate that you can use on just about anything.  I have made mini sandwiches with nutella and banana, you can spread on a crepe, or eat with a spoon right out of the jar. In my house, I have to hide peanut butter from my husband so he doesn't eat the entire jar, luckily he doesn't have the same taste buds for Nutella, so I can leave it sitting around for as long as I want until I'm ready to make my delicious Nutella pound cake.  I got this recipe from some food magazine, and one day decided to test it out, little did I know, this would become the Nutella cake everyone talks about.  Its the perfect combination of a moist cake and chocolate that runs throughout the cake, keeps great the next day as long as you keep it covered or in foil.  This recipe makes a pretty big pound cake,  so make sure you have a large loaf pan, otherwise, I sometimes divide this recipe in half to make a smaller cake.

ingredients:
2 sticks - room temperature unsalted butter ( has to be soft)
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs  at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
13 ounce jar of nutella
preheat oven to 325 degrees, grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan
lightly beat together eggs and vanilla in a bowl

mix flour, salt and baking powder in another bowl

with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium until fluffy,  gradually add the egg mixture until fully incorporated.  Add flour mixture in 3 batches at low speed until just incorporated. and mix for 30 seconds.

spread 1/3 of mixture in your pan, then spread 1/3 of nutella, continue with another layer of batter, another layer of nutella and the last layer of batter.  Top with remaining nutella, drop in dollops all over top and swirl the nutella with a knife or toothpick, do not over mix.

bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.  This cake is soooo good, try for yourself.



Easy to spot jar in your supermarket



Fast and Easy Stir Fry

If you are in the mood for Chicken and Vegetable stir fry but not in the mood for a Chinese take out menu, the answer is my Fast and Gourmet Blog. This recipe is super easy and delicious.  How many times have you eaten Chinese take out and wondered if the meat was really chicken?  Ok, its probably chicken, but probably the lowest grade and the least expensive.  Recently I have switched to organic chicken, I figure its probably a healthier choice, definitely more expensive but at least you know organic chickens are not fed any antibiotics.  When your stir fry is home made you can be sure that all the ingredients are to your liking.  I serve my stir fry over white rice.

Ingredients for stir fry:
1/3 red pepper

1/2 cup cauliflower

1/2 cup broccoli
1 scallion
1/2 zucchini
1/2 carrot

2-3 chicken breast

teriyaki/soy sauce

I start by slicing the chicken as thin as possible, In a wok, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil, add chicken and stir, once the chicken turns white, I add teriyaki sauce and some soy sauce, add as much teriyaki as you like, and just a few dashes of the soy.  Add all vegetables and stir fry for about 5 minutes, make sure there is enough liquid, if not add some more teriyaki sauce.

Fast, simple and delicious, Enjoy!



cut up veggies



stir fry in my wok



Everyday Stuffing....

Why should stuffing be a Thanksgiving only dish?  In my opinion, if something is good and easy to make, it should not be made once a year, and that's why I make my Turkey Sausage Stuffing whenever I feel like it. The thing is, this dish doesn't scream out thanksgiving, so you can get away with making this any night for dinner and although it probably doesn't sound that good, trust me it is.  I was even trying to come up with another name for it, just to make it sound better and more appetizing, obviously I couldn't.  When I make this dish, it is always eaten to the last bite, so I definitely recommend you try my recipe below.  I like to serve the stuffing with some kind of beans.  This time, I made my ketchup and garlic red kidney beans.  You will be so surprised at how good these beans are.   Simply open a can of large red kidney beans, and rinse them with cold water.  In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a crushed clove of garlic, then add about 1/3 cup of ketchup and the beans.  Stir and cook for about 2 minutes.  Done! Top with chopped dill or cilantro to make it extra fancy.. Also great cold.

Turkey Sausage stuffing:

1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage,you can also use chicken sausage ( not cooked)

1 medium onion

2 stalks celery

1 large carrot or about 6 baby carrots

Caesar croutons

directions:

Step 1- take the meat out of the casing ( thin film that raw sausage comes in)

Place the meat in skillet with 2 TB spoon olive oil and start browning, break up into small pieces while you are cooking it, saute the sausage until golden brown.Should take about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl

finely chop the onion, celery and carrots. the smaller the better

Clean the same skillet, add 1 TB spoon olive oil and saute the trio (onion, celery, carrot) in the skillet until golden. 2-3 minutes,  Add 1/3 cup water and saute for another 2 minutes.  you should have some liquid left over in your skillet.  Add this cooked mixture to the cooked sausage in the bowl.  Add about 1 cup croutons, and mix.  Let stand for about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a baking dish and top with some more croutons, as much as you like,  and bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Serve hot.  ( the recipe serves 2-4)  Once you try this dinner combination, you will no longer think of stuffing as a once a year dish. Enjoy!!