"It's New To You" recipe contest entry - Cabot Cheese Cheddar Croquettes with Tamarind, Apple & Ginger Chutney

Through the wonderful women who host the Recipe Redux, I received free samples from Cabot Creamery of the cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Creamery Cooperative and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Cabot is asking us to showcase one of their reduced cheddar cheeses in a dish using a vegetable, fruit or whole grain we have never cooked with.

Cabot Reduced Fat Cheddar is:
* Low in Carbohydrates
* High in Protein
* Lower in Fat
* Lower in Sodium
* High in Calcium
* Naturally Lactose-Free
* Naturally Gluten-Free

I narrowed my choice of fruit to tamarind for three very good reasons. A package in my pantry was never opened, I have never cooked with it and it is used world-wide. It seemed like the perfect ingredient and time to use it. I did know tamarind was very sour and used as a condiment in sauces, drinks and desserts, but what I did not know is it is used most in South Asia and Mexico.

Asian foods make up a large portion of diets here in America and you could not get more Americana then a Cabot Cheddar Cheese. I decided to marry the two.

An East Meets West that Ming Tsai would be proud of. What would go better with cheddar than a Tamarind, Apple and Ginger Chutney.

I hope you find this recipe combination as delicious as my taste-testers did and Ming, if you are reading this, I give you permission to use these two "heros" in one of your shows.

Cheddar Cheese Croquettes with Tamarind, Apple & Ginger Chutney
Serving: 3 croquettes served with 1/4 cup chutney

Chutney
Makes 3 cups chutney

* 1/2 (14oz) package wet tamarind pulp
* 2 cups hot water
* 3/4 cups sugar
* 1/2 tablespoons roasted ground cumin seeds
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, minced or 2 teaspoon ginger powder
* 2 gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
* 1/4 each red pepper and sweet onion, small dice
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons apple butter (optional)
* 1 teaspoon Colemans Dry Mustard

Croquettes
Makes 12

* 6 ounces 50% reduced fat Cabot Cheddar Cheese, grated
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup 2% milk
* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 12 egg roll wrappers

Chutney Directions
1. Break the tamarind into small pieces and soak in hot boiling water for one hour.
Using your hand, squish the pulp through your fingers, breaking up large pieces, until it is all smooth. Strain, pressing the tamarind into the strainer so that all the pulp comes out.
2. Place strained pulp into heavy bottomed sauce pan and add sugar. Heat to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the apples are soft and translucent but mot mushy. Taste for adjustments and add more sugar to taste and a pinch of salt.. It should not be sweeter then it is sour.
3. Chutney can be refrigerated for two to three months.

Croquette Directions
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan. When melted add flour and whisk to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Add milk and whisk until mixture is a smooth sauce. Remove from heat, add cheese and continue whisking until the cheese melts. Add smoked paprika and set aside.
3. Spray a square 9" cake pan with release agent. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.



4. Cut cold bechamel into 12 squares.



5. Place one egg roll wrapper on board, corner at bottom. Carefully remove one square with spatula and place it at bottom of egg roll wrapper.



6. Brush water on corner under cheese and roll up cheese and press corner down, covering cheese.



7. Roll cheese over itself (2 rolls total) and wet left and right corner. Fold each corner over cheese roll and press.



8. Wet top and roll wrapper all the way up, sealing corner to wrap.



9. Place egg rolls on sheet pan and place in refrigerator until ready to fry.

10. Heat 1" of canola oil in saute pan until wooden spoon, when placed in pan, bubbles immediately.

11. Saute on one side for 2 minutes, carefully turn over and saute other side till golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet pan with a rack set on top.



Serve 3 croqettes with 1/4 cup chutney per person or platter of 12 with 1 cup chutney.
Enjoy!!





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Not a Lemon, Lemon Cake

I love this about blogging.....you can start your day with a plan in mind and after 20 minutes catching up with recent posts you have completely changed the direction in your day.

I just LOVE that.

We have an inside joke here at home. It must be Sunday because I am eating everything in the house. Wake up call, sweetie, that happens on weekdays also and partially my fault.
The Nudge has developed a sweet tooth, but, not everyday. He has a sneaky one. For years we never had sweets after dinner except on holidays or in a restaurant. It was reserved for special dinners.

I bake cheesecakes and lots of them. For years that was the order of the day, what we always shared after dinner. Since I have started to practice my baking non-skills and have branched out into cakes, after 30 years, I have discovered hubby's obsession with chocolate cake. HUH!?!?

My guess is he never asked me to bake him a chocolate cake because I never baked a good one.....sigh

I wonder if most people have that same habit, a way to end the day with something sweet.
A sweet treat as a reward for surviving another day?
Leave the sour day behind with something sweet?

Why do they leave a piece of chocolate on your pillow?

Sounds weird? Think about it. Is it to wish you "sweet dreams", to sweeten the tip or is there really a story behind it? Some say Cary Grant started the tradition in St. Louis when he tried to woo a woman who was staying there. Every night he would have the staff send up chocolates to her room. I imagine he was successful and I am sure the hotel sold that idea to others, using this story to seal the deal. Others started to do the same thing and voila!! A tradition is born.

Many reasons entice a cook to bake a recipe found on other blogs and anything lemon does it for me. Mary, over at One Perfect Bite, posted this the other day, and it was perfect. I just hope my lemon cake isn't a lemon.



Lemon Yogurt Cake
Courtesy of One Perfect Bite by way of Ina Garten
Serves: 1 loaf

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I combined 1/4 cup hi-maize cornmeal + 1 1/4 cups AP)
* 1 tablespoon cake enhancer
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
* 1 cup coconut palm sugar
* 3 extra-large eggs
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
* 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice + 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for glaze)

For the glaze:
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Review: I know my glaze was too thick so it did not run down the sides and since you pour it over all at once, there was no going back. Next time I will forgo the glaze completely and serve with creme fraiche. A good, easy, go to recipe. Mary was right.

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Stone Milled Rye Bread - Reuben's All Around

I have been planning on making this Reuben sandwich since the day I baked my Mustard-Honey Corned Beef Brisket.

Turns out because Panera's Stone Milled Rye contains whole grain flours it fits right into my pledge to eat a grain a meal for four weeks.

My homemade sauerkraut is as healthy as a vegetable can get and the beef as lean as they come.

We are not a sandwich family nowadays but The Nudge grew up on sandwiches. Six kids taking lunch to school, his mom would slap one piece of bologna and cheese on two slices of Wonder Bread and send them on their way. Not much of a sandwich but for eight years that's what he ate every day.

I remember after we were married we would pop over to do laundry and she would make us a sandwich. Ham and Swiss replaced bologna and American and rye sat in for the Wonder Bread.
One piece of meat, one slice of cheese. Somethings never change.

I guess those sandwiches became a comfort food for him, the memories overshadowing the ingredients. The minute he sat down in Panera's and took a bite out of this sandwich on Stone Milled Rye I could tell he was thinking of all those days, right before his Mother passed, that he would stop by for a lunch visit, grocery bag in hand with deli sliced ham and cheese and a loaf of Beefsteak Rye. Had to be Beefsteak seedless rye or don't bother coming over.

The minute he mentioned that rye bread, I knew I was making sandwiches, and soon. The fact that corned beef brisket was everywhere, made it a no-brainer.
I would make Reuben's.

Rye bread, Russian dressing, corned beef, sauerkraut, Gruyere cheese and mustard. Anyway you make them, it can't be bad.



The construction of a Reuben can go two ways. Open-faced or grilled. In this house it usually means I will be making both.



Excellent, excellent, wonderful and yummy. I love the fresh sauerkraut, just the right amount of sour to balance out the honey braised beef. If you have the time to make the kraut, you can purchase sliced deli corned beef and make these tomorrow.

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Lightened Caramel Apple Cheesecake

I have made my share of cheesecakes over the years but I have never tried to lighten them up. I find that fat-free cream cheese just doesn't produce a good baked cake (something about the science of fat).

When I agreed to lighten up a few of Annie's recipes, I wasn't expecting a cheesecake, but once it was chosen, I took up the challenge. You can easily dial-in America's Test Kitchen and find a respectfully good recipe for a low-fat light baked cheesecake. Not what I wanted to do.

What I decided to work on was a uncooked version. A caramel cheesecake mousse with sauteed honeyed apples.

I did not want to use any white sugar and everything had to be fat-free which presented a problem...how to make caramel without it. I remembered Daisy Martinez make a Dulce de Leche in the oven using only sweetened condensed milk. Easy to do and they make a fat-free version now.

I was halfway there. The rest was basic mousse 101.
The end result....a light, fat-free caramel cheesecake mouse with honey baked apple slices served with a 1% whipped cream. A very decadent, creamy but light cheesecake dessert with a substantial difference in the nutritionals.

We adore cheesecake and we did not miss a thing. The Nudge said "best remake yet."



Caramel Apple Cheesecake Mousse
makes 6 servings
* 90g sweetened condensed fat free Dulce de Leche milk (recipe follows)
* 8 ounces low fat cream cheese, room temperature
* 1 apple, peeled and sliced
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1 teaspoon butter
* 1/2 cup 1% milk whipped with 1 package Dream Whip (makes 2 cups)
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whip cream cheese with Dulce de Leche. Remove to a bowl.
2. Whip milk with Dream Whip according to directions. Fold 3/4 of the whipped milk into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate both mousse and remaining whipped topping overnight.
3. Melt butter and honey in a non-stick skillet and place the apple slices in skillet in a single layer. Saute for 3 minutes on high heat. Flip over, cover with a lid, turn the heat down to low and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Spoon a few scoops of mousse into a serving glass and top with apple slices and a dollop of whipped topping.

Dulce de Leche
Empty the contents of a can into an oven-proof dish; sprinkle with some kosher salt and tightly cover it with foil.

Place the covered dish in a larger roasting or casserole pan and fill it up with water until it reaches three quarters of the up the covered dish to create a water bath. Bake at 425 degrees F for 60-90 minutes checking every 30minutes on the water level and adding more as needed.

Dulce de leche is ready when it takes on a brown and caramel-like appearance. Remove from the oven and whisk to smoothness. Let cool before storing.

Assembly of Parfait (starting at the bottom):
Graham Cracker Crumbs
Caramel Cheesecake Mousse
Honey Apples
Whipped Topping
Graham Crumbs
Mousse
Honey Apples
Mousse
Whipped Topping
Graham Crumbs

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Mom's Nutty Granola

I just confirmed a two week Transatlantic Cruise to Europe. In two days we had flights and rooms confirmed. It still hasn't sunk in, I mean, as of Thursday we were still thinking of where to go on our 30th Anniversary.

This will be my 13th cruise (no, I am not superstitious) but only my second time to Europe. This repositioning cruise is only a few years old and the fact that we leave out of NJ is a big plus. No worries about customs, luggage and not starting the vacation until you spend a day flying. Soon as we get into our room, we unpack and off to explore the ship, find a lounge, have a glass of wine, make a toast and wait for them to get underway. Up to the top deck to wave goodbye to the Statue of Liberty as we float under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. YAY!!

The best part of this is I will actually be meeting second cousins in Rome. We decided to extend the vacation two more days so I can see the Coliseum, have my gelato and hug all my cousins (I may need more then two days for that alone!).
I never thought I would actually stand on Italian soil. I am, needless to say, in seventh heaven.

With 6 full days at sea I will be attending cooking classes, wine tastings and maybe even a painting class. I know I will be playing bocce ball and I will be eating some of the best meals on one of the best cruise lines and taking plenty of notes so I can come home and extend my vacation even longer. It also means I should plan on eating a very healthy diet for the next four weeks.

Starting tomorrow we will TRY to start a four week grain diet. This diet plan includes a grain at each meal, and each meal will be gourmet. No plain dishes here or I would never get The Nudge to participate. I am not designing my own plan, I am following a Food and Wine diet that was developed using existing recipes published on their site created with a Registered Dietitian.

I probably won't use all their recipes, we are not fans of tofu or oatmeal, but I will use a grain in all of the meals.

List of Whole Grains

I am starting the week off with a nutty granola. I like that this granola is more nuts then dried fruits and will make a very nice breakfast over yogurt.

On vacation I eat Muesli over yogurt, so I am truly getting into the European breakfast.



Mom's Nutty Granola
Makes 7 servings

* 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts (I added cashews)
* 1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds
* 1/2 cup unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds
* 1/2 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
* 1/4 cup wheat germ (I added bran)
* 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast (I added this)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon hot water
* 3/4 cup honey
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup raisins (I added mixed fruits)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a bowl, toss the oats, nuts, seeds and wheat germ. In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in the hot water. Whisk in the honey and oil. Stir the liquid into the nuts to coat thoroughly, then spread on a large rimmed baking sheet.

2. Bake the granola in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until nearly dry. Turn off the oven and prop the door open halfway; let the granola cool in the oven, stirring. Toss the granola with the raisins; store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.



I bought a box of 2% milk to go to work with The Nudge so he can eat his granola cereal-style. My first homemade granola. I know, what the devil took me so long?

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Billy the Exterminator and Chicken Pie in a Purse

I am not going to make my devil of a kitty the main topic of this post, but because she delayed the preparation of a traditional pot pie recipe to give me time to rethink a redux, I will tell you the story of how she got the credit for me creating, what I think, is a very unique but elegant way to serve a traditional pot pie.

The last few years of floods and blizzards and ice storms did a little damage to the casement window at the north side of my house. Because the dry rot was under my siding and we had not done our ritual spring walkabout, it stayed unnoticed. Cha Cha, on the other hand, had no trouble finding it and preceded to tell me where it was.

Oh yes, we are going there.

Long story short, she let out one of those meow's only a kitty catastrophe can signal and it was then that I realized she was in the interior wall behind my refrigerator. The only thing I could do besides tear all the siding off the house (God forbid) was to crack open a hole in the baseboard behind the refrigerator where no one would see it till we could fill with insulation and apply the patches. Billy the Exterminator would have offered me a job.

Well you know what happens when you pull a refrigerator out of a place, it hasn't been moved out of, for a few years? You check it off as done on your Spring Clean To Do List.

So, the creature credited for this dish just headed out the door, where I am sure she will try to find another place she just has to show me. It just better be a place that would not be on my list.



Chicken Pot Pie in a Beggars Purse
Makes 4
* 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or pulled
* 1 egg with splash of water, beaten well

Equipment:
Parchment paper lined large sheet pan
Four 3/4 cup prepared ramekins (sprayed with Pam)
Four 8" length cotton kitchen twine
Rolling pin
Flour for rolling
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper



Vegetable Souffles
makes 4

* 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
* 1/2 red pepper, chopped
* 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
* 1 ounce low fat cream cheese
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg, beaten



1. Process carrot, red pepper, onion and garlic to a fine mince.
2. Melt butter in skillet and saute vegetable mixture on medium heat until it starts to caramelize, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir to combine.
3. Add milk and simmer till thick adding more milk if it gets too thick. Add cheese and remove from heat and stir till combined and melted. Always adjusting the thickness. Should be the consistency of oatmeal. Season with salt and pepper.



4. Once cooled, mix in egg and pour, evenly, into prepared ramekins.
5. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes until just set. Remove and cool. Run a knife around the edges and pop them out of the ramekins. Refridge until ready to assemble.

Mushroom Duxelle
* 1 package button mushrooms or 1/4 cup dried (soak in hot Madeira)
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/4 cup Madeira
* salt & pepper

1. Process mushrooms to a fine mince and if using dried, soak for 20 minutes in heated Madeira. Remove mushrooms, strain liquid and chop mushrooms.
2. Heat butter in a skillet and saute mushrooms until cooked through.
3. Add Madeira (or sherry) and simmer until almost evaporated but not dripping wet.
4. Taste for salt & pepper.

Chicken with Sauce
* 1 tablespoon flour
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1 tablespoon cream, cream cheese or mascarpone

Melt butter, add flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add stock and thyme, whisk until thickened. Add cheese and remove from heat. Add chicken pieces with sauce to mushroom mixture, and taste for seasoning. Refrigerate.

Sweet Potato Dough
makes 6 crusts

* 1 pound (3 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold into pieces, cold
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup whole milk
* 1 cup sweet potato puree

1. Stir the flour, salt and pepper together. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir the egg, milk and sweet potato puree together in a bowl.
Ass the mixture to the flour and gently mix with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and lightly knead until the dough just comes together. Form into a round and flatten it slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°.



Assembly:
1. Roll each ball of dough into a round, about 1/4" thick (does not have to be perfect).
Should be the size of a salad plate.
2. Using one circle, place 1/2 cup chicken in the center.
3. Top with one souffle.
4. Using a large ice cream scoop, place 1 scoop over souffle.



6. Gather dough evenly around stuffing and pinch closed, being careful to not split the dough. Using twine string, wrap and tie around the gathered dough to form a beggars purse.
7. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with salt & pepper and place, centered, on a quarter of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Repeat with other three squares of dough.
9. Bake at 350° until dough is golden brown, about 40 minutes.



Every component of this recipe can be made a day or two ahead and assembled cold. Best to let come to room temperature while the oven is preheating so everything can bake evenly.

Let rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting because right out of the oven the inside will be lava hot.



These were great! If I make them again, I will make extra sauce to pool on the plate before placing the purse on it. I love this dough. Easy to work with and had a great taste with the sweet potato addition.

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Honey/Maple - Recipe Redux Challenge March 2012

You can't get a better Whole Food than honey.

While I have 5 different honeys in my pantry I did not know until accepting this challenge that according to the American Dietetic Association, the glycemic index will vary depending on the type of honey you use. Floral honeys tend to have the lowest GIs, so use them to sweeten the foods you eat. According to the Glycemic Index Database, locust honey has a GI of 32, yellow box honey has a GI of 35 and stringy bark honey has a GI of 44. Other honeys release their energy faster and are classed as medium on the glycemic index. These tend to be the commercial blends, clover honey which has a GI of 69 and pure honey which has a GI of 58.

I used honey sparingly as a sweetener and like many, fell into the void of the Agave debate.
Nothing wrong with agave but there have been questions about how natural and organic it really is and there still isn't enough long term research to safely say it is better then honey for diabetics. After learning that there is a honey I can consume as a Diabetic (very low on the GI scale), I found a locust honey on Etsy and used it in the following recipe.

They had wild caught Sea Trout on sale in my market and it looked so good I decided to switch the salmon for the trout. The Nudge liked it better because although it has the same nutrition benefits as salmon it does not have that salmony flavor some people find unappealing. If you are one of them, you must give this fish a try.

I have to say this was one tender fillet cooked to perfection.

The sauce was not overly sweet and the flavors played well with the fish.
Thank you, Recipe Redux, for if not for this honey challenge, I never would have known about a natural and safe sweetener that will literally allow me (and as many diabetics as I can find) the chance to bake sweet things responsibly.

PS - The Nudge thanks you too!!!

Asian Honey-BBQ Sauce
makes 4 servings
* 1 cup pineapple, minced, with any natural juice
* 1/3 cup onion, chopped fine
* 1/4 cup honey (I used locust honey)
* 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 2 tablespoons white wine
* 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
* 2 jalapenos, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* 1 pound protein (fish, seafood, chicken or pork)

Mix everything (except fish) in a small sauce pan and simmer until it thickens, about 35-40 minutes.

Mussels: Pour sauce into a large dutch oven or wok with a lid and place over heat.
Clean mussels and when sauce is simmering, drop the mussels into the pan, cover tightly and cook for about 5-7 minutes until all the mussels open. Discard any that do not.
Serve in pan or pour into a large bowl.

Fish Fillets: Place fillets into baking pan, spoon sauce over and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes at 425°.

Meat: Cover meat with sauce and roast in 400° oven for 35-40 minutes for chicken, 35 minutes for pork chops and tenderloins.

Serve with sesame noodles, fried rice or pot stickers. Process the sauce and strain for a wonderfully healthy dipping sauce for grilled shrimp and chicken fingers. The kids will love it.

Quick Cabbage Sauerkraut for a Reuben

It's time to make the pickles, zucchini pickles that is. Yup, they are the best.
You know how I know? The Nudge tells me that. He puts them on hamburgers, hot dogs and sandwiches.

Zucchini has a more tender texture so the slices are almost creamy, which goes well with the spicy hot slightly sweet marinade I make for them to live in. Takes 15 minutes and is the perfect way to use up all those zucchini's that magically appear in your garden, all at once.
I make a hug glass jar of them and they will keep perfectly good for months, as long as they are covered with the juice. As a matter of fact I just cleaned out the jar from last years batch.

Why am I talking about pickles when I am actually making a quick sauerkraut? Well, it's the same process as making my pickles, just done with a slightly different marinade.

I wanted to update the typical Rueben sandwich, ya know, elevate it to the next level.

I already have my honey mustard braised corned beef, a really good Swiss cheese (not that rubbery stuff, please), a really good German mustard and a great loaf of Stone Milled Rye bread (Panera's makes the best, but get the large one. There is something better about the large loaf vs. the small one, probably because the small one is all crust and no bread, really, I am serious).

Can't have a Reuben without sauerkraut but I dislike canned and bagged kraut immensely, and buying homemade barrel fermented (like in NYC) is not gonna happen here.

There had to be a way to pickle cabbage as you would a pickle in like 1 hour? There were a few recipes for quick fresh sauerkraut but I wanted more flavor then the ones I found.

I would create my own marinade, can't be too hard, I did it with my zucchini pickles and I have heard they are perfect, right?

When I informed my "will not eat cooked cabbage" husband I was making a fresh cooked sauerkraut he was all for it. I give up. And he wonders why I always ask him after he negs on something "are you sure?"

We all know that anything containing vinegar is good for a diabetic as well as anyone wanting to help out their digestive tract do it's thing more efficiently.
Prior to hypoglycemic agents, diabetics used vinegar teas to control their symptoms. Small amounts of vinegar (approximately 25 g of domestic vinegar) added to food, or taken along with a meal, have been shown by a number of medical trials to reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes. This also has been expressed as lower glycemic index ratings in the region of 30%.

Multiple trials indicate that taking vinegar with food increases satiety (the feeling of fullness) and, so, reduces the amount of food consumed. Daily intake of 15 ml of vinegar (750 mg AcOH) might be useful in the prevention of metabolic syndrome by reducing obesity.

Bet you will think differently about that bottle now.

Fresh Sauerkraut
makes 1 cup
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded
* 1/2 cups cider vinegar
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1 bottle hard cider
* 1/3 cup water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1 tablespoon juniper seeds
* 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
* Pinch celery seeds
* Pinch hot pepper flakes or to taste

Pour cider into a wide skillet and boil to half. Add all the seasonings (except oil and cabbage and water) to cider and boil to 1/4 cup. Strain into a bowl.

Clean out skillet and heat vegetable oil. Saute cabbage until it wilts to half the volume. Add the reduced cider mixture and water and simmer cabbage, covered until it is totally limp, about 1 hour. Add water so that it always has about 1/2" in the bottom. Store in a container in the fridge. Adjust seasonings, adding more honey if you want it sweeter or more salt.

It really smells just like fermented sauerkraut but this is fresher and pregnant woman can eat this safely because it isn't naturally fermented.

This will taste wonderful on our sandwiches.

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Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake with Irish Mist Cream Cheese Frosting

Dessert for the The Nudge must be chocolate. Funny, but this chocolate thingy is recent.
Just like having dessert every night. I don't think he has been able to put his finger on the moment he realized he even had this love affair with chocolate.

Men are a strange bunch, making them think they do things for you when inevitably they are doing it for themselves. How many times have you heard, "well, I thought YOU liked the color blue."

Same with "I order chocolate cake because I thought you liked it and I wanted to share it with you." Ahem!

I am making a traditional Irish dinner this weekend, the steak a no-brainer, but we needed a dessert. I always know that a week before any holiday requiring special foods, there would be gazillions of ideas out there. I just was not in the mood to search a gazillion idea sites.

Somehow I found myself in an on-line newspaper, having clicked on a recipe for a Guinness-Marinaded Rib eye and just as I clicked the "Pin It" button, it hit me. OMG, that's where I can get a dessert without wearing my fingers to the bone.....Pinterest.

Dangerous place, but OH, how intrigued I was. Just when you think, the Internet has come up with just about every conceivable online forum, someone steps up and knocks us over and we all say "now why didn't I think of that?" I was hooked.



Simply Recipes was right there with THE perfect recipe for a chocolate loving man and all on one site. How glorious is that?

The Nudge might not be able to remember starting his love affair with chocolate but I sure can remember when I put my finger on the moment I realized I also had a love affair.....with Pinterest.

Oh, the things I do for love.....



Chocolate Guinness Cake
Makes one 8-9" cake

* 1 cup stout or porter, such as Guinness
* 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar (just process regular sugar to 30 seconds)
* 1/2 cup ark brown sugar
* 3/4 cup sour cream (I used full fat Greek Yogurt)
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Irish Mist cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 8 or 9-inch springform pan with butter and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

2. In a large saucepan place the beer and butter. Cook over medium-high heat until the butter has melted. Add the cocoa powder and sugars and whisk together. Take off heat and allow to come to room temperature.

3. In another bowl beat together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract until very, very well combined. Add to the butter-beer mixture and whisk together.

4. In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the beer-butter mixture and whisk together until it just comes together. Pour into the prepared pan and give the pan a few short drops onto the counter top to shake the air pockets in the batter to the surface and out of the cake. Bake for 50-60 minutes (mine was done in 45). Allow to cool on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edge to separate the cake from the pan and pop the ring off the springform.

5. Spread frosting on the cooled cake and serve.

After I baked this cake I realized I should have used two round cake pans, so I had to cut the cake in half to put a layer of frosting in between.



Irish Mist Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
* 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
* 2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon reduced Irish Mist

1. Reduce 1/2 cup Irish Mist to about a teaspoon.

2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

3. Add the Irish Mist and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

4. Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake or cupcake.



I am a fool as a baker, but this recipe was foolproof. Make this even if it isn't for St. Patty's Day, your leprechauns will love you.



If you ever want a chocolate cake that will roll your guests eye's and make their socks do the jig, make this cake. I am serious. The Nudge told me he could eat this all week and not get sick of it (which is a miracle in itself, half my baking goes into the garbage can). Maybe he's trying to tell me something, Pinterest just might be MY "Pot O' Gold".

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Guinness-Marinated Steak

St Patty's Day in my house. I married the most un-Irish, Irish man I could find. I swear, I am more "Irish" then him.

For example....he refuses to eat cabbage, and if he eats corned beef it's piled high on two slices of rye with a good Dijon mustard. He loves a really good Aged Cheddar but only if its from Canada. He drinks a light Amsterdam beer and would not be seen within 5 miles of a parade.

I firmly believe St. Patty's Day and all the Irishness that surrounds it, is celebrated more by people with no Irish heritage (like me) and the real Irish retailers are simply cleaning up because of that. Excuse me here, need I remind you of Cinco de Mayo?

That aside, if you go to Ireland you will not find a lick of corned beef. But I imagine most of you already knew that. What I love about all this is the story behind how corned beef became an Irish tradition in the United States.

Story has it that a pub in New York never received his delivery of meat for his traditional party after the St. Patty's Day parade (which is also an American invention) so he ran to a local Jewish Deli down the street and bought all the meat he could. So happens, all they had enough of was, you guessed it, corned beef. Long story short....into a pot with the potatoes and cabbage (quickest way to cook it) it easily replaced the expensive bacon usually eaten with cabbage and an American Irish Tradition was born.

Last year I did make an attempt at what might be considered an appropriate Irish-themed meal (but still no corned beef) and cooked a pork tenderloin with a Guinness Sauce. Well, they do eat pork across the pond.

When your other half can not care less about a traditional St. Patty's Day meal and is not fond of Guinness enough to join the ranks of drunk green beer drinkers (that would be I), you simply go to the store, buy a pint of Guinness and cook with it. I can be as green as the best of them.

My contribution for St Pat's this year is a Guinness Steak, mashed potatoes and Brussel Sprouts. Yes, baby cabbage he will eat (close enough for me).
A menu any leprechaun would enjoy.

Never one to waste a half pint of Guinness, a Stumbled on a a Chocolate Stout Cake with Cream Cheese Icing that I think will make us happy we are "wearin'o the green". You think next year I will finally get my Corned Beef Hash?

Guinness-Marinated Steak
* Rib-eyes or flank steak
* 1 pint of Guinness beer
* 2 large red onions, cut into 1/2 inch rounds and skewered through the middle
* 1 5.2-ounce container Boursin cheese, frozen
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper

Procedures
1. Pat the steak dry with paper towels and place in a shallow, nonreactive container. Place onion slices on top of the steak and pour in the Guinness. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or up to overnight.
2. Remove the steak and onions from the marinade and brush lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat indoor grill over high heat until very hot. Place steak and onions on the grill and Cook until the steak and onions have browned nicely, about 6 to 8 minutes, then flip and continue to cook until the other side is browned and the meat is done to your liking, about another 5-6 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the grill, shave a thin layer of Boursin on the top of the steak and onions and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Since I discovered this recipe for sprouts, I make them no other way. Thanks Deb!!



I also grilled a halved heart of romaine lettuce and made a Caesars Salad Dressing (yes, from scratch) and the hot of the lettuce with the cold dressing and interior was a big hit.
I know I will be making grilled romaine all summer, all with different dressings and toppings.

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Mustard-Honey Braised Corned Beef

I had no intention of buying a corned beef brisket. Not only am I not a fan of boiled meat, I made this big stink about corned beef not even an Irish food, and if I WAS making a St. Patty's meal it would be made with traditional Irish Pub foods.

As with, in every market across the US, corned beef is on sale and I am sure, in a cabinet, right at the entrance of the store.

What is it about sales that make cooks buy things they really don't need?
And yet, there I was, flipping packages of hermetically sealed, pink hued chunks of meat.
Even worse, I managed to flip one into my cart.

The Nudge had a good time with this, when I had just told him I was not buying corned beef.

I know he laughed all the way upstairs. Well, I would show him.

I am still not making a corned beef. What I am making, is the best mustard braised brisket for Reuben's that he ever tasted, so there!

After I made the glaze and poured it over the meat, I wrapped it tightly with foil in a pan the same size as the meat and placed it in a 170° oven to braise 10 hours.

When The Nudge got up for work, he shut off the oven and when I woke up it was perfectly cooled for me to handle.

I boiled the sauce down to the thickness of an olive oil, sliced the brisket and in a Rubbermaid container it went. The key to any brisket is to slice and store in it's juice overnight so the moisture goes back into the meat and makes it sublimely out of this world.

While I was sneaking the end piece, I was thinking that "this is the best damned corned beef I ever had. I might just have to make this more often."

When The Nudge tells me that he wants this once a month, I will bow my head and tell him "Well, if you insist. For you, my dear, anything!"

Then get up from the table and laugh all the way upstairs.

Mustard Honey Braised Corned Beef
makes enough for a 3 pound brisket

* 1/2 cup country-style Dijon mustard
* 1/2 cup honey
* 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Mix and spread over fat side of brisket. Wrap tightly in a baking pan with minimum 1" allowable space around the edges.
Bake for 10-12 hours at 175°. Remove and cool to touch.
Slice into 1/4" slices and place in a container.
Boil braising liquid to the thickness of olive oil and pour over sliced brisket.
Store in container at least 1 week to 10 days.

Enjoy!!

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Biscuits, Plain and Simple

The other night I had some time to kill before The Nudge got home for dinner and found myself thinking about biscuits. I never think of biscuits. Oh, I might entertain a slight passing moment on a scone or roll, but never biscuits.

These were not only easy, they were perfect.
First time I was in the JoyofBaking.com site, and wow they have some mighty powerful goodies there. Scares me to death, I might actually want to start baking on a regular basis.

Nah, no chance of that but if I should want a quick bread, biscuit or scone recipe, I will be in there faster then a souffle deflating.

Although they recommend mixing by hand, I choose to use the Ina way with my Kitchen Aide.
As long as you don't over mix, you will be fine.
Remember, I can't bake a lick and if mine turned out perfect, you will have no problems, trust me.

I used a 2 1/2" cookie cutter and if I had re-rolled the scraps I would have gotten 10. If I make these again, and I will, I will use the 3" cutter for larger, English muffin sized biscuits.

A sprinkling of some good sea salt and cracked pepper on top of each as soon as they came out of the oven made them more savory.

These were so good, The Nudge asked for egg and bacon biscuit sandwiches on Sunday and he got them. I am always happy to oblige a happy customer.

Biscuit Recipe
makes 9-10 biscuits

* 2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar (optional)
* 1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
* 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Topping:
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (use pastry blender, two knives, or fingertips). Add the milk and slightly beaten egg and stir until just combined. (The texture should be sticky, moist and lumpy.)

Place mixture on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough gently until it comes together and is a smooth dough.

Roll out dough to about a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thickness. Cut out biscuits with a lightly floured round cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the beaten egg and milk mixture and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the biscuit comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter.

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Braising - Daring Cooks Challenge March 2012

When I spotted this on Stacey Snacks, I knew I was making this dish. Two things happened to seal that deal.

My butcher had pork shanks (I never knew they existed) and the Daring Cooks Challenge for March was "braising". There might have been a third reason but it escapes me right now.

I found the original recipe here, and since I can't leave good enough alone I dropped a few dried apricots into the braising liquid.
Dried fruits and pork have always been a natural pairing in Asian cuisine, going all the way back to ancient China where they used fruits to sauce meat dishes. We all know that anything Asian, eventually made it's way down the spice route and apricots ending up staying put, took to the climate all around the Mediterranean and are huge in Islamic cooking.

Since pork and Islam do not mix, lamb is most often the meat of choice.
The Nudge does not like the taste of lamb, isn't thrilled with slow braised veal but said he thinks he will like the pork shanks. Ahhhh, there's the third reason that sealed the deal.

Most braises are of one ingredient, mostly a meat or vegetable and they are done in an oven with a flavored liquid, coming half way up but not covering the item. Braised fennel, artichokes, leeks, endive, you get the picture and while researching this challenge, I came across a pasta dish using braised artichokes that looked to die for (but that's another post).

Not only does braising impart huge flavors into food, it is a good healthy way to eat.
The best part? It's a once pot meal that needs no maintenance.....I am all for that!!

Once my shanks have braised to perfection, I will remove and cook the lentils in the braising liquid and at then add a spring mix of baby greens (so French of me and a great way to use up those limp greens), so I guess one could say I am uni-tasking. You just gotta love it.

The March, 2012 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Carol, a/k/a Poisonive – and she challenged us all to learn the art of Braising! Carol focused on Michael Ruhlman’s technique and shared with us some of his expertise from his book “Ruhlman’s Twenty”.

Braised Pork Shanks with Lentils
makes 2 servings, can be doubled

* 2 pork shanks
* 1/2 large white onion, diced
* 3 medium carrots, diced
* 4 gloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup white wine
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
* salt, pepper and flour
* olive oil

* Zest and juice from 1 lemon (optional)
* 2/3 cup green lentils, rinsed and picked over
* 2 cups spring mix lettuces

Heat olive oil in dutch oven. Saute carrots and onions for 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add tomato paste and herbs. Saute everything for 1-2 minutes more. Add the wine, broth and bay leaf.
Return the shanks to the pot and add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the pork.



Cover the pot and place in a pre-heated 350° oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Remove shanks from pot and place on a plate. Return pot to stovetop, add lentils and enough water to barely cover them. Stir and with the lid, simmer on low, adding more water to keep the lentils moist but not swimming. When lentils are just about done, remove the cover, put the shanks back into the dutch oven and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.
Add the lettuce and lemon (optional).



Serve with couscous, bulgur, barley or fregola (roasted semolina pasta pearls).

Review: One shank was more than enough for the both of us and next time I get a hankerin' for a pulled pork and coleslaw sandwich I don't have to buy a whole shoulder, I can use a shank built for two.

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Two for Tuesday - Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

When I was working retail, I managed a million dollar store and I was very good at delegating but the one thing I continue to I stink at is time-management, namely mine.

Not wanting to throw just anything in a pot, I took my time and put a substantial amount of thought into this dish. The whole idea of us doing this is to show people that by making small but substantial changes in the ingredients they usually cook with, they can make a very healthy rendition of a dish I think their family would not object too.

I finally found the time this weekend to finish up my second collaboration with Annie Bakes, which is a healthier version of Chicken Spaghetti Casserole. While the concept of cleaning out our refrigerator to use up all the odds and ends is something our Mommas taught us, I have found we all make different dishes with them.

I make a soup every week and Annie bakes a casserole. I am a soup junkie and Annie's family loves a cheesy casserole. It's all good, but sometimes even good can be better.

If your family is like Annie's and loves casseroles but you would like to lighten them up a bit, you don't have to stop making them, just switch the canned soups to the low-fat, low-sodium ones that are readily available and you can cut the fat and sodium just doing that alone.



Turns out my soup was as thick as a chowder and satisfying, very creamy, tasty and, yes, cheesy. Instead of baking the cheese in the dish, I made a Parmesan crisp, that I floated on the chowder, with a pile of mozzarella on top and baked in the oven until oozy, gooey good.

Annie's Original Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Serves 6
* 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) broken pasta
* 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
* 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup butter, melted-divided
* 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* 2 cups mozzarella cheese-shredded
* 1 cup Parmesan cheese-grated
* 1 cup frozen peas
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 5 cups chicken-cooked and cubed
* 1 1/2 cups cornflakes-crushed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a mixing bowl, combine the soups, sour cream, milk, 2 tablespoons butter and seasonings. Add the cheeses, peas and onion. Stir in the chicken and pasta.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 dish. Combine the cornflakes and butter and sprinkle on top. Bake, uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.



I eliminated the corn flakes completely and got the crunch using a Parmesan crisp. Using less cheese and butter = much less fat.

Sue's Chicken Spaghetti Chowder
Serve 4

* 1 (12oz) package button mushrooms, sliced
* 1 1/2 cups broken whole wheat angel hair pasta, or any soup pasta
* 1/8 cup flour mixed with 1/3 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
* 1 quart low sodium chicken stock fortified with 1 chicken bouillon cube
* 1/2 sweet white onion, chopped
* 1/2 medium carrot, diced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 bay leaves
* salt & pepper
* 1/2 cup white bean puree
* 2 cups cooked chicken, bite-sized pieces
* 1 Parmesan cheese rind
* 1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme leaves
* 1 tablespoon dry sherry

Fricos
makes 4 crisps
* 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Baked 4 piles of Parmesan cheese at 325° for 9 minutes. Cool.
Place 2 tablespoons mozzarella on each crisp and bake at 375° until the cheese melts.

1. Heat stock to a boil and add all the ingredients except the chicken, lowering heat to a simmer for 30-35 minutes until the carrots are soft. Add chicken, remove cheese rind and bay leaves. Adjust seasonings.

Fill 4 bowls with the hot chowder and place one cheese crisp on top of each bowl.
Serve.

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Ancient Grains

I have been buying lots of grains and nuts I never cooked with before. I have, no kidding, 20 Ball jars filled with grains, their flours, nuts and their meals. Some have been in their jar for almost a year without getting used. Sad, but true.

Come on now, admit it. I bet there are plenty of you out there that buy something you want to try because you were inspired by a recipe or an article, only to put it in your pantry and forget all about it.

I finally scheduled a day to cook with farro. Tell you how bad I am, only place I could buy farro when I did was over the Internet from a salumeria in Boston and now I can buy it at my Shop-Rite. I need to really organize my life, it is slowly getting away from me.

Although I love my blog and enjoy posting every day, I realized that my focus should be more on the content of the post instead of the quantity posted.

I made a wonderful stuffing for chicken breasts last night and I want to share it with you. Chicken not on the menu? Stuff a pork chop or for a vegetarian meal, a variety of vegetables. I could easily see this in a roasted portobello cap.

First lets find out exactly what farro is......

Farro is a food product consisting of the grains of certain wheat species in whole form. The exact definition is debated. It is sold dried and is prepared by cooking in water until soft, but still crunchy (many recommend first soaking over night). It may be eaten plain, though it is often used as an ingredient in dishes such as salads and soups.

There is much confusion or disagreement about exactly what farro is. Emmer, spelt, and einkorn are called farro in Italy, sometimes (but not always) distinguished as farro medio, farro grande, and farro piccolo, respectively. Regional differences in what is grown locally and eaten as farro, as well as similarities between the three grains, may explain the confusion. Barley and farro may be used interchangeably because of their similar characteristics. Spelt is much more commonly grown in Germany and Switzerland and, though called dinkel there, is eaten and used in much the same way, and might therefore be considered farro. Common wheat may also be prepared and eaten much like farro, in which form you are probably more familiar with...wheat berries here in the USA.

Now let's discuss the health nutritionals and why it's good for you....

Farro is rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E. It is also easily digested and has a GI of 40 which is right in the middle range so eaten with lower GI foods can help control glucose spikes.

It's nutty flavor makes it the perfect food to pair with anything you would serve with, well, nuts. Earthy ingredients such as mushrooms, aged cheeses, squashes, and fruits (dried being the best). It can also sub as rice in a risotto and barley in a soup.

I choose roasted garlic, fennel, peppers, pine nuts, along with an aged cheddar cheese and dried Khalas dates (which are powerhouses of nutrients). The only seasoning I felt it needed was salt and pepper.

You should always wash whole grains before soaking or cooking, especially those contained in a bulk bin. I soaked my farro for 2 hours before cooking.



Farro Stuffed Chicken Breasts
makes enough stuffing for 6 large bone-in chicken breasts

* 1/2 cup farro, rinsed
* 1/2 orange or yellow pepper
* 1/2 fennel bulb, core removed and sliced
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 4 dried Khalas dates, minced (1 tablespoon raisins are a good substitute)
* 2 tablespoon pine nuts
* 2 ounces cheddar cheese, 1/8" cubes
* Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°. On a sheet pan, place rinsed farro on one end, the half a pepper in the middle, and the sliced fennel on the other end. Spray pepper and fennel with Olive Oil Spray (I use a Misto pump sprayer I fill myself) and salt & pepper.

2. After 10 minutes, remove the farro to a bowl and cover with water. After 30 minutes, remove the pepper and wrap in wet paper towel. After 45 minutes, remove the fennel and add the pine nuts to the pan and roast them for 8 minutes.

3. While farro is soaking, prepare chicken and stuffing ingredients.
Peel the skin off the pepper and dice, along with the fennel. Remove to a bowl.

4. Using a sharp paring knife, and starting at the rib cage side of each breast, slice along the bones to 1/2" on the back. Repeat with each breast. if you cut through the back of the breast, do not worry, we will be toothpicking holes.

5. Once farro has soaked for at least 2 hours, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil and simmer farro for 35-40 minutes. Taste for doneness which will be a chew but not a hard interior. Strain and cool.

6. Add farro to all other ingredients, taste for seasoning adjustments and stuff 1/4 cup into each pocket, securing with a toothpick.

7. Season chicken skin with salt, pepper and a spray of olive oil.

8. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Stuffing is dense enough that if the chicken pops open it will remain in place. Remove to platter and serve.



Nutrition Label is for 1 serving of stuffing, but a roasted chicken breast will not add all that much more.

This made the most moist breast and the stuffing was flavorful with a great bite. Did not need a gravy, but a small bowl of the au jus would be just enough to moisten before serving.

A salad or a green vegetable would be a nice side.













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Shrimp Fideos

Fideos....pasta
Simple....you betcha
Tasty....off the hook
Recipe....anything goes

There are as many ways to make fideos as there is paella or risotto.
I prefer my fideos with shrimp and I will tell you why. The creamy saffron sauce with the briny spicy crunchy shrimp topped with a snazzy garlic aioli will make your tongue tingle.

One pot wonder. Want to be a rock star in the kitchen? Make this, seriously.

I will give you the easy peasy version as well as a traditional version, both are wonderful.

I have seen Daisy Martinez make her Puerto Rican version as well as Joanne Weir making a version she had in Spain. One is a paella-style and Joanne's is a risotto-style. Both use basically the same ingredients just a different outcome. I have made both and I like them both.

Although this has steps, the aioli and shrimp can be made ahead of time and the actual dish only takes about 30 minutes to prepare.



First we will make the one I made today.

Shrimp Fideos
Makes 2 servings

* 1/4 pound whole wheat angel hair pasta, broken into 2" pieces (I use Ronzoni Smart Taste)
* 1 dozen fresh caught USA shrimp, de-veined & shelled
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 1 cup clam juice
* Pinch saffron
* 1 teaspoon tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1/4 cup white wine
* Handful of peas
* 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Aioli
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 3 cloves roasted garlic (you can use fresh)
* salt & pepper
* Hot sauce
* 1/2 cup canola oil

Shrimp
* Creole seasonings
* salt & pepper
* canola oil

1. Preheat toaster oven to 350°. Toast pasta for 8 minutes. Remove and cool.
2. Bring chicken broth and clam juice to a simmer and add the pinch of saffron. Cover and keep low simmer.
2. In skillet, heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes. When bottom of pan starts to brown, deglaze with wine.
3. Add pasta and 1 ladle of saffron infused broth. As soon as is gets dry add more liquid. Continue until pasta is cooked. Add peas, cover and remove off heat.
4. Sprinkle shrimp with creole seasonings and mix in a small amount of canola oil.
Preheat cast iron pan (or thick bottomed skillet) for 4 minutes on medium heat and sear shrimp on both sides, being careful to not overcook, about 2 minutes each side). Remove from skillet and place on top of pasta. Cover and keep warm.
5. In bowl of processor add yolk, roasted garlic, vinegar, salt & pepper, hot sauce and Dijon mustard. Process till smooth and with motor running, slowly drip the canola oil into the spout.
6. When the mixture starts to thicken, taste for seasonings and adjust if need be. The mixture should be thick but loose enough to pour easily. We are not making mayonnaise, just a sauce.
7. Serve the pasta on a platter, top with shrimp and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.



8. Sauce is spooned over the shrimp at the table on each dinner plate.

Now for the paella-style dish.

Fideos a la Cazuela (Rustic Noodle Casserole)
serves 5

This traditional dish is often served in a terra-cotta cazuela clay pan. A popular variation is to cook this dish in a paella pan with the amount of liquid reduced to make a Fidua, which results in a paella-type dish, but with noodles in place of rice.

Ingredients
* 8 ounces(250g) Short Noodles (fideos or angel hair cut into 1 inch lengths)
* 1/2 pound boneless Pork
* 7 cups Fish Stock (alternately, you may substitute bouillon)
* 2 cloves Garlic
* 5 tablespoons Tomate Frito or Tomato Sauce
* 1 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
* 3 tablespoons grated Manchego Cheese
* 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
* 1 sprig Parsley
* Mediterranean Sea Salt to taste

Instructions

Bring the fish stock to a boil, then set the hot liquid aside until needed. Cut the pork into cubes, season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside until needed. Chop the garlic together with a sprig of parsley and fry in a cazuela with the olive oil. When the garlic begins to brown, add the meat and stir well to coat it in oil before adding the tomato sauce. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat, then add the noodles, the paprika, and the hot fish stock. Stir well to mix all the ingredients together and cook for a further 10 minutes. When the noodles are tender or al-dente, add salt to taste and serve with grated cheese sprinkled on top.

Both terrific, one a meat dish, one with seafood, but the variations are as endless as your imagination. The shrimp one was so good The Nudge told me I have gotten very good cooking really punched up dishes and would like this again.

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NY Giants Tour

Last year The Nudge got tickets to a Giants game and we always do the tailgating thing. This year after a grilled steak and salad, we found ourselves with a good 90 minutes of kill time so we took off and headed for the stadium.

The new stadium, which houses both the Giants and the Jets, needed a sponsor because it is no longer just Giants Stadium (money talks), so naturally it is no longer Giant Stadium and now it is Met Life Stadium. Just seems unnatural after going there for 30 years to see the new sign.

To kick off the new season, it just so happened, they picked the day we were there to celebrate Met Life Day. Running all sorts of games and giveaways along the bottom level, we stumbled upon a computer game that had you answer questions about the Giants within a certain amount of time. My puter prowess with The Nudge's knowledge of sports was almost a guarantee win and we were actually the big winner and won a tour of the team facilities. Soon after the Super Bowl, we got the Email invite.

They promised us a surprise guest and we each could bring two items that could be autographed. I wouldn't bet on Manning but it would be nice if it was a player I actually recognize (The Nudge wanted a first string player).

The training facility is new, built one year before the new stadium was opened last year. With lots of empty land in the Meadowlands, they really spread the building out. I guess with all those large football monsters you need something substantial.



Twenty feet within the entrance you see this. Who would not be impressed? Four Super Bowls? Only a selected few could boast about that. I grew up with the Giants having lived two miles from the Stadium, and Phil Sims was a neighbor of mine. I knew him before he got married. A scrawny beanpole, just his first rookie year. We played a lot of pool in his newly rented (by the Giants of course) house in Lyndhurst. He holds a special place in my heart and The Nudge thinks he's pretty cool too. He still lives in New Jersey, his boys off on their own football careers.



They played a video of last years highlights leading up to the Super Bowl and then of course, the highlights of the Super Bowl itself. Our special guest turned out to be the current center for the team, Kevin Boothe. He spent about 15 minutes answering questions.
At twenty-six he was still a baby but he looked twice his age. They sure do grow them different nowadays.



After he was done, we were lead down a hall to the weight room. It must be a sight to see when they are all there. Each player has a book with daily goals and are responsible for obtaining them. They will be back around the end of April, first of May to get back into shape but the actual filed practices won't start until June/July.



This is not your average Gold's Gym. Poor hubby, he couldn't even lift the lightest dumbbell there.



The Nudge's wish of standing next to a lineman set this pic up, but I was at the other end of the room so I am sorry the picture wasn't a good one. All of a sudden I hear, Sue, Sue, and a finger beckoning me to take the picture, NOW. I know hubby is only 5'7" but this guy made him look, well, my height. The Nudge said he was laughing so hard because I walked with Kevin to the practice field and I came up to his mid chest and he wished he had the camera for that picture.



This is their video room, where the local Giants interview show is and any interview that maybe, ESPN would like to do on location, and all the films that are sent to the sports channels.



Everyone took a pic of this special locker....THE MAN himself, ole Eli. I bet he has someone clean his locker., men are just not that neat. I had such a good time, taking pictures of the little boys with their dads, who asked me if I would please take a pic of them together. How could anyone say no to that?



Guess you can tell 'who' spends their Monday mornings in this room, going over Sundays highlights, good or bad. Each part of the team has their own room. Offensive linemen, Special Plays, defensive linemen, receivers, like I said, HUGE.



Full sized replica of the stadium field, right down to the turf. I asked Kevin which stadium, besides Giant Stadium, that he loved to play in and his answer was not that well received due to a major rivalry between them, but they all agreed, Jerry Jones missed nothing when he built the new Cowboy's Stadium (which we won in three times mind you).



After the tour, we ended our night with a very nice meal in the cafeteria where the players eat. At any time during the season, they could have 80 monsters piling huge amounts of protein on their trays. They don't stop preparing food until the last player is tucked in for the night.

All in all it was very nice, a small intimate look at a team that has been around for decades. We had our thoughts about wasting our time, but we both agreed, it was a good night and we were glad we did it.
We did find something out that surprised me. Everyone who works for a winning Super Bowl team, from owner to trash man gets Super Bowl ring.
Not bad being this is their 4th one. I would love to cook for this team.

Hope you enjoyed a little slice of our night.

GO G-Men, Big Blue rules!!!!

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