Minggu, 20 Juni 2010

Smoked Chicken Strata



Serve: 6 Prep: 25 mins Chill: 2 hrs Bake: 25 mins Stand: 1o mins

Ingredients:
  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 2 cup cut-up trimmed fresh asparagus or chopped broccoli
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow sweet pepper
  • 3 whole grain English muffins, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
  • 2 cups shredded smoked chicken or cooked chicken breast (10 oz.)
  • 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese ( Gruyere cheese is better )
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup milk

Directions:

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, mushrooms, and pepper; cook about 3 minutes or just until vegetable are crisp-tender.

  2. Lightly coat casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Divide half of the English muffin pieces in the dish. Top with the chicken, asparagus mixture, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Top remaining English muffin pieces.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over the layers in dish. Using the back of a large spoon, press muffin pieces down. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Cover; chill 2 to 24 hrs.

  4. Preheat oven to 325 degree. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in centers comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sabtu, 19 Juni 2010

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Bread


Serve 16 slices
Prep: 30 minutes Bake: 40 minutes Cool: 10 minutes

Ingredients:


  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spic

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/2 cup light sour cream

  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/4 cup fat-free milk

  • 1/4 cup canola oil

  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

  • 1 cup mashed cooked peeled sweet potatoes

  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted dates

  • 1/4 cup chopped pecan, toasted


Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degree. Lightly coat 8x4x2 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. set aside.

  2. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt.

  3. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, egg, sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in sweet potatoes.

  4. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Fold in dates and pecans. Spon batter into pan, spreading evenly.

  5. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.

Steamed kabocha squash is a favorite of mine — it’s one of the most flavorful squashes around, and is chock full of nutrients like beta carotene (especially when you eat the thin skin).

I mashed the cooked kabocha with a fork and bake the bread substituting mashed squash for the mashed sweet potatoes. It came out so good! Try it!

Recipe: Caramel Cups


I absolutely love caramel! When I came across this recipe my mouth started to water as I imagined the smooth, sweet, taste of the caramel and couldn't wait to try these little desserts out. These desserts are quite sweet. I whipped my own cream using heavy whipping cream and left it unsweetened, which evened out the sweetness.

1 (1.9 ounce) package mini phyllo shells
about 20 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
1/4 cup half and half
whipped cream
1 (1.4 ounce) Heath candy bar, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange phyllo shells on a baking sheet.

Bake phyllo shells at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until crisp; cool slightly.

In a glass microwave safe bowl, add caramels and half and half.

Heat for 1 minute; stir, and continue to heat until mixture is smooth, 30 seconds at a time.

Spoon caramel mixture into each phyllo cup filling about 3/4 full.

Add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of Heath candy bar.

Serve immediately.

Makes 15 phyllo cups.

Recipe revised from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals

Recipe: Tostada with Egg


Lately, as I have been flipping through recipe books to get inspired and get my foodie creative juices running, I've seen a lot of recipes for Huevos Rancheros, which is Spanish for "rancher's eggs," although the more common translation is "country" or "country-style" eggs. Huevos rancheros consists of fried corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and then a layer of salsa.

All the pictures have looked so delicious, so I put my own take on it. I took a tostada shell and put a layer of refried beans, shredded mexican style cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions, avocados, salsa, sour cream, and a fried egg on top. It turned out so delicious!

Random Post: Ways of Summer

Some of us are still waiting for Summer to arrive in our state. I came across this list of fun things to do in the summertime. I have picked out my favorites, and hopefully whenever the sunshine decides to shine here I might just be able to enjoy one or two of these on this list:

  • Eating a ripe peach at its peak.
  • Dig into a funnel cake or corn dog at a state fair or hometown street festival.
  • Watermelon juice for a day at the beach: puree the fruit in a blender and don't forget the ice.
  • Make homemade barbecue sauce for grilled chicken or ribs.
  • Strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone is worth sticky fingers.
  • Sharing a box of saltwater taffy on the boardwalk.
  • Throw summery herbs like basil and cilantro into a dinner salad.
  • BLTs with heirloom tomoatoes and smoky, thick-cut bacon.
  • After picking blueberries and eating your fill, freeze the rest for pancakes.
  • Corn on the cob with salt, pepper, and fresh lime.
  • Cooking what you've bought at the farmer's market as soon as you get home.
  • Making jam.
  • Cracker Jacks and a foot-long hotdog at the ballpark.
  • A special occasion calls for a double-crusted jumble-berry pie with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
  • Delicious potato salad: toss the spuds with dressing while they're still warm.
  • Sipping the perfect iced coffee.
  • Salads for dinner because it's too hot to cook.
  • Best tomato sandwich: thick slices of juicy beefsteaks, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper, on lightly toasted bread.
  • Any excuse for a pool party.
  • Stir pesto into softened butter and add to grilled vegetables, corn, or steak.
  • Nothing beats chips and salsa.
  • A big jug of iced tea with fresh spearmint.
  • Finding the perfect stick for roasting marshmallows.
  • Sitting in the pool eating watermelon.
Taken from Martha Stewart Everyday Food Summer 2010

Rabu, 16 Juni 2010

Mochiko Cake




I've been looking thinking of creative uses for mochiko. mochi cake is an easy, tasty recipe. The appearance is that of a cake, and the texture is in between a mochi and a cake. It's like a very chewy cake. I was slightly worried that the the crown daisy powder might affect the batter, but it worked out beautifully. The mochi cake is not very sweet, and is full of little bits of goodies. Enjoy!


Serve: 24 slices

Ingredients:

  • 1 box (16 oz.) Mochiko - sweet rice flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup (more or less) brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cup Milk ( or more )
  • 1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (example: pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecan...)
  • 1/2 cup mixed dried fruits (example: blueberries, cranberries, grapes, dates...)
  • 1 ~ 2 cups mixed cooked beans ( example: kidney beans, green peas, edamame, black beans, red beans...) or steamed & chopped vegetables (example: sweet potatoes, kabocha squash...)
  • 1 ~ 2 Tbsp crown daisy powder or green tea powder (matcha powder)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine Mochiko flour, baking soda, baking powder, brown sugar, salt, & crown daisy powder and mix well.
  3. Add milk to flour mixture and mix well
  4. Fold in mixed nuts and dried fruits, and cooked beans...
  5. Pour into greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan.
  6. Bake at 375 degree for 45 mins till top is golden brown.
  7. Cool over a wire rack, and then slice and serve.

Selasa, 08 Juni 2010

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Brown Onion Gravy

Of course after an excellent dinner has been consumed and no evidence remaining, I sit down to write about it and NOW remember I should of taken a picture. I am completely bummed I don't have a picture for this recipe.

This is my own recipe. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes (mixed with butter and heavy whipping cream), fresh corn cut off the ear (browned in some butter), and a ceasar salad.

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, flattened to 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup less sodium beef broth

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Flatten the chicken breasts till about 1/4 inch thick.
Dredge chicken in flour.
Add chicken to hot pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes on both sides or until chicken is browned; transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add onions to pan and cook 3 minutes or until tender.
Stir in broth, scraping to loosen browned bits.
Return chicken to pan.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook until chicken is done; about 8-10 minutes.
Makes 2-4 servings