Slow cooker Pork Soup with Noodles

Hurricane Sandy has come and gone, but what we need now before going out to clean up the debris is a yummy soup. I recently got a new crockpot. I've been trying to find recipes to make my life easier and get dinner on the table fast when I get home from work.  This soup has a ton of flavor and I will definitely making it again in the near future!

Recipe Adapted from Food Network Magazine
Ingredients:
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
2 pieces star anise
Kosher salt
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 head bok choy, roughly chopped (substitute spinach if you can't find bok choy)
3 1/2 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles
1 package of cubed tofu
5 rehydrated sliced shiitake mushrooms

Directions:

1. Combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, star anise and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add the pork, then cover and cook on low 8 hours.

2. Add the bok choy, tofu and mushrooms to the slow cooker; cover and cook about 20 more minutes.

3. Add the noodles to the slow cooker, making sure they are submerged. Cover and cook 10 more minutes.

4. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred the meat and throw away the fatty parts. Divide the pork, bok choy, tofu, mushrooms and noodles among bowls, then ladle in some of the broth.

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Not the way my mother cooked them!! Anything cooked in butter and bacon is delicious!!!  You cannot go wrong.  Well yea you can go wrong - don't use frozen ones.  Use fresh brussel sprouts to achieve the desired yumminess.  Please note for those taking Cholesterol medicines this is probably not the recipe for you.

Now for those that wish to indulge....  My love for brussel sprouts did not start until 2 years ago when I had them at Zaytania.  A couple months ago I had these vegetables again at Mike Isabella's Graffiato.  Delicious!!!  My quest began for the recipe to recreate this side dish.  My family balked at the idea of trying a new vegetable that looked like tiny cabbages.  To tell you the truth - my 13 year old still wishes I did not make this dish.  However she does eat them with her nose plugged - does that really do anything??  The crispiness of the outside of the brussel sprout and the tenderness inside really make this dish.  Try it out and you will realize that brussel sprouts aren't your least favorite veggie any more.


Recipe from: Food Network

Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:
4 strips thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 large onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Once it is crisy, remove and place on a paper towel to address remaining oil on the bacon.  Roughly chop the bacon and set aside.
2. Add the butter to the bacon fat to melt over high heat.
3. Add onions and Brussels Sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
4.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss bacon back into pan. Serve immediately.

Coconut Ice Cream with Honey Lime Strawberries

Fourth of July was crazy hot.  Temp=99 degrees. Heat Index= 105+ After spending the day in the sun at our Annual Fourth of July event at the pool and then grilling out for a BBQ with our neighbors it was nice to kick back and have this scrumptious deliciousness.  Before the craziness of the day started, while the rest of my house was still snoozing - I made the coconut ice cream in my new Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachment.  After throwing it all in the ice cream maker, I just ran it for a little and froze it until we were ready for the yum yum.  So Worth It!!! Stay tuned for more ice cream this summer as I plan to use it ALOT.  I did not change one thing in this recipe.  It is perfect as is.

Recipe from: Nobile Pig


Ingredients:

Ice cream
1 cup whole milk
1-3/4 cups (or 14 oz can) creme of coconut
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
Honey-Lime Strawberries
2 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon clover honey
1 teaspoon lime zest
Juice of one lime

Directions:
1.  Don't forget to freeze your ice cream container.
2.  For the ice cream, blend milk and creme of coconut together in a blender before adding it to the ice cream maker.
3.  Pour in heavy cream and turn on ice cream maker. Keep it going until the cream mixture is thick, about 30-40 minutes. Remove ice cream from the ice cream maker bowl and place in appropriate container in the freezer; at least 4 hours.
4.  Before serving the ice cream, you need to make the topping.  Wash, hull and halve strawberries. Set aside.
5.  In a small saucepan combine honey, lime zest and juice. On a low flame just until honey is melted. Pour over strawberries and toss. Once cooled, spoon over ice cream and serve.

The Best Mussels on Earth

No seriously that was the name of the recipe. I'm not trying to pat myself on the back. I had my doubts since the name is pretty darn cocky- but damn these were delicious!! Typically we don't eat mussels unless we are in a restaurant, however I had a hankering for seafood this weekend.

Bad timing though. Practically all the surrounding grocery stores had no power due to the huge storms in The MD-DC-VA area. I felt fortunate enough that we had power, but I did complain when I walked into Shoppers and the meat display and seafood display were barren. The produce choice was kale or um artichokes. Yea so- seafood was not on th emery last night.

Luckily after church I stopped by the Giant on route 1 and found they never last power and BLAM I got the last bag of mussels in the store. WHHHHOOOOOO HOOOOO!!! Yes I did a little dance in the seafood section of our local GIant store. Anyway-after i worked hard at our local pool craft day & my husband cleared our yard of huge tree limbs, I rewarded ourselves with the "Best Mussels on Earth".  Don't skip any of the ingredients especially the lemon. It definitely adds a kick at the end. This recipe is a definite keeper.

Adapted from: Food Network's Aaron McCargo Jr.'s recipe

The Best Mussels on Earth

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound chorizo, remove casings
1 onion, diced
1/2 bulb fennel, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pinch saffron
1 beer
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and beard removed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
French bread toasted, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the red pepper flakes and chorizo. Make sure to break up the chorizo, but into to tiny pieces or you won't find the tasty goodness later. Cook the sausage for 1 to 2 minutes to release the flavors.
2. Stir in the onions and fennel and cook fir 4-5?mins until they wilt a bit.
3. Add the garlic and saffron and allow the saffron to bloom.
4. Stir in the beer and mix well. Add the mussels and stir.
5. Cover the pot and steam until the mussels open, about to 5 minutes. Remove the lid, then add the tomatoes, herbs, lemon juice and salt and pepper, and stir well. Ladle the mussels and broth into large serving bowl and serve with French bread

The Aftermath....

Seafood Pasta

I love dishes where only one pot gets dirty and it includes everything! Actually more so - my husband 
loves dishes with one pot since he does most of the dishes. I also love seafood. My husband isn't really
adventurous in the type of fish he eats. We eat alot of Tuna, Salmon and Tilapia. However, he does  
like shrimp. I have tried shrimp scampi and a slew of other dishes. This is a new twist that I was  
inspired from the Pioneer Woman. Unfortunately or fortunate for me, I don't have 12 people to serve  
dinner for. I have altered the recipe based to serve 4 healthy portions. Next time I'll try it with a mix of
shrimp and scallops. Enjoy!

One Pot Seafood Pasta

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 TBSP butter

1 pound Shrimp
5 cloves Garlic
3/4 cups Dry White Wine
14 ounces, weight Diced Tomatoes
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 cup Heavy Cream, Warmed
12 whole Basil Leaves Torn
9 ounces fresh fettuccine pasta
2 heads of chopped broccoli



Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook fresh pasta for 2 mins. (It's okay if you leave it very al dente.)
2.  In a heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter  over medium-high heat. When hot, throw in shrimp and brown them, too. (Don't completely cook scallops or shrimp.) Remove to a plate.
3. Add another TBSP of oil to the pan. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine, then pour in the tomatoes (including juice.) Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, then cook the sauce over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes.
4.  Meanwhile, boil the chopped broccoli for about 3 mins so it is bright green but not too crispy.
5.  Add the shrimp, drained pasta and the boiled broccoli to the tomato mixture and toss.
6.  Cover the pan and place in the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes and then drizzle the heavy cream on the pasta.  Add the basil at the end before serving.

King Ranch Mac and Cheese

I think King Ranch is a common casserole in everyone's house that you must have tried at least once.  I know I have.  This dish is a great adaptation that combines two yummy dishes.  This is a great cheesy recipe that makes my life easier because almost everything is in one dish.  I love when I don't have to think about making sides.  My oldest daughter thought this was the bomb, but she also thinks Mac and Cheese is a food group.  I didn't add the extra 1.5 cups of more cheddar on top.  I thought the dish was cheesy enough. Use this dish as a make ahead dish when you know you are pinched with time or bring it to a potluck!

Adapted from: Southern Living

1/2 (16-oz.) package cellentani pasta

2 tablespoons butter 

1 medium onion, diced 

1 green bell pepper, diced 

1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (8-oz.) package pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed

3 cups chopped cooked chicken 

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and green chiles and prepared cheese product; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken, next 4 ingredients, and hot cooked pasta until blended. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased baking dish I used a 9x9

3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Asian Pulled Pork Tacos

You won't find these tacos in your local dim sum restaurant.  These were a brainstorm of a few recipes.  My family loves "duck tacos" aka peking duck.  So I thought why not try that style with pulled pork.  I just happen to have a nice 2.5 lb roast in my freezer.  The pulled pork was plenty for the 3 of us plus leftovers.  What I loved about this recipe is the pork was juicy and not dry.  I may do all my pulled pork in the crockpot in the future.  The leftovers disappeared in a day so I'm pretty sure the family is okay with a repeat soon.

Pulled pork taco

Recipe Adapted from: KISS

1 (2-3 lb) pork butt,
1 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons of minced ginger
7 whole garlic cloves
3 green scallions, roughly cut
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 thai chili pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Enough water to cover the pork
1 English cucumber (julienned to 3 inch spears)
3 scallions (sliced thin to 3 inches)
serve with Hoisin sauce


1.  Rub down the pork with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and put into your crockpot.  Pour all the ingredients on top of the port and cover the roast with water just so the top of the roast is covered.
2.  Turn on your crockpot to high and leave it alone for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Discard huge pieces of fat.
3.  Serve the pulled pork with the sliced cucumbers, sliced scallions and hoisin sauce in a tortilla.

Valentine's Day Feast

Enjoying Fondue

This time of the year restaurants offer outrageous meals to cater to the couples willing to spend money to celebrate Valentine's day.  Unfortunately for those parents with children, it is sometimes hard to find a baby sitter to celebrate on that special day.  Instead, I decided to host a small get together to celebrate with friends and have delicious food.  I enjoyed cooking all day and I enjoyed the fruits of my labor.  I especially enjoyed the champagne bar with a choice of champagne cocktails: Poinsetta, Kir Royale, or Au Naturale.  The Poinsetta has a dash of cranberry juice.  The Kir Royale (my personal favorite) has a dash of Cassis.

I pulled off using almost all of the tools in my kitchen except the juicer and the fryer.  I used my cuisinart, mixer, pasta maker, crock pot and fondue pot.  My guests were the guinea pigs to my new recipes.  Most of the dishes turned out to be ones I'll keep to make again. 

I would host a party every month if my husband would agree to it.  However, I do believe his dishpan hands would definitely not agree. My almost 2 year old ended up staying up way past her bed time and provided tons of entertainment to everyone.

The Menu

Cheese Fondue
Spinach Artichoke dip

Homemade linguine with the choice of classic bolognese sauce or white clam sauce


Salted Caramel Ice cream
Cheesecake caramel chocolate bites

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Bites

Thanks to Kelly for the picture.

Little bites of heaven.  The Valentine's Day party needed bite size desserts.  I planned to make brownies with rolos and pretzels in the middle - I got vetoed.  I happened to get this recipe in my email the same day and Voila.  Instant dessert.  This sounds complicated to make, but it is fairly simple.  The hard part for me is always melting the chocolate.  The double boiler is key.  It melts the chocolate with out burning it.  I did cool them on a wire rack and needed a very thin spatula to remove them from the wire rack.  I chilled the cheesecake bites for 30 mins to ensure the chocolate set.  I will be making these again in the short future.  Yum!


Adapted from: Land O Lakes
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup of finely crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick of butter
20 caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons half and half
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (12-ounce) package (2 cups) real semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup shortening

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan with double thickness of aluminum foil, extending foil over ends of pan. Spray foil with no-stick cooking spray. Use the Cuisinart to crush the cookies.  Combine all crust ingredients in small bowl. Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

2.  Combine caramels and half & half in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Pour over crust in pan. Refrigerate while preparing cream cheese mixture.

3.  Combine cream cheese and sugar in large bowl. Beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beating just until combined. Stir in sour cream. Pour over caramel mixture.

4.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until just set 2 inches from edge of pan. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Loosely cover; refrigerate at least 4 hours. Lift cheesecake from pan using foil ends. Cut into 36 squares.

5.  Place cooling rack over large piece of waxed paper on counter. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (4 to 5 minutes). Pierce each cheesecake square with a fondue fork. Spoon chocolate over top and sides of each cheesecake square, letting excess chocolate drip back into pan. Place onto cooling rack. Let stand about 20 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Store refrigerated.

White Clam Sauce

White clam sauce

For the Valentine's day party I wanted to offer more than one sauce.  My personal favorite is white clam sauce.  I ordered it when I was in Italy and almost always order it at a seafood restaurant.  This recipe was a hit.  People really liked the little bit of spice each bite left them.  I did not have fresh clams on hand so I adapted the recipe.

 Adapted from: Epicurious
1 chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 6.5 ounce can of chopped clams
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoons dried oregano

1.  In a skillet cook the onion and the garlic in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until they are pale golden, add the cornstarch, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute.
2.  Stir in the wine, canned clams with the juice and simmer the sauce, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, the oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and keep the sauce warm.
3.  Serve with linguine.

Slow Cook Bolognese

Plenty of sauce

The crock pot is something I have been trying to master.  Set it and forget it. I got the America's Test Kitchen magazine on slow cooking and had to try this recipe.  The heavy cream and bread perplexed me but I couldn't tell it was in the sauce.  The house was fragrant all day and the sauce was delicious.  It does make quite a bit of sauce.  I served it at the Valentine's day party and froze the other half of the sauce for another day. 

Adapted from: America's Test Kitchen
3 tbsp butter
1 onion minced
2 carrot peeled and minced
2 stalks of celery minced
3 lbs meatloaf mix
1/2 lb pancetta diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 garlic cloves minced
1 TBSP Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, garlic mix)
1/2 cup red wine
2 28ounce cans crushed tomatoes
3 slices white sandwich bread torn into quarters
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in the skillet - add onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, garlic, italian seasoning, pancetta and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned 8-10 minutes.  Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker. Stir tomatoes into slow cooker.

2. Mash bread and heavy cream into paste in large bowl using fork.  Mix in meatloaf mix, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp pepper using hands.  Stir in meatloaf mix into slow cooker, break up any large pieces.  Cover and cook until tender 9-11 hours low or 5-7 hours on high.

3. Before serving, take the top off and remove some of the fat that collected at the top.  Break up any remaining large pieces of meat with spoon.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cheese Fondue

For the post-Valentine's day party feast I tried to think of what was a fun romantic like dessert.  Fondue came to mind.  I have had fondue at the Melting Pot restaurant. I wanted to offer a variety of dipping items that were out of the ordinary.  I read an article in the Food Network magazine and it did give me a great idea to add polenta.  I have never used the polenta in a tube.  I sliced it into 1/2 inch slices and threw it on the grill with the kielbasa sausage.  It turned out great.  Enjoy!

Adapted from: Epicurious
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (preferably Swiss, such as Fendant)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 lb Swiss cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
1/2 lb Gruyère , coarsely grated (2 cups)

What to dip?
Cubes of bread
Grilled polenta
Sliced Kielbasa
Sliced apples
Blanched veggies - broccoli
Baby Carrots
Fingerling Potatoes
Pretzel Rods

Special Equipment:  a fondue pot & long skewers

1.  Rub inside of the fondue pot with cut sides of garlic, then toss the garlic in the fondue pot.. Add wine to pot and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat.
2.  Add the cornstarch and the cheese.  Stir the cheese mixture and simmer 5-8 minutes and serve.

Spinach Artichoke dip

Creamy Spinach Artichoke dip

I love this dip.  This is a great way to get veggies in my daughter that hates veggies.  Both daughters.  My almost 2 year old loves to dip with her pita.  When I order this dish in a restaurant it is always delish but I end up walking away with a ton more sodium than I planned.  This dish is not salty.  There is no need to add salt though.  There is plenty of flavor added from the cheeses.  I made this for Super Bowl and just recently for the post-Valentines party feast.  Enjoy!

Adapted from: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
4 cloves minced garlic
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) container light Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.    Mix together all the ingredients. Place in an 8x8 baking dish.
3.    Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm with pretzel chips, sliced baguette, tositios

Two bite Chocolate pies

I love bite size treats that do not require utensils.  It makes sneaking these treats easier.  I made these for new year's and a football party.  I don't think there is an occaision that you can't have these chocolatey goodness.  If you are really strapped for time, you can try to make this recipe with chocolate pudding.  I think it would be a little lighter than the actual recipe below. The actual chocolate pies can be made ahead of time by a day or so and then you can top with the cream before you serve it.  Don't use silicone mini-muffin trays - the shell won't harden.
 

Adapted from: Myrecipes.com

Ingredients:

Cooking-oil spray

About 30 chocolate cookies, such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

2 large eggs (1 separated)

1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons cornstarch

5 teaspoons Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray mini-muffin trays with cooking spray. Use the food processor with the cookies to make fine crumbs. Measure; return 1 1/2 cups crumbs to food processor, along with 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar, the salt, and 1 egg white. Pulse to blend evenly.

2. Spoon 1 TBSP crumb mixture into each muffin cup. Press crumbs over bottom and up sides of cups. Bake until set, 15 minutes.

3. Put chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe container and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring often, until melted.

4. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and 4 tsp cocoa. Pour in a few TBSP of the milk and whisk into a smooth paste; whisk in remaining milk. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened and large bubbles appear, about 3 minutes.

5. Put extra yolk and remaining egg into a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture. Scrape egg-milk mixture into milk mixture in pan and cook, whisking, until just starting to boil, about 30 seconds. Whisk in melted chocolate and butter.

6. Spoon hot filling into chocolate shells. Press plastic wrap over surface of mini pies to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until set, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

7. Remove pies from trays. Whisk cream with remaining 2 TBSP sugar into soft peaks. Spoon a dollop of cream onto each mini pie. Dust pies with cocoa or sprinkles.

Makes 24

Lemon Cookie Tarts

Yummy sweet tarrtness

I made these yummy tarts for the wine party last year and also for new years.  They are the perfect little bite size sweet and tart.  I warn you.  Use a metal pan for these tarts.  The silicone pan did not firm up the tart shell.  The tart shell is delish.  Don't substitute with pre-made tart shells.  The almond extract gives it a rich flavor.  The tarts definitely billow up when cooked.  Don't worry.  Take a small teaspoon and press it down so it can be filled. 

Adapted from: Food.com
Ingredients:
1/2 cup  sugar                                                                           
1/2 cup  butter                                             
1/2 cup  powdered sugar                                      
1/2 cup vegetable oil                                          
1 egg                                                   
1/4 teaspoon almond extract                                 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                      
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar                                      
2 cups flour                                              
1 cup lemon curd             
1/2 cup  sweetened condensed milk   

  
Directions:      

1. In food processor pulse sugar, powdered sugar and butter till creamy. I do detest taking my food processor out, but this is quick.
2. Mix rest of ingredients except lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk, mix until a smooth dough is formed.  Chill the dough 15 minutes wrapped in plastic wrap.
3. Spray mini muffin tins with Pam, place one TBSP rolled ball of dough into each muffin.
4. Use your thumb or bottom of a shot glass to form the dough to the muffin pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 9 minutes or until dough is slightly firm but not set. Remove and reshape.  They might close up like a I said.  Just use a spoon to push it away. 
6. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until edges of shells are firm and golden. Let the tart shells cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  If you move them before hand....beware you will have a mishapen tart.
7. Carefully remove from pan and transfer to cooling rack, if they need more shaping you can do that now.
8. Cool completely before filling.
9. For the filling mix together purchased or homemade lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk.
10. Put a small amount of powdered sugar in a sieve and shake a little on the top of each tart, garnish with a long piece of lemon zest.

Italian wedding soup

It is that time of the year for soup.  In DC it's not that cold, but definitely cool enough for some warm soup to fill up the belly.  In this month's Food network magazine there is a great "healthy" Italian wedding soup.  The flavor of the soup is pretty good.  It does have a veggie taste to it- AKA healthy  Don't make this soup if you are craving a heavy meat filled soup.  I made a few modifications due to my lacking Parmesan rind.  Unfortunately soup does fare well in pictures.  I took a snap shot of this soup and it looked like colored lumps covered in green blankets. 

Adapted from: Food Network
Ingredients:
1TBSP Olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup of grated parmesan + 1 TBSP
1/2 lb ground pork
3 tbsp breadcrumbs preferable panko
3/4 cup orzo
8 ounces baby spinach

Directions:

1.  Heat the olive oil in the dutch oven or large pot and saute the onion and carrots until they are softer - approximately 4 mins. Add one chopped clove of garlic and 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce and sage.  After a min add the chicken broth + 3 cups of water + parmesan.
2. In a small bowl mix the pork, breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp grated parmesan, one clove of garlic, and 1 tsp of worcestershire sauce.  Form the meatballs into 1 inch each.  
3. Bring the soup to a boil and then stir in the orzo.  After 6 minutes, start adding the meatballs until they float, another 4 minutes.  Then stir in the spinach.  It should wilt after a minute.  Lade and serve with grated parmesan on top.

Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup

Yummy goodness

It was a soup kind of day.  Long weekend in January with the wind blowing everywhere today making it feel much colder than it really was.  The truth be told...I made this soup on Saturday AM for the Rising Hope crowd.  My fearless Rising Hope captain pulled this recipe out of his book and I was salivating by the end of making the meal.  I had no choice, but to go home and make my own!  I made some changes based on what I knew my family liked and I read the reviews on epicurious.  Even my one year old ate the noodles (that isn't the surprise), the chicken, the vegetables and drained the bowl to the last drop of soup. Mo soup Mo soup she screamed.

adapted from: Bon Appétit

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 TBSP herbes de provence
1 tsp sage
1/2 rotisserie chicken shredded
1 cup ditalini pasta
1 cup of peas
1.5cups half and half
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
 
Directions:
1.  Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and onion. Cook until celery and onion are tender, about 5 minutes.
2.  Add flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually mix in chicken stock. Bring soup to simmer, stirring frequently.
3.  Add half and half and herbs and simmer 5 minutes. Add shredded and simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4.  Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta.
5.  Bring chicken soup to simmer. Mix in cooked pasta and peas and simmer 5 minutes.
6.  Mix in lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mushroom and Chicken Risotto

Originally this recipe is just mushroom risotto.  I can't remember where I got this recipe from. It was in my recipe box.  I had planned to make it on a night that we wanted to be meat free.  However, I had some yummy chicken and ended up throwing it in.  Risotto is this thing that everyone thinks it is hard to make because it sounds so complicated. WRONG.  It is easy, but you need to baby sit it.  You can't just throw it in a pot and expect it to done in an hour.  This particular recipe is not as rich as other recipes I have made.  The mushroom flavor is not strong throughout dish.  Next time I might add some of the juice from rehydrating the shiitake mushrooms.

Ingredients:
                               
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups mushrooms such as baby bella shiitake, chanterelle, or oyster mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into half inch to inch pieces
2/3 cup dry white wine
4 pieces of chicken thighs or drumsticks
5-6 cups water
2 shallots chopped
1 3/4 cups arborio rice or other risotto rice
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Bring chicken and water to a boil with salt.  Let the pot simmer for 1 hour.  At this point the chicken and broth will be ready. Ensure you have about 5 cups of broth.
2. Melt the butter in a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to combine.
3. Add wine, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly. Wait until the broth is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 25 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy. Shred the chicken and toss into the risotto.
4. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. And Serve.

Blackberry Kiwi

I took off yesterday from juicing.  So today I need two juices.  Time for a juice that is more of a dessert juice.  No veggies in this juice.  I'm finding it hard to keep with fresh fruit.  I ended up using the frozen type of blackberries as that was much more cost effective!  This juice will be on the regular menu.

Ingredients:
1/4 large Pineapple, core removed and roughly cubed (1 large cup of canned pineapple)
1 cup Blackberries
1 Kiwi Fruit
1/4  Pear
1/4 cup Coconut Water

Green Juice

I drank a Naked Juice on Friday morning because I was too lazy to juice in the morning.  Anyway - I guess there is no other name that makes sense for this juice.  I will tell you - celery makes me burp all day.  My husband has requested that I do not make this juice anymore.  It was way too veggie heavy for his taste buds.  Even I couldn't drink it in one chug.  I had to take 4 breaks.  I ran it through the juicer twice to make sure it was as juiced as it was going to get.  Seriously though, I think I will get to the point where this juice is not so bad.  Check out tomorrow's post for the juice that your sweet tooth will love.

6 leaves Kale
2 cups Spinach
1/2 Cucumber
4 stalks Celery
2 Apples

Yummy Chicken Wings

Santa brought me a fryer this year. Maybe not the fryer I researched and ask for, but a fryer nevertheless. Not complaining - anymore. For New Years Day we were going to watch some football, and I thought what better to go with football than wings! Sad to say I was in such a hurry to eat the wings we did not get a great picture. Don't worry. I'll post the picture when I make the wings again NEXT week!!!

My husband says that wings always talk back to him. I think that is because the spicier the Wong the more it talks back. I've learned in the many years we have been together that spicy is not his thing. This recipe is anything but spicy. It is a sweet sauce really. I think I might dial up the heat with some cayenne next time to get the sweet but tingling lips after eating the wings. I adapted the recipe from Sierra's Grandma's Secret Buffalo Wing Sauce a winner on the Food Network All American Festivals show. These wings will go fast. Be sure to double the recipe. Also I served it with Helluva Good Dip Buffalo Wing Dip - YUM!!


Ingredients:
1 gallon of oil
10 whole, fresh chicken wings, cut in pieces (20 wing pieces)
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried
Dash beer
1 TBSP hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Hot Sauce)
1 TBSP chipotle Tabasco sauce

Directions:

1. Pat dry the wings. The drier they are the less they will splash.
2. Heat the oil to 350 degrees.
3. Fill you basket 1/2 full. The more they overlap the less even they will cook. I did two batches in my 1 gallon of oil.
4. Launch the wing basket into the oil. I covered for the first couple minutes to minimize the splatter. Then I took the cover off to ensure I had proper crispness. Cook for 15 mins
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small sauce pan with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Once the wings are done, let them rest on s one newspaper. The newspaper will absorb the oil.
7. After both batches are done. Put the wings in a bowl and toss the sauce in them. Ensure all t he wings are covered and have absorbed the yummy goodness.
8. Serve with the buffalo wing dip from Hellauva Good Dip.

Enjoy

Apple Carrot Beet juice

My first juice was such a success, I thought why not experiment. BEETS. I've never been successful at beets. I eaten a heavenly beet salad at Evening Star. However at home I've tried roasting and boiling etc. Success for me would have been to like the beet juice. I can't say that I did, but I'm posting for those that do like beet juice. I will try this juice again with 1 beet instead of 2. Be forewarned. Drinking this juice may cause your urine to change color. Again. I opted out of the ginger. Maybe next time I'll opt on and I won't notice the beets???

Ingredients:

1 Apple
2 Beets
3 Large Carrots
1 Piece Ginger (thumb sized)
4 cups Spinach/Kale

Carrot-Kale combo juice

I'm new to juicing. I thought before the new year is in full swing I'd dabble and play with the new juicer I'd been gifted. Boy is it fun! I had some kale from the last CSA delivery. Never new Kale could taste so yummy. I opted out of the ginger. For some reason I'm not a huge fan of it. I split this one drink do everyone in my house could try the new creation. My daughter hated it. Most because she saw all that went into the juice. My husband said - Not bad. I thought it was worlds better than the sodium ridden V8. I'm hooked!!!


1 drink
Ingredients:
1 Green Apple
3 handfuls Spinach
6-8 Kale leaves
4 large Carrots
1 piece Ginger (thumb size)

Directions:

Juice

New Year's Resolutions

There are so many resolutions one could make. This year I am trying to keep them to things I might be able to control.

1. Be healthier in eating and exercising
2. Less clutter in my life and in my house
3. Eat fabulously.

Well 2012 would not be fun if I didn't include #3. Don't get me wrong. I had fabulous food in and out of my house in 2011 (Cityzen for my birthday & Kushi off the top of my mind ), but maybe I'll make sure to tell you about the ones out of my house in 2012.   With that said, I did slack in my posting last year.  I did cook many more dishes than the ones that got posted.  Don't worry.  They are not lost.  They are in queue for this year :)  Stay tuned.  My sister and I cooked a bunch over the holidays and I have the pics to post to my blog.  Sorry Jess!  I'll be sure to give her credit where credit is due.  She really was a trooper and was much more of an executive chef this year than the sous chef she says I always make her.  Thanks Jess for the fun times this past holiday - I'll be working off the pounds I gained at the gym.

So I already started on #1.  A friend of mine at work told my about this movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and that she started the program Reboot Your Life.  I read the 3 programs that the "diet" has available.  I doubt my diabetes doctor with approve of following the any of the programs.  However, that has not stopped me from changing my diet a bit.  I tried 2 juices already.  The first juice was not so bad.  The beet juice I had after that had me rethinking juicing.  Nevertheless, I was lucky that someone at work overheard my new initiative and gave me a juicer she was not using!!!  So I hope to continue juicing into 2012 to get more fruits and veggies into my diet and possibly substitute some of the unhealthy snacks I do have like spinach dip, candy and chips.

January 2nd and I have already started to on my decluttering in my house.  I attacked the attic.  I convinced my husband in these projects it will get worse before it gets better.  We took everything out of the attic and only put about half of the things back in.  Now I can walk into our storage and access items all the way in the back!  We've already filled our trash cans with garbage and one car full of items to go to the donation bins.  AND I have a pile of items to save up for our neighboorhood yard sale in the spring (I had to argue to keep items for that).  You cannot change me in a day.  I'm a work in progress.  Next weekend I'll work on another part of my house.  It was sad that no one will see how organized my attic is, but I needed to get the Christmas stuff put away. 

Anyway, here's to 2012 and keeping my realistic resolutions!