Oy, pass the 'nog!

This fantastically foamy libation surely puts the 'nog in eggnog.

The one problem is, is that it isn't ready to drink until at least 4-7 days (minimum of 96 hours, 5,760 minutes, and 345,600 seconds) later.  That's right... 4982379423 days.  Yes, this is an eternity of waiting; however, the results are entirely worth the patience!
My recommendation?  Make a batch of this, then, go away and put it out of your mind for the rest of the week.  When you come home—miracle of miracles—the eggnog is at long last drinkable!


The video below contains a few fun facts you may or may not know about eggnog.

Now, on to the recipe!

(Above: My handy taste-testers... Considering you're going to wait a considerable space of time to enjoy this drink, you ought to make sure it tastes A-OK from the start, eh?  Just take care of consuming too much, due to salmonella poisoning.  Unfortunately true story.*)

George Washington's Eggnog:

(adapted from a recipe from Mount Vernon)
Yields: 6 quarts

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brandy
• 1 cup rye whiskey (I didn't have "rye", so I used a different sort)
• 1 cup dark Jamaica rum
• 1/2 cup cream sherry
• 8 extra large eggs, OR 10 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 quart milk
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg (add more for that extra nutmeggy taste!)
•  1 cinnamon stick (feel free to split one in half, or add 2-3)
  

Directions:

1. Mix liquors first in a separate container.
2. Separate yolks and whites into two large mixing bowls.
3. Blanchir egg yolks (beat adding in sugar until the mixture turns a light yellow).
4. Add liquor slowly to egg yolk mixture, continuing to beat (mixture will turn brown) until well incorporated. 5. Add milk and cream simultaneously, slowly beating the mixture.  Set aside. 

6. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into the alcohol mixture.
7. Add nutmeg and cinnamon stick, and stir well to incorporate.  Cover mixture in an airtight container. 

8. Allow eggnog to cure undisturbed for several X (4-7) days in the coldest art of the refrigerator, or outside in a very cold (below 40 degrees) place.  The mixture will separate as it cures.  This is OK.  Just be sure to re-incorporate mixture before serving cold.

* Just as a precaution, make sure you label your freshly-concocted eggnog jug whilst it's in the incubation period.  Whilst this is somewhat unlikely, you really don't want to end up pouring a glass out of the wrong container and seriously regretting said action (this stated from a major raw-cookie-dough-eating fan).  "This is a kindness!"

Ready to pour into glasses?  Feel free to garnish the tops with a sprinkling of spices.

Cheers, and Happy New Year 2012!

Roast Chicken and all of the trimmings

Ma manan Poulet Rôti.  My mother's favourite chicken.  This is what I made the other night, and it was nothing short of heavenly.  Seriously, no one wanted to stop eating!  I am excited to share the recipe with you, because I think that you'll like it, too.

Why, you ask?  Well, for one, it is light on your wallet.  These whole birds are often on sale at my local grocery stores, and they are worth every dollar for the pound.  The preparation is also very easy; your oven essentially does all of the cooking for you!

Without further ado, my mother's scrumptious Roast Chicken. (Though, I confess, when asked what I was serving, I couldn't resist replying, "Roast BEAST", with such confidence in my voice that they nearly believed me.  It's a Doctor Seuss reference, but I digress...)

Linda's Roasted Chicken

Yields: Roughly 4-5 servings, depending on the size of the chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 roasting chicken (5-7 pounds -- I cooked two in a roasting pan; firstly, they were buy-one-get-one free, secondly, this was dinner for my family with healthy appetites, and thirdly, no one in their right mind would refuse these leftovers...)
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 3-4 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary (this really tastes best with the fresh kind, but if you don't have any on hand, use dried rosemary.  Also, start with around 2 T. and see how much you need for the size bird you're cooking.  I "eyeball" with this one, because you can't go wrong with rosemary.)
• Sea salt (again, assess the size of the bird(s) and go from there...)
• Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Add-ins:

You can also add other ingredients like lemon, lemon juice, and put whole garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken (but this may add steam -- see step #4 below).
As for side dishes?  Steamed vegetables.  Herb salad with a creamy ranch dressing or mustard vinaigrette.  As you can see, I baked fries to go with the chicken (but we were out of Russets and Yukon Gold potatoes, so I used reds).  Martha's Oven Fries (or her Salt & Pepper Fries) are my favourite.  Trust me, you'll have a difficult time staying away from them!

Directions:

1. Start by turning the oven on to 450°F.
2. Remove the chicken from its wrapping. You'll need to thoroughly wash and dry the bird in the sink before anything else.  This part is kind of actually really disgusting, so don't ponder it too much, OK (the only thought running through my head was how thankful I was not to have to kill and de-feather the bird as well... Whew!)?  Besides that, we are women.  We are child bearers, which means we're strong.  We can do this -- woman up! (If you tell yourself that while you're working, it gets easier and your mind will be distracted in no time.  Or, you could put on some music!)
3. Moving on (because I am obviously past the there-is-a-squishy/slippery-dead-animal-in-my-hands fact... Obviously!), make sure you dry the bird completely (inside and out).  Place it in a roasting pan, and add the seasonings.  Once they're on, rub them in a bit.  
4. Before putting it into the oven, make sure you don't have the lid on.  This will create steam, which defeats the purpose of roasting.  My mum recommends Thomas Keller's Favourite Roast Chicken recipe on Epicurious, where he explains about the whole roasting process.
5. Pop the pan in the oven (sans lid), for about an hour, maybe more (you will want to occasionally check it).  For instructions on how long to roast the chicken, read this forum thread, consult this chart, or Google "roasting a whole chicken".
6. Use a meat thermometer to find out if the meat is done cooking.  It should be 175-180° in the thickest part of the bird (try poking the thermometer into the thigh area).

See?  Proof of its delectableness.  Don't mind a very hungry Wimbledon here... My mother did give us etiquette lessons in table manners, but I think he needs reminding (more like scolding?)!

In case that photo on the far right didn't scare you enough, here it is again.  Positively FRIGHTENING!

"He brought everything back, all the food for the feast. And he, he himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast."

Comfort Food

Tonight, we ate macaroni and cheese for dinner (which is obviously not what's pictured above, but bear with me here).  A nice, sharp cheddar with buttermilk made the sauce extra tangy, and I always like to eat my bowl of "Mac & Cheese" with peas mixed in.  Yes, yes, peas.  That combination might send you reeling, but mine just wouldn't be complete without both (besides, didn't yo mama ever tell you to eat your peas?)!

In my country, we have a term for foods of endearment, called "comfort food".  Essentially, this means whichever foods come to mind when you're feeling blue, are in need of a pick-me-up, or simply, when nothing else will satisfy.  If you're reading this from another part of the world, I know you know exactly what I speak of.  Surely, this sentiment must translate globally!

Well, Polenta happens to be one of mine.

Polenta is very versatile.  Serve it squared.  In triangles like pie or cake.  Creamy, like mashed potatoes.  Browned and crispy around the edges.  Even fried on a griddle (or, "girddle", as one of my nephews so adorably/funnily mispronounces the word).

Below is the über-scrumptious Rosemary Polenta.

 

Polenta Triangles with Rosemary and Walnuts

(another version I recommend is Ina Garten's own Rosemary Polenta recipe)

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese (or Parmesan)
• 3 T. butter
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 8 walnut halves (I don't usually add these on the top -- see step #7 if you're confused as to what I'm referring to)

Directions:

1. Butter 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. 

2. Bring broth to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in corn meal. 

3. Reduce heat to medium and whisk constantly until mixture thickens, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. 

4. Add cheese and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; stir until cheese melts.

5. Stir in chopped walnuts and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Transfer polenta to prepared dish; using buttered knife, spread evenly. Cool until polenta is firm, at least 1 hour.

7. Line baking sheet with foil. Cut polenta into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges, bottom side up, to prepared sheet. Dot wedges with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Place 1 walnut half in center of each wedge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

8. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake polenta until heated through, about 12 minutes.

 Stir, stir, stir!

There is Pembleton (remember him?), serving the polenta squares and giving me one of his looks...

The best part of biting into one of these has to be the crispy, cheesy, buttery top.  Mmmm...

What are your staples -- your go-to, comfort foods of choice?

About that soup...

Uh oh... I teased with a couple of images of a glorious soup in the last post, and then couldn't find the time to write again later in the week!  That is not very nice.

Ergo, as promised...

Gluten Free Girl & The Chef's

Black Bean Soup with Red pepper Relish

Ingredients:

Red Pepper Relish

• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted
• 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T. finely chopped green onion
• 2 tsp. grated lime zest
• 2 tsp. sherry vinegar (I used some other kind of vinegar, what was in the pantry)
• 1 tsp. thinly sliced garlic
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh chives

Black Bean Soup

• 2 T. canola oil (I prefer olive oil)
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and large diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and large diced
• 2 stalks celery, large diced
• 2 T. chopped garlic
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted (or ground cumin powder)
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or more, if you're like me!)
• 1 dried chipotle pepper, stemmed
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 4 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight
• 1 small smoked ham hock, thawed
• Kosher salt & cracked black pepper
• 4 T. sour cream

Directions:

1. Making the relish: Peel the roasted pepper and cut it into a small slice.  Add the diced pepper to a bowl and combine with the cilantro, green onion, lime zest, vinegar, garlic, and chives.  Transfer a quarter of the mixture to a food processor and pulse; it should feel chunky, not entirely puréed.  Add the chunky part back into the relish and stir.

2. Sautéing the vegetables for the soup: Add the oil to a medium stockpot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the cumin seeds and red pepper flakes and cook until they are fragrant.

3. Spicing it up: Add the entire chipotle pepper to the pot.  Stir in the tomato paste.  When it coats everything, add 3 cups of the chicken stock.

4. Cooking the soup: Drain the beans from the water they have been soaking in.  Add them to the soup along with the ham hock.  Cook over medium heat until the beans are completely tender and the ham hock has started to peel away from the bone, 25 to 30 minutes.

5.  Finishing the soup: Remove the ham hock from the soup.  Peel all the meat away, from the bone and chop it up into bite-sized pieces.
Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender in small batches and purée; the final consistency should be just a touch thinner than a smoothie.  If the soup feels too thick, thin it out with the remaining chicken stock.
Pour the soup into the stockpot.  Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls.  Dollop with the sour cream and the red pepper relish.

My Add-ins/Suggestions:

Source: Annie Green Jeans

Begin with soaking the beans overnight.  Make sure you pour enough water over them, and place a tight cover on the top so that they'll be sealed in overnight!

With the bell peppers, I put them in the oven to roast; turning them every-so-often so that they were blackened all over, but not burned.  When they were done, I took them out, placed them in a paper bag and folded it shut, and let them sit in the microwave (not on) to steam while I took care of other parts of the recipe.

Regarding the ham, if you don't have any spare ham hocks in the freezer, you can take deli ham slices and dice them up in quarters.

"This is not a particularly spicy soup.  

...I want the food to taste like itself, not just heat.  It should have a little kick, but not too much.  I don't want a soup to punch me in the mouth!"

– Shauna "Gluten Free Girl" Ahern

Apparently, I must have missed the above, since my brain underwent a momentary lapse and I ended up pouring in an ENTIRE CAN of tear-inducing chipotle peppers (sorry, family!).  The result was perfectly spicy soup for me (think Goldy Lock's response when she finds the Little Bear's porridge), while everyone else thanked me through stinging eyes and dripping noses; saying it was "really delicious, *cough sniffle cough*, despite".

I also added some cayenne pepper and chili powder, and put out both sour cream and plain yogurt as toppings.

A perfect side dish would be quesadillas (or buttered tortillas), for dipping into your bowl.  Oh, and don't forget the enselada verde!

As always, with soups, they are even better the next day (that is, if you have any left over)!

Mystery soup

What do you get when you combine this

+

this

???

Utter deliciousness is what.  

There is a funny story that goes with this soup, so I will get you the recipe as soon as possible!

Eggs scrambled

"You have to try my eggs scrambled! And I do mean eggs scrambled, and not scrambled eggs.  BIG difference."

When I'm wanting eggs (at any given time of the day, or night even), these are a quick fix.  They are scrumptious, equal parts fluffy and dense (does that even make sense?), and easily whipped up in less than five minutes.  What they most decidedly aren't are nasty, wimpy, soggy eggs (gross, perish the thought!).

Are you convinced yet?  Here are my usual not-so-secret ingredients:

• 1-2 eggs (sometimes, I just use the whites and save the yolks for later - gasp!)
• Shredded Mexican cheese (or whatever beckons to be used in the refrigerator)
• Liberal sprinkle of basilico and oregano
• Dash of dill (I know, 'sounds strange when combined the above, but trust me on this!)
• Pinch of salt
• Lots of freshly ground pepper

Begin by whisking the egg(s).  You're likely wondering how I could forget the milk or cottage cheese at this point; well, this may surprise you, but generally, I just add a bit of water + a sprinkle of cheese, mix together, and pour in a hot pan.  Try it sometime, the water actually works very nicely!

If I have time, then I'll finely dice half of a tomato in too.

While the egg(s) is cooking (but keep an eye or two on it), slice up some fruit, and now you have a superb little breakfast!

Indian-Style Crock Pot Curry

I was looking for a simple meal that could cook all day and be ready to serve—in all its delectableness—at the end of it.  Cue this yummy curry that was featured on Rachel Ray's show and also on Stephanie O'Dea's Crockpot365.
The entire house had a wonderful aroma of warm, exotic spices to it, and I found myself wondering how quickly dinner time would come around!


Indian-Style Crock Pot Curry

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
• 1 T. tomato paste
• 2 T. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• A few dashes of hot sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 large eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (I sliced them into cubes)
• 1 14-oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 lbs. bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• White rice
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to garnish
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, to garnish
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, to garnish
• 1 cup chopped toasted peanuts, to garnish
• 1/4 cup mango chutney, to garnish

MY ADD-INS:

• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cardamom
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1-2 tsp. Garam Masala

I don't think that you can go wrong with adding additional Indian spices, so if you feel like putting in a dash of clove with some red pepper flakes for extra spiciness, do so!

Although, apparently I must have been a little heavy-handed on the heated ingredients in my family's opinion, because tissues were their best friend during the course of the meal... Kind of funny, really!

notes:

The recipe doesn't specify whether to cube the pieces of chicken (boneless breasts work just as nicely as thighs) or not.  I defrosted mine and left them whole (placed in the bottom of the crockpot), and am very happy to report they turned out very moistly and fell apart perfectly on their own after 8-9 hours of slow-cooking.

I used red bell peppers and added additional sweet potatoes and chick peas since I didn't have either the eggplant or the green bells.  'Cooked Basmati rice in 20 minutes, and served the curry over it in bowls (since the curry was on the liquid-y side).

It will be interesting to mark how this dish turns out next time, with different ingredients!

Directions:

In the bowl of a crock pot combine the coconut milk, tomato paste, curry powder, coriander, cumin, and hot sauce. To that add the onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, eggplant, sweet potatoes, chick peas, and chicken. Season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and then turn the crock pot on to high heat, cover it, and let the curry stew for about 4 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the curry with prepared rice and garnish with lemon wedges, scallions, cilantro, peanuts and mango chutney.

(Sketch courtesy of Natalie Dee, which expresses just how I've come to feel about crock pots! I wouldn't necessarily call this manner of cooking the very "best", but it is pretty fantastic when you can toss a bunch of ingredients into a pot and have them do the rest of the work for you, don't you think?)

I'm simply mad about curry dishes (and Indian food, on the whole!).  We should christen a weekly Curry Night in my house, they're that good.

Stylish Kitchen Gadgetry

I love to cook.
I love to bake.
This necessitates kitchen tools.

Hence, if you find me grinning wildly while doing a little happy dance (probably just inside), it could just be that I've found some handy new gadgetry to fill my kitchen drawers.

Take Fred Flare Kitchen & Dining, for example.

Or Urban Outfitters Kitchen Department.  It melted my wanderlusting heart to see M-CUPS' Matryoshka Measuring Cups in their store last year!  (They've since found a happy new home in my cupboards).

Now, neither of these stores are the first resources I'd typically start with for regular cookware, but when it comes to the extra tools one might need or want, they always stock creative, unique wear.

Here are some fresh gizmos from a recent In Style magazine of mine.  (Click the photos to enlarge.)

What out-of-the-ordinary tools could you not possibly do without?  A Chef’n Strawberry Huller?  What about an old-fashioned Mezzaluna (which is Italian for "half-moon")?

Share your favourites below!

St. Patrick's Day plans

ST. PATRICK'S DAY is coming!

Seven days from now.

(You're probably thinking, Sarah!  This is a bit premature; we have 'til next week...)

But, I tend to plan in advance (what else can I say, then that I'm like my mother -- and that is something, because she is amazing!).

Oh, and I found some glorious food photos.

Along those lines, what are your plans for next Thursday?  Do they include traditional dinner fare of Potatoes, Corned Beef, & Guinness (deemed, "hearty comfort food" by Jane Seymour, in the cooking video I was just watching on Martha Stewart)?  Downing green-coloured conconctions whilst proudly sporting orange &/or green (don't wish to run the risk of being pinched!)?

 
In America, many of us serve classic Irish-American food such as the above, or you might find us mixing up a Black & Tan, mashing some Colcannon, baking a Shepherd's Pie, or munching on a slice of Irish Soda Bread.  However, whilst studying this holiday back in high school, I was surprised to learn that the Irish across the pond don't actually celebrate in the same fashion as we do (that's right, no corned beef and potatoes!).  Why didn't anyone tell me this before?!

Here are some lovely party/meal planning links (just in case you're catching the planning-ahead bug):

♣ Epicurious' St. Patrick's Day Feasting Ideas

♣ Martha Stewart's St. Patrick's Day Guide (Martha is a fave of mine)

♣ The Kitchn's St. Patrick's Day Cocktails & Spirits Roundup (which all sound downright drinkable to me)

♣ YumSugar's St. Patrick's Day Party Menu

♣ Gluten Free St. Patrick's Day Goodness from Elana's Pantry

♣ YumSugar's Rustic, Slow Cooker Irish Lamb Stew (seriously yum!)

♣ For dessert, a slice of Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake (for further instructions and photos from a fan of Nigella's cake, go to the Kitchn)

♣ Or, you might wish to nibble on sweets earlier in the day with these Peppermint Patties tantalising you from Elana's Pantry...

Now that your stomach is full from all those delicious images and ideas, tell me what St. Patty's Day looks like in your home.  I'd love to hear!

Spicy Asian-Style Pasta Salad

This dish is such a comfort food!  Since my early teenage years, it has been a "mah-jor" (to quote stylist Rachel Zoe) personal and family favourite; one that is perfect for entertaining or whipping up for on the go.  The best part?  The longer it's in your refrigerator, the better it tastes (as this allows the spices to marinate all the more) —That is, if you have any leftover...

Bon Appétit's Spicy Asian-Style Pasta Salad

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

• 4 T. oriental sesame oil
• 3 T. honey
• 3 T. soy sauce
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

For the pasta:

• 1 pound linguine, broken in half (or virtually any sort of noodle -- Soba or Rice noodles are perfect if you want to keep to the Asian theme!)
• 3 red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
• 3 cups snow peas
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain very well. Transfer to large bowl.

Whisk 3 tablespoons sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne pepper in small bowl to blend. Season with salt.  Mix half of dressing into pasta.  Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Add bell peppers, peas and onion and sauté until just beginning to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Add vegetables to pasta.  Mix in peanuts, basil and enough dressing to coat.  Serve, passing any remaining dressing separately.

Notes:

The dressing doesn't yield very much, so you might try doubling or tripling the measurements.  Also, the amount of cayenne called for isn't nearly enough to my liking, so I always add a chili paste and/or red pepper flakes.  Keep stirring and taste-testing the dressing until you get it just right.



This pasta salad makes for a wonderfully filling side dish, or as a main dish by tossing in some meat (i.e. shrimp or marinated chicken).  Pair it with a bottle of dry, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, or Viognier (more Wine Pairings with Asian food in this post from White On Rice Couple).

Needing a fresh food idea for this weekend?  Well, chop & sauté those spare vegetables you've been needing to use up, and put some pasta water on to boil.  Make the dressing in the meantime, mix everything together, and voilà!

I love this recipe so much that I can't have had it too many times before I'm hankering for it again.  Make some for yourself, and tell me your thoughts below!

Cooking receives a technology upgrade

Exciting news, for the especially technology-minded foodies (and even for those who aren't, read on)!

Searching for a specific recipe?  Come Friday, you'll need look no further than your nearest tab.  Google has implemented a new feature aptly named "Recipe View," a niche search that lets home cooks search for recipes in new ways across the foodie universe.

Thanks goes to my dad (who is a faithful reader of The San Jose Mercury News' Food & Wine section), for alerting me to this tasty tabtastic tidbit.

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Linguine

Here is that promised pasta recipe.  It doesn't call for just any type of noodle, it demands linguine.  However, if you've run out of said pasta like a certain someone did (cough, all I can do is shake my head lamentably and mutter, 'hypocrite'...), use whichever kind you please!

Now, let's stop a minute and play Eye Spy.

Do you notice anything missing?  Just possibly, something that happens to be another core ingredient?
... Yep, that would be the absent Sun Dried tomatoes!  They were AWOL, so some quick thinking on my mum's part suggested slicing fresh tomatoes and baking them under the broiler.  Brilliant improvisation, and meal saved!

Lesson learned?  Sometimes, in life, we are forced to deviate from our original plans and step outside of our comfort zones.  To have to be flexible and make substitutions or alterations.  When faced with this kind of uncomfortableness, it's all about the approach and response.

Leave room for a plan B.  Let your imagination run.  Find a way to be creative (even if you've long since written yourself off from possessing any artsy genetics, they're bound to be there!).  Add a new ingredient.  You might be surprised to find this quite liberating!


Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Linguine

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 T. pine nuts, toasted
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 pound linguine pasta

Directions:

Combine sun-dried tomatoes, Romano cheese, basil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor. With machine running, gradually add olive oil and process until smooth paste forms. (Can be made prepared 2 weeks ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Combine 3/4 cup tomato pesto with reserved cooking liquid in same pot. Add linguine and toss over medium-high heat to coat, adding more pesto, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes:

Being enormously fond of red pepper flakes, I like to generously sprinkle my own plate of pasta after serving up.  However, this is entirely optional!

Also, if you're looking for a nice wine pairing, you might try clicking recipe name link to see Epicurious's  recommendations.

Due to the unfailing pleasure this dish gives, you may hear me singing of its praises again, or even see a picture of the proper version down the road (wherein the Sun-Dried tomatoes & linguine make an appearance).  We often serve it on special occasions.

Leave it to the Italians to say their goodbyes so elegantly:
Allora, ciao, bella!

Happy heart

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

I take delight in learning new facts about the special occasions we celebrate.  It makes them all the more fascinating and meaningful, wouldn't you agree?

Much of this afternoon was spent in the kitchen, preparing tonight's menu with my mum.  Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Linguine (it's killer!), a fresh herb salad, and the aforementioned Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.

Pasta coming pronto.

"You never know a good thing 'til it's gone..."

Dear readers:

I have loads of yummy recipes (and how-to photos) to share with you all from Thanksgiving week 'til now, but this week has been pretty depressing because my oven has been broken.  Yes, broken!  (Sympathy, anyone?  It figures that yours truly happened to be the last one to use le four {as the French say} before it died, though I wasn't the reason that it did...) Poof, there went the beginnings of my splendid Christmas baking plans.

Thankfully, my tremendous fix-it dad was able to take care of the problem last night, and the oven is now in working order again!  Coincidentally, a large (and rather heavy) Amazon.com package just arrived full of GF baking ingredients.

I'm off to restock the cupboards, and commence a bake-athon!

Just in time for Thanksgiving feasting

Needing inspiration for this week's upcoming celebration?  Look no further; for today, Google jumped on the freebie bandwagon by sharing recipes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.  I just love Ina!

Little secret: Her Roasted Brussel Sprouts are definitely worth trying... The steps are very simple to follow, and the sprouts comes straight out of the oven in all of their crackly, roasted yummyness.  Not a Brussel Sprout fan?  Well, even you might change your mind after sampling these!

Don't miss out on a "good thing"

I have some fab news for you, fellow foodies.  While browsing Teaching Good Things (my friend, Kathy's website) earlier, I noticed that she had kindly alerted her readers to an opportunity to download a wonderful free book (and not just any book at that!).  Snatch it up before it's gone... Without further ado:

Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Cookbook

Let the festive cooking begin! (You can thank me later.)

Homemade is the best

Since I'm slowly easing back into solid foods after finishing the Master Cleanse this week, I wanted to share a couple of recipes that I'll be using soon.

Image credit: Flickr user MPG

First off, homemade Hummus!  (CAUTION: this stuff is really yummy, but very potent; so, if you're not a fan of garlic, you will probably want to half the amount called for, or use a light sprinkling of garlic powder instead.)

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups Garbanzo Beans/Chick Peas
• 2-3 Garlic cloves
• 2 T. (or more) Parsley
• 2 T. Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Water
• 2 T. Cayenne Pepper
• Salt & Pepper
• 2-4 T. EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1/4 cup Tahini (Sesame paste)

Directions:

 
Mix all of the ingredients except the last two in a food processor or blender until smooth.  While pulsing the blender, pour in the tahini and olive oil.  If you like yours thicker (like me), use less olive oil.  If you prefer it thinner, just add more liquid.

Suggestions: I love sprinkling a handful of pine nuts over my hummus, but it's been so expensive lately that I've had to forgo the now-luxury.
 
Play around with this recipe until you get it just the way you like it.  Feel free to add other spices, such as coriander, cumin, paprika, and turmeric.  Some fun ideas for what to do with Hummus are:

• Use as a sandwich/bread spread (mayonnaise/mustard alternative)
• Vegetable dip
• Sour cream/Yogurt alternative (topping)
• Salad dressing alternative

Speaking of salad dressing, here is a basic vinaigrette for you (that is not only easy to whip up, but a staple in my house):

Ingredients:

• 3 T. Vegetable/Canola oil (feel free to use another kind of oil; we usually sub olive oil)
• 2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 T. Maggi (warning: not gluten-free, so you'll need an alternative if you eat GF)
• 1 Garlic clove
• Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients well; I like to shake them up in a mason jar.  This dressing separates pretty quickly, so stir or shake it right before using.

Suggestions: A couple tablespoons of Dijon Mustard makes a great addition!

Image credit: Flickr user Mariannika

Stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables has been on my mind lately (it's funny what your brain thinks of when you're only consuming liquids), and FitSugar happened to have some handy tips on how to store them for longevity's sake.

Confession:  I have to open the fridge to take out my daily drink ingredients, and the first item my eyes fall on is a carton of the juiciest-looking strawberries.  All I know is how much I am going to savour those in a couple more days!