Week of Dec 20 - Back to cookin'

OK, brief hiatus last week due to work, but back in the saddle. On the menu:
Chicken Posole soup
Prosciutto Encrusted Pork Tenderloin with Thyme roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes
Satay Chicken Stir Fry with Snow Peas and Cilantro
Sesame Crusted Fish Fillets with Ginger Garlic Sauce

Week of Dec 6

Salmon over soba noodles with spinach
Sesame chicken with gingery bok choy
Proscuitto wrapped pork with sweet potatoes and pears
Pork chops au poivre with green bean pumpkin bean salad
Linguine with butternut squash, spinach and mussels

Week of Nov 30 - Turkey Slimdown

Mussels a la provencale
Turkey Meatballs and Bocconcini
Pizza with figs, arugula, and goat cheese
Arroz con leche

Turkey Time! Week of November 23

So, here's the behind-the-scenes on our turducken party prep. This year, we won't be feeding 30+ folks, but will have a smaller, low-key get together with 8-10 folks. Here's the menu, with my prep schedule and cooking plans:

Herb and Cheese poppers - prepping on Sunday; cooking on Thursday
Hawks bars (the best version of brownies ever!)- Tues (pecans, ganache); Wed (brownies, caramel, assemble)
Pumpkin Cheesecake - Tues (crust), Wed (bake)
Spinach dip and fritos - prepping on Wed; heating on Thursday
Corn Pudding - prepping on Wed; baking on Thursday
Sourdough stuffing w/ sausage, apples and golden raisins - prepping on Wed; finishing on Thursday
Cranberry sauce - fixing on Wednesday
Turducken - Thursday
Green beans and walnuts with lemon vinaigrette - Thursday

So, it will be a busy few days, but I'm building in some time to go watch the parade on Thursday!

Family Favorites - Weeks of November 15 & 23

Chicken adobo with potatoes and rice
Ratatouille with italian sausage and cornmeal biscuits
Penne with brie, mushrooms and arugula
Hoisin steamed fish with vegetables
Dad's chicken soup
Colossal Mixed Berry muffins

Week of November 8

Tuna burgers with pickled cucumbers and spicy peanut mayonnaise
Salmon and spinach over soba with asian broth
Vodka sauce with chicken over angel hair pasta

Hello, November! - Week of November 1

Peppercorn-encrusted Pork Chops with Pepita & Green Bean Salad
Pumpkin Flan
White Bean and Tuna Pasta Salad
Lemongrass Chicken Soup
Farmer's Market Salad with Pomegranate

Quick and Easy - Week of Oct 25

Wasabi Salmon Burgers with Soba noodles and Cucumbers
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Roast Chicken with Oven Fries
Green Chicken Curry with Jasmine rice

Fall Comfort Food - Week of October 18

Turkey Chili
Lentil, butternut and goat cheese salad
Mustard roasted fish with steamed artichokes
Peanut noodles with chicken and spinach

More Fall Goodies - Week of October 11

Sausage and Spinach pizza with Provolone
Ratatouille with Sausage and Cornmeal biscuits
Sage and Almond encrusted trout with Roasted acorn squash
Coconut and curry chicken soup

Fall Flavors - Week of Oct 4

After a few days of rather cool temperatures here in NYC, I decided to go with a cozy fall menu for the week.

Curried butternut squash soup with toasted pita
Chicken posole with sour cream, avocado and tortilla chips
Moroccan shrimp
Spicy tofu stir fry with brown rice

Plus, a couple of desserts! Homemade apple pie and rice pudding

The Man's Menu - Week of September 27

This week, I let my sidekick set the menu! I thought he would go for all of his favorites, but he mixed it up a bit with a couple of favorites and some good ol' comfort food.

Turkey meatballs with tomato ragu and spaghetti
Tasty tacos with soft and hard shells
Steamed salmon in an asian broth over soba noodles and stir-fry baby bok choy
Arugula salad with chicken, cranberries, feta and pine nuts

What's cookin'? Week of September 21

Seafood and Chicken Paella
Chicken Tzatziki pitas
Arugula and pear salad with roasted pork tenderloin

If these were the last brownies on earth...

...I would be in Heaven!!

These are called Hawks' Bars (named for the creators). Three layers of chocolate and caramel, topped with candied pecans. They practically melt in your mouth.

What's for dinner? Week of September 13

Slow cooked chicken with wasabi mashed potatoes and asparagus
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe, clams and sweet italian sausage
Sausages with white beans in tomato sauce
Brazilian fish kebabs over coconut rice

I love you, Andrew Carmellini!

I am not the queen of cooking fish. I tend to get overwhelmed by the stinky-ness! Then along came Andrew Carmellini...he wrote this great cookbook while waiting for his new restaurant to open in NYC. The premise of the cookbook is that we can all cook amazing meals in tiny NYC kitchens. So, I cooked his black sea bass with sundried tomato pesto. One word - love!

I love giving food gifts!

...especially when they are enjoyed in my presence. Last year, for Christmas, my dad gave me some fun ribbon and boxes that took my gift giving up a notch!

Summer into Fall - what to cook!?

With a loooonnng weekend ahead of us (5 for me and 3 for my sidekick), I have many recipes in the hopper this week.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with spicy peanut noodles
Moroccan Shrimp with golden raisins and couscous
Salmon in Asian Broth over soba noodles
Cambodian Chicken Salad
Summertime Pasta with fresh bicolor corn

Ah, the cure!

Nothing stirs a sleeping boyfriend like the smell of pancakes, syrup and bacon! My sidekick bought me this ebilskiver pan that make these little pancake pockets that you can fill with anything. Today, I made a raspberry version filled with syrup and slivered almonds.

Raspberry Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg yolk(s)
1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
2 large egg white(s)
3/4 cups raspberries
1 sprays cooking spray

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg yolk and zest; set aside.

2. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

3. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture; fold in egg whites and raspberries.

4. Coat a large nonstick skillet (or ebilskiver pan) with cooking spray and warm over medium heat. Ladle 3 tablespoons of batter onto hot skillet to make each hotcake. Cook until bottom is set and golden brown, about 2 minutes; flip and cook until firm, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Set aside and cover to keep warm; repeat with remaining batter. (Or place cooked pancake on a baking sheet in a preheated oven to stay warm while you finish cooking the batter.)

My menu - Week of August 31st

Pear, Goat Cheese and Chicken Pizza
Pasta with Shrimp, Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, and Parmesan Cheese
Salmon in Asian Broth over Soba Noodles
Ser Meoun's Cambodian Chicken Salad

Salmon and Asparagus Quiche

I was originally planning to make a frittata, but decided to make quiche at the last minute. With the homemade crust, it was delicious!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
2 egg yolks
3 table spoons ice water, plus more if needed

1. Combine the flour and salt. Add the butter, crumbling by hand with the flour until it has a cornmeal-like consistency (this can also be done in a food processor). Add the egg yolks and stir.
2. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water over the mixture. Using a wooden spoon, gather the mixture into a ball. If the mixture is dry, add more ice water. Make the mixture into a ball. Wrap in plastic and flatten into a small disk. Freeze the dough for 10 minutes.
3. Roll the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap; sprinkle with flour, if needed.
4. Roll with light pressure from the center out, rotating occasionally. When the diameter of the dough is 2 inches greater than that of your quiche pan, move the dough into the pan by folding it into quarters. When the dough is in the pan, unfold it and press it firmly into the bottom and sides. Remove excess and use scraps for patching.

Filling:
3 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
3 stalks of asparagus, steamed and sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 oz. cold cream cheese, cubed
6 eggs
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups whole milk, slightly heated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Line with foil and weight the bottom (with beans, rice or other item that will sit flat). Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the over and remove the weight and foil. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
2. Combine eggs, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, salmon, asparagus, chives, basil, milk and seasonings. Beat until well blended.
3. Placed the baked crust on a baking sheet. Pour the egg mixture into the crust, right to the top. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the mixture is set but is still moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Fruit Spritzer (Spiked...or not)

12 strawberries (cleaned with stems)
1 bottle chilled Viognier
1 1/2 cups sparkling tangerine juice (I use Fizzy Lizzy)
1 1/2 cups chilled pomegranate juice
10 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups crushed ice cubes
2 unpeeled tangerines, sliced into rounds (oranges can also be used)

Line baking sheet with parchment. Place strawberries on sheet and freeze until frozen for approximately 3 hours.

Mix tangerine juice and pomegranate juice. Add mint by crushing into juice mixture. Add ice and tangerine.

Place strawberry in each wine glass. Top with juice mixture. Add Viognier for spiked versions.

Stuffed Mushrooms

I always have extra filling, so I use it in an omelet the next morning. You could also put it in a small casserole dish, cover with ready made croissant dough and cook following the instructions on the can - you'll have a little pork pot pie!

Ingredients
20 large stuffing mushrooms (white button mushrooms)
8 ounces cream cheese (chopped into small cubes or use the tub style
1 lb bulk pork sausage (like breakfast sausage or Jimmy Dean's)
1 bunch green onion (chopped)
parmesan cheese

1. Brown pork sausage and crumble well.
2. Drain sausage from skillet leaving a thin coating of oil behind and sauté chopped onions until slightly wilted.
3. Return sausage to pan with onions and add cream cheese.
4. Over low heat stir sausage, onions, and cream cheese until well blended.
5. Remove stems from mushrooms and stuff each mushroom cap with the mixture.
6. Top with grated parmesan.
7. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until heated through and the mushrooms are beginning to leak their water.

Baby Shower Bliss

The past weekend, I hosted a baby shower with four friends and had a great time. I shared the cooking and made some of my favorites (knowing they are big crowd pleasers!). I'll post the recipes as I get to them. Here's a teaser pic of the spread.

My menu - Week of August 25th

• Slow-cooked barbecue chicken with baked sweet potatoes and fresh corn
  
• Cioppino and fresh garlic bread
  
• Farmers Market Salad with smoked gouda and roasted portabello mushrooms
  
• Pizza Sandwiches
  

My menu - Week of August 17th

Curry in a Hurry with sticky rice, golden raisins and shaved almonds
Summertime pasta
Wasabi Salmon burgers with sweet summer corn
Pork and pineapple skewers with coconut rice

My menu - Week of August 10th

Spicy Chicken Peperonata over Polenta
Roast chicken and mango salad
Baha fish tacos with fresh corn

My menu - Week of August 3rd

Spicy Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Noodles
Portuguese Mussels over Linguines
Blueberry and Lemon Thyme Shortcakes

My menu - Week of July 26th

Feta burgers with sweet potato fries
Angel hair pasta with chicken in a vodka sauce
Salmon and stuffed eggplant
Brazilian fish kebabs with cold cucumber soup

My menu - Week of July 19th

Tasty turkey tacos
Spicy Thai Tofu and peppers
Greek Chicken & Tzatziki Pitas‏
Slow cooked chicken with Peach salad and Fresh corn
Mango sticky rice

My menu - Week of July 12th

Shrimp, Peppers and Cheese Grits
Chinese chicken salad and Pineapple fried rice
Pizza with homemade ragu, mozzarella, proscuitto and basil
Coconut curry soup with chicken and rice noodles
Baja Fish tacos
Chocolate Zucchini muffins

My menu - Week of July 5th

Pan-fried Trout with Sage and Almonds with a side of Pea, Fava Bean and Ricotta Salad
Warm pasta salad with grilled veggies and turkey sausage
Spicy Peanut Noodles and chicken
Bourbon basted pork tenderloin with plum and arugula salad

Creme de Menthe Brownies

You can also use bourbon in place of the creme de menthe!

Ingredients:
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup plus 10 T butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
3 T creme de menthe (or 1/2 cup plus 3 T bourbon)
1 box powdered sugar
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
Green food coloring

Brownie layer:
Melt the chocolate and 3/4 cup of the butter together.
Beat the eggs and granulated sugar together. Add the butter/chocolate mixture. Add the flour and nuts(optional).
Grease a 9x13 Pyrex pan. Put the batter into the pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.

Middle layer:
If using bourbon, spread 1/3 cup of the bourbon over the brownie layer with a pastry brush. Cool this layer.

Use a food processor or mixer to cream 1/2 cup of the remaining butter with the powdered sugar and the remaining 3 T bourbon or 3 T of creme de menthe. Add a couple drops of green food coloring if using the mint version. Spread this mixture over the brownie layer. Chill or freeze to set.

Top layer:
Melt the chocolate chips with the remaining 6 T of butter. Spread over the chilled middle layer, working as quickly as possible. Store the brownies in the refrigerator or freezer.

Makes 4 dozen small brownies.