Quesadillas
Posted by: alliemarien on: February 9, 2010
now that i’m back at school i spend less time in the kitchen. it makes me sad, but last week i made sure i had a delectable lunch. i made one of my favorites: a quesadilla. quesadillas don’t need real recipes; they’re pretty self explanatory: melted cheese in a tortilla. but i have a few tricks to make it even better. and i know what you’re thinking how can you make melted cheese better? let me show you…
1. Emeril’s Essence.
spray the tortilla with a non-stick spray so the seasoning will stick before you start cooking. how a dish is seasoned can make or break any dish, and a quesadilla is no exception.
2. Variety of Cheeses
you want to use a few different kinds of cheese to add complexity to the dish. i used a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar. but ideally if i had every variety at my fingertips i would cheese that melts easily. to get that ooey-gooeyness, i would use gruyere and fontina.
3. Deli Meat
i used turkey from the deli counter, and i thought it made the most delicious quesadilla i’ve ever had. normally i would go for the fresh chicken or steak, i just used this as a shortcut and i think it was better.
4. Medium-Low Heat
i know this lesson 1 of quesadilla making but it’s an important one. you don’t want the tortilla to be toasted on the outside before the cheese is melted on the inside.
5. Sour Cream and Pico de Gallo
what you serve with it is almost as important as what is inside of it. in my opinion salsa is overrated, use pico de gallo instead.
Peas and Rice
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 28, 2010
faced with ground beef theres a few go tos: burgers, meatloaf, pasta sauce, chili, and meatballs. and in my family there’s one more: bazilla and ruz (peas and rice). it’s a lebanese dish that i learned how to make from my grandmother. if you’ve never had lebanese food know this: we like to eat things stewed over rice. and this dish is a classic example of that winning formula.
Peas and Rice
2 tbs oil
1/2 c onion, diced
1 lb ground beef
2 tbs all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans peas
rice
heat the oil in a large sauce pan. once the oil starts to smoke add the onions, let cool for 3 minutes then add the ground beef. as you start to break up the meat season it with all spice, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. once the meat is cooked through add the tomato sauce and peas. cook until all is warmed through, 10 minutes. then serve over rice.
tips
- use canned peas, do not substitute fresh or frozen. it will not taste the same. you can substitute canned green beans those also work well.
- do not drain the cans of peas. that liquid is used to make the tomato broth.
- eat with regular long grain white or brown rice.
Turkey Burger with Portabellos and Blue Cheese
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 26, 2010
it’s impossible to go all winter without grilling. there’s just something about it that is irresistible. so when you grill in the winter you want to go all out, and this recipe is perfect. a juicy turkey burger topped with sauted portobello mushrooms, slathered in creamy blue cheese dressing all on a toasted kaiser roll. so find your spatula and get to it…
Turkey Burger with Portobellos and Blue Cheese
4 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 portabello mushroom, sliced
3 tbs blue cheese dressing
1 tbs chives, chopped
1 kaiser roll, toasted
salt and pepper
heat two saute pans with oil over medium heat. shape the ground turkey into a patty and season with salt and pepper to taste. once the pans are hot place the mushrooms in one and the burger in the other. the mushrooms need to cook for a couple minutes before you season. let the burger cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until done. while the burger is cooking mix the chives into the blue cheese. now time to assemble. place the patty on the bun, top with mushrooms, and spread the top of the bun with the dressing before placing on top.
tips
- if you don’t have enough blue cheese dressing, you can stretch it by adding sour cream.
- if you don’t have chives, try shallots because you’re going for a subtle onion flavor.
- i made this recipe from things i had in my refrigerator. i challenge you to do the same and see what types of recipes you can come up.
Chile Verde
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 21, 2010
- In: pork
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i’m all about the 30 minutes meals, no so much rachael ray, but i think you get my point. when i’m hungry, i’m hungry. more than 30 minutes during the week is not going to happen. but every once in a while i enjoy a good long cooking dish whose addictive aromas take over the entire house. i save those for the weekends. because who doesn’t love to be still in your pajamas stirring something on the stove while a fire is flickering with michael buble playing the background. it just doesn’t get much better than that, and yes i realize i just described something reserved for people a bit older than 23…but i can’t help it. try this one this sunday…
Chile Verde
4 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes, juice reserved, chopped
2 large poblano peppers, roasted, cut into thin strips
cover meat with cold water in a large pot, bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 40 minutes. drain and remove from pot. add olive oil, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt to same pot that was used for the pork and cook over medium heat. cook until onions soften. return pork to the pot and add tomatoes and peppers. cover and reduce heat to simmer for 1½ hours. serve.
tips
- the chipotle dipping sauce goes really good with this too.
- you can enjoy this pork as is, or you can wrap it up in a tortilla.
- once the pork is done cooking and it is drained. you want to use the same pot for the veggies because it still has all the flavor of the pork. the biggest rule in cooking is to never let flavor go to waste.
Southwestern Crab Spring Rolls
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 19, 2010
- In: appetizer| dip
- 2 Comments
it’s almost too depressing to mention football at this point; at least the ravens lost. that cushioned the blow a bit, but i would have preferred to see the colts lose. anyway no matter who you’re rooting for this season, football games are great excuses for get togethers. and sometimes you need a little more than chips and dip. take a step up and try these…
Southwestern Crab Spring Rolls
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups (2 large) onions, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound lump crab meat
¾ cup poblano peppers, roasted and chopped
1 cup corn
¼ cup cilantro
2 cups monterey jack cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
rice paper
heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat. add onions and salt, cook while stirring frequently until caramelized, 20 minutes, let cool. while the onions are cooking, combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and add cooled onions. mix well then assemble. serve with chipotle dipping sauce, recipe follows.
Chipotle Dipping Sauce
2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
16 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
mix well together in a bowl.
tips
- if you can’t find poblano peppers use one small jalapeno pepper that is seeded and minced.
- when you are ready to roll your spring rolls you have to start by soaking a single sheet of rice paper in warm water. the warm water will make the paper pliable. then fold up like a burrito.
- the chipotle dipping sauce is also good with quesadillas, tacos, burritos, or chips.
Buff Chick Hot Wing Dip
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 14, 2010
- In: appetizer| dip
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on sunday there was hope…but in 4 and a half minutes all hope was virtually gone. the patriots had little chance of coming back, but that didn’t stop us from eating our feelings. my cousin made this dip which had all of us hooked.
Buff Chick Hot Wing Dip
Two 9.75-oz. (or 10-oz.) cans 98% fat-free chunk white chicken breast in water, drained
One 8-oz. tub fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
preheat oven to 350 degrees.
place cream cheese in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. mix in Frank’s RedHot, mozzarella cheese, ranch dressing, and yogurt. stir in chicken until thoroughly combined. spoon mixture evenly into a deep 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish.
bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until mixture is heated through. stir well and enjoy!
makes 15 servings
i think this little dip was the silver lining.
Split Pea Soup
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 12, 2010
- In: soup
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if you’ve seen the movie youth in revolt you’ve seen the split personality in action. there’s the nice polite young boy and the unyielding, taking what he wants type guy all in one. kinda reminds me of this soup. is it a pea or is it a lentil? how mysterious…
Split Pea Soup
6 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 lb split peas
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 pepper
soak the split peas in boiling hot water for ten minutes in a bowl. in a separate large pot, saute the bacon over medium heat. once crisp remove from the pot and add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper while letting the veggies soften, 8 minutes. then add split peas, stock, and water. turn down the heat to medium low, partially cover the pot and cook for 50-60 minutes or until the split peas are tender. then using an immersion blender puree the soup in the pot. once smooth laddle into a bowl and top with crispy bacon.
tips
- don’t forget to salt and pepper the soup without the proper seasoning any dish will be completely lost.
- because you’re starting by soaking the split peas in hot water, you are cutting the cooking time in half.
- this soup needs pork, so if you’re not a bacon fan try pancetta, ham or sausage.
- immersion blenders are cool little appliances that allow you to puree anything without leaving the pot. they’re under $100 so get one if you don’t already have one.
Perfect Pairings
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 9, 2010
when it comes to a great meal each individual dish has to be good, but it also has to have synergy. just like a glass of wine, each dish has a perfect pairing…these are some of the best there are.
chocolate and peanut butter
plain lays with ketchup
pulled pork and coleslaw
bbq chicken and mango salsa
sticky rice and soy sauce
pears and gorgonzola
apples and cinnamon
chili and cornbread
potatoes and rosemary
bananas and nutella
tomatoes and goat cheese
raspberries and chocolate
potatoes and sour cream
turkey sandwiches and tzatziki
hot pastrami and pickles
tomatoes and mozzarella
grilled cheese and tomato soup
oatmeal and raisins
peaches and blueberries
meatloaf and mashed potatoes
the more i type the more i realize how this list really can on go forever. what are your favorites?
Brownie Pudding
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 7, 2010
with my dad’s birthday coming up it got me thinking of the last birthday “cake” i made. it wasn’t a cake, but in my mind it was better than most cakes out there. this brownie pudding recipe comes from ina garten. it has a crust on top with a center that is a warm and gooey like pudding. so stick a few candles in it and find someone to celebrate with.
Brownie Pudding
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup good cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
vanilla ice cream, for serving
preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.
when the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. mix only until combined. with mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.
pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. a cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. the center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.
allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.
tips
- framboise is a type of raspberry liqueur. if you can’t find it you could also try grand marnier; an orange liqueur.
- if not using a vanilla bean, use 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
- enjoy it hot with vanilla ice cream.
Turkey Meatloaf
Posted by: alliemarien on: January 5, 2010
i’ve tasted some of the finest food on this earth: filet mignon, caviar, lobster, etc. but then there are times when my taste buds crave food on the opposite end of the culinary spectrum. like yesterday when i had to buy a salisbury steak lean cuisine…and i can’t explain it. there’s a flavor there that takes you back to middle school lunches, that for one reason or another will never be lost in my memory. this meatloaf also has a special place in my heart. maybe because i remember smelling it cook in the oven while the sun was setting at 4 o’clock. it didn’t matter how cold and dark it was outside because it was warm and bright in our kitchen. these days i make it for my family while the snow is piling up here in new england.
Turkey Meatloaf
1½ pounds ground turkey
⅓ cup chopped red pepper
1 egg, beaten
⅔ cup onion, diced
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon basil, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
preheat oven to 375°. mix all ingredients together in a bowl and pour into a greased loaf pan. bake for 45-50 minutes.
tips
- thyme would also work in this meatloaf in place of basil.
- worcestershire sauce is a liquid mixture with ingredients such as anchovies, molasses, garlic, vinegar, chilies, cloves, shallots, and sugar. worcestershire sauce is an ingredient in casear dressing.
- don’t have ketchup? try tomato sauce with a touch of sugar and vinegar.
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