Experimenting with Pancakes!

Woke up yesterday in the mood for pancakes, but at the same time, I found myself wanting something different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Whole-Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

After spending a few minutes rummaging through recipes in my collection and on my favorite recipe resource, http://www.FoodNetwork.com, I decided on exactly what to make. I took elements from about 4 different recipes and added my own touches to come up with Whole-Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes. I couldn’t have been more pleased with my creation. The kids just loved them and asked that I make them every weekend. James gave me that highest compliment, “I’d buy these in a restaurant, they’re that good.” The tang of the apples cuts through the sweetness of the batter and syrup for a refreshing surprise. My family has dubbed these their new favorite Saturday morning breakfast, hopefully, yours will do the same! 🙂

Whole-Wheat Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 cup milk, preferably 2%
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 salt
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced
• 2 tablespoons lightly packed dark brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F with a baking sheet placed in middle rack.
2. Put diced apple into a microwave-safe bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap; microwave on high until softened, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and smash apples with a potatoes masher; mixing brown sugar into the apples until dissolved.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another smaller bowl, whisk buttermilk, milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla. Slowly stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring constantly to combine; then stir in apple mash.
4. Heat large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Spoon 1/2 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the tops of the pancakes are bubbly and the edges are dry, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown, an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Keep pancakes warm on the baking sheet in the oven while making the rest.
5. Garnish with syrup or whipped topping and fruit.

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Had another day of fun in the kitchen with my kiddos making this great little treat!

My stepdaughter’s mom, Becky, was excited to share a peanut butter cookie recipe with me recently. I did try her recipe and while the taste was good, the taste of peanut butter was overwhelming…at least for me. My kids, on the other hand, absolutely loved them!! Thank you again, Becky, for the crazy easy recipe!! I think my problem was that while I do like peanut butter, when it is so powerful, it’s a bit of a turnoff for me. Kind of one dimensional. But, as any of you may know about me by now, I just have to change any recipe I find just slightly to make it my own. Right? So, I did the same with the basic peanut butter recipe. Becky, my recipe does complicate yours just a bit, but I do hope you try it!

Taylor’s favorite part of this recipe, which I believe may have been Skylar’s favorite part as well, was the pressing of the fork on top of the cookie balls to make the criss-cross pattern on them. 🙂

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 stick Crisco all-vegetable shortening (or 1/2 cup)
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1-3/4 cups cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
2. Combine brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, shortening, milk, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a large bowl and mixed with a handheld electric mixer). Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat until just blended.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to cream mixture at low speed. Mix until just blended.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet spaced about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly in criss-cross pattern with tines of a fork.
5. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 degree F for 7-8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies have a smooth creamy peanut butter flavor with a hint of honey dancing in the background. For someone like me who doesn’t want to be over-powered with the taste of peanut butter, this is a great alternative. Enjoy!! 🙂

Yellow is for Caution? …Not when it comes to food!!

Moroccan Chicken with Mint-Pineapple Chutney and Saffron Rice with Pancetta

Yellow, when it comes to food, is for YUMMY!! I didn’t mean to have a yellow theme for dinner tonight, but that is exactly what Taylor thought when she saw me plate everyone’s dinners. My Moroccan Chicken with Mint-Pineapple Chutney is a favorite among my family. The tangy sweet chutney is a great partner to the rustic and earthy flavors of the chicken. I made this chicken for my parents when I visited them this past July and they were blown away. As a matter of fact, my stepfather even went as far as to say with surprised enthusiasm “This is better than what you’d find in most restaurants!” I can’t tell you how amazing that made me feel! As far as I’m concerned that’s one of the highest compliments a home cook could get. 🙂

To compliment the chicken, I decided to make a saffron rice with pancetta. I have to thank MasterChef for this idea (as if you couldn’t guess that I would be a food show fanatic). One of the chefs made some kind of protein, but what I remembered was Chef Ramsey being very disappointed in the saffron rice. The next day, I saw the same dish made on Food Network. That was it! I had to try making it myself. And let me tell you, it turned out so good!!

I brought the whole dish together with my herbed corn-on-the-cob, which has been a delight for quite some time.

Moroccan Chicken with Mint-Pineapple Chutney

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground roasted coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground roasted cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground roasted cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground roasted ginger
• Mint-Pineapple Chutney Recipe to follow

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
2. Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over chicken breasts and spread evenly over chicken. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. In a small bowl, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and ginger and mix well. Sprinkle spice mixture over both sides of the chicken breasts.
3. Bake chicken at 400 degrees F until juices run clear, about 20 minutes.

Mint-Pineapple Chutney

Ingredients:

• 3-4 sprigs fresh mint, bound together with cooking twine
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup water
• salt

Directions:

1.  Place mint bundle, chopped pineapple, garlic, water and a pinch of salt into a small saucepan over medium heat. Make sure to submerge mint under the pineapple.
2. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

Saffron Rice with Pancetta

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8-ounce think slices of pancetta, diced
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2-1/4 cups white Basmati rice
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoons saffron threads (about 1 large pinch)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Remove pancetta from fat with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towels. Discard fat from the pan.
2. In the same pan, over medium heat, add butter. When melted, add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add rice and stir until the rice is lightly toasted and coated in the butter, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock, salt and saffron. Be sure to break up the saffron threads.
3. Turn the heat up to high and bring mixture to a light bubble. Scrap up any brown bits that may have clung to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat back to medium and cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Let rice stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and top with cooked pancetta.

Syrup Emergency!!

Well, my stepdaughter, Alyssa, came back home last night from an extended visit to her mother’s house in Tennessee. So, this morning I decided to get up early and surprise the girls with my famous French toast. I had just set the first batch of toast into the oven to keep warm when it dawned on me that we might be low on syrup. I rushed to the refrigerator only to see my fears come true. We barely had enough syrup for two dishes, let alone 1 adult and 3 kids who love to pour it on! My eyes diverted to the fresh oranges sitting on my counter and the memory of an Orange-Honey Butter recipe I’d seen some time ago surfaced. This is a great substitute for syrup! Full of creamy sweetness that satisfies the young ones’ desire!

Orange-Honey Butter

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place orange juice in a small saucepan over high heat and reduce the amount to about 2 tablespoons. Stir in butter, honey and salt until butter is melted and smooth.
2. Spoon melted butter mixture over food.
3. Alternatively, pour butter mixture into a jar with a lid, close and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

This great little recipe saved me this morning. I hope it does the same for you someday. 🙂

Paella Valenciana with Graham Cracker-Pecan Pudding for Dessert!!

Paella Valenciana

Paella is probably the most famous dish in the entire repertoire of la cocina espanola, and it is also probably the most misunderstood. In my research of Paella, I learned that there are different versions based on their origins, such as Paella Havana, Paella Oriental and Paella Valenciana.  I went with the Paella Valenciana for last night’s dinner.

According to my research, a true Paella Valenciana can be made only with round, short-grain rice. Further research revealed that what makes Paella an authentic Valenciana, is that it can only include chicken, rabbit, and snails; can be seasoned only with saffron and paprika; and, should be made only over an open fire in a wide, round, flat-bottomed pan called a Paella. Interestingly enough, the name of the dish came from the pan in which it is cooked on rather than the other way around.

However, this dish has come a long way from the old world of Valencia, Italy, and has evolved into a beautiful dish that can be personalized with a wide array of meats, seafood, and vegetables. I made my own adaptation of this dish knowing what my family likes and dislikes are, and I, as well as they, were all very pleased with the dish overall. It had such smooth, yet complex tastes and flavors throughout and all-in-all was an extremely fulfilling dish. Truly, a little bit goes a long way! If you decide to make this easy meal for your family, please feel free to add and omit any or all of these ingredients with whatever you like, such as scallops, red snapper, oysters, mussels, clams, veal…the list is endless! Have fun with it!! I sure did! 🙂

Paella Valenciana

Ingredients:

• 1 link beef chorizo, unsheathed
• 1/2 pound pork, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 pound chunk crab meat
• 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 lobster tails, shelled and cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 fresh Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• Pinch of saffron
• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1-1/2 cups seafood stock
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1-3/4 cups Arborio rice (round, short-grain rice used for Risotto)
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• Roasted asparagus spears and green peas for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat oil in heavy, flame-proof Dutch oven or casserole over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and really break down meat into a mash that begins to dissolve into the oil. Add onion, garlic, and green pepper and sauté until limp but not brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add pork and chicken and sauté until tender, stirring continuously to prevent sticking or burning.
3. Add seafood, stock and wine. When this mixture boils, stir in saffron, salt and pepper. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil, cover and bake in oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
4. When ready to serve, garnish with asparagus and peas.

It would seem that my quest for fresh cooking, and cutting out as much processed foods as possible, has taken hold of my children too. My 10-year old, Skylar, and 3-year old, Taylor, were excited to make a dessert with Mommy. I relinquished control of my kitchen…well, 95% of it…to my little ones to their utter delight. After flipping through my ridiculous number of recipes, they both settled on an easy dessert that turned out to be just yummy!

Graham Cracker-Pecan Pudding

Skylar took her time reading through the recipe carefully and pausing to pull each of the ingredients out that the recipe called for. She also gathered up all of the utensils and measuring tools they would need. Taylor stood on her stool in awe of her big sister, impatiently awaiting her turn to add her own touch. I stood back and let them measure and mix their creation, but lending my assistance only when it was really needed. Taylor had so much fun smashing the pecans and graham crackers with the mallet, as well as sprinkling the pecans over the puddings. While Skylar felt like a young Gordon Ramsey (a young, beautiful American girl version of him, of course) overseeing the construction of their pudding.

This pudding has a moist, dense cake-like texture. When served with vanilla ice-cream, like we did, it adds a whole other level of moistness and sweetness. I would have to say that the brownie a la mode may have met a comparable opponent. 🙂  You can also break the baked pudding up into 1-inch pieces and layer in a bowl with vanilla custard and topped with whipped cream to create a trifle. I strongly suggest you and your children try making this easy and fun dessert. The sense of accomplishment from your children will radiate from their ear-to-ear smiles and fill you with such pride!! That in-of-itself is such a treat!!

Graham Cracker-Pecan Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 cups graham crackers, crumbs*
• 1 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat six 5-ounce ovenproof custard cups (ramekins), with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and cinnamon in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat with low speed until blended, about 1 minute. Beat on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons of pecans for topping. Stir half the remaining pecans and half the graham crackers crumbs into the sugar mixture with a spoon. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining pecans, graham crackers crumbs and milk. (Batter will look curdled.)
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared custard cups. Sprinkle with reserved pecans. Place filled cups in a shallow baking pan.
5. Bake puddings until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm.

*Helpful Hint: Look for graham cracker crumbs in the making aisle of your supermarket, or make your own (like we did) by either placing the graham crackers into a sealed zip-lock bag and beating them with a mallet, or by whirling the crackers in your food processor until fine crumbs form (but where’s the fun in that?). 

I do hope you and your children try this delightful dessert and have as much fun making it as my children and I had. 🙂

Garlic Mashed Potato Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Garlic Mashed Potato Topped Shepherd's Pie

For those of you who follow me, you know that I have been MIA from my blog for about a week.  I recently had surgery which has kept me away from my kitchen. However, prior to my surgery, I did pre-make some dinners, meaning, I prepared several dinners all the way up to the point they have to go into the oven and then stopped and stored them in my refrigerator to await that step.  This made things easier on both me ad my husband.  He isn’t much of a cook–not to say that he can’t cook, because he can, he just seems a bit lost in my domain.  And with my doctor’s orders to remain inactive (especially when it comes to my cooking), to be able to simply take a cooking dish from the refrigerator and toss it into the oven and know that your family is still going to get a delicious dinner is a great feeling.  And my Shepherd’s Pie is a great dinner to pre-make!  One great thing about Shepherd’s Pie is that you can use any variety of vegetables that you prefer.  I’ve seen varieties with broccoli, carrots, and even squash.  I hope you try this great and easy recipe even if you don’t need to pre-make it. 🙂

Garlic Mashed Potato Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

• 4-5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, skinned and diced
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 12-ounce bag of frozen cut green beans
• 10-ounce bag of frozen corn kernels
• 1 10-ounce can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

1. Put potatoes and garlic into a medium pot just covered with water and bring to a boil for about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Drain potatoes and garlic into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add parsley and pulse until parsley is incorporated.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
3. In a large sauté  pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until onion is soft and translucent.  Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  Drain fat.  Add frozen green beans, corn and chicken stock and cook until vegetables are soft.  Add cream of chicken soup and cook until sauce is combined and smooth.
4. Transfer meat and vegetable mixture to a greased 9×13 baking dish and level out.
5. Spoon garlic mashed potatoes into a baker’s piping bag and pipe mashed potatoes on top of the meat and vegetable mixture.
6. Bake at 325 degree F for 25 minutes.

I hope you find some great ways to make my Shepherd’s Pie into your own. Enjoy!!

Asian Inspired Chicken

Asian Inspired Chicken with Sesame & Garlic Broccoli and White Rice

This is a party of flavor in your mouth!  It’s sweet!  It’s sour!  It’s spicy!  It’s rustic!  It’s just oh so yummy!

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes to make, mostly likely because it was one of the first chicken dishes I made that was a real success in my household.  I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but I can’t say that I’ve always been good at it.  As you have gathered from many of my previous posts, I have had my fair share of complete failures.  My poor family had to endure so many of those failures with smiles on their face and words of encouragement and constructive criticism.  This chicken dish was one of the first dishes I’ve made in which everyone wanted seconds!!  Definitely, a confidence booster! 🙂

Asian Inspired Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk oil, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, thyme, paprika, ginger, and cayenne until all ingredients are combined and smooth.
3. Rinse chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry.  Place chicken into a 9×13 baking dish.  Season chicken on both sides with with salt and pepper, then cover chicken with the mixture.  Bake for 10 minutes, before flipping chicken and baking for an additional 10 minutes.  (20 total minutes of baking.)
4. Serve chicken with your favorite Asian friendly vegetables and white rice.  Spoon sauce over chicken and rice.

The sweetness of the sauce plays with your taste buds so much that it almost hides the spice until you feel the heat build nicely in the back of your throat.  The building heat is slow and subtle and not usually noticed by the little ones, but is just enough to be appreciated by the parents. 🙂  A nice trick, if I do say so myself.

Xiǎngshòu!  (“Enjoy!”)

My Guilty Pleasure French Toast!!

Guilty Pleasure French Toast

Since my family treated me to Japanese Hibachi last night to give me a break from cooking, I treated them to my Guilty Pleasure French Toast.  For those of you counting calories, stay far away!! This is pure decadence in your mouth.  I thought about the average ingredients you mix together for french toast and bumped them up in richness.  Take, for example, the bread.  While you can use any sliced bread, I chose to use Challah Bread that I get from my local bakery (located in my grocer, Market Street).  Challah Bread (rhymes with “Allah”, the Islamic God) is a richly sweet, eggy bread.  It is so yummy just by itself!!  My kids love my Guilty Pleasure French Toast so much, they compare restaurant versions to it, but mine has always beat them out (at least so far).  This rich and creamy breakfast is a hazard to the mid-section, so be sure to make in moderation. 🙂

Guilty Pleasure French Toast

Ingredient:

• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 16 slices Challah Bread (or 12 slices Texas Toast)
• Confectioners sugar for garnish, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat griddle or large pan over medium heat (between 5 and 6 for gas top).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
3. Dip slice of bread into egg mixture, coating all sides thoroughly, then place onto hot surface of griddle or pan.  Cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes), then flip to cook other side for another 2 minutes until golden brown as well.
4. Transfer toast to a serving dish.  Garnish with teaspoon soft butter and sprinkle of confectioners sugar, if desired.

Enjoy!! But, don’t say I didn’t warn  you!! 🙂

Ancho Chile Lime Skirt Steak with Herbed Corn-on-the-Cob and Baked Potatoes

Ancho Chile Lime Skirt Steak with Herbed Corn-on-the-Cob and Baked Potatoes

Tonight’s dinner consisted of three recipes I’d like to share with you.

To break it down, let’s begin with the steak.  This particular recipe requires a long marination time; at least 10 hours.  So be sure you plan ahead for this one.  The marinade is full of the bold and robust flavors of lime, cilantro, garlic, and ancho chile that just hit you head on.  BAM!  To add a little more intensity, as though it doesn’t already have enough, I topped my steak with my semi-homemade salsa (refer to my previous post for this recipe).  The tango between the acidic lime marinade and the spiciness of the salsa send your taste buds on one wild ride.  Unfortunately, this intense journey of flavors was not a winner with my children, which leads me to offer up this bit of advice for timid or mild eaters…BEWARE! 🙂

Moving onto part two of tonight’s dinner: Herbed Corn-on-the-Cob.  Again, this recipe is full of bold flavor, but unlike the steak, is smooth in it’s introduction and carry-through thanks to the creamy butter.  This recipe is one of Taylor’s and Skylar’s favorites!  What kid doesn’t love gnawing  on corn-on-the-cob?  But when you add the delightful seasonings and herbs, it just makes it that much more wonderful!

Lastly, you might be wondering why would I provide a recipe for baked potatoes? You would think that baking potatoes is pretty easy.  Well, I have had a fair share of failures baking potatoes in the oven.  The main issue: not cooked all the way.  You want to talk about serious frustration!  So, for the longest time, I’ve resorted to the trusty microwave.  Although, it is quicker to nuke potatoes, you lose so many of the natural vitamins and minerals.  But, with a little research, I learned what my downfall was and now I can share the secret to the perfect baked potato!

Ancho Chile Lime Skirt Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 1/2-pound) beef skirt steak (flank steak is also a good choice)
• Grated zest and juice of 5 limes
• 2 green onion, white and green parts thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon roasted ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the lime zest and juice, green onions, garlic, cilantro, chile powder, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper.  Gradually add olive oil as you pulse until you’ve reached a pesto consistency.
2. Place the meat into a resealable bag and cover with the marinade.  Turn several times to coat meat.
3. Marinate in the refrigerator for 10 to 24 hours, turning every so often to ensure even coating on the meat.
4. Set a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
5. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade.  Place the meat presentation side down on the grill rack first to achieve those beautiful grill lines.  Grill the steak briefly, 3-4 minutes per side, for medium-rare.
6. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for at least 8 minutes before cutting on a slight angle against the grain.
7. (Optional) Top steak with Semi-Homemade Salsa for added intensity.

Herbed Corn-on-the-Cob

Ingredients:

• 5-6 fresh corn-on-the-cob
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 5-6 sheets of aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, add butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, and parsley and combine thoroughly.
3.  Place an ear of corn in the middle of each sheet of aluminum foil.  Evenly divide the herbed butter mixture between each cob of corn and spread evenly over.
4. Bring up the edges of the foil around the corn and gather at the top, but leave the top loose enough to vent.
5. Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove corn from the foil and spoon any remaining melted butter and herbs over corn when serving.

Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4-6 medium-large baking potatoes
• Sea salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 4-6 sheets of aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Thoroughly scrub potatoes under cold running water to remove any dirt particles.
3. Very carefully, pierce potatoes all over with either a fork or paring knife.
4. Place potatoes into the middle of a sheet of foil and bring edges of foil up around the potato to create a bowl.  Before pinching the edges of the foil together, lightly drizzle the potato with the olive oil and then sprinkle with salt.
5. Pinch the edges at the top, but leave loose enough for venting.
6. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  To test for doneness, fork should slide into potato without any resistance.

Look out!! Fresh bold flavors are coming your way!! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Semi-Homemade Salsa

Salsa

I have to give most of the credit for this beloved salsa among my family and friends to my sister (from another mother), Stephenie.  She has her own version of this delicious companion to so many of our get-togethers.  In my attempt to recreate hers, I ended up making up my own, but they are very similar.

Because this is semi-homemade, it is very fast and easy to make.

Semi-Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon roasted cumin
• 1 10-ounce can Ro*Tel Mexican Lime & Cilantro “Diced Tomatoes with Lime Juice & Cilantro”, drained
• 1 10-ounce can Ro*Tel Original “Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies”, drained
• 2 14.5-ounce cans Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, add onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, both drained cans of Ro*Tel, and both cans of petite diced tomatoes.  Pulse until desired consistency is reached.
2. Serve! 🙂