Archive for 2011

Although I did use the holidays as an excuse to make these little variations of a family favorite, by no means will I limit it to the holidays. This little concoction is what I'd like to call a 'happy accident' - a term that I commonly refer to tasty little surprises in the kitchen or of a new restaurant. Instead of the hearty meat, potatoes, and vegetables approach I decided on a little twist for the sake of my own curiosity: a white wine reduction + a combination of simple yet tasty (Italian-themed) ingredients. It's rather simple to put together and yet impressive from the outside looking in...give it a try and see what you think!

Ingredients

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 Minutes

12 Servings

Filling

1 Cup Spaghetti Squash, Roasted

4oz Cheese Roll, Prosciutto Mozzarella

1/2 Cup Golden Corn, Kernel

1/2 Cup Tomatoes, Diced

1 Package Pie Crust, Dough

1 Puff Pastry Sheet

Glaze

8oz White Wine

1 1/2 Tsp Corn Starch

1 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Poke Spaghetti Squash with a fork a few times and place in oven for 1 hour on a cookie sheet or small pan. Set aside to cool. Once cool, peel off outer layer and separate from seeds into a bowl for later use. Reduce oven to 375 degrees. (You just learned how to 'roast' a squash...easy eh? Same applies to butternut and several other gourds.)

Spaghetti Squash, Roasted and Peeled

Spaghetti Squash and Corn/Tomato Mixture

While the squash is roasting: Roll both 9" prepared pie crusts into two balls. Separate into a standard muffin tin (12 balls) and press dough into the tin shape. Mix tomato and corn; season to taste (depends on you, but a light dusting of salt, pepper, and minced garlic did the trick). Cut the mozzarella into 12 small slices. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and use a glass or circular cookie cutter to create the tops to the pot pies, fold in half, and use kitchen scissors (or a knife) to cut two holes.

Pot Pie Crusts

While the squash is cooling: Bake crusts for 5 minutes until slightly (but not fully) cooked. Press a slice of the mozzarella into the crust, top with a spoonful of spaghetti squash, and a spoonful of the corn and tomato mixture. Set aside.

Pot Pies with Filling

Reduce the white wine over medium to high heat and slowly pour in 1 1/4 cup of the chicken broth; season to taste (oregano was my only addition, the wine provided the bulk of the flavor). Mix remaining chicken broth with corn starch and pour into the glaze mixture. Heat to boiling and until thickened. Spoon glaze over unbaked pot pies and top with the puff pastry 'lids'. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Pot Pies with Puff Pastry

Nutrition Info: (1 Serving)
Calories: 276, Total Fat: 15.8, Sat. Fat: 6.9g, Cholest.: 13.3mg, Sodium: 464.3mg, Carb.: 27.6g, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugars: 2.5g, Protein: 5.8g

Here comes the season for food favorites and traditional casseroles! Don't you just love the holidays? It becomes the permissible time to buy pants with elastic waistbands and eat as much as you'd like. Haha, all joking aside, one of my favorite dinner sides is a traditional holiday dressing. This year, I decided to spice up the dish with chorizo and hoped for the best. The dish was a success, but test it out for yourselves, and maybe it'll become your new holiday staple!

Chorizo Dressing

Ingredients

Dressing

16 Servings

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

3 8oz Sourdough Loaves, Cubed to 1" (approx. 20 cups)

1 Red Pepper, Diced

1 Onion, White, Diced

6 Celery Stalks, Chopped

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/8 Cup Cilantro, Chopped Finely

2 Tsp Chipotle or Cayenne Pepper
7oz Chorizo Sausage, Uncooked

2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
2 Eggs, Beaten

Gravy
3 Cups (approx.)
Prep Time: 15 Minutes

3oz Chorizo Sausage, Uncooked

1/4 Cup Flour

3 Cups Beef Broth

Celery, Red Pepper, Onion, Sourdough Loaves

Separating and preparing ingredients before I cook has been one of my habits to minimize clean-up and the overlap of various products. Anytime I make dressing, I purchase and cube the bread at home; the food takes on a heartier texture. I'll let the bread air for a day or two to harden, but if not dry by the time I'm cooking there's a simple fix: 200 degrees, spread evenly on a cookie sheet and baked until dry (20 minutes or so). I usually dice some of the punchier veggies (onions, peppers) and finely chop the strong flavors (cilantro). The beef broth used in the dressing is to moisten and draw out the flavors of the drained chorizo, but please add to your desired preference. I also prefer beef broth in this recipe to add a bold kick to the dish, and it can easily be made from bouillon. If it's a bit too heavy for you, use chicken broth instead for a lighter taste.

Dressing

Celery, Red Pepper, Onion (Diced) and Sourdough (Cubed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place cubed bread in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a large skillet with EVOO and saute the celery, onion, and peppers until softened and set aside. Cook the chorizo until the fats separate and the meat darkens; remove excess oil. Pour all cooked ingredients into the large mixing bowl. Toss bread with cilantro, cayenne or chipotle pepper. Mix broth and beaten eggs together. Pour liquid slowly over dressing and toss until evenly distributed. Place into a greased 13" x 9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes covered with foil and an additional 15 minutes uncovered until golden and crisp.

Prepared Chorizo Dressing

Dressing Nutrition Info: (1 Serving)

Calories: 203, Total Fat: 8.6g, Sat. Fat: 3g, Cholest.: 43.1mg, Sodium: 460.6mg, Carb.: 23.5g, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein: 7g

Gravy

Chorizo

Cook 3oz of chorizo in a medium saucepan over medium to high heat. Once browned and fats separate, whisk in flour until thickened. Slowly whisk in broth until smooth and cook at a medium to low heat to simmer and thicken. Add pepper to taste.

The gravy will have a rich flavor and a tart punch from the chorizo and requires very little additional spices. It pairs nicely with the dish and is quite simple to make. Be watchful though, overheating the gravy could thicken it a bit too much to be palatable.

Note: If gravy doesn't thicken to desired consistency, there's the ole standby: dissolve 1 teaspoon of corn starch in 1/8 cup of cold water and pour into gravy to thicken.

Gravy Nutrition Info: (1/4 Cup)

Calories: 48, Total Fat: 3g, Sat. Fat: 1.4g, Cholest.: 9.5mg, Sodium: 491.3mg, Carb.: 2.8g, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugars: 0.6g, Protein: 2.5g

Sometimes I find myself with a craving for Southern comfort cuisine, but as quickly as I crave I consider two key issues: calories + labor. In my family, pulling out the deep fryer doesn't take too much thought; it seems as though we all have one. Here in Los Angeles, I've stopped myself many times from purchasing one of my own...the temptation to make my childhood treats would be too great. This quick and easy Pan 'Fried' Chicken shortcut is just that: a shortcut. It is not a recipe so much as it is a means of giving you that flavor without the 'heavy' baggage.

Now on to the food!

Breading (season as you wish):

A buttermilk soak is common after the chicken has been tossed in flour. After as little as 30 minutes, toss the chicken in flour again and fry in your preferred method until fully cooked and breading is golden.
What if you don't have flour? If you have crackers, crush them up and do the same as the above.
No crackers? Consider cereal, you can get the same result with rice krispies, crispix, corn flakes, bran flakes...think: clean and simple. Avoid sweet cereals and cereals with harder textures.
If you don't have buttermilk, then use egg. Whisk one or two eggs together (with or without the yolk) and evenly coat your chicken, then toss in whatever coating you've come up with above and cook as preferred.
Not interested in egg or buttermilk? Then don't use either. Press the chicken into the coating you've chosen and cook as preferred.

'Frying'

A deep fryer isn't necessary for fried chicken, but certainly makes it easier.
You can also use a deep pan to avoid the splatter and pour in your oil (vegetable, canola, peanut, olive...depending on preference) to about 1/4 to 1/2" in depth.
If you prefer not to fry like above, then toss a little butter, melt, and press your coated chicken in to sear. Once golden, and you've tested the chicken to be fully cooked, then plate.
If you prefer not to use butter, then try an oil spray, and sear the chicken as you would normally.
If you wish to avoid the pan fry method altogether...just bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes in the oven. I'd advise against, because then it's no longer fried chicken!

Pictured above is a combination of Breading: #3, #5, and Frying: #3. Translation? The chicken tenders were seasoned with cayenne pepper, pressed into crushed corn flakes, and pan-seared in butter. The tenders were thin enough to cook all the way through and plated straight from the pan! The result was deliciously simple and a perfect fix for my craving.

Note: For breasts, I would suggest cutting horizontally to convert the breast into two thinner halves. If tenders, the pan-method may be fine, but making a few shallow cuts assists in the cooking. If the breading becomes golden brown but you're unsure if it's fully cooked, cut a slice and check. If not, bake in the oven on foil for 10-15 minutes at 350, depending on the thickness of the meat. Don't risk your health because it smells good!!

Was everything meant to be made with a healthy alternative? Well, I'd like to think it's possible, but for this particular creation I'll put that on the sidelines. On my day 'off' from normal eating I decided to create something new, something I've actually never done before myself, using some cooking basics from previous years. With the resulting Spiced Fudge Brownies being so tasty, you can bet that I'll create a 'healthier' alternative...

Spiced Fudge Brownies with Macadamia Nuts

Ingredients
Prep Time: 30 minutes
24 Servings

1 14oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 oz Baking Chocolate, Unsweetened
2 Tbsp Butter, Unsalted, Room Temperature
3/4 Cup Water
2 Cups Sugar, Granulated
1 1/2 Tsp Peppermint Extract (or Vanilla, if desired)
1 1/2 Cups Flour, All-Purpose
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper, Ground
1 Tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs
4 Tbsp Butter, Unsalted, Melted
1/2 Cup Macadamia Nuts, Dried, Unsalted (Optional)
4 Tsp Sugar, Powdered (Optional)

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees.

Start with a simple sugar syrup by combining the granulated sugar and water on medium to high heat until clear (mixture will begin as cloudy and clear as the water and sugar melt together). Whisk in peppermint extract. Set aside in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool 10 minutes.

While the syrup is cooling, create the fudge base by heating milk in double boiler on medium, until small bubbles begin to pop. Place 4 oz of baking chocolate (shaved works faster) and 2 Tbsp of butter in the saucepan, stir until melted. Fold into the sugar syrup and mix until smooth. Allow to cool 5 minutes then mix in the eggs and melted butter.

In a separate small mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (Flour, Cayenne Pepper, Baking Powder). Fold the dry ingredients into the above fudge mixture and mix until smooth in texture. Fold nuts into the batter. Pour mixture into a lightly greased and floured 13" x 9" baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until inserted knife comes out clean (ovens vary, so adjust as needed).

Allow brownies to cool and cut into 24 squares. Dust with the powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (1 serving - with Optional ingredients)

Calories: 247, Fat: 10.2g, Sat. Fat: 5.2g, Cholest.: 41.7mg, Sodium: 61.3mg, Carb.: 37.4g, Fiber: 1.3g, Sugars: 29.6g, Protein: 4.2g

Nutrition Info (1 serving - without Optional ingredients)

Calories: 226, Fat: 8.1g, Sat. Fat: 4.8g, Cholest.: 41.7mg, Sodium: 61.1mg, Carb.: 36.5g, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 29g, Protein: 4g

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