February 13th: My Day Off - Its my Birthday!

Someone else is cooking.  I am going to enjoy something with Chocolate.

Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1 sugar cube (optional)
• 1 fluid ounce pomegranate juice
• 3 fluid ounces dry sparkling wine (try spanish cava, prosecco, or any champagne/sparkling wine that you enjoy)
• Pomegranate seeds, optional (you can also use a strawberry or raspberries as garnish)

Directions

Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute.  Pour the pomegranate juice over it, then the sparkling wine. Drop a few pomegranate seeds into the glass. Serve.


Makes 1 drink

Wine

A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin


If you like wine, here are some ideas on how to continue your Wine Education:

• Join a local wine club
• Spend an hour with the proprietor of your local wineshop
• Speak to the sommelier (wine steward) at your favorite restaurant
• Don't be intimidated or confused by wine labels
• Don't be shy in the presence of someone who knows more about wine than you do; consider him or her a resource

• Subscribe to a wine magazine and read it cover to cover every month

And, of course, eat and drink in moderation for your best health. 

Fragrant, Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Garlic Shrimp at its best is a savory, fragrant, spicy dish that is usually served sizzling at your table with some crusty bread for dipping into the sauce.  The aroma from your kitchen will draw neighbors to your front door so beware.  Try the following recipe:

3    Tablespoons olive oil
2    Teaspoons good quality paprika (Spanish or Hungarian)
6    Cloves garlic, minced
1/4    Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1    Pound large shrimp peeled (You can leave tail on for presentation)
3    Tablespoons chopped parsley
Splash of white wine (optional)
Lemon or lime wedges
Salt and pepper to season

Dry shrimp with paper towels, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic just begins to brown.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

Add shrimp and splash of wine and cook, stirring until shrimp are bright pink and just cooked through, around 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, season to taste, add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and the parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

And please, don’t forget to sop up the juices with that crusty bread.  Let me know how you enjoyed the dish. Have a great day.  

Pizza Margherita

Whole-Wheat Pizza Margherita

Sometimes nothing satisfies like a slice of cheesy pizza. This one's made with a whole-wheat crust and part-skim mozzarella, so it's healthy and yummy to anyone in the mood for a slice.

Tip: Note- If you don't have a rolling pin, use a wine bottle or stretch the dough out with your hands. If the dough springs back too much, let it rest for 3 minutes to relax the gluten. The cornmeal on the pizza stone or baking sheet makes the crust dry and crunchy. The basil shouldn't go on until after baking, or it will burn.

Ingredients:Tip about the crust- Make the one below or buy dough from your local pizzeria or supermarket.



1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons salt  2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus additional for kneading

Topping:



2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced, then cut into half circles
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella, thinly sliced into half circles
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional garnish)
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Dash of cornmeal for pizza stone

　

Directions:


Sprinkle additional flour onto work surface. Turn out the dough and knead about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and springy, adding only enough flour to keep it from sticking to the board.
Form dough into a ball; place in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

To make pizza: Preheat oven to 475°F. Place dough on lightly floured work surface; flatten with your hand. Using floured rolling pin, roll dough outward from the center. Form dough into a circle or rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.

Sprinkle pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal. Lay crust on stone or sheet. Lay alternating slices of tomato and cheese on top of the crust, slightly overlapping each piece. Lightly drizzle with additional oil, if desired.

Let pizza rest 10 minutes. (This step can be skipped, but it makes for the crispiest crust.)
Place pizza in oven and bake 20 minutes, or until cheese is melting and browning a bit. Sprinkle pizza with sliced basil leaves.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine yeast and warm water; let sit until yeast foams, about 5 minutes. Stir in oil and salt. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing with a large spoon, until dough comes away from the side of the bowl and holds together.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 12 whole chicken wings (about 3 pounds)
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• Kosher salt

Directions

Place a 6-quart saucepan, with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Use kitchen shears or a knife to separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings in the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay out the wings on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to dry, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the paper towels on the pan and replace with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven, about 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook 20 to 30 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl with the garlic. Pour this along with the hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine. Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm 

Roasted Red Pepper Dip - Great for Superbowl Sunday

Easy Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Makes about 1 1/2 cups
　
Jar of roasted red peppers (you can roast them yourself, but this is a great shortcut)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup reduced fat sour cream (or regular, if you prefer)
1 Tbsp finely chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

In a pan, cook the garlic in the oil over moderate heat until fragrant (watch it so you can make sure not brown or burn gthe garlic).

Add the peppers and vinegar and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until dry, it will take a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Stir in the sour cream and basil and season with salt and peppter. Refrigerate until chilled.

Serve with long breadsticks and thick cut potato chips (I like Cape Cod or Lays reduced fat Kettle Chips)

Sweet Plaintains

Sauteed Sweet Plaintains

What you need:

2 plaintains and canola oil and/or unsalted butter

The secret to getting plaintains sweet is to leave them at room temperature (on the counter) until the skin turns black. Your plaintains will be sweeter, softer and less starchy.

Time to Cook:

Cut the ends off the plantains and slit the skins lenghthwise: remove the peel halve each plantain. In a skillet heat 1 Tbsp of unsalted butter and 1 tsp canola oil. Sautee the plaintains over moderately
high heat until brown on one side, flip and cook the other side.

Remove from skillet, pound slightly flatter with a meat pounder, reduce heat and cook until tender and deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.

Serve hot - alongside your favorite protein (grilled fish, roasted chicken, or your favorite steak)

Paprika Roast Chicken with Sweet Onion. Yummy, Wholesome Winter Fare.

Paprika is a spice often overlooked by cooks.  It ranges from bright red to brown.  The milder ones will have a slightly sweet flavor. Or you can try some hot paprika if you want heat.

I first discovered the great flavor of paprika while visiting Spain.  I was seaside enjoying shrimp and pulpo with a lovely bright red, slightly sweet spice sprinkled over it.  Paprika.

A little bit of paprika not only lends color to potato salad and deviled eggs, but great flavor to seafood, chicken, and pork chops.  I also add it to my garlic shrimp recipe (I will share this recipe in a few days).

Back to chicken. With a whole roasted chicken - you can pick your favorite piece, a thigh, the breast, or a savory wing.  You can share it and still have leftovers.

So, readers, remember to experiment with some new spices and you will delight your palate.  Happy eating!

Oven Roasted Chicken

You will need:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp sweet paprika (you can also use Spanish or Hungarian paprika)
2 cloves of fresh garlic (mashed) or tsp of garlic powder
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Dash or two of dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano or Herbs de Provence)
1 lemon (cut into 4 pieces)
1 sweet Onion
1 whole chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Mix oil with spices, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and add chicken and 1/2 of the onion.  Use your hands to massage the bird. 

Stuff cavity with the other 1/2 of the onion and lemon. 

Arrange chicken, skin side up in a shallow baking dish. 

Bake until chicken is cooked through and skin is golden.  The juices should run clear. If you aren't sure that your Chicken is ready you can use a meat thermometer to check temp.  It should read 170 degrees in the thickest part of your chicken thigh. 

Let rest before serving so the juices will re-distribute (in other words, the chicken will be juicy). 
Skim fat from pan juices and use as a sauce. Add a few squeezes of lemon juice and it will perk up the flavor. 

Side dish of Green Beans and Shallots

You will need:

2 lbs of green beans, trimmed and halved  (frozen veggies will work fine too)
1 small shallot (sliced thinly)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

If preparing along with the Roasted Chicken, keep the oven temperature at 400 degrees and put the green beans in the oven once the chicken has been roasting about 25 minutes. 

Toss green beans with shallots and olive oil. Spread evenly in a large sheet pan
Roast, stirring occasionally, until green beans are tender and golden brown (about 25 minutes).

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Voila! Dinner is served. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette: Beats the pants off the store bought stuff

Balsamic Viniagrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
tsp of dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic
two generous pinches of Herbs de Provence (or other dried herbs that you love)
sea salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in your blender and pulse until fully blended and creamy.  Refrigerate.

Serve over your favorite salad!