Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Mmm saucy!! This is one my the few recipes that sees a repeat in the kitchen multiple times per year. It's just so easy to prepare!! During round 2 of the cook-a-thon this past weekend, this was the final meal to grace my stove, and boy was I glad to finish up with an easy one!! Not that the others were difficult, but I was pretty tired come 9 o'clock and it took everything in me to drag myself back into the kitchen to finish up. It made a great dinner though, and I always love pairing it with mashed potatoes. Yum yum yum.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Source: Robin Miller @ the Food Network 

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• salt & pepper
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/4 cups apricot preserves
• 1/4 cup of tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
• 1 Tbs chopped pickled ginger 

Preparation

1. Cut the pork into 1/2 inch-thick rounds and season both sides with salt & pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and sear each side, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the preserves, tamari sauce, and ginger and simmer about 5 minutes.

Shrimp Paesano & Lemon-Parmesan Risotto

One of the best things about the blogging community is getting to know other bloggers through food. People that you will likely never meet in real life, you are able to become familiar with through their writing and their recipes. I have a few favorites that I visit on a daily basis, and when I have time I like to go back through posts that were made prior to when I began following their blogs. Shelbi at Look Who's Cookin' Now, is one such blogger. She is just too cute and she posts a lot of great recipes! I ran across this combination over the weekend, and decided I would try both things!! I love shrimp, I love risotto, and I absolutely adore lemon, so this was a no-brainer for me! Thanks to Shelbi for sharing this, and for my readers - you should definitely stop over to check out her site for some inspiration!

Shrimp Paesano

Source: Look Who's Cookin' Now

Ingredients

·         1 lb uncooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)

·         1 cup half & half

·         1/2 cup flour

·         1/3 cup canola oil

·         1/3 cup olive oil

·         1 egg yolk

·         ½ cup butter

·         1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

·         1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

·         1 Tbsp chives, chopped

·         2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preparation

1.       Soak shrimp in half & half for at least 10 minutes

2.       In a small saucepan, whip 1 egg yolk over medium heat and add ¼ cup of butter, stirring until melted.

3.       Add the other ¼ cup of butter, lemon juice, parsley, chives and garlic and stir for about 2 minutes. Do not boil the mixture. Set mixture aside.

4.       Heat canola and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and turn oven on broil.

5.       Dredge the shrimp in flour and place into the skillet. You will need to cook it in several batches.

6.       Cook on 1 side for approximately 5 minutes, until nicely browned.  Remove shrimp from oil and place on baking sheet, browned side down.

7.       Once all batches have been cooked, place the baking sheet in the broiler for 5-7 minutes.

8.       Remove, and serve with sauce over the top!

Lemon-Parmesan Risotto
Adapted From: Look Who's Cookin' Now

Ingredients

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3/4 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. Heat chicken broth in a small pot and set aside.
2. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet and cook shallots until they start to turn translucent.
3. Stir rice into the pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Simmer until evaporated, stirring the whole time.
4. Stir in chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time, continuing to stir, until it is absorbed.
5. When the last 1/2 cup is almost absorbed, add remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, parsley and parmesan.
6. Serve hot!

Grilled Chicken Sammich with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce - Take 2!

Happy Monday my friends!! Well, I’m at least hoping that yours is happy. I’m still wishing that it was the weekend and that I had time to get done all the things I had on my to-do list. I have such good intentions. Really, I do. But somehow that to-do list just never quite gets completely checked off each weekend *insert sigh here*. However, I did manage to spend a lot of time in the kitchen!! Saturday night we had friends over for the UFC fight, and K grilled fajitas while I whipped up some guac, rice & beans. And maybe a margarita or two. Just sayin’. I would share those with you, if there had been any left over, I swear! Come over next month, and I promise I’ll make you one (or three)!

Sunday, I planted myself in front of the stove for yet another marathon cooking night. Not only did I make this delicious sandwich for lunch, but I challenged myself to another 3-meals-in-one-night! I’ve already admitted that I’m crazy, so no need to say it out loud to yourself…those recipes will follow soon!!

I don't have many meals that I repeat very often, but this weekend I decided to pull out some of the old (and new) favorites. One of the recent favorites is a sandwich that I created to resemble a wrap that I love at Sandella's. The creamy red pepper sauce really makes this somewhat ordinary chicken sandwich something special - give it a try!

Grilled Chicken Sammich with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Adapted from Pacific Chicken Wrap at Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe

Ingredients

• 2 Grilled Chicken Breast
• 2 Kaiser rolls, toasted
• 2 Leaves of Green Leaf Lettuce
• 4 Tomatoes Slices
• 4 Bacon slices (crisp)
• 2 Tbs Guacamole or 8 Avocado Slices
• 2 Tbs Creamy Red Pepper Sauce (Recipe Below)

Preparation

1. Prepare the red pepper sauce and refrigerate while preparing the chicken.
2. Grill chicken and cook bacon, and set aside to drain & cool.
3. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes and avocado (or prepare guacamole), and toast bread.
4. Spread 1 Tbs of Creamy Red Pepper Sauce onto 1 side of the roll, top with avocado (or guacamole), 3 slices of bacon (halved to make 6 pieces), chicken, tomatoes, and leaf of lettuce. Top with second side of roll with sauce and repeat process for second sandwich.

Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

• 4 Tbs Cream Cheese
• 3 Tbs Reduced-fat mayo or miracle whip
• 3-4 roasted red peppers from 7 ½ oz jar, drained well
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in food processor until well-blended.

Roasted Mahi with Banana-Orange Relish

Summer is such a great time for meals with fruits and veggies, and I seem to be taking advantage of the flavors more than normal this summer. Not that all of my flavors are seasonal, but the heat just makes me crave light and refreshing meals, instead of hearty, comfort foods. I'm not a huge banana fan, so I had some reservations about this meal...I was nervous that it would be too much banana, not enough orange. In fact, I have had this recipe in my binder for a long time. So long that I can't remember when exactly I printed it. Oops. But finally I decided to face my nerves and give this one a try, and I'm so glad I did! The banana-orange relish added a nice flavor to the Mahi and further enforced my love for chunky sauces, or relishes, on my fish!

Roasted Mahi with Banana-Orange Relish
Source: Eating Well

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mahi
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ripe bananas, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 2 oranges, peeled, segmented and chopped (I used jarred, mandarin oranges in water)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
1. Mix coriander and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly on both sides of the fish. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
2. Bake the fish until it is juicy and almost flakes when pressed with a knife, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness.
3. Meanwhile, stir together bananas, orange zest, chopped oranges, cilantro, lime juice, coriander and salt in a medium bowl. To serve, spoon the relish over the fish.

Daring Bakers: Candylicious!

The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com/ offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy!

We were challenge to make two candies - one of the chocolate variety and one of our choosing, chocolate or otherwise. Lisa and Mandy provided several recipe options or we were free to use any of our own. I chose to use some of theirs, since this would be my first time making candy!! For my chocolate candy, I made White Chocolate Dipped Pistachio & Cherry Marzipan Bon Bons...and the name alone is certainly a mouthful!! These were super easy to make, tasted great and looked so elegant (or as I like to say, fancy-pants)! The second candy I decided to make was Peanut Butter Fudge. This, too, was super simple to make and while I'm not a huge fan of soft fudge (I prefer it a little firmer) this was incredibly flavorful and a big hit with the co-workers!!

Thank you to Mandy and Lisa for an amazing challenge!! I can't wait to try some of the other methods/candies that were listed!


White Chocolate Pistachio & Cherry Marzipan Bon Bons
Adapted from the Dublin Cook’s Academy curriculum

Ingredients

• 1½ cups Marzipan
• 1/2 cup Pistachios, shelled & peeled, whole or roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Dried Cherries (like Craisins Cherries), Finely cut
• 1¾ cups (9 oz/250 gm) white chocolate

Preparation

1. Knead the cherries & pistachios into the marzipan until well distributed.
2. Using a small amount of icing sugar to stop the marzipan from sticking, roll out to a height of about 2cm.
3. Cut into squares.
4. Melt the white chocolate.
5. Carefully lower each square of marzipan into the chocolate with a dipping fork.
6. Tap the fork on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.
7. Place chocolate on parchment paper.
8. Decorate as you like. You can use transfers or sprinkle crushed pistachio or cherries. You can also wait for the chocolate to be semi set then use your dipping fork to mark the top of the chocolate
9. Once fully set, cut off any feet with a sharp knife

  

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
• 2 1/4 cups firmly packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 3/4 cup smooth Peanut Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 1/2 cups Confectioners' Sugar

Preparation

1. Place butter into a medium saucepan and melt it over medium heat.
2. Add brown sugar and milk, stirring.
3. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla.
6. Place confectioners' sugar into a large mixing bowl.
7. Pour hot peanut butter mixture over confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.
8. Pour fudge into an 8 x 8 inch pan.
9. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
10. Cut into 1-inch squares.

Foodbuzz Tastemaker: Bird's Eye Voila! Chicken Teriyaki

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon from Bird's Eye for a Free bag of any variety of their Voila dinners, along with 100 coupons for Buy 1, Get 1 Free!! I would love to share these coupons with my readers, so if you are interested, email me and I'll be happy to mail you a few! For my free bag, I chose the Chicken Teriyaki Voila. After quite a hectic week, and a lot of time spent in the kitchen early on, I welcomed a quick meal. This Voila (as well as the other varieties) took me a whoppin' 10 minutes to prepare. How much simpler could a weeknight meal be?? The veggies were crisp, the chicken was tender, and the sauce was divine!! I'll be sharing most of my 100 Buy 1, Get 1 Free coupons with my readers, friends and family - but I'll also be keeping a couple for msyelf so I can try the other varieties!! I look forward to hearing from you so I can share in the spoils!!

Thank you to Foodbuzz and Bird's Eye for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this Tastemaker Program!

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Broccoli

As I told you earlier in the week, I lost my mind on Monday and cooked three meals. In one night. From 6-8 pm. I don't know what I was thinking, but I'm glad for whatever it was, because this shrimp dish turned out great! The original recipe was for an appetizer dish, so I adapted it to make it into dinner. Lemon, garlic, white wine...yes, please!! As seems to be the theme of late, this dish is light and refreshing - and quick to make!! It's great for a weeknight dinner or lunch. You may be able to tell from the picture that this little lovely was packaged right up to take to work for lunch! Sorry to the co-workers for the shrimp smell in the microwave, but from the "oohs" and "aahs" I didn't sense much complaining :)

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Broccoli
Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine (or white wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 1/4 pounds shrimp

Preparation

1. Place garlic and oil in a small skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add white wine, lemon juice, parsley, broccoli, salt and pepper.
3. Allow to cook until broccoli is crisp tender and sauce has reduced a bit, then add shrimp and cook until shrimp is pink. Don't overcook or the shrimp will be tough.
4. Serve over rice.

Cod, Mango, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad

I experience yet another true Monday this week. A deliriously frustrating, want-to-pull-my-hair-out and scream kind of Monday. And once again, I managed to take a deep breath - make that quite a few deep breaths - and push through the day without any collateral damage. We are doing some renovations at the office right now, and let's just say that being the overseer of it all can get a bit sticky sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but some days I still say, "What the hell was I thinking???" Then I calm down and remember it's not me who has the problem, and life is peachy again :)

I had big plans for Monday night. Plans that involved me being in the kitchen for a very long time. Like, cooking three meals in a row kind of long. Yep, I am insane. Especially on a Monday!! But I digress. There is nothing more satisfying than making a meal that you truly enjoy eating, but even more so when it's been a rough day. This salad was enough to make me smile even though my feet and knees were aching from standing in the kitchen for 2+ hours. In itself it didn't take very long at all, so it's an easy weeknight meal to prepare. The spices on the fish mesh well with the fruit and the tangy vinaigrette. Ah, yes...the perfect ending to a long Monday. Although, this would be the perfect meal to end any day of the week!

Cod, Mango, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad
Adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Fish

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 1/2 cup grapefruit juice
• 2 cod fillets

Preparation

1. Place first 6 ingredients in food processor and blend until almost smooth. 
2. Add juice and blend well. Season spice mixture with salt pepper. 
3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, and place in a shallow dish. Pour the spice mixture over the fillets. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
4. Turn broiler on High.
5. Remove fish from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Broil for approximately 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. 

Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the grapefruit juice, vinegar, mint and ginger until well mixed and smooth. 
2. While on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify. 
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Salad

• 3 cups mixed baby greens
• 1 pink grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
• 1 large mango, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
• Vinaigrette

Preparation

1. Place greens in a large bowl and drizzle with some of the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat, divide on 2 plates.
2. Arrange grapefruit segments and mangoes on top of the greens and drizzle with some of the dressing; place 1 fish fillet along each salad. Top fish with avocado.

Mahi Mahi with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Have I mentioned (lately) how much I love fish? Or seafood in general, for that matter? And I especially love anything fish topped with tomato, avocado & cilantro. Yum! K & I decided to do a week of detox-diet after my gluttonous indulgent birthday week. And this delicious little meal was the first to grace our plates, to start the week off right. It's healthy, and it's a great light meal for summer too!! If you're looking for a great fish recipe that won't rack up the calories (or the pounds) you should definitely give this one a try before summer's over. 

Mahi Mahi with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

Tomato-Avocado Salsa

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (1 1/2 cups) 
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (2 tablespoons) 
• 1 medium avocado, peeled, coarsely chopped 
• 1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, finely chopped 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Fish

• 1 1/2 lb mahi mahi or other firm fish steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick 
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) 
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

 Preparation

1. In medium bowl, mix all salsa ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate about 20 minutes or until chilled.
2. If fish steaks are large, cut into 6 serving pieces. In shallow glass or plastic dish, mix all remaining fish ingredients. Place fish in dish; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours.
3. Turn oven broiler on High. Remove fish from marinade and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 7 minutes, then turn broiler to Low for 3 more minutes (to prevent garlic from burning on top of fish). Remove from oven and serve with salsa.

Recipe Swap - Chicken Caprese

After a weekend spent celebrating my birthday with friends and family from back home, and not cooking a single meal last week (eek!) I was ready to get home on Sunday and get back in the kitchen.  Don't get me wrong, I had some great meals...Eddie V's on the night of my birthday with K, Sushi Zushi on Saturday with one of my best girlfriends back home, and The Gristmill on Sunday with my parents...along with several pieces of cake, candy and assorted other treats...I'm sure the scale is not going to be kind to me in the morning. But hey, that's the perks of having a birthday, right?? Pig out and then diet like crazy later! Right? Yeah, I'm gonna stick with that theory.


This week's recipe swap theme was Italian, and I received this delicious Chicken Caprese recipe from Mary Ellen, of Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. I was excited to try this one just from looking at the picture. It looked fairly light (bonus!) and refreshing for the summer! The end result was not disappointing...it tasted delicious!

Chicken Caprese

Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs mixed with a touch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp dried basil leaves
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c white wine
• 1/2 lb cooked spaghetti
• 1/2 c reserved cooking liquid from the pasta

Preparation

• Pound chicken just a bit, and then coat it with some olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. I then put it in the fridge for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350; also start to boil a pot of water for the pasta.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan
• Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg, repeat to double dip it. Then coat chicken in the breadcrumbs and add to the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and put in the oven (no more than 10 min in the oven)
• At this point your water should be boiling so you can cook the pasta.
• Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil to the pan.
• Add garlic, sauté 1 min
• De-glaze pan with wine, scraping up all brown bits.
• Add chopped tomatoes and let simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
• Move the chopped tomatoes to the side and add the sliced tomatoes and let cook for 1 min. This is so you aren't putting raw tomatoes on top of the chicken.
• Take the chicken out of the oven, top with the sliced tomatoes, a few slices of mozzarella, half of the basil, and a touch of freshly ground black pepper (pepper is optional). Return to the oven on broil for 2 minutes.
• Add reserved cooking liquid from the pasta to the tomato mixture. Let simmer.
• Toss pasta in the tomato mixture.
• Serve chicken over the pasta.

What's Baking - Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

 

Today's post is extra special for THREE reasons!! It is my 100th post!!, it is my BIRTHDAY!!, and it is also my August What's Baking post!! Triple Score!! 

The August What's Baking theme, hosted by The Mess Pot, was Celebrate Summer and what could better represent the carefree days of summer than a Cherry Limeade??? It was an instant, easy decision for me to incorporate this beloved drink into a cupcake and I must say I wasn't disappointed. The biggest decision I had to make was, cherry cupcake with lime frosting OR lime cupcake with cherry frosting??? It was a tough choice, but I opted for the cherry cupcake with lime frosting. Mmm the frosting is so delicious that it's a wonder any of it made it's way onto the actual cupcakes!!

  

Before summer is over, you should make your way into the kitchen and whip up a batch of these little delights!! Or, maybe in a few months when you've forgotten the excruciating heat and want to have a little piece of summer back, you could try them then :)

  

Cherry Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the butter and sugar together in mixer until smooth.
3. Add milk and cherry juice and mix until combined. Then add eggs, one at a time and mix until each is incorporated. 
4. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and add the mixture to the bowl 1 cup at a time, and mix until incorporated. 
5. Fill lined cupcake tin 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
6. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Lime Buttercream Icing

Source: Hostess Blog

Ingredients

• 8 Tbsp butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (approx 2 fresh limes)
• 1 Tbsp margarita mix
• 1 tsp lime zest
• 5 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar

 Prepartion

1. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, lime juice, margarita mix, and lime zest. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until smooth. If icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.

Daring Cooks: Appam

I recently joined another cooking group called Daring Cooks, in which each month a hostess selects a theme and assigns a recipe (or recipes) to the group and everyone has to cook the same thing (or a close variation, at least.) The purpose is to challenge members to cook things that they may not normally cook. August is my first month to participate. Mary, who writes the delicious blog, Mary Mary Culinary was our August Daring Cooks’ host. Mary chose to show us how delicious South Indian cuisine is! She challenged us to make Appam and another South Indian/Sri Lankan dish to go with the warm flat bread.

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of Indian food, but that is the point of joining this group, right? To try things outside of my comfort zone. The Appam was interesting, and I can't say that I mastered the technique to make them but I think I did a decent job :) I chose Shrimp in Coconut Milk to as my second dish, and it turned out really well. I had to go to an Indian grocery store to find a couple of the ingredients, and fortunately there was one close by. Attempt #1 - success!

Appam
Source: My Diverse Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups rice
• 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons  sugar
• ½ cup  of coconut water or water, room temperature
• 1 ½ tablespoons cooked rice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• about ½ cup thick coconut milk (from the top of an unshaken can)

Preparation

1. Soak the raw rice in 4 to 5 cups of water for 3 hours.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the coconut water or plain water and add the yeast. Set aside in a warm area for 10-15 minutes, until very frothy.
3. Drain the rice and grind it in a blender with the yeast mixture to make a smooth batter. You can add a bit of extra water if needed. Add the cooked rice, blend to combine well. It will not be completely smooth, but will be very thick.
4. Pour into a large bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 8-12 hours. You not only want the mixture to rise and collapse, but to ferment. When it is ready, it will have a slightly sour and distinctly yeasty smell. 
5. Add the coconut milk and salt, and a bit of water if necessary, so that you have a batter that is just a bit thicker than milk. Notice how it bubbles after you add the coconut milk. You may want to try test-cooking one before thinning the batter.
6. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Wipe a few drops of oil over it using a paper towel. Stir the batter and pour in 3-4 tablespoons, depending on the size of the pan. Working quickly, hold the handle(s) and give the pan a quick swirl so that the batter comes to the top edge. Swirl once only, as you want the edges to be thin and lacy.
7. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Uncover and check. The center should have puffed up a bit, and will be shiny, but dry to the touch. When ready, loosen the edges with a small spatula and serve immediately. 

Shrimp in Coconut Milk
Source: Savoring the Spice Coast of India, by Maia Kamal

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 fresh green chiles, split lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste

Ground masala

• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• 1 ½ pounds medium, shelled and deveined

Preparation

1. In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot add the mustard seeds and
   cover until they stop popping. Add the fenugreek seeds and stir until they color lightly. Add the curry leaves (they will sputter and spatter), wait about 20 seconds, then add the onions and fry until they are soft, but not brown.
2. Add the ginger, garlic and green chiles and cook for one minute. Add the tomato paste, dry masala and salt and stir and fry for another minute. If it dries out, add a few drops of water.
3. Add ½ cup  of the coconut milk, along with 1 cup of water. Increase
   heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, uncovered for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce and blend the flavors.
4. Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring, until they have all changed color and curled up. This will take less than 5 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. Add the remaining ¼ cup  of coconut milk, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Taste for salt and serve immediately.

Recipe Swap: Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

This week's recipe swap theme was Summer Veggies, and I got my friend Sarah's Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes. I've never tried stuffed tomatoes before so I was excited to get this recipe and to try something new! I varied a little from the original recipe, using Fontina cheese instead of Mozzarella (because I already had it on hand), and I thought it tasted great. The flavors were very strong, and K didn't care for it much but it please my palate just fine!! This was definitely a good variation to our regular side dishes and I will be making them again!!

Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes
Source: A Taste of Home Cooking (obtained from The Novice Chef)

4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your Parmesan breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish

Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.

Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Turkey-Stuffed Portobello

The last time I made these delicious little beauties, I was amazed that I actually liked loved them because they contain two of my most hated ingredients - onion and mushroom. This time, however, I was surprised when K told me that this is one of his favorite meals. I mean, I knew that he liked it, but to be added to a favorites list means that it must be something special!! It's a great feeling to prepare a dish that others rave about, and this one will definitely make an appearance more frequently than once every four months in the future!!

Turkey-Stuffed Portobello
Source: Eating Well

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground sage (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 4 medium-large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup finely shredded fontina cheese

Preparation

1. Position rack in the lowest position; preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook oil and onion in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
3. Meanwhile, combine sage, rosemary, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a small dish. Place turkey in a medium bowl and sprinkle the spice mixture over it. Gently mix with hands to combine. Form into 4 equal balls. Rub mushroom caps on both sides with Worcestershire. Place one turkey ball in each mushroom cap, patting down to fill the cap. Place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the stuffed mushrooms on the bottom rack until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, spread the onion mixture over the filling and top with fontina. Continue baking until the cheese is melted and golden and the turkey is cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

Pork Tenderloin in Sweet Balsamic Sauce

It's no secret that I am a fan of balsamic vinegar. Well, really almost any vinegar, but especially balsamic. So, I've played around with creating different marinades in the past, and the one I used for this pork is one of my very favorites. I've gotten inspiration from a number of sources, that used a variety of ingredients, and I played with them until I came up with one of my own. It goes great with pork, beef, fish (salmon), and chicken. So versatile and so freakin' delicious!! I had some pork tenderloin in the freezer and I wanted to try a new flavor for it to add to my collection. This one is definitely a winner!! Next time I will try my Red Wine Vinegar marinade. If you are a fan of  pork tenderloin and looking for a new sauce/marinade, you should definitely give this one a try!!

Pork Tenderloin in Sweet Balsamic Sauce
A Sweet Beginnings' Original

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried, minced onion
• 2 tsp dried thyme leaves

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients (other than the pork) together in a bowl.
2. Place pork in a large Ziploc bag and pour mixture over the top. Turn the pork to coat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 min-24 hours.
3. Remove pork from marinade and slice into 1/2 inch medallions.
4. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Place the pork medallions in the skillet. Cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip over and pour marinade from Ziploc into the skillet.
5. Cook until pork is no longer pink in the center and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from pan, drizzle sauce over the top and serve!!

Grilled Pizza

Once a month (sometimes twice) we watch the UFC fights on pay-per-view. Sometimes we go out to a bar, sometimes we stay home and buy it. Saturday we decided to stay home and make pizza on the grill...mmm mmm good! We've grilled pizzas a couple of times before, and we absolutely love it! It was a little hot outside in the 106 degree Texas heat, but we figured it was better than turning the oven on in the house! You can view our first attempt here and see the improvement (I hope)!

This round we made a pepperoni & mushroom, and plain pepperoni. Eventually we will probably get a little more experimental with our toppings, but for now we stick to what we know we like!



Dough rolled out and ready to go on the grill

One side done, ready for toppings

Back on the grill

Deliciousness



You can use any toppings you like, and below are my dough and sauce recipes!

Pizza Dough 

Source: Pizza on the Grill

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for coating the bowl1 tsp honey
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Preparation

1. Mix the water, honey & oil in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit until it gets foamy.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour & salt. Add the water mixture 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated. If the dough is sticky, add more flour; if it is stiff, add more water. Continue to mix until it feels elastic. Spread onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and easy to work with. Do not overwork or it will be tough.
3. Oil a third bowl, and place the dough in it, turning to coat all sides. Drizzle a little extra oil over the top of the dough. Seal tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise, about an hour. Dough will double in size.Punch the dough down and knead on a slightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 2 equal balls.
4. Spread grits onto your rolling surface, and roll out 1 ball at a time. You can use a rolling pin, or just stretch it into your desired shape by hand. Once rolled to your desired shape and thickness, spread about 1 Tbs of oil on each side. Now you are ready to grill!!
5. Grilling instructions vary depending on the type of grill you own...but grill over indirect heat for 3 minutes, then turn 180 degrees and repeat. Remove pizza onto pan, flip over and apply toppings, then return to grill for 5 minutes. Turn 180 degrees and grill for additional 5 minutes until bottom is crisp and cheese is melted.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 mince garlic cloves
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 can tomato puree (29 oz)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 Tbs dried oregano
• 2 Tbs dried basil leaves
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

In a large pot, saute  garlic and oil for 2 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 30 minutes.

Godiva Iced Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program I received two 12 oz. bags of Godiva coffee, one being Chocolate Truffle. It's no secret that I love chocolate, especially decadent Godiva chocolate so how could I pass up the opportunity to make iced coffee using chocolate flavored coffee?? My favorite flavor combination with chocolate is raspberry, so I figured it was a gimme that I would make a chocolate raspberry truffle coffee drink :) It's the perfect morning refresher for summer.

Iced Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee
Inspired by Godiva

Ingredients

• Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee  
• 1 tsp raspberry flavored coffee syrup
• 2 Tbsp vanilla flavored coffee creamer
• Ice cubes

Preparation 

1. Brew Godiva coffee according to package instructions. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
2. Pour 5 oz. coffee into a coffee cup over ice and mix in raspberry syrup and vanilla creamer. Stir and enjoy! 

Summer Pasta Salad

What goes better with a summer barbecue than pasta salad? Not many things, I hear although I've never been a fan of most mayo-based pasta salads. A few months back our recipe swap theme was  Something for Memorial Day so I decided to come up with a pasta salad that did not require the standard dressing. And alas, the summer pasta salad was born. It's not your ordinary pasta salad, with zucchini and a red wine vinegar "dressing", but it is so light and refreshing that it makes a great addition to a heavy barbecue menu. I added chicken to it this time to make it a meal, but without the chicken it is a great side dish! Since zucchini is in season this summer, you should grab some at your local farmer's market or grocery store and showcase this pasta salad at your next barbecue!

Sweet Beginnings’ Summer Pasta Salad 

Ingredients*

• 2 cups tri-color Rotini or Fusilli Noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 2  Zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups Cherry or Plum Tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup Red Onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup + 1 tsp Olive Oil, divided
• 1/4 cup Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• ½ Lemon (optional)

 Preparation

1. Lightly sauté zucchini using 1 tsp of olive oil or cooking spray and season with salt & pepper, then cut each round into halves or quarters.
2. Mix olive oil & vinegar together in a small bowl.
3. Toss pasta, zucchini, tomatoes, and onion in a large bowl with the olive oil mixture. Season with salt & pepper, add basil and stir.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, squeeze lemon over pasta (if desired), toss and serve!

*If you prefer to make as an entree, grill 2 chicken breasts and cut into bite-sized pieces, then toss with the rest of the ingredients.