Height...... Makes all the difference in presentation....

It is often said that baking is science while cooking is art, I believe it. In the first you follow formulas, if you don't get the right "ratios", your results won't be good. It's all about how one element reacts with another giving the desired effect, but in cooking you get so much freedom and leeway that "your" creativity, style and passion have a chance to interpret ingredients and take them to places maybe no one has taken them before and if you add artistic sensibility to this, well, a dish presentation can be brought to "art". Indeed.

We have an old saying: "El amor entra por los ojos".... which means: "Love enters through the eyes" and if you apply this to Culinary Arts it definitely means that dish presentation or "plating" occupies a very important role in whatever you cook because if it's not well presented on the plate, taking into consideration colors, textures, ingredients, accents and most especially, height.... you could turn what could be an amazing dish that everyone wants to eat into a so-so meal that won't excite anyone. It could mean the difference between success and failure (or a good grade vs. a failing one if you apply this to Culinary training), or in the business world, could mean a popular selling offering that can deliver profits and acclaim. Who doesn't like great looking food?

You can get technical on the aspect of food presentation and there are several schools of thought on this from the "minimalist" to "architectural", "contemporary", "European", "classic", etc. that can get pretty involved and Culinary students are trained in so they can best recognize and produce successful "platings". You need to select the correct plate for the dish you are presenting, professionals prefer white plates in bold shapes (like you see in prominent restaurants), since white shows off the food better and busy plates tend to obscure the food. One of the Master Chefs that trained me taught me to "think with the results in mind". Think of the colors of your food, the main element, the sauce, the garnishes and how they will all come together to be pleasing not just to the taste but to the eye as well.

For the past couple of years there has been another element that has taken an important place in plating food: height. Now it's all about the height of the dish and how you can bring height into your dishes to better present them. Adding height to a dish makes for a bold statement drawing attention to the elements on the plate, creates interest plus it directs your sight exactly where you want it to go. So now you're asking yourself, how do I start? what will I need? how involved will all this be?

Never fear, these are easy to make, practical to serve and all you need is your imagination and some items. To make these little projects work you will need to use a free hand or maybe some empty cans of different sizes. Cut the tops and bottoms off (I have a can opener that cuts the outside of the can leaving a clean line and the tops to re-use), wash them really well (or you can use professional rings like the ones shown), molds, have vegetable spray on hand and your ingredients. Basics are: For Binders and to hold things together (yet don't go too wet or the stack will crumble): rice, pasta, avocado, couscous, potato, quinoa, wontons, cookies, crepes, etc. Then you will use any vegetable, meat, fish, cheese, fruit, seasonings or sauces you've planned on.

Now stacking food is not new, a long time ago "Timbales" or even "Terrines" functioned in this way by layering ingredients, adding texture and color to have a beautiful result. Same here, just with a new, more modern spin..... so let's see what we can come up with, ok? By the way, I love these, find them fun to do and enjoy showing them off. It never fails when you have company over or you do these for your family, once they see them.... they're impressed and delighted!

Here's an easy, pretty one: Zucchini Confetti Stack.- Lovely colors and a light texture combine to make a most attractive appetizer or side dish.

4 zucchini
1 sweet red bell pepper
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 large fresh eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Slice zucchini lengthwise, thinly, save the middle two slices from each one. Chop the rest. Steam or blanch all zucchini and carefully remove the middle slices and dry on paper towel. Strain rest of zucchini until dry. Dice the red pepper finely and saute in the olive oil, until soft. Make a mixture with all of the ingredients, minus the middle slices and half of the pepper dice.

Butter, oil or spray your molds. Place in each mold two slices of the zucchini, arranging them as a cross on the bottom of the mold and up the sides. Fill the mold with the mixture and bake the in water bath for approximately 20 minutes at 400F degrees. Carefully invert them on individual plates. Sprinkle them with the saved pepper dice. You could serve with a little sauce, aioli if you like or you could add some shrimp, crab meat or ?
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Avocado, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad.- The flavors coalesce to bring you amazing colors and an amazing dish!

1 cup quinoa, cooked in vegetable stock and cooled to room temperature
1/2 jalapeño, minced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola Oil
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Juice of one lime
2 tomatillos in olive oil, skins removed
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon light agave nectar
2 avocados, diced

In a medium bowl place quinoa, jalapeño, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 2 teaspoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until soft in the middle and lightly browned; be careful not to let the sweet potatoes burn.

Lower the oven temperature to 350F. In a small bowl, toss the tomatillos with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add the vinegar, 1/4 cup cilantro, and agave nectar, and pulse to combine. With the motor running, pour in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a thin stream. Continue blending until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour 2 inches of canola oil into a small, heavy pot and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the tortilla strips and fry until crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

Place a 3-inch mold in the center of one of 4 salad plates. Fill with 1/4 of the quinoa mixture and press down with a spoon to pack the mold, smoothing the top. Place 1/4 of the sweet potato pieces on top of the quinoa and press down gently. Top with 1/4 of the avocado and press down gently. Carefully remove the mold. Repeat on the remaining salad plates. Carefully place 2 tortilla strips parallel to each other about 1 inch apart on top of each. Place 2 more tortilla strips perpendicular on top of those. Top them with the microgreens and drizzle the dressing around.
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Asian Crab Stack with Tomato Gazpacho.- Lovely color and sophisticated flavors, in other words, a hit!

Crab Salad:
4oz white crab meat
1/4 cup crème fraiche
1 tbs Dijon grain mustard
1tsp mayonnaise
1tbs chopped chives
Mix the ingredients together and chill

Salsa:
½ mango diced
2 avocados diced
1tsp finely chopped chile (no seeds)
1tbs chopped coriander
1tbs finely chopped red onions
1tbs lime juice
1tsp chopped pickled ginger
Mix all the ingredients together and keep in the fridge

Gaspacho:
4 vine ripe tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 spring of tarragon
1 spring of basil
1 red pepper
1 cucumber with skin off and seeds off
1 red chilli chopped with the seeds
1 tbs cherry vinegar
½ juice of a lemon
olive oil
Salt to taste

Put all the vegetables in a blender and process until smooth, strain through a fine sieve and finish with the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Season and put in the fridge. Now build the stack in metal rings, first add the salsa then the crab mix and top it up with cream fraiche to seal.

Serve it with the gazpacho, very cold, and a drizzle of olive oil.
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You can also build these "free form" without the use of molds or cans just by using things like Phyllo Dough, Fried Wontons, crepes, blinis, grilled veggies, tomato or bell pepper slices since you use these to make the "levels"..... then you add one ingredient, top it off with a sauce or cream or cheese, add another level and so on.... done in a jiffy and looks incredible! Here is an example:

Phyllo, Salmon, Onion and Greens Salad.- A wonderful first course or an elegant supper.....

Phyllo, baked to a golden brown with butter, add some pine nuts and dill, 4 in squares
Onion, caramelized in butter and oil until deep brown. Add some sugar and balsamic vinegar
Have the salmon sliced and ready
Goat cheese in thin slices, 1/8" thick, chilled
Chives, chopped, chilled and 2 left long for garnish
Microgreens, mixed greens, mesclun
Vinaigrette of your choice
Sour Cream
Caviar

When you're ready to assemble and serve (these don't keep well so be ready to serve), cut the phyllo diagonally into triangles. Select your plates and lay them out. Line your plates with the greens that have been lightly tossed in your vinaigrette. Place a phyllo triangle on top of the greens in the center. Top with salmon and 1 tbl of the onion. On goes another phyllo triangle, this time pointing the tips in another direction as the first. A slice of cheese now goes on top, followed by salmon and onions. The third phyllo triangle goes on, facing the points in another direction, the last slice of salmon now is placed with another tablespoon of onions.

To garnish, put some sour cream, caviar, sprinkle with some chives, and some pine nuts. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over everything and rest 2 whole chive spears on the side of the stack so they point upward. Serve.
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So now you're asking: "just salads?", "vegetables only?"..... Of course not, here are some combinations you can try:

For appetizers or starters:

• Cellophane noodles, mushrooms, ginger and scallops
• Tiny crepes with apples, duck and wild mushrooms, nuts
• Truffled mashed potatoes with caviar and lobster

For the salad course:

• Pancetta, avocado and shrimp with pineapple or mango salsa
• Mushroom, Gruyere, spinach with barley
• Shrimp, roasted peppers and quinoa
• Sushi and rice

Main courses:

• Couscous with apricot glazed lamb and red onions
• Grilled fillet, garlic mashed potatoes, leeks and red wine sauce
• Sausage, red cabbage, apple and fruit coulis

For dessert:

• Brownies with grilled bananas, whipped cream, nuts and melted caramel sauce
• Pound cake, caramelized peaches, vanilla custard, whipped cream and berry coulis
• Phyllo, rhubarb & strawberries, peppered creme anglaise topped with toasted almonds

As you become more familiar with ingredients you can use as a "binder" and the unlimited combinations of ingredients, sauces and garnishes, you will see there are no limits to the kinds of stacks you can create. Let your imagination soar and have fun with these.... get your family involved and see who can create the wildest combinations and the good part is that once you're done, you've got something great to eat! So let's play with our food.....

Absolutely Delicious..... and Healthy, too!

Lately, I've been having quite the experience with Spa and healthier cooking versions of dishes. No, it doesn't mean I've abandoned my sauces and other tasty tidbits, it just means that I've been working on "other" things to add to my repertoire...... If you're familiar with the Canyon Ranch Spa and other such culinary tendencies, then you know what I mean.

Converting beloved dishes, or trying to if you're into this, into lighter / healthier versions can be a challenge, especially if you've got dietary or nutritional requirements to incorporate into this at the same time, like Diabetes, Hypertension, Salt-free, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw Foodists, etc, etc, etc.... and while more than ever before there are options for all of these, sometimes it's very hard work to try and come up with satisfying and tasty results. If you've been reading the news of late it seems that more and more vegetarians are abandoning their lifestyle and once again joining the ranks of us "animal eaters", (or as a cooking school chum liked to call us "cruel cooking types"), due to the "cruelty free" production of meats, fish and seafood that are now available. So, wherever your tendencies lie, there is an answer for you!

But getting back to semi-normal kind of cooking (organic & natural, healthier and lighter versions), here are a couple of recipes you might enjoy trying. I can state that they are high on flavor and deliver very satisfying results and easy to make. Intrigued?

Vegetable Lasagna with Parmesan or Garlic Sauce.- Thick, tasty sauce with plenty of vegetables. You won't miss the meat or anything else. Wonderful presentation too. Vegetables used are just a guide, change them for any you prefer, this is a very versatile recipe.

4 cups cooked vegetables (choose your favorite), I like Portobellos & Asparagus.....
4 1/2 Tbls Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread (or butter)
1 medium-large onion, chopped
Salt & Pepper as needed
1 pkg No-boil Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (or your regular ones, cooked & drained)
2 1/2 cups milk substitute (Rice Dream, Almond Milk or regular milk)
1 cup chicken broth (from organic chickens or your choice), low salt
6 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife (or see Garlic Sauce)
4-5 Tbls flour (gluten-free, Rice, Whole Wheat or your choice of thickening agent), natural
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, organic
1/2 pound Fontina (or provolone) cheese, grated (2 1/2 cups), organic

Have your vegetables ready, they should be cooked and seasoned and taste good on their own. Asparagus should be blanched, Portobellos stir fried, etc. Reserve. I cook Portobellos with onions and garlic, S&P.....

Heat 2 Tbs. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add onion; cook until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside. (This is optional if you like, I just add it to my veggies)

Mix 1 1/2 Tbls salt and 2 quarts very hot tap water in a lasagna pan. Add noodles and soak until soft and pliable 8- 10 minutes. Drain and stack loosely. Noodles tend to stick together as they dry, but pull apart easily, I prefer to leave some liquid instead.

Make Parmesan Sauce: Heat milk, broth and garlic until steaming hot. (slowly heat in saucepan over medium-low heat.) Fish out garlic; discard. (I leave it in...) Melt 3 Tbls butter over medium heat in saucepan; when foaming subsides, whisk in flour and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until well blended. Pour in milk mixture all at once and whisk vigorously until sauce is smooth and starts to thicken. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat; place plastic wrap directly on the sauce's surface.

If you're making Garlic Sauce instead: In saucepan, melt some butter & flour in the same amount, I use 4 tbls each and stir over med-high heat (watch it) for at least 2-3 min to cook the flour taste. Have 6-8 garlic cloves, through a garlic press, ready. Once the butter mix is ready, add the pressed garlic cloves and stir 1-2 min but don't allow to burn. Add the hot milk and whisk to prevent clumps. The mixture will thicken soon, keep whisking. Once it's thicker, add salt and pepper, taste and insure seasonings are good.

Adjust rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400-425 F. Put 1/4 cup of the sauce on bottom of baking dish. Place noodles to cover bottom, 2/3 cup sauce, 1/4 of the onions, 1/2 of one of the cooked vegetables (alternating layers), 1/2 cup Fontina and 2 Tbls Parmesan. Then do it again using the other vegetable. The final-top layer is remaining noodles, sauce and cheeses. You can see how many variations of this you can make, with or without meat, poultry, fish or seafood too. Change out the cheeses, etc.....

Seal with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes, you're just reheating mostly. Remove foil, then broil until cheese is golden brown, 5-7 minutes longer. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving. (This is a must or it won't serve well). You can also do it all ahead, freeze and bake when you're ready, it will take longer in the oven of course and I would lower the oven temperature some if you do this...).
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Crispy Asian Vegetable Salad with Ginger-Carrot Dressing.- This can be a main dish or a side salad depending on the quantity of the ingredients. Amazing flavor!

1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup red onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups brocoli florets
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cup zucchini, sliced thin
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
1 1/2 bok choy, chopped
1 cup jicama, peeled and sliced in thin sticks (batons)
1-2 Romaine Lettuce (or your choice), torn in bite size pieces
1-2 Tbls vegetable oil

In a large pan or wok over med-high heat, add the oil and swirl around. Add the carrot, red onion and broccoli and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add snow peas, zucchini, mushrooms and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add bok choy and fry until all vegetables are tender yet "al dente".

Add lettuce to a large salad bowl, top with the stir fried vegetables and top with the dressing. Toss quickly to preserve the lettuce. Serve at once.

GINGER-CARROT DRESSING.- I have this on hand and use in many ways.... you will too!

2 Tbls carrot, grated
2 Tbls ginger, grated
½ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (or lemon
1-2 tbls Low Salt Soy Sauce
1-2 Tbls garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp Dijon Mustard
1-3 Tbls Honey, to taste
Salt & pepper if needed and to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the olive oil, once the rest are mixed, begin adding the oil in a thin stream while whisking until well incorporated.
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Sweet Potato Cakes with Crispy Slaw.- Another healthy option you can try! Pretty great!

1 lb Sweet Potatoes, cleaned, pierced with a fork
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped small
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped small
1/3 cup red onion, chopped fine
2 Tbls cilantro, chopped fine
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp coriander, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
2-3 tsp sugar (Splenda or other substitute)
1 Tbls lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 cup breadcrumbs, dry
1 cup pecans, toasted & chopped fine

For the Slaw:
2 med Jicamas, peeled and cut into fine sticks (julienne)
1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/4 cup green onions, chopped fine
2-4 Tbls mango, peeled
1/2 Tbls lime juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
salt & pepper if needed
2 tsp sugar (or substitute if needed)

In blender add mango, lime & pineapple juice, salt & sugar and process, make slaw.
In a bowl, add jicama, red bell pepper and green onions and toss. Pour the dressing that's in the blender over the vegetables and toss well. Reserve.

In a preheated 375F oven, cut the ends off the sweet potatoes and cover with foil. Bake about 45 min or until soft and then let them cool, peel and mash until they are smooth. Put these in a bowl and add the red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, seasonings and lime juice, and half the breadcrumbs and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

In another bowl put the remaining half of the breadcrumbs with the nuts and mix well. Using the sweet potato mix, form into 1/4 cup balls, roll in the breadcrumb & nut mix and then flatten into cakes. Heat a non-stick pan and add a very light layer of oil and heat. Fry cakes on one side until golden, then turn and cook the other side. Place some Jicama Salad on the plate and lay a couple of the sweet potato cakes on top of the slaw. You can drizzle some of the dressing around the plate.
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I'm sure you can convert some of your tried and true recipes to healthier versions of themselves without loosing out on flavor yet making them better for you. I have to admit that I sneak the healthier versions into my husband's meals and for the most part he's liked all of them and didn't even notice the changes, so every now and then I continue to add to my recipes newer and better versions of dishes while contributing to our good health. Not hard to do at all and my guys are fierce carnivores! lol.... I hope you have access to Farmer's Markets where you are or organic growers and cooperatives in your neck of the woods so that you too can take advantage of better quality products. We've now got 4-5 organic fairs and markets here, during the Summer and Fall Seasons and if you can survive the outside temperatures (since they're all open air markets, except for Mario's, Yikes!) Mario Batalli now has one too, an organic come together which is becoming a reality for local Chefs.... might not be too bad, heh? Drawbacks? Expensive!!!! But you can see how hungry people are for something like this and while there are quite a few Whole Foods here (Ginormous and we call them Whole Paychecks.... this is still reserved for the "have" people since prices are NOT cheap at all... maybe someday...) Talk soon.....

How about something different for a change? You up for it?....

I've often spoken about falling into ruts about the foods we eat. We all do. It's easy, you don't need to come up with anything new, you're used to the preparation and ingredients, they're familiar flavors, you have everything you need to produce it and you can make it almost on "auto-pilot". Lots of people don't do well with change. Add to this our stress-filled busy lives, family meal times turned topsy-turvy and you come to eating the same things all the time. I keep certain things in the pantry as "backup" just for these "duh days", when I'm brain fried but still need to get dinner going and I'm sure most people do it too.

However, on those days when we're "up", we can handle something new so why not look at nutritious, visually stimulating yet yummy alternatives? So I got started doing some research and I found some pretty exciting side dishes we could easily incorporate into our lives that would not only give us lots of nutrition, but even help those with some food issues at the same time, like wheat allergies, gluten-intolerant, vegetarian and vegan. Maybe some lactose-intolerant too, well see. Above all I found that these tasty dishes will be enjoyed by everyone due to their vibrant colors and tastes.

One of THE super foods that isn't as popular as it should be is AMARANTH. Maybe you're saying to yourself: what is that?

Amaranth is treated as a grain, yet it's not quite that since it's a member of the grass family (so it has no gluten). Popular in Mexico, Central and South America, India and Nepal, it holds so much promise it's been called "the crop of the future" due to it's potential of being easy to harvest; very high yields; inexpensive to grow by everyone; tolerant of arid environments (doesn't need much water); it contains so much protein and essential amino acids (more than 30% more than other cereals); very high in fiber; needs very little fuel to cook and it grows rapidly, has health benefits like lowering cholesterol and more....

It was one of the staple foods for the Aztecs and Incas as far back as 3000 BC when it was used to prepare ritual drinks and foods. It was prized during the month of celebrations for the great god Huitzilopochtli (the blue butterfly god) and it was one of the most important Aztec celebrations during the year and even figures of the god where made of Amaranth (but with added honey and blood) and so everyone would eat pieces of the god at the end of the rituals. You can see why the Spaniards outlawed this practice due to it's similarities to communion and anything related to it and so the use of this valuable food was lost to us (except in some remote areas that is). Mexico has for a while been bringing back this valuable food and we have some sweet treats that are made from it called "Alegrias", candies, a thick drink for holidays like "atole" and is added to other foods as well. The leaf can be eaten, it's used as a natural colorant, etc.... you get the idea, it's pretty great.

Another super food is Quinoa which much like the Amaranth is also not a grain but a grass and shares the benefits and uses, curious that it too has the same history as the first when it comes to the prohibition by the Spanish but this time imposed upon the Incas. Also making a comeback once it's benefits and properties have been recalled so we have this super food now on store shelves as well.

So okay, it's great, but how to you cook it and turn it into something the whole family can enjoy? Don't think you will serve something unappetizing or unappealing either, healthy doesn't have to mean nasty, not at all.... let me show you:

Amaranth can be used to make popcorn but don't use any oil, just dry heat, then finish off with melted butter (or similar), some salt and go. You can flavor it too. Use it in soups, just add and let it cook with the soup. Grind it and use as a flour for baked goods, just remember that no gluten means no rise, so flatbreads, hot cakes, etc.

Amaranth or Quinoa Tabouli: A lovely fresh salad that can be a main dish or used in wraps or as a side dish. A mid-eastern salad normally made with bulgur wheat, makes light,refreshing, warm weather fare. Try it with quinoa or amaranth for a delightful new taste.

1 cup quinoa or amaranth
1 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tbsp fresh mint
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 cup olives, sliced
lettuce leaves, whole

Simmer quinoa or amaranth in an equal volume of water for 12-15 minutes. Drain if needed. Allow to cool. Place all ingredients except lettuce and olives in a mixing bowl and toss together lightly. Chill for an hour or more to allow flavours to blend. Wash and dry lettuce leaves and use them to line a salad bowl. Add tabouli and garnish with olives.
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Amaranth or Quinoa Pudding: This quick and wholesome dessert is also elegant and tasty. It tastes suprisingly light compared to rice pudding despite the fact that quinoa is much higher in protein than rice.

2 cups amaranth or quinoa, cooked
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup almonds, chopped fine
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
juice of 1/2 lemon
grated rind of one lemon
dash of cinnamon

Combine ingredients in a large sauce pan, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour pudding into individual dessert bowls. Top with a few grapes or strawberries and chill.
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Amaranth or Quinoa Stir Fry: A lovely alternative you will enjoy!

2 cups cooked amaranth or quinoa
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp seasoning, your choice

Sauté veggies, garlic, almonds and seeds in the oil until vegetables are tender crisp. Add soy sauce, seasonings and amaranth or quinoa. Mix well until warmed through.
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Here are some amazing recipes thanks to the Glutten-Free Goddess (thank you!) that you will love. They are so full of flavor, you'll never think these are so healthy and nutritious!

Quinoa Taco Salad: If you love black beans, add 'em in. You can also add crumbled goat cheese on top, if you desire or anything else but this one is the lighter version you can expand on.

1 cup Quinoa cooked in two cups water (Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Scoop into a bowl.)

Salad ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Juice from 2 juicy limes

Sea salt, to taste

2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

1 half small red or purple onion, diced fine

1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced fine

1 cup roasted corn kernels (I used frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes, then cooled)

1 large head of crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, sliced crosswise

Gluten-free tortilla chips (or make your own like me)

1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, diced

Drizzle the cooked quinoa with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Squeeze on fresh lime juice and toss again. Season with sea salt, to taste. Add in the fresh chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced yellow pepper, and roasted corn kernels. Stir lightly to distribute. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.

Line four salad bowls or plates with the fresh romaine. Spoon the quinoa salad on the center of the lettuce. Add the diced avocado to each plate. Tuck in a few tortilla chips around the edges.

Serve with an extra lime wedge.

Want to add more? How about chopped black olives, your favorite fresh salsa, fresh fruit pieces work well like mango, orange and jicama, you can see how far you can go with this. There is no dairy in this but you could add our cream, cheese or whatnot if this is not an issue for you.
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Cabbage Leaves Stuffed with Quinoa: Main dish, wonderful.....You can add sweet sausage to this filling, or other ingredients, but you can easily keep it vegan. Serve with a side of hummus.

1 large cabbage head

For the filling you'll need:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, diced

1 red onion, peeled, diced

1 large tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

(4 sausages- these can be sweet Italian, chicken apple, turkey, buffalo, cut into chunks) optional

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1 cup natural apple juice or cider

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon balsamic or apple cider vinegar

Sprinkle of sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel

A handful of raisins or dried cranberries

1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

To make your sauce you'll need: (or you can use your own)
1 24-oz can of strained tomatoes or 6-9 fresh tomatoes, lightly cooked
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Sea salt, to taste

1-Cook your cabbage. You'll need a fresh, large head of green cabbage. Trim the bottom root and cut an X into the center core. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the head of cabbage for about five minutes until soft; remove and drain well.

2-Make the filling. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Throw the vegetables, apple, and sausage (if using) into a roasting pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add the apple juice, maple syrup, vinegar, salt and spices and toss well to coat. Roast in the oven till soft- about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir a few times during roasting to distribute the sauce and seasoning. Meanwhile make your sauce.

3-Combine the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and stir. Cook over medium heat until simmering. Cover and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Taste test before using in the recipe. If you like a bit of spice, add a dash of hot pepper- but taste test first.

To assemble: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil four serving dishes or one medium-large baking dish.

When the cabbage has cooled enough for you to handle, cut another 1/2 inch or so off the bottom core if you need to and gently peel off the leaves one at a time; set the leaves aside on a plate or board. Trim any large leaves that may have a thick spine. Smaller leaves can be combined- use two to make one roll if you need to.

Combine the roasted vegetables and sausage with the cooked quinoa- start with a cup and see how much you need. If you want to stretch the filling, use more quinoa. Add a handful of raisins and stir in.

Lay a cabbage leaf on your work surface and add a spoonful of filling in the center. Fold in the side of the leaf and roll it up; tuck it into the prepared baking dish seam side down. Repeat for the remaining leaves and filling. Pour the sauce over the stuffed cabbage and bake in the center of a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, till heated through and bubbling.

You can make this stuffed cabbage ahead of time, if you wish; cover and chill. Don't add the sauce until ready to finish, add the sauce and bake. Add an extra 10 minutes or so to the baking time.

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Roasted Vegetables on Polenta: Yes, there's gluten free polenta (from Bob's Red Mill, at the store or order online) and this combination is very satisfying and wonderful!

First off let's get the polenta done. You'll need:
2 Cups cornmeal
6 Cups water
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 Cup of shaved Parmesan cheese (or use Vegan cheese if you want to keep it clean)

Get the water boiling and make sure the salt is dissolved. Then dump in your measured out cornmeal and start stirring. Turn the heat down to medium. While the water is working, grease a casserole dish with some olive oil, doesn’t matter what kind, for the trip to the oven.

As the water is absorbed and the gluten from the cornmeal is developed, you’ll notice the mixture become thick. Takes 30 minutes, keep stirring. You’ll know you’ve reached the right consistency when you can pull a spatula across the bottom of the pot and the polenta does not fill it back in.

If you’d like a smooth creamy polenta, you can stop right here, it will be delicious. If you want a more solid, sliceable polenta then, turn out your newly formed polenta into your greased baking dish, making sure to pack it in to form a tight layer. This will help to form a crust when in the oven. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Now back to the recipe but keep this polenta one for reference. To finish you need:

Fistfuls of whatever fresh veggies you have on hand
Fresh garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Herbs, your choice
Sea salt and ground pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Cooked polenta or store bought
Goat cheese, or feta, crumbled (omit to keep this vegan and dairy-free)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss in a large roasting pan:
1 sweet or red onion, chopped
1 cup broccoli florets
A handful of grape tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage, can be green and red together or just one
1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced
2-3 carrots, sliced into sticks
1 zucchini squash, sliced and cut in half
1 yellow squash, sliced and cut in half
6 cloves of garlic, chopped

Drizzle the veggies with extra virgin olive oil, and toss with a sprinkle of sea salt, some dried herbs of your choice [basil, oregano, thyme, sage], some fresh ground black pepper (or spicy red pepper flakes if you like heat) and a good dash or two of balsamic vinegar.

Throw the pan into the hot oven on a center rack, and roast away until almost done- about 30 to 40 minutes depending upon your oven and how many veggies you threw in the pan. Make sure you stir once or twice during the roasting to make sure all the veggies are coated and cooking evenly. When the veggies are almost done, cover the pan with foil and move the pan to a lower rack.

Slice the cooked polenta into fairly thin slices. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Set the oven to Broil. Place the baking sheet with polenta on the higher oven rack, and broil until the polenta is sizzling and starting to get crispy around the edges (about 10 minutes in my oven).

Remove everything from the oven and assemble your plates. Divide the polenta slices among four plates. Top with roasted vegetables. Scatter crumbled goat cheese or whatever you've chosen. Enjoy!
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Here you are, a nice collection of healthy, gluten and wheat free, plus vegetarian and vegan for you. Naturally you can adjust these to suit your needs but these are basics to part from. All are full of flavor, easy to make and will deliver a wonderful eating experience. So how about it? Have I temped you into adding some "super foods" into your daily lives?

Sending warm wishes to everyone, hoping your weekend is lovely. Have fun! Talk soon....

Follow Up Recipes for You!

I posted my "other holidays" menu on the fly while cooking and neglected to include the actual recipes. I heard from more than several friends asking for them and after apologizing for my oversight am only more than glad to post them on here for you....

It was wonderful to hear from you and know that not only are you reading my posts but are actually interested in making some of my entries. Amazing! I love it! Thank You! This will keep me working on finding even more amazing food to make and share. Here we go!

Frisee Salad with Raisins, Pistachios and Roasted Apples served with a Sweet Cider Vinaigrette and Chevre Rounds.- A lovely, crisp and sweet beginning to any meal....

1 Frisee lettuce (or your choice), washed and separated
1/2 red onion, cut in very fine slivers
1/4 cup raisins (any color or nut you like)
1/4 cup pistachios, peeled and chopped rough
2 apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored and cut in thin slices
3-4 slices of bacon, cooked and crispy, cut in small pieces
1/4-1/2 Blue cheese or other cheese crumbles you like
1 1/2-2 cups Sweet Cider, any kind but make it filtered
1 tbl Dijon or dark brown mustard
1/4-1/2 cups oil, preferably light oil like vegetable or canola
1 tbl water
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbl honey

Once you've got your apples sliced and ready, in a hot pan with a very little oil (just to keep it from sticking) or maybe some PAM, put the apple slices and cook them until they are browned, turn and do both sides. You could also split the apples in half and roast in the oven.

In a small sauce pan, place the cider and bring it to a boil, lower the heat to simmer and allow to reduce until you have about 1 cup left. Once this is done, allow it cool either at room temperature or by placing it in the fridge for a little while. Once it's cool and you're ready to put your salad together, put the cider in a bowl, add the honey, mustard, water, salt and pepper and whisk it to combine well. Begin adding the oil in a small stream while whisking all the while and keeping an eye for it to emulsify, you just want it to come together, then stop. You might use less or more oil, keep an eye on it. Taste the dressing and adjust seasonings.

In a larger bowl put your greens, onions, raisins, nuts and combine well. Place on your salad plates and arrange the apples and bacon on top and pour some dressing on it. Top with the cheese crumbles. Serve.
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Lamb Navarin with a Cabernet Sauvignon Tomato Sauce
and Roasted Tourned Vegetables.- A flavorful stew type dish that can be both healthy and satisfying....

2 tbl oil
1 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder, cut into med. cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 med carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 med carrot, chopped in rounds
1 med yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbl flour
1 tbl tomato paste
1 cup good red wine, your choice (optional)
4 med turnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 med potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tbl butter
2 tsp sugar
12 pearl onions, peeled (optional)
1/3 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1-2 tbl flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine , for garnish

Heat oven to 350F. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over med-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add lamb and cook, turning once, until browned, 8–10 min. Transfer lamb to a plate; set aside. Add the 1 carrot in rounds and yellow onions and cook, stirring until vegetables are soft and brown, about 10 min. Add garlic, flour, and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 min. Add in 5 cups water, the wine and the lamb. If you're not adding wine then add 6 cups of water. Cover, bring to a boil, and put in the oven. Cook until lamb is tender, about 50-60 min.

Transfer lamb to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm, without liquid. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and discard solids. Bring liquid to a boil over med-high heat, skimming surface really well and cook until this is reduced down to 2 1/2 cups, about 25 min. Reserve.

Meanwhile, using a paring knife, trim each piece of the remaining carrots (the 4 in 2 inch pieces), as well as the turnips and potatoes, into tourne's (or cut them into a large dice). Set potatoes aside in a bowl of water. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat and add carrots, butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water. Partially cover and cook for 10 min. Add turnips and pearl onions, partially cover, and continue cooking until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender, about 10 more min. Uncover and continue to cook, swirling skillet, until vegetables are golden brown, about 3 min. Add 2 tbl water, swirl skillet to glaze vegetables, and remove from heat; set aside and keep warm.

To serve, put the lamb, carrots, turnips, pearl onions, potatoes, and peas into the sauce and cook until hot, about 2 min. Serve in bowls. Garnish with parsley.
NOTE: This preparation can be applied to other meats as well as you can imagine. This is a basic French procedure that can serve you well for a lifetime.
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Floating Islands (Ile Flottante) or Eggs in the Snow.- (Oeufs à la Neige) "Eggs in the snow" is one of the most ingenious of classical French desserts, and one that is well known in the traditional American culinary lexicon. Doesn't matter what you call them, they are delicate, lightly sweet and cloud like.

4 cups milk
1 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
6 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar

Bring 2 cups of the milk to a boil, then remove from heat. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise (or vanilla extract), add to milk, cover and allow steep for about 15 min with the heat off, and let rest. Separate whites and egg yolks. Set aside 4 of the egg whites and freeze the other 2 for another use. Beat yolks and slowly sprinkle in 1/3 cup of the sugar. Continue beating until thick and pale yellow in color.

Remove vanilla bean from milk (if using). Scrape seeds from bean and add to milk, discarding pod. Pour milk, in a fine stream, into egg yolks while beating them continuously. Pour mixture into another pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it forms a custard thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 min or so, don't rush this or the eggs will scramble. Pour custard through a strainer into a shallow serving dish in which you will serve your "islands". Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Beat egg whites until foamy, then add 1/3 cup of the sugar very slowly, continuing to beat until egg whites are shiny and stiff but not dry.

Put remaining 2 cups milk in a large shallow pan and bring to a low simmer. Using a large slotted spoon, form big egg shapes out of whites and poach them in the milk for 30 sec on each side. Do not overcook. Put the "eggs" on a clean towel to drain. These are the "islands".

Combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar with 1/3 cup water in a small heavy saucepan. Cook over med-high heat until sugar caramelizes, turning amber in color. Keep and eye on it so it doesn't boil over. Remove pan from heat to prevent caramel from burning. This can happen very quickly, so it is best to take the pan from the heat just before the sugar darkens, as it will continue cooking. Cool for 5 min or until caramel forms into threads when drizzled from the tines of a fork. This is called "a continued stream".

Using a slotted spoon, carefully arrange the "eggs" on top of the custard which is in your serving dish. Dip a fork into the slightly cooled caramel—you will have to work quickly—and wave the fork over the dessert to form threads of caramel that crisscross and tangle. They will solidify over the "islands" and remain. Serve immediately.
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Italian Prosecco Wine or Bellini Cocktail.- Either just the Prosecco or turned into the great Bellini cocktail, this is sure to let you know it's a special occasion....Fantastic!

The Bellini is a rich blend of peach purée and Prosecco, a sparkling, dry Italian wine. Named for the Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini, the Bellini was created at Harry’s Bar in Venice in 1948 by owner Giuseppe Cipriani. This classic, refreshing drink was served only in the summer months, when white peaches were available. The juice and pulp of the peaches were extracted through a sieve and blended with Prosecco. The rosy-colored elixir became a year-round drink once frozen peach purée became available.

What to buy: Frozen peach purée is difficult to find, so you may be limited to savoring a Bellini during the summer months, when fresh peaches are at their finest. Despite what others tell you, only use white peaches for a Bellini, or the color and taste will be off.

3 parts Prosecco
1 part fresh or frozen and thawed white or see note.

Note: You may want to make your own peach purée by passing pitted peaches through a food mill, then passing the purée through a sieve. I've used canned peaches and we've still enjoyed it, and Jumex (Mexican fruit drinks in a brick) have an unfiltered peach juice that is good too since I haven't seen white peaches in the desert NEVER!
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There you go! Happy cooking everyone..... I'm right in the middle of preparing the lamb so I can put it in the pot and let it cook until it's done. Ricardo is looking forward to having one of his favorite meals and is in a jolly mood receiving phone calls from all of the kids wishing him a "Happy Birthday"..... and even though the temperature is going down and we're expecting another storm to come in (watch out Midwest and East it will be on it's way to you shortly...) its expected to be below freezing for the BIG New Year's Eve celebration on the Las Vegas Strip this year..... but maybe with all the people (they're expecting over 300,000, can you imagine?) and the drinks and the lights, they won't feel it as much..... We will be staying away from the Strip..... Talk soon!

My "other holiday" menus..... Worth anticipating!

As I had mentioned before, during this holiday season we have "other" holidays to include as well, plus I have Ricardo's birthday tomorrow too. I've got New Year's and Holy Kings Day to plan along with the Xmas food, so I just got done with our menu preparation meeting (yes, we are a democratic republic here yet I retain veto power...) and I can now report our "other holidays" menu is done.... and what a holiday these will be, YUM!

These are along the lines of what I had previously thought of when I went shopping for our Xmas goodies so the ingredients are in my pantry already (YAY! let's hear it for forethought!) except for dairy items which we seem to go through like water. So eggs, heavy cream and butter demand a quick trip to the store but I need them so can't be avoided, plus I just finished reading Michael Ruhlman's "The Making of a Chef" (first of a three part series of what it takes to turn people into professional cooks and makes great reading...) and I need to return it to the library so will make it a two fold trip.

First up on my "other holidays" schedule is Ricardo's Birthday tomorrow and he chose the main dish, Lamb. He didn't care about the preparation so I chose a classic French preparation which he will love. I had found a lovely piece of Lamb and had saved it for a special occasion so when he selected this as his choice it fell right in line with me, all I had to get were the vegetables to include and both Rene and I will put our Knife Skills to the test to produce "tournes" (little footballs) which add to the presentation. This was an important part of our final practical exam and every Chef must learn to produce. Add this to a wonderful tomato wine sauce, simmered long and slow (or the lamb won't be fork tender) and you've got magic in a dish.....

He's also been waxing nostalgic and mentioned "Islas Flotantes" which are another classic old-timey French dish which seems to have been forgotten by many but having made it like a madwoman during my Personal Chef tenure in Chicago, I know and love well. These are little islands of a sweet meringue "floating" on a vanilla infused creme anglaise, very rich and light all at the same time. You'd know it as "Floating Islands" and we will have this as dessert. Put this along with a fantastic salad and Bellini cocktails, the dinner is sure to make him happy..... here's the menu I will print and put on our formal table:

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Ricardo's Birthday Celebration 2010


Frisee Salad with Raisins, Pistachios and Roasted Apples
served with a Sweet Cider Vinaigrette and Chevre Rounds



Lamb Navarin with a Cabernet Sauvignon Tomato Sauce
and Roasted Tourned Vegetables











Ile Flottante - Floating Islands












Italian Prosecco Wine or Bellini Cocktail

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Sounds like a plan to me and I've already done my initial prep work and am ready for tomorrow's dinner. It will be easy to produce results that are impressive, have to love that. I should also mention that I've got a big jump on New Year's menu as well, since I dropped in on the Korean Fish Market (you should see this place, the meat and fish are incredible!) and had not found anything that let me make a statement while still being cheap (must stick to my budget after all) until I came upon some Rock Lobster they had on sale, it was lovely, still had their shells and all of a sudden the image of New Year's came to mind.

So now I'm almost set and our "other holidays" will be memorable while still staying not only on budget but give us the "special" flavors such dates demand, no one will be able to tell that the dishes served are among the lowest per person cost around while still being luxurious, elegant and all around amazing! Lots to look forward to and if you follow a popular idiom, "how you welcome the new year sets the tone for the whole year to come", it's a good "karma" thing to "do it up right" and get those good vibes going, right?

I hope everyone is looking forward to the end of this year (it's been a challenging one, he?) and we're all ready for better times ahead, so here's to all of us..... Cheers!

Good Eats.... Who says they have to be hard to make?

Another day, another hard decision about what to make for dinner, right? It's hard to come up with innovative and surprising ideas to keep your family enthused about dinnertime.... or is it? Who said creating "Good Eats" had to be hard or take a long time or mean you have to be a Chef in order to accomplish this task? No one..... and it's true.

Doesn't matter what your tastes run to or what diet you're on or what your budget is- there are "Good Eats" for you that can fit your tastes, lifestyle and skill level. Another thing to take into account is for those that work full time and don't want to come home and face 2-3 hour preparation times just to put good food on the table (hey, even lazy bones want something quick and good...) so I set my sights on just these very things and have come up with some great ideas!

I'm still on Atkins (doing good but I do miss carbs, but will keep at it...)- but most of these will work (with a few tweeks) yet they will be practical for most folks. Nothing weird that you can't find at your local A&P and can be made quickly and easily yet produce "Good Eats".....

Here's a version of one of my favorites (Steak au Poivre) that's just as yummy and will be a winner with your family! Few ingredients and quick to make yet lots and lots of flavor....

Steak with Cherry-Shallot Sauce.- A wonderful Bistro dish for everyone!

4 tbl garlic infused olive oil (or sliced garlic and olive oil)
2 1/2 lbs trimmed hanger steaks, or approximately 4 (8-ounce) pieces (or arrechera)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 shallots, thinly sliced (or thinly sliced small onion)
1/3 cup pomegranate juice (I've used cranberry juice too)
1 cup cherry preserves or jam

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over steaks and season all sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Put on a hot grill pan or outdoor grill. Allow the meat to cook for about 3 minutes on the first side without moving. Turn, and cook until preferred doneness is reached, another 5 minutes (just a bit more for larger cuts). Remove the steaks from the grill to a cutting board and allow to rest 5 to 7 minutes. If you like meat well-done (we don't) cook for a longer period.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the shallots and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until golden. Deglaze the pan with pomegranate juice, scraping up the brown bits, then stir in the cherry preserves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Thinly slice the steak against the grain and arrange on serving plates. Serve with the cherry sauce.
NOTE: I love infused oils but I don't buy them, I make them! Get a couple of clean glass bottles and put garlic, rosemary, chili or whatever flavor you want to create, then fill with olive oil and Voila! In a couple of weeks you'll have fancy infused oil.....
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Crispy Goat Cheese Salad and Greens.- A wonderful side salad or appetizer any time!

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup rosemary infused olive oil, plus 3 tsp
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
1 (12-ounce) log fresh goat cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch disks
4 ounces baby mixed greens, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of the olive oil, to just dampen the crumbs and mix well with a fork. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until golden and crisped, about 5 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool, then toss in chopped thyme.

Brush the goat cheese disks lightly with the remaining 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Coat the cheese on all sides with toasted bread crumbs. Bake on a parchment or silicone lined rimmed baking sheet (I use foil covered sheet with non-stick spray on it) until warmed through and golden, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it. Divide the mixed baby greens between 4 plates. Carefully, divide the goat cheese rounds on top of each salad, garnish with a sprig of thyme and serve.
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Roasted Sweet Potato Fries.- A lighter, less greasy take on fries. Sweeter yet just as satisfying and a nice change..... You'll love it! You can use most root vegetables too.

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Cut the sweet potatoes strips (fry shape) and put them into a large bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, 1 tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper, to taste, the ground ginger and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking until reduced to a thick consistency. Remove from the heat, pour over the sweet potatoes and toss to coat.

Rub 2 teaspoons of remaining vegetable oil on a nonstick baking sheet or liner and omit oil. Arrange the sweet potato strips on the prepared baking sheet and bake until brown, about 25 minutes, turning after about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the potatoes to a serving dish. Eat and enjoy!
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Indian Style Corn with Curry Sauce.- You have to try this if you love exotic flavors!!

4 large ears corn, shucked and cleaned
1 (7-oz) container Greek yogurt, plain
1 tablespoon honey (optional but nice)
1 lime, juiced, plus wedges for serving
1 teaspoon curry powder (I use turmeric and some chili)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat a grill pan to med-high heat. Grill the corn, turning frequently, until evenly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey, lime juice, and curry until smooth.

Transfer the corn to a cutting board, cut them in half crosswise (cobettes) and serve immediately with a drizzle of curry yogurt, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and squeeze of fresh lime, if desired. Corn can also be refrigerated and served cold.
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Flank Steak Roll-Ups.- A new take on an old favorite....

1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 lbs
6 sweet pickled cherry peppers, stemmed and finely chopped, plus 1/2 cup liquid from the jar
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
12 ounces farmer's cheese or drained ricotta (I use drained and pressed cottage cheese)
4 sheets, 9 by 12-inch, lavash bread (whole-grain if possible), I use large flour tortillas from the Mexican market
2 cups baby arugula leaves

Put the flank steak in a glass baking dish and pierce all over with a fork. Pour the pickling liquid over it; turn over several times to coat, and let stand, turning frequently, for 15 minutes. Preheat a stovetop grill pan over med-high heat. Drain excess liquid from the steak, season well with salt and pepper, and grill, turning once, until medium rare, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting against the grain into thin slices.

In a medium bowl, mix together the farmers cheese and chopped cherry peppers. Season with salt and pepper; to taste and add a few drops of water to make the cheese moist and spreadable. Lay a lavash sheet or tortilla lengthwise on a work surface and spread 1/4 of the cheese mixture over it, leaving a 1-inch border. Evenly scatter 1/2 cup arugula leaves, followed by 1/4 of the sliced steak over the cheese. Fold the ends in toward the center, then, roll the lavash tightly from the bottom into a roll. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Wrap the rolls tightly in a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to serve. Don't leave them unwrapped in the fridge or they'll dry out and become nasty.

To serve, slice the roll-ups into 1-inch segments and arrange them on a serving platter. If needed you can secure roll ups with toothpicks.
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Celery and White Beans.- Unusual and flavorful, here's a new side dish for you!

1/4 cup basil flavored olive oil, plus more as needed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (14.5-oz) can (white)cannellini beans, drained and liquid reserved
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
6 to 8 celery stalks cut lengthwise into thin strips, about 1/4-inch by 6-inches long

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until very soft, but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and 1/4 cup reserved liquid from the can and season well with salt and pepper. Raise heat to medium-high and continue cooking until beans begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree, drizzling in more reserved liquid, if needed, until it is the consistency of thick hummus. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a wide, tall glass and drizzle with additional basil oil before serving.

To serve, stand the celery stalks upright in the dip. (Choose a container that's small enough with high sides to allow the celery to stand upright). I leave the celery as-is but in 6 inch pieces, fill with the spread and serve as appetizers- really great!
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Pumpkin and Ginger Tart.- Easy and rich, a real treat!

2 1/2 cups crushed thin Swedish ginger cookies, (about 55 to 60 cookies)
6 tbl butter, melted
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Put a 9-inch removable-bottom fluted tart pan on a baking sheet (or use a pie pan). Make the crust by combining the ginger cookie crumbs and melted butter in a large bowl, until well blended. Add the crumbs to the tart pan and evenly press over the bottom and up the sides with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake until set and a bit darker in color, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, condensed milk, egg yolks and salt until well blended. Pour the filling into the cooled crust, return to the oven, and bake until set and beginning to brown on the top, about 30 minutes. Remove tart from the oven, cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator, at least 1 hour (or more) or until ready to serve.

To serve, carefully remove outer tart shell ring and slice. Eat and enjoy! I've also made this in paper cupcake liners with just some of the crust on the bottom. You need to refrigerate really well so it will set nice and hard. Great for lunch box treats or just to have in the fridge for those middle of the afternoon, coffee breaks....
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Brioche Banana Bread Pudding.- This dessert is worth cheating with, serve with ice cream and some whipped cream and it's heaven!

1 loaf brioche (about 1 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
Pinch salt
3 large eggs, plus 6 egg yolks
3 soft very ripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Put the brioche cubes in a large bowl. In a saucepan, add the cream, 1 cup of brown sugar and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a large bowl. In a slow stream, pour the hot cream mixture into whisked eggs to temper. Strain through a fine mesh sieve over the brioche cubes. Let this sit to allow the bread to absorb some of the liquid, about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, mash the bananas with 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Fold the mashed bananas into the bread cubes and transfer the mixture to an 8 by 11-inch baking dish. (Spray with non-stick spray really well) Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and cover with foil. Bake until mostly set, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven when top is golden brown.
NOTE: Think of extra things you can add, like almonds, coconut, raisins, etc. Just great!
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How about that, cool, huh? Easy, few ingredients and sure to please, what more could you ask for? Even experienced cooks will appreciate some time savings meals and being few ingredient recipes is always a plus, so why not try some of these and relax..... Great food that's good enough for company so if you're having some people over you won't have to whip up anything complicated or involved- just something quick that will make them think you worked all day! Plus look at lots of the steps that can be made in advance so there's even less preparation time involved.....

Sending everyone our best wishes , hoping you're all healthy and happy. Talk soon......

Ordinary Day?...... Then Make It Extraordinary!!!!!

Thursday, nothing special going on, just another day..... kind of in the doldrums and threatening to slide into a funk.... what do I need to snap out of it? One of my "projects" of course! While my guys are busy with their day's activities I am going to work on making this an extraordinary day for all of us!

I've already scoured my pantry and fridge and have come up with a truly inspiring menu for tonight. I'm downloading a great movie, have brought out the wine and what otherwise would have been just another weeknight will turn into a holiday celebration. What holiday are we celebrating? None! I don't need for it to be a holiday for us to celebrate and neither do you.....

What have I come up with? Let me see..... We'll start the evening with a great appetizer: Mussels First, an easy preparation that is always great. This will followed by a Warm Dandelion & Frisee Salad with Bacon, that will set the stage for our main dish of Stuffed Guinea Hens. I've also got some Baked Onions with Vinaigrette as a side dish. For desert, one of the easiest yet most delectable chocolate volcano cakes around- Moelleux au Chocolat..... MMMmmmm!

We are sure to have a celebratory evening, guaranteed! Let's bring on the bubbly! Here we go!


Mussels First.- A different take on this dish that we all love!

1 lb mussels
1/2 cup Pernod
3 tbl butter, softened
1 tsp chopped chives
1 tsp chopped tarragon
3 tbl fresh breadcrumbs
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 lemon

Heat the oven to broil with the rack near the top. Clean the mussels, discarding any that are open. Bring the Pernod to a boil in a large pot, add the mussels, cover, and cook three minutes, or until opened. Drain and discard any mussels that have remained closed.

Mash the butter with the chives and tarragon. Put a pinch of the herb butter on each mussel. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Grind over some pepper. Broil until the crumbs are golden, about two minutes. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
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Warm Dandelion & Frisee Salad with Bacon.- A wonderful salad to introduce the main meal, full of flavor and offering contrast in textures you will appreciate.

1/4 cup trimmed frisée lettuce
1/4 cup young dandelion greens
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
3 tbl red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 tbl olive oil
Salt and pepper

Wash the greens and spin them dry. Fry the bacon in a pan until crisp, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and boil to reduce to about 2 teaspoons. Add enough oil to make a dressing. Whisk. Toss the greens in the pan for a few seconds just to coat– don’t let them wilt. Divide among four plates and season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper.
NOTE: If you like, make goat cheese croûtes to serve alongside. Simply smear goat cheese on slices of baguette. Drizzle over olive oil. Grind on pepper. Pop them in an oven at about 400F until the bread has toasted and the cheese is very hot. Top the salad with these.
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Baked Onions with Vinaigrette.- A comforting side dish that will delight and surprise you!

4 organic, medium-sweet organic onions, unpeeled
4 handfuls coarse salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 clove garlic, finely mince
1 tsp tarragon vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grape seed oil
Lemon juice to taste
1 handful chopped fresh tarragon
1 handful chopped fresh thyme

Heat the oven to 425F. Cut barely a sliver off the bottom of each onion so they’ll sit without rolling over. Pierce them in a few places with a sharp knife so they won’t burst during cooking. Make four mounds of sea salt in a baking dish and place an onion in each. Bake 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 325F and continue baking until the insides are almost applesauce soft, about 1-1/2 hours, depending on the size of the onions.

Make the dressing: Whisk together the yolk, garlic and vinegar. Season. Beat in the oil, drop by drop, to make a thick dressing. Taste, and add lemon juice if needed. Check the salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, set the onions on serving plates (leaving the salt mounds behind). Slit the onions open with a sharp knife and spoon some sauce into each until it starts bubbling up and out onto the plate. Serve.
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Stuffed Guinea Hens.- Looks hard yet it's not. You'll love it! (Don't want to de-bone it? Ask your butcher to do it for you!)

2 guinea hens, about 2 lbs each, boned
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried baguette crumbs
1/2 cup chopped dried figs
3 tbl Cognac (more for after dinner drinks!)
1 tsp chopped thyme
6 slices Prosciutto, or bacon

Prepare the hens: Remove the dark meat from the legs and chop it very finely. Lay the main part of the bird flat, skin side down. There will be a rough rectangle of skin with the two breasts and their smaller fillets attached at the top. Remove one small fillet and lay it between the breasts to fill the indentation. Use the other to fill any other gaps. It will look like a rectangle. Lay a piece of plastic over top, and pound the whole thing flat. Remove the plastic. Push the meat around a little, if you need to, to achieve and even square of white meat, roughly centered on the skin. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the stuffing: Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and fry for one minute. Remove to a bowl. Heat the remaining butter in the pan and toast the breadcrumbs. Add them to the onions. Stir in the figs, Cognac, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 325F. Lay the bacon or prosciutto slices on your worktable, slightly overlapping, on a piece of foil. Should be about the size of the meat. Lay the bird on top, and season with salt and pepper. Spread over the stuffing, then roll into a log. Wrap in foil, twisting the ends to make a tight cylinder. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil carefully and return to the oven 10 minutes longer. Remove. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
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Moelleux au Chocolat (Chocolate Cakes).- The translation of "moelleux" is soft, mellow, tender, moist, sweet.... exactly!

Cakes
4 oz dark chocolate
2/3 cup butter
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour

Caramel Sauce
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup plus 2 tbl heavy cream
Squirt lemon juice, to taste

Cakes: Butter six ramekins or small molds, line the bottom with a disk of parchment, then butter the parchment. Very gently melt the chocolate and butter together over a water bath. Beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and ribbon like. Beat in the flour, and finally the chocolate mixture. Pour into the molds and chill. Just before serving, heat the oven to 400F. Place the molds on a baking sheet and bake until the top is set, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove. Let sit five minutes, before unmolding onto plates. Serve with caramel sauce or a scoop of ice cream.

Caramel Sauce: Add a spoonful of water to the sugar and boil to caramel, about 5 minutes. (Be careful not to let it get too dark.) Stir in the butter to melt, then the cream. Add a squirt of lemon juice to taste.
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There you go, a wonderful menu that's perfect for any celebration or holiday. All the dishes are easy to prepare and quick to make, plus they all deliver that little something "extra" that makes them special. I'm dressing the table so we can have candlelight with our dinner and will use our best China and Silverware. Had a bottle of Champagne that a friend gave us and it's chilling in the fridge; we can have that with those fantastic chocolate cakes we'll have for dessert! Sure to be a special evening and will give our week that holiday feeling..... No doldrums here anymore! Wishing you many special evenings..... talk soon!