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Archive for the ‘Everyday Food’ Category

Tuna Served Lobster Roll Style – A Grace Gotham Gourmet Delight

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 18, 2014| 1 Comment »

My friend and gourmet cook (and food photographer), Grace Gotham, has lately been posting yummy photos of her culinary creations.  She cooks healthy, light and delicious dishes and has given me permission to post her tuna salad roll.  Seriously her photos practically make you want to lick the computer screen!! I know that sounds gross but you’ll see for yourself!

Here’s is Grace’s quick and easy recipe:

Tuna served lobster roll style! Tuna salad made with @fage 2% Greek yogurt, fresh dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, finely chopped celery and onion, diced kosher dill pickles, and a smidge of Sir Kensington mayonnaise. @gothamgreens Bloomin Brooklyn iceberg lettuce adds fresh crunch. All on a classic Martin’s potato roll. ‪#‎gracegothamgourmet‬ ‪#‎tasseltotable‬

Tuna Served Lobster Roll Style

Tuna Served Lobster Roll Style

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Speedy Fish Chowder – Warming Up From The Inside Out

Posted in Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , on November 12, 2014| 2 Comments »

Today was exactly the kind of day, this hearty soup would be an excellent choice.  Yesterday it was 61 degrees in New York City and this morning it was gray and foggy.  By noon the sun was full out  shining brightly and the temperature zoomed up to the mid-60’s BUT by the time I walked home around 6pm, the temperature was dipping into the 40’s  – And that’s why you’ll want to make this Fish Chowder!

Speedy and Smokey Fish Chowder

Speedy and Smokey Fish Chowder

This is one of those recipes that calls for you to use your own judgement as to how much of each item to use.  We start with just a bit less than a pound of fish and then you’re on your own but don’t worry, I think the familiarity of the ingredients will dictate the amount to use.  It’s a matter of personal preference and taste.

Dice some bacon if you’re a meat eater, or melt some butter if you are not (or both if you are reckless), and sauté some onions, carrots and diced potatoes in the fat and meat until the onions have gone translucent. Hit the mixture with some salt and pepper and a flash of smoked paprika if you have it. Some of the ears of tiny chowder-corn that are in some farmers’ markets would be a fine addition, so too would be a cup of frozen corn.

Do you have any fish stock? No? White wine? Surely you have water. Add enough that the potatoes are almost swimming, then a bay leaf, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the chowder to bubble along until the liquid has reduced by a third and the potatoes are tender. Add a splash or two of milk or cream and allow it to heat and thicken slightly.

Now cut the fillets into chunks and stir them in gently. Five minutes later: chowder. Serve with crusty bread.

I found this recipe in the NY Times Cooking Newsletter

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Pumpkin Spice Cocktail – Sunday Afternoon Football Game

Posted in Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It’s definitely Autumn now, the leaves are changing, the temperature has dropped, we turned back the clocks so it gets dark really early AND many of the guys are spending Sunday afternoons watching football on TV.  So getting into the spirit of the holidays, I found this Pumpkin Spice Cocktail that would be perfect for an afternoon of game watching with friends.

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Spice Cocktail

Ingredients

BLUE MOON  Harvest Pumpkin Ale

FIREBALL Cinnamon Whiskey

Sparkling cider

Orange slices for garnish

Directions

Slowly pour half a bottle of pumpkin beer into your glass and wait till foam subsides

Top the beer with about a 1/4 cup of sparkling cider, leaving just enough room to add  a splash or two of the cinnamon  whiskey.

Garnish with a slice of orange and enjoy.        

Tastes like heaven, hot as hell

Tastes like heaven, hot as hell

Cheers!

Recipe by Rachel Sylvester – The Nest blog

Sparkling Cider

Sparkling Cider

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OMG Today is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!!! Enjoy

Posted in Amuse-bouche du jour, BY THE WAY, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , , , on October 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

A Tasty Morsel For Sure

A Tasty Morsel For Sure

October 28, 2014 is
National Chocolate Day
Today is National Chocolate Day! Just what you’ve been waiting for – a reason to eat more chocolate! Americans consume an average of 12 pounds per person per year. Do you help contribute to this staggering stat?

Valentine’s Day and Easter are two of the top holidays for buying chocolate, but you can’t forget about Christmas or Halloween! However, many will argue that chocolate is best enjoyed year-round.

To celebrate National Chocolate Day, enjoy some chocolate with each meal today! Try hot chocolate or chocolate donuts for breakfast. A fun lunch idea is to pair your favorite dish with a tall glass of chocolate milk. For dinner, try a traditional mole sauce, made with cocoa powder. Top it all off with a decadent chocolate dessert!

Give a friend a box of chocolates, try a new recipe using chocolate, or treat yourself to some! The above excerpt is courtesy of PUNCH BOWL.

Oh Take Me Awayyyyy

Oh Take Me Awayyyyy

You notice I opted for dark chocolate because seriously is there any other kind?  LOL LOL, that ought to provoke some responses!  Milk Chocolate – Mmmm more like a pretender, solidified hot cocoa (American style not French).  White chocolate?  Don’t even go there;  In case you didn’t know IT’S NOT EVEN CHOCOLATE!!!

I can see if I don’t stop writing this blog this morning, I’m going to be in trouble because right now some of the best brands of dark chocolate and the picture of their labels are swirling around in my head!  Thinking of the sources too!   Swiss, Belgian, French, not to mention the fabulous rebirth of small-batch hand-crafted chocolate (and other wonderful foods and drinks like coffee, bread and beer) that have sprung to life over the past decade or so.  Some credit this resurgence to that horrible period of job lay-offs and downsizing and some think our salvation lies with a younger generation (X or Y?) who don’t want to don that corporate garb.  Hallelujah to them I say!

After watching the news last night where the benefits of dark chocolate were extolled for regaining one’s memory, I may have to rethink my current attempt to diet and indulge is some very, very dark chocolate today.  Thinking 70-75% cacao, oh yeah!  You can hold a square in your mouth, let it rest on your tongue and it will melt oh so slowly…..  You have to resist the urge to chew it, which is hard I know but so rewarding if you don’t !

Did I ever tell you about my experience at The Chocoholic’s ate Bar at the Hyatt Regency in Hawaii?  OMG it will have to be for another time.  The whole experience was mind-blowing for a chocoholic like me! 

What’s your favorite kind of chocolate?  What brand(s) do you prefer?  Are you a milk chocolate lover?  It’s okay to admit it even if the rest of us dark chocolate lovers think you’re misguided lol lol.

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Cool Weather – Warm Lentil Salad With Goat Cheese

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , on October 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Red, Green and Black Lentils

Red, Green and Black Lentils

BEANS – Yes lentils are beans and they are not only good for you, they taste good too!  This dish can be ready in about 25 minutes.  Goat cheese and lentils make a particularly good pairing; the little earthy-sweet legumes love a salty-unami complement (that’s why you so often see them paired with sausage and other cured pork products), and goat cheese fits the bill.  Here the combination is especially cozy, as the goat cheese melts into the warm lentils, bathing them in a creamy  dressing.  This delightful recipe comes from Martha Rose Shulman of The New York Times.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups/14 ounces green, brown, black lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 small or 1/2 large onion, halved

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

Salt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup broth from the lentils

3-4 ounces goat cheese (to taste), crumbled

Black pepper

2 cups wild or baby arugula

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium pot, combine lentils, onion, two of the garlic cloves and the bay leaf with 6 cups water.  Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.  Add salt to taste, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but sill have some texture (they should not be mushy). Taste and adjust salt.’

Using tongs, remove onion and bay leaf. (you may cook lentils up to four days ahead and store in the refrigerator  Bring back to a simmer and proceed with recipe).

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together vinegar, remaining garlic, salt to taste and olive oil.  Set aside.

Place a strainer over a bowl and carefully drain lentils, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth.  Return lentils to the pot.  Whisk reserved broth into the dressing, then stir dressing into lentils.  Add goat cheese and stir until it has melted into the lentils. Season to taste with pepper.  Stir in herbs.

Line a platter, salad plates or bowls with arugula. Top the arugula with lentils.  Serve warm.

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Lasagna With Collard Greens – Vegetarian Pasta Dish

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , on October 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lasagna with Collard Greens

Lasagna with Collard Greens

NOW, now, don’t go turning up your nose and thinking you don’t like Collard Greens;  BECAUSE Collard Greens taste like Kale, the darling vegetable for the last couple of years.  In fact I’ll bet if I gave you a piece of Kale and a piece of Collard Green, you wouldn’t be able to tell which is which.  Hey, maybe I should send in that taste test suggestion to Gordon Ramsey for his Hell’s Kitchen show. 

INGREDEINTS

1/2 lb Collard Greens, large leaves, stemmed and washed

Salt to taste

Olive oil for pan

2 cups Marinara sauce (bottled or fresh)

1/2 # no-boil lasagna noodles

1/2 # Ricotta

4 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS  – Preheat oven 350 degrees

Steam Collard Greens for 5 minutes above 1″ of boiling water.  Transfer to bowl of cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Oil rectangular baking dish – Spread tomato sauce over the bottom.  Top with layer of noodles.  Then thin layer of ricotta.  Lay Collard Greens over ricotta, in single layer.  Top leaves with layer of tomato sauce, followed by thin layer of Parmesan cheese.

Set aside some tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese to top the lasagna.

Repeat layers till all ingredients are used up.  Top with reserved sauce and cheese.  Cover with foil.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.  Uncover and return to oven for 5-10 minutes.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

* Don’t use all your ingredients in the first layer, you should have enough for 3 layers.

Recipe from Martha Rose Shulman, NY Cooking

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SHRED ALERTI! Carrots Star In This Crunchy Salad

Posted in Everyday Food, tagged , , on October 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

I made the Skillet Rosemary Chicken dish this weekend and I’m happy to report that it was just as good as I thought it would be.  Thanks again to Rob who found the recipe and made it first.  One bite was all I needed to know that I wanted to try it.  I think this delicious chicken dish is going to become a regular on the company-for-dinner menu. 

But today we’re talking carrots…not those measly thin sticks you munch on when you are dieting and not the over-cooked mushy kind either.  I’m talking crunchy raw carrots paired with chickpeas and a spicy homemade dressing.  The heat source is harissa, a North African chile paste, which you can find in your grocery store’s condiment section.  This dish makes a light lunch (brown bag it) or as a side dish.

Spicy Carrot Salad with Chickpeas and Parsley

INGREDIENTS

3 large carrots – washed, dried and ends trimmed

One 14.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained

1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed

DRESSING

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 TBS harissa

1 TBS white-wine vinegar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Shred the carrots using a box grater (as if you’re making coleslaw).  Transfer the shredded carrots to a large bowl and toss with the chickpeas and parsley leaves.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the harissa to combine.  Slowly add the vinegar and lemon juice.  Stir in the lemon zest and cumin, season with salt and pepper.

3.  Add the salad dressing to the carrot mixture and toss to coat.  Serve at room temperature or chilled (it will keep in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container).

An original recipe from Pure Wow.com

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Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Posted in Everyday Food, Tasty Tidbits Tuesday, tagged , , , , , on September 30, 2014| 1 Comment »

You just never know where you’ll find a good recipe!  

Yesterday, Rob, a friend in my office was scrolling through the Food Network website looking for a recipe that might catch his eye and whet his appetite enough to be inspired to cook that evening.  Actually I’m learning that he cooks A LOT!  Pretty cool huh?  Well we have this little triangle of foodies/cooks and we sit near each other and nothing beats boredom than discussing what we cook, where we shop for food and where we dine.  

So Rob found this recipe and he said it looked good, it looked simple and he had most of the ingredients already at home.  He flashed around a photo of the finished dish and Elinor and I agreed this sounded like a winner.  Elinor did think that the dish would be better if bone-in skin-on chicken thighs were used rather than the chicken breasts as indicated in the recipe.  That brought on a whole discussion of the the health benefits (or not) of the different cuts of chicken.  Too bad Rob hadn’t found the recipe the day before because the recipe called for fresh Rosemary sprigs and Elinor was quite willing to barter some sprigs for a chicken thigh!  

Flash forward to today – this morning I emailed Rob asking him for the recipe thinking it would make a great weekend dinner.  He sent it to me.  When I got to the office around 1:30 this afternoon he and Elinor were having lunch in Town Square – our lunch area.  I joined them with my container of soup and found out that Elinor was dining on a chicken breast (uh huh, yesterday she said she didn’t like them at all) but then you know what they say,” beggars can’t be choosers”.  That is NOT to imply that she was begging;  Actually I would have to own up to casting a glance at her and the chicken and was rewarded with a bite of the chicken and a mushroom!   It was really tasty!  More talk about what parts to use and I concluded using some chicken thighs and chicken breasts, some skin on and some not would work for Peter and me.  I can’t wait to make it.  Going to use my braising pan (Really I can’t sing the praises of that kitchen tool enough).

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

SKILLET ROSEMARY CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb. small red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered if large

Kosher salt

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, plus 1 TBS leaves

1 clove garlic, smashed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed, halves reserved)

2 TBS olive oil

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts, (6-8 oz each)

10 oz cremini mushrooms, halved

DIRECTIONS

Preheat  oven to 450°

Cover potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water.  Bring to a boil over MED-HI and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.  

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 tsp salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife.  Transfer the paste to a bowl.  Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil.  Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over MED-HI heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes.  Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast uncovered until chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 -25 minutes. 

Recipe is from Television Food Network

 

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I Scream Sundae – Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream Sandwiches

Posted in Everyday Food, Smooth or Crunchy, tagged , , , , , on September 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Has this recipe got my name written all over it or What?  What could be more up Pbenjay’s alley than not one BUT TWO of my favorite foods;  Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and best of all Ice Cream!  This recipe comes from Honestly YUM. The following is from that web site:

“This recipe is so simple I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before. I mean, who wouldn’t love a dessert version of a PB&J sandwich. It’s pretty much my go-to sandwich whenever I’m too lazy to make dinner. The jam ice cream can be made with any jam you like, but I love blackberry jam with the seeds studded in there. You can also make our blackberry bourbon vanilla jam. The gluten-free peanut butter cookies are the most intensely peanut butter cookie you’ll ever have. I’ll admit I was skeptical about the gluten-free part, but they’re really delicious. Resist the temptation to eat them straight out of the oven. Combine the two and you’ve got the ultimate ice cream sandwich that will be the envy of any 1st grader.”

PB & J Ice Cream Sandwiches

PB & J Ice Cream Sandwiches

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY ICE CREAM SANDWICHES (GLUTEN-FREE)
Ingredients:
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
flake sea salt
1 jar of blackberry jam
1 quart of vanilla ice cream
Directions:
To make the jelly ice cream, scoop vanilla ice cream into a loaf pan and drop dollops of blackberry jam between each scoop.
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze preferably overnight.
To make the gluten-free peanut butter cookies, pre heat the oven until 350 degree. Combine the smooth peanut butter, sugars, egg, baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Using a tablespoon, roll a ball of cookie dough in a ball.
Lay the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Make crosshatch patterns with a fork on the top of the cookies.
Sprinkle sea salt on top.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Allow to cool completely
To assemble the sandwiches, place on scoop of jam ice cream between two cookies.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Freeze Ice Cream and Jam

Freeze Ice Cream and Jam

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The Mediterranean Diet – Tuscan Pasta Tonight (Vegetarian)

Posted in Everyday Food, We Called It Macaroni (Pasta recipes), tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

Saturday night supper was pretty damn good if I say so myself.   I didn’t think I would jump on the all things Tuscan are good bandwagon, but I seem to hitching a ride here and there.  Last week, Wegman’s sent out their Menu Magazine and the theme of this Fall edition is Mediterranean Fresh Italian – The Flavors of Tuscany/Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.  I’m sure everyone of you has read and heard about this diet, it has been around for years. 

The Mediterranean Diet is about eating more fruits and veggies, whole grains, seafood, a glass of wine, and good fats-like olive oil.  Pasta, dairy and meat are part of it too, but with smaller portions – more like side dishes than main courses.  It all sounded fine until they got to the pasta being a side dish instead of the main course.  So, much like practicing Cafeteria Catholicism where one picks and chooses which ideologies and Vatican rulings they will adhere to, I decided to follow the recipe for this delicious vegetarian pasta dish BUT of course it was the main course.

Tuscan Whole Wheat Pasta

2 TBS olive oil

2 Leeks  or 8oz. pkg. finely chopped

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Medium fennel bulb, cleaned, trimmed, cored, 1/2 ” dice

2 Jars of Wegman’s Tuscan tomato sauce*

1 lb Whole Wheat Penne Rigate**

1/2 tsp salt

1 Bag of Baby Arugula (5oz)

4 TBS of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Heat oil in braising pan on MED heat, add leeks and garlic.  Cook, stirring about 2 minutes until translucent.  Add fennel, reduce heat to LOW.  Cook 10 minutes until softened.  Add sauce, stir.  Let simmer 5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta, 1 cup of reserved pasta water and salt.   Simmer 2-3 minutes.  Add arugula, toss and top with Parmigano-Reggiano cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with extra grated cheese.

This is recipe is from Wegman’s Menu Magazine

* Wegman’s sells Tuscan sauce in a 17 oz. jar.  I purchased 1 jar as it is a little pricey;  The ingredients are basically tomatoes, onion, basil.  It is darker than most jarred sauces which I think may be because it is cooked down to a richer sauce.  I bought a jar of Chunky Marinara (twice the size, half the cost).  I used half of the Marinara sauce and added a little more basil.

** The recipe calls for Whole Wheat pasta so I thought “okay I’ll try it because maybe the sauce has enough flavor to overcome the cardboard taste and texture of whole wheat pastas.  WRONG!   I know it’s healthier but that pasta is dismal tasting.  I can only imagine how fantastic this dish would have been with a nice Barilla penne.  Never again….

 

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