Latest Posts » Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen

White Sangria

July 4, 2009 by Ashley 6 Comments

This is the white sangria recipe that I created - it's awesome! You can add whatever fruit you like - frozen green grapes would be a good idea that way they keep your drink cool without watering it down. This was a huge hit again...it'll definitely liven up any party!

White Sangria
Ashley Covelli

1.5 L Pinot Grigio
1 L ginger ale
2c . Peachtree Schnapps
2 green apples, sliced
1 orange, sliced

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add ice to glasses, pour in sangria and use ladle to make sure each glass gets plenty of fruit.

Enjoy!

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

How-To Smoke Ribs for Steven Raichlen's Memphis-Style Ribs

July 4, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

It is absolutely possible to create amazing BBQ in your backyard, and this pictorial documentary should prove it. We used a $60 charcoal grill, and with the right set-up you would never know the ribs weren't cooked in an industrial smoker. Probably the most difficult part of this entire process is having patience.

Below is the how-to. For the rub and "mop sauce" recipes, see the older post.

Step 1: Prepare the Ribs
Remove the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a secure grip, or with pliers.

Here is a helpful instructional video from YouTube:

Step 2: Rub and Cure
Rub two thirds of the dry rub over the ribs on both sides, then transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover and let cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours.

Step 3: Soak the Wood Chips
Soak three handfuls of wood chips, completely submerging them in liquid. Use water, beer or both. For pork, apple wood or hickory are recommended. We had mesquite chips on hand, but generally speaking the mesquite flavor works better with chicken or beef.

Soak the chips in the water/beer bath for a full hour.

While waiting for the wood chips to soak, follow the recipe for creating the mop sauce.

Step 4: The Grill Setup
Smoking meat on the grill requires indirect grilling. After the coals are lit, separate them into two piles on the outer edges, making room for a large drip pan in the center. Drain and place all of the wood chips in the smoker box, or directly on the coals if you do not have one.

Reduce the heat to medium. Our grill has a vent underneath that allows air to flow in and upwards, so we opened this vent halfway for a "medium" setting.

Step 5: Drop and Cover
Brush the grill grate with oil.

Arrange the ribs on the hot grate over the drip pan making sure the ribs are not being hit by direct heat from the coals. Cover the grill and smoke-cook the ribs for 1 hour.

Step 6: Mop and Flip

When the ribs have cooked for an hour, uncover the grill. You will need to add about six fresh coals to each side, and this step pretty much requires a second person. Using two potholders, pull the grill grate off and have your partner add the coals.

Place the grill grate back over the coals. Brush the ribs with the mop sauce. Flip the ribs and brush them again with the mop sauce. Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until tender and almost done, ¼ to ½ hour longer for baby back ribs, ½ to 1 hour longer for spareribs.

Step 7 (optional): Render BBQ Sauce
This step was not in the instructions we were following, however we did not want to waste the remaining mop sauce. To the mop sauce we added and whisked in a good amount of brown sugar (to taste), some lemon juice, half a stick of butter and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. We let that simmer over low heat on the stove for the remaining cooking time of the ribs. This reduced to an absolutely delicious and tangy, mustard-based BBQ sauce.

Step 8: Dust the Meat
The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. Fifteen minutes before the ribs are done, season them with the remaining rub, sprinkling it on.

Step 9: Cut and Serve
Slice the ribs an drop them in a large bowl. We cut every other rib so that you'd get two ribs per serving, and because we were starving and this cut the serving time in half. 🙂

Step 10: Eat and Enjoy
If you followed all the steps correctly, chances are you will be blown away at how amazing the ribs taste. Invite everyone you know over to try them; they will never believe you otherwise.

4th of July: Memphis-Style Ribs

July 4, 2009 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This recipe takes a lot of time, but it's so worth it! I put the spice rub on the ribs when I woke up, and about 5 hours later, Dino fired up the grill with some mesquite wood chips. He ended up taking inspiration from this Mustard Sauce recipe - he took the leftover mop and added dark brown sugar, cayenne, melted butter and lemon juice. It was an awesome accompaniment to the spicy ribs. They were dubbed "the best ribs EVER" by everyone at the table. YUM!

I also made Cole Slaw and Deviled Eggs, and heated up some baked beans to round out the festivities.

Memphis-Style Ribs
The Barbecue Bible - Steven Raichlen (via epicurious.com)

yield: Makes 6 servings

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, by Steven Raichlen. To read more about Raichlen and barbecue, go to our feature The Best Barbecue in the U.S.A.

It never fails to amaze me how one simple idea can give birth to so many great regional variations. Consider ribs. The pork rib is one of the most perfect morsels ever to occupy a grill. The meat is generously marbled, which keeps it moist during prolonged cooking. As the fat melts, it crisps the meat fibers and bastes the meat naturally. The bones impart a rich meaty flavor (meat next to the bone always tastes best), while literally providing a physical support-a gnawable rack on which to cook the meat. Yet depending on whether you eat ribs in Birmingham or Kansas City, or Bangkok or Paris for that matter, you'll get a completely different preparation.

I've always been partial to Memphis-style ribs. Memphians don't mess around with a lot of sugary sauces. Instead, they favor dry rubs-full-flavored mixtures of paprika, black pepper, and cayenne, with just a touch of brown sugar for sweetness. The rub is massaged into the meat the night before grilling, and additional rub is sprinkled on the ribs at the end of cooking. This double application of spices creates incredible character and depth of flavor, while at the same time preserving the natural taste of the pork. Sometimes a vinegar and mustard based sauce-aptly called a mop sauce-is swabbed over the ribs (with said mop) during cooking; I've included one here, for you to use if you like.

You can choose any type of rib for this recipe: baby back ribs, long ends, short ends, rib tips-you name it. Cooking times are approximate. The ribs are done when the ends of the bones protrude and the meat is tender enough to pull apart with your fingers. I like my ribs served dry, in the style of Memphis's legendary barbecue haunt, the Rendezvous. If you want to serve them with a sauce, you'll find a number to choose from in this chapter.

Grilling Method
Indirect grilling

Advance preparation
4 to 8 hours for marinating the ribs

Special equipment
1 ½ cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained

For the ribs and rub
3 racks baby back pork ribs (about 7 pounds), or 2 racks pork spareribs (6 to 8 pounds total)
¼ cup sweet paprika
4 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons celery salt
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

For the mop sauce (optional)
2 cups cider vinegar
½ cup yellow (ballpark) mustard
2 teaspoons salt

1. Prepare the ribs and rub: Remove the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a secure grip, or with pliers.

2. Combine the paprika, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, celery salt, cayenne, garlic powder, dry mustard, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Rub two thirds of this mixture over the ribs on both sides, then transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover and let cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours.

3. Prepare the mop sauce (if using): Mix together the cider vinegar, mustard, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a large drip pan in the center.

If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.

If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium.

5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips on the coals. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the ribs on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the ribs for 1 hour.

6. When the ribs have cooked for an hour, uncover the grill and brush the ribs with the mop sauce (if using). Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until tender and almost done, ¼ to ½ hour longer for baby back ribs, ½ to 1 hour longer for spare ribs. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side after 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before the ribs are done, season them with the remaining rub, sprinkling it on.

7. To serve, cut the racks in half or, for a plate-burying effect, just leave them whole.

We took pictures of the step-by-step process for this which you can find here.

A Family Heirloom - The Star Cook Book

June 28, 2009 by Ashley 8 Comments

$Overhead view of an old book with text that says, \"The Star Cook Book\".$

I was recently given an old family cookbook from my aunt. This cookbook was passed down from aunts to nieces for three generations now. It's a collection of recipes from a group of ladies called the "Star Society" from the Grace M. E. Church in Pekin, Illinois. This is a third edition published in 1922, given to my great grandma's sister from her aunt in 1924. She gave it to my aunt Janis, and when my aunt saw me drooling over these old recipes, she decided to pass it on to me. I think she figured I'd actually put it to good use!

The way these recipes are written is so different than how they're written now, and I love how each section starts off with a food/cooking/eating related quote.

To Sue from Aunt Pink Aug. 1924.

We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience, live without heart;
We may live without friends, we may live without books;
But civilized man can not live without cooks.

We may live without books : what is knowledge but grieving?
We may live without hope : what is hope but deceiving?
We may live without love : what is passion but pining? --
But where is the man that can live without dining?
-Owen Meredith.

The ladies of the "Star Society" of the Grace M. E. Church of Pekin, Illinois have been gratified because the real merit of The Star Cook Book has been so widely recognized. There has been a constant demand during the past four years for a Third Edition, and the time has come when it can no longer be disregarded.

The Star Cook Book has been thoroly revised and improved by eliminating duplicate recipes, and by adding many new ones, all of which have been found practical in economy, food-value, and appetizing quality, and are vouched for by those whose signature they bear. In addition the ladies of the "Star Society" have tested and approved each recipe.

Confident that they are making a valuable contribution to the art of Home Cooking, this Third Edition of the "Star Cook Book" is sent upon its mission by the ladies of "The Star Society."
Grace M. E. Church,
Pekin, Ill.
March 10, 1922

I'm excited to sift through this book and find some fun old recipes to try. There are definitely some in there that I won't, but I know there will be some real winners in there! I love the thought of making the same recipes that my family made before I was around. Wish me luck!

Meatloaf

June 26, 2009 by Ashley 2 Comments

When I was little, I didn't really eat much ground beef, so I'd always complain when my mom made meatloaf. Well, things have changed so I asked her how she made her meatloaf. Let's just say I was really missing out all those years! It's super easy and really tasty. It stays really moist, and the dark bits around the edges of the loaf are wonderful! Sorry I ever doubted you, mom!

Meatloaf
Adapted from Mom

1-½ to 2 lb. ground beef
1 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup ketchup, plus extra for topping
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
olive oil

Sauté the onion and green pepper in olive oil. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl and form into a loaf on a baking sheet (a loaf pan will keep too much grease in the meat). Spread some ketchup on top of it and bake at 350 for about an hour.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Banana Coffee Cake

June 22, 2009 by Ashley 14 Comments

This is by far one of the best desserts I've ever made! I had a few bananas that were on their way out, so I decided to look through my collection and try something new. This was a major winner! It's like banana bread to the extreme! The chocolate chips just melt in your mouth - assuming you're impatient like me and you don't let it fully cool off before diving in. I'll definitely be making this many, many more times in the future!

Banana Coffee Cake
Bon Appétit 2003

1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 ⅓ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Stir chocolate chips, brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in small bowl until well blended; set streusel aside. Sift all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, room temperature butter, and egg in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in mashed bananas and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
Spread half of batter (about 2 cups) in prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel. Bake coffee cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool coffee cake in pan on rack.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White Beans

June 17, 2009 by Ashley 5 Comments

This was a really easy and delicious recipe. The combination of beans and tomatoes along with the creamy pasta is a real winner. I'll definitely be making this one again and again! YUM!

Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White Beans
Every Day with Rachael Ray

This quick, delicious pasta calls for juicy summer tomatoes and fresh chives.

6 Servings
Prep 15 min
Cook 10 min

1 lb. jumbo pasta shells
6 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 cup heavy cream
2-½ lbs. tomatoes, finely chopped
One 16-ounce can navy beans or other small white beans, rinsed
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
½ cup snipped chives
Salt and pepper

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved pasta, the tomatoes and beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Toss with the ½ cup parmesan and chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pass more parmesan at the table.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Pulled Pork

June 2, 2009 by Ashley 14 Comments

OK, don't laugh...but pulled pork doesn't always look appetizing, so I thought a garnish would make it more presentable...and I grabbed a thyme blossom from my garden. I know, it's silly. But forget about that now because you have got to try this recipe. O...M...G it's fantastic! I let the meat sit in the rub for a day and a half - I just threw it into a Ziploc freezer bag - I didn't bother double wrapping it. I also couldn't find pork shoulder, so I used a boneless pork loin roast. This is the most flavorful pulled pork I've ever made - possibly the best one I've ever had! The best tip was to get rid of the cooking liquid and then shred the pork, put it back in the slow cooker with the BBQ sauce and cook a little longer - it was perfect! We made this into sandwiches and threw some of the cole slaw right on top. WOW.

Pulled Pork
Cooks Illustrated

serves 6

Spice Rub:
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 cups barbecue sauce

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.

Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. Pull by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Cole Slaw

June 2, 2009 by Ashley 2 Comments

This is the way my mom makes cole slaw, and it rocks! It's not a science - you just taste as you go to get it the way you like it. I like it really creamy and sweet.

cabbage
apple cider vinegar
sugar
Miracle Whip light
milk

1. Shred cabbage in food processor.

2. Put in large bowl and add a few tablespoons of Miracle Whip. Splash with vinegar, sprinkle with sugar, and thin with milk. Adjust seasonings to taste.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Ground Turkey and Tofu

May 12, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

I've made this recipe a few times now, and we really love it. I usually prefer white meat, but I think this one actually works best with regular ground turkey. It keeps it nice and moist. This is great served over rice, and it makes enough to enjoy leftovers a few times.

Ground Turkey and Tofu
Cooking Light April 2006

You can use chicken breast or lean pork instead of turkey. Cut chicken or pork into cubes, then grind it in a food processor.

1 (14-ounce) package water-packed firm reduced-fat tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 lb. ground turkey breast
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
¼ cup chopped green onions

Place tofu in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

Combine salt, white pepper, and turkey in a large bowl. Combine hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add tofu; cook 6 minutes or until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Remove tofu from pan; keep warm. Recoat pan with cooking spray; add turkey mixture to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color, stirring to crumble. Stir in hoisin mixture, tofu, and peas; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with green onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 ¼ cups)

Nutritional notes:
CALORIES 275 (27% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 2.1g,mono 1.1g,poly 3.1g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 70mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17.4g; SODIUM 881mg; PROTEIN 31.5g; FIBER 1.7g

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Tomato Beef Pasta

May 8, 2009 by Ashley 7 Comments

This is another one of our favorite repeat dinners. It's easy to put together, and makes enough to enjoy leftovers for several days. This is one of those dishes that only gets better after it sits in the fridge overnight. Great comfort food!

Tomato Beef Pasta
Adapted from Mom

6 Servings

1 pound ground beef, (I use ground sirloin)
1 pound pasta, (I use rotini, mom uses elbow macaroni)
1 large bottle (46 ounces) tomato juice
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
to taste salt and pepper
parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Brown meat and drain fat. Add onion and pepper and sauté for a few minutes, until veggies get tender. Sprinkle on chili powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Add ketchup and tomato juice and stir. Pour in pasta and stir to coat.

Simmer, covered, until al dente (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally to make sure that the juice is cooking the noodles evenly.

Serve, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Bourbon-Glazed Pork Chops

April 23, 2009 by Ashley 6 Comments

This is a really easy meal to put together. The Dijon works extremely well with the bourbon! I used boneless chops and pan fried them. They were really juicy, and the reduction drizzled over top really made them sing!

Bourbon-Glazed Pork Chops
Southern Living February 2004

Makes 6 servings

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons bourbon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
6 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic bag; add pork chops. Cover or seal, and chill 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade.

Grill pork, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) about 10 to 12 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160°, turning once.

Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Pour over chops before serving.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes, and Paprika

April 20, 2009 by Ashley 3 Comments

This dish was really easy to put together, and it packed a lot of flavor. My chicken needed to cook for much longer than 20 minutes, but I was only able to find big pieces at the store. The spices are really nice, and the textural difference between the tomatoes and chickpeas is an added bonus.

Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes, and Paprika
Gourmet May 2008

Use leftovers for sandwiches the next day: Place shredded chicken, garbanzos, and tomatoes in a pita bread and top with the yogurt sauce.

Prep: 15 minutes; Total: 35 minutes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika*
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
4 chicken breast halves with bones
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Preheat oven to 450°. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce. Place chicken on large rimmed baking sheet. Rub 2 tablespoons spiced oil mixture over chicken. Add beans, tomatoes, and ½ cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture; toss to coat. Pour bean mixture around chicken. Sprinkle everything generously with salt and pepper.

Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with ½ cup cilantro. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon bean mixture over. Serve with yogurt sauce.

*Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce; available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from tienda.com.

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Nutritional notes:
Per serving: 405 calories, 24g fat (5g saturated), 59mg cholesterol, 286mg sodium, 22g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 25g protein

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Egg Salad

April 8, 2009 by Ashley 3 Comments

I've made this egg salad recipe a few times, and it's been great every time. Thanks, Robyn!

Salami Panini with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers and Provolone

March 22, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

A grilled sandwich cut in half on a plate.

Dino made some delicious sandwiches for dinner tonight - he used salami (plus mortadella on his), sun-dried tomatoes, freshly roasted red peppers, balsamic & provolone.

He spread mayo on whole wheat bread, put all the toppings in between, and used the Griddler to make awesome panini.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus

March 19, 2009 by Ashley 2 Comments

I picked this recipe because it's rustic and easy to put together. It was good, but nothing special. I think we might have liked it more with something other than rosemary, but hey...for a super quick meal, it fit the bill.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus
Cook With Jamie - Jamie Oliver

serves 1

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Add 8 trimmed sticks of asparagus, 6 halved cherry tomatoes and the leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus a whole sprig of rosemary as well. Toss everything together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Put the veg into a tinfoil tray and place the chicken and rosemary sprig on top. Season well. Add some white wine and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

MacGourmet Rating: 3 Stars

Supper Club: Persian Rice Flour Cookies (Nan-e Berenji)

March 15, 2009 by Ashley 2 Comments

These cookies are really different. They're not for those who are afraid of adventure. The flavor from the rose water is really strong, and the rice flour makes them incredibly crumbly. You really should eat them while drinking hot tea to fully enjoy them, or the texture from the rice flour can be a little off putting.

I grew up with these cookies and was so excited to find the recipe for them a few months ago. Since making them then, I realized that I didn't like a few things with the directions of the recipe. I don't chill the dough for 24 hours. I don't roll them out. I use a cookie scoop and then roll the dough in my hand. I treat it like a thumbprint cookie and then sprinkle the poppyseeds in the indent.

While I was making this batch, I thought that some crushed pink peppercorns might be a good addition instead of poppyseeds in a few of them. The flavors worked really well together! Plus, they look pretty!

Rice Flour Cookies (Nan-e Berenji)
Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights - Nesta Ramazani

2 cups butter, (or 1 cup butter and 1 cup margarine)
¾ cup confectioner's sugar
2 eggs, separated
4 cups very fine rice flour
2 tablespoons rose water, (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
several tablespoons poppy seeds

Beat the butter well. Add the confectioners sugar gradually, beating it in thoroughly. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating continuously. Stir in the flour until well blended. Add the rose water. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold them into the dough. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 24 hours.

Roll the dough out between waxed paper to a thickness of ¼ inch. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Score the tops with the tines of a fork or imprint them with a pattern. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a 325°F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes. These cookies crumble very easily. They should remain white in color.

Some Persian women will make their own rice flour at home by soaking fine quality rice in cold water for 1 to 2 days, changing the water several times, and then draining the rice, pounding it to a pulp, pressing it through a sieve, drying it, and then pressing it through a finer sieve.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Supper Club: Mast O Khiar (Persian Yogurt Cucumber Goodness)

March 15, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

This month's Supper Club theme was Persian. I was SO delighted because I'm half Persian and absolutely love the cuisine! I had to make a yogurt side dish that tastes good mixed with rice and meat on the plate.

I peel and shred a seedless cucumber in a big bowl, dump in a big container of plain yogurt (I use nonfat and it's still great), a drizzle of honey, a nice dose of salt, some pepper, dried mint and a squeeze of lemon juice. It's wonderful and refreshing. I guess it's really more of a condiment, but I can eat a pretty big portion of it with a nice Persian meal.

Taco Salad

March 14, 2009 by Ashley 4 Comments

I made a huge batch of this seasoning mix a while back, and I just love using it to season ground beef for taco salad. It has a ton of flavor, and it beats those MSG-filled packets at the store. I brown some meat (usually 1 to 1.5 pounds) and drain off the fat, sprinkle 3T of this seasoning on top, add in 1 cup of water, cover, and simmer. It couldn't be easier! I like crushing tortilla chips or Doritos on the bottom (yeah, talk about MSG, right?!), putting the meat, some cheese, lettuce, avocado, red onion, tomato, and a big blob of sour cream on top. This spice blend is by far the best I've had. I love it!

Taco Seasoning I
allrecipes.com - BILL ECHOLS

"Depending on how spicy you and your family like your dishes, use as little or as much as you want."

Original recipe yield: 1 ounce

1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Baked Tofu with Mustard-Honey Glaze

March 5, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

This was an easy and delicious meal to put together. I didn't have peanut oil, so I substituted sesame oil. Also, instead of brushing the marinade on, I just poured it over the tofu, and stirred, and then stirred the whole thing halfway through the baking time. It's a really sweet dish, so maybe something a little acidic would help. I think it would also be great with some chopped cashews or something to add some more texture to the dish.

Baked Tofu with Mustard-Honey Glaze
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - Deborah Madison

1-pound firm tofu
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 ½ tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper

Cut tofu into cubes and set on paper towels to drain while you mix the remaining ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Place the tofu in a pie plate or baking dish and brush the marinade over it. Let stand for 20 minutes or as long as overnight.

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Bake until sizzling and hot, about 20 mins, basting midway through cooking. Serve with any extra marinade on side.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Slow-Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork

March 2, 2009 by Ashley 4 Comments

This was really easy to put together, and it turned out pretty tasty. I think next time I make pulled pork, I'll also make a reduced BBQ sauce to put on top of it, as the juice from this was super liquidy.

Slow-Cooker Barbecued Pulled Pork
Blogger crockpot365

4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup (a 24oz bottle seems to be exactly 2 cups. weird.)
½ cup warm water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. Trim meat, and place into your slow cooker. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour ½ cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. Pour the ketchup-y water into your slow cooker. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
Serve over rice, or make sandwiches on rolls or sliced bread.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Butternut, Goat Cheese & Walnut Spread

March 1, 2009 by Ashley 4 Comments

This is the second time I've made this appetizer - it's really rich and delicious! The roasted garlic and squash give it great flavor, and the goat cheese makes it super creamy. I was out of walnuts, so I used pecans this time. I'm not sure where I originally found this recipe, so if anyone knows the source, please let me know! I'd love to give credit where it's due. This is a really great recipe!

Butternut, Goat Cheese & Walnut Spread
Cooking Light November 2003

1 medium butternut squash, (about 1.5 lbs)
cooking spray
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
3 ounces goat cheese
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
36 slices french bread baguette, ½ inch thick, toasted

Preheat to 400.
cut squash in ½ lengthwise, discard seeds.
put squash cut side down on foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Remove papery skin from garlic but do not peel or separate cloves. wrap in foil. put on pan with squash. Bake at 400 for 30 min until squash is tender. scoop out pulp & discard skin. separate garlic cloves, squeeze to extract pulp, discard skins.
place squash, garlic, salt & juice & cheese in food processor & process til smooth. spoon into bowl & sprinkle with nuts. serve with baguette slices.

12 Servings.

Nutritional notes:
Serving size 2.5 TB spread, 3 baguette slices.
114 calories, fat 3.5 gms

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Standard Pastry Pie Crust Recipe

February 17, 2009 by Ashley 4 Comments

This Classic pastry crust recipe comes with variations for different sizes of pie plates and one- or two-crust pies.

This is the first pie crust recipe that I learned to use. My aunt gave it to me - it was in the Betty Crocker Cookbook that she's had since before I was born. It's awesome!

Maple-Balsamic-Glazed Pork Medallions

February 16, 2009 by Ashley 9 Comments

This is the second time I've made this recipe, and it was just as good - if not better - the second time around. The Dijon and balsamic cut the sweetness of the sauce nicely, and the meat is incredibly juicy. This is definitely great to entertain with! I have to say, though, that I doubled the recipe this time to make "8" servings, and between 4 of us, we only have 3 pieces of pork left. Just a heads up 😉

Maple-Balsamic-Glazed Pork Medallions
Cooking Light December 2007

Balsamic vinegar and maple syrup combine for a sweet-tart sauce; Dijon mustard adds a savory note. Serve with whipped sweet potatoes and sautéed broccoli rabe.

¼ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine syrup and vinegar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to ⅓ cup (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in mustard.

Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork evenly with salt and pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Add vinegar mixture; cook 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness, turning pork to coat. Place 2 pork medallions on each of 4 plates; drizzle about 1 tablespoon syrup mixture over each serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional notes:
CALORIES 214 (27% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 22.7g; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 22mg; SODIUM 409mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.3g

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Eggs Oscar

February 13, 2009 by Ashley 4 Comments

We took the day off work today, and Dino made an awesome brunch! We had seen Eggs Oscar at a local diner, so he decided to make them, plus mimosas. Dee-licious!

Sugar Plum Martini

February 10, 2009 by Ashley 1 Comment

This recipe was inspired by a great local restaurant - they have an amazing martini menu, and I feel like I got this one pretty close. It's a really different and tasty beverage, and I highly recommend it!

Sugar Plum Martini
Inspired by Justin Thyme - Croton-on-Hudson, NY

1 ½ oz. Stoli Vanil Vodka
2 oz. Chambord
½ oz. Frangelico

Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cinnamon and sugar.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Super Bowl Party: Sweet and Sour Meatballs

February 1, 2009 by Ashley 3 Comments

This 5 ingredient appetizer is easy to make in advance and can be kept warm in a slow cooker during your next potluck or game day gathering.

This recipe is a combination of several similar recipes that various friends and family members have been using for years.

The ingredients sound a little weird together, but trust me - these will disappear at your next gathering.

You can check out my big game day recipe roundup post for more party food favorites!

Fork holding a meatball with a bite taken out of it.

Still hungry? You may also like...

Scooping layered taco dip onto a tortilla chip. — Layered Taco Dip with Refried Beans

Platter of hummus with assorted veggies. — Easy Classic Hummus Using Canned Chickpeas

Close-up view of a platter of deviled eggs. — No Mayo Deviled Eggs

Close up of mini pizza bagels on a platter with fresh basil. — Easy Homemade Mini Pizza Bagels

Doing some online shopping? Check out my Amazon shop page for recommendations!

Check out my latest posts...

Note: This post includes affiliate links for items that I genuinely enjoy. Big Flavors will receive a tiny commission from purchases made through affiliate links on this site at no added cost to you. This allows us to cover site-related expenses and helps to keep us cooking up a storm!

Deep Fried Banana Ravioli with Honey

January 17, 2009 by Ashley 12 Comments

We were out to dinner at the Mexican restaurant down the street tonight when I had a great idea...I wanted to mimic a dessert that we have had out at an Asian restaurant after dinner, using our new deep fryer. Yes...I'm busy thinking about other restaurants and food while I'm eating my current food. I'm obsessed. Anyway, my idea worked, and it turned out phenomenal! It's super easy, and totally hit the spot.

Deep Fried Banana Ravioli with Honey

1 ripe banana, mashed
12 wonton wrappers
cinnamon sugar
honey
6 cups of grapeseed oil (for deep frying)

Have a small bowl of warm water handy for dipping your finger into so that you can seal the ravioli. Put some of the mashed banana in the middle of a wonton wrapper, making sure to leave plenty of room around the edges - I used about 1-2 teaspoons per ravioli). Dip your finger in the water and run it around all four edges of the wrapper. Place another wrapper on top and press down on all sides, squeezing out any excess air. Pinch the edges closed with the tines of a fork. Repeat until you run out of banana.

Deep fry at 375°F for 1 ½ - 2 minutes until golden, flipping over to get the back nice and golden also. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar while still hot so that it adheres to the ravioli.

Serve with honey for dipping. If you're feeling naughty, add some vanilla ice cream and enjoy the cold/hot deliciousness that ensues!

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Pork Chops Scarpariello

January 16, 2009 by Ashley 6 Comments

This dish is a bit labor intensive, but totally worth it. The pork is super moist, and there are plenty of veggies to go around. I used the method that I used for roasting peppers a few weeks ago - cutting them in half and seeding them first, then smashing them flat onto a pan and broiling them. That way you don't have to keep turning them. Of course, if you have a gas stove, you can blister peppers in a snap right on the flame.

Pork Chops Scarpariello
Gourmet August 2008

yield: Serves 4
active time: 30 min
total time: 1 hr

A perfect introduction to the allure of chiles, this Italian classic balances the cherry peppers' piquancy with roasted bell peppers, lemon, and parsley. It's a bright, summery dish that you'll hanker for all year long.

2 red bell peppers
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops (2 pounds total)
1 medium onion, chopped
4 fresh red or green cherry peppers or 2 fresh red jalapeños (¼ pounds total), finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Roast bell peppers on racks of gas burners over high heat (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from heat), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Let stand, covered, 20 minutes. Peel, then halve lengthwise, discarding stems and seeds. Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces.

While peppers stand, mince and mash half of garlic to a paste with ¾ teaspoon salt. Combine with rosemary, 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Rub onto chops.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté pork, turning once, until pale golden in spots and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

Add roasted peppers to skillet with onion, remaining garlic, cherry peppers, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add wine and broth and boil until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add meat juices from plate and remove skillet from heat. Add butter, stirring until incorporated. Stir in lemon juice, parsley, and salt to taste and spoon over chops.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Chicken Salad with Mayo (Mayonezli Tavuk Salatasi)

January 13, 2009 by Ashley 17 Comments

This is one of our favorite things to take to work for lunch. Simple and different and so very tasty!

Chicken Salad with Mayo (Mayonezli Tavuk Salatasi)
Binnur's Turkish Cookbook

2 pieces of chicken breast, cooked, cut in medium size pieces
½ bunch dill, washed, drained, cut in small pieces
¼ red onion, sliced
3 fresh green onions, cut in small pieces
½ cup small pickled cucumbers (cornichons), cut in small cubes
1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized cup, then transfer onto the serving plate. You may garnish with black olives. Serve any kind of meal as a salad on the side. Or it's perfect for a sandwich using the corner of Turkish Bread.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Rafakey Marinade

January 13, 2009 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Dino loves the food from this street vendor in NYC - Rafiqi (northeast corner of 44th and 5th), so he made up a version of the marinade to make a similar dish at home. He's been making it for a while now, and it's awesome! This is the basic recipe...I'm pretty sure he changes it a little every time he makes it. Then he fries up the chicken with onions in the cast iron skillet, wraps it up in a pita (this time, freshly made by one of the members of our supper club Sunday morning!) and we have a delicious meal!

Rafakey Marinade

For 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts.

½ cup milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
pinch onion powder

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Supper Club - Tapas: Spiced Chorizo Sausage with Figs | Meatballs In Tomato Sauce | Tostones | Spanish Garlic Shrimp - Gambas Al Ajillo

January 11, 2009 by Ashley 5 Comments

This month's Supper Club event was at our house, and the theme was Tapas. We were really excited to do this one, but we didn't think about the fact that having everyone make 2+ dishes would be a lot for our tiny kitchen to handle. But we ended up doing the food in 2 waves, and it ended up working out great! Dino even got to use the new deep fryer that I got him for Christmas, and it was a big hit!

I also made white sangria, but completely forgot to take a picture of it! Looks like I'll just have to make it again...darn. 😉 I used 1.5L Pinot Grigio, 1L ginger ale, about 2c. Peachtree Schnapps, and added 2 sliced green apples and 1 sliced orange. It was fantastic!

I made these olives and they were really good. I think the ones that are leftover will just keep getting better and better over the next few days. I ran into 2 snags - I couldn't find fresh thyme (!?) and the refrigerator solidified the olive oil, so I had to bring them out onto the counter in the early afternoon today so that it would loosen up again.

Rosemary Marinated Olives
The Food You Want to Eat - Ted Allen

yield: Makes 1 pound

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Ted Allen's The Food You Want to Eat.

I can't have cocktail hour without great, fresh olives — and
I don't mean the rubbery, tasteless black ones from a can.
I mean the real deal: kalamatas, niçoises, gaetas, picholines— the more variety, the better. Most good supermarkets these days feature an olive bar—that is, a variety of loose olives available in bulk. And that is a very, very good thing. Some of these places include among the selection a batch of olives that have been seasoned with herbs and other flavors, too. But it's more fun to do it yourself; you can buy different kinds of olives (be sure to get different sizes and colors, which looks great in the bowl), select the flavors you like the best — say, thyme, cayenne, garlic, grapefruit zest, whatever — and you can control the spiciness. You'll have a great collection of olives for your next impromptu get together, or an excellent addition to an antipasto platter. And they're almost no work at all to make.

When you serve, remember to put out a small dish so guests have some place to put the pits.

1 lb. mixed olives
2 strips lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
A couple of sprigs fresh thyme
1 medium garlic clove
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the olives, lemon zest, rosemary, and thyme in an attractive jar that has a cover. Bury the garlic clove in the center, add the oil, stir, cover, and refrigerate until you need it, up to several weeks. Give the mixture another stir now and then to blend. And try other flavors: herbs such as tarragon, other citrus peels, chilis, seasoned oils—whatever you like.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

There's a chorizo dish that we love at one of the local tapas restaurants here, so we wanted to make one that was kind of similar for this event. Dino made it dish with some of the chorizo that we got from our friend's angus farm. The flavor of the chorizo was fantastic, and the sauce complimented it perfectly.

Spiced Chorizo Sausage with Figs
gourmetfoodplaza.com

This dish features an intriguing blend of spicy, sweet and sour flavors.

4 chorizo sausages (1 lb) cut into 1 inch pieces
8-10 dried figs, halved
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup red wine
¼ cup sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 stick cinnamon
pinch ground cloves

Heat the oil in a skillet and lightly brown the chorizo. Add remaining ingredients and gently simmer 30 minutes. Note: This dish can be made in advance and preheated just before serving

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

I made these meatballs, and they were extremely well-received! They're different from your "regular" meatballs, and the sauce is great for dunking fresh bread into - especially bread made fresh by one of our Supper Club members this morning!

NOTE: this recipe doesn't say to use an egg in the ingredient list, but it states it in the directions. You definitely need to put an egg in there!

Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
spain-recipes.com

Found in most tapas bars, this traditional dish tastes best when served piping hot straight from the pan. Provide plenty of fresh bread to mop up the juicy tomato sauce.

* Serves: 4
* Difficulty: Very easy
* Preparation time: 45 minutes

2 tablespoons of olive oil
8 ounces ground beef
1 cup (2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 scallions, chopped fine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups (16 oz) canned plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, tomato paste, garlic, scallions, egg, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 to 15 firm balls.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for several minutes or until browned on all sides.

Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and rosemary. Simmer gently for around 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve hot.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

We saw plantains at the store yesterday, so I asked Dino what he thought of making fried plantains for his second dish, and he thought it sounded great!

Tostones

All he did was slice them thick, deep fry them, drain them, smash them, and re-fry them. Drain them on a paper towel-lined plate and hit with some salt while they're still hot. Really yummy!

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Lastly, I made a shrimp dish. It was incredibly easy and probably our favorite of the dishes that we made tonight. It was insanely easy, and the juice is unbelievable for dunking. Also, it was my first time ever cooking shrimp, and I'm so proud of myself! It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be, although peeling the shells off was a little gross. Hey, I'm working on trying to like seafood, and I've made some real progress in the last few weeks!

Spanish Garlic Shrimp - Gambas Al Ajillo
About.com - Lisa & Tony Sierra

One of the most common "tapas" of Spain, this dish is quick, easy and FULL of garlic flavor. Your guests will be asking for the recipe after the first bite and only you will know how simple it was to prepare.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

1 lb. shrimp, 25 count to a pound
4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 ounces of cognac (you may substitute dry sherry instead)
¼ cup virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon for juice
1 Baguette

This garlic shrimp recipe makes 4 servings as an appetizer.

The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. In addition, if you like larger shrimp, you may purchase shrimp with fewer count to a pound. However, 25 to a pound are about the right size for this tapa.

In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they begin to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl – about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with fresh bread.

Serves 4 for appetizers. If preparing for a main course, double the recipe!

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Pork Chops Stuffed with Figs and Blue Cheese | Sautéed Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes

July 3, 2008 by Ashley Leave a Comment

I was at a local gourmet market, and I decided to see what ingredients there inspired me to make a nice dinner. I got some thick cut pork chops, blue cheese, fresh figs (I hadn't worked with them before) and green beans to work with. This is what I came up with:

When I was looking at the blue cheese, and this label caught my attention ("very tasty") ha!

So these are all of the ingredients that I worked with for the main course:

The pork turned out really well! It was super moist, and the "very tasty" blue cheese went really well with the figs. There was a nice sweet/salty balance to the dish, and I definitely want to make it again! Dino loved it! If you try it out, let me know what you think! I've only made it once, and tried to take down the ingredient list the right way, but it hasn't been tested again yet.

Pork Chops Stuffed with Figs and Blue Cheese

2 thick cut boneless pork loin chops
2-3 tablespoons blue cheese, (I used Ireland Cashel)
4 fresh figs, stemmed and diced
chicken broth
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
fig balsamic, (I recommend O&Co brand)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butterfly pork chops, being careful not to cut all the way through. Smush blue cheese inside the seam of both chops, spreading almost out to the edges of the meat. Add some of the chopped figs and fold closed.

Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet that's not much bigger than the 2 chops together. Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper. Sear the chops on both sides, making sure not to move until they're fully seared (they don't stick to the pan anymore). Pour in chicken broth (I'm not sure what the perfect amount is yet - I did it up to the bottom half of the chops) and throw remaining figs into broth.

Bake until chops are cooked through. Remove pork and boil the broth and figs on the stovetop until they thicken (again, I need to play with the amount of broth to make this work well, and maybe consider adding a slurry).

Put some sauce on a plate, top with the pork chop, and drizzle a little fig balsamic on top. Enjoy!

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

The side dish that I put together turned out pretty well, too. I bought the green beans, and used other things that I had on hand.

Sautéed Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes

½ pound green beans, trimmed and halved
1 clove garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
squirt fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Heat oil in a nonstick pan and sauté garlic and onion. Add green beans and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender-crisp. Add tomatoes and heat through. Remove from heat and squeeze with fresh lemon juice.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese with Peas and Bacon

May 31, 2008 by Ashley 1 Comment

This month's Supper Club theme was Tyler Florence. We all made one of his recipes, and everything was fabulous! This mac and cheese is amazing! I was going to copy and paste the recipe from the Food Network website, but it's slightly different from the recipe in my cookbook, so I typed it up. This is definitely worth a try! The bacon and pea mixture puts it over the top into umami land! The picture doesn't really do it justice - it was pretty dark in the house that I took it to, so I had to play with the levels a lot to get it to look presentable.

The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese with Peas and Bacon
Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Anytime - Tyler Florence

I don't know a man, woman or child who doesn't love a bowl of great mac and cheese. Sweet peas and bacon spooned on top take it to a whole new level. This is the one and only macaroni and cheese recipe you will ever need.

Serves 6 to 8.

kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups warm milk
5 ½ cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
Leaves from ¼ bunch of fresh thyme
2 cups frozen peas, thawed in colander under cool water

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming. Gradually whisk in the milk and, whisking vigorously, cook until the mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 ½ cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

While that's going, heat a 2-count of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the bacon, onion, garlic and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes to soften the onion. Fold in the peas and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, scatter the pea and bacon mixture over the mac and cheese. Use a big spoon to scoop out servings, making sure you get some of the smoky pea mixture on each spoonful.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Linguine with Tomato Sauce and Maitake Mushrooms

March 15, 2008 by Ashley 5 Comments

One of my coworkers is an avid mushroom hunter. He gave me some dried maitake mushrooms a while back, and I've been wanting to use them in a recipe. So this afternoon, I decided to try to make a pasta sauce out of stuff that I had in the pantry and this is what I came up with. It tasted pretty darn good, and the flavor of those mushrooms is wonderful! I was a little shy with them because I didn't want to overdo it. I still have some more to use up - maybe in a stir-fry or something. This was my first time making pasta sauce from scratch without a recipe, so I was pretty proud of myself! If I had fresh parsley or basil it would have been even better!

Linguine with Tomato Sauce and Maitake Mushrooms

6 pieces dried maitake mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ white onion, chopped
1 14.5 ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 5.5 ounce can vegetable juice, (such as mini cans of V8)
½ pound linguine
extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 fresh bay leaf
part-skim ricotta cheese

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add rest of ingredients and simmer until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove bay leaf and puree to your desired texture with an immersion blender. Serve on top of linguine and top with a dollop of ricotta.

MacGourmet Rating: 4 Stars

Apple Molasses Compote

March 8, 2008 by Ashley Leave a Comment

This morning, I noticed that there were a few apples that needed to be used up. I decided to try to make an apple molasses compote as a topping for some pancakes and give Dino a break from being the weekend breakfast chef. It turned out really well.

Sometimes the best recipes are put together with what you have laying around in your house!

I'm guessing at the amounts here, so feel free to play around with them.

Apple Molasses Compote

3 apples, peeled and diced
1T butter
1t fresh lemon juice
2t molasses
1T light brown sugar
1t cinnamon
½ t nutmeg
pinch salt

Melt butter in a saucepan.
Add apples and sauté for a few minutes without browning them.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium-low heat until soft, stirring occasionally.
Serve on top of freshly griddled buttermilk pancakes.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Molasses Sandwich Cookies

December 22, 2007 by Ashley 3 Comments

I just finished packing up cookies for a cookie swap tonight. I'm really excited because it's with people who are in a Supper Club that I'm going to join. We're going out to dinner and then exchanging cookies. So I decided to make these cookies, because they're one of the ones that I get requests for all the time. Dino's department even offered to pay me to make them more frequently for them! I use a small cookie scoop to make them all the same size, and I put the filling in a Ziploc, snip off the tip and pipe it onto the cookie halves to make is easier.

So here they are again - a definite "wow" cookie.

Molasses Sandwich Cookies
Everyday Food September 2006

Makes 30
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
¼ cup light unsulfured molasses
Creamy Molasses Filling

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until combined. Beat in egg, then molasses, until smooth. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture until a dough forms.

3. Drop rounded measuring teaspoonfuls of dough onto two ungreased (or parchment-lined) baking sheets.

4. Bake until centers are dry to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes; rotate pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

5. Spread a rounded measuring teaspoonful of Creamy Molasses Filling on the flat side f a cookie; place another cookie on top, and gently press. Repeat until all cookies are filled. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to l day, or refrigerate up to 3 days (cookies may soften during refrigeration).

Forming Cookies: Use a round, not oval, measuring teaspoon for scooping dough. Before scooping, dip spoon in water to make sure dough doesn't stick.

Creamy Molasses Filling: Whisk 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) softened unsalted butter with 3 tablespoons light unsulfured molasses until smooth. Gradually whisk in 2 cups confectioners' sugar; whisk until smooth and spreadable. Makes 1 ½ cups.

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

One-Year Anniversary of Big Flavors!

August 1, 2007 by Ashley 1 Comment

Today is this blog's one year anniversary! It's crazy how many things I've made in that time, and I'm really enjoying being the nerdy girl that takes pictures of her dinner plate almost every night. Thanks to everyone who reads and sends feedback - you guys rock!

I have a few recipes that I made last week that I haven't posted yet, and I'll do it this week. Right now we're in MA getting ready to hit up the Cape Cod potato chip factory. We've been out here for a few days, including my birthday, and we're almost ready to get back to our own kitchen.

Here's to another year of great food!

-Ashley

Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice

March 6, 2007 by Ashley 2 Comments

This vegetarian meal was in this month's Cooking Light, and it turned out REALLY great! Dino commented that it was kind of like 2 side dishes though, so the next time I make the patties, I'll serve them on a bun or roll more like a hamburger, and have a different side dish. The pineapple rice was really good too, so I'll make that again for sure. I didn't use bagged rice, but made some basmati in my rice cooker. All in all, another winner from CL!

Cuban Black Bean Patties with Pineapple Rice
Cooking Light March 2007

Rice:
1 (3 ½-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon salt
Patties:
2 cups rinsed, drained canned black beans (1 [15-ounce] can), divided
½ teaspoon bottled minced garlic
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 large egg white
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup cornmeal
Cooking spray
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream

To prepare rice, cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place rice in a large bowl. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pineapple; sauté 4 minutes or just until pineapple begins to brown. Add pineapple mixture, cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon salt to rice in bowl; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with paper towels.

To prepare patties, place 1 ½ cups beans, garlic, cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a bowl; partially mash with a fork. Place ½ cup remaining beans and egg white in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until well combined. Add bean puree to mashed beans in bowl, and stir until combined. Add cheese and onion to bean mixture; stir until combined. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a ½-inch-thick patty. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each patty in cornmeal.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Spoon about ½ cup rice onto each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 patty and 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 4 servings
Nutritional information per serving:
CALORIES 294(27% from fat); FAT 8.7g (sat 5.4g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 10.2g; CHOLESTEROL 28mg; CALCIUM 155mg; SODIUM 32mg; FIBER 3.5g; IRON 2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45g

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars

Molasses Sandwich Cookies

February 7, 2007 by Ashley Leave a Comment

Dino's coworkers have been begging me to make these cookies ever since I sent some to work with him last summer. Finally, I told him to tell them that if they wanted me to make them again, they'd have to get me a cookie scoop. No sooner had I said that than one was ordered, and a few days later, I got it with a look that said, "you realize I have to bring in cookies tomorrow now, right?". So I made them again, but this time it went faster, and the cookies spread out properly, and were all pretty much the same size. Thanks, guys! (Note: it says 30 cookies, but that's really about 15 since they're sandwich cookies)