Cinnamon Rolls

So, back at the beginning of the year, I said that all I really wanted to do this year was make cinnamon rolls.  Well, folks...looks like I'm done... see ya next year!!  

Seriously, though...YAY!!  I FINALLY did it!!  And it wasn't so bad.  Ok, ok.. yes it was bad, but not THAT bad.

My biggest problem with these, as with any yeast breads I seem to make, was that I could not get the dough to rise.  I ended up putting it in the sun so that it would have some extra heat to help it along.  The process took twice as long and I got impatient and believe I put them in the oven before they were at their most fluffiest.  I believe that led to "heavier" cinnamon rolls.  They definitely were not light and flakey.  And I know they were supposed to be, because I politely took this recipe from Mary over at One Perfect Bite.  I have never made anything from her site that was not fantastic.  And I mean, look at her pictures, then look at mine... and I followed the directions to the T.  Ok, obviously I didn't as they would have turned out exactly like hers, but I'm sure you get what I'm saying.  I believe that I allowed the milk to cool too much, so when the yeast hit it, it was not hot enough to activate it.  That's my theory at least and I'm going to stick with that.  Because, if I don't, I'll think it's just me and I'll never try making these again.. and THAT would be a shame for sure, because honestly, I love cinnamon rolls and these had the perfect flavor, just not the perfect texture.... so I will be trying my hand at these again.

Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe courtesy Mary, One Perfect Bite
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
Dough - 
1 cup whole milk
1 stick (8T) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoons table salt
Filling - 
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (I left this out)
Icing - 
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (I used 1 cup)
1 Tablespoons milk 

Directions:
To make dough:  Scald milk over medium-high heat.  Pour into a large bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the butter and stir until butter has melted.  Set aside until mixture is lukewarm.  Stir yeast and sugar into milk.  Add 1 cup flour and mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add salt and 1 more cup of flour.  Mix vigorously until dough is smooth and elastic, about 3 minutes on medium speed.  Add reserved 2 1/2 cups flour and mix just until incorporated.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Continue kneading by hand until it is smooth.  Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and set aside until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

To make the filling:  Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl.

To assemble rolls:  Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan (I used two round cake pans).  Turn dough onto a well-floured surface.  Roll dough with a rolling pin into an evenly shopped 12x16-inch rectangle.  Brush dough liberally with softened butter.  Sprinkle with an even layer of cinnamon/sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 inch border along one of the long sides.  Sprinkle with toasted pecans if using.  Roll, beginning with long side of rectangle.  Use finger tips to pinch dough as you roll, sealing edges firmly to form a seam.  Cut into 12 pieces using a serrated knife or dental floss and arrange in pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake rolls in center of oven until they are golden, 25-30 minutes.  Invert rolls onto a wire rack and cool to rooms temperature, about 20 minutes.

To make icing:  Mix all ingredients until smoother, add more milk as required for drizzling.  Drizzle (or spread as I did) icing over rolls with spoon.  Cut or pull apart to separate.  Serve warm.  Enjoy! 

 

One Year Ago:  Peanut Butter Ice Cream
 

Teriyaki Chicken over Fettuccine

 

First... I should have used a more tubular pasta...the Fettuccine was just too much for the fork.  Second... I doubled the sauce thinking that we needed more, that there would not be enough of the sauce to "cover" the noodles, but I was wrong (the recipe I've written here has NOT been doubled).  A little of the sauce goes a long way, this is definitely not red sauce :)

With that said...this was pretty good.  Really, it's just a teriyaki chicken over pasta instead of rice.  I used basically the same recipe as with the Teriyaki Hoisin sauce, but left the hoisin out, of course.  I think it would have been even better had I kept the hoisin in it.  This sauce was much sweeter then the hoisin sauce.  Oh, well...you live and you learn, right?

Would I make it again?  Yes, but this time I'd leave it as a stir fry and serve it over rice.

Teriyaki Chicken over Fettuccine
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon grown ginger
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or strips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 - 3/4 lbs fettuccine pasta (I would use penne next time)
handful of fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the first 8 ingredients until well combined.  Set aside.

In a large deep skillet or wok, heat 1 tsp vegetable oil over medium high heat.  When the skillet is hot, add the chicken and quickly stir fry for 4 minutes.  Add the red and yellow pepper and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil.  As soon as the sauce thickens, remove from heat, add the parsley and stir to combine.  If sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water a little at a time.  Spoon over pasta and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Sriracha Chicken Strips

Jo Jo Potatoes

 

Have you ever heard of Jo Jo potatoes before?  Well, I, for one, have not.  And it wasn't until I opened the April/May addition of Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen), that I even realized that I wanted to try Jo Jo potatoes!  You know when a picture makes you instantly drool that it's a must try!  And this... this is a MUST try.  OMG, they were everything the recipe claimed they would be.  They were crispy on the outside and so wonderfully fluffy on the inside.  And the flavor.. it was incredible!  I must say, this is now my new favorite way to consume potatoes.

One of my all time biggest weakness is fries.  I LOVE them.  Give me a plate of really good fries and I could consume them so fast that it would make you laugh.  But I am particular about my fries.  I like them crisp on the outside, tender on the inside.  I don't like to pick up a fry and have it hang limp in my hand.  That's unacceptable!!  Normally, I love a shoestring type of fry....slim and crispy.  These potatoes, though, would make me shun shoestring fries for life.  They are just that good!  So, if you are a fan of fries, try is recipe, it's seriously will make you forget deep fried french fries!!

Jo Jo Potatoes
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country
- Serves 2-4 -
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 medium to large russet potatoes
3 Tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika (I used Hungarian sweet paprika)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder (for less heat use only 1/8 tsp)

Directions:
Cut each potato lengthwise into wedges.  Place potatoes in large bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Microwave until edges of potatoes are translucent but centers remain slightly firm about 4-5 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic wrap) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking time.  Carefully remove plastic wrap and drain potatoes well.  Return potatoes to bowl, add 3 tablespoons of oil, and stir until potatoes are coated with starchy film, about 1 minute.

Combine panko, parmesan, paprika, mustard, salt, garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne in a shallow dish.  Dredge each potato into panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere, and then transfer to a clean platter.  Let sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to the middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees F.  When potatoes are ready, remove the baking sheet from the oven (please be very careful in this step!!!) and brush with remaining 1 teaspoon of oil.  Arrange potatoes, cut side down, in a single layer.  Bake, flipping halfway through, until crisp and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.  Serve with a side of Ranch dressing.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Tarragon Tilapia

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

 

I searched and searched to try and find information about the exact origins of Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, but could not find one real definite thing about it.  What I do know is this:  chocolate mayonnaise cake was created around WWII, at a time when eggs and oil were being rationed.  Using the mayonnaise in place of those two items was the perfect way to still be able to enjoy a wonderfully, moist chocolate cake.  And this cake is wonderful and it is unbelievably moist!

When Chris and I first started dating, he talked about this chocolate mayo cake that his mom would make.  Now, my mom made a chocolate zucchini cake, and for some reason I want to say she made a mayo cake too, but for some reason the zucchini cake stands out more.  (Mom, if you are reading this...did you ever make a chocolate mayo cake?  I think you did, but my memory is not what it used to be, so please help me out here!!)  Anyway, so I quickly did a search online and found this recipe.  I LOVE this cake.  This is one of the best chocolate cakes out there.  It's just really moist and luscious and very simple to make.  I've made this batter and used it for a layered cake before... I've made this batter and used it for cupcakes.  Both ways were delicious..and of course, this cake really does not need frosting...but come one.. it's cream cheese frosting, doesn't that go with just about any kind of cake???

Now I did do something a tad bit different this time.  This time I made it with a small amount of black onyx cocoa powder.  Although, the addition of the darker cocoa made the cake a little less moist (due to less fat in the cocoa), it was a wonderful way to give the cake an even richer, decadent look to it.  I was recently introduced to this wonderful product by Andrea the Kitchen Witch.  She posted an awesome Death By Chocolate Cookies.  OMG did they look amazing!  But what really interested me, was that she used black onyx cocoa powder.  Honestly, I had never even heard of it before.  So, after reading about it and seeing her cookies, I immediately got on the Savory Spice website and ordered some.  I would probably not use this again in this cake, but I would use it, believe me.  It's like a really dark unsweetened cocoa powder...and wonderful little change to the regular cocoa powder.  I'm thinking of using it in either cookies or brownies next.... unless someone has a better idea???

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Recipe courtesy About.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.  Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt.  Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, water, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; stir until well blended.  Pour batter into 2 greased and floured layer cake pans  or 1 9x13-inch pan.  Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Enjoy!

(P.S...that's cream cheese frosting on top...4 oz of cream cheese mixed with about 1-2 cups powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.  If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar)

 

One Year Ago:  Strawberry Chicken

Thai Steaks with Fried Rice

This is one of those recipes that I kept saying I wanted to try, yet kept putting it aside.  No real reason, it just happens sometimes.  Well, I'm so glad that I finally tried it.  Mainly because it finally forced me to make fried rice!!  It's actually a bit shocking to me that with all the rice we consume, I have never...not once...made fried rice.  Now that's just silly.  And now that I have made this, I'm thinking even Chris will request it every now and then!  Fried rice is really very simple, and with very few ingredients, it transforms plain old rice into something magical!

I found this recipe on Nibble Me This (no, I'm not stalking Chris, it's just that he's sort of my go to person on grilling ideas...plus he's way too far away for me to stalk).  Chris actually made basil fried rice and I had every intention of making that too, but when I got home from the store I realized I had forgotten to get basil!!  DUH!!  Key ingredient to any recipe that starts with the word "basil".  So, even though I was a bit disappointed that I did not have the basil, this rice still turned out really good and I would make it again, exactly this same way!

And, let's not forget about the steak.  Can I just say Yum?  Well, I'm going to anyway... YUM!  The steaks were flavorful and scrumptious!!  A perfect blend of flavors, nothing was overpowering.  I was actually looking for skirt steak, as that's what the original recipe used, but surprisingly could not find anything.  All I could find within my price range where sirloin steaks which were on sale...this was not a problem for me, as I love sirloins.

Would I make this again?  You bet....it was one of my favorite meals so far this year!  See, sometimes it's good to stalk follow other blogs :)

Thai Steaks with Fried Rice
Adapted from Chris, Nibble Me This
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
For the steaks -
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon Sriracha
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 lbs. petite sirloin steaks

For the rice -
2 eggs, whisked together
3 cups Basmati rice, cooked and chilled
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 pieces of bacon, diced and cooked until crispy
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
3-4 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
pinch of sugar (if you need a measurement use 1/8tsp)
dash of sesame oil (if you need a measurement, use 1/8tsp)

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, fish sauce, soy, sesame, Sriracha, oil, garlic and hoisin until well blended.  Place the steaks in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Let steaks marinate for 4-6 hours.

Preheat your grill to 400-425 degrees F.  Remove the steaks from the bag and discard the marinade.  Place the steaks on the grill and cook for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until the steak reaches your desired internal temp.

Meanwhile, in a wok or deep skillet, heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium heat.  Pour eggs into wok let them cook like an omelet, remove from the wok and chop the eggs; set aside.  Mix together the soy, sugar, and sesame in a small bowl; set aside.

Add the onion and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, or just until they start to soften.  Add the pepper and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minutes.  Add the cold rice.  Stir fry the rice - let is stand for 15 seconds, stir, repeat.  When the rice is browning and appearing close to being done, add the bacon and the soy mixture.  Toss to coat everything.  Add the egg and toss one more time.  Serve along side steaks.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Honey Garlic Pasta
 

Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce

Instead of making this post about my beloved Tilapia.. today, it's just going to be about the sauce.  This sauce is so versatile and delicious that it would work on chicken, pork, or fish.  Oh, you could even toss it with some shrimp and grill or saute it... now that would be really good!  I'm thinking of actually marinating chicken and then grilling it....but that's for another day.

This sauce was probably one of the best teriyaki sauces I have had....at least out of all the ones I have attempted to make...and that list is surprisingly long.  It had the perfect blend of salty sweetness.  Definitely one I would make again and again!

Teriyaki Hoisin Sauce
Adapted from Rose Reisman's Art of Living Well
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1/8 teaspoons ground ginger

Directions:
In a sauce pan, mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer just until the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Spoon over fish or chicken while baking or use as marinade or saute shrimp in it or stir fry up some chicken and veggies and pour over rice....the possibilities are endless.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Orange Chicken Stir Fry

I love, love, love the orange chicken at Panda Express.  What I do not love is all those fat and calories.  So when I thought about how I could bring that yummy orange flavor to my table with a ton less of those fat and/or calories I hate so much, I knew all I really had to do was not fry the chicken.  Don't get me wrong, I love that fried crispy chicken that you get at restaurants, but with this recipe, I don't have to run an extra mile in the morning!

I did a search for orange chicken recipes and came up with this conglomeration of those ingredients used.  This was the perfect dish to satisfy any craving you might have for orange chicken.

Orange Chicken Stir Fry
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup water, plus 1 Tablespoon; divided
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Place on plate or cookie sheet in a single layer.  Put in freezer for 30 minutes.  Remove from freezer and slice the chicken into thin slices or bite size chunks.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the orange juice, lemon juice, 1/3 cup water, vinegar, soy, garlic, sugar, pepper flakes, and ginger until well blended.  In another bowl, mix together the cornstarch and the remaining 1 tablespoon water; stir until smooth.  Set both aside.

In a wok or a large, deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat.  Add the chicken and quickly stir fry until just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the peppers and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.  Now, whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, then immediately pour the sauce into the wok/skillet.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until the sauce thickens.  Add the green onions and toss to combine.  Immediately remove from heat.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy! 

One Year Ago:  Honey and Spiced Glazed Pork Chops

Baked Camembert Pasta

Camembert Cheese... I love it!!  Camembert is soft, creamy cow's milk cheese.  Maybe there are a lot of you out there that have never had it before.  If so, this is the time to try it.  Lucky for me, I found an 8 ounce wheel of it on sale for $3 (normally $5.99) while I was looking for Fontina cheese.  I was actually going to make a chipotle mac and cheese...but when I saw the Camembert, I just knew I had to make this pasta.  Guess the chipotle mac will have to wait :)

I saw a recipe for this about 2 years ago.  For the life of me, I cannot find and do not remember where the original recipe came from.  I did remember that Jamie Oliver had posted baked Camembert before, so I started there.  The one thing I do remember is reading through the recipe and thinking... oh, yea, this is definitely something I need to try.  And try it I finally did!  After having this fabulous dish, I'm sorry I waited so long to make it, but, I will admit, it was well worth the long years of waiting!!

This is simple, delicious, creamy, and well..just down right fan-frickin-tastic!  (If you can't find Camembert, I'm thinking you can probably use brie instead...though I'm not 100% certain on that, so don't try it, have it fail, and then blame me!)

Baked Camembert Pasta
Slightly adapted from Jamie Oliver
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 box (8oz.) Camembert cheese wheel
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves only
sea salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
4oz grated parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups Barilla Plus multigrain elbow pasta (or any tubular pasta will work)
1-2 cups (or more if you want) fresh spinach leaves
cherry tomatoes; quartered (optional)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Open the cheese and unwrap it.  Place in oven safe dish.  Score a circle in the top of the rind, leaving a border, then peel the rind off the top and discard.  Scatter the minced garlic on top, season with salt and pepper, and then drizzle with some olive oil.  Scatter the rosemary leaves on top and lightly press them into the oil and cheese.

Place in preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain; reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.  Once drained, add the spinach and stir to wilt.  Drizzle with some olive oil and add the parmesan cheese.  Once the Camembert is ready, spoon the cheese over the pasta.  I would suggest doing this with each serving as dumping it all in there may cause it to clump up.  If cheese is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin out.  Top with tomatoes if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  The Obsessive Chef's Tilapia Fillets

Not much to do about food....

Today's post has nothing to do with this picture...but I love my kitties...and I thought this was such a cute picture... I just had to share!!

This post, unfortunately, is not going to focus a lot on food... I know, I'm sorry, but that's just how it goes sometimes.  Don't get me wrong.. I have a bunch of stuff in the "works" - i.e. half finished started posts, and I should really be posting one of those...but today I have other things to talk about, so you are just going to have to bear with me here :)

(Picture, respectfully stolen ...er...taken from Nibble Me This)

First, please make sure to stop by Nibble Me This before Thursday, March 31st.  Why?  Because, Chris is giving away a copy of "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" by Susan Russo, that's why.  So go....well finish reading this post, then go.  There are three ways you can enter to win....and good luck!!

(Lauren and Marcos...aren't they cute???)

Second, one of the girls I work with (Lauren) is getting married next February.  She and her fiance (Marcos) are of course trying very hard to keep costs down for the wedding as they are also trying to buy a house.  UGH... The cost of weddings is outrageous and I can't imagine what a dent this will put in their pocket.  BUT, they are a smart couple and are doing whatever they can to try and cut expenses.  They have also entered the Crate & Barrel "The Ultimate Wedding Contest".  This is a chance for them to win $100,000 for their ultimate wedding!  I was so excited for them that I couldn't help but ask you...my wonderful and loyal readers.. to please oh please oh please go vote for them.  You don't have to sign up for anything, all you have to do is be a Facebook user....no other strings attached, I promise.  And voting takes seconds.  So please, if you have a moment stop here and place your votes.  Lauren and Marcos will be forever grateful (and so will I)!

And, last but not least, don't forget to check out my Fire Day Friday post for Mediterranean Grilled Chicken.  It's one you don't want to miss.  And, since we finally are speaking about food, if you haven't seen yesterdays guest post from Michael of Me, My Food and I, make it a point to go there now (click here) - Michael made a fantastic orzo salad that you'll be thinking about all day....and night...trust me.

 

Have a great weekend!  Ciao!

Guest Blogger: Orzo Salad with Prawns, Petit Pois and Arugula Pesto

I am extremely excited to introduce this weeks guest blogger - Michael of Me, My Food and I!  I found Michael, thanks to Chef Dennis of More Than A Mount Full, where he was a guest on Chef's Guest Post Friday.  I was instantly drawn to Michael's site.  What kept me coming back to Me, My Food and I, was not only Michael's great writing skills, but his love for food and for Nigella Lawson and the luscious simplicities of her recipes.  Michael loves to cook for his friends and is not afraid to indulge every now and then (you gotta love that!).  Although Michael lives 5090 miles away from me...I would be happy to share my kitchen with him any day!  So, stop by Me, My Food and I and say hi to Michael.  While you are there, browse around...I bet you'll find a TON of new delicious recipes!

Oh...and don't forget to check out my Fire Day Friday post over at Our Krazy Kitchen.  Today's recipe: Mediterranean Grilled Chicken.  So I'll stop typing now and let Michael take it away...

Hello readers of Jenn's Food Journey!  I hope you are all doing well.  My name is Michael Toa, I am 23 years old and I live in Sunderland, U.K.  I love Italian food and for me nothing says Italian food like pasta.  Unlike other infamous Italian food like pizza and tomato sauce, which have a fairly recent history, pasta may indeed have a much older pedigree, going back hundreds, if not thousands of years.

I was once told that the Venetian merchant, Marco Polo, brought back pasta from his journey to China in 1295.  So, I did a little research and found out there are evidences of Italian recipe books from earlier years containing references to pasta dishes.  Since China is an ancient civilization, with a complex culture dating back thousands of years, it's likely that pasta existed in China very early.  Right, so we now know pasta did not arrive in Italy courtesy of Marco Polo; and let's just stop here because I am not a food historian and I could go on and on talking about pasta, but let me get to the point and share with you this delicious recipe for orzo salad with prawns, petit pois and arugula pesto.  Arugula, or 'rocket' as we call it in the UK, is one of my favorite salad leaves.  I was introduced by an Italian friend to this arugula pesto and I am a complete convert.  I still often us the traditional sweet basil for pesto sauce, bit I just adore the peppery taste of arugula.

Orzo or sometimes called risoni are rice-shaped pasta.  Mind-boggling, isn't it?  I am so easily amused. They take minutes to cook and are perfect for salad dishes.  I love the balance of flavors in this hearty salad.  Balance is not something I can do in real-life, but nonetheless more manageable in my food.  I love the mixture of peppery, garlicky taste from the pesto, together with natural sweetness from the prawns and petit pois, saltiness from the parmesan and freshness from lemon.  In one short word: yum.

Regardless of it's history, I think pasta is here to stay.  Don't you think? :)

Orzo Salad with Prawns, Petit Pois, and Arugula Pesto
Recipe from the kitchen of Michael Toa - Me, My Food, and I
- Serves 4-6 -
Printable Recipe 
500 gr orzo pasta
250 gr cooked king prawns, anyway you like.  Grilled with a little olive oil, lemon zest and oregano...just a thought.
200 gr frozen petit pois
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For the pesto:
100 gr arugula
50 gr pine nuts
1 clove of garlic, peeled
100 gr freshly grated parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

In a big pot of salted boiling water, cook the orzo according to the instructions at the back of the packet.  Two minutes before the end of the specified cooking time, add the petit pois to the pot.  Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.  Transfer to a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and stir to prevent the pasta from sticking.

To make the pesto sauce, in a food processor, add all the ingredients except the olive oil.  Blitz to mix for a few seconds and with the machine running, gradually add the olive oil to the desired consistency.  Season pest to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the orzo and little peas with the prawns, lemon zest, juice, and the arugula pesto until everything is well-coated.  Taste the salad and check if you need more lemon juice, more grating of parmesan or salt and pepper.

Best serve at room temperature with a handful of more arugula and just a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on each plate.  Enjoy.

One Year Ago:  Hamburger & Macaroni (aka: Chris' Goulash)

Baked Fish with Sour Cream-Parmesan Sauce

This was seriously good.  Sometimes I'm surprised that I can find/come up with such great new ideas for tilapia.  Sooner or later, you know it's going to happen... you'll come, check out my site and there will be no posts for fish!  I know that may come as good news to some, but it is saddening news to this blogger.

Ok, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic....I'll admit, that happens from time to time.  But nonetheless...this recipe was outstanding!  It was crispy, it was a little creamy, it was flavorful, it was delicious!  And of course, as always, let's not forget simple :)  You know I'm a sucker for simple!

Baked Fish with Sour Cream-Parmesan Sauce
Adpated from Southern Cooking
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
3 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.  Rinse the fillets and pat dry.  Place fillets in prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper until well blended.  Spread the mixture evenly over each piece of fish.  In another bowl, combine the two bread crumbs.  Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over each piece of fish.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Creamy Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

Herb-Mustard Marinated Chicken

Ever since I posted that recipe for Mustard Roasted Potatoes, I have been craving all things mustard!  I know it might sound strange, but it's true.  I really do love the flavor that Dijon brings to dishes.  So, when I saw this marinade, I knew I had to try it.

I like this recipe because it used ingredients I had on hand.  Actually, it used ingredients I have stocked in my kitchen all the time.  That's just convenient and wonderful!  It uses dry herbs, which some people might turn their nose up to because fresh is better.  But unless you have your own little herb garden, buying all these herbs fresh would put a huge dent in your...or at least my...wallet.  Simple, convenient, delicious.

Herb-Mustard Marinated Chicken
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Grillin' & Chillin' Cookbook
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon dry red wine
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients except for the chicken.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry.  Reserve 3 tablespoons of the sauce for dipping.  Spread the remaining sauce over both sides of all the chicken.  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Oil the grill grates.  Place the chicken directly over the heat and grill 8-10 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  Carefully remove from grill.  Serve with reserved sauce on the side.  Enjoy! 

One Year Ago:  Lemon Pasta with Chicken

Penne with Meat Ragu

Here is why you should thoroughly read through a recipe you are prepared to make it:  Penne with Meat Ragu

Here's what happened - I saw this recipe in a magazine that I found, Tastes of Italia.  It was the front cover picture and it just instantly made my mouth water.  So I scan the recipe for the ingredients, make my adjustments, and put it aside.  The night...and we are talking week night here...I'm going to just "throw this together", I start putting ingredients in the pan and then I suddenly read a little further down through the recipe (which I had never read at all before this point) and it says "simmer for 3 hours".  3HOURS???  WHHHHAAAAT????  Ok, I don't have three hours..it's already 7:00pm as I'm doing this and I don't really want to eat at 10pm.  So, I make the decision that 1 hour will be long enough.  Now I'm sure that had it simmered for the full 3 hours, the flavors would have melded together even better, but I have to say, even after 30 minutes the sauce tasted wonderful.

So, even though it still turned out really good instead of turning into a disaster, the morale to this story is:  Always read through your recipes!!  Don't be like Jenn and think you know it all!

Penne with Meat Ragu
Adapted from Tastes of Italia
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 medium carrot
1 stalk of celery
1/2 sweet onion
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 oz ground beef
4 oz ground pork
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon tomato paste (optional)
1/2 cup beef stock (if needed to thin sauce out)
1 13.25oz box of whole grain penne pasta

Directions:
In a food processor, add the carrot, celery, and onion.   Pulse until diced finely.  In a large wide pot add the olive oil and the chopped vegetables.  Saute about 4 minutes or until the veggies are softened.  Add the ground beef and pork and saute until brown, stirring occasionally.  Add the pureed tomatoes and tomato paste if desired.  Add the oregano, basil, and garlic powder.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Cook sauce for 1 hour or up to 3 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally.

When ready to eat.  Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and toss with ragu.  Use the beef stock to thin out the sauce if necessary.  Serve hot, topped with parmesan cheese if desired.  Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Classic Steak House Marinated Steaks with Red Pepper Aioli

Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza

Here's a fantastic way to use up some leftover pulled pork.  It's different from the regular pulled pork sandwich or taco idea.  We really enjoyed this pizza.  Even though the bbq sauce was maybe a bit too sweet for the pizza, it was still a killer pizza!

Of course, no matter how often I make pizza dough (ok, it's not like I make it every day or something), I still can't seem to perfect it.  I seem to have a problem when it comes to stretching the dough.  Mine tends to either stretch too much and break here and there, or I can't get it to stretch out enough.  I'm sure there is something I am doing in the process that is causing that, but I just don't know what it is.  If you have an insight as to why, I would greatly appreciate the advice.

Despite struggling with the dough, this pizza turned out incredibly good.  Then again, you can't really go wrong with pizza on the grill.  There is just something about it that makes me go... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 pizza dough ball
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup BBQ sauce (I would suggest going with something tangy and bold, the sweeter bbq sauces are just a bit too sweet for this pizza...at least that is my thought)
1-2 cups pulled pork (I think I just just a little over a cup, but didn't measure it)
1/2 sweet onion, diced and caramelized (you can slice them thin intead)
4 slices of bacon, diced and cooked until crispy
1 orange pepper, chopped or sliced thin (now I left mine raw and put them on the pizza, you can saute them or roast them first if you want)
1-2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat the grill to medium high.  Stretch your dough and brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Now you can put the dough directly on the grill, but I haven't had the nerve to do that yet (always afraid the dough will sink into the grates) so I just put it on a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and put that directly on the grill.  Grill one side for about 3-4 minutes or until it's brown and crisp on the bottom.  Remove from grill and flip the crust over.  Now it's time to build the pizza.  Spread the sauce over the entire thing, leaving at least a 1/2 inch of the dough around the edges uncovered.  Top with pulled pork, then the caramelized onions, then the pepper, and finally top it with the cheese.  Put the pizza back on the grill and cover.  Grill until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden brown.  Remove from grill, slice, and devour!

 

One Year Ago:  Chicken Tortilla Pizza

Is it ice cream or is it cake?

So a good friend of mine from Nebraska, Susan, is a baking goddess.  I say this because she is forever baking dozens of cookies at a time.  She seems to be always making yummy snacks for co-workers, for her son Josh to take to school, for bake sales, etc.  Well, a few weeks ago (maybe it's been longer then that), she mentioned that she was going out to pick up a kit for making cake pops.  Cake pops?  What?  Never heard of it.  Of course, I mentioned this to a couple people at work and they all looked at me like I had two heads.  How could I NOT have heard of cake pops before?  Geez!! :)

Anyway, she mentioned Thursday morning that she had to go home and make cake pop ice cream cones, as Josh wanted to bring something extra special for his teacher for her birthday.  I was interested to see what they looked like, so I forced her to send me some pictures of the final product.  I really didn't know what to expect.... I opened the email and was greeted with these:

OMG aren't those fantastic?  Not that I doubted she could do them, but I have to admit, I was amazed how how incredibly good they looked.  I mean, this was her first time making them.  I don't know about you, but my shit never comes out that fantastic on the first try.  At least not anything I have to decorate with icing!!  I whole heartily believe she could enter a contest with these and blow the competition away!

Anyway... I just HAD to share these with you.  And I thank Susan so very much for allowing me to post these pictures!  Maybe one day I'll actually do something like this.... Then again, maybe one day I'll just have Susan do it for me!!

Have a fantastic weekend! 

One Year Ago:  Baked Dijon Tilapia with Crumb Crust