Creamed Corn

Creamed corn is probably best made with fresh corn that you just cut off the fresh cob, but when you do not have those on hand, any bag of frozen corn will do just as fine.
This is how I make the creamed corn and needless to say, it's delicious ! And creamy !

Ingredients:
2 cups corn


1/2 cup water
1/2 large onion, very finely minced


2 to 3 TBSP butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon honey


1/2 cup heavy cream/half &half or thinned sour cream (I used thinned sour cream this time)
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Cook the butter and the really finely minced onion


for 3 to 4 minutes, so the onion can soften,




then add the corn and water and bring to a simmer.




Reduce the heat and cover with a lid.


Cook for 10-15 minutes until the corn becomes tender.
Add sugar, honey, tarragon and cream, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.



The liquid will reduce.


Add the salt and pepper at the end.


Enjoy !

Here are the instructions from the back of the bag on how to cook the corn.

Shredded Roasted Beet

Beet can be cooked in many different ways, but the one and only I like to use is roasting the beet whole, peel and shred it.
Classically the shredded beet is mixed with horseradish, but my husband does not like that, so I kept it simple, in the hopes that he will have a taste of my glorious beet shred !

Ingredients:
1 big, firm, healthy looking beet



1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 TBSP oil
2 TBSP vinegar or lemon juice
plastic or latex gloves

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
While the oven is heating, wash the beet and place it in a pan.
Cook for 1 hour to 1 h and 20 minutes, until blisters begin to appear


and the pulp of the beet is soft.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then put your gloves on (because the beet juice stains !)


and begin to shred it, using the finer shredding side of your kitchen gadget.
When done, place the beet pulp in a bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
You're done !
If you have any left, just place it in a container with a tight lid and store in the fridge.
Works well with anything really !
I ate it with fish and polenta.


Yummy !

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans with a Side of Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Really, you can't get any easier that that.
Bacon !



Even though you do not really need a recipe for this, HERE is where I got inspired from.
Give them a try and enjoy !
They are really tasty and you do not need more that 2 bundles per person in my opinion.
Paired with cheesy mashed potatoes were perfect.

Ingredients:
4 handfuls of green beans
4 slices of bacon
3 TBSP butter
1 TBSP vinegar or lemon juice
1 TBSP white sugar
1/4 to 1/2 medium onion, finely minced/diced
1 medium-large minced garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups water
a dash of salt for the water (you might even go up to 1/2 teaspoon salt)
some ice cubes


a large bowl

Directions:
Bring the water with the dash of salt to a boil and drop the washed and trimmed green beans.
Ideally you need to use fresh ones, but this is what I had - frozen.


They worked out perfectly.
Preheat the oven to 425 F and get your pan ready.
When the water starts to boil, drop the green beans in and let them cook for 4 to 5 minutes from the moment they start to boil(which should not take more than 2 minutes from the moment you put them in the pot).
In a large bowl place the ice and a few cups of water then using a slotted spoon scoop the green beans and drop immediately into the ice bath.


This will not only shock the beans and stop the cooking process, but it will also keep them looking bright green and yummy.


While the beans are cooling, take the bacon out and lay it on your work surface - a cutting board or a large plate.




The cold green beans should look like this.

Divide the pile into bundles.


Place the green beans bundle at the end of the bacon slice and start rolling.




When all the beans are rolled in bacon, place in the prepared pan



and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the bacon begins to crisp.


While the beans are cooking, make the sauce by mixing all the other ingredients and when the beans are done, pour the sauce over.


The sauce wag good, but you can omit it. You can see a little bit of the onion here.


Give this a try !

Tipsy Baked Apples

Remember THIS post where I was telling you about the coffee liqueur and orange liqueur that I got for cooking ? Well, I had an idea and just had to try it. Of course, I have baked apples in the past and they were more than delicious, but these are just to die for !
The taste is slightly different and the aroma is so much more intense. One big difference between these and the other baked apples is that these still have their skin on.
I decided to do that so that they can steam inside even better.


Ingredients:
2 apples, washed and cored
a few hazelnuts with sugar and cinnamon or 3 TBSP of THIS mixture
2 TBSP Kahlua
2 TBSP orange liqueur
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP honey

Directions:
Wash and peel the apples, then place them in a small pan.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Mix the liqueurs with the nutty mixture and the brown sugar.
Start stuffing the inside of the apples and when done, top with butter and then drizzle the honey over.
Let bake in the very hot oven for 1 h and 15 minutes to 1 h and 35 minutes, or until the skin starts to crack.
Plate and pour over all the syrup that gathered during the baking process.


Here is a top view of my apples .


And here is a view of the cut apples so you can take a better look and what delicious filling nests inside.


I urge you to try these !

Various Salads from the Magazine !

I still have a few of the recipes from the magazine to share with you, so here they are:

Spicy Fruit Salad


Waldorf Salad


Holiday Salad


Napoleon Salad

And the last one:

Antipasto Salad

Celebrating 1 Year of being Happily Married !

One year ago today I got married to Jeff, my wonderful husband and I know now I couldn't have made a better choice !
Here are a few pictures from the wedding.

Me getting ready for the big kiss.








We had a carriage ride from the chapel to the reception.


The cake looked and tasted really good and somehow it managed to match my bouquet.

It was really white, but somehow the lighting made it look yellow.



Happy 1st Anniversary to Us !

Gravy, Sauces, Dips and Dressings - all for the holiday table !

From the same magazine, more delicious dishes for you to enjoy !
Again, please click on the pictures so you can see them in real size and be able to read the text.

Gravy Recipe (Make-ahead)



Apricot - Cranberry Sauce


Spicy Cranberry Sauce


Feta and Pepper Dip


Sun Dried Tomato Dip


Red Pepper Cheddar Dip


Spinach Artichoke Dip


Gingered Ketchup


Pineapple Mustard

New magazine and a bunch of recipes for you !

There is this amazing magazine I spotted for a while and I recently purchased it and here I am sharing it with you.
Hope you will all enjoy it as much as I do and hopefully you will even go ahead and try a few recipes out of it, now will all the holidays coming.
It is a little expensive, but if you don't buy one every day I guess it is okay.


What made me pick it up off the shelf and look in it was the name.
Then after I flipped a few pages I came across a picture (this one)


that caught my eye and made me think of it for a few days in a row. Naturally, I HAD to have the magazine.
I'll start with the pictures for the meat dishes.
Please click on the pictures so you can see them in real size and be able to read the recipe.

Glazed Roasted Turkey



Turkey Cubano Sandwich


Pork Wellingtons (Individual servings)


I can't wait to try this one recipe myself !

I will resume the post of tonight to these pictures and recipes and will post more and different ones tomorrow.

Boule (Small Round Bread)

Ever since I first made bread using THIS recipe, I said to myself that it has to be my best bread recipe ever.
Now I used only half of the recipe and made this boule, which I toasted and ate with spicy Navy beans spread.
I invite you to try it and tell me what you thought of it !
The crumb is moist, large and has a deep aroma and fragrance.
Your house will smell oh so good while baking the bread in the oven.
Oh ! I forgot to mention this is one of those no knead breads !

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour (plus some for the work surface)
7 gr instant yeast or 7 to 8 gr active dry yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/2 cups water (use milk if you have)

Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the water or milk, then add the salt and the flour and mix with a spoon, using a medium size glass or see through plastic bowl.
When you have finished mixing the ingredients, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature anywhere between 2 and 5 hours or you can just let it sit in the fridge until the next day.
It should about triple in size when you are ready for baking.


In the refrigerator will last for up to two weeks, covered.


When you are ready to bake, remove the dough and form a ball, making sure you handle it carefully, as you do not want to break those nice bubbles that have formed.


You will need to have your hands floured and you will need to then let it rest for at least 1 hour on a floured surface.
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
What you can actually do to make your life easier is to transfer the dough on a floured surface, then shape it carefully into a ball and then transfer it into a small cast iron pan or a small pan where it will sit until it will be ready to slide into the oven.
If you think it will stick to the bottom, then place some parchment paper before placing the bread in.
Slash the top with a very sharp knife.
Bake the bread for about half an hour or until it looks golden brown and delicious.

I'm Back from the Chicago Trip !!

Sorry I did not give a notice about my leave, but I was hoping I could post something while away.
Unfortunately I was too busy, but the trip did not take too long and there fore I am back !
I had to take a nursing exam and even though it was really hard, I am hopeful I did good. We shall see in 6 to 10 weeks.
Anyhow, we stayed at the Double Tree Hotel, which is near the Magnificent Mile and by the Michigan Lake. Just amazing, considering the height and size of those buildings.

Here's the Michigan Lake shore.


It's a beautiful city, but I could not live there. It's a bit suffocating for me.
I did get to go to Trader Joe's (Yea !!) and got some wild rice (has a black color) which I cannot wait to cook.
Also, I had my very first piece of original deep dish Chicago Style pizza at Gino's !!!


I will share a few pictures with you, so you can get an idea of how nice everything was.
Glad to be back !

The view of the lake Michigan from our hotel room.

Here is a piece of the intersection we could see from our hotel window.

This is are pictures taken while on the bridge over Chicago River.



Me next to the statues by the Chicago Tribune Newspaper building.

And here is the Chicago Tribune Newspaper building.


Here is the Chicago Public Library.


Heavy traffic !



Here is me holding the morning paper. We also went to the Hard Rock Cafe and we got matching clothes. It was cold in Chicago !


More out of the window view.

Spicy Navy Beans Spread

Like I have mentioned before, beans are really nutritious and readily available, and also super easy to prepare.
What I have here is a twist on a very old recipe of mine, for beans spread, that I happen to have posted about HERE.


The main difference is in taste, this new version being spicy and having a few other ingredients in it. What's nice about it is that it does not take much of any culinary skills to put together and it has ingredients that most of us would more than likely have in the fridge/pantry.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry beans (Navy beans)
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup oil (use olive oil if you have)
1/2 teaspoon dry tarragon
2 to 4 big TBSP tahini (sesame) paste (you can buy a can or do it yourself using THIS recipe)
2 TBSP chopped parsley (I ran out of it)
1 dash to 1/8 or even 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove mashed really finely



Directions:
Soak the beans in water for at least 2 hours or better yet, overnight.
The next day or when you decide to boil them, bring the 6 cups of water and a dash of salt to a boil and add the beans.
Simmer on low to medium heat for 1.5 to 2.5 hours and then rinse and let drain all the liquid in a colander.
When ready to put together, place all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until a really fine paste comes together.
I spread it on toast and sprinkled some shredded cheddar cheese.


Works wonderfully with andive leaves !
Enjoy !

Garlicky Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans and Pork Loin

This is a dish I absolutely love, easy to make, and really tasty....and also more than likely goes with any kind of meat. Or just enjoy it all by itself !
What it is to it: a nice thick sauce that has all the deliciousness is spread all over the potatoes which are par-cooked, and then they are roasted. I realized that I want to have some beans in there too only half way through cooking, but really if you want beans in, just mix them at the very beginning.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes per person
5 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 TBSP oil
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1 cup or 2 handfuls of green beans
2 slices of pork loin

Directions:
Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes...roughly, then place them in a salted pot of water and bring them to a boil.
Boil for 7 to 10 minutes, or until they are cooked half way through.
Drain and place in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
In a food processor mix all the other ingredients and when the paste has formed (it will look rather chunky),


pour it all over the potatoes, mixing to coat all of them.


If using green beans, that is the moment to add them too.
I was just a little bit afraid they would dry and decided to first cook the potatoes themselves for a few minutes and only then add the green beans.
Place in a pan and transfer to the oven.


Roast them for approx. 25 minutes or until they become browned a bit.


Just keep a close eye on them.


While the potatoes are roasting, cook the meat.
I chose pork loin because pairs well with the potatoes, it is tender and cooks really fast.
I poured just 1/2 TBSP oil in a non stick skillet and placed the pork in, seasoning it only with salt & pepper.
I cooked it for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.


When the potatoes are ready, plate alongside the pork loin and enjoy !

Apple Roses

When I saw these beautiful pastries, I said to myself - I have got to absolutely try these ! And soon !


I got inspired by two blogs found HERE and HERE.
So I went ahead and made my own version of puff pastry and I do not really suggest you do that too as it took me the entire day to pack and spread, pack again and roll it out many, many times.
Just go buy the puff pastry. Seriously.
I went to the store looking especially for some crisp and very little tart apples, with nice pink-ish or red-ish colors.


So I bought 2 different varieties called Honey Crisp and Cripps Pink, if anyone knows apples that go by this name.

Ingredients:
1 puff pastry sheet
3 apples
5 TBSP sugar or splenda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 cups water
3 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP lemon juice

Directions:
Wash the apples, cut in half and core them.


Then slice in very thin slices, slightly smaller than 1/8 inch.


In a saucepan, bring the 4 cups water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil and place the apple slices in.


Boil for 2 minutes, or until the slices soften and you can easily bend them.
Have a colander and a bowl close and when the time is up, just fish the apple slices with a slotted spoon and let them cool in the colander.



On a wide plate put some paper towels and nicely arrange the apple slices so that they can cool down completely and also dry up a bit.

Prepare your work surface by lightly sprinkling it with some flour or just use a silicone mat and lay the puff pastry sheet down.


With a pastry cutter, cut long strips, approximately 1/2 inch wide.



Then mix the zest, sugar and cinnamon and nutmeg


and evenly spread it over the pastry sheet.



You should probably do this before cutting the long strips, although it's really not going to make much of a difference.
After spreading the cinnamon mixture, slightly press it down into the dough.



Preheat the oven to 425 F.
By this time your apples should be cool and almost dry.
So take a few slices and place them on the strips, overlapping them so they do not fall out and also make the rose-like design (petals) of the finish product.


Now start rolling, making sure it is fairly tightly rolled.




This is what you are supposed to get in the end.

Make sure you have lined the baking sheet with parchment paper.


Bake for 25 minutes, or until nicely golden.


When you take them out of the oven you should sprinkle with some powder sugar, but I forgot to take a picture of that stage.
Enjoy !

Smoothest Lemon Pie

This is the classic recipe for the key lime pie.
Turns out that the REAL key limes from Key, Florida are as small as a walnut and not the regular limes which they sell here.
Anyway, I used a classic and replaced the limes for lemon and got this oh so good lemon pie.
I decorated it with real whipped cream and it was really delicious and also looked really good too !



Ingredients:

For the filling:
4 egg yolks
one 14 oz can sweet condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup heavy cream for whipping
1 teaspoon powder sugar

For the crust:
16 graham crackers crushed or 125 gr graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP sugar
4 to 6 TBSP butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Remember that the best time to zest your lemons is when they are firm, just taken out of the fridge.
And they give out the most juice when squeezed after they have been at room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar, then add the melted butter and press the mixture in your pie pan of choice.
9 inch is ideal.
Set it in the fridge while the filling is being prepared.
Beat the egg yolks with a hand held mixer until they turn a pale yellow, approx 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the vanilla and condensed milk gradually, with the mixer running on the lowest speed.
Add the zest and the juice, still with the mixer running on low.


You are now ready to pour into the prepared crust.
But first.....VERY IMPORTANT .....taste the filling as this is your last chance to make any adjustments to your lemon pie.
If you think that it is too tart or too lemony, then add 1 to 2 more TBSP sugar, preferably powder sugar and then pour it into your crust. Trust me on this, I speak from experience.



Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.
Let cool and while it is cooling, whip the heavy cream, then transfer to a pastry bag and pipe the margin decorations.


If you want to do like me, just overlap the circles.
If you are done with the margin and still have whipped cream left, then decorate the center of the pie as well.
I forgot to show you the tip I used earlier when I posted this, but I make the correction now.










Easy and pretty !

**********************************************************************
A shortcut for those of you who cannot get their hands on sweet condensed milk is to make it at home.
I have 2 options for doing that as written below.

#1
Homemade Sweet Condensed Milk

60 ml boiling water
15 gr margarine (or butter)
100 gr white sugar
120 gr powder milk

Pour the boiling water into your blender and add the margarine and sugar and blend well, then add the powder milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Blend really well after each addition.
Store in the fridge and use anywhere sweet condensed milk is called for.
This will yield 1 and 1/3 cup or the equivalent of one 14 oz can.

#2
Homemade Sweet Condensed Milk

1 cup powder milk
1/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
3 TBSP melted butter

Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
This will yield 14 oz or 1 and 1/3 cup.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese Soup

My husband loves this sharp cheddar cheese soup and so I try to make it every now and then.
It seems I have posted the recipe HERE already, so this post isn't really something new for my blog (my husband says he likes dinner menu repeats !).
It's delicious nonetheless !

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 onion finely chopped


4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup light cream
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper


3/4 Lb. shredded cheddar cheese



Directions:
*Grate your cheese and have it handy


*Melt the butter and mix the flour in with a small whisk


*Slowly add the chicken broth whisking constantly, followed by adding the milk
*Add the onion and let sit on the stove on medium-low heat for 5 min


*Stir in the cheese and using a spoon stir the soup and cook until cheese has melted thoroughly
*Remove from heat and add the 1 cup of cream
*Add the salt and stir, followed by the cayenne pepper
*Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly, if necessary


ENJOY !