Recipes...

Sweet Chili Chicken Wings

10 chicken wings
2 cups flour
1 tb salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tb sesame oil
1 tb fresh chopped garlic
1 tb fresh chopped ginger
sliced green onions for garnish
oil for frying

1. In a large pot preheat oil for frying chicken
2. Place the flour, salt and pepper in a ziploc bag
3. Next add the chicken, seal the bag and shake to coat the chicken with the flour
4. Remove the chicken from the bag and fry for 10 minutes until golden brown
5. Make the sauce by combining the sweet chili, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a bowl and stir together.
6. toss together the chicken wings and the sauce
7. Top with green onions and enjoy

33 days and counting...

Thanksgiving is only a month away but if you're one cooking dinner on the big day, now is the time to start planning. I don't think there is another day that causes more stress and sometimes fear for those with the job of cooking the meal.  Even more specific preparing the   star of the show, the turkey. Why not get a jump on it, now is a great time to think about the guests, the menu, and you overall vision for Thanksgiving day.  If you having a large number of guests, lets say more than 12, you might want to have a more casual menu with room for lots of different items to satisfy the tastes of all your guests.  However if you are having fewer guests than you could do a more intimate and formal dinner and get a little bit more creative with your menu.  I love all the Thanksgiving classics, but I do thinks it's a good idea to give them a fresh modern update.  To get you creative juices going here is menu that I am considering for my Thanksgiving celebration, I hope you are inspired and feel free to leave me a comment with any questions or if you would like to see more suggestions and recipes.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thyme and Orange Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy

Cranberry Apple-Pecan Cornbread Dressing

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

Wild and White Rice Pilaf

Roasted Green Beans with Champagne Shallot vinaigrette

Braised Swiss Chard and Collards

Pumpkin Bars

Pecan Pie

Apple Crisp

Thyme and Orange Marinade/Rub

1 cup fresh thyme

Juice of one orange juice

1 tb orange zest

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

Place all the ingredients a food processor and mix until smooth

This will make enough for 5-7 lb turkey breast

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

2 lb, butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1" pieces

1/2  cup olive oil

3 tb honey

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to season

Preheat the oven to 375º

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and toss together until squash is coated evenly

Spread onto a baking sheet 

Bake for about 25-30 minutes until squash is tender

Tomato Soup

Tomato soup is a favorite of most people, so I figured why not post a great recipe that I like to use.  What makes it stand out to is that i roast the tomatoes with garlic and basil before adding them to the soup.  Roasting the tomatoes gives the a great fullness of flavor that is perfect on  a cold day.   As always tomato soup perfectly compliments a grilled cheese sandwich, but instead of just plain cheddar, make the sandwich using smoked Gouda, add tomato slices and a touch of honey mustard, the combination is out of this world and sets a new standard for grilled cheese sandwiches.

Enjoy

1 1/2 lb Roma tomatoes, halved

1 onion, peeled and quartered,

1//4 cup whole garlic cloves

6 cup vegetable or chicken stock

2 tablespoons of fresh basil

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper to season

1. Preheat the oven to 375º

2. Mix together the tomatoes, onion, garlic,  and basil and lightly coat the mixture with olive oil

3. Season with a little salt and pepper and place in the oven about 25 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender

4. Next add all the ingredients into a pot and add the stock.

5. Slowly  bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer

6. Cook for about 10 minutes

7. Using a hand mixer or blender*, puree the soup until it becomes smooth

8 Taste and give one final seasoning

* Be very careful when putting any hot liquids into a blender, puree it in very small batches.

To make this soup a little bit richer add 1/2 cup of heavy cream after pureeing

It's been a long time...

I know I have not posted in a while but the good news is I'm back. Since landing in DC my new job keeps me extremely busy, but I must admit, it has been worth all the long hours, I feel like my culinary passion has been fired up all over again. I am learning so many techniques and being exposed to a wide variety of local produce, Chesapeake fish, organic products and learning about sustainability. Despite my constant fatigue, I have been able to continue to working on my cookbook, which will be completed later this year. Anyway, if you have been checking into my blog you can look forward to more of my best recipes and cooking tips.

Enjoy

I am in love with...

Just recently I realized that I am in love with zest. Yes, zest, I know it's crazy but in all my years of cooking I've always included it in recipes however is just dawned on my how much I really love it. The zest of citrus fruits adds a depth of flavor that can't really be created with juice alone. The zest refers to the outer most layer of the peel of citrus fruits, the most commonly used fruits being, lemons, limes and oranges. The secret of the zest is in the very fragrant oils that are produced in peel. The most important thing to keep in mind when zesting is to only use the colored part of the peel, the white part is not zest, its the pith and its very bitter as you probably know from a bad orange peeling experience. Incorporating zest into recipes that already have citrus juice is a great way to take the recipe up a notch. As always I've included a recipe of my own to get you started, it is a delicious marinated shrimp that could be served on a skewer as an appetizer on as an entree on a bed of rice with a side of veggies. I call it kick-me because of the kick it gets from the zest and the cayenne pepper.

Kick-Me Shrimp

Serves 2

1/2 lb 16-20 shrimp, (or whatever size you like)peeled and devained
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 TB green onion chopped
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB lime juice
zest from half one lemon
zest from one lime
zest from half of one orange
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp salt for seasoning

1. In a bowl combine olive oil,spices, garlic, green onion, lemon and lime juice, lemon, lime and orange zest, pepper and salt. Mix together
2. Toss the shrimp in the mixture and coat them evenly.
3. Let the shrimp marinate for at least a half hour. (1-2 hours is best)

After marinating, the shrimp can be cooked any way you like, on the grill in the oven or in the skillet. I definitely would go for the grill especially with summer right around the corner but its up to you. Allow yourself to be creative and inspired whenever you cook.

Enjoy!

A new start...

I have been so busy over the past few months and have seriously neglected my blog, however I am back. I have recently relocated to the DC and started a new job as a sous chef and my culinary inspirations have reached an all time high. I am constantly coming up with new recipes and finding better ways to get things done in the kitchen. To start things off again I have some great recipes that are quick and easy to prepared and have proved to be my new comfort foods since relocating. Try them out and see if they can make it onto you list of favorites. Enjoy.

Crepes with Nutella and Strawberries

Crepes
1/2 cup milk
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp melted butter

1. In a bowl mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla
2. Next add the flour, sugar and butter and blend unil smooth
3. Allow the batter to sit for at least 15 minutes before cooking

To cook the crepes, heat a good non stick skillet over medium high heat. Pour in enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan spreading out into a thin layer. Watch closely because the crepes cook very fast about 30 seconds on each side.

For the filling

1 Cup of fresh strawberries
1/4 cup freah squeezed orange juice
1 tsp of orange zest
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
3 tb Nutella

1. In saute pan over medium high heat add the strawberries and cook for about 20 seconds
2. Next add the orange juice, zest, sugar and mint
3. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes unitl the juice reduces a bit and becomes like a syrup


Assembling the crepes is rellay easy, in each crepe spread out some of the Nutella on 1/4 of the crepe on the same edge put some of the filling and then just roll it up and eat. Its soooo delicious.

Greek Chicken Burger with Tatziki Sauce

1# of Ground chicken
2 tb diced red onion
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tb fresh dill, chopped
2 tsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tb worstershire sauce
salt and pepper to season
splash of lemon juice
Feta cheese to top burgers
Tatziki sauce (recipe below)

1.In a bowl combine the chicken,herbs and spices, worstershire and season with the salt and pepper and blend together.
2. Next, using your hands form into burger patties
3. The burgers can be cooked anyway you like, on the grill, in the skillet, or in the oven.

Enjoy the burger on your favorite bun with the tatziki sauce and topped with the feta cheese. This recipe is to die for it is soooo good, it's definately my newest favorite.

*Tatziki Sauce (cucumber dill sauce)

2 tb fine grated cucumber*
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tb manyonnaise
1 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp chopped mint
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


*Tatziki is traditionally made with greek yogurt and sour cream, but I like to use mayo when its for a spread on a sandwich.

*To get the cucmber for this recipe just run it over the fine side of your cheese grater, and add the cucumber along with its juice into the mix.

As I always say my recipes are just a guideline, i am happy to know that they have been a starting point for you to unleash your own culinary creativty and put you stamp on the meal.

Happy eating!

Happy New Year....

Ok I'm a little bit behind, but I'm still recovering from a busy, fun-filled holiday. Spending Christmas in both Virginia and Atlanta was so great and then ringing in the new year in D.C. way more amazing than I could have imagined. I was not even close to ready to come back to Atlanta but I had no choice, so before I returned prepared one last entree for my boyfriend to enjoy. One of the best things about the start of the new year is that it marks the return of really sweet, tender and juicy oranges. Of course they are great to eat alone but there are so many ways to incorporate them into your next meal. I decided on a orange and honey BBQ glazed chicken, a delicious flavor combination that could also be used for salmon or pork.

Orange and honey BBQ Glazed Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken cut into pieces
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup honey mustard BBQ sauce*
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1. Put and chicken pieces in a large bowl
2. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients and mix together.
3. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat evenly
4. Allow the chicken to marinate a minimum of 30 minutes
5. Put onto a sheet pan and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes

*Honey mustard BBQ is available at any local grocery store


Enjoy