Monday, February 8, 2010

My Sandwiches

My best from http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com






Pastrami, Tomato and Coleslaw on Rye:
  • 2 pieces of light rye bread
  • 3-4 pieces of pastrami
  • 1 handful of coleslaw (shredded cabbage and carrots)
  • Tomato slices
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp sweet pickle relish
Combine the ketchup, mayonnaise and relish together in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Slather each slice of bread with the sauce. Layer one piece of bread with the pastrami, coleslaw and tomato slices; top with the other slice of bread and eat. Enjoy.





Chicken Salad Sandwich







The sandwich had a nice crunch from the walnuts, apples and bread while the chicken was creamy and soft. It took only minutes to make and made a tasty and satisfying lunch.


* 2 slices of bread (I used Tuscan bread from Trader Joe's)
* 1/2 cup of shredded roasted chicken breast
* 1-2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
* 1/4 apple, diced
* 1 tbsp mayonnaise
* Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Chop the apples and walnuts. Mix the chicken, walnuts, apples, mayonnaise together then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Toast your bread then slather on the chicken salad. Enjoy.



Flank Steak, Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Panini




* Flank steak
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
* 1 tsp brown sugar
* 3 cloves of garlic, minced
* Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag and mix thoroughly. Add the flank steak and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.

Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise:

* 1 bulb of roasted garlic
* Light Mayonnaise
* Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Make the roasted garlic (see link). Combine the mayonnaise, cooled roasted garlic (squeezed from the skin), sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until needed.

Panini:

* 1 tbsp olive oil (divided)
* 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced thick
* 15 button mushrooms
* 1 clove of garlic
* Thin slices of good bread
* Marinated flank steak

Heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add the onion slices. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Season with sea salt to taste then remove from heat and set aside.

Grill the steak to your desired degree of doneness. Make sure to let the meat "rest" for at least 5 minutes prior to slicing. Slice steak against the grain into thin slices.

While the steak is grilling, heat the remaining oil in the large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and leave them alone without stirring for 3-5 minutes. Stir them with a spatula and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Add the minced garlic and season with sea salt to taste, cook for an additional 60 seconds while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat the panini maker. Slather the roasted garlic mayonnaise on each slice of bread, layer one slice of bread with thinly sliced flank steak, caramelized onion and mushrooms, cheese and remaining slice of bread. Place dry sandwich on the panini maker and cook for 5 minutes. Slice in half and serve. Enjoy.



Greek Steak Pita with Tzatziki Sauce and Marinated Red Onion

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Steak Marinade:

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Lemon zest from half a lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag and mix thoroughly. Add the flank steak and make sure it gets evenly coated in the marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours.

Tzatziki Sauce :

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp sea salt
8 oz of Greek plain yogurt (I used non fat)
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove all the seeds from both halves. Dice into small pieces then place in a strainer. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp sea salt over the cucumber and set the strainer in a bowl for 30 minutes. The salt will draw out the moisture in the cucumber. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour to let flavors mingle.

Note: If you want really thick sauce, strain yogurt for several hours to remove the liquid and thicken the yogurt. Place two coffee filters in a strainer, which is placed in a bowl. Add the yogurt and let sit for two hours letting the liquid drain.

Marinated Red Onions:

1/2 large red onion, sliced very thin
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp white sugar
Dash of red pepper flakes (more if you want them spicy)
Sea salt, to taste

Slice onion into very thin slices. Combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the sliced onion and let sit, stirring occasionally for at least 45 minutes.

Other Ingredients:

Whole wheat pita
Romaine lettuce
Grape tomatoes, sliced
Feta cheese

Let the flank steak sit at room temperature for 15 minutes prior to cooking. Heat a large grill pan on medium heat until hot. Add the steak and cook until the desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan and set aside to rest for at least 5 minutes. Cut thin slices against the grain.
Warm the pita bread in the oven or microwave. Fill with the pita with lettuce, steak slices, tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, red onions and feta cheese. Enjoy.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

For the love of cooking


Southwestern Flank Steak:


* 3 tsp chili powderhttp
* 2 tsp smoked paprika
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp oregano
* 1 tsp coriander
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1/2 tsp onion powder
* Pinch of cayenne
* Flank steak

Combine all seasonings in a zip lock bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Sprinkle rub on both sides of the flank steak then cover the meat and place in the refrigerator for a few hours before grilling. Keep the remaining dry rub in the zip lock bag for later use.

Remove the flank steak from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking. Heat the grill pan on medium high heat and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Cook the flank steak for 3-4 minutes per side or until it's cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing in thin slices against the grain.




Chocolate Pixies



Original recipe by My Tasty Treasures and Kitchens Are Monkey Business

* 4 1 oz squares of UNSWEETENED chocolate
* 1/4 cup of unsalted butter

* 4 large eggs
* 2 cups of sugar
* 2 tsp of vanilla extract
* 2 cups of flour
* 2 tsp of baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup of pecans, chopped
* 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

Melt the butter and chocolate in a large glass bowl in the microwave.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl - mix thoroughly. Slowly add the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture beating at low speed until well blended. Stir in the pecans. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Shape the dough into small balls then roll in powdered sugar. Place the balls on a silpat covered baking sheet.

Bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Enjoy.








Tuesday, January 12, 2010


frozen festive vodka bottle




drinks


I first saw this done in Sweden and I knew I'd have to try it out. It's easy. Cut the top off a 1 litre plastic bottle, pop a 700ml bottle of vodka, gin, tequila or whatever you fancy in there. Fill inside the plastic bottle with water then shove leaves, sprigs of herbs, holly branches and berries, and sliced fruits all around the side. Stand this carefully in the freezer and leave it for a few hours so everything freezes around the bottle. When you're ready to serve it, simply run the sleeve quickly under a tap then slide it off. You'll have a perfect ice wrap around the bottle to keep it cold for the night - and look gorgeous!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Making Your Own Famous Sauces.


Every grilling chief needs an arsenal of sauces for marinades, condiments, or just plain eating. Rather than reaching for that famous brand sauce, try home made! Here's the recipe for three of the best.

Heinz 57 Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Heinz chili sauce

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on/off for 2 minutes on high or until smooth.
  2. Keep chilled.

Note: You can substitute the ketchup for low salt/low HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) ketchup

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A1 Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Heinz chili sauce


Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, remove the pan from heat and let sit to cool. The sauce should be lukewarm before continuing to work with it.
  3. Once the sauce reaches lukewarm temperature, pour into a blender and puree. Thicken as you like.
  4. Once the sauce reaches the desired thickness, pour sauce into a bottle and refrigerate. Make sure you use a bottle with a lid to keep fresh.

Note: Use Heinz Ketchup and chili sauce if you want it to taste just like A1.

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Worcestershire Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 oz. fresh horseradish, peeled and chopped
  • 2 chopped white onions
  • 3 tbsp. jalapeno pepper minced
  • 3 tbsp. garlic minced
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 cups of distilled vinegar (white)
  • 1 cup of molasses
  • 2 cups of corn syrup (dark)
  • 1 oz. anchovy fillets, chopped and drained
  • 12 cloves whole
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 1 peeled lemon

Directions:

  1. Place olive oil in a saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and add garlic, pepper, onions and horseradish.
  2. Continue sautéing until the ingredients are translucent, which is about eight minutes.
  3. Add lemon, salt, cloves, anchovy fillets, corn syrup, molasses, vinegar, water, black pepper and jalapeno pepper to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
  4. Turn down heat after the mixture comes to a boil and simmer for one hour.
  5. Use cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a wood cask, if you have one. Otherwise, use a jar with a lid large enough for the mixture. Place the jar in the refrigerator and allow it to remain there for one month to ferment before using.


There you have it. Now you have a base that the big companies have. I'd say that is just the beginning of some great tasting sauces to go on your great meals cooked, on your grill.








Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Linguine with veggies




Ingredients
500 g linguine
1/2 eggplant
1/2 green and red pepper
1 zucchini
2 tomatoes
3 cloves garlic finelly chopped
olliva oil
parmesan cheese
a good handful of basil
1 chili(optional)
salt and pepper

Simply and healty recipe...

Method
Boiled pasta al dente.
Heat a pan with oil oliva and add garlic and basil finely chopped. Chopped all the veggie and add into the pan.Continuous to cooking for few minutes and then add pasta and little water from pasta is boiled and still cooking 1 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and extra virgin oliva oil.

Enjoy...

Monday, June 1, 2009



Barley Buttermilk Muffins


Ingredients
1-1/2 cups Barley Flour
1 tsp Baking SodaAdd Video
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 Tb Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1-1/3 cups Buttermilk
1 Egg

Nice and fluffy and low in sugar. Great for anyone who is watcing their wasteline. You can jazz them up by adding poppyseeds or chocolate chips for a really special treat

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan with nonstick spray (you may also line with paper cups); set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (barley flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, brown sugar).

In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, oil and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; stir until just mixed.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Makes 12 regular size muffins.