0 Antipasto Salad

Occasionally, I will have to make something appetizer for a party. It is very easy for me to put anything like antipasto together and let it chill in refrigerator for some hours. Then bring it to a party. I don't have kind of a recipe but in my mind, I will make it very simple without frills and fuss.

I hope I find right recipe for you to make salad for your party or so. I don't follow this recipe but will have good ingredients to throw in a big bowl. I will put them together pretty simple: Cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, red onions, bell peppers if any, black olives, good salami and nice ham or pepperoni, along with provolone cheese or any white cheese. Whatever I use what I have in refrigerator for salad. Very tasty with Italian dressing. Sometime, I will add pesto sauce with little more garlic in it to salad or some nice salad dressings.

Bon appetit!

Antipasto Salad

From Midwest Living

2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces (1-1/3 cups)

1 small zucchini, sliced (1 cup)

1 small yellow summer squash, sliced (1 cup)

1 cup cauliflower flowerets

1 cup broccoli flowerets

1 small cucumber, sliced (1 cup)

2 stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)

1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (3/4 cup)

1 medium carrot, sliced (1/2 cup)

1/2 of a small red onion, sliced and separated into rings

1/2 cup pitted ripe olives or pimiento-stuffed green olives

1/2 cup pepperoncini salad peppers

1 cup bottled Italian salad dressing

1 8-ounce package sliced salami, cut into bite-size pieces

1. In a very large bowl*, combine all of the ingredients, tossing to coat mixture with dressing.

2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, tossing occasionally. Makes 10 to 12 side-dish servings.

Note
If you combine and seal all the ingredients in a large, heavy plastic bag, simply turn the bag occasionally, instead of tossing the ingredients.

0 Blackened Beef Stir-fry

Well, there are some websites that will give me good ideas about what to do with food or to replenish my creativity mind with big good juices of ideas. I always enjoy to try something different than that usual Chinese method to stir-fry. Idea of blackening the beef and use the flavor of cajun seasoning to change the climate of flavor in big Wok cooking.

I hope this recipe is good for you to follow. Bon Appetit!

Blackened Beef Stir-Fry

Recipe by www.bhg.com

• 12 ounces boneless beef top sirloin steak or top round steak
• 2-1/4 teaspoons blackened seasoning for beef
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 16-ounce package frozen stir-fry vegetables (any combination)
• 3 cups hot cooked rice

1. If desired, partially freeze beef for easier slicing. Trim fat from beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into thin bite-size strips. Sprinkle steak strips with 2 teaspoons of the blackened seasoning; toss to coat well.

2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together the water, tomato paste, cornstarch, beef bouillon granules, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon blackened seasoning; set aside.

3. In a wok or large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add stir-fry vegetables. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add beef strips to hot wok. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until desired doneness.

4. Push meat from center of wok. Stir sauce. Add to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to wok. Stir together to coat all ingredients with sauce. Heat through. Serve over rice.

5. Makes 4 servings

1 Chicken Tikka Recipes

I rarely do some big works on food to follow long recipe for a dinner. Sometime, I am little lazy to follow the details like adding yogurt, little good lime juice and good curry powder but I like to try something new. Until I taste the chicken, I want to make sure that I have all ingredients ready before making any.

Best part is tasting the chicken to see if it tasted good or not. My family is my favorite guinea pigs since they love curried food. I always want to try new recipe with good curry flavor. If they really like this, the recipe will go in my family recipe file.

Take a look at two recipes, either way is easy for you to follow--Bon Appetit!

Chicken Tikka

• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
• 3/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
• 2 cups whole-milk yogurt
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for greasing pan
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (Indian spice mixture)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 5 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

• Special equipment: 20 (12-inch) wooden skewers
• Accompaniments: mango and red pepper chutney and mint raita
• Garnish: lime wedges

Purée all ingredients except chicken in a blender until spices are well ground.

Put chicken in a large bowl, or divide between 2 large sealable plastic bags, and add yogurt mixture, stirring or turning to coat. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled (turning occasionally if using bags), at least 4 hours.

Soak skewers in water 30 minutes. While skewers are soaking, bring chicken to room temperature.

Preheat broiler and brush a broiler pan lightly with oil.

Divide chicken among skewers (about 5 cubes per skewer), leaving an 1/8-inch space between cubes, and arrange about 5 skewers across pan. Broil chicken about 4 inches from heat, turning over once, until browned in spots and just cooked through, 9 to 12 minutes total.

Transfer cooked skewers to a large platter and, if desired, cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Broil remaining chicken in same manner. Remove chicken from skewers and serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Tikka by Food and Wines

1. MASALA MARINADE
   1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
   2 garlic cloves, minced
   1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
   1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
   1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
   1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
   1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
   1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
   Salt and freshly ground pepper
   
   
   CHICKEN
   2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
   Salt and freshly ground pepper
   2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
   1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
   1 large onion, finely chopped
   2 garlic cloves, minced
   1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
   1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
   1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder
   1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
   One 35-ounce can peeled tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved
   Pinch of sugar
   1 cup heavy cream
   
   
   DIRECTIONS
   
   
   MAKE THE MASALA MARINADE: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper.
   
   
   PREPARE THE CHICKEN: Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.
   Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Broil the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut it into 2-inch pieces.
   Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.
   In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chile powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in the chicken; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and serve.
   Variation The marinade and sauce here are also delicious with shrimp, lamb and vegetables.
   
   
   MAKE AHEAD
   The Chicken Tikka Masala can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.
   
   
   SERVE WITH
   Steamed basmati rice, rice pilaf or warm nan.
   
   

0 Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

One of my favorite vinaigrette for my own salad or whatever salads I am in good mood for. It is very easy to make my own than going to grocery store and looking for that or this bottle of whatever funny inside. I had made my own lime and cilantro vinaigrette almost similar to this recipe--I hope I give you an easy way to follow the recipe so you won't get hair on your chest after tasting something spicy. There are many good recipes about how to make like this. Bon appetit!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

This versatile recipe can be used to marinate chicken breasts for grilling, as well as a salad dressing. Mix up a batch and marinate 4 boneless chicken breasts in it for about two hours. While the chicken is grilling you could whip up a batch of Green Chile Cream (recipe follows). You might also want to make the Grilled Pico de Gallo found in the Hot and Spicy Appetizer Recipes. Place the chicken on top of the grilled Pico de Gallo and top with the Green Chile Cream. There is enough vinaigrette left over for a fresh salad.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup peanut oil

1 lime, juiced with pulp

1/4 cup lime juice

1 1/4 teaspoons green peppercorns, crushed

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Allow to warm to room temperature before using as a marinade.

Green Chile Cream

Serve on top of a grilled chicken breast that has been placed on top of a bed of grilled Pico de Gallo.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon shallots, chopped

4 each jalapeños, seeded and minced

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

1 pinch salt

1 pinch cracked peppercorns

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped, reserve some sprigs for garnish

fresh lime

Preparation:

In a saucepan, heat butter and sauté the garlic, shallots and minced jalapeño. Add the stock, bring to a boil and reduce by three-fourths. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by about half and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon well. Season to taste. Just before serving, add the clean, chopped cilantro and a small squeeze of lime juice. Heat to a near boil.

0 Quotes

You are what you think. You are what you go for. You are what you do! Bob Richards

1 What to do with Ground Venison?

Few years ago, I went to grocery store that have all organic foods and whatever local meats are selling. Rarely there are some game meats in freezer like venison, bison, or nice elk meats. One day, I found what I want for making good meatballs. I will mix venison with ground beef or pork for good flavor. I had made the kind of meatballs (The recipe is same as usual meatballs that you make for your favorite spaghetti pasta sauce or whatever you want to do with meatballs.) with these two grounded meats and they are gone within five minutes after I managed to get few balls for myself. Whew! They tasted delicious--the tasty meatballs are gone fast.

VENISON BURGERS

(because venison has so little fat, you'll need to add some for a juicy
burger. But don't use deer fat -- it tastes bad.)

1 pound ground venison
3 ounces pork fat back, ground
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mix venison, pork, salt and pepper, handling as little as possible. Heat
grill. Brush burgers with vegetable oil and grill about 4 minutes; turn and
cook to desired doneness. Serve on rolls with your choice of condiments.

2 Chocolate Hazelnut Crostata with Roasted Banana Ice Cream

One favorite dessert that I like most about: Hazelnut and Chocolate together. Very delicious combination for a dessert. Always looking for a good recipe including Hazelnut and chocolate. Last time I had made Chocolate Truffles that have hazelnuts mixed into chocolate. Very delicious.

Found this recipe but don't remember where I find this. I don't know but I will find out where it comes from.

Bon Appetit!

Chocolate Hazelnut Crostata with Roasted Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

Crostata dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons water

Chocolate hazelnut filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 ounces gianduja chocolate, finely chopped
3 large egg yolks

Roasted banana ice cream:
2 bananas
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Assembly:
6 tablespoons toasted crushed hazelnuts

Garnish:
Chocolate sauce

Preparation

1. Make crostata dough: Place flour and sugar in large bowl and whisk together. Using pastry blender, cut in butter. Stir in yolks and water with fork until dough is formed. Knead gently 2-3 times. Divide into 6 portions and chill.

2. Make filling: Bring cream and sugar to boil. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and yolks. Whisk until smooth. Chill 6-8 hours.

3. Make ice cream: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place bananas on baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes. Cool and place in food processor to purée. Set aside.

4. Bring cream, milk and sugar to boil in medium saucepan. Place yolks in medium bowl and whisk until light in color. Add a bit of hot cream mixture and whisk. Gently whisk yolk mixture back into cream mixture. Cook gently over medium heat until thick, stirring until mixture coats back of spoon. Strain and add roasted banana purée and vanilla.

5. Cool over large bowl of ice water and freeze in ice cream maker following
manufacturer’s instructions.

6. Assemble dessert: Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll crostata dough into approximately 1/4" thick, 6" diameter circles and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Fold dough in toward center at 1" intervals around edge of dough. Place baking sheet in freezer for 20 minutes before filling.

7. Place 1 tablespoon toasted crushed hazelnuts in center of crostata dough. Place 2 heaping tablespoons chocolate filling onto nuts. Bake until dough is golden and chocolate is bubbling, about 12 minutes.

8. Remove from oven, place on serving plate and serve with chocolate sauce and roasted banana ice cream.

Recipe by: Southpark Seafood Grill & Wine Bar, 901 SW Salmon Street, Portland, OR, 97205; 503-326-1300. * I don't know if this restaurant still exist since I just found a recipe and enjoy.*

3 Braunschweiger / Liverwurst Recipes

There are some food I don't really want to talk about after all I learned and knew something that I don't want to make some gory stuff into wonderful stuff--good for my grilled cheese sandwich, honest. I preferred to buy something from grocery store instead of making something from starch. (Actually, I learn and know about many variations of sausage-making and some interesting bologna stuffs in college. I have to be very brave through the shocking revelation of head cheese ingredients that I don't want to share that with you--and made them, taste them and enjoy them without puking it out.)

Few days ago, my kid and I watched TV show--I don't know what title it is, but showing all kind of sausages are made like salami, liverwurst, head cheese, usual bologna and other kinds of sausages you can name them. You should see my daughter's face gaped at show after she found out about bologna--her favorite lunch meat. She already ate her lunch sandwich before she find something good to watch on TV. I love her a lot. Later that afternoon, I took her to grocery store and I made many jokes about getting some good liverwurst and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch tomorrow--she did not allow me to take one from lunch meat shelves.

Here are the recipes that I want to share with you about what kind of recipes the lunch meats are really is made of. I am sure some of you don't mind to eat ole' meat sandwich--I hope you don't get up and run to bathroom, you know.

Bon Appetit!

Braunschweiger

2 1/2 lbs. fine ground cooked pork liver (boiled)
2 1/2 lbs. fine ground cooked pork butt (boiled)
2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground marjoram
2 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sage
1 cup grated onions
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. white pepper
1 cup water used for boiling meat

Combine all ingredients, mix until smooth and pasty and stuff into beef,
hog or cloth casing. Simmer in salted water for approximately 20
minutes. Refrigerate for 24 hours before using.This sausage is much like
liverwurst. Use it as a spread.


Liverwurst

3 1/2 lbs. pork livers
3 lbs. beef tripe
3 1/2 lbs. pork snouts
6 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sage
2 tbsp. powdered dextrose
2 level tsp. Prague Powder No. 1
1 tbsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. nutmeg

Cook pork snouts for approximately 1 hour, let cool and then grind all the meat through a 1/8 grinder plate. (Pork snouts should be weighed before grinding; you may have to add stock to bring snouts back up to green weight.) Add all the ingredients and mix well until all the spices are evenly distributed; regrind again using 1/8 plate. Liverwurst should be stuffed into a beef middle, sewed hog bungs or prime hog bungs.There also are sewed synthetic casings available.Water should be precooked to 180F.; liverwurst will then be placed into water and temperature allowed to drop to 160-165F. Cook until an internal temperature of 150-152F. is obtained (1-1 1/2 hours).After cooking, remove to a tub filled with ice and water for a quick chill; add sufficient ice to chill as rapidly as possible, which will require at least 45 minutes. Remove from ice water and let dry at room temperature; remove to cooler overnight.