Cheese and Tomato tid bits...

There is a Mexican melting cheese called queso quesadilla.  It is a bit difficult to find, so I decided to try and come up with something that is similar.  I discovered that if you take a large package of shredded Colby Jack and Cheddar and mix in a small package of shredded mozzarella, it works great.

If you use 1 small package of shredded pepper jack, 1 small package of shredded cheddar and 1 small package of shredded mozzarella, you get the same great texture with a little kick to it.


For a great Caprese salad, take a package of red and a package of yellow grape tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half, add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cracked pepper, 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 6 basil leaves finely chopped, stir and taste for seasoning.  I serve this on Ciabatta bread that has been browned in olive oil in a non-stick skillet and then I rub the bread with a garlic clove (or 2)......OH MY GOODNESS....my husband loves this as a snack.  If you like, you can also add the mini mozzarella cheese bits just before serving.

Have a great evening!
S.

Candied jalapenos

Typically, candied jalapenos are made from pickled jalapenos.  But that just takes too long for me.  Who wants to get a 5 lb jar of pickled jalapenos, try to fit a bag of sugar in the jar and then wait days for them to be ready.

I have come up with a great and easy recipe.  Start with 30 peppers, wash and slice into 1/2 inch rings (I keep the seeds and veins).  In a large heavy pan, add 3 cups of sugar, 3 cups of water, 3 tbsp of light corn syrup, 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves, bring to a simmer and then add the jalapenos.  Cook for about 30 minutes and let cool.  You can leave the cinnamon stick in, but be sure to fish out the cloves once the peppers are cool.

My husband LOVES these peppers and I make a batch every 2 weeks.

If I'm feeling very ambitious, I will cut the peppers in half, and seed and devein them.  The Christmas gift for our party guests will be a Mason jar filled with red and green candied peppers and a card with serving suggestions on it....think Goat cheese on garlic bruschetta topped with candied jalapenos, chopping the peppers and adding them to cornbread...and maybe a few other ideas.

Other tips: strain some of the spicy sugar syrup for use in Margaritas, Mango iced tea, brownies, home-made chocolate truffles or for any time you feel like adding something sweet and spicy to a drink or dish.

Sunday afternoon in the kitchen

I went to the Farmer's Market in Dallas this afternoon to get some fresh fruit and veggies.  I came home with a pineapple so sweet, it was like eating candy; sweet potatoes so big they could be launched as missiles; tomatoes so ripe that I could smell them as I walked by the vendor's vegetable stand; fresh blueberries that were as big as nickels; sweet onions that I sampled raw and did not shed a tear over; jalapenos that are the deepest shade of green and smell amazing and finally sweet, sweet corn on the cob.

So...the blueberries will become my mom's blueberry coffee cake....tons of blueberries in a slightly sweet and buttery batter and a nutmeg and sugar crust on top that is simply amazing.

Most of the jalapenos will become candied with a few left out for other recipes.

The sweet potatoes will be roasted and at least one of them will be made into match-stick fries for my hubby.  I may even make sweet potato biscuits.

The corn will be grilled, cut off the cob and used in a black bean and grilled corn salsa. Simple to make, but oh so delicious.  Grill your corn until it is browned and has a little bit of char on it and cut the kernels off the cob.  If you use an angel food cake pan, place the small end of the cob in the center tube, you can then cut the corn off the cob without loosing most of it on the floor for the cats to play with.  Rinse a can of plain black beans, drain and place in a mixing bowl.  Add the corn, 1 bunch of chopped cilantro, 2 jalapenos seeded, deveined and minced, 1/2 finely diced purple onion that has been rinsed under cold water and drained (this takes the strong smell and the sharp bite out of the raw onion), the juice of 1 lime, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Stir well and taste for seasoning.  I serve this with tortilla chips and it is simply wonderful.

The onions...some will be sliced for salads, some will be used in breakfast burritos, some will be sauteed until browned and used as the bed for baked tortilla crusted chicken breasts.  Tip:  for something different, crush tortilla chips (yellow, red and blue) and use these instead of bread crumbs to coat chicken, fish or pork chops....YUM!!!

The tomatoes have already been cut into chunks with salt and pepper added for flavor and have become one last taste of summer.

The pineapple has been cut into chunks for a quick snack.  The next pineapple will be grilled and served as dessert with home-made vanilla ice cream and bourbon sauce.

I hope you enjoy the salsa and the tip for the tortilla chips.  If y'all try these, I would love to hear from you.

Cool weather, hot drinks

It is finally getting cold in Texas.  This is the perfect November nite....cold, rainy, distant thunder....perfection.  It is also the perfect nite for White Hot Chocolate with Grand Marnier.  This is the perfect drink.  It almost reminds me of a creamsicle.   2 cups of whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate, 1/2 cup Grand Marnier.  Bring the mixture up to the point of where steam rises from the pan and until the chocolate is melted.  Add 1 tsp vanilla. stir, serve and enjoy.  You can substitute chambourd for the grand marnier, you can also substitute with chambourd and lady godiva dark chocolate liquer.....where ever your imagination takes you, you can go.  Bourbon and Peach schnapps would be fabulous....ooooo, now I'm thinkin'.

This hot chocolate also converts beautifully to a rich pudding.....just dissolve 4-5 tablespoons of corn starch in 4 - 5 tbsp of water and add slowly to the hot liquid making sure to wisk constantly....once it bubbles, it is done.  Serve in your favorite pudding vessels with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy.

Hot tea is a very New England Beverage served with a bit of honey and milk.  I also add a bit of real maple syrup and a smidge of vanilla to get a luscious version of maple vanilla tea.

These are all items that we fixed at home, however the children did not get the liquor in the hot cocoa.  But we enjoyed it just as much.

Type with y'all later....

Oooo....send ideas for Tapas dishes....I'm throwing my husband a birthday party this year with about 20 guests.....the more ideas, the merrier.....

Thanks everyone!
S.

Sausage Soup

I made my version of sausage soup...ground turkey seasoned to taste just like sausage, onion, chicken stock, tomatoes, garlic, spinach and rice, very simple, very easy and very yummy.

I also made Ina Garten's roasted tomato basil soup.  If you have not tried this, you must....this is not Campbell's from a can.  It is a sophisticated, rich and luscious soup that is low fat and amazing.

Next on my list...is chili (no beans), barbecue black beans, pot roast, roasted port tenderloin, fresh veggies and couscous.  I may even make my orzo salad....

Home-made bread

My mom and dad used to make bread every once in a while, but I make bread much more often.  My husband LOVES my home-made white bread.  I also add different seasonings to it to create a variety of breads....classic rosemary and garlic; sun dried tomato and basil; chipotle; jalapeno and cheddar; feta and black olive among several other savory blends.

I also use the basic bread dough to create sweet versions of bread, such as: dried apricot, white chocolate and macadamia nut; dark chocolate, dried cherry and pistachio; dark chocolate and orange; white chocolate and orange; vanilla bean and several others.

The savory breads make incredible sandwiches as well as savory bread pudding.  Bread pudding, like whipped cream, does not have to be sweet to be wonderful.  New twists on old favorites are always an adventure.

Long time, no post.....

Time flies wether you are having fun or not.  I have begun classes to finish my MBA, so I have not had the same amount of time I had prior to school.  However, I am a bit ahead of schedule on my homework (thank goodness for a syllabus) so I can get back to work on my cookbook.

I remembered the best method for making an easy caramel and that is to take a can of sweetened condensed milk and simmer it in water for about 3 hours.  Yes, that is right....but the can must remain covered by water.  Watching the water level in the pan is essential.  Then remove the can, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it cool.  This is an old trick that I had forgotten about and I cannot remember where I first saw it.  But...what I am doing with the wonderful caramel that results from this process is a whole other story.  Think chocolate and think whipped cream...I'll let y'all know how this turns out.

Over the weekend, I am going to get back to the recipes from my mom's old shoebox.  Did I ever mention that the box was soldier blue?   Anyway....I made applesauce last weekend just before my oral surgery.  I had forgotten about how good my mom's applesauce was and still is.  It has the standard ingredients, plus one secret ingredient.  This applesauce is served warm and the entire house smells of cinnamon and apples.  This is also the applesauce that I use in my mom's recipe for Applesauce cake......now, this is a great cake.

I made pumpkin bread also, which is a completely vegan recipe.  There is no milk, no eggs and no butter in the recipe.  The bread is completely moist and delicious.

I also have to begin gathering the ingredients for my turkey tamales for Thanksgiving along with having a friend write down the recipe while I make it.  These are simply amazing and I can hardly wait for the holiday.