August 5th, 2010
This is one of those recipes that is perfect for this time of the year. Dining al fresco? You bet. Just add a green salad, a glass of wine, atmosphere, a couple of friends and you have a winner.
Shrimp & Pasta Salad
1 lb. macaroni, cooked, drained and cooled
1 lb. medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced or chopped
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise – regular or low fat
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup ketchup
hot sauce – to taste
In a large bowl, combine first 6 ingredients. Mix well.
In another bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour over macaroni mixture, stir well and chill for several hours before serving.
Too easy right? It serves 8.
Note: This recipe can easily be adapted to be gluten free. Just replace the macaroni for gluten free ones and Emeril’s mustard is also gluten free.
Enjoy it and make it your own!!
Talk to you later…
July 15th, 2010
I have to give credit for this great recipe to Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. The recipe is so easy and perfect for company, as well.
When I say “make it your own”, I do mean it. I usually change the recipes around. Sometimes to fit dietary needs in my family.
I have made this recipe gluten free, as well.
The original recipe called for linguine. The first thing I did was to used gluten free pasta. I also mixed a regular rice spaghetti and a spinach fettuccine. I wanted more color.
Then I changed the size of the shrimp. I thought the medium shrimp would work better than the large ones. I think it did.
So, here it goes.
Pasta with Shrimp Scampi
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs pasta (spinach fettucchine and rice spaghetti)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons of good olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced garlic (3 cloves), optional
1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, the easy peel
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons) (This makes the recipe.)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions.
In another large, heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic will burn easily and that would not be a good thing.
Add shrimp, 1 tsp. of salt (optional), and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink. It will probably take 5 minutes or so, stirring often.
Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain it and then put it back in the pot.
Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.
Add a salad and your meal is ready!! Enjoy…
Talk to you later…
July 7th, 2010
It is so funny that it is so late at night and I am writing about Flan. I came late from Two Seas (tomorrow’s blog) in Dewey Beach and my Flan was ready. I had made it this afternoon. It is the perfect dessert for balmy evenings.
A Flan is like a custard, but at the same time it isn’t. It is more than that; it is a dessert that can be adapted to any occasion.
Let me tell you how I like it. First of all, just like with creme brulee, I want the original and most simple of the recipes. Forget flavors and enhancements. This dessert does not need all that.
The following recipe serves about 12 people. I cut it in half and it fit perfectly on my metal pie pan.
Flan de Leche ( Puerto Rican Baked Custard) Serves 12 (to adapt it just cut it in half; instead of 7 eggs, use 4). I also cut the sugar in half.
6 cups of milk (whole milk)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
peel of fresh lime, rinsed
7 eggs
1 cup sugar (to caramelize the pan)
Combine the milk, sugar, salt and lime and bring rapidly to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and allow to cool.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Caramelize a round 9 x 3 1/2-inch aluminum pan without tube, by putting sugar in the pan; placing it in the oven until it turns to a light gold. Swirl the pan to coat bottom and sides with caramel. Set aside.
In a saucepan, blend egg yolks and whites with a rubber spatula. Mix milk gradually, and strain.
Pour strained mixture into the caramelized pan. Set pan in a large shallow baking pan containing about 1 inch or so of hot water. Bake 1 hour for the full recipe or a little bit over 1/2 hour for half of the recipe. It should be set and golden. You may insert a knife in the center and if it comes out clean, it definitely is ready. Then, remove pan from water bath.
Allow to cool and then cover and set in refrigerator. When ready to serve, turn custard onto a platter. This can get tricky so first run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it up.
As with any recipe, you do have, at times, to play with it and make it your own. Then, enjoy it.
If you want to make it more festive, you may add berries on the side.
Talk to you later….you know I will….
June 28th, 2010
I was in the mood for some comfort food. I think if you ask anyone from Puerto Rico they will probably tell you that they consider “tostones” their comfort food.
Off to Giant, our local supermaket, I went and they did have plantains. I needed them green for the “tostones”. I don’t think there is a translation for “tostones”.
Plantains are from the same family as the bananas. They are a starch and they do have less sugar than the bananas.
The easiest way to peel the plantains is by cutting the tips on each end. Then, place the plantains in the microwave for 1 minute. Make a slice with a knife, lengthwise, just on the skin and peel it back. Cut the plantains in one inch chunks and place them in a bowl of water with a teaspoon of salt. I like my “tostones” thin so that’s why I gave you that measurement.
Drain the plantains and in a deep fryer or deep frying pan put enough Canola oil to submerge the plantain chunks. Fry them until they are golden.
Place them to drain on paper towels. Yes, it is too bad that they need to be fried but I am telling you, that’s why they are so good.
The next step is to flaten them. All you need is waxed paper and a plate. Put one chunk at a time in between the wax paper and flaten it with a plate. Continue to do so until all pieces are flatened. Believe it or not, it really does not take long.
Back again into the frying pan. Fry them until they reach a very deep golden color. They will rise to the surface of the oil. Drain again on paper towels.
Some people just eat them as a side dish and others like them as a snack. Some put just butter on top and a bit of garlic powder and some, like me, make a Mojo.
Yes, the Mojo really came before the alcoholic Mojito. It is one of those sauces made in a Pilon (Mortar and Pestle), if you have one. If not, then improvise. Garlic and salt are the first condiments of my Mojo. Then mash with the pestle. Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, mixing everything in. Then add a small can of tomato sauce, the juice of a half a lime, cilantro to taste, pepper, and a dash of Tabasco or more. The measurements are not exact, as you can tell by the way I am writing. Some times I think it needs a little more lime, or maybe more cilantro so you will probably have to make this recipe your own.
The Mojo is a sauce used for a lot of dishes. I was making some shrimp with onion, peppers, olive oil, a little bit of butter. I just sauteed all the vegies and at the last minute the medium shrimp went in and cooked until nice and pink. I added some of that Mojo to give it a nice sauce.
I had gone to Tomato Sunshine and got really pretty tomatoes. Once summer starts giving us good tomatoes then I love to make mayonnaise. You wonder why? Well, it is homemade and delicious.
Homemade Mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups salad oil
Aple Cider Vinegar
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Tabasco
In a small bowl put mustard, salt and egg yolks. Mix together with a mixer on low speed. Then add oil, 1 tsp. at a time a t first, mixing well after each addition. For the first 1/4 cup be sure to add only a little at a time.
As the mixture thickens, thin with 1 tsp. vinegar. Keep mixing with the mixer.
After 1/4 cup of oil, you may add the oil a little faster. The first additions of oil make the emulsion. If by any chance it separates during this time, take another egg yolk in another bowl and start over. After you get this well started, you can add the old separated mixture to it. I don’t think you will have any problems.
When mayonnaise is finished, add a dash of Worcestershire and a dash of Tabasco to taste.
Enjoy and make it your own.
Talk to you later…..as usual….
April 27th, 2010
Part of writing my blog is my addition of recipes that could be begged, borrowed or stolen. I have always said that you should make the recipe your own; either adding or substracting ingredients, sometimes because you have to adjust to dietary regimens.
I bought 2 cookbooks by the same author. Her name is Katie Moose. I met her at the Hunt Cup in Baltimore, Maryland a couple of years ago. And, the books are Chesapeake’s Bounty and Chesapeake’s Bounty II. These books are available at Amazon. You may also e-mail Katie at kamoose@erols.com.
The cookbooks are full of information on Historical Facts on the Chesapeake Bay Region, its Historic Inns and Taverns, and the region’s wineries.
They are also not the only books Katie has written. Others are: Annapolis: The Guidebook, Eastern Shore of Maryland: The Guidebook, New England’s Bounty, Nantucket’s Bounty, and Maryland’s Western Shore: The Guidebook. She has also co-authored The Best of Newport.
Every time the weather gets a little cooler or rainy I always think that’s a call for a chowder. These soups stick to your ribs and they seem to cuddle you. Perfect for tonight’s dinner.
The Corn Chowder in the Chesapeake Bounty’s book turned out pretty good.
The recipe is as follows:
2 cups fresh corn (this time of the year, I used canned)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup raw potato, sliced
3 cups boiling water
4 slices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
Parsley or chives (I used chives)
Fry the bacon in a large skillet and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Crumble the bacon back in the skillet
Saute onion and potato with the bacon. Stir in the corn.
Add boiling water, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in cream and milk
Just before serving, stir in egg yolks and butter
Serve in bowls with parsley or chives for garnish
Adding 1/4 cup chopped red pepper adds color to the soup, but I did not do that.
Adding 1/2 teaspoon cayenne makes for a spicier chowder. I definitely, did that.
How did I make this chowder my own? I sprinkled paprika and I also added gruyere cheese as garnish, as well.
These chowders usually are more caloric, so I just had a bowl for dinner.
Of course, if you have dietary restrictions, please do adjust the recipe. This recipe is also gluten free.
I have leftovers, so that is another plus. It does serves about 6 people.
Talk to you later….you know I will….
March 26th, 2010
You must be thinking that I must be nuts thinking about food at 11:20 p.m. on a Friday night but I was just thinking what could I make this week-end since I was going to be out and about; like in Baltimore, for the day.
On a chilly week-end this pasta dish might be considered comfort food but even though it might sound heavy, you will be surprised how tasty it actually is.
Brie Pasta
1 lb Brie cheese, rind removed, chopped into small pieces
5 ounces sundried tomatoes in oil, drained, cut into thin strips (you might be able to get them already cut)
4 ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
1 lb. linguine (you can use another pasta, if you wish; I use gluten free pasta)
Freshly grated fontina or Parmesan cheese to taste
In a large bowl, combine Brie cheese, sundried tomatoes, tomatoes, olives, garlic, basil, pepper and olive oil. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta and immediately toss with tomato mixture.
Serve immediately with grated cheese.
Serves about 5 to 6 people.
Remember to always make it your own and enjoy it!!! Talk to you later….
March 9th, 2010
It was a beautiful day in the Delmarva Peninsula. You forget about the snow and ice, well, maybe not, when a gorgeous day shows its face. Blue sky, gentle breezes and just cool.
Just as I mentioned on my post of March 5th, Dogfish Head went into a framing frenzy in order to frame a home for Sussex County Habitat for Humanity and to finish the framing by 5 p.m. on Monday, the 8th. I went to their parking lot, which is where all this was taking place, about noon, and they were making a lot of progress. My pictures are from that time of the day. I went again around 4:30 p.m. and they were completely finished and the framed home was taken away to eventually be allocated to a family.
Dogfish Head shut down business operations so that the employees could participate. Their restaurant ’s location is 320 Rehoboth Ave., Tel. 302-286-Brew. The website is www.dogfishhead.com.
Sussex County Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit Christian housing ministry committed to building single, decent, and affordable homes in partnership with low-income families. Their location is on 206 Academy St., Georgetown, DE 19947. Tel. 302-855-1153. Website is www.sussexcountyhabitat.org.
As I saw them working away I started working up an appetite; I found the perfect, easy recipe.
Greek Lemon Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
2-3 lemons, sliced thin
calamata olives, pitted and chopped coarsely
feta cheese, crumbled
salt (optional) and pepper to taste
olive oil
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
I used both chicken breasts and thighs in the same dish. Some people like dark meat; some white meat.
The other thing to have in mind is that no specific amounts were given, so just wing it with the feta and the olives.
Place lemon slices in the bottom of a 7″ x 9″ baking pan. Place chicken pieces on top of them, salt and pepper to taste and cover chicken with more lemon slices.
Sprinkle top with crumbled feta cheese and calamata olives.
Drizzle olive oil over all.
Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. I like my chicken well done.
The juice produced by this dish is quite good. The lemons and the olive oil make a great pair.
Regarding the calamata olives and feta, if you like a lot of them, be my guest. My husband thought he would like it better with the Spanish olives. I thought it was great this way.
So, like I always say, just enjoy it and make it your own.
This recipe could be served over rice or couscous. Or, you could cook Quinoa. I buy the Eden Organic Quinoa. This is a whole grain. They call it the mother of all grains. It is like a rice. It has the best amino acid profile of all grain. It is Gluten Free, Heart Healthy and Rich in Fiber. You can get it at Giant Super Markets and I am sure in a lot of other places, as well.
Enjoy!!
 Silver Lake in the late afternoon on Monday in Rehoboth Beach  Silver Lake - Beautiful
January 27th, 2010
It started with my husband watching the Food Network Channel. All of a sudden they were talking about a restaurant in Bal Harbour called La Goulue; a replica of a Parisian bistro with the best cheese souffle. Well, that is all it took. We wanted to go there, especially after watching the t.v. show and drooling at the site of such a magnificent dish.
Since we were in Florida, at the time, we were willing to drive over an hour to try La Goulue. I called the restaurant to find out if the souffle had flour. I thought that it might. I have never made one. Well, of course, it did, and you already know that in my household we eat gluten free, which means no wheat, flours and derivatives thereof. Well, that was a short trip!!
The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb souffler, which means to blow up or puff up. This is what happens when you combine egg yolks, egg whites and other ingredients. An enriched sauce with egg yolks and lightened with beaten egg whites, is what it is.
My husband kept dreaming about the cheese souffle and tonight his dream came true.
The following recipe is Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle. I have substituted the all purpose flour for a Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix made by Arrowhead Mills. It worked perfectly and the rest of the ingredients are gluten free as well. I hope you like it. It was so easy to make.
Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle
Grated Parmesan cheese – Buy a good wedge and grate it, finely, yourself.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
5 tablespoons Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix. If you don’t have an allergy, then use all purpose flour.
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) coarsely grated Gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Generously butter one 10-cup souffle dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat.
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly, a little over 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk, then wine. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Mix yolks, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add the mixture all at once to the sauce and whisk quickly to blend.
Fold in 1 1/4 cups Gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (cheeses do not need to melt).
Using an electric mixer, beat whites in a large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into the souffle base to lighten and then fold in the remaining whites.
Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of Gruyere cheese.
 Before Place souffle in oven; reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake souffle until puffed, golden and gently set in the center. This will take about 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and serve immediately.
 And After Serves 4 to 6 guests.
I think your guests will be very impressed. This is the type of dish that can be served with a salad and a green vegetable like asparagus, which is what I did.
Remember make the recipe your own; adjust it to your needs.
Bon Appetit!!
Note: This recipe was taken from www.epicurious.com and the information on the word souffle was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/souffl%C3%A9.
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