Continue reading »]]> Okay, kale, it’s green. IT’S GREEN. It’s also very bitter. This is the first time I’m eating it raw. I’ve had it cooked in butter, and that’s always a good thing. I read an article of the benefits of eating lots of kale. Which, I already knew, but it’s GREEN. It said that kale is king of green foods. It’s packed with calcium, minerals, vitamins, fiber and great for those detox’ers. I thought, “What the hell. Why not? I’ll just add my Dijon dressing to it, and all will be right.” All the while, keeping my fingers crossed.

I took a few handfuls of chopped kale (about 2 cups). Since I didn’t have shredded carrots, I stole a few off the bunnies. Shhh! Buy a bag of shredded carrots, or julienne two small carrots.

Use about 1/4 cup of parsley and sliced green onions. Add about two tablespoons of sunflower seeds, and one tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Season with ground sea salt and ground black pepper. My mistake, I was thinking, “This is going to be one bitter salad,” that I added too much salt. – Trust me, it’s so good that you only need a little.

For my Dijon dressing: Mix together one tablespoon of EVOO and Dijon. Add in one teaspoon of vinegar. – Whisk.

Drizzle over the greens and toss. This salad is moan worthy.

Secret ingredient: Pair this salad with a Belgian Pale Ale, or even a Blue Moon.

Please share your ideas because this girl likes to eat.

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Just because Cinco de Mayo is over, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some Mexican favorites. Besides, margaritas are best all year long.

On May 5, for my niece’s birthday, we took a cooking class at Habitat restaurant located at 510 Market Street, Pittsburgh, PA in the Fairmont Hotel. The hotel is only two years old, and absolutely lovely. I’ve never stayed here, but from the great attention we received for just an afternoon, I can tell it’s a fine venue to lay your head.

At the Habitat, the food is internationally inspired, but uses “locally sourced, organic and sustainable items wherever possible.” The atmosphere is contemporary and very relaxing.

Each month the Habitat hosts a different cooking class where you get an apron, a hat, recipes, and enjoy the meal you helped prepare. The class is a low-hands on approach. – They didn’t let us use knives. Thank goodness! Chef Luis Jimenez knife cut everything as though it were butter. Very. Sharp.

This is by far the best experience at a restaurant I ever had. I highly recommend other restaurants to do this. Not only do you get to enjoy a meal, you get to hangout with the chefs and help prepare it. How cool is that? As you will see in my photos, it is well worth $65 per person. We spend that much eating out at The Cheese Cake Factory with no fun times in the kitchen. Just so cool.

We were greeted by Sous Chef, Paula Smagacz, our host for the afternoon. She was super sweet, very talented and funny. Thanks Paula for an enjoyable day.

First things first…

Chef Paula, took us on a tour of their two-story kitchen filled with different types of chefs. The kitchen was immaculate. When eating out, do you ever wonder what the kitchen looks like? Pretty neat to see it, and know it’s spotless.

Here you see a statue made of chocolate. I’m not sure I could eat it. Hell! Who am I kidding. It took much discipline not to reach out and snap a piece off…

Especially, the bunny ears. Look how cute!

After the kitchen tour, they made us Skinny Margaritas. Can I get a Hell Yeah?

Here is their recipe.

2 oz. Patron, or any tequila

1 oz. Cointreau

2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

1 oz. agave nectar

Put rim of glass in lime juice, then roll in coarse salt. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Pour into glass and enjoy.

This was spectacular. I think I asked, “May I have another?” about three times.

Let’s get cooking…

Season whole chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Coat a saute pan with oil and sear chicken on both sides over medium high heat. Chef Luis said it’s better if you use the grill.

Toss in one tablespoon of each of the dried spices of sweet paprika, smoked paprika, cumin seeds, and dried oregano. Cook in pan for a few seconds then add chicken stock enough to cover the meat. Lower the heat to medium low. Simmer mixture for about 20 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Remove chicken from broth and pull apart. If you are going to store it in the refrigerator, pure some broth over it to keep it moist.

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper

Oil

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Chicken stock

I did not know this, but using radishes in your steak marinade helps tenderize the meat. Chef Luis used Skirt Steak. He also said you could use Flank Steak. I always have a problem with it even using processed tenderizers. He simply poked the steak with his fork on both sides and used a radish in the marinade. He also said the best method is use a pizza docker and roll it over the meat to help tender it.

Marinade recipe for the steak tacos:

Skirt Steak

Salt and pepper

Oil (enough to cover the meat)

1 bunch parsley, chopped

2 sprigs thyme, chopped

2 springs rosemary, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 whole daikon radish, peeled and sliced

Next up is Chimmichurri. Yum. Yum. I could make this and use it on my sandwiches. Just divine.

The recipe:

2 bunches parsley, rough chopped

1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped

1 garlic clove

Lemon, juiced to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

In a blender or food processor, pulse the fresh herbs and garlic. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend. Slowly drizzle in enough olive oil to create a sauce. Taste and season as needed.

Guacamole. The recipe is simple. I didn’t get a recipe card for this one. However, it was pretty close to mine, but he added in red onion and green onions. For guac, you don’t need a recipe. Put whatever you want in it. It’s easy.

Guess what I’m getting at the Mexican grocer this weekend? For the tortillas, simply follow the recipe on the back of the bag. Smoosh it together in a bowl with your hands. Fun! Create golf ball sized balls…

And, smash it in this handy tortilla maker. You can use a rolling pin, but that’s no fun. I’m picking up this handy tool. It’s under $10. Why not?

Spray your pan over medium heat and cook on both sides until slightly golden.

Roasted Tomato Salsa. Best salsa EVER.

3 tomatoes

3 onions

3 jalapenos

3 red bell peppers

Oil

1 tablespoon orange juice

Salt and pepper

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

Wash all vegetables and toss with a small portion of oil to coat. Place the vegetables in a roasting pan and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 45 minutes until everything is charred well. Allow to cool until able to handle. Remove seeds from both peppers. Blend vegetables and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper then fold in the chopped cilantro.

Are you a sushi fan? Well, this is not sushi, but it’s raw fish cooked by juices. Ceviche.

White fish (bass, snapper, or yellow tail), sliced sashimi style

Jalapeno, brunoise

Shaved garlic

Basil

Cilantro

Salt

Green onions

Shaved red onions

Red pepper, brunoise

1 tablespoon each of fresh lemon, lime and orange juice

Mix in all ingredients and add the citrus juices a few minutes prior to serving.

The juices will start to cook the meat. You will see the pink fish turn white.

Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

For dessert, Flan. As much as I love custard and caramel, I’m not a fan of flan. However, I have to say that this was good.

Spanish Cinnamon Flan:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 cups heavy cream

1 cinnamon stick

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks

Pinch of salt

To make the caramel: Have ready a 2-quart round flan mold and a large roasting pan. Combine 1 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy-bottomed pot.

Place over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar begins to melt. Swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup darkens to a medium amber color, about 10 minutes. Do not stir with a spoon.

Remove from the heat and immediately add the lemon juice, swirl the pan again to combine, and then pour into the flan mold.

Tilt the mold so that the caramel evenly coats the bottom and a bit up the sides. Place mold in the roasting pan and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to boil for the water bath and keep it hot.

Combine the cream, cinnamon and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the cream to a brief simmer, stirring occasionally. Take care not to let the cream come to a full boil to prevent it from spilling over.

In a large bowl, cream together the whole eggs and yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and salt. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.

Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the hot cream mixture (don’t add it too quickly or the eggs will cook).

Pass the mixture through a strainer into a large measuring cup to ensure that the flan will be perfectly smooth. Pour the custard into the caramel-coated mold.

To create the water bath: Pour the hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the mold; be careful not to get water into the custard.

Carefully transfer to the middle oven rack, and back for 30 to 45 minutes, until the custard is barely set and just jiggles slightly.

Let the flan cool in the water bath, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the flan. Place a dessert plate on top of the flan and invert to pop it out. Done!

My finished plate.

Time to eat. In the center of the dining room, they have, what they call, a “communal table.” We all took a seat and started to enjoy our meal. May I have another Margarita?

In this picture from left to right: Nicole, Chef Luis, Chef Jenny <wink>, and Chef Paula.

We had a blast. Not only did we get to enjoy a delicious dinner, we met many wonderful people from the chefs to the lovely ladies at our table. How fun!

The Habitat is the second restaurant to make my Pittsburgh Favorite list. Outstanding. “The experience is one to share.”

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The best market place in Pittsburgh is the Strip District. There’s never a dull moment with lots of diversity from the food to the people. You can’t help but want to peruse the wares of the outdoor vendors. You can find everything from Yinzer pride souvenirs, to fresh foods, to hipster cafés, to down-home diners. Fabulous good stuff!

The streets get packed on the weekends. Especially, on a bright sunny day no matter the temperature. Be prepared for a crowd. I love the outdoor market feel. There is no other place like it in the city.  When you’re shopping in the Strip you’re really a part of Pittsburgh’s history.

My family and I go to the Strip at least once a month. We go early to find free parking. If you are willing to pay for parking, then you won’t have any problems. We grab breakfast at Pamela’s or Deluca’s, both serve awesome diner food, before heading out to shop for seasonal yummies.

One place we always hit is Stan’s Produce Market. He pretty much gives it away; very cheap yet great quality produce. It definitely beats sub-par grocery produce. I spent a total of $19 on two large eggplants, a large bag of carrots, three avocados, a bunch of leeks, onions, basil, a jar of already peeled garlic, and a few other things. That’s just craziness. That is why I dedicate this recipe to Stan’s Produce Market in the Strip. You inspired me to make this because I couldn’t pass up a good deal.

No beer in this recipe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have one. I am!

You’ll Need

2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 Sicilian style eggplants, peeled and sliced
4 large eggs
3 cups of tomato sauce (I use my Alternative to Canning Tomato Sauce)
1/2 cup of Basil, roughly chopped. I just pull apart with my fingers.
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
8 – 10 slices of fresh mozzarella balls
Lemon zest, about half of a lemon
Olive oil, as needed
Sea salt and ground pepper

Let’s get started…

Put your tomato sauce in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. If you are using my Alternative to Canning Tomato Sauce recipe, and it is frozen, there is no need to thaw it. Just take it from freezer to pot, and cover to help speed up the process.

Add lemon zest to the warming sauce. Not much is needed at all. I do a little less than half of a lemon. As my friend Leslie says, “It seems to brighten the flavors.”

Slicing

While your sauce is heating, slice your eggplant (about a quarter inch thick).

Mixing

Mix together the flour and bread crumbs in a flat dish. Beat the eggs in a separate flat dish. Coat each eggplant slice in your flour mixture then dip each one in egg wash.

Frying

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer coated eggplant into the hot skillet, and fry for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel.

Layering

Spread a layer (about 1 cup) of warm sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

Top with a layer of fried eggplant slices. I overlap each slice.

Sprinkle basil over the eggplant (about 1/4 cup per layer).

Add a layer of Parmesan (about1/2 cup per layer).

Repeat one more time; giving you two layers.

Top it off with about nine slices of fresh mozzarella; sporadically placed.

Baking

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, uncovered

Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cheese Pastries, The PUSHER

As Glen’s father, Ed, would say, “You need a pusher.”

Pusher Definition: A bread-like substance, such as, muffin, biscuit, or crusty bread, to help you push your food onto your fork.

Ha! I agree.

While your eggplant cools a little, cook your pastries.

For Pastries, You’ll Need

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (two sheets per box)
2/3 cup of Asiago cheese, grated (or any cheese you like)
1/2 of lemon, zested
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons for drizzle)

Pastry Instructions

Thaw according to the instructions on the box. I usually set it out on the counter while I make the eggplant.

Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Leave pastry sheets folded and place on the cookie sheet. Cut pastry sheet about one inch wide, and separate with a little space between each one.

Drizzle olive oil over the pastries. Sprinkle the cheese and garlic over the top. Finally, take your lemon and zest sporadically over the pastries. Don’t worry about being neat with the ingredients. – The olive oil will soak up the flavors; infusing the pastry while it cooks.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Done! Serve with a green salad and a Peroni Red. Your family is going to love it. Glen does not like Eggplant Parmesan and said, “This is amazing. I love the textures.” I believe the secret is in the fresh produce and the lemon zest. A little zest brightens the flavors. That goes for life in general.

Depending on how big you cut the slices, the eggplant can serve 6 to 8 people. The Pusher makes about 18 -20 individual pastries.

Thanks for the yummy produce and great prices Stan.

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Update

It has been a busy and stressful fall for us. So busy that I haven’t had much time to cook. Kinda bums me out. I also have several new recipes I need to get posted. It takes a lot of time to keep up on a food blog. From photography to writing witty banters. As much as I love it, it’s been a low priority for me. Sad.

For the holidays, we head to our families for Christmas eve and Christmas day. No menu planning for me, but I have to bring something. I went hunting in my freezer and caught a few racks of ribs. I was thinking, “I don’t have the time to make this recipe, but ribs sound yummy. What can I do?”

I’m actually going to make a version of this in the slow cooker for Christmas. One would think that slow cooking would take longer, but this will cut the time in half. You will not need to marinade, use as many ingredients, or have as many steps. So why not just always make ribs in the slow cooker? Well, I still prefer the recipe below because I prefer dry ribs with a dipping sauce. If I had a grill, that would be the best way.

Let’s get started

Obviously, the full rack of ribs will not fit in your slow cooker. I’m going to cut three ribs together, and toss in the following ingredients.

2 Rack of Ribs, cut

1/2 Cup of dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon of Old Bay

1 medium onion, diced

1 bottle of dark beer

1/4 cup of honey

1/3 cup of Worcestershire

1/4 cup of white wine vinegar

Cook on high for about 4-5 hours, or until the meat is nice and tender (falling off the rack). That’s it!

I hope you enjoy your holidays. Peace to you and your family.

Original Post

In the past, the only way I’ve made baby back ribs is on an open campfire with just a little season salt and ground pepper. However, for Mother’s Day, I had to add a BBQ sauce for my favorite mother-in-law. Not a fan of BBQ, I had to really put my thoughts together on this recipe. Of course I wanted her to love it because it is for her after all, but I also wanted to enjoy the ribs. I’m cooking it after all.

Hmm. Where do I begin. The rub…

A mixture of spices make the world go round. I love the unique smells and flavors of each of them.

You can do this a few hours before, or at least one hour before cooking. Better still rub down your meat the night before and let it chill out in the refrigerator.

Rub Ingredients

1/2 Cup of dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon of ground cloves (I buy whole and ground myself. Makes me feel like a chef, I guess)

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon of green jalapeno seasoning

1 teaspoon of Old Bay

1 teaspoon of ground thyme

1 Tablespoon of chili powder

1 medium Mayan onion, grind in a blender for juices

Mix all of the above together.

Place a rack of ribs on a long piece of aluminum foil. Rub both side of the rack, making sure to cover the meat.

Take another long piece of foil and set it on top. Pinch and fold the layers together to seal. Place in the refrigerator over night or a few hours before cooking.

Time for the saucy stuff that makes you go yum…

Grab a beer, and make sure you get one for yourself.

Sauce Ingredients

I used Dogfish Head that is brewed in Palo Santo Wood.

Palo Santo means “holy tree,” and its wood has been used in South American wine-making communities. The caramel and vanilla complexity unique to this beer comes from the exotic Paraguayan Palo Santo wood…

via Dogfish web site

But I’m a strong believer that beer makes sauces better, so try it with another malt beverage if you choose.

Add in…

1/4 cup of honey

Add in…

1/3 Cup of Worcestershire. I love Lea & Perrins. L & P is like Heinz is to ketchup. – Nothing better.

1/4 Cup of white wine vinegar

The remaining ingredients…

5 garlic cloves, chopped

6 green onions, finely chopped

1/4 Cup of dark brown sugar

1 Cup of Heinz ketchup (I’ll warn you now. Do not use anything but Heinz)

1/4 Cup of olive oil

1 Tablespoon of Chinese chili garlic sauce

Bring it all to a boil. Simmer over medium heat. Let it reduce and thicken for about five minutes. Set aside and cover.

Preheat your oven for 250. Take the ribs out of the refrigerator and open the foil. Pour 1/4 cup of cooked sauce over the top. Reseal and place racks in a roaster, or on a baking sheet. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Turn heat up to 275 and cook for another 1 to 1-1/2 more hours. or until ribs are tender and done.

Take the ribs out of the foil and place on a baking sheet to broil until skin becomes crispy.

Warm up the sauce and put into a serving dish.

Slice the racks into four rib bone portions. I always allow each guest to add their own sauce. The recipe makes just enough for dipping three racks of baby backs. If you like your ribs nice and sloppy, double the recipe.

Fantastic. I love how they smelled up our house. So moan-worthy.

The reason for this recipe was inspired by mom. A conversation with my mother-in-law prior to making these delicious ribs…

Me, “If you were on death row, what would be your last meal?” Mom, “Lasagne. Well, I like everything. Hmmm. Well. I don’t know. Oooo, I really like baby back ribs. Oh! And, I like shrimp scampi.” – Stay tuned for the shrimp scampi recipe.

What’s your favorite baby back rib recipe? Because this girl likes to eat.

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Do the Lambada if you like Mexican food. I love everything about the culture. – The dances, music, arts, and especially, the food. I tried my hand at a pork mole. Mole simply means sauce; a number of sauces.

Put on Santana, grab a Dos Equis and let’s get started…

You’ll Need:

1 Pork Tenderloin roast (cubed and unseasoned)

2 cups of onion, diced

2 Tablespoons of chili powder

1 Tablespoon of ground cumin

1 Tablespoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of Dos Equis (drink the rest)

2 (14 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes

2 (4.5 oz.) cans of green chillies (fresh is best, but this will do)

1/2 cup of dark chocolate morsels

Splash of lime juice (fresh is best)

Cilantro, diced (garnish)

In a large pot, over medium heat spray in some olive oil. I use a Misto, or you can use PAM cooking spray. Brown your pork evenly for 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the same pot, add in your chopped onion and cook until slightly tender. Add in your chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Let the ingredients do the Rumba for about a minute or two. Join in the dance by stirring often.

Time for the Salsa. Add in your diced tomatoes, beer, dark chocolate and chilies. Once those simmer for a minute or two, bring it to a slow grind over medium-low heat. Let the pork join the party and simmer until hot and tender.

Serve it over rice, or by itself. Finish it with a squirt of lime and sprinkle with cilantro to garnish. The next time I make this, I will use fresh chillies.

What’s your favorite Mexican Mole? Please share with us because this girl likes to eat.

Cha Cha!

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This is a continuation to our Mother’s Day dinner. This scrumptious pasta accompanied the beer braised baby back ribs.

The recipe is simple. My version was inspired by the Food Network Kitchens. Only, I added more garlic and lemon. I also bought already-cooked jumbo shrimp, and served it over Linguini. Because I served it over pasta, I increased the recipe.

Let’s get started…

Ingredients

31-40 count frozen cooked jumbo shrimp

1 pound of Linguini

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 garlic bulbs

1 1/2 cups of extra dry vermouth

2 lemons

1/4 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Lemon zest from one lemon

Sea salt and group black pepper

Directions

Thaw shrimp overnight in the refrigerator.

Cook pasta according to packaged instructions. I like it al dente; firm but not hard. It depends on how much pasta you are cooking, but for one pound, I cook it for about 10 minutes. After eight minutes, I start checking the pasta by removing a piece and taking a bite. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.

Melt unsalted butter in a pan. Meanwhile, start to chop up your garlic and parsley leaves, and zest your lemon. Once the butter is melted, add garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to brown.

Pour in your vermouth and squeezed lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

Food Network says to use a wooden spoon to help scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. I’ve found this works the best.

Stir in the lemon zest and parsley. The sauce is done.

Toss the pasta, shrimp and sauce all together right before you are ready to serve. If you do it too soon, the pasta will suck up all the juice and become dry.

Grate fresh Parmesan over the pasta and garnish with parsley.

Cooking the pasta takes longer than the sauce, and it’s amazing. I really enjoy this dish, especially, with a crusty bread.

Next up, the dessert. Stay hungry.

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WOW your friends with this cool and easy dip. It’s awesome for picnics.

This yummy idea was inspired by, Monica Sieber from Pittsburgh, PA. Thanks girl. We love it!

You’ll Need:

3 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes

2 (8 oz.) bricks of cream cheese

8-10 garlic gloves, crushed

1 cup of fresh basil, chopped

2 Tablespoons of balsamic glaze

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

Let’s get started…

Slightly drain the diced tomatoes.

Chop up the basil. I just love chopping fresh herbs. It makes our house smell so divine. Even our bunnies come running out to the kitchen to see what I’m making.

In a large bowl, toss in the tomatoes, basil and crushed garlic.

Add in the balsamic glaze and olive oil. Season with some sea salt and fresh ground pepper and mix.

Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of an eight inch round dish, or any type of shallow serving platter. Pour your mixture over the top of the cream cheese.

Slice down a baguette loaf. No need to toast the bread or bake the dip. It’s ready.

Hint: This dip tastes better the longer it sits, so you can prepare it the night before.

YUMMY!

Any cool ideas? Please share because this girl likes to eat.

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The foundation of my recipe was inspired by Tablespoon.com. They always have cool ideas, and I love this recipe. I used Tablespoon’s Mini Tex-Mex Chicken and Cheese Pies as a foundation, but of course, I made my own version.

You’ll need

2 (13 oz.) cans of Chicken, drained

1 1/2 cups of shredded Low-Fat Monterey Jack Cheese

1 (4.5 oz.) can of Green Chilies

1/4 cup of low-fat Hidden Valley’s Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup of cilantro

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/2 of lime juice, freshly squeezed

For the batter

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup of Bisquick

Let’s get started…

Preheat the oven to 375.

Using your hands mix together the chicken, cheese, chilies, ranch dressing, cilantro, onion and lime juice.

In another bowl, whisk together the batter.

I used a silicone muffin pan. LOVE it! If you use a tin pan, you’ll need to use cooking spray.

Pour a tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cup. Then place about two tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each cup. Then spoon over the mixture two tablespoons of the batter as demonstrated above.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick is clean when inserted.

Serve it with salsa, sour cream, or ranch dressing for dipping.

I’m also making a Tuna Melt version with homemade potato chips using Old Bay seasoning. Yummy!

These yummy muffins freeze and reheat well. – Great for grab and go lunches.

Let me know what you think because this girl likes to eat.

Continue reading »]]> Well folks, this soup didn’t come easy. I ended up slicing two fingers and burning my arm. I should have gone to the hospital for stitches, but my inner Xena toughed it out. Warrior scars ROCK.

This soup comes in many different versions, but I simply follow the basics to making my stuffed peppers, only I use tomato sauce in this recipe. Not to mention, a good ale.

First, you brown the ground beef in a five quart pot. This recipe calls for about 1.5 pounds of meat. Use 98% less fat. This way, you do not have to drain it. I simply keep layering in the next ingredient.

Dice up the veges.

I use one large green pepper, one large red pepper, one medium sized vidalia onion, and one whole garlic bulb. Add all that to the meat mixture with a 1/2 a bottle of Rouge Dead Guy Ale. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes to marry the flavors.

If you’ve read my post, No tomato sauce on these Stuffed Peppers, then you know I’m not a big fan of tomato sauce. When a recipe absolutely calls for it, I use Hunts Fire-Roasted, low-sodium. Add two 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, two 14 oz. cans of tomato sauce, two cups of reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth, and the other half of the Dead Guy. I’m talking beer here.

Stir it up and add some spice. Add fresh ground pepper, ground sea salt, and lots of dried oregano (about 2-3 tablespoons). Add as much as you like. I love oregano, so I can get a little crazy with it.

I let the spices sit on the top and work their way into the mix of things. Cover and simmer for about an hour. Stir in a 1/2 cup of instant rice, remove from heat, keep the pot covered, and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.

Dress it up with some Romano cheese on top, pour yourself a cold Dead Guy, and enjoy. This is a great soup to have with Mancini’s bread.

Thanks for reading. Please share your ideas because this girl likes to eat.

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When creating a name for the recipes, I want to use every ingredient. All of those sound scrumptious.

It’s Friday night happy hour at my house. Grabbed me a Magic Hat (or 2), and turned on Pandora’s Foreigner station. It’s not all Foreigner. It’s a mix of Journey, Bon Jovi, and a few others similar to the era.

Good times…

My friend Cheri asked me to try something using dark chocolate and beer, so I came up with this…

Adding dark chocolate (DC) and a lager to red sauce dishes give the recipe an amazing lift to hearty goodness. You might think that adding DC would make the food sweet, but if you use an 82 percent cacao bar, you will be amazed. Not to mention, this recipe is spicy. Glen’s not a fan of DC, but really enjoyed this plate of happiness. He said, “This is interesting in a good way!”

Next time you make chili, pasta sauce, really, any red sauce dish, add in a little DC. I dare you.

You’ll need…

1 pound of pasta (whatever you fancy)

1/2 stick of butter

4 chicken breasts

4 shallots (finely chopped)

1.5 tablespoons of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup of real bacon

24 ounces of no salt added tomato sauce

1/2 cup of Magic Hat Black Lager

1.5 ounces of 82% cacao (about 1/2 of a dark chocolate bar)

Fresh ground pepper

Sea salt

Parmesan (freshly grated)

A bunch of fresh sage (chopped)

Loaf of Pain de Campagne

Time to get the party stared…

Here are ‘some’ of the ingredients. By some, I mean, I thought I had all the ingredients set up for the photo shoot. As I was preparing the sauce, I had realized that I didn’t. Oh well. The problem is that I got so excited, it slipped my mind.

Use real bacon crumbles. I’m a big fan of fresh everything, but using the bacon-already-crumbled-in-a-bag helps save time, especially, when you are coming home from a long work day.

Also, I like Hunt’s ‘no salt added’ tomato sauce. This is a salty recipe to begin with, so you want to pull back on it where you can. The recipe calls for 24 ounces – I used three 8 ounce cans.

If you haven’t had Magic Hat Black Lager, I suggest you do. Especially, if you like Guinness. I usually use Guinness in my red sauce foods, but I wanted to try it. It’s perfect to eat and drink.

I have no idea why I put a can of tomato paste in the shot. I’m laughing my ass off. Again, excited to get cooking, I must have grabbed the wrong can for the picture. I assure you that I didn’t add it to the sauce. The sauce is already thick and does not need more oomph from the paste.

First up…

Boil the water. Add in a little salt. I’m a big fan of sea salt and so happy that they came out with an iodized version.

Add in 1 pound of whole grain pasta. Boil for about 10 minutes. – I like my pasta al dente. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

In the same pasta sauce pan, melt your butter over a medium-high heat.

Add your chicken breasts. I use thin-cut breasts. They cook up in half the time. I’m also a worry-wort about, “Is my chicken cooked?”. No need to worry with thin-cut.

Add some fresh ground pepper and a dash of sea salt. Brown the breasts on both sides for two minutes.

Once the chicken is a little brown on both sides…

Add in your diced shallots, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat to medium and let it all mingle for five minutes, or until the shallots are transparent, and the chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Remove chicken, cover, and set aside.

Stir in the bacon, tomato sauce and beer. Let it cook for two more minutes.

Fresh Parmesan, red pepper flakes and sage. These are the ‘other’ ingredients that I forgot to add in the picture above. I’m kind of glad I did – it’s a nice photo. If I do say so myself.

Stir in the cacao and a little grated Parmesan. Let it melt into bliss…

Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Time to plate it…

Some people like to mix their pasta in the sauce first. This sauce is heavy, so, I recommend you don’t.

Layer a chicken breast over the pasta…

Add a layer of sauce, then fresh grated Parmesan, then top it off with a few sprinkles of diced fresh sage. Delicious!

Since the chocolate in this recipe reminded me of a French dish, I used a loaf of Pain de Campagne. All breads are cool in my book, but this was perfect for this dinner.

This recipe is gourmet, and when we think gourmet we think, “A long time to prepare.” I have to tell you, this took less than 30 minutes. Magic!

Do you have any cool ideas you want me to cook up? Please share because this Girl Likes to Eat!