Recipes

Gazpacho

August 29, 2011

We live during a time when everything is available 24/7/365. Just because I can get a tomato or corn during freezing January, doesn’t mean I should. Over the last few years I have become much more aware of when I purchase food seasonally. I have gotten extremely picky over tomatoes. I think tomatoes really should only be purchased when they are fresh to your region. I admit that I can’t stop myself from buying grape tomatoes all year (I just need them) but I can promise you that I will NOT purchase some watery large tomato just to slap it on top of a burger.

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Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

August 2, 2011

When I was a kid I used to walk about a half mile to get to the penny candy store. Mr. Fina had a great selection of things like sour belts, lollipops, watermelon sours, and chocolate covered gummy bears. But for just a quarter I used to get these tiny square ice cream sandwiches. Since then I have loved ice cream sandwiches, from the ones that are super soft to chipwiches. I even consider that Choco Taco a pretty decent ice cream sandwich relative.

Since I’ve been gluten free, I have had a hard time finding every day treats that are gluten free. I can’t just walk into a convenience store and grab an ice cream sandwich, so I decided to make mine own that I can at least have a home. Waffle ice cream sandwiches just fell into place because I have been heavily relying on them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a long time I could not find a gluten free bread I liked so I was using waffles I made in large batches as my bread substitute for sandwiches. So waffles are a pretty neutral flavor, even slightly sweet, so they would work well with ice cream.

I have been giving my ice cream maker a decent work out this summer with sorbet so I figured I would actually make some ice cream with it this time. I made a simple vanilla ice cream that I packed with vanilla beans, by using vanilla extract and homemade vanilla sugar. The waffles were simple since I used a mix since it was might convenient for something gluten free, however I highly suggest making waffles from scratch whenever possible. The overall process was really simple, but the thing to keep in mind is the time it takes for the waffles to get COLD. While I think room temperature waffles are acceptable, I think that you run less risk with ice cream melting with really cold waffles.

Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients

For Waffles

use your favorite recipe or mix*

For Simple Vanilla Ice Cream (from Cuisinart)

1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
pinch salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For Waffles:

Follow recipe instructions. Ladle batter into hot waffle iron, cook until waffle is a brown color. Waffle should be slightly crisp. Lay out all waffles, do not stack, allowing to cool and not get soggy from steam. Place waffles in fridge or freezer to get cold.

For Ice Cream:

In a chilled bowl, combine all ingredients using a hand mixer or whisk. Let mixture chill over night or at least one hour. Process the ice cream according to machine’s manufacturer’s instructions. Once the ice cream is formed, transfer to bowl and freeze until the consistency is thicker, but not hard to spread.

Assemble Sandwiches:

Once the waffles are cold, halve with a serrated bread knife. Spread a thick layer of ice cream over one half of waffle. Gently place other waffle portion on top to create sandwich. Immediately place into freezer. Freeze over night, or at least 2 hours, prior to serving,

Optional:

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Dip frozen ice cream sandwiches into chocolate, place back into freezer immediately. Freeze for 15 minutes, prior to serving.

*I used Pamela’s Baking and Pancake mix because it’s one of my favorite gluten free mixes

Mexican Style Hot Dogs

July 23, 2011

I have a love hate relationship with hot dogs. Love them grilled or off a griddle. Put them in a pot of water and we are no longer friends. However, hot dogs from the carts in NYC are classic and I will tolerate them from fresh from a hot bath. You can not argue with dirty water dogs.

When I went to the BAC I used to run over to Spike’s Junkyard Dogs down the road to grab some dinner between classes. They are one of my favorite hot dog places in Boston, the bread they use for their bun is amazing. That being said, I started to love Chicago Style Hot Dogs because of the unique combination of toppings. I loved getting my hot dogs ‘dragged through the garden’.

Since being done with the BAC and farther away from Spike’s, I have started to experiment with building my own ‘extreme’ hot dogs. I love loading hot dogs to the point that a complete meal. Skip the sides and just slap it all on top of the hot dog. So I began to wonder how can I make an amazing, different hot dog that would include some of my favorite summer time ingredients. I ended up creating a Mexican Style Hot Dog. This is topped with some of your favorite Mexican things like fresh corn salsa and avocado.

July 23rd is National Hot Dog Day so it is the perfect day to make this, but really any day is a great day for a hot dog.

Mexican Hot Dogs

8 hot dogs

8 top split hot dog buns

2 ears of corn

1 cup of black beans

handful of cilantro, chopped

1/4- 1/2 a jalapeno pepper, optional

juice of 1/2 a lime

2 tomatoes

1 avocado

1 cup of sour cream

salt and pepper

Grill or cook hot dogs on a griddle. Lightly toast the buns.

While the hot dogs are cooking, remove the corn from the cob. Toss the corn, beans, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice together in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Halve and slice an avocado. Slice a tomato. Keep both of the avocado and tomato slices very thin.

When hot dogs are cooked to perfection, lay them in the bun to begin topping. First layer the salsa, and then add the slices of avocado and tomato. Lastly, dollop or pipe sour cream on top. Enjoy!

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Strawberry Mint Ice Cream

May 5, 2011

I have to admit that I used to hate Strawberry Ice Cream. I think it always tasted so fake to me so I avoid it. I would eat it in a Napoleon ice cream bar or something but it was only because it was only 1/3 of it.

Since I had a massive load of strawberries I decided I should try making strawberry ice cream and see if I like it better when I control the quality of the ingredients. Since I also had a huge bunch of mint I decided I would add that to the ice cream as well. Why not? I can do whatever I want. (I also made mint chocolate chip ice cream which was a total failure, but that’s another story)

The ice cream is sweet, creamy, and flavorful with the strawberries and the mint. I really enjoyed this ice cream since i love the fresh flavors in sorbet so the addition of cream didn’t seem that different to me. The mint adds a nice touch to the strawberries. If you don’t like mint that much than you could cut back and use less. Or pull some out before blending. I just love the flavor of mint and strawberry and I loved the specks of green in it so I kept it in there prior to blending.

Strawberry Mint Ice Cream

1 lb of strawberries

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup mint leaves

1 vanilla pod, split for the beans

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

Wash, destem, and slice strawberries.

In a medium pot, combine the strawberries, sugar, whole milk, mint, and vanilla beans. Simmer for 5 minutes. Blend mixture in blender until completely smooth. Strain blended mixture.

Chill blended mixture until completely cold, at least 2 hours, but preferably over night.

Measure 2 1/2 cups of the blended mixture*, add the heavy cream and remaining whole milk to mixture.

Prepare ice cream according to manufacture’s instructions. For a soft serve consistency, serve immediately or freeze for a harder consistency.

*Instead of discarding the extra strawberry mixtures, you could add a bit of it to milk for flavored milk.

How To: Cheeseburger Cake

April 13, 2011

Use these Things:

1 8-inch brownie layer (burger)

1 8- inch yellow cake layer (base bun)

1 8-inch top yellow cake layer with sliced almonds laid on top prior to baking (top bun w/ sesame seeds)

1 16-oz tub of white frosting (do not use extra whipped) or use homemade

8-oz of white fondant

yellow, green, and red icing colors (do not use normal food coloring)

2 icing bags/sandwich bags for piping

Follow these Steps:

prepare cakes

divide frosting in 3 (40%/40%/30%)

put the 30% portion of frosting on base layer

stack brownies layer on top

divide fondant in 2 portions (60%/40%)

kneed fondant sections until playable, add yellow icing color to 60%, add green to rest

add more icing color, as needed

kneed fondant until color is incorporated

cut an 8″ square of the yellow fondant (slice of cheese)

cut long strips out of the green fondant (lettuce)

lay cheese on top of brownie

color 2 remaining sections of frosting with icing colors for ketchup/russian & mustard

Pipe ketchup on top of cheese

Layer the lettuce strips on top of ketchup

Pipe mustard on top of the lettuce

Top with the other layer of cake

enjoy with friends

dig in to your burger!

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Sausage Meatball Subs

April 10, 2011

I’m all about the best of both worlds thing when it comes to food. I love the combination of things and how that enhances the meal from donut muffins, Oreo chocolate chip cookies, to this. The combination of a meatball and sausage sub satusfies my love of meatball subs, while getting spice and flavor from sausage.

When I was younger, I never was a huge fan of Italian sausage (get your mind out of the gutter!). I didn’t think that Sweet Italian sausage had much flavor, and while I liked the spice from Hot Italian Sausage I could not get past all that damn fennel seed. I have slowly come around to it. Mainly because I typically have it grilled or cooked in beer, loaded up with peppers and onions with spicy mustard.

While you can use Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage, I really suggest using the Hot variety because it will be able to stand up against the plain ground beef. If you happen to like sweet sausage you might want to make it 1 pound to be even with the ground beef. The only thing I suggest adding to the meat mixture is a grated onion, to add some flavor and moisture. Anything else, besides salt and pepper, would compete with the seasoned sausage.

Sausage Meatball Subs

makes 4 subs

1 pound of ground beef (80/20)

3/4 pound of Italian Sausage (I suggest Hot)

1 small white onion, grated

4 small sub rolls or 2 large loaves, halved

8 slices of provolone cheese

generous drizzle of olive oil

2 cups of marinara sauce

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Preheat oven to 400, drizzle bread with olive oil and toast bread until light brown, add cheese for last remaining few minutes to melt.

While the bread is toasting, remove Sausage from casing to prep it for being incorporated into the ground beef.

In a large bowl, combine a grated onion, beef, and sausage.

Roll 20 meatballs out.

Cook meatballs in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Evenly roll and brown on all sides while cooking.

Once meatballs are all evenly browned and almost done, add in 2 cups of marinara sauce. This will heat up the marinara and finish off the meatballs while they simmer in the sauce.

Assemble the sub with 5 meatballs each and enjoy!

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

February 14, 2011

These Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are so easy to make that you’ll be saying “Ta-Dah!”. You’ll also be amazing at how quickly they disappear. Yum!

Post from 2/4/18, Pictures updated 8/22/18

Do you know people who don’t cook?

I didn’t think people like that really existed, but my friend Dawn does not cook.

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Very Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Dip

February 3, 2011

This Very Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Dip is a party favorite. Skip the tedious poppers and mix up this jalapeno popper dip- easy & delicious. Spicy too!

Post from 2/3/2011, photos updated 2/25/18

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

One of my favorite foods to eat while watching football is a jalapeno popper. I love the crunch from the outside breading, the heat from the jalapeno, and creamy, cheesy filling. The perfect bite!

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Mexicasian Tacos

January 31, 2011

A few weeks ago I came across a call for entries for an Alaskan Fish Taco contest using fish native to Alaskan waters to create new taco recipes. I love fish tacos so this was a no brainer. I just had to give it a try and enter.

I love fish tacos for their lightness and balance of flavor. I never feel too stuffed after having one. It probably has to do with the lack of heavy salsa and cheese. Either way, a fish taco is a perfect combination of fried or grilled fish and fresh vegetables that provide it with some bite. For example, most fish tacos I come across have some radish slices or some picked cabbage.

I decided to head in teh direction of an Asian themed taco. I felt that the light crisp flavors of summer rolls, or veggies stir fries would be similar to the picked vegetables that are often found in California based fish tacos. We always seem to have bok choy in the house ebcause it is a favorite for our rabbits. We cook it often in stir fries so I was familiar with the texture and flavor it would bring to the fish taco. Adding ginger to the bok choy would help it bring out more flavor and enhance the Asian flavor experience.

I used cod fish, a fish that was approved for the contest. This is light flavored fish that holds up well to light frying. It would work well with the taco because the texture would a nice contrast to the tortilla and softened bok choy.

Overall I think this is a successful Asian inspired taco because the flavors are distinctly Asian, the taco has texture, and the taco is flavorful from the sriracha, ginger, and cilantro. I knew it was a good taco recipe since Pricer, who is uneasy about fish, ate it and enjoyed it. Victory!

Mexicasian Tacos

Makes 8 fish tacos

Spicy Mayo Sauce

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce

Juice of half a lime

Stir fried Bok Choy

4 bulbs of baby bok choy

1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons wok oil or canola oil

Fried fish

1/2 pound of cod

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Flour

1 egg

Panko bread crumbs

Oil for frying

8 corn tortillas

1/4 cup Cilantro

2 limes

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Preheat oven to 200 and place tortillas on baking sheet to warm. Warm until desired temperature, flipping at least once to evenly warm.

To make the spicy mayo, combine the mayo, sriracha, and lime juice. Let chill until ready to serve.

Cut your 1/2 pound cod fillet into 8 even taco sized pieces. Combine the rice wine vinegar with the soy sauce to marinate the fish. Marinate for approx 15 minutes, much longer will result in a bitter tasting fish.

Prepare a breading station with individual bowls for flour, beaten egg, and panko bread crumbs.

While fish is marinating, slice the bok choy parallel to the bulb base, creating thin ribbons, and grate ginger. Over medium heat, heat wok oil in a skillet. Add both the bok choy and ginger to the hot oil. Stir fry for a few minutes until the boy chow is tender, remove from heat.

Over medium, heat oil in a large deep skillet. Coat each piece of fish with flour, then egg, then panko bread crumbs. Immediately place breaded fish into hot oil. Gently fry fish for 2-3 minutes on each side, careful not to burn the panko breadcrumbs. DO NOT overload the skillet, this will make flipping harder and reduce temperature of oil, effecting proper browning. Place cooked pieces of fish on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Assemble tacos with fish, boy chow, spicy mayo, a few cilantro leaves, and serve with a lime wedge.

Light Cheddar Broccoli Soup

January 29, 2011

While driving back from a recent trip to Montreal, we stopped for lunch at Park Row Cafe in Waterbury, VT. This place served amazing sandwiches on home made bread, hot sandwich specials, and homemade soup. Price got a cup of their cheddar broccoli soup to go with this 1/2 a BLT. I had never had cheddar broccoli soup before. Why? Because I hate the smell of steamed broccoli. Any time I hear of broccoli as a side dish I think of overcooked cafeteria broccoli. But I tried and anyway and I LOVED IT. It was creamy, thick, cheesy, hearty, and the broccoli was not a stinky mess.

So I had to have this soup again. However the drive to Waterbury VT from Boston is not every convenient so I had to create a homemade version that would satisfy my craving. But, to make this soup more figure friendly I made it in the lightest way that I could, without having it watered down or using some (gross) non-fat cheese.

Since this soup is on the lighter side I felt it was best to cook the broccoli in the milk, compared to just added steamed broccoli to the soup. Why? I did not want to loose any flavor, or nutrients, in the discarded water used for steaming. While I have found that blending a light soup is the easiest way to make it “richer”, I decided not to do that since I wanted to have a bit more texture to the soup, but there is no restriction about blending the soup.

Light Cheddar Broccoli Soup

*serves 4-6*

Ingredients

2 heads of broccoli
3 cups of skim milk
2 cups of chicken stock/vegetable broth
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup of whole wheat flour
3 cups of skim milk
2 cups of chicken stock/vegetable broth
8oz of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (I prefer to use Cabot Creamery Brand)

Process

Finely chop 2 heads of broccoli, including steams. In a large pot, combine the milk broccoli and simmer until broccoli is tender.
In a small pot, saute the onions with 2 tablespoons butter. Once the onions are translucent, sprinkle the flour in and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour has evenly covered the onions. Add the broth slowly and mix until all lumps of flour are broken down.
Add the broth mixture into the large pot. Lastly, add in the cheese and mix until the cheese is melted and completely incorporated. Serve immediately.

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Pasta with Sauteed Spinach and a Yolk on Top

January 15, 2011

A simple pasta dish that combines the bright fresh flavors of spinach with the richness of a runny yolk, topped with toasted breadcrumbs for the perfect bite!

post from 1/15/11, pictures updated 11/4/16

I have a big thing for eggs.

I love them in just about every way they are prepared. They make a base or even addition to a meal. I often have breakfast for dinner.

My friend makes the best yellow rice with pigeon peas and whenever she shares it with me, I top my plate of rice off with fried egg(s) and a lot of hot sauce. I love egg drop soup. Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwiches give me life. I could go on and on…

One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is in pasta.

I have seen simple versions carbonara with raw eggs on top which just look so gorgeous. So I gave it a try and I have been hooked on it since.

While pasta with carbonara sauce is great, I find that the way I like it best is with spinach and eggs. I sure do love my bacon but I love freshly sauteed spinach with pasta. Plus, this makes this a lighter dish.

But when you have an egg yolk sitting on top of a bed pasta things entirely transform. You gently pierce this egg yolk, allowing it to slip its way through the fine strands of pasta. The egg yolk graciously coats the hot pasta changing it from a simple pasta with spinach to a really good, simple dinner.

I tend to make this when I am eating dinner solo since it is a quick and cheap dish to whip up. Pasta is a great dish when you want to make something quick, but you should make is extra beautiful and the egg on top does that. Trust me.

Now, eating raw eggs should be done with care as there always is a risk of eating meat and eggs that are not fully cooked. I tend to prefer my burgers medium-rare so I am unphased with topping off my pasta with a raw egg since I always approach this with care. I use really fresh eggs from brands I trust and respect. But, even then using pasteurized eggs is the best approach.

Give this a try and you’ll be asking for seconds in no time!

Pasta with Sauteed Spinach and a Yolk on Top

Make 6 servings

Ingredients

1 Pound of spaghetti pasta
1/4 Cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 Pound of baby spinach
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Cup seasoned bread crumbs
6 eggs yolks
grated Parmesan cheese

Process

Cook pasta until it is al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in garlic and crushed red pepper flake. Heat until garlic is golden and perfumes the air.
Add in spinach, salt, and pepper, and remove from heat. The heat from the pan will wilt the spinach down enough.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup water.
Add the water, pasta water, and 2 Tablespoons butter to the spinach, place back on heat for a minute.
While the pasta is finishing, in another skillet over medium heat, combine the breadcrumbs and remaining butter. Mix well while toasting the breadcrumbs.
Divide pasta into 6 bowls. Sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs.
Separate the yolks from the whites for all eggs. Place 1 egg yolk onto each serving and then top with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

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Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket

December 30, 2010

Pigs in a Blanket are a classic hor dourves. They commonly grace plates at parties because they are easy to make, can be dressed up, and are loved by all. I felt that with New Years quickly approaching! that I had to whip of a few to celebrate a bit early since we will be traveling for New Years.

I, being a cheese lover, added cheese to my pigs in a blanket. I used Swiss cheese because it has a great flavor to stand up to the buttery crescent roll. Using sliced cheese is better than using shredded cheese because it is easier to work with and evenly portion.

Enjoy the Piggies with a dipping sauce. I prefer mustard because it goes so well with hot dogs. Since I used swiss cheese in the recipe, I suggest a Dijon mustard because it is fairly acidic and it holds up against the strong swiss.

Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket

Makes 24

Ingredients

1 package of cresent rolls (8 rolls)
6 hot dogs
2 slices of cheese, I suggest swiss

Process

Preheat oven to 375.
Cut each crescent piece into 3 triangles, cut each hot dog into 4 pieces, and each slice of cheese into 12 slices. This results in 24 pieces of each ingredient.
To assemble the pigs in a blanket, lay out a piece of crescent roll, then a piece of cheese, and then a piece of hot dog. Roll the crescent to seal.
Arrange all pieces on baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve with mustard.

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