Monday, March 31, 2014
Beef Stew
I really do not intend to sound ungrateful or unappreciative of the effort my dear mother makes every Sunday to prepare a fabulous meal for the family. However, I am sure when you were growing up there were a few meals that when your mom told you thats what you were having for dinner, you would like nothing better than to run down the street and join the neighbors, regardless of what they were serving. No matter how appreciative you may be, there are always going to be meals you just dont like, right? Well, I really do not care for beef stew...ok, I can not stand the sight of beef stew. I know I am in the minority of the people out there, but I cant help it. Beef stew and Pot Roast, both strike fear in the center of my being at just hearing the sound of the words. I know my mother is going to kill me when she reads this, not that its a secret. Believe me, she knows I dont like it, but you see the weight my opinions have in the family.
While I have this aversion to beef stew, I am actually fairly fond of Beef Bourguignon, a bit of a fancier version of a standard beef stew which is a long slow braise of beef in red wine with carrots, mushrooms and onions.
I prefer to purchase a whole cut of meat and portioning it into the desired size in my kitchen, as opposed to buying the precubed stew beef found in most grocery stores. Most times I prefer larger pieces of meat than is available in the supermarket. I also like to see and be in control of the ingredients I use rather trust a package of cubed mystery meat. For this particular occasion, I bought a 1.25 lb beef shoulder roast which I cut into about 2 inch cubes and tossed in a light coating of flour. Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the floured cubes of meat to the pot and brown on all sides (be sure not to overcrowded the pot to encourage browning and avoid steaming the meat). Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
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To the dutch oven, add 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms (white button mushrooms can be substituted), about 5 or 6 carrots cut into 2 inch pieces (if you have small baby carrots, they can certainly be used instead), 1 bag of frozen cippolini or pearl onions and 1 small can of tomato paste. Saute for about 5 to 10 minutes. Next, add about 1/2 bottom of Burgundy wine (hence, the name Beef Bourguignon), or any other red wine you have on hand, and 1 box of beef stock. At this point, I recommend you make a slurry of 1/4 cup of water to 1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch, mix well and add to the stew in order to thicken the gravy as it cooks in the oven. (Note: I did not add the slurry at this point yesterday, but when the stew came out of the oven, I noticed the gravy was a bit thin. I did add some cornstarch when I was reheating it on the stove just before it was time to eat and it worked perfectly, thickening the gravy just enough.) Return the beef to the pot, season liberally with salt and pepper and about 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, if available. Bring it to a boil, cover and finish cooking in a 275 degree oven for about 2 1/2 hours. You can certainly add potatoes to the stew, which will also add to the thickening of the gravy and simply serve with some good bread. However, I decided to leave the potatoes out of the stew in favor of serving it over fluffy buttermilk mashed potatoes. To make the potatoes, I washed and peeled 6 Yukon gold potatoes, placed them in a saucepan and covered them with cold water. Bring up to a light boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes, add them back to the hot sauce pan and add about 3/4 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Mash the potatoes and incorporate well with the milk and butter. Add about 1/2 cup of buttermilk and a liberal seasoning of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and serve hot with the beef Bourguignon.
Green Bean Sweet Onion Cherry Tomato Salad with Parsley Mint Dressing
Im really not a big fan of raw onions these days. I find they tend to outstay their welcome. But if you can get some really nice sweet ones they do have their place. Weve been growing some extremely sweet, mild ones and eating them mostly in slices on hamburgers. I decided it was time to branch out with them a bit. Sprinkling them with salt then letting them rest makes them even milder, and a bit softer in texture than they would be otherwise - perfect for salad.
As for the dressing, parsley is said to be good for counteracting bad breath from eating raw onions.And if it doesnt work, well, never mind, it makes a nice fresh and sprightly dressing. This would be good over cucumbers instead, or any tossed green salad for that matter.
4 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time - allow 30 minutes rest time
Make the Dressing:
1/4 cup packed parsley
2 tablespoons packed mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
the juice of 1/2 lemon
Wash and drain the parsley and mint well. Put them in the bowl of a food processor, and add the salt, pepper, and sugar. Process until finely chopped. Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice, and process again, until well blended. Remove to a serving container, and keep refrigerated until wanted.
Make the Salad:
500 grams (1 pound) green beans
1 medium sweet onion
2 cups cherry tomatoes
salt
Wash and trim the green beans, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cook them in boiling water until just tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Rinse in cold water and drain well.
Meanwhile, Peel the onion and cut it in half from top to bottom. Cut each half into thin slices, as thin as possible. Spread them out on a plate and sprinkle them generously with salt. Set aside for about half an hour.
Wash and destem the cherry tomatoes, and cut them in halves if you feel they are large enough to warrant it.
To serve the salad, arrange the well-drained beans on a serving plate. Rinse the onions in cold water and drain them well. Arrange them over the beans, along with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad, or pass it on the side.
Last year at this time I made Balsamic Beans.
Read More..
As for the dressing, parsley is said to be good for counteracting bad breath from eating raw onions.And if it doesnt work, well, never mind, it makes a nice fresh and sprightly dressing. This would be good over cucumbers instead, or any tossed green salad for that matter.
4 to 6 servings
30 minutes prep time - allow 30 minutes rest time
Make the Dressing:
1/4 cup packed parsley
2 tablespoons packed mint leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
the juice of 1/2 lemon
Wash and drain the parsley and mint well. Put them in the bowl of a food processor, and add the salt, pepper, and sugar. Process until finely chopped. Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice, and process again, until well blended. Remove to a serving container, and keep refrigerated until wanted.
Make the Salad:
500 grams (1 pound) green beans
1 medium sweet onion
2 cups cherry tomatoes
salt
Wash and trim the green beans, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cook them in boiling water until just tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Rinse in cold water and drain well.
Meanwhile, Peel the onion and cut it in half from top to bottom. Cut each half into thin slices, as thin as possible. Spread them out on a plate and sprinkle them generously with salt. Set aside for about half an hour.
Wash and destem the cherry tomatoes, and cut them in halves if you feel they are large enough to warrant it.
To serve the salad, arrange the well-drained beans on a serving plate. Rinse the onions in cold water and drain them well. Arrange them over the beans, along with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad, or pass it on the side.
Last year at this time I made Balsamic Beans.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Ribs Agrodolce
Copycat Recipe
Serves 4
5 lbs baby back ribs, cut into 4 slabs
4 teaspoons grill seasoning
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, grated zest
2 cups red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
Sauce
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Position a broiler rack about 8 inches from the heat and turn the temperature on high. Season the ribs with grill seasoning and the meat stand at room temperature while the broiler is heating.
Place the ribs on a lightly oiled broiler pan and sear both sides of the ribs turning once this should take about 8 minutes.
Turn the oven to bake and set the temperature to 300 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and lemon zest. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the broth, wine, tomatoes with juices and all the spices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Place the ribs in a roasting pan and pour the sauce over the ribs. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.Bake for about 75 minutes until the ribs are tender. Transfer the ribs to a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
To make the sauce, discard the bay leaf, In batches puree the liquid and vegetables from the pan in the blender and transfer back into the roasting pan. Stir in vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until the sauce reduces by half. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
Turn the broiler back up to high and brown the ribs again on both sides brushing generously with the sauce while they cook. Transfer ribs to a platter and garnish with scallions.
4 teaspoons grill seasoning
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, grated zest
2 cups red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
Sauce
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Position a broiler rack about 8 inches from the heat and turn the temperature on high. Season the ribs with grill seasoning and the meat stand at room temperature while the broiler is heating.
Place the ribs on a lightly oiled broiler pan and sear both sides of the ribs turning once this should take about 8 minutes.
Turn the oven to bake and set the temperature to 300 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and lemon zest. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the broth, wine, tomatoes with juices and all the spices. Bring to a boil over high heat. Place the ribs in a roasting pan and pour the sauce over the ribs. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.Bake for about 75 minutes until the ribs are tender. Transfer the ribs to a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
To make the sauce, discard the bay leaf, In batches puree the liquid and vegetables from the pan in the blender and transfer back into the roasting pan. Stir in vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes until the sauce reduces by half. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
Turn the broiler back up to high and brown the ribs again on both sides brushing generously with the sauce while they cook. Transfer ribs to a platter and garnish with scallions.
Pa Jun Korean Crispy Pancakes
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| Pa Jun |
This is an authentic Korean appetizer made with flour, scallions and celery.
Ingredients
All purpose flour/ Maida-2cups
Egg( slightly beaten)-1
Oil-2tbsp
Celery( chopped)-1/2cup
Scallions( green part chopped 2" lengthwise)-1 bunch
Salt to taste
Water required
Oil for cooking
Dipping sauce ingredients
Soy sauce-1/4cup
Rice wine vinegar-1/4cup
Chilli and Garlic sauce-4tbsp
Sesame oil-2tbsp
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| Korean Scallion Pancakes |
Method
First in a medium size bowl mix all the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
Next in a large bowl add flour, beaten egg, 2tbsps oil, chopped celery, chopped scallions, required salt and water. Mix well into a smooth and thin batter. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non stick pan, when hot add 1 to 2 scoops of batter. Swirl the pan so that the batter is well spread for thin pancakes. Cook each side of the pancakes for about 4 to 5 mins or until the pancakes are golden and crisp. Serve hot with the prepared Dipping sauce.
FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN PENNE BAKE
When my children were little, I tried to “invent” recipes but I was not very good at it. One recipe that is embarrassing to admit was a combination of plain tomato sauce, ground beef and Italian seasonings (cooked for about 20 minutes) and then mixed into elbow macaroni; that was it…not even any cheese! It was horrid by today’s standards, but the kids always ate a lot of it and I did not know any better. Hey…that was 30+ years ago! I have learned a few cooking tricks since then.
Today’s family style penne bake is one of our favorites these days. It is rich, filling, very satisfying and leftovers reheat extremely well on day two. Served with a veggie, salad and dinner rolls, it is good enough for company.
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 cup onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 12 ounce can tomato paste
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry oregano
2 teaspoons dry sweet basil
½ teaspoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 pound Barilla mini-penne pasta
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese (grated)
1 tablespoon butter
In large pan, sauté ground beef until no longer pink (drain well). Return meat to pan and add onion, celery, carrot and garlic; sauté until veggies start to wilt. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste, 4 cups of water, salt and pepper, oregano, basil, fennel seed and sugar. Mix well and SIMMER two hours (stirring occasionally). What you want is for the sauce to reduce to a nice thick consistency (do not add any extra water).
After sauce has cooked down, boil the mini-penne (using directions on penne box) and drain. Stir in a tablespoon of butter to coat pasta, then stir in sauce and half of the (grated) cheese into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with other half of cheese and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has browned a little, like this:
NOTE: Once you get this sauce to the simmering stage, you can put it in the crock pot and let it cook in there all day. If you do that…just prop the lid open just a little, so the sauce can reduce and thicken.
Read More..
Today’s family style penne bake is one of our favorites these days. It is rich, filling, very satisfying and leftovers reheat extremely well on day two. Served with a veggie, salad and dinner rolls, it is good enough for company.
1 pound extra lean ground beef1 cup onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 12 ounce can tomato paste
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry oregano
2 teaspoons dry sweet basil
½ teaspoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 pound Barilla mini-penne pasta
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese (grated)
1 tablespoon butter
In large pan, sauté ground beef until no longer pink (drain well). Return meat to pan and add onion, celery, carrot and garlic; sauté until veggies start to wilt. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste, 4 cups of water, salt and pepper, oregano, basil, fennel seed and sugar. Mix well and SIMMER two hours (stirring occasionally). What you want is for the sauce to reduce to a nice thick consistency (do not add any extra water).
After sauce has cooked down, boil the mini-penne (using directions on penne box) and drain. Stir in a tablespoon of butter to coat pasta, then stir in sauce and half of the (grated) cheese into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with other half of cheese and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has browned a little, like this:
NOTE: Once you get this sauce to the simmering stage, you can put it in the crock pot and let it cook in there all day. If you do that…just prop the lid open just a little, so the sauce can reduce and thicken.Saturday, March 29, 2014
A Food Woolf in New Orleans
Ive been thinking about using my iPhone to do more quick movies for days in between the recipe videos. You may have seen my recent, How to Eat a Hamburger demo, which is the only type of thing I thought I should be using the überphone for.
That was until I saw my friend Brookes short film teasing a post shes doing on a recent press trip to New Orleans. When I finished watching it, two thoughts immediately percolated up.
The first was why the hell wasn’t I invited on this trip? Hey, Louisiana Seafood Board, expect a call from my people Monday morning. Supplying us with delicious, sustainable fish doesnt get you off the hook (see what I did there? I think Ive made my point).
The first was why the hell wasn’t I invited on this trip? Hey, Louisiana Seafood Board, expect a call from my people Monday morning. Supplying us with delicious, sustainable fish doesnt get you off the hook (see what I did there? I think Ive made my point).
Then I thought, instead of making one-note, me-eating-something-somewhere iPhone videos, why dont I actually try telling a story? So, thanks Brooke, for making me look at something in a different way. Every time I do, good things happen.
Speaking of good things, after you watch the video, be sure to head over to her thoughtful and extremely well written blog, Food Woolf, to read the full post. Enjoy!
Oven Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
Yum, Yum, Yum! This chicken was so tasty and the sauce was perfect for dipping bread in. There isnt much of a recipe for this. Once again, I just threw in what I had and it turned out perfect! I bought a whole chicken cut up and split it up so that we would have two meals. I dont like the taste of reheated chicken so I didnt want leftovers. I made this for two but you can use as much chicken as you want just increase the amount of liquid if you want some juice (which I highly recommend!) I left some of the skin on the chicken because I didnt want it to get try but you can do this without the skin if you like.
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, (all pieces have bone in & trimmed of extra skin and all fat)
2 chicken legs
2 chicken thighs
a couple of sprigs fresh oregano (you can use dried, I just threw it in)
a few shakes of dried italian seasoning
Mrs. Dash Table Blend
salt and pepper
dry white wine
chicken broth
1 large sweet potato, cut into large pieces
handful of baby carrots
4 -6 yukon gold potatoes, cut into large pieces
1 onion, cut into large pieces
handful of chopped leeks (threw them in only because I had them)
8-10 cloves garlic cloves in peel
extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season skin side of chicken with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash. Heat a large oven safe frying pan, drizzle in some oil and place chicken in the pan skin side down. Dont touch it. Leave it there for about 5 minutes or until chicken starts to brown. Meanwhile, add in garlic, and potatoes, carrots and onions around the chicken. Season them with salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash. Turn chicken and potatoes and season the second side. When chicken is browned turn over again and add wine ane chicken broth. Add enough so that the liquid is about halfway up the chicken. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes until some of the liquid is reduced. Add pan to hot oven and cook for about 40 minutes or until juices run clear. Cooking time depends on how big your chicken pieces are and how much chicken you have.
Friday, March 28, 2014
angel hair pasta with chicken
2Tbs olive oil
2 boneless,skinless chicken breasts
1 carrot, sliced diagonally
1 pkg frozen brocoli
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz angel hair pasta
2/3 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 c. grated parmesan or motzerella cheese
Cook chicken in 1. Tbsp oil then remove from skillet. Heat remaining oil. Add carrot to skillet, cook 4 min. Add brocolli and garlic. Cook 2 min longer. To skilllet, add chicken broth, basil and cheese. Return to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min. place over cooked pasta....enjoy!
RECIPE BY KARLA
p.s. my toddler LOVED this!
Read More..
2 boneless,skinless chicken breasts
1 carrot, sliced diagonally
1 pkg frozen brocoli
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz angel hair pasta
2/3 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 c. grated parmesan or motzerella cheese
Cook chicken in 1. Tbsp oil then remove from skillet. Heat remaining oil. Add carrot to skillet, cook 4 min. Add brocolli and garlic. Cook 2 min longer. To skilllet, add chicken broth, basil and cheese. Return to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer 5 min. place over cooked pasta....enjoy!
RECIPE BY KARLA
p.s. my toddler LOVED this!
Liver masala
Liver masala
Ingredients
- Mutton liver ½ kg
- Brown onion grinded ½ cup
- Coriander powder 1 tbsp
- Chili powder 1 tbsp
- Ginger garlic 1 tbsp
- Salt 1 tsp
- Turmeric ¼ tsp
- Tomatoes chopperized 3
- White cumin 1 tsp
- Yogurt ½ cup
- Allspice ½ tsp
- Kasori methi 1 tsp
- Chopped coriander leaves 2 tbsp
Method
- Heat oil add ginger garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, salt, coriander powder with ¼ cup water and fry well, add chopperized tomatoes and bhunno well, add crushed cumin with liver and ½ cup yogurt, cover and cook for 10 minutes when water dries and oil comes on top add allspice, kasori methi 1 tsp and chopped coriander leaves.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
SANDRA’S ALASKA SOURDOUGH STARTER HOW TO
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| 1-1/2 cups of starter sufficiently bubbly and ready to use in my Sweet Sourdough Zucchini Bread with a Glazed Topping... |
Initially Yields: (4 cups)
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups warm water
*Dry culture from sourdough starter package
METHOD
Using a wooden spoon (not metal), stir the mixture in a medium glass bowl until smooth. Pour the mixture into a glass quart-size mason jar, and cover with plastic wrap securing with a rubber band. Place in a warm area atop a kitchen towel for 48 hours while gently stirring a couple of times per day. Move container to refrigerator.
To use starter, remove amount called for in recipe, and let sit covered in a glass container, covered, overnight to come to room temperature and become bubbly.
Meanwhile, replenish your sourdough starter with equal amounts of flour and warm water, i.e., 1 cup all-purpose flour, and 1 cup warm water; stir with wooden spoon, cover, and let stand in warm place until bubbly, for about 3 to 5 hours, then refrigerate.
I’ll be posting recipes using my sourdough starter as time allows. ~ Enjoy!
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Tips: I ordered my *Sourdough Starter Packet from the Alaska Herb and Tea Company a couple of months ago, and I’m pulling out my old recipes now that I have a batch active again.
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| Sweet Sourdough Zucchini Bread with a Glazed Topping |
Looking for good recipes you always for a data source
There are people who like I always looking for good sources for recipes and cookbooks. Sometimes the mood hits you and you just try something different. One of the most common questions my wife and I questions each other is "what you feel like today eat?" The answer is always "I do not know what you want?"
This small conversation is probably several days a week in most households. The other question is, "what we are for the friends come over this evening to make?" Preparation for guests or for parties is always a challenge, if you are looking for something new to your old reliable dishes.
Christmas reminds the parties, and we wonder what we serve on the party. Super bowl is with all Super Bowl parties on the agenda are new years Eve and all parties and what rules and where we bring you new ideas which are not the same as in the previous year or the other party you attended last Saturday.
You can drag your cookbooks and the search and usually there is the old reliable recipe- s, are the best, but sometimes you want to try something new and different. Can you on the Internet and search for what you want and come up with tons of Web sites. It is another resource, that with all kinds of interesting article and recipes and proposals are another source for you canis a Web site.
I would like to have to go a reliable source of information in addition to my cookbooks and surfing the net. I have my own source, you will find interesting. It is sources full of articles and recipe all in one place. You will find fascinating. If you in so that this is sites another one from HyperVre software ( http://www.eyedoctornewsletter.com/page64.html) created, which is free and offers a fantastic job as youll see when you go on the recipe website that was built by this software very easily. Bon APETIT I am a board certified ophthalmologist, for 30 years in practice. You are welcome to visit my website. You use you have any problems finding what you are looking for, please my site search.
http://www.eyedoctornewsletter.com/recipes
SANDRAS TRANSLUCENT ASIAN NOODLES and PORK over RICE
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| Traditionally this spectacular recipe is served to a ratio of 3 parts Asian noodle mixture on top over 1 part steamed rice underneath, as I do as well... |
Prep: 10 mins. |
Cook: 6 to 8 mins.
(+ 15 mins. to soak bean threads)
Posted: by Sandra
INGREDIENTS:
***Noodles:
¼ lb. dried bean thread noodles (found in the asian section)
***Meat
2 tablespoons peanut oil
½ pound pork, thinly sliced
***Sauce:
3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon asian chili sauce
1 teaspoon honey (link to Homemade Alaska Fireweed-Clover Honey)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped diagonally
1 jarred roasted bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Garnish:
1 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
--1 cup prepared steamed basmati rice
METHOD:
Prepare steamed basmati rice.
Cut the dried bean threads with kitchen scissors, and soak a ¼ lb. in a large bowl of hot water for 10 to 12 minutes, just until soft. Drain in colander, discarding the water.
Meanwhile, prepare all the sauce ingredients, stirring to combine in a medium-size bowl, and set aside.
Drizzle peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the sliced pork, and stir-fry until brown and slightly crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the sauce ingredients into skillet to deglaze, and scrape the bottom to loosen any meat drippings. Add the noodles to the sauce in the skillet and heat just until the sauce simmers and the noodles are warmed through.
Place steamed basmati rice in two pasta bowls, and ladle the pork and noodles and sauce equally over the top, then garnish with cilantro. – Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
The three most popular food of the Mediterranean
In use the last few years we have are the expression of the Mediterranean diet. the term was coined in but actually by a Harvard Professor Dr. Willett. It is widely used in the 1960s a diet in southern Europe in Spain, Greece, Crete and South Italy. It is distinguished by a high degree of plant food, little red meat and much fish and salads. The most important fat olive oil and there are a lot of cheese, eaten legumes and yogurt for protein. In fact the total content of fat is eaten content less than a quarter of the food intake a much smaller amount than in America.
However, there is no such thing as a Mediterranean diet, the food of the North Italy such as the representative who is food for North Europe, such as Northern Italy in addition to the Austrian Empire; You eat much wheat products and little pasta. In the South there is a pizza and pasta and the people and food are separated by a gap almost as wide as Med and describes the characteristics of only one of 23 countries that straddle the MED.
In Spain, the classical court is one of a Gypsy pot food from the Moors brought paella. There are so many recipes for paella as the people of Spain. Each region has its own speciality and the only thing that unites them is the fact that they contain all short round grain rice. The paella Valencia consists of great seafood and traditionally contains no meat. While the paella of Andalusia has seafood, fish and pork, rabbit or chicken in it.
The eastern shores of the Mediterranean, Cyprus, Turkey, North Africa, Israel have a different Court of hummus is popular. Hummus is a chick pea dip laced with loads of olive oil, garlic and lemon juice, although in some areas it with tahini is a paste of lightly roasted SESAM enriched produced.
Again, this reflects the influence of Arabic as, hummus is the Arabic word for chickpeas; It is to draw the fragrant paste served with traditional flat breads. Some areas of Lebanon and Syria add roasted red peppers, or spinach and sumac Middle Eastern spice.
An other popular Mediterranean food is pasta and it is over a very wide area. Italy has not have the monopoly for pasta the Greeks have a delightful dish out called Pastistio. The classic comfort food I must however be spaghetti and meat balls mean, what is it not like about Spaghetti and meatballs?
Mediterranean cruises ? Mediterranean Cruise offers. Last minute cruise offers all around the Mediterranean.
Eastern Mediterranean cruises ? - take the family on an Eastern Mediterranean Cruise for your next vacation.
Predicting a Super Bowl Prediction
I’ve received so many emails asking whether or not I’m doing my Super Bowl prediction this year, using Buffalo chicken wing bones. As you may know, we shocked the world last year with our absolutely spot-on prognostication that the Packers would win, cover the spread, and that the score would exceed the over/under line.
Well, great news! As soon as the teams are set, I’ll will toss the bones, and the rest will be up to you. And by “rest” I mean withdrawing your kid’s college funds and betting it all on the game. Stay tuned!
*For those of you that doubt the prodigious prognosticating power of these puny bones, I welcome you to feast your eyes on last year’s prophecy. Scoreboard!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
How to Get A Salon Worthy Blowout at Home
Here I am, world! In all my naturally wavy/frizzy/birds nest hair glory.
This is why I dont go anywhere without an umbrella, allow my hair to get wet in a pool, and avoid most activities that would result in my perspiring. THIS is what would happen.
Like so many frizzy-haired girls before me, I grew up wanting stick straight hair. When I was 11, I started chemically straightening my hair, but since I started coloring my hair at 15, I had to forgo the straightenings so I could, ya know, have hair.
So, without a chemical means of getting it, I had to perfect alternate means of getting the smooth, straight hair I wasnt fortunate enough to be born with. And thus, an unbreakable bond with my hairdryer, flat iron, and curling iron was born.
Ive gotten really good at styling my hair. I mean, if I had a nickel for every time someone asked me how I do my hair, Im fairly certain Id have at least several, if not many, nickels. Which brings us to todays post: How to Get A Salon-Worthy Blowout at Home.
Its an ironic title, actually, since Ive really NEVER gotten a good salon blowout (although Im still totally excited about trying this out). From the first picture, its pretty obvious my hair has a mind of its own. It doesnt work like most peoples hair, straightening out from a paddle brush alone. It requires more technique and styling tools than most stylists are willing/trained to employ. Which is why I know that this tutorial will give you great results. At least, I hope it does. And hey, if it doesnt, at least you dont have to tip me!!
To get started, you must have the appropriate tools:
You should have most of these tools already: hair dryer, 1 1/2 inch barrel curling iron, flat iron, medium sized round brush, and a Chi ceramic straightening brush (great for getting even the kinkiest hair smooth).
As for styling products, I keep it pretty simple. I know theres tons of products designed for helping straighten hair, but I opt only for Moroccan oil and light hold hairspray. For all you fine-haired ladies out there, this should help keep the grease-buildup to a minimum.
Beginning with damp hair (I allow mine to air dry for about 10 minutes), comb a dime-sized amount of Moroccan oil through your hair. Less if youre hair is shorter.
Oh, how did this very modelesque picture of me get in here???
Next, move on to drying your hair.
A.) 
B.)
B.)A.) Youre going to dry your hair in sections. Yes, its going to take some time, but looking sickening doesnt come easy, so get over yourself. Start with the bottom third of your hair. Pin up the rest of your hair to keep it out of the way.
B.) Take a two-inch section of hair and with the round brush perpendicular to your head, begin drying hair, gently rolling the brush under at the ends. (I use the hottest/highest setting on my hair dryer. I also hold the nozzle super close to the section as I dry. I dont care if its not good for my hair.)
C.)
D.)
D.)C.) Because the round brush alone doesnt always get my hair straight, Ill repeat step B with the Chi straightening brush.
D.) When youve finished the bottom section, let the side section above your ear down. Continue steps A-C until you get to the sides and top sections.
*And now, a note about drying the side sections of unruly hair.
My hairline is the most difficult part of my hair to dry because I have so many cowlicks and curls. I can only assume most stylists dont seem to have this problem, as they all do the same thing: dry the hair AWAY from my face, holding the brush parallel to my head. THIS DOES NOT WORK! So stop doing it. All it does it make a crease in the opposite direction. If youve got my same problem, then surely you already know it wont smooth out your waves or cowlicks. Heres a photo with an X through it to further illustrate the point.
Even if you were touched by an angel when you were born and dont have this problem, I promise you, styling your hair this way isnt doing you any favors.
Instead, holding the brush perpendicular to your face, brush the hair in downward sections. This allows you to smooth out any of the mess around your hairline and also gives you nice lift around your face. Its like we say in Texas, "The bigger the hair, the closer to God."
Similar to the side sections, the front section, which might be bangs for you if you have them, is one of the most important elements of a good blow out. Again, where most stylists get it wrong is pulling the hair toward the back. Using the downward motion you use on the sides, pull the front section in the opposite direction you want it to lay. This will give it height and body in the direction it ends up laying.
For instance, I always pull my front section forward, in front of my face, which gives me lift in the back.
For many of you, you might be satisfied with your hair at this point, in which case, be done and go forth with your fab-a-lus coif. In my case though, Im just getting started.
When my hair is completely dried, I then go back and straighten any sections of hair that didnt get completely smoothed out from the blow dry. This generally includes, surprise, surprise, my hairline.
Again, for many of you, this may be enough, but I generally like to curl the ends of my hair. It gives the hair extra bounce and frankly, just looks amazeballs. But Im not just talked curling the ends under. Its a more sophisticated technique than that.
1.)
2.)
2.)1.) Grab a 2.5 inch section of hair and wrap the hair in your curling iron about half way up the section, leaving the ends out of the clamp.
2.) Then, wiggle the clamp just enough to allow you to move the rest of the hair down the curling iron, twisting the curling iron as you work your way down.
3.) 
4.)
4.)3.) Continue the wiggle and turn method through the ends of the section...
4.) ...Until you have a loose ringlet.
Do this all over your head, alternating the direction of the curl (i.e., toward your face, away from your face). Youll end up with a head of loose ringlets. You can stop here and finish with a light hold hairspray, or...
...for a more tousled look, you can shake the curls out with your hands like so:
Finish with a light hold hairspray at the ends and roots.
I just get so pensive when I use hairspray. I think about things like the deficit, ending hunger in third world countries, and what color I should paint my nails this week.
Because of my hair color, I only wash my hair twice a week, three times if I work out, which means this style generally lasts me several days, with only light touch ups in between, making the 45 minutes I spend on my hair totally worth it.
Seriously, dont bitch about the time effort!!! Looking this good takes work yall!
So dear readers, tell me, do you have naturally curly hair?? Do you like your salon blowouts?? What color are YOU going to paint your nails this week?? Tell me everything in the comments!
Punugulu Urad Dal Bondas with Dosa Batter
Punugulu are very popular Andhra Snack which can be enjoyed in the cold evenings with a cup of tea. This snack is very simple and will be ready in no time if dosa batter is available in home.
These are so tasty, crispy and yet soft inside, we will just love the taste. It goes well with coconut chutney/peanut chutney/toordal chutney or sambar.
Ingredients:
Dosa Batter – 2 cups
Rice flour – 1/4 cup
Sooji – 2 tsps
Onions – 1 no small finely chopped
Green chillies – 1 or 2 no
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 10 no
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsps
Salt as Required
Oil for deep frying
Preparation
- Mix all the above ingredients well.
- Keep aside for 15mins.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- Once the oil gets heated, reduce the flame to medium.
- Take small portion of batter and drop small balls into the hot oil.
- Place 8-10 punugulu in one go. And cook them on medium flame by turning them in between.
- Cook them till golden brown/till it turns its color.
- Remove them onto a absorbent paper. Serve with chutney.
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