Asian Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing & Crispy Tofu

Did you eat way too much on Thanksgiving this week? Well so did my husband and I. So when he asked for salad this week I wanted to come up with something different. The crunchy salad with the warm crispy tofu topped with this zippy dressing is not only flavor packed but it is very filling.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

In a mini food processor place all of the following ingredients in and pulse them together:

Juice of one big lime or 2 small limes (about 2 TBSP)

4 Tablespoons of light olive oil

7 sprigs of cilantro leaves (some stems won't hurt either)

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Salad Ingredients

1 bag of your favorite salad mix

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 of an English cucumber chopped into bite size pieces

2 scallions sliced (some whites and green tops)

A whole bunch of chopped cilantro leaves

1 can of Mandarin oranges (drained and rinsed)

Chow mien noodles for a crunch (optional)

Crispy Tofu

1 package of extra firm tofu (drained and cut into cubes)

1/2 cup Kikkoman's Teriyaki Marinade

1 1/4 cup brown rice flour

salt (to taste)

4 Tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

Marinate Tofu overnight. Drain out marinade so tofu isn't too wet. In a medium skillet preheat your oil on medium heat. Coat each piece of tofu in the rice flour and gently place in skillet. I typically do this in two batches so the pan doesn't get over crowded. Otherwise your oil will get too cool and the tofu will not be crispy. Let the them brown on each side and then place them on paper towels and salt them to taste. Serve warm with salad.

Who needs pie when you can have apple cake!

Apple Cake & Salted Caramel Sauce

Thanksgiving is approaching and I know everyone is all about the apple pie...I'm going to be honest apple pie isn't my favorite thing. I won't complain if you put it in front of me but what can I say I am a cake girl at heart. So I came up with this cake to get my apple fix. Don't be intimated by caramel sauce it isn't as hard to make as you think, and I promise no candy thermometer needed.

Salted Caramel Sauce (Feel free to make this sauce the day before)

1 cup granulated sugar

6 TBSP of butter or margarine (room temperature)

1 tsp Fleur de sel

2/3 cup half and half (room temperature or even warmed slightly)

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pot on medium heat add your granulated sugar, whisking thoroughly from time to time until sugar starts to melt. Once sugar starts to melt and get lumpy keep it moving. When it is all melted keep gently whisking until lumps are gone and has turned into a beautiful amber color.

2. Lower the heat add in the salt and margarine one tbsp at a time until combined, add in half and half and whisk until all combined, cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Cook's Note:

*If the mixture separates or seizes turn the heat back to medium heat and keep gently whisking trust me it will all melt and come together. The sauce will appear to be thin but once it cool off it will thicken to a sauce consistency. If you want it to thicken up quicker fill your sink with cold water and some ice cubes and place bottom of pot in sink and whisk, remove when thicker.

Pre-heat oven to 350 & grease your favorite bundt pan

Peel, quarter and chop 2 granny smith apples. In a saute pan heat 2 tbsp of butter or margarine add apples along with a 2 tsp granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Saute on medium heat just a couple minutes until apples are just tender and set aside to cool.

Dry Ingredients, placed in a medium mixing bowl:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients, placed in your stand mixing bowl:

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 tbsp of vanilla

*1/4 cup apple cider keep separated from other wet ingredients

Method:

Add half of the dry ingredients in with the wet add half of the apple cider and mix, scrap the bottom and mix again. Add remaining dry ingredients and apple cider and mix until all incorporated. By hand gently stir in apples and turn into your greased pan. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean.

After cooled dust with powder sugar and serve with sauce.

~Sweet Regards

Carol

Give me S'more of that!

Give me S'more of that!

2 cups of graham crackers (put through food processor until finely ground)

1/3 cup of granulated sugar

1 stick of butter/margarine (melted)

1/4 tsp salt

11 oz of dark or bittersweet chocolate

1 tsp. shortening (a little extra to grease the pan)

1 16oz container of marshmallow fluff

Preheat oven to 350. Grease your 8x8 brownie pan with shortening.

In a medium bowl mix together the first four ingredients and pack into the bottom and up the sides of pan. Bake the crust in the oven for 12 minutes. To melt the chocolate and 1 tsp of shortening in microwave, it is important slowly melt it 20-30 second intervals always stirring after each interval until melted. Once crust has cooled slightly pour chocolate into crust and put in refrigerator until chocolate is set (about 20 minutes). Put fluff in microwave for 30 seconds and then spread over chocolate mixture. Heat broiler to low heat and place pan under broiler, keep a close eye on this it will brown up very quickly 1-2 minutes max! Let this cool completely (to speed up the process pop in the freezer for 15 minutes). Cut into squares and serve.

~Sweet Regards~
Carol

Quiche Florentine

Quiche Florentine

Ingredients:

1 prepared pie crust

4 eggs

2 cups half & half

1/4 pound of Swiss cheese shredded

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 bag of fresh baby spinach

Method:

Preheat oven to 425

Press your prepared pie crust into glass pie plate.

Heat 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil on medium/low heat and saute onion and garlic until soft add spinach and cook until spinach is soft, season with salt and pepper to taste. Set this mixture aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, half and half and salt. Pour half this custard mixture into pie plate and sprinkle in half the cheese and spinach mixture, pour in rest of the custard mixture and top with remaining ingredients. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then lower the heat to 325 and bake for another 40 minutes or until center of quiche completely set. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

* You can use this basic custard recipe 4 eggs, 2 cups of half and half and salt and add in any ingredients you want for example: cheddar cheese, goat cheese, feta, cooked bacon crumbles, ham, shredded chicken, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, sauteed peppers and anything else you can think of.

Fancy Potatoes

Who doesn't love potatoes...but after a while you get bored with the same old mashed,baked or fried potato. I call these my Fancy Potatoes they are also called Fondant Potatoes.

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds of Yukon Gold mini potatoes

about 2-3 cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock (Kitchen Basics)

3 TBSP of Butter/Margarine

Salt and Pepper - To Taste

About a hand full of chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves of garlic (peeled and cut in half)

Method:

In a deep skillet add in the potatoes and garlic and pour in the stock until it comes half way up the potatoes so roughly 2-3 cups. Next add your butter and some salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil then let it simmer on medium/low temperature until potatoes are almost tender about 7 minutes. Next remove lid and let cook until all the stock has evaporated. Next take a small glass and press the potato down so that it cracks and is flattened slightly. Let the butter brown up those potatoes, while potatoes are browning mash up that garlic right in the pan so that flavor gets into those potatoes next add some salt and pepper and toss in parsley and serve!

Butternut Squash Soup & Sweet & Salty Panini

Butternut Squash Soup & Crunchy Sweet & Salty Panini

Ingredients for Soup:

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 large or 2 small butternut squash (peeled, cubed & seeds discarded)

3 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)

1-2 Serrano chilies, seeds removed and diced (optional)

2 TBSP light brown sugar

3 cups vegetable stock

1/2-3/4 cups of half and half (depends on how thick you want your soup to be)

Salt & Pepper - to taste

Basil sliced into thin strips (stir in at the very end)

Method for Soup:

1. In your soup pot on medium heat melt your butter with the olive oil and saute the garlic and chilies just until soft.

2. Add in the butternut squash and cook until it is very tender about 8 minutes.

3. Pour in the vegetable stock & brown sugar, bring to a boil and then simmer until squash is soft and completely cooked about 10-15 minutes.

4. If you have an immersion blender; put that directly into your pot to puree this soup. If you don't have one it is okay just use your blender. Make it as smooth or as chunky as you like.

5. Next stir in your basil and your half and half turn off heat.

*Tips for this soup: Season with S&P as you go. Once you add the half and half turn off the heat, if you need to keep it warm keep it on very low. You don't want your soup to curdle!

Sweet & Salty Panini Ingredients: Makes 4 sandwiches

8 slices of sliced Italian bread with one side brushed with extra virgin olive oil

8 slices of deli ham

4 slices of Swiss cheese

Cranberry Apple chutney (as needed)

Method:

Preheat your panini press. On 4 pieces of the bread olive oil side down on plate spread a generous amount of cranberry apple chutney layer on 2 pieces of ham and 1 slice of Swiss per sandwich. Top with other slice of bread with olive oil side facing up. Place and press into the panini maker until golden brown and cheese is melted.

*Tip for this recipe, if you don't own a panini maker just prepare this sandwich the same way you would make a grilled cheese.

Fluffy Banana Bread Muffins

What is the secret to my fluffy muffins you ask? It is with some reluctance that I share my baking secrets...but this blog is all about sharing so I will have to give it up. When I crack my eggs I separate them and I mix my yolks in with the wet ingredients, but with the whites I whip them up to stiff peak and gently fold them in at the end.

Fluffy Banana Muffins:

Step one: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl measure your dry ingredients and then set aside.

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Step two: Wet ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1 stick of room temperature butter

3 ripe bananas

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs separated : yolks in one bowl and whites in an another small mixing bowl and whip until at a stiff peak and set aside.

Step three: Method

In your stand mixer cream butter and sugar until fluffy to this; add your egg yolks, bananas and vanilla and mix until combined. In stages of threes by hand alternately fold in flour and egg whites (Be gentle when folding in whites because volume = fluffy muffins) ending with the whites. Scoop out batter into prepared muffin tins and top with a little brown sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. You can also mix chocolate chips or walnuts into batter. Bake for about 20 minutes until done.

Simple Soup

Often times while I'm at work we talk to about food and share recipes. My boss Rose gave me this one here is my take on her recipe. We call it "Venus Soup" because it is supposed to be similar to the soup served at the very popular Venus de Milo restaurant. There are 3 reasons why I love this soup:

1.Simple and cheap to make

2.It is made from items that you might already have in your pantry

3.Delicious

Ingredients:

1 # lean ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 (16oz) bag of frozen mixed veggies (green beans,corn, carrots, Lima beans)

1 (8oz can) of tomato sauce (if you don't have tomato sauce use 1 1/2 tbsp of tomato paste)

1/2 of small head of cabbage chopped

3 beef bouillons

1/4 cup of orzo

*water

Method:

1.In your biggest soup pot brown your ground beef with a little salt and pepper and then drain the fat and put back on stove.

2. Add your chopped onion and cabbage and saute until just soft.

3. To this add tomato sauce, bouillons, mixed veggies

4. Bring your pot over to the sink and add water until everything is just about covered in water.

5. Bring to a boil and then let soup simmer for an hour stirring occasionally.

6. Lastly add your pasta let cook for about 5-10 more minutes until pasta is done.

7. Enjoy

Lobster Pasta Salad

Lobster Pasta Salad

As much as I dislike thinking it or typing it...summer is coming to an end. I know it is sad time...but why not go out with a bang with one last cookout. This pasta salad does not disappoint with sweet chunks of lobster meat and a dressing with a little zing from the lemon juice and the freshness of dill it all comes together very nicely.

Ingredients:
1# Fusilli Pasta
2 frozen (7oz) containers of frozen lobster (found in the seafood department in freezer case)
4 ears of corn (husks removed)
1/2 packet of celery hearts
4-6 scallions (half of a bunch)
1 cup Mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 TBSP granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2-3/4 cup fresh dill
Salt & Pepper to taste

My Method:
Step 1: Pasta
The first thing you want to do is cook the pasta so it has time to cool completely before adding your dressing. Cook 1# of Fusilli pasta according to the directions and rinse with cool water and shake off as much excess water as possible and set aside.

Step 2:Lobster
Overnight you want to defrost 2 (7oz) frozen containers of lobster meat in fridge. When ready to use drain well and rinse off. Next and do not skip this step run through your salad spinner 3-4 times to get rid of all excess liquid (you don't not want a watery pasta salad!) Then chop lobster in to bite size pieces and set aside.

Step 3: Prep your veggies
How to blanch your corn: Boil a big pot of water place corn in water for 2 minutes and remove and place directly into a large bowl with ice water. This will just barely cook your corn so it is tender and not too starchy for your salad. Remove corn from ice water and dry off then carefully cut kernels off of the cob.
Next chop: 1/2 package of celery hearts, 4-6 scallions (whites and greens)

Step 4: Dressing
Mix 1 cup of Mayo, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 TBSP granulated sugar, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2-3/4 cup of fresh dill and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5:
Mix everything together...let it sit in fridge for a few hours before serving so all the flavors absorb together. Enjoy!