Tapenade is a fancy name for what is essentially olive puree, used as a dip. But you can be really creative with these and not limit yourselves to just olives. Below are my two favorites.
Olive tapenade
1 10 ounce jar of Manzanilla olives, with pimento centers, with liquid drained off *
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
olive oil
Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of oil and moisture in the olives.
Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!
* In my humble opinion, tapenade is one of the few places where more expensive, exotic, or flavorful olives is NOT preferable. I think the flavor then gets too overwhelming, and judging from the raves I get about this tapenade whenever I serve it, there's no need to spend the extra money on fancier olives.
Artichoke Heart Tapenade
1 14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, liquid drained off
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of fresh basil or flat leaf parsley leaves (or a combo of both)
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
olive oil
Put everything into a food processor with about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn it on. As the mixture purees, add enough extra olive oil so that the mixture comes together in a smooth paste. You won't need a lot as there is already a lot of moisture in the artichoke hearts.
Serve with bruschetta, crackers, pita, or crudite and enjoy!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Fruit Breads
Not to be confused with fruit cakes!!! These are the yummy loaves like banana or pumpkin breads that we all love as breakfast, snacks or desserts. I'm not much for baking, but these are so easy to make, that even I can manage.
I prefer to make them in a stand-mixer like my kitchen-aid, but a hand blender will work too.
First, mix the following ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil (OR substitute 3/4 cup of applesauce - you'll never miss the oil nor notice a difference in taste)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. real vanilla extract
And your fruit (or veggies) -- suggestions include: 3 very ripe bananas, 1 can of cooked pumpkin, 1 cup of shredded apple, zucchini or berries. The possibilities are really endless.
Once this is all well integrated, add the following and mix until smooth:
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. each of baking soda and baking powder
1 pinch of salt.
When it's well-mixed, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, cut with a serrated knife, and dig in!!!
I prefer to make them in a stand-mixer like my kitchen-aid, but a hand blender will work too.
First, mix the following ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil (OR substitute 3/4 cup of applesauce - you'll never miss the oil nor notice a difference in taste)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. real vanilla extract
And your fruit (or veggies) -- suggestions include: 3 very ripe bananas, 1 can of cooked pumpkin, 1 cup of shredded apple, zucchini or berries. The possibilities are really endless.
Once this is all well integrated, add the following and mix until smooth:
1 and 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. each of baking soda and baking powder
1 pinch of salt.
When it's well-mixed, pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, cut with a serrated knife, and dig in!!!
Friday, September 24, 2010
BELTs
Another recipe I should have posted 2 months ago, as the height of tomato season began, but better late than never!
One of my favorite fringe benefits of marrying my husband is learning about his family's favorite breakfast treat -- the BELT. So simple; so delicious. It's a BLT sandwich, with scrambled egg on it as well.
This has quickly become a summer-time week-night favorite in our house. Of course, they can be eaten year-round, but when summer tomatoes are ripe, there is no better time to enjoy a BELT.
Give it a try -- I promise you'll love it!
One of my favorite fringe benefits of marrying my husband is learning about his family's favorite breakfast treat -- the BELT. So simple; so delicious. It's a BLT sandwich, with scrambled egg on it as well.
This has quickly become a summer-time week-night favorite in our house. Of course, they can be eaten year-round, but when summer tomatoes are ripe, there is no better time to enjoy a BELT.
Give it a try -- I promise you'll love it!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Turkey Burgers
A healthier option than the usual hamburger, turkey burgers are growing in popularity everywhere. But unlike beef, you can't just mold them into a patty and slap them on the grill -- they fall apart, the meet is too dry to taste even remotely decent when cooked, and the end result will be so discouraging that you give up altogether.
Turkey burgers need a little more love, a little more help, but when done right, they're worth it! Here's how I do it:
1 pound of ground turkey meat (can either get 99% fat free which is all white, or 93% fat free, which has some dark meat added)
1 egg
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely diced (adds flavor and moisture)
1 tablespoon of your favorite seasoning mix for poultry - I like using either herbs de provence or Tastefully Simple's Garlic Dill mix, but you can use whatever you like best
If your seasoning mix is missing either salt and/or pepper, add a pinch of each.
Mix together just until well blended, but don't over-mix or the meat will totally fall apart and be rock hard when cooked.
Form into 4-5 patties, cook until well done, and serve on a whole grain bun. Ketchup is fine as a condiment, but instead, try honey mustard as a more tasty alternative!
Turkey burgers need a little more love, a little more help, but when done right, they're worth it! Here's how I do it:
1 pound of ground turkey meat (can either get 99% fat free which is all white, or 93% fat free, which has some dark meat added)
1 egg
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely diced (adds flavor and moisture)
1 tablespoon of your favorite seasoning mix for poultry - I like using either herbs de provence or Tastefully Simple's Garlic Dill mix, but you can use whatever you like best
If your seasoning mix is missing either salt and/or pepper, add a pinch of each.
Mix together just until well blended, but don't over-mix or the meat will totally fall apart and be rock hard when cooked.
Form into 4-5 patties, cook until well done, and serve on a whole grain bun. Ketchup is fine as a condiment, but instead, try honey mustard as a more tasty alternative!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Crab cakes
I'm rather shocked at myself for not posting this sooner, as it's such a perfect summer meal, but better late than never and there's no reason not to eat them year round!!! They are so easy to make, and so loved by so many people. They're a great company dish as they can be made a few hours ahead of time, take almost no time to cook, and are luxurious to eat. They key is to buy good, fresh crabmeat, and keep them simple so the taste of the crab can shine through.
The recipe below makes 4 good sized crab cakes -- one per person for a meal. You can also make them smaller, and even bite sized for appetizers.
The same recipe is also great for stuffing mushrooms, shrimp, or some sort of fish like flounder, sole or tilapia.
1 pound fresh crab meat (backfin or lump is fine, but if you want to go REALLY highbrow, get the jumbo lump)
1 heaping tbsp. of good mayo (I like Hellman's best)
1 egg
zest of one lemon
1 tsp. of Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 - 1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs
Mix the mayo, egg, lemon zest and Old Bay together in the bottom of a bowl, and gently fold in the crab meat trying not to break it up too much. Then add just enough bread crumbs so that the whole mixture will hold together. Do not add too much bread crumbs -- remember, the key is that these are CRAB cakes and crab should always be the dominant ingredient and taste.
Gently fold them into cakes and either saute in extra virgin olive oil until lightly browned on both sides, or place them under your broiler for about 5-6 minutes, until heated through.
Serve with a wedge of lemon, and if desired, your favorite tartar, remoulade, or other sauce. The tomato/red pepper/ginger sauce recipe I posted earlier also goes well with it, http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2010/06/tomatored-pepperginger-sauce.html, but the key with any sauce is to use them sparingly and not overwhelm the delicate taste of crab.
The recipe below makes 4 good sized crab cakes -- one per person for a meal. You can also make them smaller, and even bite sized for appetizers.
The same recipe is also great for stuffing mushrooms, shrimp, or some sort of fish like flounder, sole or tilapia.
1 pound fresh crab meat (backfin or lump is fine, but if you want to go REALLY highbrow, get the jumbo lump)
1 heaping tbsp. of good mayo (I like Hellman's best)
1 egg
zest of one lemon
1 tsp. of Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 - 1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs
Mix the mayo, egg, lemon zest and Old Bay together in the bottom of a bowl, and gently fold in the crab meat trying not to break it up too much. Then add just enough bread crumbs so that the whole mixture will hold together. Do not add too much bread crumbs -- remember, the key is that these are CRAB cakes and crab should always be the dominant ingredient and taste.
Gently fold them into cakes and either saute in extra virgin olive oil until lightly browned on both sides, or place them under your broiler for about 5-6 minutes, until heated through.
Serve with a wedge of lemon, and if desired, your favorite tartar, remoulade, or other sauce. The tomato/red pepper/ginger sauce recipe I posted earlier also goes well with it, http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2010/06/tomatored-pepperginger-sauce.html, but the key with any sauce is to use them sparingly and not overwhelm the delicate taste of crab.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Perfect Roasted Chicken
I made a roasted chicken for dinner last night that was so good, and so succulent, I surprised even myself :) I took a little bit of extra effort with this one, and it really paid off. Below are the details -- and don't be dissuaded from making it -- it's actually quite easy and well worth it!
This recipe is for your standard 4-6 pound chicken (usually referred to as a fryer) -- but it can work equally well for the larger roasters (8-10 pounds). I prefer using organic chicken -- while I like to eat organic as often as availability and budget will allow, I'm not one that usually finds a difference in taste between organic and non-organic. Chicken is the exception -- for some reason, I always find it tastes better than regular chicken.
24 hours before you want to cook the chicken, you should set it to "brine." At its most basic level, brining a bird means soaking it in salted water -- this is the perfect way to tenderize the meat. The salt helps break down the meat ever so slightly, yet when done properly, the meat doesn't absorb any appreciable amount of salt to disrupt the taste or add unnecessary sodium to your diet. Most brines call for a LOT of salt in the water, but after experimenting, I've discovered that you really don't need a lot of salt to accomplish the task at hand. You can also add all sorts of additional flavors to the brine to help further flavor the chicken.
Here's how I do it:
Take a large pasta pot and fill it 1/4 of the way with very warm water to help dissolve the salt and bring out the additional flavors. Add no more than 2 tbsp. of kosher salt (which is much lower in sodium than regular table salt, but sacrifices no flavor), and take a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme and sage (you can used dried herbs if fresh aren't available) and after crushing them up a bit to release their flavors, add to the water. Also throw in 4-5 smashed cloves of garlic and a handful of peppercorns, stir vigorously, and let this steep for about 10-15 minutes. Then add cold water and a few handfuls of ice so that the water comes up half way the side of the pot. After making sure that the brine is really cold, add the chicken to this water, making sure that the cavities fill with the solution, and then add just enough water so that the bird is fully submerged in the brine. Then put it in your fridge for 24 hours.
When it's done brining, remove it from the liquid, give it a good rinse, and dry thoroughly on the inside and out. Prepare a roasting dish by drizzling a thin coat of olive oil on the bottom, and then covering with a few chopped carrots and one thickly sliced onion. Sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and throw in some rosemary and thyme to flavor what will become the gravy. Place the chicken on top of this for roasting.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and finish prepping the chicken. Take one lemon and cut it into thin slices. Loosen up the skin on the chicken breast, and work your way into the legs as well. Slide one slice of lemon into each chicken leg, and 2-3 slices on top of each side of the breast meat. Also add one small sprig of rosemary in each leg and one slightly larger one on top each side of the breast meat. As it cooks, both will release their flavors into the meat, but will not over-power it.
As a final step, rub olive oil all over the skin of the chicken, and then put salt, pepper, and some herbs de provence all over the skin.
Once the chicken is fully prepped, place it in the pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes to give the skin an instant blast of heat and start the crisping process. Then turn the heat down to 375 degrees for the rest of the cooking time. As a general rule, chicken should roast for 20 minutes per pound, plus 10-20 extra minutes added at the end. When you cut the leg and thigh from the bird, the juices should be perfectly clear.
When the chicken is done, remove it from the roasting pan, and place on a welled-cutting board. Cover with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. While it's resting, strain all the veggies and juices from the bottom of your roasting pan, and put the juices into a small pot. Let it sit and cool for about 5 minutes so the fat will rise to the top and then skim off as much as you can. Then put it over medium flame, throw in a generous splash of sherry or dry vermouth (the real stuff, not the cooking versions of each!) and boil vigorously to burn off the alcohol. Serve this along-side the carved chicken as a nice light gravy.
When carving the bird, remove the lemon and rosemary from under the skin. Arrange nicely on a platter, scattered with some wedges of lemon, thyme, sage and/or rosemary for garnish, and enjoy. The bird should be totally succulent and rich in flavor! I promise it will be a hit -- a great meal for Sunday dinner, or to impress company.
This recipe is for your standard 4-6 pound chicken (usually referred to as a fryer) -- but it can work equally well for the larger roasters (8-10 pounds). I prefer using organic chicken -- while I like to eat organic as often as availability and budget will allow, I'm not one that usually finds a difference in taste between organic and non-organic. Chicken is the exception -- for some reason, I always find it tastes better than regular chicken.
24 hours before you want to cook the chicken, you should set it to "brine." At its most basic level, brining a bird means soaking it in salted water -- this is the perfect way to tenderize the meat. The salt helps break down the meat ever so slightly, yet when done properly, the meat doesn't absorb any appreciable amount of salt to disrupt the taste or add unnecessary sodium to your diet. Most brines call for a LOT of salt in the water, but after experimenting, I've discovered that you really don't need a lot of salt to accomplish the task at hand. You can also add all sorts of additional flavors to the brine to help further flavor the chicken.
Here's how I do it:
Take a large pasta pot and fill it 1/4 of the way with very warm water to help dissolve the salt and bring out the additional flavors. Add no more than 2 tbsp. of kosher salt (which is much lower in sodium than regular table salt, but sacrifices no flavor), and take a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme and sage (you can used dried herbs if fresh aren't available) and after crushing them up a bit to release their flavors, add to the water. Also throw in 4-5 smashed cloves of garlic and a handful of peppercorns, stir vigorously, and let this steep for about 10-15 minutes. Then add cold water and a few handfuls of ice so that the water comes up half way the side of the pot. After making sure that the brine is really cold, add the chicken to this water, making sure that the cavities fill with the solution, and then add just enough water so that the bird is fully submerged in the brine. Then put it in your fridge for 24 hours.
When it's done brining, remove it from the liquid, give it a good rinse, and dry thoroughly on the inside and out. Prepare a roasting dish by drizzling a thin coat of olive oil on the bottom, and then covering with a few chopped carrots and one thickly sliced onion. Sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and throw in some rosemary and thyme to flavor what will become the gravy. Place the chicken on top of this for roasting.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and finish prepping the chicken. Take one lemon and cut it into thin slices. Loosen up the skin on the chicken breast, and work your way into the legs as well. Slide one slice of lemon into each chicken leg, and 2-3 slices on top of each side of the breast meat. Also add one small sprig of rosemary in each leg and one slightly larger one on top each side of the breast meat. As it cooks, both will release their flavors into the meat, but will not over-power it.
As a final step, rub olive oil all over the skin of the chicken, and then put salt, pepper, and some herbs de provence all over the skin.
Once the chicken is fully prepped, place it in the pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes to give the skin an instant blast of heat and start the crisping process. Then turn the heat down to 375 degrees for the rest of the cooking time. As a general rule, chicken should roast for 20 minutes per pound, plus 10-20 extra minutes added at the end. When you cut the leg and thigh from the bird, the juices should be perfectly clear.
When the chicken is done, remove it from the roasting pan, and place on a welled-cutting board. Cover with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. While it's resting, strain all the veggies and juices from the bottom of your roasting pan, and put the juices into a small pot. Let it sit and cool for about 5 minutes so the fat will rise to the top and then skim off as much as you can. Then put it over medium flame, throw in a generous splash of sherry or dry vermouth (the real stuff, not the cooking versions of each!) and boil vigorously to burn off the alcohol. Serve this along-side the carved chicken as a nice light gravy.
When carving the bird, remove the lemon and rosemary from under the skin. Arrange nicely on a platter, scattered with some wedges of lemon, thyme, sage and/or rosemary for garnish, and enjoy. The bird should be totally succulent and rich in flavor! I promise it will be a hit -- a great meal for Sunday dinner, or to impress company.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Braised lamb shanks
Though there's no fancy name for these, as there is with osso bucco, making them is really not much different than preparing osso bucco. http://foodislove-judy.blogspot.com/2010/09/osso-bucco.html.
You will follow the exact same recipe with the following modifications:
Lamb shanks instead of veal shanks
Red wine instead of white wine
Add a tsp. of thyme and rosemary (either fresh or dried) in addition to the other herbs -- the lamb meat is stronger and flavor and can hold up to additional seasoning
Enjoy!
You will follow the exact same recipe with the following modifications:
Lamb shanks instead of veal shanks
Red wine instead of white wine
Add a tsp. of thyme and rosemary (either fresh or dried) in addition to the other herbs -- the lamb meat is stronger and flavor and can hold up to additional seasoning
Enjoy!
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