Simple Chefista

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Chloé LaBelle — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (I replaced this with a homemade blue cheese dressing)
4 rolls split and toasted
celery sticks

Serves: 4
Total Time: 10 Minutes

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet; stir in 1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce and 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken and cook until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes.

Divide evenly among 4 split and toasted rolls and top with 1 cup crumbled blue cheese. Serve with celery stalks (Add the leaves to the sandwiches if desires).

"Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches." Real Simple. March 2011: p 198.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Blue Cheese Dressing

Chloé LaBelle — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Yields: Makes one cup

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and 1/4 cup cold water. Stir in shallot and blue cheese, breaking up large pieces of cheese with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

"Blue Cheese Dressing." Everyday Foods. September 2008: http://www.marthastewart.com/283623/blue-cheese-dressing.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna with Romaine Salad

Chloé LaBelle — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

2 10 ounce packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture
1 cup ricotta
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (3 ounces)
3 cups marinara sauce
6 regular lasagna noodles (not no-boil)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 small head romaine lettuce, cut into strips (about 8 cups)
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Serves: 4
Hands on Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 4 1/2 Hours

In a bowl, mix together the spinach, ricotta and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. In a second bowl, mix together the marinara sauce and 1/2 cup water.

Spread 3/4 cup of the marinara mixture in the bottom of a 4- to 6- quart slow cooker. Top with 2 noodles (breaking to fit), 3/4 cup of the remaining marinara mixture, half the spinach mixture and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella; repeat. Top with the remaining noodles, marinara mixture, mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover and cook on low until the noodles are tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the lettuce, cucumber and onion and toss to combine. Serve with the lasagna.

"Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna with Romaine Salad." Real Simple. March 2011: p 191.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Pineapple - Ginger Infused Rum

Chloé LaBelle — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

1 pineapple (4 pounds)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 bottle (750 ml) good-quality gold or spiced rum

Makes: 5 cups

In a 2-quart glass jar with a lid, combine 1 pineapple (4 pounds), peeled and cut lengthwise into 1 inch thick slices, 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, and 1 bottle (750 ml) good-quality gold or spiced rum.

Refrigerate 1 to 2 weeks, gently shaking jar each day, until rum is flavored to taste.

Strain rum through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight glass container and refrigerate, up to 2 months.

(Use rum-soaked pineapple as a drink garnish or to top ice cream or cake.)

"Pineapple - Ginger Infused Rum." Everyday Foods. March 2011: p 22.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw

Chloé LaBelle — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotles in adobe sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about 1/3 medium cabbage)
radishes, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
12 6-inch corn tortillas
Sour cream, pickled jalapeño peppers, and hot sauce for serving

Serves: 6
Hands on Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 4 to 8 1/2 Hours

In a 4- to 6- quart slow cooker, toss together the beef, onion, garlic, chipotles, oregano, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt.

Cover and cook until the beef is very tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350º F. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, radishes, cilantro, lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Wrap tortillas in foil and bake until warm, 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the beef to a medium bowl (reserve the cooking liquid) and shred, using 2 forks. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl with the beef and toss to combine.

Fill the tortillas with the beef and slaw. Serve with the sour cream, jalapeños, hot sauce and lime wedges.

"Chipotle Beef Tacos with Cabbage and Radish Slaw." Real Simple. March 2011: p 189.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Bacon Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Chloé LaBelle — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT

TOPPING:
3 cups pineapple (rings or chunks)
6 strips of bacon
3 tablespoons of bacon drippings
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

BATTER:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
Or use: 1 1/2 cups of Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix instead of the top three ingredients
1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream OR yogart

THE BACON: Cook the bacon in a skillet or oven until caramelized, set aside 1/4 cups of the drippings.

TOPPING: In a small bowl stir together 3 tablespoons bacon fat and brown sugar. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9x12" round cake pan. Pat the pineapple dry with clean towels and arrange evenly, along with the bacon strips, on top of sugar mixture.

BATTER: Ina bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. With last egg, add in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately in batches with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition. Pour the batter into a pan, spreading it out evenly, and bake in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Let cake cool for 15 minutues before running a thin knife around the edges of the pan and inverting onto a plate for serving.

Bacon Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe courtesy of New Seasons Market

Yes, again with the pineapple! But this time... it's with bacon as well. Bacon... We ALL LOVE the bacon!

This also seems to go along with the whole comfort food theme that seems to have emerged this week. I'm okay with that and plan to continue the theme as long as I can. This transition from winter into spring and it's seemingly prolonged effects this year will lead anyone to a little comfort while waiting as patiently as possibly for the sun to reappear. *sigh*

I found this recipe while shopping this past weekend, grabbed it and thrust the small piece of paper in front of Jean Paul's nose. His initial response was the typical lift of the french nose in disgust. And this is a man who LOVES bacon, "ze most wonderful thing American... besides you, mon chere!" once declared.

I decided to go ahead with my bacon and pineapple preparations, confident that he would come around eventually... which he did upon his first bite. "Zis is AH Mazzzzz Zinc! Parh fect c ion! Viola!" followed by a kiss and his exit, plate filled high and fork in mid-bite.

I have to agree with Jean Paul... It was that good.

The recipe itself was a little more than expected. When I had initially read it, along with the ingredients, I felt it would be easy-peasy... but somewhere in the middle of my pineapple sitting, and the bacon sizzling while beating my eggs... I had that slight panic of "wow this is a little more complicated than I thought." But I was also in the midst of trying to cook dinner as well. No, I haven't perfected the timing of all events in the kitchen and still get a little overwhelmed from time to time... this was one of those moments. It didn't last for very long; Jean Paul eventually emerged from his study ready to help.

We cooked the recipe according to the directions and baked the cake for 45 of the minutes suggested. Jean Paul took the cake out of the over and tested it. Although it did come out clean, it was a little wet in the center when we cut into it and at that point, I had wished that I would have cooked it for another 5 or 10 minutes. Please be sure to check this completely when you try this for yourself. I am certain that with a few extra minutes, it will make all the difference.

I would possibly like to try this again using a normal sponge cake recipe for the cake itself, but I will admit that the "pancake cake" is probably the best option when adding the bacon. We had it again for breakfast this morning. Yes, I am completely okay with that!

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Broiled Sweet and Spicy Salmon with Pineapple

Chloé LaBelle — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound skinless salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
nonstick cooking spray
1/2 of a whole (4 pound) pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 pieces lengthwise
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
lime wedges (optional), for serving

Serves: 4
Active Time: 5 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes

Heat broiler, with rack in top position. Cook rice according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, arrange salmon and pineapple in a single layer, and brush with half the male syrup glaze. Broil until salmon is cooked through, 8 to 11 minutes, brushing salmon and pineapple with glaze halfway through. Cut pineapple into chunks. Add cilantro to rice and fluff with a fork.

Serve rice with salmon, pineapple and lime wedges, if desired.

"Broiled Sweet-and Spicy Salmon with Pineapples." Everyday Foods. March 2011: p 20.

More of the pineapple! I am trying to get in as much as I can with all of these wonderful recipes! We're moving on here quickly with the end of the month coming and a new one approaching... with a whole new list of recipes to try out.

I have to admit that Jean Paul and I are not huge seafood fans. I believe that I just admit this recently, now that I think of it, but because the Omega's are so terribly good for you, we do try to have a plate of fish every couple of weeks or so. Salmon is not the highest on our list, although living on the west coast, I am drawn to it, even if it is only to the idea of it. I want to love it. I do... and I try again and again. I have come to love the Philadelphia Rolled Sushi that has salmon, cream cheese and cucumber in it. Yummy!

I have learned that if I cook salmon with a sweet seasoning, such as brown sugar and butter, (heaven!) I am more apt to enjoy it. The sweetness seems to hide the strong fishy flavor. So when I found this recipe in this months Everyday Food Magazine, along with the pineapple, I was curious enough to try it.

The recipe was quite quick and easy. 20 total time, prep and cooking... well you have my attention.

Jean Paul and I were very surprised and actually fell in love with the dish. It was light and flavorful. The sweet from the maple syrup was what I needed and the kick from the cayenne pepper was welcomed by us both. We both really enjoy cilantro in our rice and it made for a good combination with the fish and fruit. Try it yourself and get Omega happy!

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Creamy Chicken with Easy Drop Biscuits

Chloé LaBelle — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:00:00 GMT

3/4 pound carrots (about 4), cut into 1- inch lengths
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 Biscuits (store Bought or Easy Drop Biscuit; see recipe here), split
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy cream

Serves: 6
Hands-On Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 3 to 6 1/2 Hours

In a 4- to 6- quart slow cooker, toss together the carrots, celery, onion and flour. Place the chicken on top and season with the poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the wine and broth.

Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, prepare the Easy Drop Biscuits (if using).

Ten minutes before serving, add the peas, cream and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the chicken and stir to combine. Cover and cook until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes more.

To serve, place the bottom halves of the biscuits in shallow bowls, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining biscuit halves.

"Creamy Chicken with Biscuits." Real Simple Magazine. March 2011: p 193.

Oh. My. Goodness...

Yes, it was THAT good! This measly little picture above simply does not even begin to capture how simply perfect this meal was. (And has me beginning to investigate better options for photography, of course.) Perhaps I was in a comfort needing state, but if that is what you are craving, I would look no further than this recipe.

I really didn't know what to expect with this one, and those expectations, in all honesty, were not set very high based on the few previous recipes. I do admit to loving a pot pie, but I also know how hard it is to find a good one. I tend to be a bit like Goldilocks with the constant "This one isn't creamy enough, this one has too much onions, the crust is ALL WRONG!" But alas... this was just right. Yes, I know, this technically isn't a "pot pie," but then again... technically, it may be considered one as well... if you just stretch a little.

I have a little history with the pot pie. It was one of those foods that my father would always make after those long days with little time to focus on cooking at the end of it. I'm sure that it was some cheap brand that came in a little cardboard box that was always stocked in the freezer. Put in the over for what seemed forever, flip it over onto a plate and voila! I always loved the crust. I still do... But with this recipe, I have to admit that I am now a changed fan of the biscuit.

I immediately called my father across the country after I distribute the leftover to the only house with lights still on in our neighborhood. I needed to share the love after all... And I told him of this new finding. Surprisingly even he was inspired and has been in search of his own creation of this idea. Our summer visit will not come soon enough so that I can try this one on him. It is somewhat difficult to find foods that he can relate to and I really think that I found the buried treasure on this one.

The recipe itself was incredibly easy, and it's always nice to have something cooking up in the crock pot while the hum of the busy day sings it's tune. The final biscuit addition was a breeze and when we sat down it was as though the cows were let loose while we "MMMMMMMMed" through every bite. Well, at least I did.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Easy Drop Biscuits

Chloé LaBelle — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk

Serves: 6

Heat oven to 400º F. In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, baking powder and salt; pulse until pea-sized clumps form. Add the milk and pulse until moistened.

Drop 6 large mounds of the dough (about 1/2 cup each) onto a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.

"Easy Drop Biscuits." Real Simple Magazine. March 2011: p 193.

A very easy and yummy recipe that went along with Creamy Chicken with Easy Drop Biscuits.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Fusilli with Spinach and Walnut Pesto

Chloé LaBelle — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

1 bunch spinach (about 1 pound) trimmed and washed
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound fusilli
1/4 cup shaved pecorino cheese (1 ounce), for serving

Serves: 6
Active Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes

1. Add spinach and 1 tablespoon water to a large skillet set over medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. In a food processor, combine spinach, walnuts, oil, and lemon zest. Process until mixture forms a smooth paste, scraping down bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, drain pasta. Return pasta to pot and add pesto, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Transfer to a serving plate, top with percorino, and serve immediately.

"Fusilli with Spinach and Walnut Pesto." Everyday Foods. March 2011: p 87.

Another simple recipe created this week... How can you go wrong with any pasta???

This was an interesting take on pesto using spinach as the main ingredient instead of basil. What I loved most about this recipe from Everyday Food's March issue was how healthy it seemed. Spinach, nuts... I believe that we even used a whole wheat pasta... And how easy it was to create!

As far as taste goes, Jean Paul did enjoy this one more so that I did. There just wasn't enough flavor in it for me, especially being use to the powerfully robust flavors in authentic pesto. Here is a nice article written on homemade pestos from allrecipes.com.

I did add sliced cherry tomatoes to the mix for a little more color and flavor, and actually did not add any of the salted pasta water to the mix. I am glad that I choose to do this because of the mild flavoring.

I will use this recipe in the future, but I believe that I will add some chopped garlic and fresh basil to the sauce before processing. I do like the idea of using spinach as a base... but want to maintain the punch.

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops

Chloé LaBelle — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

2/3 of a whole (4 pound) pineapple, peeled
1 bunch scallions, sliced crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small habanero or 1 large jalapeño chile, stemmed and seeded
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
4 bone-in pork chops (3/4-inch thick and about 6 ounces each)
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Serves: 4
Active Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes + Marinating

1. Cut four 1/2 inch thick rounds from pineapple; set aside. Cut remaining pineapple into large chunks, discarding core. In a food processor, combine pineapple chunks, scallions, chile, thyme, garlic and allspice and pulse until coarsely shopped. Reserve 3/4 cup pineapple marinade and refrigerate.

2. Season pork with salt and pepper and place in a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish along with pineapple rounds. Top pork and pineapple with remaining pineapple marinade and turn pork and pineapple to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 4 hours).

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Working in two batches, brush pineapple mixture off pork and cook chops until browned and cook through, 10 minutes per batch, flipping once. (Reduce heat if pork begins to over brown.) Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Brush pineapple marinade off pineapple and cook rounds until golden brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes, flipping once. Serve with pork and reserved pineapple marinade.

"Jerk Pineapple Pork Chops." Everyday Foods. March 2011: p18.

I have been very excited that it is pineapple season with the magazines filled with its various recipes and fresh pineapples resting patiently on the displays at our local store. I must have been born in a previous life on some tropical island somewhere because when it comes to anything that includes coconut, pineapple and mango... I simple swoon.

This recipe from March's Everyday Food was good, but I have to admit it wasn't the "WOW" that we had hoped for. I keep going back to the overwhelming taste of garlic that for some reason didn't quite seem to compliment the pineapple as expected. It wasn't bad by any means, but I admit that I had anticipated more. You would think that with pork, a jalapeño and fresh pineapple... where could you go wrong? Really???

The recipe did havea nice little "How to..." on the side about slicing a fresh pineapple:

"To slice a pineapple, first cut off the leafy top and the base. Stand the fruit on one end and slice the thick skin off in strips, from top to bottom. Cut into rounds, or quarter the pineapple and cut out the core. The flesh can then be chopped or cut into strips or chunks."

I pretty much followed the directions step by step, aside from buying boneless chops instead of the boned in, but would that really make THAT much of a difference? I truly can't think of how I would improve on it. The recipe itself was easy enough, but I will admit that I am looking forward to trying out a few other pineapple recipes before the season is over.

Try it yourself and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Five-Spice Noodle Bowls

Chloé LaBelle — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

2 teaspoons grape seed oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
3 cups chopped bok choy or whole baby bok choy (about 5 oz)
7 ounces rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
8 ounces top serloin beef, trimmed of visible fat and very thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce, optional
1 teaspoon sambal oelek or Sriracha hot chile sauce, optional

One: In a large pot, heat grape seed oil on medium-high. Add white onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add five-spice powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add bok choy.

Two: Drain noodles well and discard water. Divide noodles evenly among 4 large soup bowls. Top each bowl with 2 oz raw beef.

Three: To serve, ladle broth-bok choy mixture into each bowl over beef, dividing evenly. The heat of the broth will cook the beef to medium-well, about 30 seconds. Garnish each bowl with green onions, cilantro and a few drops of sesame oil. If desired, drizzle 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce and 1/4 teaspoon hot chile sauce over top of each bowl. Serve immediately.

"Five-Spice Noodle Bowls." Clean Eating. March 2011: 49.

Well, after a long hiatus... we are back. The kitchen is fully stocked and Jean Paul and I have sat down to discuss a list of recipes that we are both anxious to try out. Looking forward to it all!

Last night we cooked up this little scrumptious dish. In all honesty, I have never tried Pho, but have been obsessed with the idea of it for the past couple of months. Maybe it has to do with the cold winter months and just wanting to fill myself up with warm comforting pleasures. So I was super excited to see this recipe in March's edition of Clean Eating Magazine! (Which by the way is still one of my favorites.)

The recipe itself seemed very simple to create which still always surprises me. With few basic ingredients, you don't expect so much flavor, but the Chinese five-spice powder is what really makes it. This combination of spices is typically made from cloves, Szechuan peppercorns, star anise and cinnamon. Not at all the common ingredients that I would expect in a soup, but it was surprisingly delicious! This combined with the optional soy sauce and Sriracha made for a pleasant combination of sweet and spicy.

Having the meat uncooked in the bowls and pouring the broth over it was a little unsettling at first to me. I have my suspicions of raw meat, although I do love sushi and will not pass up a serving of fresh Pacific Ahi "Poke" any day, trusting those behind the closed doors of fine dining restaurants will take care of preparing it right. I, myself... still consider myself an amateur of sorts, and have not ventured into preparing the raw meats. But as the recipe said, it cooked within the 30 seconds, (I gave it a minute or two) and was wonderfully tender.

I also added a teaspoon of salt to the recipe and two additional cups of water. I like my soup to cook and boil down. I'm never as quick as the recipes call for, so adding a little water seems to add a little time to the clock.

I will admit that Jean Paul may have enjoy this one more a little more so than I did, helping himself to a second bowl while declaring that the next time that he is sick, THIS IS what I must make for him. A kiss on the head while passing me, I replied with an "okay darling." He also LOVES all that is hot and spicy and added more than his share of the hot sauce to his bowl.

Yes, we will be trying this one again. I may need to think of adding a little more to it... maybe a few shitaki mushrooms? Hmmm...

Try it and let us know what you thought of the recipe on our facebook page! We'd love to hear form you. And what would you add to improve on the flavor?

Creamy Orange French Toast

Chloé LaBelle — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

1/4 cup light cream
2 large egg yolks
freshly grated zest of 1/2 an orange
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 thick slices of panettone, cut in half
confectioners' sugar, to dust

Orange Cream
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

To make the orange cream, put the sour cream, confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until smooth and creamy. Set aside until needed.

Put the cream, egg yolks, and grated orange zest, and juice and the sugar in a wide, shallow dish and beat well. Heat the butter in a large non-stick skillet. Dip each piece of panettone in the custard mixture, coating each side well, then arrange in the skillet. Spoon any remaining custard mixture over the toasts and fry for 2 minutes, or until golden underneath.

Very carefully flip the toasts over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until golden. Put 2 slices of French toast on each plate, then dust with confectioners' sugar, drizzle the orange cream and top with strips of orange zest.

Blake, Susannah... [et al.]. (2007). easy breakfast & brunch • simple recipes for morning treats. (pp. 60-61). New York: Ryland Peters & Small.

If there is one recipe that you try from this site, I would recommend that this be the one. Jean Paul and I actually had grandiose dreams of opening a breakfast cafe names "Orange Zest" while eating this meal; it was THAT incredible.

We did stray from the recipe somewhat. Panettone is a more of a holiday bread served in Milan and Latin American cultures and unavailable at our current market. To bake the bread from scratch at this point was not an option, but perhaps something to look at sometime down the road. We sreplaced the Panettone for a loaf of raisin challah which was a wonderful substitute.

And this week, I did cook up a little bacon to balance things out. Everything taste better with bacon, right?

This little recipe book, easy breakfast & brunch has done it again and knocked us both off our seats with high anticipation for the weekend to come, to see what breakfast treats we'll be cooking next!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Chloé LaBelle — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:00:00 GMT

2 Stalks rhubarb, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
18 to 21 medium strawberries, sliced (3 cups)
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
3 tbsp organic evaporated cane juice (or organic cane sugar)
Juice 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp spelt flour

Topping:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup Sucanat
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp spelt flour
2 tsp flaxseed, ground
1 tsp cinnamon, ground

Serves: 8
Hand-On Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In an 8x8-inch baking pan, combine rhubarb, strawberries, 1 tsp cinnamon, evaporated cane juice and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 3 tbsp flour and gently toss to coat.

Prepare topping: In a medium bowl, add all topping ingredients. Using a pastry blender or your hands, mix well until combined, then spread over fruit in baking pan.

Place pan in oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

"Sweet-Sour Crumbly Dessert: Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp." Clean Eating. May/June 2010: 98.

I should start this post with a mention and shout out to Clean Eating Magazine... which is quickly moving up on the scale towards being my favorite. It is full of good information and great healthy recipes! If you haven't looked into it yet, I highly recommend that you do.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this dessert!!! (and will admit that I ate two more servings of it the following day. Yes, I did...)

I was craving it for days prior, looking at the picture of the recipe every so often, but unfortunately because of the recent overly wet weather, rhubarb has been difficult to come by here. I found that the three hail storms that we had, damaged the local crop this season. I've never been so aware of the effects that the weather has on local produce. It's all been very interesting to me since Jean Paul and I are now doing most of our shopping at our community food store that specializes in selling it's produce from near by farms.

But our produce manager came to the rescue once again, and showed us a rhubarb bagged in the frozen section which also happened to be supplied by a local farm. Words cannot express our love and loyalty to him and the store.

So I was able to move forward with this recipe and was happy as can be with the results. It was sweet, but not over the top belly aching sweet. Perfect for me! (I sometimes like to think that I'm sweet enough already! Although Jean Paul may argue that point on occasion...)

It was also an interesting adventure in trying to find a few of the listed ingredients for the recipe. It really ended up being a scavenger hunt of sorts... We both pride ourselves on knowing many not-so common foods out there, but neither of us had encountered Sucanat before. It ends up that it is a more raw form of sugar and is more healthy for you, but can be substituted for brown sugar if you are unable to find it in your local stores.

Lucky for me we only used half of the bag of rhubarb, so I'll be making this one again very soon.

Spicy Soy-Marinated Flanken

Chloé LaBelle — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 pieces flanken (about 3 pounds total; each 1 inch think)

Serves 4
Hand-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Make the marinade: In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, and sesame oil. Reserve 1/4 cup for serving. Place the rest of the marinade in a large resealable plastic bag with the flanken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high. Remove the ribs from the marinade (discard the marinade) and grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve with the reserved marinade.

"food | RIBS spicy soy-marinated flanken." Real Simple Magazine. June 2010: 244.

Nothing says summer like ribs... This months (June 2010) Real Simple Magazine does a really great job with its article "The Rib Primer," that goes into explanation of the different types of ribs, what they are and how to prepare and cook them. They then provide four different recipes using the different cuts of meat. I never really gave ribs much thought past napkins, barbeque sauce and a buttered ear of corn, but I have learned that there is much more to it than that.

Jean Paul and I tried one of the recipes last night using flanken which comes from the cow's lower rib cage, similar to short ribs. Now I have to admit that the marinade was fantastic even after only sitting in the fridge for an hour, but I wasn't crazy about the cut of meat. The flanken seemed a little too fatty for me, but they say that the flavor is in the fat, right? Jean Paul on the other hand LOVED it! Again, the taste was incredible, but it was the texture of the beef itself that got to me. It just seemed a little too gristley. Picky me, perhaps. But I would LOVE to try the recipe again using another form of rib and maybe even perhaps letting it sit in the crock-pot melting with the marinade for hours on end. YES!!! THAT sounds like a delicious plan.

We served the spicy soy-marinated flanken with simple white rice steamed in the rice cooker along with the recommended Snow Pea and Red Onion Salad recipe that complimented the taste perfectly! And again, I loved trying a new cut of meat, but the flanken is just not for me. Spicy soy-marinate... I'll take that one any day.