Asian Steak and Noodle Salad

Mise-en-place is my new favorite culinary term. I never knew that that's what I did pretty much every time I cooked; basically it means to have all your ingredients chopped and ready to go before you even begin to cook, this way your cooking is more enjoyable and you can finish fast. Mise-en-place is specially necessary when cooking any type of Asian dishes, as most of them are cooked quickly. You can lallygag a little with this recipe as the salad tastes better at room temperature or even cold. Mmmm....

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

For steak

• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1 lb flank steak

For salad

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1 thinly sliced shallot
• 8 oz dried vermicelli rice-stick noodles
• 1 medium Granny Smith apples
• Baby lettuce salad mix (enough for two portions)
• About 6 fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces if large
• About 6 fresh Thai basil leaves, torn into pieces if large
• 1/4 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Marinate and grill steak: Whisk together fish sauce, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade into a large sealable plastic bag. Pat steak dry and place in bag, then press out excess air and seal bag. Turn bag over 2 or 3 times to coat meat, then place in a shallow dish (in case of leaks) and chill at least 4 hours and up to 8. Bring steak to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling.

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Remove steak from marinade (discard marinade) and pat dry with paper towels. Grill, uncovered unless using a gas grill, over direct heat, turning over once, until medium-rare, 12 to 14 minutes total. Note: I cooked my steak over the stove to medium rare.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand, uncovered, about 15 minutes.

Assemble salad while steak rests: Whisk together lime juice, water, sugar, fish sauce, and red-pepper flakes in a bowl until sugar is dissolved, then stir in shallots.

Cook noodles in a 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water and drain well. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Working around core of each apple, cut thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick) with slicer, then stack slices. Cut slices lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks.

Combine apples, greens, mint and basil in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of dressing and toss well to coat.

Thinly slice steak across the grain.

Arrange noodles on a large platter and mound greens on top of noodles. Arrange steak slices on greens and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve at room temperature with remaining dressing on the side. Modified recipe from Gourmet, June 2006

Sausage and Ricotta Ravioli

I decided to give homemade ravioli a try again. Since I don't have a pasta machine, the easy Carpi pasta is more appetizing to me because I only need two ingredients: flour and hot water. The trick to this pasta is to roll out pretty thin and to work quickly because the pasta tends to dry out fast. Anyhoo, I created this recipe and it was delish! I used homemade meat sauce and it only made the meal more fabulous. Thick, sliced garlic bread is a must for this dish.

INGREDIENTS (Makes about 24 ravioli)

• 1/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage

Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup very hot water, or more or less depending on the humidity

Filling:

• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pre-cooked mini sausage meatballs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

• Homemade meat sauce or your favorite jarred pasta sauce

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Form mini meatballs with the bulk sausage, about the size of a pearl. You'll get about 40 to 50 mini-meatballs. Place them in an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes, then turn meatballs over and bake another 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool and set aside in refrigerator.

For the dough: In a large bowl combine the flour and the water; I used 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water because it was 72 degrees with 7% humidity here in San Diego. If you're in a very humid area, you may want to use slightly less than a cup. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and gently stir to combine.

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Form each piece into a 2 by 6-inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 by 15-inch rectangle. Place 5 rounded tablespoons of filling about 1-inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares and press down around the edges again with your fingertips to seal, or use a ravioli cutter to make life easier. Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray and continue forming the remaining ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli. Serve ravioli with spoonfuls of pasta sauce and enjoy the goodness.

Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I got this recipe from my friend, Kerry, who is a culinary genius. I slightly tweaked her original recipe because I didn't want the potatoes to be too sweet. All I have to say is, Wow. These mashed potatoes were delicious. My husband totally ate them up and I went for seconds. The chipotle peppers give these potatoes a kick and the nutmeg a slight fruity flavor. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS (makes about 2 cups of mashed potatoes)

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices
• 1 Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped fine (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup whole milk, divided
• A couple of rasps of freshly grated nutmeg, or a pinch of ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes into a large pot filled with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are fork tender (mashable), about 15 minutes.

In the mean time, place brown sugar, chipotle pepper, butter, nutmeg and half of the milk into a bowl. Add the cooked potatoes and mash away. If potatoes look too dry, add the remaining milk and salt and pepper to taste and mash a bit more. Serve as a side dish to a nice medium-rare steak and enjoy!

Fried Ravioli

I've been stuck in the house since Monday due to the raging wild fires here in San Diego. The air quality is extremely bad and since I suffer from allergies, I'm being safe and staying in. What does this mean? It means I've been watching Food Network non-stop. I caught an episode of Everyday Italian with Giada and she made these super delish raviolis. I loved them, and so did my husband. This one is a keeper!

INGREDIENTS (Makes 24 ravioli)

• Oil, for frying
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup seasoned Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

DIRECTIONS

Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Mexican Churros

If you haven't heard yet, San Diego is on fire again. Authorities are saying that this is the worst fire in San Diego history. Thank goodness our friends and family are OK so far; however my mom and step dad may have to be evacuated soon. Many of us didn't go to work today as its raining ash and the air quality is extremely bad, so we're all staying indoors. Matt and I live about 5 miles east of the beach, so we're not affected. Hopefully the winds will die down soon and the fires will be able to be somewhat contained.

Since I've been home all day today, I decided to make churros. I'm sure many of you are familiar with churros which is a very typical and popular Mexican street vendor food. I love these little fried pieces of dough, but of course they don't taste the same as the homemade ones you buy on the streets in Mexico. The dough is very easy and you can also use the dough to make funnel cakes. Nice, huh?

INGREDIENTS (Makes one dozen churros)

• Oil for frying
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 Cup flour
• 1 egg
• Cinnamon-sugar: mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon. Stir or shake it thoroughly to blend it well. Store airtight at room temperature.

DIRECTIONS

In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar and water to a boil. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

Add egg, beat until smooth and shiny. Spoon dough into pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe dough into 4" strips onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze 10-20 minutes or until paper can be peeled off. Do not freeze solid.

In the meantime, in a large cast iron or Dutch oven pan with high sides, heat 2 inches of vegetable or canola oil to 375 degrees. Add 3 to 4 churros at a time and fry until golden. Cook them about 1 minute and turn them over with a slotted spoon. Cook an additional minute or two. You're looking for that nice golden brown color. Drain on paper towels and generously sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Super Easy Banana Cream Pie

My husband hates, hates bananas. I have no idea why, but to me bananas are the perfect food. One of the reasons I've been able to maintain my weight is because I eat one banana for breakfast every day. You just can't deny the power of the banana! I wanted to make a banana cream pie, but all the recipes were too complicated with making the dough from scratch, etc., and you all know I don't like to bake. Plus, I knew that my husband wouldn't eat any of it, so I was also looking for a smaller sized pie recipe. I found this super easy recipe that uses a 6oz. pie crust which, yeah, it's still quite big for one person, but most of the ingredients are sugar free! Anyhoo, this pie sure did satisfy my sweet tooth!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
• 1 ready-to-use Nilla Wafer pie crust (6 oz.)
• 2-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk
• 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Sugar Free Instant Pudding
• 2 cups thawed COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping , divided

DIRECTIONS

PLACE half of the banana slices on bottom of crust. Set remaining banana slices aside.

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spoon half of the pudding mixture into crust. Top with remaining banana slices; cover with remaining pudding mixture.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until set. Serve topped with the remaining 1 cup whipped topping.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Sometimes America's Test Kitchen has some good recipes on their shows on PBS (here in San Diego). I did try their Cincinnati Chili recipe once and it was quite good. Now, these cupcakes are something else: They are yummy and so chocolaty, but you definitely need time to make them. Truthfully, halfway through the process I wished I just would have bought a boxed cupcake mix to make my life easier; but they are worth it. The buttercream frosting recipe below is also from ATK, but your favorite frosting will work, too.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 12 cupcakes)

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (I used Hershey's Dutch Processed Cocoa)
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream (4 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)

Easy Vanilla Bean Buttercream

The frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated, but it must stand at room temperature to soften before use. Mixing times are increased by 50% if you use a handheld mixer.

INGREDIENTS (Makes about 1 ½ cups, enough to frost 12 cupcakes)

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 1 ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
• Pinch table salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean onto butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl and add vanilla extract and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Recipe courtesy of Americas Test Kitchen.

Fried Dill Pickles

Yes, my friend, you read that right...fried pickles. If you've ever been to Louisiana, especially the Bayou, you've probably had the greatest bar food ever invented: fried pickles. If you've never had these, then this is the type of food you want to eat on a Sunday evening after your football team--in my case it's the Chargers--loses miserably to the KC Chiefs or Green Bay because it makes you forget about the agony your team just faced. And if you're from Minnesota and are a Viking's fan, then you know what I'm talking about. Ugh! Anyway, PBR or Golden light are awesome with these fried pickles; but a spendy Heineken will work too.

INGREDIENTS (makes enough to relief your agony)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ice water
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
• 4 cups drained dill pickle slices, well drained and patted dry
• vegetable oil for frying
• Ranch dressing for dipping (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. All at once, add the water, egg yolk, and pickle juice. Stir the mixture with a wire whisk to make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In a deep fryer or large saucepan, heat at least 2 inches of oil to 375º F. In batches, dip pickle slices in the batter, lightly and evenly coating them. Without crowding, place coated slices in the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with side of ranch dressing as dipping sauce, if you wish.

Recipe courstesy of Pickle Packers International, Inc.

Jim Blaha's Margaritas

My father-in-law, Jim Blaha, makes an awesome margarita-on-the-rocks, or a Blaharita, as I like to call them. One evening while I was in Minnesota visiting them, I saw his "secret" recipe on the counter and immediately my spy instincts took over and I took a picture of the recipe. Anyhoo, I got his secret recipe, but later I found out that his recipe was a modification of the Applebee's margarita recipe! Nevertheless, this margarita is quite tasty and will most definitely get you schnokered.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 oz. 1800 Tequila
• 3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
• 3/4 oz. Cointreau
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 4 oz. sweet and sour mix

DIRECTIONS

Salt the rim of your margarita glass; add ice into the glass.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine tequila, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, simple syrup, lime juice and sweet and sour mix and give it a good 10 second shake. Strain into your margarita glass and garnish with lime wheel. Salud!

Cannolis

Every time I visit Boston, I always make sure I stop by at the North End. When we were there earlier this year, I made sure I took my husband to Mike's Pastry shop. It's probably the most famous Italian bakery in Boston. There are plenty of pastry shops in the North End, but this place just makes the best cannolis. They have both ricotta filling and custard filling. To tell you the truth, the ricotta is the best--so make sure you tell them you want the ricotta filling. Anyhoo, the recipe is very simple if you just buy already made cannoli shells (easily available at most supermarkets or Italian delis) and just make the filling. These cannolis make a great accompaniment to a steaming cup of hot cappuccino.

INGREDIENTS

• Ready made cannoli shells (12 pack)
• 1 lb. fresh ricotta (2 cups)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioners sugar (to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• Special equipment: pastry bag or a make-shift ziploc pastry bag

DIRECTIONS

Make filling: Beat together ricotta, confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 1 minute (do not overbeat). Chill filling for 15 - 20 minutes.

Spoon filling into pastry bag and pipe some into one end of a cannoli shell, filling shell halfway, then pipe into other end. Repeat with remaining shells. Garnish with chocolate chips and sprinkle confectioner’s sugar over the cannolis.

Czech Beef Goulash

One of my dreams is to open a Czech style pub here in San Diego that serves authentic Czech food and beers, but before anything, I need to learn to cook Czech foods--and I know nothing about bohemian foods. So, I've been searching for recipes and I found this one in one of my cookbooks. Although goulash is actually more Hungarian, the Czech do have their own version. What I'm missing in this recipe are the dumplings, which I still have to learn how to make them (I did make them but they didn't turn out so good). If you have a good Czech dumpling recipe, please send it my way.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 lb stew beef or boneless bottom round steaks, cut in 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + more for dredging
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 4-5 small new potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 2/3 cups beef broth
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock or water
• 1 cup tomato puree
• sour cream (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Season beef with salt and pepper, then dredge the beef in flour and shake off any excess.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef on all sides, making sure not to crowd the pan and set aside.

Add more oil to the skillet (if needed) and heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour, garlic, paprika, and caraway and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Place the potato rounds in the bottom of a 3 ½-quart slow cooker. Add the beef and vegetables. Pour in the broth, chicken stock or water and tomato puree. Cover and cook on low until the beef is tender, 6-7 hours. Serve with sour cream and don't forget the authentic Czech piva!

Mini-Meatballs over Gnocchi

This is truly a 30 minute meal here, especially if someone else forms the meatballs while you do the sauce. The combo of mini meatballs and gnocchi really works well, but you can also substitue penne pasta or even bowties if you can't find gnocchi. We had this this lightly toasted French bread and boy was it fabulous!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausauge
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• 1 pound gnocchi, from refrigerated or frozen foods section of market
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• Crusty bread to pass at table

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place bulk sausage in a medium bowl. Roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot skillet, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for one more minute. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 - 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for gnocchi. Drop gnocchi in boiling water and cook 5 minutes or to package directions.

Stir in meatballs and basil into tomato sauce and simmer 5 more minutes, then remove from heat.

Drain gnocchi and arrange on a platter. Carefully ladle meatballs and sauce over gnocchi. Sprinkle cheese over it and serve with crusty bread. So good!

No-Bean Chicken Chili

It's no secret that my husband (and pretty much all men, I think) cuts the cheese a lot. Often times, the culprits are beans or green veggies or even ice cream that causes this phenomena to him. So I wanted to make a beanless chili so that he could enjoy the Southwestern chili taste without the "tooting," if you know what I mean! I found this recipe (yes, it's another Barefoot Contessa recipe that I modified to work for me) and I have to say that I think it rivals Dave Bagg's chili recipe. I'm thinking Chili-Off!

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 to 6 servings)

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon extra for chicken
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 1 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 1 (35-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes in puree, undrained (use canned plum tomatoes is you can't find San Marzano)
• 6 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (2 breast halves)
• Freshly ground black pepper
Toppings:

• Chopped onions, Fritos, grated sharp cheddar, sour cream and cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot, cook the onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.Add the red and yellow bell peppers and then crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.



Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked through. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 1/2-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Faux-laches

My husband has been craving poppy-seed kolaches lately, but when I looked up the recipe, it was a bit too much for me. I'm not a big baker, so I shy away from anything that I have to "proof." Anyhoo, I found a simple recipe for a buttery crust and I figured if I fill it with the poppy-seed mixture he likes so much, it'll be a little bit like a kolache. Oh, who am I kidding, but these faux-laches were pretty good.

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 dozen)

Dough

• 3 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup flour

Poppy Seed Filling

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cups poppy seeds
• 3 oz. whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

DIRECTIONS

For the dough: cream together cream cheese and butter. Slowly add in flour. Blend and shape into a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

For the filling: Stir together the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside. Grind the poppy seeds in a food processor or blender with about half the milk. Place the poppy seed mixture and the remaining milk in a small, heavy saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the reserved sugar-and-cornstarch mixture and the almond extract. Simmer, stirring often, until very thick, a matter of 3 - 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Assembly: Roll dough out 1/8 inch thick on a floured pastry board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares and place 1/2 tsp (approx) of poppy-seed filling. Overlap opposite corners and pinch together. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and refrigerate about 10 - 15 minutes.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool. Sprinkle lightly with confectioner's sugar and enjoy.

Best Pot Roast

I'm not one to brag, but last night I made the best pot roast ever. Actually, it took pretty much all day for the roast to cook in a low oven, so this is a perfect meal to make on a lazy Sunday. I got the recipe from Barefoot Contessa's cookbook, Parties! I cut the recipe in half and I only modified it a little, but it was absolutely delish. My husband even had seconds! Thanks, Contessa!

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 3 to 3 1/2 lb. pot roast or brisket (not corned beef), washed and patted dry
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• About 1 cup flour for dredging
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 2" chunks
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3 dried bay leaves (or fresh if you have them)
• 1 (28oz) can of tomato juice

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix the salt, black pepper, garlic and dried oregano. Rub all of this mixture all over the roast. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Unwrap the roast and sprinkle the flour all over the roast; patting away any excess. Place your Dutch oven or heavy roasting pan over the burner and heat to medium-high. Add 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. When hot, add the roast and sear for 2 - 3 minutes. Turn roast over and sear for another 2 - 3 minutes. You want a light golden crust on the roast. Immediately remove roast from pan and set aside; turn heat off.

To the pan add the carrots, celery, onions, paprika and bay leaves.Place the seared roast on top of the veggies. Pour the can of tomato juice and cover tightly with lid (for Dutch oven). If using a roasting pan, cover the top with plastic wrap first then cover with aluminum foil (the foil doesn't react well with tomato juice).

Bake for 3 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Remove about half of the tomato sauce, including the veggies, from roast and add it to your blender (make sure there are no bay leaves). Puree for about a minute. Pass mixture through a sieve. Place sauce in a pan and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, slice meat across the grain. Add the slices to the simmering sauce just to heat through. Serve slices of meat with some of the sauce. I served roasted garlic new potatoes on the side and it was out of this world!

Elaine's Eggs, Chili & Cheese Stratta

Okay, a strata is basically a fancy word for layered casserole or crustless quiche, if you will. But this recipe is tried and true and it's delicious. Elaine, my other mom, has been making this for several years and it's always a great hit with everyone. This is a great brunch item, too, because you can feed a lot of people and you don't have to do much work. Serve it with a side of fresh fruit--don't forget the mimosas--and you've got yourself a really, really good breakfast!

INGREDIENTS (serves 8 to 10 people)

• 10 Large eggs
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Large dash of salt
• 1 pint (16oz) cottage cheese
• 1 lb. shredded cheese, such as Jack Cheese or mixed
• 7 or 8 oz diced green chilies (Ortega brand, if possible)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat eggs with hand mixer and add melted butter, flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until well blended. Add cottage cheese, shredded cheese and chilies by hand and mix to combine.

Pour into a greased 9x13 dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake 25 - 30 minutes until casserole is golden brown and knife comes out clean from center.

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Orange-Chipotle Shrimp

It has been so unbelievably hot here lately that I've had no desire to cook indoors or outdoors. I was trying to find a recipe where my outside grilling was at a minimum, and of course, I found this excellent recipe that, yes, it is also bacon-themed! Wrapping shrimp in bacon is a very common recipe and quite easy, just make sure wrap each shrimp in half of a bacon piece this way your shrimps won’t overcook and get tough. Seriously, my friend, this is all we ate while sipping super cold Amstel Lights and sitting in front of a fan that we set to go at 90 miles per hour. Stay cool!

INGREDIENTS (makes 12 jumbolicious scrimps)

• 12 jumbo, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp
• 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or to taste)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 6 strips thin bacon cut in half (12 pieces)
• Skewers

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, orange zest, orange juice, chipotle powder and salt. Add the shrimp and make sure it is all well coated. Set aside in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.

When you are ready, run outside and turn on your grill on high, for direct heat, then run back into house. Take a zip of your beer and take a breather.

After 10 or so minutes, wrap a half piece of bacon around each piece of shrimp, then thread the shrimp onto skewers, preferably the long, flat ones or metal skewers. You can also use bamboo, but make sure you soak them in water for at least a half hour first. Drizzle the remaining marinade over the shrimp.

Now, with all your shrimps wrapped in bacon, quickly take them outside to your hot grill and grill uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, until shrimp is pink and the bacon is crisp. Make sure you take a cold beverage with you because these will be the hottest 14 minutes of your life. When shrimp is done, run back in and enjoy them with your life-partner...

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

My sister-in-law Lindsey, or SILLi as I like to call her, made some fabulous jalapeño poppers last week. Her dad, Dave Baggs, came up with the idea of stuffing cream cheese into jalapeños, wrapping them with bacon, then grilling them. Now, anyone that comes up with recipes where bacon is a key ingredient is my personal hero. So, I copied the Baggs recipe, although I did embellish it a little with shredded cheese and cilantro. But you can leave that out and just use cream cheese. Either way you do it, these poppers will blow you head away...or just make you hot for a little while.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 jalapeño peppers
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. fresh cilantro, minced
• Pinch Salt and pepper
• 1 lb. sliced bacon
• 24 toothpicks

DIRECTIONS

Soak toothpicks in cold water. The longer the better but at least 1 hour.

Cut a slice lengthwise in the jalapeño to make enough space to remove seeds. Make sure not to split the pepper all the way through when you do this. Remove seeds and ribs and wash jalapeño with cold water. It's a good idea to wear gloves during this step, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Mix cream cheese, shredded cheddar, cilantro and salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Put cream cheese mixture inside a plastic baggie and cut a small slit on one corner of baggie (you're making a MacGyvered pastry bag). Squeeze mixture from baggie into jalapenos.

Wrap bacon in a spiral fashion around stuffed pepper and secure with a couple of toothpicks. Grill the popper until the bacon is cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. I'm pretty sure MacGyver would love these!

Thai Iced Tea Latte

I was addicted to iced coffee for a while, until I had a Thai iced tea latte several years ago. The tea flavor is fabulous, especially that cardamon flavor, and the sweetened condensed milk just totally works for me! Anyhoo, the first thing you have to do is purchase Thai tea. I'm very lucky that I live near a store that sells Thai tea, but if you don't have that luxury, you can purchase it at importfood.com or templeofthai.com. If you're too lazy to make it, go to your favorite Thai restaurant and order this refreshing drink. You'll probably get addicted to it, too!

INGREDIENTS

• Thai tea
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Ice

DIRECTIONS

Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Add 1-1/2 cups Thai tea to a large pitcher and pour over the hot water. Stir well for about half a minute until the liquid is dark brown. Stain the tea into another pitcher using either a traditional Thai cloth tea strainer or a fine sieve. A large coffee filter would work also. Cool at room temperature.

To serve, pour tea over a full glass of ice. Top with sweetened condensed milk (if you want just regular iced-tea, you can skip this) and serve with a straw. Oh ma gawd, it's sooo good....

Garlic Pommes Frites

I always know when I'm PMSing because I get an insatiable craving for garlic fries and I cry at tiny, cute things, like puppies or kittens--but not babies...they're not that cute! So, yesterday I introduced Matt to garlic fries. I mean fries so garlicky that we didn't kiss for hours. I love these fries and I found that the Lei Back Cafe in South Park has one of the best garlic pommes frites. The second best garlic fries are at The Guild Restaurant in the barrio, so go check them out or make them at home and it's getting more difficult in finding a restaurant here in San Diego that has good garlic fries since the Lei Back Cafe and The Guild restaurant have both closed.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 guys or 1 girl on her period)

• 1 (28-ounce) bag frozen shoestring potatoes, such as Ore-Ida® Shoestrings (about 2 cups)
• Oil for deep frying (Vegetable or Peanut)
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced or passed through a garlic press
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced Italian parsley
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Over medium heat, lightly sauté the minced garlic in the olive oil. When it gets to a light, golden color, remove from heat and set aside.

In a frying pan or deep fryer, heat the oil to 350°. Fry small batches of the fries for about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes or according to package directions. Transfer fries to a serving dish, then drizzle the garlic mixture over warm French fries and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese and toss again. Delicious.