guacamole with basil and shallots

I've been on a quest to find the best guacamole recipe since our trip to Mexico a month ago. For some reason, nothing I attempted had quite enough flavor. Little did I know, the answer was right under my nose (and in my pantry) all along - shallots! I love cooking with shallots. They have a taste somewhere in between onions and garlic and I find them to have a slight peppery note. The basil is also lends nice freshness to the guac. I also added some chopped tomatoes.

Though not a traditional guacamole, it definitely provides a welcome twist. My search is finally over!

Source: Bon Appétit via Epicurious.com

Guacamole with Basil and Shallots
Serves eight

Ingredients
6 medium avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, diced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil plus leaves for garnish
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
Ciabatta bread slices, toasted
Assorted crudités (such as mini bell peppers, celery, fennel, sugar snap peas, and carrots)

Instructions
Place avocados in large bowl; add lemon juice. Using fork or potato masher, crush avocados coarsely. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped basil and shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and chill.
Transfer guacamole to serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves. Place on platter. Arrange toasts and crudités around bowl.

fake-out tortilla soup

I'm off work today, so you get a blog post! Plus, I've realized just how much we reference this blog when cooking - and that this recipe should really be transferred from this soup-stained piece of note paper that I scribbled it on.

This recipe came about in my attempts to convince Freddy that buying a 6-pack of Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup from Costco was a good idea (come on, it's $11 for 6 boxes at Costco - and $4 for ONE box at the grocery store).

It worked. Now, it's become one of our favorite go-to soups. We sometimes eat it on taco night or with tortilla crusted tilapia - also from Costco. This could also be a great vegetarian dish. Just leave out the chicken.

Source: Me.



Fake-Out Tortilla Soup
Serves Two

Ingredients:
2.5-3 cups Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
1/2 cup+ frozen corn (I like a combo of white and yellow)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cooked, shredded chicken breast

Garnish Ingredients
1 soft flour tortilla, cut into strips
Vegetable oil
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

Instructions
Combine all ingredients, heat until warmed through.

Meanwhile, fry tortilla strips in 1" of vegetable oil until golden. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Lightly season with salt or season salt while still hot.

Garnish soup and serve.

rosemary crusted potatoes

Aka "Freddy's Favorite Potatoes." I received my new issue of Cuisine at Home today and these jumped out at me. They were just so good! Freddy pretty much demanded that I make these from now on.

Source: Cuisine at Home

Rosemary-Crusted Potatoes
Serves 2-3

Ingredients
3/4 lb small red or gold potatoes, quartered
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (I used dry)
1/2 tablespoon stone-ground Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon "harvest coarse ground")
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400˚. Coat a shallow baking dish or pan with nonstick spray. Partially cook potatoes in boiling salted water to cover, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Mix rosemary, mustard, and oil in a bowl. Add potatoes, toss to coat. Sprinkle with panko, salt, and pepper. Place potatoes in prepared dish. Roast them 30 minutes, then stir gently. Bake until potatoes are golden brown on most surfaces, another 10-15 minutes.

german-style potato salad

This was by far one of my favorites of the night. I couldn't wait to come home and warm some more up! Glad I thought ahead and made extra. From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

German-Style Potato Salad
Serves four

Ingredients
4 medium potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions

In a covered saucepan cook potatoes in boiling unsalted water for 20 to 25 minutes or till just tender; drain well. Cool slightly. Peel and slice potatoes. Set aside while preparing dressing.

For dressing, in a large skillet cook 4 slices bacon till crisp. Drain and crumble, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Set the bacon aside. Add chopped onion to reserved drippings. Cook till tender. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Stir in water and vinegar. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir in potatoes and 3/4 of the bacon. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or till heated through, stirring gently. Season to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with remaining bacon (or hard-cooked egg, parsley, if desired).

poached leeks

These were good too. I love leeks. They have such a great mild onion flavor. But, I need to make sure to cook them a little longer next time! From Russian, German & Polish Food & Cooking.

Poached Leeks
Serves two

Ingredients
2 leeks, trimmed and sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Parboil or blanch the leeks in a pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse quickly under cold water. Gently pat dry with paper towels.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and gently cook the leeks for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain well. Sprinkle with parsley and black pepper if desired, and serve with grated cheese on top (I skipped the cheese).

carrots in beer

We needed some type of "veggie" and I think that carrots go great with slow-cooked beef. Add some beer, and you've got an Oktoberfest side! These were pretty good. I would make them again if I'm itching for something to do with carrots. I found the recipe randomly online. However, the original had dill added.

Carrots in Beer
Serves two

Ingredients
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ribbons with a peeler
1/2 tablespoon butter (no substitute)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 bottle beer

Instructions

Saute carrots in the butter until barely brown. Add beer; cook slowly for 15 minutes. Carrots should be crisp/tender.

Add salt and sugar and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Serve hot.

tequila-citrus chicken + roasted corn with latino flavors

When I asked Freddy what he wanted for his birthday, he gave me a bunch of simple answers, one of which being "cookbooks". So, I got him a cookbook: Weber's Charcoal Grilling. However, knowing that I generally go overboard for this occasion, I also got him a Weber Performer grill to go with it. Unfortunately, the sun set before we were able to use it today, but we still used a few recipes from the cookbook. We just had to settle for our cast iron griddle/grill.

Wow was this yummy! We even made a new dance for it when we tried it (its more like our reaction). I can't imagine how much better its going to taste next time when we have more time to marinate and grill. I'll indicate the real directions below with my notes. I served this with Mexican rice and sugared asparagus.

Slow-Grilled Tequila-Citrus Chicken
(or fast-grilled, in our case)
Serves 2

Marinade Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/8 cup tequila
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients
2 chicken breasts or 4 thighs, with bone and skin (we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
* Either 8-10 oz each for the breasts or 5-6 oz each for thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin

In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients. Put the chicken thighs in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, lay flat in a rimmed dish, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning once (we foodsaved it - and marinated it for only about an hour). Prepare a two-zone fire for low heat (or grill over low heat... we grilled over medium-high).

Remove the chicken from the bag and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. bring the marinate to a boil and let it boil for at least 30 seconds to kill any raw chicken bacteria. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.

Brush the cooking grate clean. Grill the chicken skin side down first, over direct low heat (we grilled over medium-high), with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm and no longer pink near the bone (again, we used boneless, skinless), 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 minutes and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking (we grilled for about 8 minutes per side, turning once). During the last 20 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken on both sides with the boiled marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Ember-Roasted Corn with Latino Flavors
2 side-dish servings

Butter Ingredients
1/2 cup (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano (we used dry oregano, same amount)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/16 teaspoon granulated garlic (I know these measurements are crazy - we halved the recipe)
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients
2 ears sweet corn (white or yellow), in husks

Instructions
Prepare a three-zone split fire for medium heat (Okay, this is too complicated for me anyway, I'd just grill regular, turning often. Besides, who is going to go through the process of setting up a charcoal grill for just a few ears of corn??). In a small bowl, mash the butter ingredients with the back of a fork. Mix until evenly distributed. Trim the pointed end of each ear of corn, cutting off and discarding the fine "silk" sticking out of the husk. remove and discard a layer or two of the tough outer leaves of each husk.

Carefully lay the ears of corn in a single layer on the charcoal grate between the coals (or on a regular grill if you don't do the charcoal thing). Cook the ears of corn there, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the husks are browned and blackened in spots all over and the kernels are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, swapping the positions of the ears and rolling them over a few times for even cooking. If the outer leaves burn, that's okay.

Carefully remove the ears of corn from the grill with long-handled tongs. use a thick kitchen towel to work with 1 ear of corn at a time. Carefully peel off and discard the husk and silk from each ear of corn. Leave the stem ends attached to use as handles. Smear the butter mixture evenly over the kernels. Serve warm.

the perfect steak

NY strip steak was also on sale yesterday, so I changed my chicken piccata plans and we grilled steak for dinner, served with sugared asparagus (one of our favorites) and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

We learned the sugared asparagus trick about a year ago on the Next Food Network Star (we still think Rory should have won)! They're a perfect pair for steak, we think.

Freddy learned the perfect way to grill steak from another Food Network star, Bobby Flay.

Perfectly Grilled Steak

Ingredients:
2 NY strip steaks (ours were about 10 oz a piece)
Dale's Seasoning or your choice of marinade

Freddy's Instructions:
Let your steak reach room temperature before grilling. Some people might tell you that this isn't necessary, however based on the number of articles I have read, I feel that this helps grill your steak more evenly and faster. Season. You can use your marinade of choice. I sometimes use Dale's or put together a do it yourself marinade. A light brushing of olive oil and maybe some fresh cracked pepper is also a simple choice. The Seasoning and marinade is entirely up to you.

Preheat the grill. Hot as it will go for a gas grill.

Place the steaks on the grill and only flip once based on the time outlined below. Take the time and divide in half for each side. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving. This will let the juices flow out from the center so the whole steak is nice and juicy.

I use the following scale below for grilling times by thickness. These times are total cooking times. Times are approximate and will vary depending on the type of grill:

Sugared Asparagus
Ingredients:
1/2 lb asparagus, woody ends removed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss the asparagus in olive oil and then sprinkle with sugar to thoroughly coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
5 red skinned potatoes
2 cloves of garlic, roasted in the oven (while still in paper) with olive oil until "squishy"
1-2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Parsley (to garnish)

Instructions:
Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain water. Smash with a potato masher. Add garlic (removed from paper). Mash more. Add 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon butter. Mash more and add the rest of the sour cream/butter if needed. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves two.

spinach + ricotta stuffed chicken with lemon sauce + roasted green beans

I was that strange child that actually loved her spinach. And, to this day, that love has endured. I've been seeing stuffed chicken breast recipes here and there, and decided to give it a go. I guess I was feeling adventurous! I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, and this one on recipezaar.com, and combined the two.

I thought that I ended up with twice as much stuffing than I needed. And, it was also starting to soften a bit due to the heat, so next time I'll throw it into the fridge. Freddy and I thought it tasted phenomenal. Unfortunately, we ate it before I could snap a picture. We'll be sure to bring it back soon!

Green Beans
1/2 lb green beans, ends snapped off
1/2 pt grape tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the pan in the oven until you're ready to use it. Toss green beans and tomatoes in olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes.

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Lemony White Wine Sauce

Stuffing:
1 cup cooked, chopped, and drained fresh spinach
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup mozarella
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg

Sauce:
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Chicken:
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Italian bread crumbs

Make the Stuffing: In a bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, Gorgonzola, and bacon and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the egg, mix well, and set aside.

Make the Sauce: Combine the wine and stock in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Whisk in the mustard, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Make the Chicken: Place each chicken breast between 2 doubled-up sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness with a meat-pounder or rolling pin. Divide the stuffing between the breasts, mounding it along the center of each. Fold the bottom edge of each breast over the stuffing, fold in the sides, and roll forward until completely wrapped, to form a tight rolled package. Secure each flap with a toothpick. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper, to taste and roll in bread crumbs to coat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Cover the skillet, turn the heat down to low, and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the sauce into the skillet over high heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon.

Slice the chicken into medallions, divide among plates, and spoon some of the sauce over each. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.