Chicken and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Chili Garlic Sauce

Today my Mom and Dad came to visit.  So I knew there wouldn't be much time for cooking, so for lunch I whipped up this quick and easy stir-fry.  It  is made with ingredients that you can find in any American supermarket and it can be made in less than twenty minutes!  It is actually very healthy too.  I was needing a break after all the cream and butter I have eaten this week.

Chicken and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Chili Garlic Sauce

2 chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
2 cups sugar snap peas
6-8 shitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbs cornstarch
4 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs chili garlic sauce
2 tsp toasted seame oil
1 tbs sugar
black pepper
peanut oil

Season the chicken with 2 tbs of soy sauce and a little black pepper.  Then toss with 1 tbs cornstarch.  In a wok over a high flame heat 2 tbs of peanut oil.  Then add the chicken and cook until opaque. 

Then add the vegetables and 2 tbs of soy sauce and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar snap peas start to get tender.  Then add the  chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and 1 tbs of sugar.  Continue to cook for 1 additional minute.  Serve over steamed rice.

Chicken Linguine with Cognac Mushroom Cream Sauce

I hate it when you think you have the ingredients to make something, but you really don't.  The plan was to make Chicken Marsala for dinner, but we didn't have any Marsala wine.  So I figured I would just run down to the store and get some, but this turned out not to be as easy as I thought it would be.  When I got to the store where it should have been on the shelf was empty.  So I asked the clerk and he told me that a restaurant had come in and bought all they had.  So I went to another store and again the same story.  I went to another store and they didn't even carry Marsala wine.  Now it is about one hour past dinner time and I still have no Marsala wine.

When I got home I went to work preparing dinner.  I went through the cabinets and found a small bottle of cognac and there was plenty of cream in the fridge.  Here is what I came up with.

Chicken Linguine with Cognac Mushroom Cream Sauce

4 chicken breast halfs, boneless and skinless
1 lb crimini muchrooms, sliced
1 cup cognac
2 cups cream
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tbs fresh sage, chopped
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
flour, for dredging chicken
salt and pepper

Lightly pound the chicken breasts and season them with salt and pepper.  Then dredge them in flour.  In a large skillet over a medium flame add the butter and olive.  When the butter is melted and the pan is hot brown the chicken breasts on both sides.

When the chicken is browned remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.  Add the mushrooms, garlic, and sage to the pan and saute until the mushrooms are soft about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Then add the cognac to the pan and scrap up any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  If you are cooking on a gas burner turn the burner off while adding the alcohol for saftey.  Cook the cognac until it has recuced by half.  Then add the cream and bring to a simmer.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Return the chicken to the pan and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile cook the linguine according to the directions on the package.  Remove the chicken from the sauce and add the drained pasta to sauce.  Toss until the pasta is coated.  Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and top with the chicken.

This was a very delicious meal.  I'm actually glad I couldn't find any Marsala.  I just wish I wouldn't have driven around for an hour looking for it.

Blueberry Blondies

If you make these they will not last long.  I have made two batches of these over the past two days.  The first batch I really just made to see if my recipe would work or not.  They were eaten up by the end of the day.  The second batch of these was made early this morning  because they were so delicious that I just wanted another taste.  Yes, I ate one for breakfast and I'm sure they will be gone by the end of the day too.

If you have never had a blondie before it is very similar to a brownie.  Only blondies are flavored with brown sugar and not cocoa.  There are many recipes for blondies.  Many of them don't call for the sugar to be cooked.  To me these recipes are more like a cake.  They lack the fudgy texture that I think a blondie should have. 

Blueberry Blondies

2 sticks of butter (1 cup), more for greasing pan

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

zest of 1 lemon

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a heavy bottom pot over a medium flame add the butter and brown sugar.  Stir constantly until the sugar is melted and the mixture just starts to boil.  Then remove it from the heat.  Let cool for about 5-10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and lemon zest.  Whisk together.  Then add the eggs and vanilla extract into the slightly cooled sugar mixture.  Stir until combined.  Then add the remaining dry ingredients and stir until well mixed.  The batter will be very thick.  Then pour into a buttered 11x13 metal baking dish.  Scatter the blueberries over the top.

Then bake for 30-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.  The center of the pan will still be slightly undercooked.  It will firm up as the blondies cool.  Then cut into squares and serve.

Roasted Asparagus and Red Onion

I never really liked asparugus until I tried it roasted.  When roasted it is almost as addictive as french fries.  When no one is looking I even pick up the spears with my hands and eat it just like you would a french fry.  It is really simple to prepare.  So simple that I debated whether or not to share this recipe.  But, sometimes the most simple dishes really are the best. 

Roasted Asparagus and Red Onion

2 buches of fresh asparagus, tough ends removed

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 6 wedges

3 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet toss the asparagus and red onion with olive oil.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Then roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Flip halfway through cooking.

I served this with this with the Waygu Beef Tenderloin Steak.

Potatoes Au Gratin with Creme Fraiche and Gruyere

I guess you all can imagine what we have been eating the past few days...Meat!  When you have high quality steaks you don't  need to season the meat with lots of spices.  I only seasoned them with kosher salt and black pepper.  They were delicious.

To go with our New York Strips I made these potatoes au gratin.  Nothing goes better with a steak than potatoes. 

Potaoes Au Gratin with Creme Fraiche and Gruyere

3 lbs russet potatoes, sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 cups creme fraiche

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1/2 lb gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbs of fresh chopped herbs, I used rosemary, sage, thyme
zest of a lemon
1/4 stick butter, plus more for greasing dish
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a buttered 13X9 inch baking dish lay a single layer of the potatoes.  The potatoes should overlap slightly.  Top with 1/3 of the creme fraiche, 1/3 of the gruyere, 1/3 of the parmesan, 1/3 of the herbs, 1/3 of the lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.  Repeat until you have 3 layers of potatoes topped with creme fraiche and cheese.  Be sure to season each layer with salt and pepper.  Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter over the top.  Bake for about 1 hour.  The top should be golden brown.

The Second half of my Valentine's Day Gift

Last night I finally asked..."Whats the other half of my Valentine's Day Gift?"  M.  then handed me a box of chocolate truffles and said, "I'm the other half of your gift".  I thought it was incredibly sweet.  I really am lucky.  I have someone who loves to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen...loves might not have been the right word, but at least they do it.

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

The other day a friend of mine asked me if I could share a recipe for a white bean and kale soup with sausage.  So yesterday it was snowing outside.  It never snows in Alabama.  Just the other day I was wearing shorts.  Its crazy how quickly the weather changed, but it gave me a perfect excuse to make this soup. 

The snow was actually very beautiful.  While the soup simmered I walked out in the backyard and snapped this picture. 

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into bite sized pieces

2 bunches of kale, tough stems removed and chopped

2 cans cannellini, drained and rinsed

10 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2-3 pieces of cheese rind, I used Parmesan **
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large dutch oven over a medium flame  add 2 tbs of olive oil.  Then add the smoked sausage.  Cook the sausage until it is browned.  Then add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.  Saute until the vegetables start to get soft about 7 - 10 minutes.  Then add the kale.  Let the kale cook down.  Then add the cannellini beans and the chicken broth.  Add the cheese rinds and bring to a simmer.  Let the soup simmer for 1 hour.  Stir in the red wine vinegar.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

**If you don't have any cheese rinds, you can just mix about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese into the soup.  The flavor will be the same.

I know you may think it seems odd to add vinegar to the soup, but I never eat any greans without vinegar on them.  The vinegar really brightens up the flavor of the soup.  This soup is very simple and delicious.  Its perfect for a snowy day.

Nutella Mousse

Today I was actually planning on making a peanut butter and chocolate pie, but someone had eaten my peanut butter.  All that was in the cabinet was reduced fat.  I think some things should be reduced fat, but desserts are not one of them.  So to avoid a trip to the store I decided I would make something with the jar of Nutella sitting beside the reduced fat peanut butter.

So I made the mousse initially to put into a pie, but it never made it into the crust.  There were some strawberries in fridge and I thought what could be better than dipping the strawberries into the creamy mousse. 

Nutella Mousse

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup Nutella

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a mixer beat the cream and vanilla until it forms soft peaks.  The cream should be very cold.  Usually I put my cream and the mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before I whip it.  The colder it is the better it whips.

Then with a rubber spatula fold in the Nutella.

Serve with a spoon and a big plate of strawberries for dipping.  Since there was no mousse left, I'll have to make the pie another day.

Banana Nut Muffins with Maple Syrup Glaze

This very may well be one of the best tasting things I have ever put in my mouth and I'm not saying that lightly.  These were so delicious.  Just like my Mom's banana nut bread only a little  sweeter, but the glaze really puts them over the top.

I know at my house we always buy way too many bananas and no one wants to eat them after they start to turn black.  With this recipe the more ripe and more bruised the banana the better.  Its a great way to keep those bananas from going to waste.

Banana Nut Muffins with Maple Syrup Glaze

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 stick butter, melted (1/2 cup)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a mixer combine the combine the bananas, butter, sugar, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract.  Beat until well combined.  Then add the baking soda and flour.  Mix until just combined.  Then stir in the pecans.  Then scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  After baking remove from the pan and allow them to cool completely.

These are great right out of the oven without the glaze, so go ahead and sneak one while no one is looking.

Maple Syrup Glaze

1/4 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners sugar

Whisk the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar together until smooth.

Then drizzle the glaze over top the muffins.  The easiest way to do this is by dipping the whisk into the glaze and twirling the whisk over the tops of the muffins.  I doesn't have to be perfect the more glaze the better!

You might also be interested in Alabama Cookies, Apple Fritters, and Neiman Marcus Cookies.

The Perfect Valentine's Day Gift...A Box of Meat

Yesterday I got the first half of my Valentine's Day gift.  The night before my Valentine told me I had to be at the house in the morning because a package was coming.  You can't get nothing past me so I had to ask what it was..."It's your Valentine's Day gift...well half of it".  Hmm...I had no idea what it could be.

So the next morning this package from Lobel's of New York was sitting at the front door.  Lobel's is an upscale butcher shop in New York.  It's not like the meat you get at Winn-Dixie. 

So I open it up.  Inside the box there were: 2 USDA Prime Boneless Strip Steaks, 2 Bacon-Wrapped Wagyu Tenderloin Steaks, 1 10 oz Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin, and 1 lb Chicken Italian Sausage.

I think this is perfect gift for any food lover, but its definitely not cheap.  The Wagyu Beef steaks alone were $50 a piece.  http://www.lobels.com/

I can't wait to start cooking and for the other half of my Valentine's Day gift.

Spinach,Shallot, and Orange Salad

Last week at the market they had these beautiful Cara cara Oranges.  There were some sliced for sampling, I sampled probably half an orange.  They were so sweet and juicy, so I bought a sack full of them. 

Cara caras are a pink flesh navel orange almost the color of a grapefruit.  They tend to have few seeds and are low in acid.  They are great just for eating or for using in salads, or desserts.

For lunch the other day I made this salad.  It is light, healthy, and delicious.  If you can't find Cara cara oranges, this salad will be great made with any variety of orange. 

Spinach, Shallot, and Orange Salad

For the salad:
4-5 cups of baby spinach
2 oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 shallot, thinly sliced

For the vinaigrette:
juice of an orange
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs honey
1tsp salt
black pepper, just a little

In a jar with a lid combine the orange juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.  Put the lid on the jar and shake until they are well mixed.  Using a jar is the easiest way to mix a vinaigrette, especially if you are outside on a picnic.

In a serving bowl combine the spinach, shallot, and the orange slices.  Pour the vinaigrette over the top.  Toss and serve.

So simple and delicious.  This would also be great with a piece of grilled fish or chicken.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Wontons

I don't think anyone will miss the fortune cookies when you serve these as the ending to your Chinese dinner.  They are light, crispy, and delicious.  The whole time I was eating them I was wishing I had some vanilla ice cream to dip them in.  Next time I make them I will definitely serve them with a scoop of ice cream, but I love ice cream.  These were actually not very difficult to make, just a little time consuming. 

I used store bought wonton wrappers.  First lay out the number of wrappers you want to fill.

Drop about 1 tsp of peanut butter into the center of each of the wonton wrapper.

Then cut a bar a milk chocolate into small pieces.  Put one piece of chocolate on top of the peanut butter on each wrapper.

Folding them is by far the most time consuming part if making these wontons.  To fold them you need a small bowl of water and a pastry brush or you can use your finger.  I just use my finger.  Dip the brush or your finger into the bowl of water.  Then wet the egde of the wonton wrapper.  Then fold two edges together.  Then fold the other two edges together.  It is very important that they are sealed completely.  When all the wontons are folded. Heat a wok filled about 2-3 inches of peanut oil over a medium flame.  The oil should be at 350 degrees.

Then fry until they start to turn golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 

Just a word of caution:  The filling will be extremely hot.  Avoid the temptation to taste for about 3-5 minutes.

These are best eaten while warm.