Cole Slaw

This slaw goes well with the "Dad's Baked BBQ Ribs" recipe I posted.

2/3 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sugar

3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 16 oz bag cole slaw

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the cole slaw. Chop the cole slaw fine and add to the mixture; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Simple Marinade for Grilled Fish

Eat more fish.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 lbs fish fillets

Put the fish in a 13" x 9" glass baking dish. Mix the first 4 ingredients and pour over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Remove the fish and save the marinade. Grill fish about 4 inches from medium coals, turning once and basting occasionally with reserved marinade, 12-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Dad's Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

Another recipe from Dad's file. Sometimes, I like to have breakfast for dinner. Here's a scrambled egg recipe with a twist--baking powder-it adds the “fluffy" to the eggs.

Ingredients:
6 eggs (at room temperature)
3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss, monterey jack, etc.)

Whisk the first 5 ingredients together and let stand for 5 minutes. Heat the butter in a skillet. Add the cheese to the mixture if using. Whisk the mixture once more and pour the eggs into the heated skillet. Stir constantly until the eggs are creamy. Do not over cook.

Aunt Phyllis' Chicken Salad

Some of the best recipes come from our family members, don't they? This one is from my sweet Aunt Phyllis.

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts--cooked and shredded
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
½ cup grapes, sliced
½ cup sweet pickles, diced (or pickle relish)
½ cup water chestnuts, chopped fine (optional)
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup Miracle Whip (unless you are a Hellman's lover like me)
1 tsp mild curry powder
lettuce
4 tomatoes

Mix the celery, grapes, sweet pickles, water chestnuts, and pecans. Add Miracle Whip and curry powder. Mix well. Chill and serve on bed of lettuce and quartered tomatoes.

Asian Shrimp Bowl

This is a recipe from Cooking Light that has been slightly modified. Ginger really adds a nice brightness to dishes.

3 cups cooked brown rice
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 bunches green onions, cut into 1” slices
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon srirachi (Asian hot sauce)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
Prepare the rice according to package directions. When the rice is almost done, heat the oil in a wok or large sauce pan on medium high heat. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir for 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Add the soy sauce and hot sauce. Stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve in bowls over brown rice.

The Stinking Rose Restaurant

 

I must have garlic on my mind, which is always a good thing. If you love garlic, check out The Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco. Their motto is, "we season our garlic with food!".

thestinkingrose.com

Homemade Garlic Aioli

What could be better than garlic mayo? This recipe is from Chef Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
juice of one lemon
salt
freshly ground white pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. With the food processor running, add the oil in a steady stream until the mixture is pale in color and thick. Remove from processor and put in fridge for one hour.

Yellow Squash Saute

This is the very first squash I have ever grown! Very tasty.

Ingredients:
Yellow squash
1 teaspooon olive oil
Salt/pepper

Wash, then thinly slice the squash. Heat oil in pan over medium high. Add the squash and saute on both sides until you see touches of golden brown. Salt and pepper both sides.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

People we work with sometimes like to bring food to share and this is usually a good thing. And, have you ever noticed it's a great way to quickly get rid of food. For instance, the three dozen chocolate chip cookies you just made but don't really want sitting around the house. They go to the coworkers. I used to work with someone who brought this oh-so-moist and tasty banana bread to the hungry coworkers. This is one of the best banana bread recipes I've ever had and I make it all the time. It's hearty and sticks with you. I have a freezer full of individual slices and it's delicious toasted, and topped with real butter. 

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 325. After the butter cools for a few minutes, pour it into the sugar in a large bowl. Mix on medium with an electric mixer. Add in eggs and banana, blending on a higher speed until smooth. Add the flour/s, baking soda, and salt to the banana mixture and mix on medium-high until well blended. Pour in the hot water and mix again until blended in. Pour batter into a 9" x 5" greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the bread cool before you slice it up.

Grow a Salad in a Container

I grew the pepper and tomato that are in this salad. It's great to eat veggies you grew yourself and they taste better. Container gardening is easy and fun. The salad dressing you see on the side is "Ingrid's 4 Ingredient Balsamic Dressing" from a previous blog post, and it is sweet and delicious. I added homegrown dill to the dressing which was good, but next time I will try something else like fresh garlic or marjoram.

Citrus Salad Dressing

This sweet and tart salad dressing is simply divine on green leafy salads with oranges, avocado, red onion...

1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together or combine in a small jar and shake well. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Mama's Nut Butter Cookies

Try not to eat all of the dough.

1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup nuts, ground (your favorite)
1/2 cup butter, soft

Mix together flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Add nuts. Blend in butter and form a dough. Put the dough mixture between waxed paper and roll to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into squares or cookie cutter. Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes on greased cookie sheet until light golden brown.

Low-Fat Cold Cucumber Soup

This easy to make summer soup is so refreshing one almost needs no air conditioning!

1 32 oz. carton non-fat plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp dill weed
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded & chopped large (keep 1/2 cup aside)

Kosher salt to taste

In a food processor or blender, blend all ingredients (except 1/2 cup cucumber) until smooth. Stir the remaining cucumber into the soup. Pour into a storage dish and chill for a couple of hours.  Garnish with a sprig of dill and serve. 

Red Bell Pepper & Feta/Blue Dip

This dip goes well with fresh pita bread, veggies, and crackers. 

1 large red bell pepper, seeded & chopped rough
3/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup blue cheese 
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 cup olive oil

Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

In one of my first blog posts I told you my Dad is a gourmet cook and major foodie. This recipe, for a most delicious and rich cake, came from a class he took at the CIA in Napa Valley, CA. No, not that CIA, the Culinary Institute of America.

Ingredients:
8 eggs
8 oz butter
1 lb bitter sweet chocolate

Grease the sides of a cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Whip eggs on high speed until double in volume, about 5 minutes.

Over a hot water bath, melt the butter and chocolate. (Tip: Melt the butter first, then add the chocolate.)

Fold 1/3 of egg mixture into the chocolate until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in remaining eggs 1/3 at a time and mix thoroughly.

Pour batter into cake pan. Bake in a hot water bath at 350 degrees until the edges are just beginning to set (approximately 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature is 140 degrees).

Cool in the pan and refrigerate overnight or freeze for one hour. Warm slightly to remove from cake pan. Dust the top with powdered sugar to decorate.

Insalata Caprese - A Simple Italian Salad

This is a simple Italian salad in the colors of the Italian flag. The key is to use homegrown basil and tomatoes, and always fresh mozzarella! 

6 slices tomatoes

6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese 

6-8 fresh basil leaves

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Divide 6 slices of fresh mozzarella on 2 small salad plates. Top the cheese with a slice of tomato and add a basil leaf for the top layer. Drizzle oil and vinegar over the salad. Sprinkle with Kosher salt, chill for 30 minutes, and serve.

Gardening & Cooking

A mini-harvest. I love gardening as much as I do cooking. Watching things grow is so satisfying and it's also very nice to grow your own food. In the basket, you can see the first green bell pepper I've ever grown and an early girl & lemon boy tomato. The homegrown herbs you see are dill, rosemary, marjoram, and basil. And now to make a salad.

Dutch Country Farmers Market

The Dutch Country Farmers Market in Maryland is fabulous and fun. I love this place. It's a restaurant on one side and an indoor farmers market on the other. You pay for your purchases in each department and remember to take a number.

Stroll down the aisle to find a gigantic cheese department. Samples of their unique cheeses are offered to customers. Close by, a large deli and a ready to eat smoked meat department. Ribs, chicken, turkey, wings (I tasted a sample of baby back ribs-yum). Then, I saw the largest fresh meat department I've ever seen before. They have everything! Grass fed, antibiotic free, and much more. Across the aisle is the colorful produce department that looks like a beautiful rainbow.

Next up is the candy-you-have-not-seen-since-you-were-a-kid department. This section also includes chocolate--I saw chocolate s'mores 3" tall. The bulk foods department includes cereals, flours, grains, soup mixes, pasta and more.

Spices

Around the corner is the huge, beautiful, spice section. I wanted to buy one of everything but it simply would not fit in my kitchen. 

Bakery

Can we talk bakery? The photo shows only one-third of the offerings. It is amazing and there are so many choices it will make your head spin. A wide variety of fresh breads and sweets. Your willpower will be tested.

Dutch Country Farmers Market: a treat for the senses!

Bubbly Sangria Punch

I was at a party recently where sangria was served. I had forgotten how good it was. 

I dug through my stash of recipes and found this one:

2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
2 limes, sliced
2 bottles of rose or Burgundy wine
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 oz. triple sec
2 dashes Rose's Lime Juice
1/4 cup sugar
28 oz. club soda, chilled

In a large pitcher, combine sliced fruit, wine, brandy, triple sec, lime juice, & sugar. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, add chilled club soda and stir gently. Now go kick back on the lounge chair. Cheers!

Ingrid's 4 Ingredient Balsamic Dressing

Oh, it's good to meet fellow foodies at summer parties.

3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salad greens
freshly grated parmesean cheese

Add sugar to hot water. Stir or shake to dissolve.  I like to make this in a glass jar, and I often double the recipe.  Add balsamic. Shake again.  Taste to make sure it's smooth/balanced.  Stir and let sit a minute or two. Add 1.5 tablespoons olive oil.  Shake and pour onto your favorite salad greens.  Freshly shaved parmesan is really nice on top, and this recipe is really easy! 

Toasted Ciabatta with Balsamic Syrup

I really like vinegar. I love balsamic vinegar. Balsamic syrup is even better. It's sweet and goes well with most everything.


1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
12 (1/2-inch) thick slices ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons butter

Boil the balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Toast the bread slices. Spread the butter over the toasts. Arrange the toasts on a platter. Drizzle the reduced balsamic syrup over the toasts then sprinkle with a little more sugar, and serve.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Sesame-Basil Salad Dressing

I like sesame oil way too much and the flavor in this salad dressing is simply wonderful.

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients. Use right away or put in the fridge for a bit.

Pot Stickers

Pot stickers are fun to make at home. I had a friend in college (a foodie before her time) who carried a wok in her car trunk. One day, she came over and we made bunches of eggrolls and almost hurt ourselves with the hot mustard we mixed from scratch.

Pot stickers are a similar concept. When I made these, I doubled the recipe below (so that I could freeze a batch) and it made 51 pot stickers. So even if you don't double this recipe, I think you will need more than 12 wrappers.

6 ounces ground pork

1/4 cup diced white onion
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons diced green onion
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch salt and pepper
12 (get a package) wonton or pot sticker wrappers
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon oil

Dipping Sauce: I use a bit of sesame oil, and probably equal parts of rice wine vinegar and light soy sauce for the pot sticker dipping sauce.

In a medium bowl, add the pork, onions, ginger, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix together until thoroughly combined.

In a medium stock pot, boil 2 quarts of water.

Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the middle of a wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with the egg and fold in half. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

Place wrappers in boiling water for 1 minute, remove, and cool individually on cooling rack.

When ready, heat a saute pan with 1 teaspoon oil, and saute on medium-high heat until the skin of the wrapper is browned.

This recipe came from Guy F. on the Food Network, was modified by Darbar, and then modified by me.

Mediterranean Tacos

A quick and easy dinner and no need for the oven or stove (yes, it is still very hot here in DC).

Pita bread (I like the large round pieces they sell in a package of 10 or so at Costco--what I call real pita bread)
Hummus
Feta cheese
Sesame Oil

Spread your favorite hummus (I recently discovered lemon hummus at my local grocery store--it's really good!) on top of a piece of pita bread. Crumble some feta over the top and sprinkle a few drops of sesame oil on top. Zap in the microwave for ~ 20 seconds. Fold in half so it looks like a taco.

Chop up your favorite veggies to put on top. I like banana peppers or tomato.

Dad's Baked BBQ Ribs

I think my Dad was a gourmet chef in a previous life. He loves to cook and often sends me recipes. He has every cooking gadget known to exist, alphabetizes his spice rack, and adores Julia Child. I don't know how many cookbooks he has, but I'm guessing a lot. He even has a 10-year old neighbor across the street that yearns to cook with him--and I just know this kid's going to be a chef someday.

These baby back ribs are moist, juicy, and very tasty. The meat easily falls off the bone. I first made these ribs during the winter when I was missing summer grilling. It was the first time I'd used a dry rub and it was a nice alternative. These yummy ribs are really flavor-packed.

For the dry rub:

8 TBSP brown sugar

1 TBSP salt

1 TBSP chili powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp dried thyme

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

3 lbs ribs, preferably baby back

Favorite BBQ sauce (I use KC Masterpiece Hickory and Brown Sugar)

Mix all dry rub ingredients together and rub liberally over front and back of the ribs. Place the ribs on a large plate or baking dish, cover with foil and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet (lined with foil) or baking dish. Add the “juice” from the plate and seal tightly with foil. (Hint: Spray the foil so it does not stick to the ribs.)

Roast the ribs at 300 degrees for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Raise the temperature to 350 degrees. Remove the foil and brush with the BBQ sauce.

Roast for an additional 15 minutes uncovered. Goes great with cole slaw and potato salad.

Mom's Green Chili Cheese Bars

If you've been good all week and have room for some calories, try these cheese bars. Or, use low-fat cheese and light sour cream to help a bit.

Ingredients:
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
12 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 7 oz. can green chilies
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs

In an 8 x 8 pan, layer the two cheeses. Combine sour cream, flour, and eggs and spread over the cheese. Spread the chilies over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cold Avocado Soup

Stifling heat again in DC. Cool down with this soup no matter where you live. The recipe is from Emeril Lagasse. You all know Emeril, right? "Bam!", "Pork Fat Rules!", "Kick it up a Notch"....I've learned many things from Emeril.

3 large, ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup minced scallions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus 6 sprigs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup corn kernals
1/2 teaspoon cumin

In batches in a food processor, puree the avocados, chicken stock, scallions, lemon juice, cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the cayenne. Pour into a soup tureen or large pitcher and stir in the heavy cream just before serving.

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the corns kernals, cumin, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until fragrant and golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and garnish each serving of soup with 2 tablespoons of the toasted corn and one sprig of cilantro.

Mama's Low-Fat Key Lime Pie

Indescribably delicious! This sweet, tart pie is very easy to throw together. 

Crust:
1 package cinnamon graham crackers crumbs, crushed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
"some" sugar (~2 tablespoons)

Mix together and press into pie plate.

Filling:
1 8oz. package fat free cream cheese
1 can Eagle Brand fat free condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice (key lime juice in a bottle can be used)

Beat the ingredients in a mixer for 2-3 minutes or until lumps are dissolved. Pour into pie crust, cover, and chill for at least 4 hours. You can freeze this pie but there probably won't be any left over.

Ceasar Salad

Must love garlic...I've had only one Ceasar salad in my lifetime that was slightly better than this one, and that was at a fancy restaurant in DC. Oh, if you think you don't like anchovies this recipe may change your mind. It changed mine.

At least 4 medium to large cloves of garlic, finely chopped (you want it to bite)
1 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (look for those little tubes in the grocery store)

Mix thoroughly. Add to romaine lettuce, croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese, and serve.

Blogging Fun

I am having a lot of fun with my blog! It is a wonderful way to express myself creatively. I'm also realizing it's a good way to gain or refresh skills in website development, marketing, and writing HTML code. Knowing HTML code isn't a requirement of maintaining my blog but it might make things easier down the road. (Didn't want to scare you if you are thinking of starting a website/blog.) I am starting to add photos to some of the recipes. Today I added that beautiful photo of the cilantro slaw and my fave peach smoothie. I was thrilled to see that I now have 3 followers. More, more! Happy 4th of July one day early!

Aunt Claudia's Guacamole & Salsa

Bonus: you get two recipes in one here-guacamole and salsa! Get out the tortilla chips, this is soooo good.

Ingredients:
3 avocados
salt/garlic salt
pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 small can chilies
3-4 slices of jalepeno peppers, diced
dash of salt

Peel and mash the avocados. Add salt and pepper. Set aside. Mix the remaining salsa ingredients and add it to the avocados to make guacamole. Or you can use the salsa by itself. Enjoy!

Frozen Fruit Granita

This refreshing summer dessert recipe barely qualifies as a recipe with only two ingredients. I made a raspberry granita yesterday with the most delicious raspberries I have had all season. Around here, the farmer's markets are showcasing the beautiful in season fruit so the granita possibilities are endless.

Combine 1 lb. of your favorite in season fruit with 1/4 cup of sugar (it seems the sugar possibilities are also endless these days). Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth; taste it and adjust the sugar if needed. Pour mixture into shallow pan and put it in the freezer. After 30 minutes, use a fork to scrape the slush into the middle, breaking up any ice crystals. Continue scraping and breaking up the ice crystals every 30 minutes for 2-3 hours. Granitas look nice served in a martini glass as opposed to say, a coffee cup.