Friday, February 28, 2014

Taco Salad with Amys Chunky Salsa


I am not one who desires a gadget for every single individual task to be done in the kitchen.  I definitely prefer a more old school multitasking approach when it comes to the functionality of culinary tools.  However, that doesnt mean that I dont appreciate a nifty device when it comes along.  A girl can certainly take some help when she can get it! So, knowing my obsession with all things taco, I could not wait to dine on my first home made taco salad with the help of my new tortilla bowl mold. Though the multi-functional use may not be evident just yet, it definitely served a desired purpose.  Actually, now that I think about it, I absolutely see a gigantic taco salad shell shaped cupcake in my future.

To form the tortilla bowls I brushed a corn tortilla lightly with canola oil and pressed it in the mold.  After preheating the oven to 400 degrees, I baked the shell for about 10 minutes until it became golden brown and crunchy.  After unmolding onto a plate I filled it with shredded iceberg lettuce, seasoned taco meat, colby/monterey jack cheese, Amys chunky salsa, sour cream and some hot sauce.  Scrumptious!  Oh, just so you know, its the chunky salsa that MAKES it!!!         

Amys Chunky Salsa
1 avocado, diced
1 mango, diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 small can black olives, drained
1 tomato, diced
pickled jalapeno slices, to taste
juice 1/2 lime
salt
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Great topping for taco salad, tacos, enchiladas or just by the spoonful!
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Pasta with corn in Indian style



Pasta is kids favorite food, the best thing about the pasta is it absorbs the flavor very well, when you cook in any kind of sauce and tastes different even with a slight variation in the recipe. Do you think pasta is good or bad? I did a little research on nutrient facts on pasta and found out that pasta is neither good nor bad. It depends on the way you cook, how often you eat and what kind of ingredients you use in cooking.

Now a days different kinds of pastas are available in the market  among them soy pasta is the best!!! The other grain pastas are also good, here you can see the information of nutrient facts in a dry pasta, the good thing about pastas is they give you minimum of 8% fiber. Athletes eat pasta when they are preparing for a marathon, this is because the starch in the pasta releases energy slowly and for a long time they do not feel hungry!!!


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 4.5 oz (128 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories370
Calories from Fat 25
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g
6%
Saturated Fat 0g
2%
Cholesterol 95mg
30%
Sodium 35mg
0%
Total Carbohydrates 70g
25%
Dietary Fiber 12g
50%
Protein 14g
30%
Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%Iron 25%
Zinc 10%Thiamin 60%
Riboflavin 35%Niacin 20%
Vitamin B-6 6%Folate 60%
Vitamin B-12 8%Phosphorus 20%
Magnesium 15%
*
Percent Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs

Coming to recipe!!
Ingredients
Pasta-100grms or 1 cup
onion-finely chopped-1/4cup
tomato finely chopped-1/2cup
red and yellow bell peppers(capsicum)-1/4 cup also you can use any bell pepper you wish
oil-2 tbsp
Yellow corn-1/4cup
jeera/cumin seeds-1/2tbsp
ginger garlic paste-1/4tbsp
salt to taste
green chili-2
Pepper powder-pinch

Method:

Cooking Pasta:  To cook pasta take a large bowl and add 3 times to the volume of pasta you have i.e 1 cup of pasta requires 3 cups of water. Add 1/2tbsp of salt and cook till pasta is well cooked. Drain pasta and pour some cold water and keep aside.

when the pasta is cooking, you can prepare the curry mean while. For this, take a skillet heat oil and add cumin seeds when they splatter add onion, green chili, corn, capsicum and cook till onion turn transparent. Add ginger garlic paste. Then add tomato and little salt. Cook under medium flame till tomato is completely done. Add pasta and cooked pasta and cook under low flame for 1min and turn off the stove.

Serving tips:
 You can serve hot by sprinkling some cheese on top or you can sqeeze some lemon drops, sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top and serve or you can even add pudina powder while cooking curry.
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SANDRA’S BAKED WHOLE WHEAT HERB PITA CHIPS

These warm and crispy herb pita triangles
have a crazy-good texture and flavor
you just cant get compared to
the store-bought version...
Servings: (10)
Prep: 5 Mins.
Cook: 7 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

6 whole-wheat pita bread pockets
Olive oil cooking spray

Spice/Herb Mixture:
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a couple of baking sheets with foil; spray, then set them aside.

Cut each pita bread around the circumference so you have 12 halves.  

Line the cutting board with foil (for easier clean up), and spray both sides of 12 halved pitas with olive oil spray. 

Mix the spice/herb mixture in a small bowl.  Sprinkle one side of the halved pitas with half of the spice mixture, then spray with olive oil for spices to adhere.  Repeat, doing the same on other side of pita halves as well.  Toss the tin foil, and cut pita halves into 4 equal triangles; yielding 48 total pita chips (or cut them smaller if you wish to yield even more smaller triangles).

You will be baking these in batches.  Begin by placing the pita triangles on baking sheets in a single layer, and bake for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.  Watch carefully, as they could easily burn! ~ Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tip:  I only make as much as we are going to eat of the herb pita chips at one setting, as they tend not to store or reheat as well as when they first come out of the oven.


Click here for Sandras Addicting Baked Tropical Jalapeno Spinach Dip
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Thursday, February 27, 2014

My 2010 Meal of the Year – A Big Easy Brunch Sans Pants at Commander’s Palace

What a truly amazing food year that was! I worked, played, and ate in 10 different cities, and enjoyed over 200 professionally prepared meals, many created by the countrys top chefs.

So, youd think with so many options, choosing a "Meal of the Year" would be difficult. Well, thats not the case. In fact, it’s a total no-brainer. And by brain, I actually mean pants.

Thats right, my meal of the year came as a direct result of not wearing pants. Id love to explain. This all took place on a press trip Michele and I attended, hosted by the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau.

We had been invited down to experience New Orleans cuisine and seafood post BP oil spill, and since neither of us had ever been before, we jumped at the chance.

We had already enjoyed several days of incredible food, drinks, and music in the French Quarter, and the trip was to culminate in the Garden District with a special brunch, prepared by three of the citys star chefs, at the venerable Commander’s Palace.

For those of you that dont know, Commander’s Palace has been considered one of New Orleans finest restaurants since it was built in 1880. A whos who of great chefs have passed through its bustling kitchen, including Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. This day it would be Executive Chef, Tory McPhail (tall hat) teaming up with Donald Link (ball cap) from Cochon, and Matt Murphy (right) from M Bistro at the Ritz Carlton. I was really, really looking forward to this meal.

As we waited to be seated, I stared hungrily into the colorfully decorated dining room. The smells were glorious; the scent was some sort of sweet, smoky amalgamation of bacon and butter. I was shaken from my trance as our group was led forward toward the source of these heavenly aromas. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

It was co-owner, Ti Adelaide Martin, and she asked if I could step aside and let the others pass. I did, to quizzical looks from my fellow media members. Then I heard something Ill never forget, "Im sorry," she said with a stern smile, "we cant let you into the dining room without pants." It was true. I was not wearing pants. I was wearing shorts.

If youve never been to New Orleans in August, let me tell you, its very humid, and very hot. People say things like, "it may only get up to 95 today." So, since it was brunch, and hot enough outside to accidentally make roux, I decided to go with a nice pair of khaki dress shorts.

She politely explained to me, and the completely horrified PR rep who had made the plans, that everyone who makes a reservation is told about the dress code, and that in the 130 year history of the establishment, no one has ever been allowed to enter the dining area sans pants. Clearly, my "dont you know who I am?" was not going to work.

My heart sank. Talk about a swift kick to the beignets. Michele and I were starving, and crazy with anticipation, and it would have been 30 minutes each way to go back to the hotel. Not only that, all our luggage had already been packed for the return trip to San Francisco following the meal.

Since everyone was flying out after this event, I had no intention of keeping the other press members waiting. The only option would be to return to the Ritz-Carlton to change, thereby missing out on the first half of the menu.

Then, just as my exposed knees and I were about to leave in shame, I was introduced to the true meaning of Southern hospitality. Ti told us that while I would not be allowed to enter the dinning room, she had checked with the kitchen, and they were fine with setting up the Chefs table.

I was told this is the hardest reservation in New Orleans, with people calling up to a year in advance. Out of sheer luck, they had decided to not book the table that morning, since the kitchen was hosting the aforementioned visiting chefs.

Michele and I looked at each other half-smiling, in total disbelief at our good fortune. A few seconds later we were seated smack in the middle of the most famous kitchen in New Orleans. A few friends from the press group came down to check on our situation, but as soon as they saw where we had landed, their looks of concern quickly turned to envious bemusement.

What followed was a brunch as magnificent as the setting, and as magical as the strange chain of events that led us to it. I hope you enjoy the photos, and enjoyed the story behind them.

Executive Chef, Tory McPhail, started things off in grand fashion with an amuse bouche of sweet corn Johnny cakes, pulled pork, soft poached quail egg, Atchafalaya river basin caviar, lemon and champagne gelee, hollandaise, and Louisiana sugarcane.

McPhail is known for his creative interpretations of classic Louisiana cuisine, which he reminded us was "the original fusion cuisine." Chef Tory prides himself on finding the very best local ingredients, and almost 90% of whats used in the restaurant comes from within 100 miles of the back door.

The benefits of such practices were as obvious, as they were delectable with this butter-roasted grouper with chanterelle mushrooms, Louisiana soybeans and crushed local blue crab bisque.

Chef Matt Murphy offered a “Veux Carre Brunch.” One gorgeous plate composed of four fabulous dishes. We had already enjoyed several examples of Chef Murphys culinary skills at M Bistro, in the Ritz Carlton, so I was looking forward to seeing what he would come up with for this special menu. He did not disappoint.

By the way, in yet another twist of bonne chance, assisting Chef Murphy was Sous Chef Bradley McGehee (pictured above, far left), a former student of mine at the CCA! It was great seeing him again, and Im glad he is getting to work with such talented chefs.

Alligator "Boudin" Sausage with Stewed Greens

Escargot "Croque Madame" with Quail Egg

Sweet Potato Biscuit With Truffle Scrambled Egg and Sausage Gravy

Jumbo Lump Crab Crepe with Goat Cheese, Sauce Choron, and Ghost Pepper Marinated Caviar

Donald Link, the James Beard Award-winning Executive Chef at Cochon, offered a hearty, Cajun change of pace to the "haute Creole" we had been enjoying, and presented a Sausage and Oyster Pie with Parmesan Bechamel and local Padrone Peppers. There was nothing light about this dish, except how it made you feel while you ate it.

Not only did we get the all this amazing food, prepared and served by these world-class chefs, but we also were blessed with several signature cocktails, like this "Tequilla Mockingbird." In addition to being brilliant at finding tables for people without pants, Ti Adelaide Martin is also an accomplished mixologist.

Speaking of tequila, halfway through brunch, and for no apparent reason, these guys walked into the kitchen and played this to the cooks. Would I be using the local term "Lagniappe" correctly to describe this?



As the meal came toward a close, Michele and I discussed how we could tactfully pass on dessert. We knew Commander’s Palace was known for its decadent desserts, but we were full…and not regular full, New Orleans full. We decided wed just split a plate of something, so as not to insult our hosts.

When we informed the server of our plan, she formed a smile as slow and sweet as molasses before simply saying, "No, thats not going to happen." She returned with a tray containing full orders of five of their most popular desserts, including a classic Crème Brulee, and a you-have-to-try-it-before-you-die Bread Pudding Soufflé.

From the depths of under-dressed despair, to the ecstasy of the ultimate Chefs table, this had been an experience wed never forget. What a meal, and what a memory. A huge merci beaucoup to Commander’s Palace for a truly extraordinary brunch, and to Chefs McPhail, Link, Murphy, and McGehee for letting us share their kitchen!
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