Month: February 2014

Crispy Baked Asparagus Fries

How to get friends and family to eat asparagus….. we served these last night and they were INCREDIBLE! Our friend who never touches the stuff had seconds. I would serve this again as a side dish, as well as a great appetizer for a buffet…..

Check out the source of this recipe http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/05/crispy-baked-asparagus-fries.html

If you subscribe to the site you will receive an eBook of other recipes he has come across…

Crispy Baked Asparagus Fries

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Servings: 2+

Asparagus coated in panko bread crumbs and Parmesan and baked until golden brown and crispy.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (Parmesan), grated
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.     Dredge the asparagus in the flour, dip in the egg and then into a mixture of the panko, parmesan, salt and pepper.

2.     Place the asparagus in a single layer on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 7-13 minutes. If you don’t have a baking rack, use parchment paper.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 312, Fat 8g (Saturated 4g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 172mg, Sodium 174mg, Carbs 44g (Fiber 6g, Sugars 5g), Protein 19g

 

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Potato and Leek Soup

Not always easy to find fresh leeks in the grocery store, but et voila…this week they were there, along with fresh horseradish (a rarity here). This recipe does not use the latter! Just mentioned it in passing, as I bought some and carefully washed it and took some online advice and froze them whole. At a later date I can grate them for use in my seafood sauce! FYI…I do the same with fresh ginger…. Hope you will enjoy this soup from the kitchen of Emeril Lagasse!

Potato and Leek Soup

  • 1 large or 2 small leeks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 20 black peppercorns
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or use dried)
  • 2 T butter
  • 2 strips bacon chopped
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1 to 1 1/4 lbs. russet potatoes diced
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (Can substitute with plain yogurt)
  • chopped chives (optional)

Trim the green portions off the leeks. Using a sharp knife, slice the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water (leeks can be full of sand!). Slice thinly crosswise.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the bacon is very soft. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted…about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil.

While it boils, pour yourself a glass of the wine just to make sure it is a good year…LOL.

Add thyme, pepper, chicken stock and potatoes, and more salt if you prefer. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Have another glass of wine!

At this point you can put everything in a food processor (I do not as I like this chunky)or an immersion blender. Serve with a dollop of heavy cream or the yogurt.

Pour into soup bowls (after you have finished the bottle of wine…LOL).

Chive the snips……oops…snip the chives over top!

Emergency Seafood Sauce

So so hard to find here in Mexico, but if you cannot find it try one of these four substitutions – (my “go-to” is #4). You can usually find horseradish sauce….but pure horseradish is hard to find unless you find the actual vegetable…

#1 – 1/2 cup tomato juice. 1 tsp. horseradish, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

#2 – 3/4 cups chili sauce, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon horseradish, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon grated onion, dash of hot pepper sauce

#3 – 1 cup salsa or catsup, 1 Tablespoon horseradish, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 3 dashes of hot pepper sauce

#4 – 1 cup catsup, 2 Tablespoons horseradish, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Just in case you find yourself in the grocery store with a clerk who speaks no English, show them this –

# 1 – 1/2 taza de jugo de tomate. 1 cdta. rábano picante, 1/2 cdta. Salsa inglesa, 1/2 cdta. vinagre, 1/2 cdta. jugo de limón

# 2 – 3/4 tazas de salsa de chile, 2 cucharadas de jugo de limón, 1 cucharada de rábano picante, 2 cucharaditas de salsa inglesa, 1/2 cucharadita de cebolla rallada, pizca de salsa picante

# 3 – 1 taza de salsa o salsa de tomate, 1 cucharada de rábano picante, 1 cucharada de jugo de limón, 3 toques de salsa picante

# 4 – 1 taza de salsa de tomate, 2 cucharadas de rábano picante, 2 cucharadas de jugo de limón

Oat Bars with Banana and Applesauce

Oat Bars with Banana and Applesauce

 3 mashed bananas

1/3 cup applesauce (or mash a slightly cooked peeled apple in the with the bananas)

3 Tablespoons almond butter

2 cups oats

¼ cup almond milk

½ cup dried cranberries (experiment with other dried fruits, i.e. figs, blueberries, etc.)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

What the heck, add a few sliced almonds to the top before baking?

Go for it…add some coconut, too!

Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Let cool and slice.

Would also make a great dessert if you slightly heated the bars and then served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Eggplant with Chorizo (Sausage)

Sunday at noon we usually head off to the symphony. Before we go I like to get a head start on dinner! Et voila…slow cooker….. This recipe was served by our friend, Kitti, and with or without the chorizo it was great. Serve with your preference of rice or maybe with quinoa. I think it wold also make an awesome spaghetti sauce!

SLOW COOKER EGGPLANT WITH CHORIZO AND TOMATOES

  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 1 eggplant sliced
  • 3  carrots  chopped
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 1 can of tomato sauce6 to 8 cut up Roma tomatoes
  • lots of garlic
  • 1 chopped red pepper
  • browned chorizo or sausage pieces (omit if you want a vegan dish)
  • fresh baby arugula ( a handful)

Brown the chorizo in olive oil . Remove and place on a paper towel.

Add onion, garlic, and eggplant to frypan. Cook, stirring often (about 5 minutes).

Stir in the tomatoes, sauce and paste. Cook 5 minutes more.

Add seasonings: cumin- salt-pepper- OPTIONAL cayenne pepper.

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker, stirring well. Top with a handful of the arugula.

Cover and cook on high for two hours or less.

 Just before serving add more arugula to the individual dishes.