Tasty Tuesday

"Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort."
-Norman Kolpas

Hello! It is freezing in my neck of the country, so comfort food is very welcome. Here is a new take on a classic recipe, it is sure to make your day a bit "SPICIER!" Enjoy!

“Food is not about impressing people. It's about making them feel comfortable.”
-Ina Garten


Chicken Pot Pie: Tex-Mex Style

Ingredients:

* 8 cups chicken broth
* 1 cup + 3 Tbsp cornmeal, divided
* 2 green onions, finely diced, divided
* 4 Tbsp butter
* 2 Tbsp Tabasco sauce (I use the green one)
* 2 cups mixed vegetables, (tex-mex style)
* 1/4 cup poblano peppers, finely diced
* 3 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
* 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Equipment Needed:

* Stockpot
* Large oven-proof skillet

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Add broth to pot; bring to rolling boil on medium-high.
2.) Cook 1 hour on low boil, until stock is reduced by half.
3.) Reserve 1 cup.
4.) Add 3 cups of hot stock to large saucepan on medium-high heat.
5.) Slowly add 1 cup cornmeal, stirring constantly, bringing to a low boil.
6.) Cook and stir about 5 min, until mixture is smooth and thickened.
7.) Fold half of the chopped green onions into cornmeal.
8.) Remove from heat; let stand while preparing remainder of recipe.
9.) Place butter and Tabasco in an oven-ready skillet; heat on medium.
10.) Stir in 3 Tbsp cornmeal until mixture is bubbling.
11.) Raise heat to medium-high.
12.) Cook, stirring constantly, 1 min; watch carefully to prevent scorching.
13.) Add vegetables, peppers, and reserved cup of stock to skillet.
14.) Stir to combine.
15.) Bring to a simmer, 4 min, or until sauce thickens.
16.) Turn off heat.
17.) Fold chicken and remaining green onions, stir until well-mixed.
18.) Smooth surface evenly.
19.) Fold cheese into cornmeal/onion mixture & spread over Tex-Mex mixture.
20.) Smooth surface, as if frosting a cake.
21.) Transfer skillet to oven.
22.) Bake 30-35 min, until golden brown on top and edges bubble.
23.) Rest 10-15 min before serving.

Thought of the Day:
"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."
-Edith Sitwell

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was busy, busy! Whoever thought of holding soccer games, for 7 year-olds at 7:30 AM on a Saturday is CRAZY! As excited as my son was for his first game, as soon as we woke him up the whining began!! Then, on top of that it was bitter cold, raining and the wind was fierce. All in all, it was an exciting game! (which they won btw)

Today I have a great side salad recipe to share with you. It is great to add to your menu when you are grilling, because you can cook it right on your grill - no extra pan in the kitchen!

Enjoy!


Sweet Pepper Salad

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

* 6 medium assorted sweet (bell) peppers, seeds removed, cut in 1/4" strips
* 2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
* 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed:

* 1 sheet (about 2 ft) of reynolds wrap non-stick grill foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat grill on high for 10 min.
2.) Toss peppers with olive oil in large bowl.
3.) Place foil on grill.
4.) Arrange peppers on foil and grill 10-12 min, until tender.
5.) Remove from grill.
6.) Toss with vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper


Bell Pepper FYI:

Peppers, both sweet and hot, originated in Central and South America. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, commercial bell peppers were first produced in the southern United States in 1925.

Peppers can be used in a variety of recipes and can be cooked a myriad of ways, such as: barbecuing, baking, steaming, stir-frying . They are even delicious eaten raw as snacks or in salads. Because of their versatility, peppers are a favorite of vegetarians and vegans.

Peppers come from the Capsicum family which can be split into two main categories - sweet bell peppers and the spicy chillies, such as jalapenos. The difference arises from the presence of capsaicin in chillies but not in sweet bell peppers.

Sweet bell peppers are also known as capsicums, sweet peppers or bell peppers.

You cannot differentiate the sweet bell peppers varieties when they are young because they are all green. As they ripen, they'll change color. Depending on the stage of ripeness and their variety, their colors range from orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green, and so do their sweetness.

Green bell peppers remain green throughout the ripening process. Thus, you may find it challenging to differentiate the other bell peppers from the green variety before they ripen.

All peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C. Green bell peppers contain as much as two times of vitamin C as oranges while red or yellow peppers have three or four times the daily value of vitamin C.

Besides being loaded with vitamin C, bell peppers also provide vitamin B6, phytochemicals such as lycopene and beta-carotene, folate, potassium and plenty of fiber. Chili peppers contain an additional substance, called capsaicin which also has many health benefits.


Silly Joke of the Day:

What do you call a sleepwalking nun?
........ A Roamin' Catholic


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

Hello! I hope you are doing well! Now that grilling season is upon us I am pulling out my arsenal of favorites! The following meal is sure to satisfy any palate! Enjoy!

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good."
-Alice May Brock



Jerk Pork Tenderloin w/ Apple-Onion Relish & Sweet Pepper Salad

Serves: 6

Pork Tenderloin:

Ingredients:

* 2 Whole pork tenderloins (about 1 Lb. each)
* 1/2 cup Jerk Seasoning (I use Tropical Pepper Co.)


Directions:

1.) Coat pork tenderloins thoroughly with Jerk Seasoning (wear gloves).
2.) Marinate 2-4 hours in refrigerator.
3.) Preheat grill on high for 10 min.
4.) Clean grill with wire brush.
5.) Using a soft cloth, coat grill lightly with vegetable oil.
6.) Sear pork on grill until it changes color 1/4 way up from bottom, 3-4 min.
7.) Turn and sear all sides, 3-4 min longer.
8.) Reduce heat to medium and close lid.
9.) Cook to 145 degrees, 10-12 min. (Check by inserting digital thermometer halfway into thickest part of tenderloins).
10.) Remove from grill and let stand 5 min.
11.) Temperature will continue to rise and reach target internal temperature of 150 degrees.


"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
-George Bernard Shaw


Apple-Onion Relish

Ingredients:

* 1 Medium mayan sweet onion, peeled
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup all natural, chunky applesauce
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed: Aluminum foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat grill on medium-high for 10 min.
2.) Brush onion with basting oil; wrap loosely in foil, creasing edges to seal.
3.) Place onion on grill, close lid, and grill 15 min.
4.) Turn and grill 15 min longer.
5.) Remove from heat.
6.) Carefully open foil to avoid steam and cool.
7.) Dice onion and combine with applesauce in medium-size bowl.
8.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.


"It's the company, not the cooking, that makes a meal."
-Kirby Larson


Sweet Pepper Salad

Ingredients:

* 6 medium assorted sweet peppers, seeds removed, cut into 1/4" strips
* 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp parsley, finely minced
* 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed: 1 sheet (about 2 ft.) Reynolds non-stick grill foil

Directions:

1.) Preheat grill on high for 10 min.
2.) Toss peppers with basting oil in large bowl.
3.) Place foil on grill.
4.) Arrange peppers on foil and grill 10-12 min, until tender.
5.) Remove from grill.
6.) Toss with vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Bad Joke of the day:

What do you call a stolen yam?
A hot potato.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

"I yam what I yam and tha's all what I yam."
-Popeye the Sailor


Hello! I hope everyone is doing well and having great week so far! Here in CNY the weather has been amazing - you could not ask for better! I have used the grill several times already, how exciting! Today I have another recipe for the grill to share, Enjoy!

I forgot to take pictures of my yams - so I do not have a photo of the finished product, sorry!

"I think, therefore I Yam."
-Ratbert


Grilled Yams

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

* 4 medium yams, scrubbed and patted dry
* 2 chile peppers
* 6 scallions
* 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
* Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

1.) Preheat grill on medium-high.
2.) Clean grill with wire brush.
3.) Using a soft cloth, coat grill grate lightly with vegetable oil.
4.) Wrap each yam in aluminum foil.
5.) Grill yams, covered until tender, turning occasionally (30-40 min).
6.) Grill peppers until blistered, about 10 min.
7.) Peel, seed and finely chop the peppers.
8.) Brush scallions with olive oil and grill about 8 min, until tender.
9.) Finely chop scallions.
10.) Combine scallions with peppers.
11.) Unwrap foil partially when yams are cooked.
12.) Slit yams and fluff with fork.
13.) Add 2 Tbsp monterey jack cheese and 1/4 of grilled chopped peppers and scallions to each yam.
14.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
15.) Re wrap yams and grill another 5 minutes to melt cheese.
16.) Serve immediately.


Sweet Potato or Yam? The Confusion:

What’s in a name? When it comes to the yam, there is a bit of confusion. What is sold in the United States as “yams” are really a variety of sweet potato, grown in the south. A true yam is a starchy edible root, and is generally imported from the Caribbean. It is rough and scaly and very low in beta carotene.

“Yams,” as the industry and general public perceives them, are actually Sweet Potatoes. They have a vivid orange color, a soft, moist consistency when cooked, and tend to be sweeter. Some other varieties of sweet potatoes are lighter skinned and have a firmer, drier texture when cooked. Sweet Potatoes are smooth, and have skins that can vary in color, depending on the variety.

So, where did this confusion come from? Several decades ago when orange flesh sweet potatoes were introduced into the southern United States, producers and shippers wanted to differentiate them from the more traditional white flesh types. The African word "nyami" referring to a starchy, edible root, was adopted in its' English form, "yam".

Yams, in the United States are actually sweet potatoes with a moist texture and orange flesh. Although the names are used interchangeably, the US Department of Agriculture requires that the label "yam" always be accompanied by "sweet potato."


Nutritional Information:

1.) U.S. Council of Nutrition ranks the sweet potato as #1 for health and nutrition, ahead of broccoli, spinach and carrots.
2.) Sweet potatoes have very high levels of beta-carotene, a form of Vitamin A, an anti-oxidant that may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
3.) Sweet potatoes have virtually no fat, cholesterol or sodium and are a good source of potassium that help prevent heart disease and stroke.
4.) Sweet potatoes are recommended for diabetics when white potato consumption is more restricted.
5.) Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin B6, calcium, iron and fiber.


Historical Facts about the Sweet Potato:

1.) Sweet potatoes were grown in Peru as early as 750 BC.
2.) Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus arrived in 1492.
3.) George Washington grew sweet potatoes on his farm at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
4.) During WWI, when the supply of wheat flour was short, the USDA utilized sweet potato flour to stretch wheat flour in all baked goods.


U.S. Sweet Potato Consumption:

• In 2007 per capita was 4.6 pounds.
• In 2004 per capita consumption was 4.2 pounds
• In 1943 per capita consumption was 21.7 pounds.

(Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission www.sweetpotato.org)


Joke(s) of the Day:

* How do you describe an angry potato?
Boiling Mad.
* Why didn't the mother potato want her daughter to marry the newscaster?
Because he was a commontater.
* Why wouldn't the reporter leave the mashed potatoes alone?
He desperately wanted a scoop.
* What do you say to an angry 300-pound baked potato?
Anything, just butter him up.
* What does a British potato say when it thinks something is wonderful?
It's mashing!


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Salivation Sunday

Hello!

Welcome to Salivation Sunday!
Until Thanksgiving I will be sharing recipes that I love to serve my guests!

Buon Appetito!

Today: Appetizers





Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Crostini

Serving Size: 1 crostini
Number of Servings: 24

Ingredients:

* 1 baguette, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled
* 1 cup roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
* 2 Tbs. slivered almonds, toasted
* 3 Tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
* 1 tsp. lemon juice
* Pinch of cayenne pepper
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 4 oz. goat cheese


Directions:

1.) Preheat an electric panini press.
2.) Place baguette on a baking sheet & brush lightly (both sides) w/ 1/4 C. olive oil.
3.) Working in batches, place bread slices on panini press & cook until light brown.
4.) Transfer crostini to a baking sheet.
5.) While the crostini are still warm, rub the top of each w/ 1 of the garlic cloves.
6.) Set aside.
7.) In a food processor, combine red peppers, 1 garlic clove, almonds, parmigiano-reggiano, 3 Tbs. parsley, lemon juice, 2 tsp. olive oil & cayenne pepper.
8.) Pulse until a coarse puree forms.
9.) Season with salt and black pepper.
10.) Preheat an oven to 350°F.
11.) Place the crostini in a single layer on a baking sheet.
12.) Spread about 2 tsp. of the goat cheese on each crostini.
13.) Bake until the cheese is slightly soft & the crostini are warm, about 5 min.
14.) Transfer to a platter & top each crostini with 1 Tbs. of red pepper pesto.
15.) Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley.






Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese

Serving Size: 4 Dates
Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

*1 Tbs. olive oil
*2 Tbs. fine dried bread crumbs
*24 large dates, preferably Medjool
*1/4 lb. soft fresh goat cheese


Directions:

1.) Preheat an oven to 375°F.
2.) Lightly oil a baking dish just large enough to hold the dates in a single layer.
3.) In a small fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
4.) Add bread crumbs & cook, stirring, until bread crumbs are golden brown, 1 minute.
5.) Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the bread crumbs to a plate and let cool.
6.) Using a small knife, make a small lengthwise incision in each date.
7.) Carefully remove the pits.
8.) Stuff 1 tsp. of the goat cheese into the cavity left by each date's pit.
9.) Arrange the dates, with the goat cheese side facing up, in the prepared dish.
10.) Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top.

(Dates can be prepared up to this point, 24 hours in advance. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.)

11.) Bake the dates until warmed through, 10 to 12 minutes.
12.) Transfer to a serving platter and serve warm.


I hope you are able to make these great recipes and enjoy them as much as I do.

Until Tomorrow:

Go Ahead and Indulge!