Samosas

Some of the best Samosas I ever had were from my Renal Dialysis class. We had a

special lunch to celebrate a baby shower. I regret not getting the recipe. I love the light dough and it was a chance for me to use our potato ricer. If you don't have one, you need to get one!  It makes the potatoes so fluffy and light. When I read the recipe online, I thought it would be too complicated, but once you start making them up, they get easier and easier to make. I love watching this PBS show called "Healthful Indian Flavors with Alemalu"  I have the cookbook available on Amazon and it has awakened my love for Indian Food. There is a Indian food store I like to frequent. Once you buy the spices, they keep for a long time and are used quite commonly in Indian cuisine. I recommend using a small rolling pin to get the dough as uniform as possible. I made the dough into balls and then rolled out the dough turning the dough until it make discs. The discs are then formed into cones by sealing the long sides of the dough.

Dough
2/14 c. Self Rising flour
6 TBSP cold butter cubed
9 TBSP ice water
2 cups veggie oil for frying

Filling

1 1/2 lbs boiled potatoes
1 serrano pepper minced
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 cup frozen peas defrosted
2 TBSP oil
1 medium onion diced
1 tsp garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp Gram masala
1 tsp red Chile powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
Mango chutney for dipping

In food processor make the dough by adding the cubed butter and pulsing the machine. Slowly add the iced water until a dough begins to form. It will look a bit crumbly. Don't over pulse. Add dough to a flowered surface and kneed until it comes together. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

In a frying pan add the 2 TBSP oil and spices. mix and brown until you can smell them. Add the garlic, pepper, and onion. Cook until softened. Rice the potatoes and add the spices. Mix until combined. Lastly add the peas.
 Remove the chilled dough and divide into balls. The recipe says it makes 18 but we came out with 25 or more. Flour your service and roll out each ball into discs. Make a cone shape and use water to seal the edges. With the bottom open, add two tablespoons of potatoes. Seal the bottom edges and place on the counter flattening out the bottom and forming a triangle. Heat the oil. I used a cast iron skillet for frying and filled it half way up with oil. The oil is ready when you use a wooden spoon handle and see bubbles forming around it. Add the samosas in batches of 5 or so. Turn to crisp all sides. Total time is about 7 minutes. Serve with mango chutney.

Reece's Peanut Butter Cup Swiss Roll

I saw this recipe on crazyforcrust.com last

year and decided to give it a try this year. I don't have a really deep jelly roll pan and was worried I wouldn't have enough baking room but I did. My edges of my baking sheet went up about 1/2 inch which was plenty of room for the sponge. Don't worry if your cake comes out a little broken. It will be covered up at the end. The bake time is 15 minutes but I should have gone about 12 minutes. Practice makes perfect though. I put tin foil on my baking sheet and then buttered and floured it. I used the foil to help me roll but you could also use parchment paper. This is what I had on hand. I used a bag of mini peanut butter cups. A handful went into the filling and the rest on the ganache.

Reece's Peanut Butter Cup Swiss Roll

Cake
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. espresso powder

Filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped Reece's Peanut Butter cups.

Topping
1 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and grease with butter and flour. Shake the pan until the excess flour is removed. Mix the eggs vanilla and sugar until blended. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and espresso powder until blended. Pour batter onto the cookie sheet and use an offset spatula to smooth out evenly. Tap the pan to get rid of air bubbles. Bake for 12-15 minutes. While warm use a metal spatula to ease the cake from the tin foil. cut off any hard edges. Begin to roll at one end trying not to crack it. If you do it's OK. You can cover it up later. Put in the fridge for a hour to cool.

Remove the roll from the fridge and carefully unwrap. Mix the filling ingredients except for the Peanut Butter Cups with an electric mixer. Hand fold in the Reece's Cup pieces. Spread the filling with a butter knife or offset spatula. Carefully roll the roll from one end to the other. Place on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath.

In a small sauce pan add 2/3 c. whipping cream. Bring to just before a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Let sit without stirring for 5 minutes. Then use a whisk to mix the ganache. It will look like it won't come together but keep on stirring. Once thoroughly mixed, refrigerate for 10 minutes until thickened. Pour over the roll and smooth out and cover any imperfections if necessary. Top with the remaining Reece's. Back into the fridge til set. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

I have the standard list of cookies I am required to bake out of tradition. I try to do something new  every year. This one I made for my work cookie exchange, Hot Chocolate Cookies. It combines the chocolate flavor of hot chocolate with a dash of Espresso powder for little added kick. You could also add a bit of Cayenne for a added kick.

Hot Chocolate Cookies Yield 30 cookies 350 degrees

1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temp.
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. Espresso powder
3/4 cup hot chocolate or 3 packets with marshmallows
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla
1 cup mini  chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
1/2  cup reserved choco chips for drizzle

Cream the butter with an electric mixer and add the brown sugar and eggs. Beat until incorporated. Add the Espresso powder through the baking soda. Add the vanilla and lastly the chocolate chips. Beat until flour is completely nixed in. I used a large Tablespoon for this. You can get 15 cookies per pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Use the bottom of a shot glass to make an indent on each cookie. Place 4 mini marshmallows per cookie and return to the oven for 2 minutes to melt the marshmallows. Microwave the 1/2 cup or chips for 30 seconds until melted mixing each time. Add a few drops of oil to make the cholate glisten and easier to apply. Use a spoon to drizzle on each cookie. Let cool and package.

Greek Style Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs and Rice In the Oven

One of my youngest favorite dishes is Arroz con Pollo or Chicken and Rice. I am a big fan of Greek Style chicken. If you make the Arroz con Pollo stove top, the skin looses it's crispiness in the broth. This way, the chicken still has a crunchy skin with a little time in the oven. The marinade leaves the chicken with an added zing. You can marinate for as little as 30 minutes or up to two hours.
This will be a favorite of your family too! Chicken thighs are very economical. You can get a bag of frozen under $3.00 or wait for thighs to go on sale fresh at the grocery store. I used a cast iron skillet. I don't have a lid for it so I covered it with tin foil. Any oven ready pot will do.

Greek Style Chicken Thighs
Marinade
4 TBSP lemon juice
1 whole lemon zested, sliced, and juice reserve
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
4 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp salt

4-6 bone in chicken thighs
2 TBSP oil
1 medium onion
2 cups rice (long grain)
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups water
10-12 Kalamata olives
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
a pinch of pepper

Firstly clean your thighs under some cool water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice, zest, lemon slices. Italian seasoning, and salt to a zip loc bag. Add the chicken thighs and let marinade for 30 minutes to two hours.

In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade reserving the lemons and marinade. Place chicken skin side down in the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Let brown for 10 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and add the reserved marinade. Add the onion and brown for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and brown for another 2 minutes.
Next add the chicken broth  Return the chicken to the skillet and bring up to a boil. Cover the chicken with the reserved lemon slices Add the olives and cover the pan with foil. Carefully put in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 10 minutes. The chicken should be done but always check that the juices run clear and the temperature is 160 degrees.
Season rice with salt and pepper to taste.

Denver Omelet Devilled Eggs

I saw the Denver Omelet Devilled Eggs on the internet and they seemed like they'd be delicious! I
was right! They are a bit more work than the standard devilled egg but can be prepared ahead of time.

Denver Omelet Devilled Eggs

1 dozen eggs hard boiled, peeled, and cooled
1/4-1/2 cup Mayo
1-2 tsp mustard
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne or 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

The Breading
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup flour
1 egg beaten
1/4 c. milk
salt for seasoning
2 inches Canola oil for frying

The Topping
1/2 finely diced green bell pepper

2 pieces finely diced ham or pancetta


Cut the eggs down the middle and separate the yolks from the whites. Use a fork to mash the yolks. Add the mustard powder, mustard, and gradually add the Mayo. Lastly add the salt and pepper if desired along with the cayenne. Let cool in the refrigerator.

Heat the oil. Remember FEB. That's how you will dip the egg whites. Flour, Egg (beaten with the milk) , and Breading. A few at a time, place the breaded egg whites in the oil. Fry until golden which is 1-2 minutes. Remove to a paper towel covered plate and cool. Season with salt. Once completely cooled, add the filling in with a spoon.

In a frying pan crisp the pancetta or ham. Drain on a paper towel. Top each egg with the ham and green pepper.

Crock Pot Chunky Beef Chimichangas

I only have one weekday off. The crock pot is a vital source to get dinner out on time. This recipe
requires a little prep work that can be the morning of or the night before. Then the crock pot does the rest. When you come home all to do is shred some of the meat, assemble, and fry into the best thing you have ever tasted! The meat would also work well in enchiladas.

Look for a chuck roast that has a pretty low fat content. I found mine at Meijer's. Also I am using a chili seasoning from my local Hispanic grocery store. The chili's in adobo can be portioned out into two per bag and frozen. They go great in tortilla soup or in other Mexican dishes.


Crock Pot Chunky Beef Chimichangas

3lbs chuck roast trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch thick cubes.
2 chilies in Adobo cut into pieces
2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
flour for dusting
2 TBSP oil
15 oz  can tomato sauce
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced


For the Assembly
1 can refried beans
1 cup shredded taco cheese
12 tortillas

For the Frying

1 block Crisco Shortening or enough oil to go halfway up a skillet 2"

Dust the cut chuck roast and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the roast on all sides. Add to the crock pot. Saute the onion in the frying pan for a few minutes. Move to the crock pot. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, Cumin, and seasonings. Add the chilies and the crock pot a mix. Cook on low for 8 hours. Taste for seasoning. You may add more salt or chili powder if you wish.

Remove meat with a slotted spoon to a glass bowl.  Reserve the liquid for a sauce. Shread some of the meat with a fork. Leave some of the pieces chunky.  To each tortilla add two tablespoons of beans and two table spoons of meat. To each add one pinch of cheese. Fold in each side and then roll until it looks like a burrito. Melt the shortening until hot and fry the chimi's on each side unitl brown. Serve with sour cream, the remaining sauce, and avocado's.

Crock Pot Beef Burgandy

The traditional beef burgundy can be time consuming and does not have potatoes or carrots. I adapted the traditional recipe for the crock pot. You still get all of the delicious flavor without slaving over the stove. Perfect for those work night winter meals when you don't feel like cooking! Have this dish waiting for you when you get home.  With minimal prep work, you can set it and forget it!  My store has these restaurant quality mushrooms that are a variety of mixed mushrooms. If you cannot find them, use one pound of portobellas.

Crock Pot Beef Burgandy

1 chuck roast divided (freeze the other half) about 1.5lbs
2 potatoes cut into fourths
2 carrots coined
1 clove garlic
1/2 large onion diced
1/2 cup flour
2 TBSP oil
1 pkg pre-sliced restaurant quality mushrooms
4 portabella mushrooms quartered
1/2 cup Burgundy wine
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup catchup
2 TBSPS. brown sugar
2 TBSP Worchestishire sauce
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. mustard powder
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cut the chuck roast into 2 inch cubes. Toss in the flour and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Brown the cubes on all sides in a frying pan coated with the 2 TBSP oil. Once browned, remove and add to the crock pot. To the frying pan add the onions. Sautee for a few minutes more and add the wine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. This burns the alcohol out. Pour over the beef in the crock pot. Next sautee the mushrooms for another few minutes. Add those to the crock pot along with the beef stock and all of the rest of the ingredients. Stir so the potatoes aren't exposed on the top. They will discolor. Let cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy with a glass of Burgandy and your favorite French bread.
To thicken the gravy, add two tablespoons of flour and butter to a sauce pan. Brown for a minute or so and then add the liquid. Stir until the gravy thickens. If there are lumps you may use a siv. Season to taste.

Cinnamon Roll Cup Cakes

Who doesn't love Cinna-bon with their piped in cinnamon smell! My figure doesn't!  Just looking through the partition, I gain 5 lbs! These cinnamon buns are a compromise. I made the cupcake batter from scratch and used reduced fat Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. To cut down on sugar, you can use a sugar substitute.These are a great morning treat for the whole family. It doesn't take a lot of time to make the batter either! Save the frosting that comes in the package for the topping.

Cinnamon Roll Cup Cakes (16 cup cakes)

2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter melted
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 pkg. reduced fat Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

Pre heat the oven to 350.  If you don't have buttermilk, make your own. Mix the milk with one tablespoon of vinegar. Let sit for a few minutes. In a bowl add all of the dry ingredients and give a mix. Add the wet and mix for 2 minutes more until combined. Use an ice cream scooper to get uniform muffins. (See I did learn something from Mrs. Fields!)
Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, take the cinnamon rolls and cut down the middle! Take the cup cakes out of the oven and place one of the halved muffins over each of the cup cakes. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for one to two minutes. Spread the frosting from the frosting packet over each cup cake. Eat hot!

Easy Christmas Tree Pesto Breadsticks

I made this on Christmas night for an appetizer. You can use ready made pesto or olive tampamade. two Pepridge farm puff pastry sheets are an easy canvas. spread the pesto on an entire sheet. Cover with the remaining sheet. Use a knife to cut a triangle shape. Leave a small rectangle shape at the base. Starting at the top, cut to the middle leaving a two inch strip in the center. Take each strip and twist. Mix one egg with a splash of water. Use a pastry brush and brush the egg on top of the tree. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and kosher salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve when hot! While it's hot you can also dust the tree with real Parm cheese.

Puff Pastry Christmas Tree

2 sheets Pepridge Farm puff pastry sheets
1 jar Classico pesto
1 egg and a splash of water (1tsp)
sesame seeds
kosher salt
Parm Cheese optional

Easy Pomegranate Dark "Ice Cube" Chocolates

I saw this idea on Facebook for these cute and easy pomegranate dark chocolates. Pomegranates happened to be on sale at my grocery store. I used an regular ice cube tray sprayed with PAM. For the chocolate I used one package of Nestle Toll House dark chocolate chips. I have seen people whack the pomegranate to get the seeds out but I prefer to cut it down the center.

Prepare the chocolate in a double boiler. First use a pot that is small enough to fit a glass bowl a bit bigger on top. Fill with water so it's not touching the bowl. Bring the water below to a boil.  Add the chocolate chips and a tsp. of oil. This will make the chocolate silky. Use a whisk to stir the chips until melted. Use a spoon to add one half of the chocolate to each of the compartments in the ice cube tray. Add 3-5 of the seeds and then a tsp. or so of chocolate on top of the pomegranates. Tap the tray on the counter to remove any air bubbles and even out the chocolate. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or until set.  Twist the tray to remove the chocolates. This is why the PAM is essential. If you have some ones that one come out, use a sharp steak knife to remove. Next, hide them from your family! These ones are keepers!

Crock Pot Ropa Vieja

Mexican is defiantly my favorite type of food. This Ropa Vieja can be eaten as a stew or with soft shell tacos and the sides. For seconds we served it over mashed potatoes. The flank steak is a tougher cut of meat and in the end comes out looking like little ropes or ropa.  For additional hotness, add a roasted, seeded Poblano chili and potatoes may also be added along with root veggies for more of a stew.

1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1 can diced tomatoes drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 green pepper diced
1 medium onion cut into rings
2 minced garlic cloves
Adobo seasoning
5-6 capers
10 green olives
1 TBSP cumin
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 TBSP  Italian seasoning

Season the steak on both sides with the Adobo seasoning. Place in a crock pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6. Remove the steak and shred with two forks. Return to the meat back to the crock pot and serve with tortillas or over rice.

Mini Caramel Apples Drove Me Insane!

I saw this on Pinterest and it looked so easy and cute. This is one of those projects that drove me insane! It would seem simple enough to poke Popsicle sticks through some melon balled apples. More often than not the sticks broke the apples. I had made about 60 balls and only came out with about 50 good ones.


Make this in small batches! It is helpful to have someone helping you. The caramel sets up really fast. I used 5 caramels at a time in a coffee mug. I microwaved it for 30 seconds at a time. It took about one minute and some mixing to make it smooth. The caramel WON'T stick if the apples are wet. You have to dry them about 3-5 times. I had them soaking in lemon juice but they will turn brown. Immediately after dipping they need to go in the freezer for the caramel to set. I recommend using two cookie sheets if making different flavors. Mine got stuck together on the try. Hence separating the flavors.

1 bag apples like Fuji or Granny Smith
2 pkgs Kraft Caramels unwrapped
A melon baller
1 coffee cup
a spoon 
popsicle sticks
2 boxes theater candy or cookies crushed
lots of patience!

Use a melon baller to remove the melon shape from the apple. Soak in lemon juice and water. Poke the sticks through at least 5 apple pieces at a time. Dry them with a paper towel about three times. Melt the caramels in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and place in for another 30 seconds. Stir until melted.  Tip the coffee cup sideways and dip the apple in caramel. Quickly move it to the topping and then into the freezer on a cookie sheet. Repeat this process a bunch more

times! If the topping doesn't stick, dry with a paper towel,  or use a spoon to pour over the apples. If the caramel isn't soft enough put back in the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir and try again. I went through the whole two bags of caramels.

Baba Ganoush or Eggplant Dip

If you love hummus, you will love this Baba Ganoush. No special tools needed here but a food
processor is helpful! I used only one large eggplant for this recipe. You can easily double it and make it for a party. It is low in calories and great with homemade pita chips. This is one snack you don't have to feel guilty about. A touch of plain yogurt adds a extra zip. The garlic can be roasted or added fresh. I have a garlic mincer which comes in handy. If roasting the garlic add double. I didn't have a paper bag handy and used a covered Tupperware bowl to get the skin to easily peel off.

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)

1 lg. eggplant
2 cloves garlic
1-2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP Tahini
2 TBSP plain yogurt
1/2 to 1 tsp. Kosher salt
2 TBSP olive oil

Pierce the eggplant all over with a fork. Use your stove top burners to char the eggplant. It may crackle or catch fire at times. This is part of the process. This takes some time. Use tongs if it becomes too hot to handle.  Pre heat your broiler and put eggplant on a cookie sheet. Broil for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a paper bag or a covered Tupperware bowl. Peel

off the eggplant skin. A paper towel can be used to get the remaining char off. Cut off the bottom of the eggplant. Then cut it in half. You will see the seeds in channels on the bottom of the eggplant. Cut slits upwards and use the knife to get the seeds out. The seeds won't kill you, but they may be bitter. Roughly chop the eggplant and place in a food processor. Add the Tahini, yogurt, salt and olive oil.  You may add more olive oil if you think it's too thick. Pulse until smooth. Add more salt to taste and the lemon. Pulse a few more times until smooth. Place in the fridge to completely cool. Top with cilantro and enjoy with pita chips.

Pita Chips

1 bag Kangaroo brand pita pockets
PAM or olive oil
a cookie sheet

Turn the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pitas into 4-6 pieces each pita half. Spray with Pam or toss in some olive oil to coat. Top with Kosher salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes per side. Remove and let cool.

Crock Pot Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

If you've ever been to Chicago's A-1 roast beef, you'll love this easy crock pot version of Italian Beef Sandwiches! The only thing I had to do stove top was reduce the wine to cook the alcohol out. I also opted for a lean chuck roast. (only $6.00) Not only was it more economical than a blade roast, the small amount of fat added flavor. Serve on bollilo or hoagie rolls. The house will smell amazing all day. It basically turned into a delicious pot roast sandwich.


Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 green pepper cut into 1/4" pieces (red pepper diced optional)
1 medium onion cut into large pieces
2 bay leaves
2 cups beef stock
2 cloves garlic minced 
1 cup red wine reduced for 5 minutes
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 lean 3 lb beef chuck roast or blade roast

Season the beef on both sides with the salt and pepper. Reduce the wine on stove top until alcohol is cooked out (5 minutes or so) Add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, pepper flakes, onions, and green pepper into the crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. Use an electric knife to cut the beef into thin slices. Season the broth with more salt if necessary.  Return the meat to the crock pot. Serve on the rolls with a bowl of the Au Jus.

Note: to defat the broth you can either cool it down by sticking it in the fridge when you are cutting the beef and then skim the fat off or use a fat separating measuring cup. I also used the old spoon method by skimming the broth with a big spoon and discarding the fat.

Auditioning for Master Chef: Chicago What's it Like?

I have been a fan of Fox's "Master Chef "since day one. My hubby always tells me that he thinks I can win. I love him! This is the first time I have tried out for the show. My family and I traveled to Chicago via the Metra on Friday and  stayed at the Homewood Suites.  They have a  kitchen in the suites. (Which I later found out didn't have a oven) The auditions were held at the hotel we had our honeymoon at 17 years ago, the Congress. The Congress lobby is beautiful but the rooms need work. There is no place to heat up your food either at the audition..They tell you to bring something that will travel well and not to worry about the temperature of your food. I purchased a insulated bag from Walgreens that I stocked up with goodies. We got in from the Metra and a pretty good walk to the Homewood Suites and then headed off to Whole Foods which was a few blocks away.

chicken roulade with spinach and sun dried tomatoes

I got back to the hotel and could hardly sleep. I ended up getting up at 5:30AM to prepare my dish. One problem, there was no oven to bake my dish  like I practiced. I ended up  poaching my Chicken Roulade wrapped in Saran Wrap. Don't worry! I researched what plastic wraps were BPA free. I put all of my ingredients in Zip loc tubs and into a hot bag and then into the thermal bag.

I was running late!  By the time we got to the Congress, it was 8AM. The line was down the hall but not as bad as I expected. I had to finish my application again because I left the one I had filled out back home. I printed one out at the Business center in my hotel.  Next step was a table where they look over your application and then into a large room to sit and wait. My number was 172. Our group was called to go down to some waiting busses. We weren't sure where we were going. At first I thought the auditions were being held somewhere else. We were being chauffeured to Grant Park right across the street. The crew shot some outside shots where we marched chanting "Master Chef" and held up signs. There were also some chosen people that got to shout out what their professions were. That was judged on unusual looks. There was a paratrooper in a kilt and others with bright colored hair. I was close to the camera and hope to get in some shots. Seriously I was sweating buckets and getting sun burned. I am very fair skinned.

Then back to the auditions. We had to wait again. Our group was about 24 people. I somehow got in the first spot in our group. When our group got called  we waited on a ramp for the room doors to open. The nervousness was palatable. There was much fidgeting and moving around. Finally after a 25 minute or so wait, we were let in the doors.

It was in a beautiful ball room. There were tables in a rectangle and we had to race around to find our spots. I had secured the number one spot. We weren't allowed to take any pictures at all. I did set up my dish again at the hotel so you could see what it looked like. We were given hand sanitizer and told we had three minutes to plate our dish. We were allowed to set up all of our ingredients on the table first. I had forgot my plate and knife back home so I was using hotel borrowed plates. My heart was pounding really hard and then the time was up. A chef came around to taste my food. I couldn't hear him. I think because my heart was pounding in my ears.  He asked me to describe my dish and tasted it. He asked me what methods I used too. Then a casting director, Kristen came around and talked to us. Alas, my number was not called at the end. My number was 172 and they called 171. Another person won for making brownies. I think they were looking more for stories and certain looks. Finally I got to leave around 2PM.

I may not have won but  I feel proud I tried something new. I started cooking at age 12 out of necessity. I, like many, was a latch-key kid.  My first experience cooking something from scratch wasn't a good one. I made green beans. I thought you could us a regular zip loc as a boil bag and I ended up burning my stomach pretty bad. That didn't stop me from cooking though! I moved out when I was 18 and became the cook for my roommates. My grandma was a wonderful cook but very crabby. I learned some of her dishes. My Mom only made about 7 different dishes. I became very adventurous and a food porn addict. I would see something on TV and then try to make it myself. I haven't always been a perfect cook but I never gave up and  keep on learning.  Well, there is always next time! This experience has made me love food even more. I don't need a judge to validate how good my food is. As long as my loved ones and friends love it, that's all that matters!

Tips for Auditioning:

1) Bring something to eat. You will be there 5-8 hours. We only got free water.
2) Show up early. Auditions were at 10AM. Plan on getting there 2-3 hours early. I was told that if you aren't in line by 12 Noon, you won't be seen.
3) Have a story. The guy next to me had a amazing story. I thought mine was amazing too lol
4) Know your food. Don't make something you have never made before. I make mine for about 5 weeks straight. Be sure you know you prepared it.
5) Make some friends. I made a lot of new friends standing in line.
6) Be as perky and bubbly as humanly possible.
7) Have fun! Enjoy the moment. You are lucky to have the chance to audition.
8) Wear comfy clothes. This salesperson was walking in the mud at Grant Park in her heels. She got on TV too! I was smart and wore tennis shoes. You might be standing for a few hours.

Better than Starbucks Iced Coffee

Starbucks is raising their prices again! I am a Starbucks gold card member but had to cut back due to

being out of work with my surgery injury. Here is a very inexpensive way to make the recipe at home. I store my batch of concentrate in the fridge (for up to a week) Use some of the iced  coffee concentrate to make coffee ice cubes. This way your flavor won't get watered down. I save on calories by adding skim milk instead of creamer. You could also make it like an Americano and substitute water for cream. I use 3 packs of Splenda but again use sugar to your liking.

Iced Coffee

12 TBSP  ground coffee
water up to the 8 cup line in your coffee pot

That's it! Easy peasy right? Brew the coffee as normal. Cool down the coffee and store in a picture or mason jar. Add coffee ice cubes to a bar glass. Pour the coffee concentrate halfway up the glass. Add water, creamer, or milk up the glass the rest of the way. Sweeten with your choice of flavorings or sugars. Enjoy!

coffee concentrate

Korean Beef Tacos and Garlic Spiced Green Beans

I love to experiment and try different foods. This is a combination of a few Korean Spiced Beef that I have researched and combined together. The result was delicious! I had also canned about 10 lbs of green beans. I thought they would be the perfect accompaniment to the delicious taste of the Korean Spiced beef tacos. You could also eat this over rice with some veggies stir fried in if you didn't want to use the tortilla.  We grilled the

Korean Spicy Beef Tacos

Marinde:

1/4 cup sesame seed oil
1 small onion
1 Asian Pear cored
1/2 cup  soy sauce
1 TBSP sesame seeds
5 cloves garlic minced
1 TBSP minced ginger
3 thin cut rib eye steaks cut on the bias

I stuck my rib eye steaks in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This makes them easier to cut. I cut against the grain and make the pieces thin. You could fry these in oil or do what we did. We lined the grill with tin foil and grilled the pieces for 5-10 minutes.

This is probably the most money I spent on dinner all week at $14.00. You could use a tougher cut of meat like round steak or flank steak. In the food processor I added the onion, and Asian Pear and minced it very fine. The Asian Pear adds a different kind of sweetness to the dish. Marinate for 3-24 hours.
Remove thee meat from the marinade and either grill or fry. The meat should not turn gray. Just light brown. Serve over rice or with soft shell tacos, cucumber, radishes, and bib lettuce. I also served Siracha on the side. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Garlic Green Beans

1 1/2 lbs green beans
2 TBSP oil
4 cloves garlic minced
2 TBSP soy sauce
salt

Toss the green beans in the oil and stir fry until crispy tender. Add the garlic and soy sauce. Toss to coat.Top with sesame seeds. Season with additional salt if necessary.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I have been ill due to a complication with my gall bladder surgery. Since I have been cooped up in my house I felt well enough to do some baking and experimenting yesterday. When I was growing up my  Mom made the best lemon meringue pies ever when I was a kid. I have a feeling she used the boxed lemon meringue filling. Mine is a different recipe. I did sub bottled lemon juice for squeezed. I also have perfected my meringue and got to pull out my stand mixer. You can use a hand held mixer, but I found this saves the wrists.



Lemon Meringue Pie

1 premade, pre-baked pie crust (I used Martha Stewart's recipe)
3/4 cup lemon juice
3 TBSP corn starch
2 TBSP flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
4 eggs separated (yolks for the filling)

Meringue
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch cream of Tartar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Poke holes and prebake the pie crust using parchment paper loaded with pie weights or beans to weigh the pie crust down. If you don't do this the crust separates from the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake for another 5 minutes or until the pie crust is baked through. .

Add the water, corn starch, flour,  and sugar to and sugar to a medium sauce pan. Stir with a whisk until boiling. Add in the lemon juice. Stir and remove from the heat. Add the egg yolks one at a time and continue to stir. After all have been added, return to the heat and continue to mix for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Stir the mixture periodically. Put the whites in the fridge.

Use a fine mesh strainer to pour the pie filling through. Use a spoon to push it through and into the pie crust. This assures there are no lumps in the filling. Refrigerate pie for 2 hours. Remove the whites from the fridge and place in a clean metal bowl. I used a stand mixer. I began beating the meringues on low. I added the vanilla and sugar with a pinch of Cream of Tartar slowly until the whites became glossy and formed peaks. Cover the pie with the meringue and use a knife to lift the meringue up and form peaks. Place under a broiler for 5 minutes until browned. Cool for a few minutes and back to the fridge if you can wait that long!

Honey Dipped Fried Chicken

Who doesn't like fried chicken?  On Monday's at Woodman's they put all the weekend meat on

Honey chicken with mango-corn salsa.

clearance. Score for us! I got a thick ham slice for $1.50 and a whole chicken fryer for around $3.00. Again, nothing wrong with them. They were at their due date. If chicken is frozen it's good for up to 9 months. If you are using it you want to try to make it no later than 2-3 days afterward. Throw away if you notice any fowl smell or slime.

This chicken was perfect. I have this way I like to bread my chicken. I normally use a grocery paper bag. It saves the mess. I use 2 cups flour to 1/2 cup corn starch. This recipe is different using a dipping batter. Still the same principle: dip the chicken into the cornstarch and then into the wet batter. To keep the skin krispy, this recipe called for removing the chicken and letting rest half way through cooking. I didn't like this method at first. I had to rebatter some of the chicken half way though. With the bag method, you shake and fry. The wet batter only had salt and pepper. I like to add Cayanne and Thyme to my dry batter.

Brine:
 But before all that I brine the chicken for a few hours first in 2 quarts water, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Mix the sugar and salt until dissolved. You could also use buttermilk. This helps break down the fibers and makes the chicken moist.

Batter:
2 cups flour (1/2 cup reserved)
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2  cups water

Honey Coating:

3/4 cup honey
2 TBSP hot sauce

Remove the chicken from the brine patting dry with paper towels. Prepare the batter mixing in a little water at a time. Fill a cast iron skillet half way with canola oil. Heat to 350-375 degrees. Use a thermometer to verify temp. Coat the chicken in the reserved flour on both sides. dip into the batter and into the hot oil. I fit all of my chicken in together. You can also do this in batches. Fry for 7 minutes a side. Remove the chicken from the oil and let rest for 7 minutes. (Or fry the next batch)

Return the chicken to the hot oil. Fry the breasts 20-25 minutes or until the internal temp is 160 degrees. Thighs take 15-20 minutes, smaller pieces like drums and wings may be done at 14 minutes. Drain oil off chicken on paper towels, season with salt,  and make the honey dip. Dip each piece of chicken in the honey and serve!

Roasted Marshmallow Strawberries

Roasted Marshmallow Strawberries

These are as easy as can be for a quick dessert or campfire treat during the summer. I didn't make my own mallow but used the store kind in the jar. Make sure to wipe all the water off your berries to make the mallow stick I used a spoon to get the mallow on the strawberries and then a metal skewer over the stove burner. If you are really fancy, you could use a blow torch for more control. I am a love burnt marshmallows though!