Continuing a theme...

Last night I made Potstickers with my wonton wrappers. Because I had so many wrappers left over, (too be honest I didn't know I had an unopened pack and bought another, so there are loads!) I decided to make cheater ravioli. I say cheater because I didn't make my own pasta. The wrappers are much lighter than standard pasta which I prefer. That way I can eat more of the filling and not feel so weighted down after.
I wanted to try a few different fillings because I like spinach and my husband doesn't. So, I started with a basic filling of ricotta and mixed in minced garlic, basil and parmesan. Certainly I used s&p, but I prefer kosher salt. It seems it should be an unspoken rule that you don't have to write salt and pepper, because it goes in EVERYTHING!!. So, from now on, that's my new rule.
From this basic mix, I created 3 different fillings.
In one bowl I had some fresh cooked, chopped spinach.
In the second bowl I had some ground chicken that I had cooked with garlic and onions.
the third bowl contained some roasted zucchini I had made the night before, and I chopped it up. To each of these I added the ricotta mix. No measurements tonight, sorry, just mix it up to taste.

So I laid out the wontons, added about 1 1/2 teaspoon of filling and folded them and sealed with a bit of water.
I brought a very large pan of water to a boil, then reduced it to a simmer and slid in the little gems. It only takes a few minutes. They started half floating at the top and then I pull them out.
Its good to sprinkle them with a bit of oil or they will stick together.

 I like to make my own marinara. I slow cook about 6 diced tomatoes with garlic in a skillet. When close to done I add a half a handful of chopped onion. I like the onion to be present. Then at the end I stir in about 1/4c of butter. I laid this on a plate and piled the ravioli on top.

I topped it with additional parmesan because I could. 

I don't typically make recipes from the Italian side of the spectrum. My husband doesn't favor it and speaking specifically of pasta, it just seems too heavy. This was a hearty, satisfying meal, that even on a sultry summer evening, was light and fresh. 

My husband is really starting to come around to my way of eating too, he liked it more than I expected!

Its only taken me 18 yrs, patience pays off, my friends. 

Sunday Dim Sum, Monday Potstickers

Yesterday, I had a chance to go to my first Dim Sum experience. The kind of Chinese brunch where they roll up with carts full of little tasty treats. Little metal canisters full of all kinds of dumplings and rolls and steamed buns. There were fresh vegetables and there were sweets and soup. You let the server know what sounds good off each cart, then they pull that container and put it on large lazy susans on the table. Everyone spins the food around and enjoys. It was so good, I was only sorry I forgot to get any pictures! After enjoying all these different dumplings, I had a real taste for potstickers. I just had to find a good potsticker recipe!
Ever since our first trip to San Francisco when we walked through the doors at Brandy Ho's, (http://www.brandyhos.com) we have been obsessed with Potstickers. Little dumplings filled with ground meats and veggies and then pan fried and steamed. Brandy Ho's, which sits right at the edge of China Town and on the verge of the Italian district, has been one of our favorite spots in a town where we have sooo many favorite spots. We make sure to go for dinner at least once each trip out to SF. This is kind of funny when you consider my husband is not a fan of Chinese food. But he will walk miles, literally, to get to Brandy's.
Most of the time the taste of the dumpling itself is only have as important as the dipping sauce. We sure do like them.
I have tried an occasional recipe but until tonight I wasn't satisfied.
Tonight, ohhh tonight! I found a recipe on "Feast on the Cheap" which really cut the mustard!
'FotC' is a blog/website that will price out a recipe and provide delicious budget friendly meals. Well thought out meals, not the kind where you buy a bunch of processed foods and pour them into a casserole. So when I saw the Curried Pork Potstickers, (which includes another one of our go to flavors, curry) I was ready to give it a go. Happily, due to my 'well stocked pantry', I only needed to buy some ground pork and a piece of fresh ginger root.
The bonus was there was also a dipping sauce recipe to accompany the potstickers. This WILL BE my go to dipping sauce. A perfect YUM as chef Jet Tila would say. A balance of salty (soy) and sweet (sugar) with  big garlic and ginger rounding it out.

I followed this recipe pretty close, I wanted to give it the best odds for success. It was really delicious. It was exactly like I want potstickers to taste.
I was also very happy with the texture.
I like to use wonton wrappers and I usually have them on hand. But they are raw dough. The way this recipe instructs you to cook them in a little bit of oil to brown and crisp in the beginning, allows them to hold up nicely to a 3 minute steam. The result is a good firm wrapper and the solid, fully cooked, pork  center. I did get a bit frustrated when a few stuck to the bottom of the pan, but I corrected on the second batch. Be sure though, once you have filled the dumplings, before you put them in the hot pan, try to flatten them as much as you can (without blowing them out) so more of the surface makes contact with the heat. My husband was very happy with the results.
Recipe says it will make about 30 dumplings. We did not need that many. Trust me, we would have eaten every one. Instead I have some extra pork filling and tomorrow I will serve it with lettuce leaves as pork roll ups.

Curried Pork Potstickers adapted from Feast on the Cheap. (its nice and short, too.)
Check out this great site: http://feastonthecheap.net

Ingredients for the Potstickers:
12oz ground pork – $3.50
½-cup thinly sliced red cabbage, chopped finely – $0.99
2 green onions, chopped into thin rounds – $1.29
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger – $0.15
1 teaspoon Mirin – stock
½ teaspoon sesame oil – stock
¼ teaspoon curry powder – stock
½ teaspoon salt – stock
Pinch of black pepper – stock
25-30 wonton or potsticker wrappers (find them in your grocer’s produce section) – $3.29
Canola oil for pan-frying – stock
Water for pressing/crimping the wonton wrappers
Grand total assuming “well-stocked” kitchen: $8.23
Cost per potsticker: $0.27

Ingredients for the Dipping Sauce:
3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced – stock
1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger – $0.30
1 Tablespoon sesame oil – stock
1/3-cup low sodium soy sauce – stock
¼-cup rice vinegar – stock
¼-teaspoon black pepper – stock
2 Tablespoons sugar – stock
Grand total assuming “well-stocked” kitchen: $0.30

Directions for the Potstickers:
1. Combine the pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger, mirin, sesame oil, curry, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well incorporating all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. After 30 minutes, assemble the potstickers. Place a heaping teaspoonful of filling on the center of the wonton wrapper. Dip your finger into a small bowl of water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Press the edges of the dough to seal and crimp with the tines of a fork.

3. Once all potstickers are assembled, heat 1 Tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and place as many potstickers in the pan as you can without overcrowding (you’ll have to cook in batches). Brown the potstickers on both sides until golden and crispy – this happens rather quickly. Keep the flame on med-high, then add just enough water to coat the bottom of the skillet and cover with a lid. Steam the potstickers for 3-5 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat until all potstickers are cooked.

Directions for the Dipping Sauce:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over a low flame until sugar has dissolved. Serve with potstickers.

TTFN!

Avocado Delight

You remember when your parents told you  you weren't old enough for some foods? 

It's true, very true. It took me years to fully appreciate Avocados. I have always enjoyed guacamole, but the actual fruit itself, I was not a fan. The flavor didn't seem worth the mushiness and just so slight sliminess.

But now, NOW! The avocado has become a daily treat. I have it with my eggs, with potatoes, with tomatoes in salads. 

I came across a recipe yesterday as I was trying to find a crab dip recipe. It mixes lump crab with guacamole! Perfect!

this is an Emeril recipe, for 'Kicked Up' guacamole. I have adapted it somewhat, because it seems there is never enough seasoning for me. Which is the easiest thing in the world to fix. 

This was really good with tortilla chips. I bake my own from corn tortillas  I buy at the grocery store. I usually get 6 wedges from a small tortilla, and bake them at 350 for 12 mins. 

I feel better about eating them than I do the bags of chips. Mostly because of my Weight Watcher's habits.

So here is the adapted recipe from Emeril on Foodnetwork.com:

3 large, ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup minced cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup minced red onions
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomatoes
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shells and cartilage
Tortilla chips, for dipping

I added: Cholula Hot Sauce, ground coriander, and extra cumin and jalapeño.

The way he directs you to make this, seems a little unnecessary. I don't propose to question Emeril, I just didn't get this particular direction. So, here are my directions:

I simply took a 1 avocado and the crab meat and set it aside. Everything else got mashed up together. Then I took the remaining avocado and chunked it up and stirred in the crab meat.

It was very good and well received by the poolside group I made it for. Even one friend who normally doesn't care for crab was eating and enjoying it and was surprised that it was the crab that added that sweet extra dimension. 

Lump Crabmeat has a sweetness and richness to it, which is why so many recipes call for it. 

If anyone reading this is local to the Palm Harbor/ Oldsmar area, the Lobster Shak on Hillsborough gets 1 lb containers of shelled lump crab about once a week. I used it once before to make crab tacos. Its a great deal and the flavor is wonderful. 

Green (Paper) Thumb

I love flowers. LOVE the variety and look and the way they each grow with the most amazing detail. Flowers make people happy. They are beauty personified. When you get one with a pretty scent, its even more pleasurable to have them around.
The problem with flowers is they can be very expensive. I would have bouquets around the house all day, but they don't last long enough and I tend to put my disposable income into other craft supplies, like paper. I as strongly about paper just about as much as I do flowers. So what could be better than flowers made out of the most beautiful papers?? Even using the printed pages of a book, turns that most basic fonts into a work of beauty. I recently came upon a site with a template for paper flowers and I immediately set to work.
My niece is a librarian. She is also planning to be married. I wanted to try to make some flowers for her out of the pages of books.
I started with an old book I bought specifically for scrap booking. It has a great shape to it and the subject matter is the civil war. There are brilliant illustrations, which might make you ask, why cut it up?? Well, because it has such great illustrations and the pages are big is why I will cut it up.
You can see in these first two pages, the template. I printed it on plain paper and then on the page from the book. The one downside to the pages from this book, is the text stops short of the whole page, leaving predominately white petals on the two pieces.

But the first attempt didn't suffer much from the white side of the paper. 

 This second attempt, though, is really so much more interesting. I went with the illustrated side of the page instead of the texted side. I really love the way that came out.

Now, obviously, beautifully colored paper would provide slightly more realistic results. But I intend to keep experimenting with various patterned pages. Just for fun. 

Maybe even mix different prints in one flower, creating a quilted flower effect. Hmmmm, I'll keep you posted. 

The link for the template page is: 

http://www.elli.com/blog/freebie-friday-diy-paper-rose-templates/

If you try it out, send me pics, I'd like to see how you do. 

First Friday!

Its the first Friday of June, 2013. And to me, that also seems like the first Friday of summer. Most kids are out of school by now so Friday isn't the same in the summer. But it will always and eternally be the jumping off point to the weekend.
Even being unemployed, Friday means two days that I don't have to worry about job hunting and my husband is not working so we can relax.
I try to keep busy these day and stay active. Not get in a rut or feel down because I'm not in the 9-5. And not sit and watch endless movies either, which can be tempting. Not TV though. Daytime TV does nothing for me. It kind of numbs the mind. Which is fine if you're sick, then it doesn't matter whats on, the drone will help you sleep.
Today I did more straightening up around the house. I admit to being very slow cleaning after a big party. So I'm still getting the Gatsby feel out of the house.
But I also wanted to do some food stuff as my sister has recently been in hospital and is home now so I want to do something to help her relax.
So I decided to smoke some chicken. We have a digital smoker and it feels like a waste of smoke and effort to do small bits. It seemed like a good time to cook some chicken for us and for my other sister. I fired up the smoker and got to work on the chicken. My latest rub, which I may have mentioned, is ground fennel and I threw in some coriander. And salt and pepper. I rub that in with some coconut oil and slide it in. Smoking NOW!
While that was going, I boiled off some eggs for deviling and got to work on some muffins. I made banana muffins and some Lemon poppy bread.
When I was pouring the banana muffins I was thinking I would do an oatmeal and brown sugar crumble to top it with. Along with that I went a little wild and added some of my ground fennel. GREAT flavor perk. Just enough to make you wonder what that amazing extra flavor was that went flying past your tongue.
That was all for Friday cooking, but Saturday, I got up and made biscuits to add to the meal and finished deviling the eggs. Now I know these days there as many devilled egg recipes as there are bloggers in the universe. Mine is simple and full of flavor. I simply use mayo (Fat Free) and Old Bay seasoning. That's just the right amount of flavored ingredients and still all in one sprinkle.
I like to top them with a French's Fried Onion for a texture boost.
So this was my first Friday.
It will be interesting to see what the summer holds for the Croy house.

I'm looking forward to...
My niece getting married in August and I am helping my sister with a homespun reception. I'll keep you posted as we go.
Poolside Cabanas with friends.
July 4th celebration at my brothers.

Here we go, Summertime, bring it on!

Summer Eats

As it gets hotter outside, rather than retire to the AC, I have spent more time outside, at the grill!
We got a new Weber that uses charcoal, our preferred fuel. The bonus is it has a small propane starter. Press a button, you get flames to light your coals. So easy. And the grill is just the right size for the two of us. I have been grilling 3 nights a week, minimum.
I have been fixing blackened fish (using my cast iron over the flames). Quinoa stuffed poblanos were on the menu, delish! I have done some Cubanelle peppers and some Hungarian (Very Hot) wax peppers which David loved. Chicken and Pork loins. YUMM! My favorite spice for a meat rub lately is Fennel. I've loved fennel for a very long time. Using it fresh sliced, or the leafy top, and definitely the seeds. Most recent, I am crushing the seeds in the spice grinder and rubbing it on pork and chicken. I add some coriander sometimes. Sometimes red pepper. ALWAYS Kosher salt. And I have switched from spray oil to using coconut oil and grape seed oil.
So all this is leading to a recipe I made tonight....
Grilled Potato salad. Holy Cow! This was so good. I have never been a potato salad fan. All that mayo and stuff, not my scene. But the sound of grilled potato salad really struck a cord. I got this recipe from Food and Wine and tried it tonight with some chicken and peppers. Seriously, people, this was amazing. the dressing was delicious!!!
Please try it. Id love to know what you think.

Creamy Cucumber and grilled Potato Salad
Adapted from Food and Wine

2 lbs small Red Bliss potatoes (about 12)
kosher salt
1/3C  Creme Fraiche or Fat free Mayo or Fat free sour cream or a combo
2 T    Red Wine Vinegar
1.5 t   Sugar (maybe 1t would be enough)
1 t      Dijon mustard
1 t     Celery seed
1       small garlic clove minced
1/4 C  Grape seed oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 t finally chopped fresh Oregano
1/2 C chopped parsley, plus 1 t minced.
1     English cucumber ( I used 1.5 regular cucumber, seeded)
1/3 C Red Onion, thinly sliced ( I will use more next time)

Boil potatoes about 15 mins, until just tender. Let cool and slice in half.

In a large bowl, whisk together Creme Fraiche (or whatever you use) vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seeds and garlic. Then whisk in oil. Stir in oregano, 1 t parsley and S&P.

Brush potatoes with oil, season with S&P and cook cut side down on grill until charred. Let cool slightly.

Toss with dressing then fold in Cucumber, red onion and 1/2 C parsley.

ENJOY!!

I'm also posting the recipe for the Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos. This is such a healthful and delicious meal, there is no reason to not eat well and healthy, its just too good.

1. Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos Adapted from Food and Wine
2. 1/2 C Red Quinoa (cooked)
3. 6 Large Poblanos
4. 2 Ears Corn, shucked
5. oil for grilling
6. 1/2C walnuts toasted and chopped
7. 3 scallions, thinly sliced
8. 2T chopped Cilantro
9. 1/4C finely diced Mozzarella  (I avoid a lot of cheese so I skipped this)  

Rub poblanos and corn with oil and grill. When Poblanos have blistered, remove to covered bowl and sweat 5 mins. Then remove skin. When corn is charred scrape corn from ears.

Mix corn, walnuts, scallions, cilantro and cheese if using, and add cooked quinoa.

Remove tops from poblanos and fill with quinoa mix. Use tooth picks to secure tops and place on grill.
Turn until heated through, about 15 mins.

Food and Wine recommends a Romesco sauce, which I did not add or think was necessary. Suit yourselves.


EAT WELL! And tell me about it, Id love to hear.

1. 1/2 cup red quinoa
2. 6 very large poblano chiles
3. 2 ears of corn, shucked
4. Extra-virgin olive oil, for grilling
5. 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
6. 3 scallions, thinly sliced
7. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
8. 1/4 cup finely diced fresh mozzarella
9. Salt
10. Freshly ground pepper
11. 1 1/2 cups Grilled Romesco Sauce

1. 
   

SUGGESTED PAIRING

Zippy Vinho Verde.

• PUBLISHED JUNE 2012

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DINNER

Yum! What a delicious summer dinner! I'm so thrilled  to have a grill again. We stand firmly on the charcoal side of grilling. We love the flavor of grilling over coals, but... this Weber is an amazing combination! Gas grill starter, that fuels your charcoal! Quick easy, press of  a button and the grill is flaming! Very easy and convenient. I don't have to beg the Hubs to get the grill started, I just go out and do it myself.
So, tonight it was blackened Fish! I don't use the charcoal flavoring as much for this, as I use one of my many cast iron grills! You have to use the cast iron for blackening, but to blacken inside without an industrial exhaust fan is miserable. So as soon as I get the flames going on the grill, I place the cast iron pan over it and let it start a heatin'.
eventually you will see the color creep into the pan. Certainly not red, that would be ridiculous! But it lightens up, and when it does its time for the fish! we really like Paul Prudhommes blacken seasonings. I get the redfish, and use it on everything. So I cover one side of the fish with some spray oil and the seasoning, when the pan has lightened up noticeably, I slap the fish into the pan, seasoning side down.
I used Tilapia tonight, but grouper or snapper or orange roughy, most solid white fish will do nicely.
I give it about 4 mins, then flip. The standard rule being 10 minutes per inch of thickness, when blackening, the heat is so high, I go a little less.
I had already cooked my Okra. I found a very large purple Okra at the produce stand this week, I'm so sorry I never took a picture because it was lovely! This : http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/skillet-roasted-spiced-okra is the most amazing Okra recipe ever! (that I have found so far) To this I add, Trader Joe's smoke seasoning, liquid smoke ( a good dollop) kosher salt and pepper. But I follow the cooking instructions of the recipe. LOVE THIS STUFF!
I was then trying to add a light salad. My husband isn't big on salad, but he loves bruschetta. SO I made a bruschetta salad. I diced tomatoes and did a chiffonade of basil, with salt and pepper. Separately I made garlic butter croutons. When the fish and the okra was on the table, I added the croutons to the tomatoes and Voila!! Bruschetta salad.
It was a most delicious summer dinner. Fish, fresh vegetable and fresh tomatoes. Life is good!

Gatsby, Old Sport

I threw a 'Gatsby Lawn Party' this weekend. With a month of unemployment, I was able to immerse myself in the preparations, and I spared nothing! It was the best event I have thrown and it was the most fun and creative I think I have been in ages. 

I tried to get as many details of the period as I could to give the atmosphere of a 1922 lawn party. 

First the invitations. I used quotes from the movie...

'And so with the sunshine and great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.'

And then, below the details, 

' I like large parties, they are so intimate. At small parties there isn't any privacy'.

After I made the flower garland I used more flower cut outs as confetti and sprinkled them in the envelopes. 

I printed old magazine covers and covered my magazines with them.

I framed old photos of my family and laid them out among the ferns by the buffet.

I decoupaged old tv trays for lawn tables.

Signs for the beverage stations.

 Set up the patio.

 Hung bunting and lanterns through out the yard and put up badminton and croquet.

Set up the bars.

Used Chalk board paint on clip boards and picture frames to write out buffet selections and drink recipes.

The buffet served, smoked chicken and brie sandwiches, deviled eggs, gazpacho and smoked salmon. 

I served french macarons and shortbread in 'Sweet Lulu' polka dot cups.

I made a kick ass photo prop and invited some amazing people. 

 As look look back at the photos, (which I touched up for antique effect) I feel for a brief moment, I could actually hear Zelda Fitzgerald laughing and making drinks!