It's Berry Season!

 “On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries hung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels . . .” --- Charles Dickens

If you've walked into the produce section at all in the last month, you've no doubt been greeted with the delightful colors of this years berry crop. I love this time of year! Where the berries are plentiful and the price is low. I eat a few containers a week. 

Berries contain phytochemicals and flavonoids that may help to prevent some forms of cancer. They are also full of  vitamin C, (One cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of vitamin C) calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium. With all those vitamins and nutrients who needs Centrum? 

Since most berries are naturally sweet you can just just rinse them under water and snack away. But sometimes it's nice to dress them up a bit. Here I just took a shortcake shell, put a little strawberry cream cheese in the center and placed the fruit around in a nice display, sprinkled with a pinch sugar. Instead of the cream cheese you could also put a dollop of your favorite jam. (I used a maraschino cherry jam, not featured here) This dessert was featured on a dessert plate. The picture makes it look bigger than it was.

Here are a few more things you can do with berries:

Top a bowl of berries with a dollop of light-whipped topping and a sprinkling of nuts.

Add strawberry slices to a bowl of whole grain cereal

Sprinkle blueberries or dried cranberries on a salad

Combine frozen berries with a banana and low-fat milk to make a smoothie; or juice and ice to make a frozen fruit drink.

So go out and pick those tasty jewels while you can! Enjoy and have a tasty day.

How low can you go?

“My belt holds my pants up, but the belt loops hold my belt up. 

So which ones the real hero?” --- Mitch Hedberg

I try to clear out the fridge completely every time before I go shopping again. It makes it so we don't waste much, if any, food. So while my better half finished off some leftovers I decided to have some ravioli. Every now and then I'll get a bag of pre-made frozen ravioli for quick and easy dinners. Tonight I thought I'd change it up a bit with a few veggies. This is a recipe for one serving. So double up if you want enough for two or more.

Sara's Better For You Ravioli Salad

 

1 serving size of your favorite frozen beef ravioli (cooked per package directions)

2 Roma tomato slices (diced)

3 Shiitake mushrooms (sliced)

1 large handful of baby spinach (washed and chopped)

1/4 cup baby carrots

1/4 cup peas

4 Tbs of your favorite pasta sauce (I used a creamy basil pesto)

1: In a pot of boiling water cook ravioli, carrots, mushrooms and peas untill ravioli is cooked through. Drain and set aside. Heat up your sauce in the same pot until bubbly.

2: On your plate spread out the chopped spinach and diced tomato. Add the ravioli mix spread out on the spinach and top with your no more than 4 Tbs of sauce. 

I'm not sure of the exact number, but I believe that the total calorie count for this meal is under 400. And it was very filling. Enjoy another healthy, tasty meal!

I have scrambled eggs for brains!

"Put all your eggs in one basket, and --- watch that basket."

Mark Twain

Boy did I feel silly when I offered to make my husband eggs and bacon for breakfast, only to discover that there were only 2 eggs and 3 slices of bacon. Well, always look on the bright side of life. I knew I could fix this. So with a few extras I made a totally healthy omelet. We split the omelet and the bacon (thick cut doesn't shrink so it's perfect for cutting in half.) and I cut up the last 4 strawberries and split the last few blackberries and we had a healthy-tasty, filling breakfast.

Sara's Better For You Omelet

2 large eggs (cage free organic)

1 large handful of fresh baby spinach (chopped)

2 slices tomato (diced)

2 slices onion (diced)

3 shiitake mushrooms (optional)

1 Tbs chopped garlic

1 Tbs milk

Shredded cheese (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1:  Place all ingredients, except cheese, in a small bowl and whisk briskly till thoroughly mixed. 

2: Heat up a small skillet of medium low heat, about a 4. Pour the egg mix in the pan when heated. (remember low heat so the eggs don't burn) I use a small skillet on purpose. It makes it easier to flip.

3: Check the bottom of your omelet after 2-3 minutes by gently lifting the edges up with a spatula. When no longer runny on the bottom loosen the omelet all the way around. Now here's the tricky part to a perfect omelet... Place a plate upside down on top of the skillet. With your hand on top of the plate, firmly pick up the skillet and turn upside down. Now the uncooked side of the omelet is face down on the plate. Put the skillet back on the burner and slide the omelet back on to the skillet raw side down. Now your omelet will be perfect with no breaks. Cook for 1-2 more minutes till done.

Serve with a sprinkle of shredded cheese on top.

Enjoy!!!

Center Cut Pork Chops... With BACON!!!

“Pork chops and bacon, my two favorite animals.” - Homer Simpson

OK. So These are HUGE slabs of  pork. Two of these steaks come in a package. Cut in half it's enough to feed a family of four, but in our case it means pork steak again tomorrow. YAY! We don't eat pork a lot, but when we do I go all out. 

 

You might also notice that there is fruit on the plate. Yes, that's pineapple, which just so happens to go great with pork. Because I don't have or use powdered meat tenderizer I had to find an alternative. I've found that lemon or pineapple juice works best. Besides, sometimes it's fun to have fruit instead. 

 

If you have kids that just plain refuse to eat their veggies, fruit can be a good alternative. You can sneak in veggies by pureeing them with a little fruit juice and leaving chunks of fruit visible. Later on when your child says "I don't like that" let them in on the fact that they've been eating it for months. Sneaky, huh?

 

So this is center cut pork chops wrapped in bacon. with apple couscous and pineapple on the side.

 

Bacon Wrapped Center Cut Pork Chops

 

2 center cut pork chops

2 slices of bacon

1 jazz apple

1 onion

1 Tbs white wine vinegar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 small can pineapple (in juice)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sage

1/4 tsp celery seed (ground)

4 sprig fresh thyme (or 1 Tbs dry)

1 garlic clove (sliced very thin)

1: Wrap your center cut pork chops with bacon and fix into place. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil and grease the bottom with a tiny bit of oil or cooking spray. Place your chops into the center of the pan, neither touching the sides, nor one another.

 

2: Directly onto each chop, pour 1/4 can pineapple juice, flip chop and repeat. Both sides are now tenderized and oiled. Add thyme, salt, pepper, sage, ground celery seed, and garlic. Set pineapple aside.

 

3: Using a medium grater, grate small onion equally right onto each chop, repeat with 1/2 small apple. Split white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce evenly, pouring over onion and apple. (I hate grating so I just used large apple and onion slices. to each his own)

4: Cover and let marinade in refrigerator overnight if possible. 4 hours should do the trick, if you don't have the time.

 

5: Preheat oven to 350°F and bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. When done, the apple and onion should still be on top of the pork chop. Leave them as garnish and remove to serving plate.

 

Sides

1: I poured a little low sodium soy sauce on the pineapple right before serving.

2: I diced the other half of the jazz apple and added to the couscous.

I used Near East Mediterranean Curry Couscous 

It only takes 5 minutes to make. I added the apples in to the boiling water and spices for extra flavor and crunch.

 

A new twist on Tandoori Chicken

So, you made a huge pan of tandoori chicken. You made the naan. There are only a few pieces of chicken left, not enough for everybody. Now what? 

Why... make Tandoori Chicken Soup of course!

 "The remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served us

nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found."  - Calvin Trillin

Chicken soup is a very easy and versatile dish. I loved how the Indian spices really livened up this staple comfort food. It was perfect since I had a cold at the time and it really helped clear the sinuses without burning my tongue.

Tandoori Chicken Soup

All your leftover tandoori chicken + sauce, chopped
1 can chick peas, drained
1 can whole green beans, drained
2 large carrots, skinned and chopped
1/2 jar 7.5oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp garlic salt
4 cups water
4 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
3 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs garlic, chopped
1 Tbs crushed red pepper


1: Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and bell pepper cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft and golden.

2: In a large pot bring the 4 cups of water to a boil, add carrots, boil for 3 min. Then add all other ingredients including peppers and onions. Make sure the liquid covers the top of all the ingredients. Add all spices, stir in well.

3: Bring pot to boil on medium heat, cover but leave lid slightly ajar for steam to escape. Cook for 30-40 min, stirring frequently.


Serve with any remaining naan or a small baby spinach salad on the side. Enjoy!

Tandoori Chicken With Naan

"I'll bet what motivated the British to colonize so much of the world 

is that they were just looking for a decent meal." -Martha Harrison

This was my first attempt at cooking real Indian food. I chose tandoori chicken for it's spice level and simplicity. I paired it with traditional naan and fresh-baked spinach artichoke dip. The great thing about it was that with the leftovers I made a tandoori chicken soup which was awesome. Now the hardest thing to find for this recipe was the Indian spice Garam masala . If your local store doesn't carry it you can order it online or you might luck out like me and find in your spice aisle Mccormick Recipe Inspirations

The Chicken Tikka Masala has two of the spices needed for this recipe in the same exact measurements. Garam Masala and Cumin. I prefer to use fresh chopped garlic. If this is your only savior like it was for me, buy two packets as you will need more spice for the leftover soup. The chicken needs to soak in the spice mix for 8 hours or over night. I prepped mine while cooking dinner the night before. You can make the Naan from scratch or you can try this Naan Bread Mix. if you can find it at your store. I have used Golden Temple Products before and I can vouch for the taste and easy directions. Make sure to begin working on your naan while pre-heating the oven.

Tandoori Chicken

1 pkg  skinless chicken breast fillets
1 onion (roughly chopped)
1 inch fresh ginger (roughly chopped)
4 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin (powder)
1 tsp coriander (powder)
1 tsp turmeric (powder)
1 tsp garam masala (powder)
1 tsp salt (taste)
1Tbs lemon juice
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp vegetable oil

1: In a blender or liquidizer, add in the chopped onion, ginger and garlic and grind to a fine paste.

2: Pour the onion mixture into a bowl, and add in the rest of the ingredients - ground spices and salt, lemon juice, yogurt, tomato puree and oil and give it all a thorough mix. (I was out of tomato puree so I liquidized 3 Roma tomatoes in the food processor) 

3: Use the same roasting tin to marinade and cook the chicken in. So, line a roasting tin with foil (makes washing up easier!), place the chicken in the roasting tin and pour the marinade onto the chicken and rub it in  all over and cover the tin with another piece of foil.

4: Refrigerate for at least 8 hours but preferably over-night.

   (Prep the Naan before cooking the chicken. See Naan Recipe)

5: Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/350F/180°C.

6: Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for at least 30-45 mins before cooking (on a warmer day, 30 mins will do).

7: Place the chicken in the center shelf of the oven for 1 hour, basting with the juices from the tin half way through.

8: After 1 hour, take the foil off and return the chicken back to the oven for another 20 minutes basting every 10 minutes to nicely brown and crisp up the skin.

9: Remove the chicken from the oven and cover with foil and leave it to rest for 20 minutes before serving.



Naan Recipe 

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)


1/4 cup butter, melted

1: In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes until it makes a smooth ball. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a warm damp cloth, and set aside in a warm place to rise. ( I kept the bowl on top of the oven while it was pre-heating.) Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2: Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3: During the second rising, preheat skillet to high heat.

4: Roll one ball of dough out into a very thin circle. (the thinner the better) Lightly oil one side of the dough. Place dough on skillet, oil side down and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until slightly browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet, sprinkle with salt, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

ENJOY!!! 

Green Day

"St. Patrick -- one of the few saints whose feast day presents the opportunity to get determinedly whacked and make a fool of oneself all under the guise of acting Irish." Charles M. Madigan

Ok,  I know this is coming out a little late. Last week was really hectic. With my husband and I being sick with a cold, things got backed up a bit. So without further ado, I present our St. Patty Day Green Theme Brinner! (brin-ner) adj. breakfast eaten at the time in which you eat dinner. 

GREEN EGGS AND HAM

Green Eggs with deli-thin ham, tomatoes, 

avocado, bacon, and a basil pesto, topped with a Bearnaise sauce

       Since I couldn't find any green tortillas (last minute) I decided to go with crepes. I bought mine pre-made at my local HEB. However, if you want to make your own, see the easy crepe recipe first. Rule of thumb here is one egg per crepe, so first decide how many you want to eat. I'll start with making two crepes as they are very large. You can also assume that most of the ingredients used are organic. Also remember to cook your eggs on low heat which keeps them from burning.

Green Eggs and Ham

2 large eggs

2 Tbs  milk

Blue and yellow food coloring

2-3 slices of deli thin ham (diced)

4 slices thick cut bacon

1 Roma tomato diced

1/2 avocado diced

2 Tbs Basil pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Pkg prepared crepes

1 Pkg McCormick Bearnaise Sauce Mix

1: In a small bowl add eggs, milk and  2 drops of blue and 2 drops of yellow food coloring.Wisk until completely blended.

2:  Place bacon on a microwave safe plate and cook for 5-6 minutes in the microwave or until desired crispness.When done transfer bacon to a plate with a paper towel to drain.

3: Cook your eggs on a skillet on medium low heat (about a 4) stirring with a spatula every 20 seconds. When eggs are 1/2 done add the diced ham and continue stirring till done. 

4: Prepare Bearnaise sauce per packet direction. To make the sauce green just add 1-2 drops of blue food coloring.

5: Warm up the crepes per direction on packet. Spread the basil pesto all over the inside of the crepes, then add in layering order: eggs, diced tomato and avocado, bacon, salt and pepper to taste. Carefully roll up the crepes and set on plate seam-side down. Top with Bearnaise sauce. Enjoy!

Easy Crepes

1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted


1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

2: Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

3: Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Dessert First!

“Mmmm. Move over, eggs. Bacon just got a new best friend – fudge.” Homer Simpson

 I've decided to kick off this blog with a popular dessert in our house, 

                                      BACON CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES!!!

I made these for my husband on Valentine's Day 2011 and they were a huge hit. The bacon has a texture much like cashews, and the saltiness complements the chocolate's sweetness. Think chocolate-covered pretzels. 

I first came upon this glorious concoction at World Market when I stumbled across Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar. I thought 'What the hell, how bad can a seven dollar chocolate bar be?' Turns out, not bad at all. In fact it's Heaven. Bacon really does make everything better!

You could also use this recipe to make a cake, but cupcakes are just so much cuter. Really, you could add bacon to any cake recipe or box-mix. But dark chocolate is my favorite, and things made from scratch are made from the heart. You can taste the love.

Now I must warn you that this recipe makes 24 cupcakes. So, unless you're having a party I suggest you halve the recipe because they are very rich, and you can't really eat more than one. That's why we ended up giving most of them away to friends.

Spatulas Ready! On your mark... Get set... BAKE!

Chocolate and Bacon Cupcakes

8 slices good thick-cut bacon (REALLY! don"t skimp out on this one)

+ 4 slices bacon for top of cupcakes cut into 1-inch pieces or crumbled
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup Dark Cocoa
3/4 cup water
2 cup granulated sugar (Sifted)
2 large eggs (cage-free or farm are the best, I'll explain why later)
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk (Shake it baby! Show 'em what you're working wit!)
2 Tbs vanilla
2 cup all-purpose flour (Sifted)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F, and get those muffin tins ready. 

Chop bacon into about 1/2-inch pieces. (It's much easier to do when raw trust me) 

Then cook over med-high heat in a skillet (or in the microwave) until bacon is brown & crisp, but not burnt. 

Once crisp, place the bacon on a paper towel to drain and pat any remaining oil off the bacon. Set aside.

Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. 

Add water and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. 

Whisk in separately sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. 

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (it will be a little bit lumpy, but not much). Stir in bacon.

Fill muffin tins to about 2/3 full. 

Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean. It's a moist cake, so don't worry if a few crumbs stick to your tester. Allow cupcakes to completely cool.

Dark Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup Dark chocolate chips
3 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter and chips in a microwaveable bowl for 20 seconds or until melted. Don't let it burn.

In a large bowl alternately add the butter chocolate mixture, powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. 

Depending on where you are and what your weather is like you may need to add a small amount of additional milk or sugar, if needed, to get a firm consistency. If you live in a humid area like me you may have trouble getting it to set. I have found that a few minutes in the fridge will solve that problem. 

Stir in the vanilla last.

Frost to your hearts content! I used a frosting bag for speed and consistency.

Toppings:

4 pieces of cooked bacon cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup Dark Chocolate chips

Course salt

Melt the chips in a microwave safe bowl. 

Dip the bacon pieces in half-way then lay flat on wax paper to dry.

Once dry stick them on your cupcakes and sprinkle with a little bit of salt for that extra kick.

If you crumbled your bacon, then just sprinkle the bacon and salt on your frosted cupcakes.

These cupcakes will keep well in your fridge for one week.

ENJOY ENJOY!

Cooking with Dog

Hello to all! So I finally did it... Here is my new food blog featuring all the yummy things that somehow come together in my kitchen, then throw happy parties in our mouths. 

I won't post EVERY little thing we eat (hey sometimes that fake taco meat paste can be pretty good looking), but I will be posting all the unique meals out of my home and sometimes from restaurants if it's really good. :) And other food-related  stuffs. 

So... Why "Cooking With Ein" you may ask. Well I'll tell you. There are two reasons. 

Reason #1: I LOVE the "You Tube" show "Cooking With Dog" seen here

http://www.youtube.com/user/cookingwithdog?blend=1&ob=4 

Reason #2: I have a Welsh Corgi, Ein. Who must be next to me at all times while I'm in the kitchen. Just in case I drop something that needs instant cleaning up ( I never have sticky floors ) plus he always gets tidbits of what ever I'm making. If my husband tries to come in and touch the food Ein barks at him and tells him to get at the back of the line; he was there first!

So keep posted and I will be updating yummies soon.