April 28, 2010 – 10:04 PM
I have been on an unfortunate blogging break. I have been training to run my first 5K. I am planning to race as a celebration of my birthday in May ( I still say I should have picked diamond earrings instead–LOL). The training has been tough. I am a true cocktailian and alcohol is supposed to be off the menu as I prepare for my race. That won’t last long. I am enjoying finding healthier recipes for my small plate recipes. I found this recipe a while back. It is a yummy little baked chicken recipe. The flavor is wonderful. Lemon and herbs give this chicken robust flavor. It’s baked in the oven and lining the baking dish with foil makes clean up a breeze!
Lemon Thyme Wings
Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken wings, cleaned, split and tips removed.
For the marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of honey
3 crushed cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons of olive oil
For the Breading:
1 ½ C Panko
½ C grated Parmesan cheese
Zest of ½ a lemon
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Method:
- Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Pour into a plastic storage bag. Add the wings. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Prepare your pan. Use a 9 by 13 baking dish. Line the dish with foil. It will make clean up a lot easier.
- When the chicken has finished marinating, combine all of the ingredients for the breading in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken pieces one at a time into the breading. Roll the chicken in the breading and then place in the baking dish. When you have finished breading all of the chicken, discard the marinade.
- Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until done.
Adapted from: lekkertje.blogspot.com
Cheers!
March 15, 2010 – 11:21 PM
I had the pleasure of reviewing Brunch
by Georgeanne Brenan for The Daring Kitchen. Georgeanne runs a cooking school in Haute Provence, France. She is also a regular contributor to Fine Cooking and Bon Appétit. I was excited to review a brunch cookbook because it is one of my favorite meals. In fact, my family has been out for Sunday brunch for the past two weeks (Shhh! Don’t tell my personal trainer). It is also a fabulous way to celebrate any occasion. I am an egg lover and wanted to try the Baked Eggs recipe. I adapted it slightly by adding mushrooms. You could also add thin slices of ham, pancetta or bacon pieces to jazz it up a bit. If you are a cheese lover you could top the egg with cheese a few minutes prior to removing the dish from the oven. This is a very versatile recipe that you can make your own by adding a few simple ingredients.
Baked Eggs
Baked Eggs
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp unsalted butter
1 ½ lbs spinach, large stems removed
½ Tbsp butter
½ C sliced cremini mushrooms
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
4 large or extra-large eggs
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 tsp heavy cream
Ready To Go Into The Oven
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub the inside of 4 half cup ramekins with the 1 Tbsp butter.
- Fill a large pot ¾ full of water, bring to a boil over high heat and add the 1 tsp of salt. Drop in the spinach and cook until limp and tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to halt the cooking. Drain well and squeeze firmly to remove excess water. Coarsely chop the spinach. (You can prepare the spinach one day in advance; cover and refrigerate until needed.)
- Add ½ Tbsp of butter to a small sauté pan. Heat over medium heat until the butter starts to foams. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Divide the chopped spinach evenly among the ramekins. Dot each bed with ½ tsp of the remaining butter. Next, top the spinach beds with the mushrooms. Break an egg into each ramekin. Evenly sprinkle the eggs with the remaining salt and pepper. Drizzle each egg with 1 tsp of the heavy cream. Arrange the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are firm around the edges and soft in the center, about 15 minutes or more. Remove from the oven and serve right away.
Cheers!
In December, I won the Foodie BlogRoll POM Wonderful giveaway. I was oh so excited when my package arrived in the mail. The package included POM pomegranate juice, POMx iced coffee, a few POMx bars, a POM Wonderful notepad and pen. I wanted to create a cocktail with my new box of goodies. As you know I love Cuban food and adapted a Varadero recipe from Celebrate Cuban
by the Three Guys from Miami. This recipe will remind you of a grown-up version of pomegranate lemonade. It is fabulous! Thank you to the Foodie BlogRoll and to POM Wonderful. I am enjoying the products and will probably post another recipe soon.
POM Varadero Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz simple syrup
Crushed ice
3 oz light rum
Lemon-lime soda or soda water
1 oz POM pomegranate juice
Fresh pineapple wedge
Method:
- Blend the lemon juice and simple syrup in an old fashioned glass.
- Add the ice and rum.
- Fill the glass to the top with lemon-lime soda or soda water
- Gently add the POM pomegranate juice so that it floats on the top of the drink.
- Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
Cheers!
February 20, 2010 – 10:24 AM
Congratulations CAITLIN !!!! Her favorite soup is a root vegetable soup that she gets at a local Irish pub.
Your cookbook will be on the way shortly! I hope you enjoy this cookbook as much as I do. Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Culinary Institute of America, New Book of Soups” giveaway. It was interesting to read about your favorite soups. Lentil, Potato and French Onion soups were some of your favorites. Pho, Roasted Pepper and Caldo Gallego soups got my attention. I have been searching for recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Cheers!
February 15, 2010 – 7:14 PM
I love Cuban food and cocktails! Last year, I celebrated my birthday at a Cuban restaurant. I completely enjoy the food, the cocktails and the music. The flavors, spices and simplicity of the cuisine is amazing. It was a terrific birthday celebration. I purchased the cookbook Celebrate Cuban by the Three Guys from Miami about a year ago. It has a few really good cocktail recipes. Recently, I was in the mood for my beloved Cuban music and cocktails. I decided to make a Varadero cocktail. It is named after Cuba’s most famous beach. If you enjoy Cuban music too you might want to try Timba.com’s Cuban radio. A Varadero cocktail and Timba.com’s Cuban radio are the perfect pairing for happy hour.
Varadero Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz simple syrup
Crushed ice
3 oz light rum
Lemon-lime soda or soda water
Fresh pineapple wedge
Method:
- Blend the lemon juice and simple syrup in an old fashioned glass.
- Add the ice and rum.
- Fill the glass to the top with lemon-lime soda or soda water
- Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
Cheers!
February 11, 2010 – 8:55 AM
Here is the perfect cocktail for your lovebug but be careful because it’s strong and sweet – just like love!
Ingredients:
1 oz vodka
1 oz amaretto
1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz orange juice
1 oz cranberry juice
Method
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in all ingredients. Shake until well chilled.
- Pour into a glass and garnish with a strawberry.
Hand made St Valentine’s Day cards are the best! Here’s a cute project for a Lovebug Valentine . Your kids will enjoy it.
Cheers!
February 7, 2010 – 6:03 PM
Valentine’s Day is just one week away. For everyone who has decided to stay home and prepare a romantic dinner, you can still prepare a great cocktail to start your evening. The cocktail that I am featuring today is called Love Potion #9. Remember the song? Ok….probably not because I barely remember it myself. However, I have posted the lyrics after the recipe. I can tell you that this cocktail is nothing like the song’s description! It’s yummy and quite fantastic. It also makes a great dessert.
Love Potion #9
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz strawberry vodka
¾ oz white crème de cacao
½ C of frozen strawberries
1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream
Splash of milk
½ C ice (crushed is best)
Strawberry garnish
Method:
- Place all ingredients except strawberry garnish in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a margarita glass and garnish with a strawberry.
Love Potion #9
by The Clovers
I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She’s got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin’ little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine
I told her that I was a flop with chics
I’ve been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
She said “What you need is Love Potion Number Nine”
She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
She said “I’m gonna make it up right here in the sink”
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like Indian ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn’t know if it was day or night
I started kissin’ everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine
Cheers!
January 30, 2010 – 11:14 PM
Helloooo..wing lovers (think Mrs. Doubtfire). Today I am posting the third of five chicken wing recipes in our series. Garlic Butter Ranch Wings is the only recipe in the series that features fried chicken wings. You still have the option to “oven fry” these wings if you don’t want to get out the deep fryer. It is such a simple recipe but boy are these little buggers tasty. The wings are lightly coated with the garlic butter ranch sauce so they are flavorful without being greasy. If you are just joining us, scroll down and check out the first two wing recipes – Tangy Asian Wings and Teriyaki Wings.
Garlic Butter Ranch Wings
Ingredients:
3 pounds whole chicken wings, split
Salt
Pepper
Canola oil
2 Tbsp melted butter
1Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Method:
1. Thoroughly wash the wings. Remove any “hairs” or feathers. Using a sharp knife split the wings and discard the tips.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to your taste level.
3. Preheat canola oil in a deep fryer or in a cast iron pan to 375 F.
4. Deep fry wings until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
5. Combine melted butter, ranch dressing mix and garlic.
6. Put wings in a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce.
Adapted from: Chicken Wing Recipes
Cheers!
