Quick Dulce de Leche with Crepes

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1

Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 7

Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 7

Quick Dulce de Leche with Crepes
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz each
Pot of boiling water
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp melted butter
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

For dulce de leche: place unopened can of condensed milk in a pot of boiling water. Turn can every 30 minutes for a total of 2 hours. Let can cool for 30 minutes before opening. 

For crepes: combine eggs, milk, flour, water, butter, salt, and vanilla in a blender and process until smooth. Let batter rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Pulse quickly in blender again before using. Heat 8-inch saute pan. Add small amount of butter, let melt and bubble. Pour in enough batter to create a thin layer on bottom of pan. Roll pan around to coat surface. Cook until the edges start to crisp and turn brown and top surface is set. Turn the crepe over and cook briefly. Remove crepe from pan and transfer to baking sheet. Add more butter to pan and repeat. Hold crepes in 200 deg oven if need to keep warm. 

Serve crepes with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream. 

Tri-tip

This is an unbelievable marinade for tri-tip. So good!


Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1

Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2

Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 4

Tri-tip
For the rub:
1 Tbl garlic salt
1 Tbl onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
For the marinade:
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup whisky

In small bowl, mix rub ingredients together. Rub over the meat. In a large ziploc or glass dish, add the tri-tip and marinade ingredients. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for 2 hours, preferably over night. Bring tri-tip out of refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Heat grill to a medium heat, and place tri-tip on grill. Close grill and cook tri-tip for 25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 130-145 deg. Remove from grill and let rest for 5-7 minutes before carving.

Broiled Zucchini with Garlic Drizzle

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1

Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2

Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 2

Broiled zucchini with Garlic Drizzle

6 medium sized zucchini

6 cloves garlic, chopped coarse

1 Tbl of Herbs de Provence

1 Tbl lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

Salt/Pepper

Cut zucchini lengthwise down the middle, then cut them again lengthwise to make thin long skewers. Line them up on a baking sheet and set aside. In small pan, heat butter and olive. When they are almost at a simmer, add the garlic and herbs. Cook garlic mixture until garlic has sweet scent, about 2-4 minutes. Drizzle garlic mixture over the zucchini, then squeeze lemon juice over them also. Place zucchini under broiler about 5 minutes. Check them, turn them, and top with grated Parmesan and return to broiler for another 2 minutes. 

Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 3
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 1

Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1 Tbl honey
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl fresh chopped basil
Salt/pepper

In shallow bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey and salt. Add olive oil and basil and whisk well to blend. taste and adjust seasonings. 

Marinated Goat Cheese Rounds

Now THIS is what I'm talkin' bout! This $hit is sooo delicious. And I'm telling myself healthy. If you believe, dreams really do come true.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): FINALLY A 10!
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): marinating takes 2 hours to a couple days

Marinated Goat Cheese Rounds
6 ounces fresh, soft goat cheese
3 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp cracked black pepper
10 cured black or green (or combo) olives, pitted, and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil

Roll the cheese into a 4-inch log. Slice into 1 inch thick rounds and place in shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, thyme, pepper, olives and olive oil until well blended. Pour over the goat cheese and marinate, refrigerated, for 2 hours up to 1 week. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to warm. 

Apple Tartes Tatin

Basically, these are little mini individual sized apple pot pies. Amazing.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 7
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 3

Apple Tartes Tatin
(Serves 4)
2 Golden Delicious Apples, peeled, cored, halved lengthwise
1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
4 Tbl unsalted butter
4 Tbl water
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 1-cup ramekins

Preheat oven to 425 deg. Using the ramekin, cut out 4 rounds from pastry sheet, allowing for about 1/2 in extra pastry around each ramekin. In large skillet, heat butter over moderate heat until melted, then stir in water and brown sugar. Add apple halves, and cook, turning frequently about 3-5 minutes or until slightly softened. Place one half of apple in each ramekin, top with sauce from pan. Top the apple ramekins with the pastry rounds, letting the edges hang over the side. Cut 'X' in center of each pastry round to vent. Place ramekins on baking sheet, and place in over for 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes. Invert a plate over each ramekin and carefully lift ramekin off of apple and pastry onto plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Sole en Papillote

En papillote, means "in parchment", but this is basically fish in little packets. Instead of parchment paper (which looks pretty cool when opened table-side for presentation), I use tinfoil. Same taste.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 4


Sole en Papillote
Tinfoil
4 Tbl olive oil
4 fish fillets (sole, or other white fish)
Salt/Pepper
Parsley
1 small sweet onion, sliced thinly
1/2 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 Tbl white wine
8 slices of lemon
4 artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
4 tsp capers, drained
4 cups baby spinach, stems trimmed

Preheat oven to 425 deg. Take 4 pieces of tinfoil, each large enough to cover fish into a packet. Drizzle 1 Tbl of olive oil onto each tinfoil piece in center. Put one piece of fish onto oil and turn over repeatedly to coat in oil. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Place fish on tinfoil, top with onion slice, tomatoes, white, 2 lemon slices, artichokes, and capers. Sprinkle parsley over top of everything and fold tin foil around fish and vegetables and seal into a packet. Place tinfoil packets on a baking sheet and place in over. Cook for 10-12 minutes. For serving, place one cup of spinach on a plate, then top with contents of fish packet when cooked. 

Roasted Carrots

Thanks to Lindsey Gallo for this one.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 4


Roasted Carrots
Sliced carrots
olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 deg. Toss carrots with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread carrots out on baking sheet. Put in oven for 1 hour.

Roasted Chicken

I use one of those ceramic chicken roasting thingies where you can put liquid into the center cup and then you place the chicken over that. Sound right? You can get a chicken roaster at like Bed, Bath, and Beyond for like $30 and it's nice to get the beer (or wine or whatever) flavor in the chicken.

WARNING: this makes a mess in your oven. And if you truly "roast" the chicken at 500 deg, instead of 475 like I have listed, your oven might smoke and set off your smoke alarm. I wouldn't know anything about this. My friend told me it happened to him. I swear.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 7
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5


Roasted Chicken
3-4 lb whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
1 beer
4 whole garlic cloves
4-6 Tbl butter
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Favorite dried herb

Preheat oven to 475 deg. Remove giblets, livers, etc from chicken cavity. Gently place your fingers in between chicken and skin and try to loosen skin from chicken slightly. With salt, pepper, and herbs in your fingers, try to rub some of the seasoning on the chicken below the skin, being careful not tear the skin. Take butter table spoons and place under skin as well. In cavity of chicken place garlic cloves and lemon halves. Pour beer into center cup of chicken roaster and place chicken, legs down, on top of cup of beer into roaster (being careful not to let garlic or lemon fall out). Season all of outside of chicken skin with salt, pepper, and herbs.

Place chicken in oven and roast for 50-60 minutes, or until juices run clear and skin crispy.

You can use some of the liquid in pan when chicken is fully cooked to make your gravy, but most would recommend you separate the fat first, which I don't have the patience or gadgets to do.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This is a BIG shout out to my cousin, Loretta, in Molokai for introducing me to this amazing recipe.

Cheesy factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 0
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): done in slow cooker so I guess 10??


Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Head of iceberg lettuce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 celery stalk, cut into 4 pieces
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Buffalo Sauce
1 cup chicken stock
Salt/Pepper
Ranch dressing (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Place chicken breast, 4 celery pieces, and chicken stock into slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours. When cooked, shred the chicken in the crock pot, with liquid, continually adding buffalo sauce until desired buffalo taste. Serve shredded chicken in lettuce wraps, topping with additional buffalo sauce, chopped celery, ranch or salsa (all optional).

Carne Asada Style Tacos

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): you can't have tacos without cheese
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 3
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): excluding marinating time, 2

Carne Asada Style Tacos
1.5-3 lbs flank steak
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika

Lay the flank steak in a large baking dish. In medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, 4 cloves of garlic, juice of 2 limes, and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and paprika. Whisk until well blended, then pour over the steak in the dish. Turn over once to coat both sides, cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 2-8 hours.

Heat 1 Tbl of olive oil or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into small cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly, until cooked through and most of liquid has evaporated.

Serve meat with warm tortillas, and chopped white onion, cilantro, lime juice, shredded cheese and salsa (optional).

Chicken Gravy

I realize it has been approximately 7 months since my last post. But that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. I had a baby! Give me a break!

And I also realize that chicken gravy isn't the most exciting post for my first one in 7 months but hey, it was the first one that came to mind.

Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): no queso for you
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 1
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 1


Chicken Gravy
2 cups of chicken stock
3 Tbl cornstarch
1 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt/Pepper

Bring chicken stock to boil. Dissolve cornstarch in small amount of cold water and add to chicken stock. Season to taste with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook until thickened.