Mrs. Bentley’s Cooking Class
May 26, 2014Quince de Mayo! OLE!
Grilling Corn Tortillas
I conducted my first cooking class at the home of a dear friend. She asked that I put together a class for her networking group. Since the class was scheduled for the 15th of May, I called it Quince de Mayo! and came up with a Mexican menu. Here’s what we made:
Corn Tortilla Chips, Grilled with a Touch of Sea Salt for a No Fat, Crisp and Tasty Dipping Chip. We laid fresh, uncooked corn tortilla chips on a hot grill and sprinkled them with coarse sea salt. The heat of the grill causes the sea salt to stick to the tortilla. Using tongs, we peeked at the undersides and when they had nice grill marks, we flipped them. After just a few minutes, they were nicely charred and we tossed them into a bowl. We kept grilling them until we had a nice big pile. We cracked them by hand into approximate quarters.
Skinny Guacamole is Lightened Up by adding Roasted 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 to Fresh Avocado – So Fresh and Yummy! 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 look like green tomatoes. They come with a lose papery skin that feels like tissue paper. They are very acidic and have a flavor similar to a lime, but a little more intense. I discovered that if they are added to guacamole, the guacamole never turns that horrible grayish brown color. Yeah! Also, they are fat free and very low in calorie, so they thin down the calories in quacamole. Yeah again! Two problems solved! Everyone loved this new twist on an old favorite! It was so good, we had to make a second batch.
Roasted Tomato Salsa, Earthy and Surprisingly Light. We grilled whole tomatoes for about 10 minutes, until they had nice char marks and the skin was beginning to peel off. At the same time, we had pablano peppers on the grill. The grill was set to high. We grilled the pablano peppers until they were completely black on all sides. Then, using tongs, we popped them into a zip bag and sealed it up so the pepper would steam. After about 10 minutes in the bag, the blackened skin on the peppers slips right off. We slipped them out of their skins over the sink because it can get a little messy. Then, we cut the tops off the peppers and removed the seeds under running water. The tomatoes and the peppers went into the food processor along with a few grilled 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 we had left over from the guacamole.
Chicken Seasoned with Mrs. Bentley’s Secret Mole Spice Blend and Baked for an Aromatic Savory Treat! I taught the participants how easy it is to make this delicious chicken, and it can me made for a crowd just as easily. We had 30 chicken thighs in the oven while we made the other items on the menus. Normally, a tray of chicken for a family dinner would cook in about an hour. For 30 thighs on 4 trays, it took an hour and a half to cook.
I modified my basic Green Rice recipe by adding onions, peppers, garlic and cumin to give this dish a Mexican flair.
My friend had asked that I make everything “healthy”, so instead of making a Mexican flan, I made Panna Cotta, the Italian gelatin based dessert. This is another basic recipe that can be changed up in so many ways. It is essentially, milk or cream and gelatin. You can add any flavoring you like. You can sweeten it with sugar or Splenda. I’ve made chocolate, key lime, raspberry and vanilla before. Look at the basic recipe and then use your imagination.
Everyone really enjoyed the Skinny 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 we made! We made them with fresh lime juice, orange juice, tequila and the secret ingredient – Diet Mountain Dew! I’m not kidding, we used Diet Mountain Dew and they were incredible.
Participants Watching Intently As Salsa Is Being Made
Enjoying Skinny 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去!
Our Hostess Squeezing More Limes Than She Has Ever Squeezed!
2 Comments | 
Menus | Tagged: appetizer recipes, barbecue recipes, chicken recipes, Cinco de Mayo, company food, dessert recipes, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, food, grilled, grilling recipes, healthy recipes, holiday recipes, Menu, Mexican Recipes, party recipes, Recipes, salad recipes, Salsa, side dish recipes, Summer Recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 
扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Summer Soup
扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex 2, 2013
Corn and Asparagus Soup Tastes Like Summer!
This soup was sort of an accident of good fortune. I had boiled fresh corn on the cob the night before. I had extra corn, and the water it was boiled in, left over. I also had left over asparagus spears, minus the pretty tips.
I had used the asparagus tips for another recipe and couldn’t bear to throw away the naked stalks. So, voila! Corn and asparagus soup was born.
I cut the corn kernels from three cobs and set them aside. I put the stripped cobs back in the corn water and boiled it until it had reduced to about 4 cups. I removed the cobs and added the asparagus stalks that had been cut into one inch pieces. I had a goodly handful of stalks. I simmered the asparagus for about 5 minutes and added the corn kernels. I simmered for another 5 minutes and turned the burner off.
After cooling, I ran the concoction through the blender in batches. Watch out, when blending hot liquids. The resulting steam can blow the lid off the blender and splash and burn whatever it hits. I leave the feed hole open and put a dish towel over it to absorb the steam.
After I blended everything up, I wasn’t happy with the consistency. It was too chunky. So, I strained out the solids. The result, was the most beautiful colored, creamy soup that tasted just like summer. I added about 2 tablespoons of half and half for extra decadence. No salt was added because the original water I used to boil the corn had been salted. A few asparagus tips floated on top would have been the “piece de resistance”! If I ever make this on purpose, I will make sure to save a few tips for garnish.
Corn and Asparagus Fritters
I can’t stand to throw anything away and I was left with the solids that had been strained from the soup. They looked pretty good to me. So, I turned that wet veggie mash into fritters. I added an egg, some rice flour and some corn flour (corn starch).
I’m pretty much gluten free, thus my flour choices, but you could add regular wheat flour. I added salt and pepper and let the batter rest for 15 minutes to absorb the flours. I dropped spoonfuls into a hot non-stick fry pan with a tiny bit of canola oil and a wee pat of butter. Wow!! These turned out to be amazingly delicious. They went perfectly with my accidental summer soup of corn and asparagus.
I think I might be a genius. Well, probably not, but I felt pretty good about turning some pretty sorry looking leftovers into this lovely summer lunch.
1 Comment | Menus | Tagged: company food, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, food, healthy recipes, Menu, party recipes, Recipes, side dish recipes, Soup, Summer Recipes, Vegetable Soup | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Pork 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 with Onion Jam and Apple Cider Molasses
June 23, 2013
Pork 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 with Onion Jam and Apple Cider Molasses
Visually stunning, aromatic, lean and healthy, this menu will become your new “go-to” menu when company is coming for dinner. Two homemade condiments make this dish a wowee, wowee entree. They are Apple Cider Molasses and Onion Jam.
Apple cider molasses is made by boiling down a gallon of apple cider until it is thick and syrupy. It has a surprisingly bright sweet tart flavor,which is fantastic with pork. Very simple to make, it lasts for months in the fridge. Next time I make it, I think I will preserve it in small canning jars to make it last even longer.
欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 Onion Jam
The onion jam is also simple to make, but a bit of a pain in the eye to peel all those onions. I like to make a big batch so I have it on hand for recipes like this. But you can try a small batch for the first time, to see if you really like it.
I peeled eight large sweet onions and chopped them using my food processor. I did a rough chop. The onions are then, slow cooked in a big saute pan with a little butter, some salt and a splash of vinegar. After about an hour and a half the onions will be reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency. Thanks to the vinegar, the jam lasts a long time in the fridge. You can use this jam in so many ways; with cream cheese on crackers or crostini, baked with chicken, pork or beef, on pizza or pasta, used in marinades, etc.
Grilled Pork 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去 With 欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 Onions
For this pork recipe, I made a marinade with olive oil, the cider molasses, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Fresno chili peppers (red jalapenos), salt and pepper, and herbs. After marinading, I grilled the pork 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去s. I reserved the marinade for a finishing sauce. I added some onion jam to the marinade and cooked it down until it was thick. I like to add a small pat of butter at the end for glossiness. The end result is a savory sauce with a hint of sweet, balanced with the tartness from the cider molasses, a little bit of heat for excitement and made rich by the 欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 onions. You can see from the picture how beautiful the sauce looks on the sliced 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去. For a detailed recipe click here.
Beet and Fennel Salad with Walnuts and Orange 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频
And just to take this menu over the top, I served this gorgeous fennel, orange and beet salad. The flavors in this salad compliment the pork beautifully. The salad has roasted beets, fresh sliced raw fennel, orange segments and toasted walnuts. The dressing is made with orange juice, rice vinegar, and a splash of canola oil. The trick to keeping this salad looking its best, is to dress the fennel separately from the beets. Then, ever so gently, mix the two. Otherwise the red beet juice turns the whole salad red. It is much prettier when you can see the contrast of the white fennel, the orange segments and the red beets. Finish it by zesting a bit of orange peel on top. For a detailed recipe click here.
Creamy Polenta With Sage Butter
To round out this fabulous company menu, I prepared creamy polenta with sage butter. I prepared the polenta according to the package directions. Then, I added fresh chopped sage leaves that had been sauteed in butter. Of course, I added the butter as well!
2 Comments | Menus | Tagged: beet salad, company food, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, festive food, food, grilled, grilling recipes, healthy recipes, holiday recipes, Menu, party recipes, pork recipes, pork 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去, Recipes, salad recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Opa! Best Moussaka Ever!
April 14, 2013I love the flavor profiles in Greek food. Lemon, garlic, oregano, dill and mint. I love the sharp tang of the various sheep’s milk cheese used in Greek cooking. I frequently make a side dish of chopped spinach, fresh dill and mint with a smattering of good quality feta cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon. My guests always seem to love it. It’s a big step up from ordinary cooked spinach. The flavors are bright and fresh and it is a snap to put together.
Lamb Based Moussaka and Spinach with Dill, Mint and Feta Cheese
What could I make to go with that spinach? After flipping through a few magazines and then a couple of cookbooks, I came up with Moussaka – OPA!! Okay, I know you’re only supposed to shout, Opa! when the flaming saganaki cheese arrives at your table in a Greek restaurant, but I can’t help myself. I like to shout Opa! when any Greek food comes to my table. Actually, I like to shout, Opa! whenever the mood strikes me.
After reading five or six different recipes, I came up with my own variation. I don’t eat any wheat or gluten, and the typical creamy cheese topping on Moussaka begins with a flour and butter roux. So, I needed a variation on the standard topping. I ended up using a blend of ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, an egg, soft goat cheese and a handful of grated pecorino romano. The combination of the goat cheese and the pecorino romano, which is a sheep’s milk cheese, gave me that tangy zing I was looking for. The combination of the ricotta and the yogurt mimicked the roux beautifully.
The meat sauce in Moussaka is what will make or break this classic Greek dish. It is a blend of lamb, onion, garlic, tomatoes, red wine and a very aromatic blend of spices; cinnamon, allspice, clove and bay leaf. Wow, I had forgotten how delicious this dish can be until the meat sauce came together. Just a few pinches of this unusual spice combo makes this dish other-worldly!
Traditional Moussaka, also known as Greek lasagna, is a multi-layered affair. It’s fussy and time consuming to make. I took the easy route and I don’t think the final dish suffered at all. As a matter of fact, I think the final dish was a nice improvement over the original. The traditional Moussaka calls for thinly sliced fried eggplant, layered with a lamb based meat sauce and thinly sliced potatoes, all topped off with the rich creamy cheese sauce.
I peeled and diced the eggplant and roasted it on a cookie sheet in the oven with a little spritz of olive oil. I parboiled the potatoes, then gave them a large dice. I mixed the diced eggplant, potatoes and meat sauce together and put the whole thing into a casserole dish. I topped it off with my version of the cheese sauce and baked it. It looked beautiful, made a great presentation at the table and the taste and textures were heavenly!
Give this super simple, amazing menu a try! Finish it off with my baklava cups for dessert! For the recipes, click on the links below:
3 Comments | Menus | Tagged: casserole recipes, company food, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, Greek Food, Greek Recipes, healthy recipes, lamb recipes, Recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Polynesian Grilled Shimp
July 1, 2012
Polynesian Grilled Shrimp With Peppers And Pineapple
The grill was calling my name but I hadn’t been shopping in over a week.
I scrounged around and came up with a bag of frozen shrimp, a red bell pepper and half of a fresh pineapple. I had a little bit of left over barbeque sauce, but not enough for what I had in mind. So, I added a bit of this and dash of that and I added the juice from the pineapple. It came out great! A little sweet, a little sour and a little bit more spicy.
I threaded everything on metal skewers and poured on some of the barbeque sauce. I let the skewers marinate for a bit before I put them on a hot grill. I turned them every few minutes and mopped them with more sauce each time I turned them. I took them off after about ten minutes, all nice and glossy and charred.
Here’s the hot tip on grilling shrimp – leave them in their shells! The frozen shrimp I had, was still in the shell, but had been deveined – perfect. By leaving the shrimp in the shell, you can grill them long enough to get plenty of sauce to glaze up and long enough to get a nice char. The sauce permeates the shrimp through the slit made in the back of the shell during the deveining process. Also, the shells add more flavor. It’s kind of a pain to peel them with your knife and fork at the table, but it’s worth it. So, actually, the bigger the shrimp the better in this case. The bigger shrimp are much easier to shell with a knife and fork. I wish I had found larger shrimp in my freezer, but scroungers can’t be choosers.
What luck, I also found a bag of pre-cooked frozen brown rice in the freezer. This is a great staple to keep on hand. It’s super inexpensive and what could be easier at the last minute. It takes me an hour and a half to make good brown rice. The frozen stuff takes 7 minutes. And, believe me, it’s good!
So, take a scrounge around the back of your fridge, your freezer and pantry and see what amazing dinner you can come up with.
1 Comment | Menus | Tagged: asian recipes, barbecue recipes, company food, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, fish recipes, food, grilled, grilling recipes, healthy recipes, kabobs, kebabs, kebobs, Menu, party recipes, polynesian, Recipes, retro recipes, shrimp recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Summer Menu With Ribs and Crisp Fennel, Orange and Beet Salad
June 30, 2012If it’s summer, it has to be ribs for dinner.
Moist and Sticky Barbequed Ribs with Summery Salad
I did baby back ribs and paired them with a luscious summery salad of crisp shaved fennel, juicy orange segments, roasted yellow beets and red onion on a bed of baby arugula. I made the dressing with fresh orange juice and orange zest, fresh lemon juice, chopped shallots, grated ginger and extra virgin olive oil. I topped the whole thing off with a few crumbles of feta cheese. I used fat free feta, but you can use your favorite.
I just read through the new issue of bon appetit, the July 2012 issue. On the cover is a picture of amazing looking ribs. So, I was inspired to try their “ultimate do-ahead ribs”. This is a great recipe for company because you can do the bulk of the cooking several days before the ribs are finished on the grill.
Crisp Shaved Fennel with Roasted Beets and Orange Segments on a bed of Arugula with a sweet tart Ginger Dressing.
First, I rubbed the slab of baby back ribs with a mixture of salt, pepper, brown sugar and ancho chili powder. You could use any kind of chili powder. Then,I wrapped the full slab in heavy duty tin foil. I placed the packet on a cookie sheet and baked them in a 350 degree oven for two hours. I drained off the liquid the ribs generated into a glass bowl and refrigerated for later. I wrapped the ribs back up in the same foil and put them in the refrigerator.
At this point, you can leave the juices and ribs in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, add the reserved rib juices to store bought barbeque sauce or your own homemade sauce. Put the cold ribs onto a hot grill and slather them with the sauce/juice mixture. Turn the ribs over every minute or so and slather on more sauce each time. Do this for about seven minute or until the ribs are heated through, nicely glazed with some nice char marks. Delicious!!
Leave a Comment » | Menus | Tagged: Arugula, barbecue recipes, beet salad, company food, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, Fennel, festive food, food, Fourth of July, grilled, grilling recipes, healthy recipes, holiday recipes, Menu, party recipes, pork recipes, pork ribs, Recipes, salad recipes, side dish recipes, Summer Recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Holiday Sides Lightened Up
November 17, 2011Does the thought of facing 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频 dinner have you dusting off your elastic waist pants? I’m here to tell you, no worries if you use some of my tricks for taking out the calories but leaving in the flavor.
I have been transforming my holiday and party recipes into delicious, low fat, low calorie dishes. I had to take a big leap to try recipes that don’t start with bacon fat, but I promise, you won’t miss it! Honest! Here are a few I’ve already tested:
Fresh Green Beans with 欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 Shallots
Instead of green bean casserole, try green beans with 欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 shallots. I am very pleased with how easy this recipe is, but, wowee-delicious! I 欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 the shallots in a teeny tiny bit of olive oil in a non-stick pan. I cooked them over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. They became lusciously browned with a bit of crunch.
GreenLine Trimmed and Washed Green Beans
I used the pre-cleaned bagged green beans that come in a microwavable plastic bag. If you haven’t tried these yet, I must insist – try them – immediately!! They have become my go-to vegetable, holiday or no holiday. You poke a few holes in the bag with a fork and microwave them for four minutes. Instant farm stand green beans with no fuss, no muss.
After I 欧美肉大捧一进一出免费视频 the shallots, I nuked the green beans. I added them to the shallots and tossed to coat the beans with all that yummy shallot flavor. Add a sprinkle of coarse ground sea salt and a bit of black pepper and serve. I can’t believe how good these are! And the best part, you can do the shallots ahead of time. Let them hang out on the back of the stove until you are ready to serve. Nuke the beans, toss together and this dish is ready in a flash. Click here for the recipe.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频
How about fresh Brussels sprouts roasted with fresh 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频? Look how gorgeous they are. And this is another, super easy side dish. I tossed the Brussels sprouts with a tad bit of olive oil and spread them out on a foil lined cookie sheet. I tossed the 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频 with a dressing I made from honey and orange juice (a tablespoon of each). I sprinkled the coated 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频 over the Brussels sprouts and sprinkled everything with smoked sea salt. Smoked sea salt?? Yeah baby, it’s all the rage and it has become my new favorite “tastes like bacon” ingredient. You can find a wide variety of smoked salts in gourmet shops and online.
Hot from the oven and perfectly browned and beautiful!
Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and put them cut side down on a foil lined pan. This way, they get evenly browned and beautiful. Roast the sprouts and berries for 20 minutes at 435 degrees with no turning or stirring. When you turn them into the serving bowl, give them a light spray of Pam and a fresh sprinkle of salt. This dish will be a crowd pleaser! Click here for the recipe.
国产网红无码精品视频 Squash with Sage and Onion Brown Butter
Wait til you try this twist on the classic 国产网红无码精品视频 squash side dish! How about kicking up the flavor with sage and a hint of onion? Who needs all that butter when you have those yummy holiday herbs and flavors added? And my super-secret short cut for this dish – use frozen cooked 国产网红无码精品视频 squash puree. If you’re afraid you might be smited by the ghost of your great grandmother, then by all means, buy the fresh squash. You can peel it, seed it, roast it and mash it if you like. I tested the recipe both ways and couldn’t taste the difference when I used the frozen squash. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I think I was just poked by an ancestor!
Another trick to boost the flavor using less fat is to use “brown butter” In a medium sauce pan, heat 2 teaspoons of butter until it becomes toasty and browned. Be careful not to burn it, just lightly toast it until you can smell the nuttiness and see the slight browning of the butter.
Meanwhile, grate half of a large sweet onion. Grate the onion on your box grater. I guess you could use a food processor, but it is really easy to use the box grater. You’ll end up with lot of onion juice and some onion pulp. I like to use grated onion when I don’t want the onion chunks, but I want the fresh onion taste. Add the grated onion and onion juice to the browned butter. Saute over medium heat until most of the onion juice has evaporated.
Add a tablespoon of dried rubbed sage and saute for another minute or two. I don’t recommend fresh sage for this dish. I find fresh sage is good if it is cooked for a long time, but in a quick dish like this, fresh sage can taste bitter and has a medicinal flavor.
Add the pureed squash (fresh or frozen, I’ll never tell) to the onion sage mixture and heat through. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a garnish of fresh sage leaves. Delish delish delish!! Two measly teaspoons of butter for the whole dish is plenty, thanks to the flavor boost from browning the butter and the onion and sage. Added bonus – this dish can be made ahead of time and reheated. Yay!! I love make ahead holiday dishes!! For the complete recipe, click here.
Pumpkin Pie Custard Cup
If you don’t have the calorie budget for pumpkin pie, or you can’t find your elastic waist pants, try this amazing knock off. No-crust pumpkin pie custard cups with a dollop of fat free cool whip or fat free frozen vanilla yogurt. You won’t miss the crust. I tested this recipe by making a batch of the standard pumpkin pie filling, except I made a few substitutions. I substituted fat free evaporated milk for the full fat kind. Also, I used a little bit of real brown sugar and the rest Splenda artificial sweetener. I used whole eggs because you need the yolks to make a good custard. I added the standard spices and poured the mixture into custard cups that had been sprayed with Pam. I baked them for about 50 minutes at 350. Really really good. Try the recipe by clicking here!
1 Comment | Menus | Tagged: casserole recipes, Christmas side dishes, company food, dessert recipes, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, healthy recipes, holiday recipes, holiday side dishes, low calorie dessert recipe, low calorie recipes, low calorie side dishes, low carb dessert recipe, low carb recipes, low fat, low fat dessert recipe, low fat recipes, low fat side dishes, party recipes, Recipes, side dish recipes, smoked salt, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes, 欧美肉体裸交做爰xxxⅹ视频 side dishes, vegetable side dishes, Weight Watcher Recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Tamales!
扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex 11, 2011
Aromatic Mole Rubbed Chicken Legs
I pulled out an old favorite cookbook and immersed myself in southwestern cuisine. The book is, Cayote Cafe by Chef Mark Miller. When I aquired this book, twenty some odd years ago, it was so edgy I didn’t know what most of the ingredients were, let alone where to get them. For example, the book includes recipes for tomatillo salsa, ancho chile rubbed rabbit, poblano pesto and grilled nopales (cactus leaves). Sounds pretty ordinary for these days, right?
Revisiting the book inspired me to create a mole rub for meat. I mixed together; Hershey’s dark cocoa powder (unsweetened), instant espresso powder, cumin, ancho chile powder, dried oregano, salt and a bit of raw sugar. I rubbed it on some skinless chicken legs and cooked them for my husband, David and I. Wow! We were both, completely blown away by these chicken legs! The coffee acted as a meat tenderizer, the sugar created a crusty coating that sealed in all the juices and the chocolate and spices added flavor and aromas that knocked us over. I knew I had to make these chicken legs for company.
Tamales Tied With Corn Husk Ribbons
I was also inspired by a variety of tamale recipes in the cook book. I had never made tamales before. I think I had only eaten them once or twice before, but none the less, I ventured forth on a tamale quest. There is a lot involved in making tamales and a variety of methods, wrappers and fillings.
In addition to the recipes in the Cayote Cafe cook book, I searched through three other Mexican cook books I have. (I know what you’re thinking. “Why does she have so many Mexican cook books?” Ha! Are you kidding me? Name a cuisine and ask me if I have a book on it.)
I was a little frustrated with what I found on tamale making. None of the books were very clear on the tamale process from start to finish. I watched “you-tube” videos on tamale making and they weren’t very clear either. The best instructions I found were in the Cayote Cafe book, so with a few minor adjustments, I forged ahead.
Tamales Stacked In The Steamer
You can’t make just a few tamales. You have to make twenty or thirty at a time because you need to pack them, vertically in a steamer, and if the steamer isn’t packed full, the tamales fall over and the filling runs out. So my next quandary was, if I make all these tamales, who can I get to eat them all?
I decided to add my newly created mole chicken legs to my tamale menu and I invited my friend Becky and her husband, Ed over for dinner. Perfect! They are both good sports about trying new things. Becky brought the wine and an apple pie for dessert. Ed always brings good conversation with a dash of hilarity, always a great thing to have at a dinner party.
Plum Tomatoes Roasted With Cumin and Lime Juice
I paired the chicken and tamales with a batch of plum tomatoes roasted with cumin and a spritz of lime juice. This simple side dish balanced the plate with freshness, flavor and color. I adapted a recipe from Ina Garten that I have made often. She slices fresh plum tomatoes and places them on a cookie sheet. She drizzles them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkles them with salt and a bit of sugar to bring out the fresh tomato flavor. She roasts them in a hot oven for 25 minutes. They are super yummy and a synch to make. I changed up her recipe to accommodate my Mexican menu. Instead of using balsamic vinegar, I used fresh lime juice and I added a sprinkle of cumin. The changes turned out to be subtle, but perfect for my menu.
The Menu:
- Home made baked corn chips
- Roasted tomatillo guacamole
- Mole rubbed chicken legs
- Tamales stuffed with roasted poblano chiles and Queso Fresco (fresh white Mexican cheese)
- Roasted plum tomatoes with cumin and lime juice
- Apple Pie
4 Comments | Menus | Tagged: appetizer recipes, chicken recipes, company food, cooking, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, healthy recipes, Menu, Mexican Recipes, party recipes, Recipes, Salsa, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes, weekend cooking | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Pan Seared Tuna With Soba Noodles and Bok Choy
扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex 4, 2011Mum was brave today! I served a Japanese menu featuring seared ahi tuna, something, I’m sure, Mum has never had. Her palate is decidedly English. I imagine English menus as boiled, unseasoned plain food. I suppose English food is sometimes dressed up with a bit of curry or some other spices rooted in their imperialist days, but generally, it has never sounded pleasant to me. Kidney pie, kippers, clotted cream and all sorts of odd puddings – blech!
Seared Tuna with Soba Noodles and Bok Choy
Anyway, I digress. For Mum’s big adventure, I served pan seared ahi tuna on a bed of wilted bok choy with a side of soba noodles sauteed with shiitake 国产网红无码精品视频 and edamame. I served a small cup of a sesame soy dipping sauce for the tuna. I was so pleased with how it turned out. Everything was super simple to make, but so delicious and very beautiful on the plate.
I marinated the tuna in soy, rice wine vinegar, sriracha sauce (sweet and hot Asian chili sauce), garlic, ginger and green onion. And I added a bit of brown sugar to the marinade too. I figured the sugar would help create a nice caramelization on the fish when I seared it. It worked great! I marinated the fish for about 2 hours. I seared it on all sides in a pan of hot peanut oil. Just a minute or two on each side. I let it rest for 5 minutes before I sliced it. While it was resting, I assembled the soba noodle side dish.
Soba noodles are a Japanese pasta made from buckwheat. They taste sort of like whole wheat pasta, but a little more creamy. While the soba noodles were boiling in salted water, I sauteed garlic, ginger, green onions, matchstick carrots and edamame. Edamame are shelled soy beans. They have a very delicate flavor and when cooked, their texture is somewhat like a sweet pea or a little like a lima bean. I thought they added a nice touch of color and texture to the noodles.
I had washed and chopped the bok choy ahead of time. I also sauteed the crunchy lower stems ahead of time. At the last minute I reheated the pan and added the chopped leafy green portion of the bok choy. It wilts in seconds, so a quick toss in the hot pan and it was ready to plate.
For the dipping sauce, I used the left over tuna marinade. I heated it to a boil, added just a drop of sesame oil (no more than a drop, that stuff is potent!) and poured a little into some pretty sake cups I have. They made the perfect vessel for the sauce.
Mum ate the noodles first and quite enjoyed them. I could tell she was very leery about the tuna on her plate. She pushed it around a bit, cut a few small pieces, pushed them around for a bit longer and then, finally took the plunge! A quick dip in the sauce and into her mouth. I so enjoyed the look on her face. A combination of relief and pleasure. She finished all the tuna and everything else on her plate. She actually enjoyed all of it. I was a little relieved myself.
I searched for Asian dessert recipes and fell a little short. I ended up making a fruit compote of pineapple, mango and banana with dark rum and cinnamon. I served it warm over vanilla ice cream. It was delicious. It seemed more tropical than Asian, but rather exotic, none the less.
I was inspired to prepare this menu by a Food Network show starring Anne Burrell. I love her style and her quirky personality. She is an amazing chef and she prepared a similar menu and made it look so easy. As it turned out, it was very easy to make and it looked and tasted fantastic!
Leave a Comment » | Menus | Tagged: asian recipes, company food, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, fish recipes, food, healthy recipes, Japanese recipes, Menu, party recipes, Recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Cedar Planked Salmon
July 10, 2011
Salmon with Brown Sugar, Coffee and Cumin on Cedar Plank
I call this salmon dish, “Cowboy Salmon” because it is an adaptation of a fabulous meal I saw prepared on Bobbie Flay’s grilling show. He had a guest chef on the program, who is known as “The Epicurean Cowboy”. He made this spice rubbed, cedar planked salmon as an ingredient for his fish tacos. The spice rub is made from brown sugar, crushed coffee beans and cumin. I was so intrigued by the idea, I just had to try it.
I made it a few weeks ago for a party I hosted for my tennis girlies. It was our end of season bash and I opted for two different kinds of fish tacos, homemade chips and salsa, and 扒开粉嫩小泬舌头伸进去. The party was a huge success. The gals are still talking about it. However, I was so busy getting everything set up and served that I never had time to get photos of the party or the party food. I knew I wanted to make this salmon again, so I could photograph it and publish the recipe.
The Epicurean Cowboy serves his salmon with a spicy coleslaw on warm corn tortillas, which is how I served it at my party. But for my re-do I morphed the concept into something suitable for one of my Sunday dinners with my mother-in-law. Tacos seem a little too casual for Sunday dinner, so I deconstructed the recipe for my own purposes. I served the salmon, grilled and flaked. I served a spicy coleslaw on the side.
Grilled Polenta with Green Chiles and Cilantro
And instead of corn tortillas, I decided to make a grilled polenta. Polenta is typically an Italian dish, but I mixed things up and made it with a Mexican twist. I added roasted green chiles, green onions, crumbled Mexican cheese and a splash of lime juice. I grilled the polenta and garnished it with a little fresh cilantro. Wow, it was really amazing! I liked the pairing with the salmon even better than the original corn tortillas.
MENU:
- Cedar Planked Salmon With Spicy Rub
- Grilled Polenta With Roasted Green Chiles and Queso Fresco
- Baja Coleslaw With Lime And Cilantro
- Mango Cheesecake With Lemon Basil Syrup
Cedar Planked Salmon and Grilled Polenta
For the salmon, I used a cedar plank I had left over from my party. The plank needs to be soaked in water for at least an hour before it can be put on the grill. The idea is for the plank to smoke and add smoky flavor to the fish. If the plank is too dry, it will catch fire. I set the plank in my utility sink on my patio and turned the water on. It’s a big sink, and I wanted to fill it, so I left the water running, while I went back inside to work on another dish. Well, I got busy and lost track of the running water. When I thought of it, I ran out to see how bad it was. As suspected, the water was pouring over the top of the sink onto the patio floor. It was a nice little flood but no real harm done. The patio floors are really clean and shiny now. Terrific! Maybe I’ll do things the same way, the next time I’m soaking planks.
Cedar Planked Salmon with Spicy Brown Sugar Glaze
The salmon is dusted with a heavy dose of the spice rub, about a cup per pound of fish. I threw a handful of the rub onto the damp cedar plank, then set the filet on top of that. I added another generous handful of the spice rub to the top of the fish. I grilled it in the center of the grill on high.
The aroma from the smoking cedar is unbelievable. The sugar in the spice rub, caramelizes and creates a beautiful glaze on both sides of the fish.
For the polenta, I used and instant polenta, which is sometimes labeled, “pre-cooked”. It looks like fine corn meal. The regular polenta requires about 45 minutes of cooking and stirring. The instant kind cooks in about 5 minutes. I used chicken stock instead of water for more flavor. I added a small can of roasted green chiles, Ortega brand. You can roast your own peppers if you want, but the canned or jarred ones are just as good. I don’t take many short cuts when I cook, but I don’t mind using the jarred roasted peppers at all.
I added chopped green onions and diced Mexican cheese, queso fresco. It is a fresh, mild white cheese. I wished I had bought the melting kind, but instead I bought the crumbling kind. It turned out great anyway. The cheese cubes remained whole and they picked up nice grill marks for even more flavor when I grilled the polenta. After cooking the polenta thoroughly, I poured it into a buttered 9 by 12 pan. I covered it with plastic wrap and refrigerated it for about an hour.
Polenta with Roasted Green Chiles Ready for the Grill
I cut the chilled polenta into squares, drizzled it with a little olive oil and gave it a liberal sprinkle of coarse sea salt. I grilled it on a hot grill and it took longer than I had expected to get good grill marks. I checked it after 5 minutes and there were no grill marks. I was a little surprised, but I let it cook on and I got great grill marks after about 10 minutes per side.
Baja Cole Slaw with Lime, Cilantro and Green Chiles
I love, love, love to mix up coleslaw to suit my tastes. I use the bagged coleslaw mix and add my own dressings and add-ins. Sometimes I give it an Asian twist with a little sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce, or I might give it a Thai flair with fish sauce, chile peppers, sugar and rice vinegar. For this menu, I used my “South of the Border” flavor mix. I made the dressing out of lime juice and mayonnaise. I added diced jalapeno peppers, red onions and chopped fresh cilantro. It was so fresh and tasty. An excellent complement to the rich flavored fish and starchy polenta. It balanced the whole plate.
Mango Cheesecake with Lemon Basil Syrup
Some of you may think everything I serve turns out the way I want it to. Trust me, that is not true. Case in point, is the dessert I served with this menu. I saw Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network, make an unusual cheesecake. She made mango cheesecake with a lemon, basil syrup. It looked gorgeous on the television. I really wanted to try to make it, and I thought it would go perfectly with this menu. Well, my syrup turned out a weird shade of green that didn’t look appetizing at all. The cheesecake was too wet and sort of fluffy. I think cheesecake should be dense and flavorful. This didn’t have much flavor and I just couldn’t get past the green sauce. I’m not going to put the recipe on my site, but if you think it sounds good to you, Google it and you can easily find the recipe.
2 Comments | Menus | Tagged: barbecue recipes, cedar plank, company food, dinner menu, easy dinner recipes, easy recipes, festive food, fish recipes, food, grilled, grilling recipes, healthy recipes, holiday recipes, instant polenta, Menu, party recipes, polenta recipes, Recipes, salad recipes, salmon recipes, side dish recipes, sunday dinner, Sunday dinner recipes | 扒开粉嫩细缝喷白浆sex
Posted by Carol Bentley
Mrs. Bentley's Best 