Avocado and Cilantro Pesto Panini
Posted by: cinnybear on: November 10, 2009
The Go Green Panini
I found this odd, but delightfully unique and tasty panini while searching for a local bakery back in my home town. The pesto is a complex blend of cilantro, pine nuts, pistachios, and parmesan cheese. I hate to admit it, but this is a panini where you won’t miss your meat…although I’d imagine adding grilled chicken breast would be quite tasty too!
Use remaining pesto in pastas or as a spread in sandwiches!
Picture update
Ingredients
Cilantro Pesto (recipe follows)
Sourdough bread, sliced
2 ripe avocados
1 tablespoon canned (or in a jar) Jalapeno peppers, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
Cilantro Pesto
2 bunches fresh cilantro, washed and stems removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup salted and roasted pistachios (can use pecans or walnuts in place of pine nuts or pistachios, or both).
½ teaspoon California or New Mexico chili powder, or cayenne pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
To assemble sandwiches: Spread both sides of bread with cilantro pesto. Mash avocados and mix with diced jalapeno peppers. (Use Ortega chiles if you can’t stand the heat!) Spread avocado mixture on one half of each sandwich. Placed sliced green peppers on top. Finish with grated pepper jack and top with second slice of bread. Grill in melted butter or George Foreman grill, or if you prefer, olive oil in frying pan until cheese melts and bread is golden brown.
Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cheese Frosting
Posted by: cinnybear on: November 8, 2009
Somewhere in a land far, far away, the gingerbread man and jack-o-lantern battled for the spot of “best holiday ingredient.” Weeks passed and neither side would surrender. A truce was called and alliances were formed. In commemoration of the battle, the pumpkin gingerbread was created and enjoyed across the lands by peasants and kings alike.
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. For loaves, lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans. For cupcakes, line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin.
- In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder, ginger, allspice cinnamon, and cloves. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean. For loaves, about 1 hour 15 minutes (check at one hour though!) and for cupcakes, about 30 minutes, check at 25 minutes though.
Coconut, White Chocolate, and Macadamia Nut Chocolate Covered Bananas
Posted by: cinnybear on: July 28, 2009
Summer is here and beach body frenzy has struck everyone one but me.
My motivation lies elsewhere and I am caught between a new found love of Bryer’s triple chocolate ice cream blended with milk and few shots of espresso or chocolate covered bananas adorned with coconut, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts.
In true Tiffanie fashion, both were made and eaten. Completely sinful….and deliriously happy.
Note: use a deep bowl when dipping the banana sections. They are trickier to dip than strawberries because of their curve!
Ingredients:
- 3 almost ripe bananas, sliced into thirds or fourths
- 2 cups of chocolate chips
- Popsicle sticks
Garnish
- Coconut flakes, minced
- Macademia nuts, chopped
- White chocolate, chopped
- Or whatever you like!
Directions
1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper
2. Mix together garnish ingredients in a bowl
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler
4. Pierce banana with popsicle sticks and dip the banana into the chocolate. Let excess chocolate fall back into bowl and dip the banana pop into the garnish.
5. Place the finished banana pop on the cookie sheet and repeat for all remaining bananas.
6. Place in freezer for 1 hour and enjoy!
Baklava Bites
Posted by: cinnybear on: May 30, 2009
This is one of the few recipes that I like to remake as my “to cook” list continues to grow and grow. The list grows at an average rate of 3 recipes per week with the cooking execution rate of 1 a week (sometimes even less, sadly. )
I really need to get out of the “what are the stats?” mode. I actually prefer to make these than the traditional form of baklava because they are bite-size and…cute. Yes, food can be cute!
Ingredients
1/3 cups sugar + 2 tbs sugar
3/4 cups water
1/3 cup honey
1 cinnamon sticks
4 2×1/2-inch strips orange peel
1 teaspoons rose water
1 /2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1.5 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
12-15 fresh phyllo pastry sheets. Thaw phyllo dough in fridge overnight!
Directions
Syrup preparation: Stir 1 /3 cup sugar, water, honey, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in rose water. Chill until cold.
Filling preparation: Mix walnuts, ground cinnamon, allspice, and 2 tbs of sugar in medium bowl.
Phyllo dough preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush mini-muffin pan with some melted butter.
- Place the first sheet of phyllo dough on a flat surface. Brush with butter and place another sheet of phyllo dough on top. Repeat the process until you have layered 6-7 sheets of phyllo dough.
- Cut the phyllo dough into 3 inch x 3 inch squares. Gently press each square into the muffin pan so the edges protude in an even fashion. Repeat for all muffin holders.
- Bake in oven for 6-7 minutes (or until golden brown) and cool for a few minutes. Do not remove from the pan.
- Spoon walnut mixture into each phyllo cup and then drizzle about a spoonful of the syrup over each phyllo cup.
- Patience is key when making baklava. Give the baklava a few hours to rest (I can only seem to wait half a day) before enjoying!
The Gourmet Meat Lover’s Pizza
Posted by: cinnybear on: May 4, 2009
No, this is not a pizza with triple cheese and piled high with pepperoni.
I admit I had pizza 4 times consecutively this week…and that I have not weighed myself afterwards. I don’t know what made me want to make pizza for the fourth time (the calling of random cured meats from the grocery store?)…but I am so glad I did because the results were utterly drool-worthy.
And it only takes 12 minutes to bake.
Ingredients
- 1 Boboli© pizza crust, thin crust
- 1 packet of Boboli© pizza sauce
- 1/3 cup Linguica sausage, pre-cooked and sliced thin into 1/8 slices.
- 1/3 cup Salami, pre-sliced, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 Capacolla, hot , pre-sliced, and cut into bite-size pieces. Minimal marbling.
- 3-4 bella mushrooms, sliced, and torn into halves or thirds.
- 1.5 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 4-5 large basil leaves
- 2 cups Monterey jack cheese, grated.
Note: the meat should be gently packed into the cup. Vary the amount and proportions of the meat based on your preferences. Just make sure not to pile on too much otherwise the pizza will sink!
Directions
- Preheat over to 450 F
- Wrap the linguica sausage in a few paper towels and microwave for 40-50 seconds. Remove from microwave and press gently to extract any additional oil (this step prevents the pizza from getting too greasy)
- Spread pizza sauce over the crust and evenly distribute the cheese.
- Evenly distribute the meats, mushrooms, oregano and fennel seeds.
- Bake directly on the oven rack for 12 minutes.
- While pizza bakes, layer the basil leaves on top of each other and roll them into a tight funnel. Slice the basil into thin strips.
- Garnish pizza with basil and serve.
Roasted Beet and Feta Salad
Posted by: cinnybear on: May 3, 2009
A new found obsession with beets.
My encounters with the beet are few and far in between. Besides confusing them as being big radishes, my thought was always, “what is that dark purple thing at the salad bar with the weird lines? That can not look good. Can we get please get through from the salad line so I can get my chile-cheese baked potato?”
…and just a few weeks ago, a strange curiosity took over and I tried the beet.
And I liked it.
And I liked the freshly roasted beet even more.
Ingredients
- 2 large beets (3 inches in diameter) – trimmed, scrubbed, and washed
- 2-3 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs course ground sea salt
- ¼ cup of fresh feta cheese
- 2-3 handfuls of salad mix (leafy greens, minimal to no lettuce)
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced
- 10 mini-tomatoes, sliced horizontally
- A small handful of toasted walnuts (optional)
Salad Dressing
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450F and cover a rimmed baking pan with foil.
- Scrub beets and cut off the end and tops of the beets (leave about 2 inches of the stem from the top of the beet). Cut the beet into 4 equal wedges.
- Place beets in baking pan and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Seal with pan with another layer of foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove cover after 50 minutes and roast for another 30 minutes. To check for doneness, you should be easily able to stick a knife or fork through the beet.
- While the beets cook, prepare the salad dressing. Place all ingredients of the salad dressing in a container with a lid and shake well (normally I use a mason jar but I found empty plastic water bottles work just as well).
- Slice the beets (the skins of beets are edible but if you prefer it without the skin, it should come off fairly easily after being roasted)
- In a large bowl, assemble the salad ingredients and beets. Drizzle with salad dressing (note: please do not use all the salad dressing, use based on your preferences) and enjoy!
Chicken Scarpariello
Posted by: cinnybear on: May 2, 2009
Recipe revisit – because it’s just that good.
No cheese on an Italian dish? My thighs can’t be more grateful (I’m pleasantly ignoring the presence of sausage)
This recipe has a mouth-drooling combination of crispy-skinned chicken, spicy sausage, bell peppers, and hot cherry peppers. Needless to say, it’s spicy…however the spiciness is rounded off with well with the subtle sweetness of the chicken and vegetables.
If you can’t find hot cherry peppers, use picked banana peppers.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces sweet or spicy Italian sausage , casings removed
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin and cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 medium onion , halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
3-5 pickled hot cherry peppers , stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch strips (about 1/4 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/3cup white wine vinegar plus 2 additional tablespoons
3/4cup low-sodium chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break sausage into 1/2-inch pieces, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer sausage to plate lined with paper towels. Remove skillet from heat; pour off fat into small bowl and reserve; wipe out skillet with paper towels.
2. Return skillet to medium-high heat and heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil until smoking. Pat chicken dry and liberally season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and brown on other side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate. Remove skillet from heat and pour off fat into bowl with sausage fat; wipe out skillet with paper towels.
3. Return skillet to medium-high heat and heat 1 tablespoon reserved fat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cherry peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, and 3/4 cup broth; bring mixture to boil, scraping up browned bits from pan bottom.
4. Add sausage and chicken (with any accumulated juices) to skillet, arranging chicken pieces in single layer, skin side up, on top of peppers and onion. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes, removing smaller pieces sooner if necessary. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, thyme, and remaining tablespoon broth in small bowl.
5. Carefully remove skillet from oven (handle will be very hot) and transfer chicken, skin side up, to platter or individual serving plates. Place skillet over medium-high heat and stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer sauce mixture until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, taste sauce and add up to 2 tablespoons vinegar. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce around chicken, being careful not to pour it directly over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Fresh Picked Strawberries
Posted by: cinnybear on: April 28, 2009
Nothing is quite as satisfying as combing through acres of strawberry fields knowing that you can pick strawberries to your heart’s content (or until the bucket is full). Then there’s always the satisfying part of eating strawberries off the vine while no one is looking…or maybe they don’t even care.
If you’re down in Southern Orange County or Northern San Diego, go visit the Carlsbad Strawberry fields off of Polamar Airport Road. Spend a few hours perusing for the perfect-shaped strawberries, or if you’re me, look for the mutated-genetic-defect looking ones.
Here’s my attempt at recreating Nation’s Strawberry Pie since I’m not in the Bay Area. There’s something to be said on how they stack those strawberries…I will have to study the art of stacking strawberries when I go back home!
Recipe titled Fresh Strawberry Pie under the Dessert category.
Salmon Cakes & Miso Cream Sauce
Posted by: cinnybear on: April 24, 2009
I again bought too much salmon for my own good (I love you, Costco). Looks like you’ll be seeing some more salmon recipes! I love this recipe for the simple fact that it’s just like a crab cake but doesn’t leave the reaction of:
- How much did I just pay for crab legs?
- Where is that darn nut cracker?
- All that work for…just that amount of meat?
- Can I just eat a burger now? Please?
Top if off with a curious but delightful combination of miso and cream …and everyone is bound to be happy.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup white wine or 1/8 cup sake
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 3/4 cups dry bread crumbs (pulse white bread in food processor to make your own)
- Salmon, cooked and flaked (about 7-8 ounces)
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 tsp for sautéing the onions
Directions:
- Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in the miso paste and sake until blended. Bring to a simmer then stir in the cream and lime juice. Return to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat 1 tsp of oil and saute onions in a separate pan for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, salmon, sauteed onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, soy sauce and water using a fork. Stir about half of this into the salmon mixture, and if it seems dry, stir in a little more until the salmon mixture will stick together in patties.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form the salmon mixture into 2 inch patties for appetizers, or 4 inch patties for a main dish. Fry patties for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve with the sauce drizzled over, or separately for dipping.
Curry Basil Wontons
Posted by: cinnybear on: April 3, 2009
Changing the game.
There’s not much to dislike about fried wontons.
1. Fried. Check.
2. Sweet and sour sauce. Check.
3. Fried. A few more checks.
What can I possibly complain about now? I can never tell what’s inside the wonton. I just taste fried goodness and sweet and sour sauce. This is a recipe that will tickle your taste buds with the mixture of basil, curry, chicken, and coconut. No dipping sauce required!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced onion (from 1 small onion)
1/4 cup minced celery (from 1 small celery stalk)
1 small clove garlic , minced, (at least 1/2 teaspoon)
2 medium carrots , shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
6 ounces ground chicken
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves
1 package wonton wrappers or gyoza wrappers
1 tablespoon table salt
1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions, celery and garlic; sauté until almost softened, about 3 minutes. Add carrots; sauté until vegetables soften, about 2 minutes longer. Add curry paste and coconut milk; cook over medium-high heat, stirring to incorporate curry paste, until most of coconut milk has been absorbed. Transfer vegetables mixture to a bowl; cool to room temperature.
2. Mix in remaining filling ingredients. Let stand about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to make dumplings.
3. To make wonton bundles — Hold a square wonton wrapper in the cup of your hand. Take one rounded teaspoon of filling and place the spoon slightly off-center on the wrapper. With your thumb, fold one side of the wonton wrapper over the filled spoon. Trap the filling inside the wrapper between your thumb and index finger, gently remove the spoon and seal the wonton by pinching the wrapper together.
4. Cooking note: you can either deep fry, boil, or cook these as potstickers.
To boil: Bring 4 quarts water to boil; add salt and dumplings. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, until filling is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove dumplings with slotted spoon. Serve with dipping sauces or drop into hot broth for soup.
To deep fry: Heat oil and fry until golden brown (2-3 minutes)
To make potstickers: Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and line potstickers in the pan. Do not move the potstickers and let a light golden brown crust develop on the bottom of the potsticker. Add enough water to cover 1/4 of the potsticker and cover. Cook until water has evaporated.
