Baked Broccoli and Cheddar Rice

Half the time, I am just "brain dead" when it comes to making new stuff, so I stay with the "old" and try to make it more healthy and lighter. Unfortunately, this is kind of obstructed with the cheddar cheese. I got this idea from an Uncle Ben's already mixed in the box a few, or maybe more than a few years ago. I really liked the boxed idea, but did not want to deal with all that sodium and mysterious ingredients, so just from that, I wanted to re-create my own. My family loves this, and they can't remember that I also made my polenta the same way, with the broccoli, and cheddar, which again, have not made it in a long time. For this dish, I made Panko crusted oven baked chicken breast. They paired up very nicely.

Baked Broccoli and Cheddar Rice

1 cup long grain rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the water for the rice adding the olive oil,(or butter) if you prefer. Do not cook it all the way. Takes only 15 minutes with this method. Steam the broccoli florets, and mix the rice and broccoli together, season with salt and pepper, and mix half of the grated cheddar. Bake in an oven proof ceramic dish, for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees, and top with the additional grated cheddar cheese, and bake for another 5 minutes, or until cheese gets nice and bubbly, and golden. Serves 4.

Oven Baked Boneless Chicken Breasts

2 nice large boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp real mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 flour
1 cup Panko
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Cooking spray for moisture

Generously massage chicken breasts with the mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and mix the flour and Panko together in a large baggie. Drop the chicken breasts into the baggie and give it a good shake. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, pat the Panko base well into the chicken breasts. Smear the oil on the aluminum foil, and with the cooking spray, spray the top of the chicken breasts. (this will assure you for a nice crisp baking, without drying it out.) Bake in a 350 degree oven, for a good 25 minutes, till it gets nice and crunchy on the top. These large pieces serves fro 2-4.

Stuffed Artichokes

I've been wanting to make stuffed artichokes for the longest time, but was not quite satisfied with the looks of them. They have to be large, firm and a beautiful deep green color, in order for me to buy it. This pair was a perfect match for stuffing and steaming, and served with a olio, aglio sauce...in our language, a nice dipping sauce with easily made with the combination of your best mayo, extra virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar.

The proper way to call these artichokes is Poached Stuffed artichokes. They are poached in a large pot, in small amount of boiling water for about 45 minutes. Make sure you cut the core off almost all the way to the bottom, so they can stand up. Snip the prickly leaves all around. They are no use. Also, with a serrated knife, cut the top off, about 1 inch, to expose the "heart". Wash well in water, and immediately rub with cut lemon, or lime juice, or white vinegar. After they're cooked, it's such a fun way of eating them, they have superb flavor. You simply peel off leave one-by-one, and dip them in the accompanying sauce, and the best part is, when you get to the heart, which has a rich, soft, butter flavor. Yumm!

Recipe, to follow.

Stuffed Artichokes (Poached)

2 nice large artichokes

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic chopped

salt and pepper to taste 

juice of 1 whole lemon, or lime

a handful of fresh parsley chopped

or (1 container of Tabbouleh...fresh, store bought)

( I used fresh parsley, and leftover Tabbouleh, from the 

Middle Eastern market)

In a small bowl, mix together all your ingredients, if not moist enough add a little more oil, or small amount of water, for a pasty effect. Stand artichokes upright, make sure you rub all over with the lemon, or lime, stretch the leave out, being careful not to tear them and lightly pack them with the stuffing...no special way, just wherever you can pack the stuffing lightly, all around. Now, drizzle a little more oil on top, and  place them in a large pot, just the way you see it in my photo, on top. Add water, 1/4 way up, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, and gently simmer, over medium to low heat for about 45 minutes. You might have to add more water, as it cooks down. With a tong, gently remove to a platter, and make the dipping sauce for it. Serves, 2-4..depending how many persons want to try it.

Olio Aglio Sauce, or American version of Garlic and Oil 

1 cup of excellent quality, Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients, except the olive oil, With a whisk, carefully drizzle the olive oil, whisking well after each addition. Adjust the seasoning, and serve it on the side for the artichokes. Very good dipping sauce for the stuffed poached artichokes.

Shrimp with Tomatoes Feta and Ouzo

Here we go again! ...yet, another shrimp dish...my bag of shrimp goes a long way!  This one is with fresh tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh mints, laced with a 1/2 cup Ouzo...all I can say is, OPA!

 Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta, and Ouzo

1 1/2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tails on

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

10 plum tomatoes diced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

a pinch of snipped fresh mint (or dry)

a pinch of snipped fresh oregano (or dry)

salt and pepper to taste

a pinch of red pepper flakes

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 lb Greek feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup Ouzo (Greek liquor)

In a large heavy skillet, over medium high  heat, saute onions, garlic, pepper flakes, (the dry herbs) in the olive oil, and butter, till onion is nicely transparent. Add the shrimp to it and saute only, until they turn pink.. Now, add the ouzo, and let the alcohol cook down, for just less than a minute. (Don't ignite it, unless you have experience.)

Remove shrimp to a platter, and keep on the side. Add the tomatoes, the tomato sauce and cook for about 15-20 minutes, till it gets nicely thick, but tomatoes not overcooked to a mush. Season with salt, and pepper, and add the fresh herbs, now, at the end of cooking. (Actually, you can use fresh, and dry, together, but dry has to be added in he beginning.)

Add the shrimp back into the skillet, gently mix it together, and sprinkle with the feta. Put under the  broiler, till the cheese melts, and sauce gets bubbly for about 3 minutes, being careful not to burn the cheese. Serve over spaghetti, or just by itself, with nice crusty bread, and a mixed salad. Serves 4.

Baba Ghanoush

As you can see, from my previous eggplant posting, that we love eggplant, of any kind, but Baba Ganoush, the Middle Eastern dish is one of our all time favorite. It is easy to just simply roast in the oven and cut it open, let it cool a little, and scoop out all that goodness from the pulp. Just chop it up with a potato masher, and add all the nice spices that it calls for...and don't forget the Tahini!

 Baba Ghanoush

2 large eggplants

1/4 to 1/2 cup Tahini (sesame paste)

3 garlic cloves, minced

juice of 1 lemon

a pinch of ground cumin

a pinch of dry oregano (fresh is even better)

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

a small handful of fresh chopped parsley

1/4 cup brine-cured black olives, or Kalamata olives

On a baking sheet, line aluminum foil, prick the eggplants all over with a fork, drizzle with a small amount  of vegetable oil and roll it around, so that it's all covered with the oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 35t-45 minutes and test to see if it's soft. (It has to be totally soft.)

Remove from the oven, and cut in half, as show in photo, let it cool a little before scooping the pulp out. Place the eggplant in a bowl, and with a potato masher mash it to a nice paste. Add the Tahini, the garlic, the spices and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a nice serving dish and drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with the parsley, and place the olives around the sides. Serve with toasted pita bread, or crostini. Naan is very good too to serve with. Serves 6.




 

Perciatelli Carbonara

I did a crop, and a close up photo of my carbonara pasta, so you could see the nice sauce, with the pepper flakes, the diced red bell pepper, the bacon, and fresh parsley, the Parmesan cheese had already melted deliciously, on the top. My easy recipe, to follow. 

Perciatelli Carbonara 
(for 2)


1/2 box of a 1lb. Perciatelli or Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red, (or any color) bell pepper, diced
a dash of pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste,
4 slices of bacon fried crisp, and crumbled
2 eggs, mixed with 1/4 heavy cream
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1Tbsp. bacon fat


First step, which is the most important step...In a large high heat resistant skillet, fry the bacon until crisp, and lay them on double thick paper towel to absorb the grease., and chop or crumble into small pieces. Next, drain but leave about 1 Tbsp. of the bacon grease, and add to it the1 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Saute  the onion, the chili pepper flakes, garlic, and bell pepper, in the reserved bacon grease, and olive oil.
In the meantime, boil pasta to al dente, saving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, if needed, to thin out the sauce, (which you most like don't have to) 
Scramble the eggs with the cream till nicely blended, and set aside. Drain the pasta, leaving about 1/2 cooking liquid, and set that aside. Pull the skillet off the heat, and add the pasta right into the skillet, pour the eggs, and cream mixture, right over the top, and mix together, adding the Parmesan cheese, and serve, with additional cheese, and chopped parsley, with a generous grinding of black pepper. 
note:
Be sure to pull off the skillet, from the heat, to add the eggs, and cream, otherwise you will end up with scrambled eggs, and not a nice, smooth sauce. One good thing is, for adding the cream...you will not have to use a lot of eggs, and save on fat, and cholesterol. You can use a mixture of butter, and olive oil to saute the onions, and the peppers, but the bacon grease gives it a nice, rich, flavor.

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

As much as I love spices, and spicy foods, I have not ventured out of my sphere yet...hoping to be more adventurous in exotic spices, and cuisine. I cropped these photos, really focusing on the beautiful sweet, and spicy salmon, which was marinating rubbed with the spices, of hot paprika, chili powder, cumin, zest of 1 lemon, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and rubbed 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (to prevent from dryness, )marinated  it in the frig.  for about 25 minutes...broiled for about 6 minutes, and laced with a Tbsp of honey and the juice of 1 lemon, to finish broiling for another minute...no longer, for a 6 oz. fillet.

When you are dining alone, and you want to make a quick and healthy dinner, not to mention somewhat elegant...after all, you deserve it! Look, what just 1 nice piece of Norwegian salmon can do for you. Livens up your "thrift find" 69 cents plate...LOL...the pepperoncini, which I always like to buy a nice large jar  of and of and the amazing jar of black olives, from Peru purchased at the Latina market, the mesclum fresh salad, and the jasmine rice, which only takes 20 minutes. This truly is a 30 minute meal, from start to finish, and hardly any messy clean up...and you did it for YOURSELF!...So, start to enjoy gourmet, for 1, or 2, at home!

Fresh Plum Cobbler

I'll be honest with you! There's nothing more satisfying, than a nice portion of fresh fruit cobbler, even in the fall, which happens to be a plum cobbler. So beautiful, and robust color, the sweetness is totally divine. Just a touch of cinnamon and sugar, really livens up the flavors, it's so irresistible!

Just look at the natural colors, and the flaky homemade biscuit topping. Easy to prepare, yet it's so elegant!

Perfect fall dessert...no fuss...no mess...just simply down home "all American" No substitute!

 Fresh Plum Cobbler

3/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp of sugar
10 fresh plums, about 4 cups, sliced and seeded
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the 3/4 cup sugar, plums, cornstarch and cinnamon. Place the fruit mixture in a 2 quart ovenproof casserole. In a medium bowl, combine remaining. 2 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt . Cut the butter with a fork, or pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk, mixed with 1 egg, and blend the mixture, just until blended.  Drop batter with a large soup spoon, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes,  till it gets lightly golden, and fruit mixture starts bubbling. Serves 6.

Mediterranean Eggplant with Peppers, and Onions

So much for making my Eggplant balls. My daughter bought a ton of baby Japanese eggplants from our local Latina Produce market for about 10 for $1.00. Wow, how can you not want to get some? The trick is, finding a way of making these babies so they can still "shine" and show off their cute and tiny appearance. Unfortunately, after being roasted in a 375 degree oven, they come out looking like an over baked...or should I say "over tanned" wrinkled old lady. But do not "fret."...that's the best part. You can now, savor the flavor, of the tender,  little eggplants.
Treat them gently, and not peel them to discard their skins, or mash them up into a "Baba Ganoush" which I was about to do. Just let them be, and let their personalities flourish!

Mediterranean Eggplants with Peppers, and Onions
10 small Japanese eggplants
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 large tomato
1 green pepper
1 red, and/or yellow pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary, peeled
2 Tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano (fresh better, if you have it)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick the eggplants a few places with a fork, and lay them on a baking sheet with aluminum foil lined, drizzle them with a Tablespoon of olive oil a few drops of water, and bake them for about 45 minutes. They should feel soft to the touch, brown and somewhat wrinkly. If you have room on the same sheet, (I prefer a separate baking sheet) for the vegetables, and bake them at the same time as the eggplant.
To prepare the vegetables:
Cut peppers in half and clean out the seeds, cut onion in half and cut slices lengthwise also.Cut tomatoes in large cubes. In a bowl, mix them all together with the chopped garlic, the rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper, and place them on the baking sheet, adding the wine, and roast them at the same time, as the eggplant. When both are done, wait for the eggplant to cool a little so you can slice them in thirds and in an oven proof dish, carefully mix the two together. By now, they have gotten a little cool; you can serve them this way, or put the dish back into to oven for about 15 minutes, to thoroughly heat through. Serves 4.





Recipe for the: Light and Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs

 Light and Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs
for the meatballs
  
1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 lb ground chuck
1 whole onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup cracker meal (or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs)

1 handful chopped parsley, (or about 1 teaspoon dry parsley)

a few fresh basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, Romano (I used grated Granana Padana)
2 bay leaves
2 Tablespoons olive oil for frying meatballs, and onion

salt and pepper to taste



22 uniform sizes, no getting your hands all dirty, and just gently roll them together with wet palms, ready to brown them in olive oil, and throw them into the sauce. You don't have to use all of them. After frying, you can freeze probably half, it's up to you.

Meatballs should look like these, nice and brown. They're ready to go in the sauce when all pink is browned evenly.

 

Combine all your ingredients for the meatball, and just lightly form them, scooping them out with the 1 1/2 inch scooper. If you like, use 1/2 of the onions in the meatball mixture, and use the other half to saute them to put into the sauce.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce 

In a blender, blend each 28 oz can of Marzano tomatoes, one at a time, give it a whirl, and it's done. Pour into a med.large sauce pan, just like that, and start heating it at med.high. Saute half the onions if you like, and add them in the sauce, along with some of the parsley, the basil, bay, leaf and a small amount of chopped garlic. A generous grinding of fresh black pepper, kosher, or sea salt...PLEASE NO SUGAR! Tomatoes are sweet as honey...HONEST! When meatballs are browned, just throw them in there, partially cover the pot, and on med.low cook for about 4 minutes, or until you see the liquid evaporating. You won't be sorry you followed this method, because sometimes you just want to make a vegetarian sauce, and leave out the meat. Serves 6.




 



The easiest way to chop garlic and onion, is to first, buy a plastic jar container of whole peeled garlic, and put them into a food processor, larger than this size, and process them till they're finely chopped, and spoon them into a small mason jar, fill them with canola or vegetable, and use them for whatever your garlic calls for. Sure beats all that chopping by hand. This little food processor I got at Goodwill  $2.99, and whenever I just want to chop onion in it, just quarter the pieces and drop them in there. For meatballs, or meat loaf, they are especially goo, because you don't have all the large unwanted pieces in there, that usually don't cook all the way. This is such a time savor. The garlic will last you at leas a good whole month.



Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake (The Boondt)

Inspired by the Big Fat Greek Wedding, I pulled out my old bundt cake pan which I probably have not used in at least over 20 years. Still looks great, nice design, and sturdy. Cannot find another today exactly like that. Fire engine red, kind of wearing out, but the inside is solid non-stick, and it's really heavy duty. Actually someone gave me any idea to bake a whole chicken in the bundt, standing it upright. Not a bad idea, but somehow, I'd feel weird baking a cake in it afterwards. Certain wares, are made for certain things, and not to be used for anything else. I would not be able to get the propped up chicken out of my mind, next time I would bake a cake...also knowing that certain family members are vegetarian, and I could not lie to them that prior to the cake a chicken was basking in it, in the oven.

Getting back to the "Boondt." I loved the movie, and loved that one particular scene, where the future mother-in-law brings a bundt cake to the engagement party of the Greek family. Here's an excerpt from the scene.

Toula’s father introduces each and every family member to Millers and when all the introductions are through, Mrs. Miller holds out a bundt cake. Completely confused, Toula’s mother asks, “What’s this?”

“It’s a bundt cake.” Mrs. Miller says.

Completely dumbfounded, Toula’s mother repeats, “Boondt?”

“Yes, Bundt.”

“Boondt?”

“BUNDT!!!”

“Oh…It’s a cake!” She finally confirms. “This cake has a hole in it…”

 

So, without further adieu...let me introduce you to my BOONDT...Bundt Cake!



...



Did I forget to mention, that this wonderful Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake, is topped with a yummy Caramel glaze? It is so easy to make, just like the cake too. Like I mentioned in previous banana bread recipes, I always have extra bananas left over, and when it gets down to the "magic 3" amount, and it has little brown spots on them, it's time to make something with it.


Hi Friends!
Yesterday, I was gone all day, and just now, I noticed I wiped out the entire photos, and recipes...so now I have to start back again to copy from my scribbled note the recipe, all over again.

Also, thanking everybody for the nice comments, regarding my BOONDT...bundt cake, with the caramel icing. The cake is all gone now, so on to my next adventure. So sorry, for any inconvenience, here's the recipe once more.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
3 ripe bananas mashed
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz pkg. Nestle semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, and flour a 12 cup bundt pan. (you can use the cooking spray for baking)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and dash of salt. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, butter, and the eggs, with an electric mixer, till nice and creamy. In a small bowl, mash the bananas. Add the ingredients from the medium bowl, which has the egg mixture, to the flower mixture, and mix at a low speed to combine. Now, mix in the bananas, the heavy cream, and the vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, by hand, and mix lightly. Pour into the bundt pan, and bake for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, Top should be a nice golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before flipping cake over, on a plate. Cool for another 10 minutes, before drizzling on the glaze. Serve 6 regular sizes, or 8 larger slices.

Caramel Glaze


1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, melt sugar with the butter, on medium high heat, until it comes to a bubble. Add the cream, and vanilla, and lower the heat. Keep stirring until it thickens, and comes to a bubble. It should get a nice amber color, thick and gooey! Immediately take it off the heat, and with a soup spoon, start drizzling the cake evenly, all around. It will set in a few minutes, and will have a beautiful shine to it from the butter, and the cream. The flavor of the caramel, banana, and chocolate chips, will be fantastic.