Amazing Place!!!

I just ran across the most amazing place on 4th street in Santa Monica this Sunday.  It's a spice and seasoning store.  The name of the store is Penzeys Spices.  Visit their website and their store if you live close by one.  There is every kind of spice you can think of you may want.  Now I have a place to go if I need a hard to find spice.  The prices are not that much more than the grocery store either.

I bought a shallot pepper that I am in love with at the moment.  Adds the best flavor.  I also bought an American BBQ rub that I am trying out on baby back rubs tomorrow night.  They are marinading in the rub as we speak.  I will post the results tomorrow.

I'm making lasagna tomorrow night as well.  Talk to you tomorrow night!

Swedish Meatballs!

This was a great meal.  Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and braised red cabbage.  The recipe for the swedish meatballs came from "Bon Appetit" magazine.  I was looking through the latest issue and it just appealed to me.  It was an amazing comfort food meal.  Here is the recipe for the meatballs. Bon Appetit swedish meatballs recipe

Mashed potatoes are always good!  I peeled 6 large white potatoes and cut into cubes and boil into plenty of salted water.  When the potatoes are tender when you insert a fork then drain the potatoes and put in a large bowl.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of butter and I use heavy cream.  Julia Child always said,"If you are afraid of butter use cream."  I'm not afraid of either so I use both.  Use an electric hand mixer to whip the potatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Chopped scallions are a great finish for mashed potatoes.

For the braised cabbage you will need a small head of red cabbage.  Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core.  Slice the halves in about 3/4 inch strips.  In a large stainless steel skillet with a lid melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Add the cabbage and salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until tender.  You will need to stir several times.

Plate and sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve.  Enjoy!

Easy Caper Pasta Sauce

This came out very delicious.  I just wanted something that was quick and easy but yet tasty to put with the pasta Vince was boiling.  I made this up on the spur of the moment and it is worth sharing.

Ingredients:
2 Tbls of Butter
1 Large Chopped Shallot
3 tsp of Minced Basil (Very finely chopped)
Juice from 1 Lemon
1/2 Jar Capers Drained
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Heaping Tbls Corn Starch
1/2 Lbs Cooked and Drained Pasta

In a 2 quart saucepan or Sautier melt the butter over medium heat and when it starts to bubble add the shallots cooking until soft.  It just takes a few minutes.  Add the basil, capers and lemon juice.  In a jar shake the chicken broth and cornstarch together.  Slowly whisk the chicken broth mixture into the pan.  As soon as the sauce thickens turn off the heat and add the pasta.  Serve and enjoy.  How easy was that?

Crispy Shrimp Salad

Here's a great and easy summer salad.  The Shrimp is hot off the skillet and crispy.  It's a wonderful mix of hot, cold, sweet, sour and crispness.  Let's start with the salad.

You will need a large stainless steel bowl for all the ingredients to be mixed.

Ingredients:

2 heads of Romaine Lettuce chopped
1 Peeled Cucumber Chopped
1 Large Ripe Tomato Chopped
1 Ripe Mango Chopped
2 Scallions Chopped
1 Ripe Avocado Chopped (optional)
Olive Oil
Honey
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Put all the ingredients in the bowl and sprinkle with generous amount of salt and pepper.  Drizzle with the olive oil, honey and balsamic.  Toss until all the ingredients are evenly covered.  Divide into 4 bowls.

Heat up a 12" stainless steel skillet with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter.  While the butter is heating dust the 2 pounds of fresh large peeled and deveined shrimp in a mixture of flour.

Flour mixture:
1 Cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Dried Tarragon

It's easiest to mix in a large zip lock bag.  Add the shrimp and shake.  Lay the shrimp in the hot butter and brown on each side.  This only takes about 3 minutes per side.  If you are not able to cook all the shrimp in one batch then make sure to clean out the skillet and start with fresh butter.  The left over flour will burn quickly if you don't start fresh.

Add the hot shrimp to the top of the salad and serve.  You can squeeze lemon over the shrimp if you like.  Enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread

Well guess what I had sitting on the counter that were too ripe to eat but I didn't want to though them in the trash.  That's right!  Bananas!  This is such an easy thing to make and everyone loves it.  I like to slice it and put it in the freezer to take out a slice at a time to toast or take with my lunch.  It freezes really well.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the rack in the middle.  Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3 inches baking dish.

Mix all the ingredients together with a stand mixer and pour into the loaf dish.  Bake for about one hour.  Make sure to check with a  toothpick about 10 minutes before the timer goes off.  As soon as the toothpick comes out clean remove from the oven.  There is a fine line between moist and dried.

Here are the ingredients:

3 Mashed Bananas

2 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

3 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

3 Tbls Vegetable Oil

A little less than 1 Cup of Milk

1 Egg

1 Tbls Fresh Grated Lemon Zest

1 Cup Chopped Walnuts.

Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes and remove from the pan.  Let cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!!!

Peach Necturine Cobbler!!!!

This is the time of the year to enjoy the bounty of fresh fruit that's available to us.  I had a bunch of peaches and necturines sitting around and just starting to get a little ripe to eat all of them before some of them start spoiling.  That means it's time for cobbler!  I don't know anyone that doesn't love cobbler.  This is old fashion cobbler.  It's easy to make and you don't have to be good at pastry dough.  All you have to do is mix stuff together and bake.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the rack in the middle.  You will need the following ingredients.

2 to 2 1/2 lbs of Ripe and Juicy Peaches and/or Necturines
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/8 Cup Flour
1 Tbls "Fresh" Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
for the filling.

Mix all this together in a large bowl and put in a baking dish 10" x 7" x 2".  Put in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.  While this is cooking you need to make the dough for the top.  Here is what you will need.

1 1/8 Cup of Flour
4 Tbls Sugar divided into 3 Tbls and 1 Tbls
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbls Chilled Unsalted Butter cut into small cubes
2 Tbls Chilled Vegetable Shortening cut into small cubes
3/8 Cup Buttermilk
1 Egg Beaten
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium size stainless steel bowl.  I a 4 cup glass measuring cup whisk together the buttermilk, egg and vanilla and set aside.

Add the cubed butter and shortening to the flour mixture and with you hands pinch until it looks like a fine oatmeal consistency.  Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon.

When the fruit comes out of the oven glop the dough on the top of the fruit.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and put back in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  It should be brown on top and bubbling all around the edges.  Let is cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.  Yum!  Enjoy!  It's delicious!

More Stuffed Peppers

The last time I posted stuffed peppers I didn't post the recipe.  Here is what you need to make these delicious stuffed peppers.

Ingredients:
5 to 6 Large Pepper (Multi color or not)
1 1/2 lbs of Ground Meat of some kind. (Experiment.  I usually use chicken or turkey but beef or pork are a wonderful variation and there are subtle differences in taste from one to the other.)
2 Cups Cooked Rice (White or Brown)
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
3 Large Eggs
1 Large Minced Shallots
1 Small Jar Chopped Pimentos
3 Ozs Tomato Paste
2 Tbls Dijon Mustard
1 Tbls Worchestershire
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Tobasco
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

32 Ozs Tomato Juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the middle.

In a large stainless steel bowl mix together all the ingredients except the tomato juice.  The tomato juice will be poured over the peppers.  Cut the peppers in half long ways and take out the seeds.  Lay one half of the pepper halves in a deep baking dish.  Put a heaping mound of the stuffing on the pepper half.  Place the other pepper half on top of each mound.  Pour the tomato juice over the peppers and fill the baking dish to within 1 inch from the top.  Salt and pepper the top of the peppers.

Put the baking dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  The peppers should be browned on the top and bubbling.

Serve the peppers and break apart.  Pour the tomato juice sauce over the peppers.  Enjoy!!!!