Savory Tarts - With ease if you please!

What is it about savory that we just can't get enough of? When done right, it just doesn't get any better. The wonderful thing about savory is that no matter where you live, there are a bounty of recipes that will satisfy those cravings. And what do we usually do when we crave savory? Well, most of us don't do it right. We want it quick and easy; however, so many times quick and easy means running to the freezer or convenience store and grabbing a frozen packaged precooked item, popping it into the microwave and two minutes later, presto! It's ready.

The next time you settle for "presto", think about reading the nutritional facts on the back of the package. When was the last time you read that label that should sometimes come with a skull and cross bones with a warning, that gives you the good and bad news about what you're about to consume? Can we talk sodium? Some servings of those savory, quick foods can contain nearly an entire day's worth of sodium, an ingredient that can be more dangerous to your health than fat. It's also amazing to note the amount of sugar contained in some of those quick fixes for cravings.

All in all, you know you can do better in the kitchen with minimal effort and ingredients to fulfill the need to satisfy your savory cravings. And the fact that you have control over and know what's going into your creation, is all the better for you and your health. With proper fresh ingredients, herbs, and spices, you can turn a savory tart for example, into a not-to-bad-for-your-health dish. About the only thing you have to worry about is the puff pastry, which admittedly, is a bit over the top in regards to fats; however, with careful planning, you can counter the bad with the good you put into your filling. Using herbs instead of salt will minimize the sodium intake. Using low fat or part skim milk cheese will balance out the added fat in the crust. And using tasty vegetables, properly prepared, will provide a wonderful bouquet of savory flavors. Roasted red peppers, olives, shallots, and garlic offer wonderful taste enhancers that will satisfy your yearning for a savory bite. Read on . . .

Just think Spring... Please!

It's the dead of Winter, the cold has settled in, and before the month of January has passed, we may very well experience a blanket of snow on the ground; however, don't be dismayed, you can still celebrate Spring and all its colors while in the comfort of your home. And when you look out your window, if you simply look up at the blue sky and not the lifeless trees, you can imagine it's the middle of April and it's nearly lunch time!

This Pork Tenderloin Salad will certainly ease the pains of Winter and like all wonderful Spring season salads, this one is as easy to create as the rest of them,  with all the nutrition your body needs to keep you going for the rest of the day. There's nothing complicated with the ingredients and all are readily available. Here they are for a lunch party of 4:

4 Pork Tenderloin medallions (3/4 inch thick, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness)
3 medium sized ripe tomatoes, cut in wedges, then each wedge cut in half
2 Belgium Endives, sliced in 1 inch lengths
1/2 cup fresh Fennel, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch of fresh Dill, roughly chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper (for pork)
1/4 cup of white wine (dry)

Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup of olive oil
1/6 cup of white rice vinegar plus 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon of honey
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by heating the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in a large frying pan. Once olive oil just begins to smoke, reduce heat to medium high and place each tenderloin medallion in the pan. Saute for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned and salt each with a couple of shakes, along with the pepper. Medallions should be cooked to medium, but do not overcook!! You want to maintain the moisture content. Remove from pan and set aside to cool to room temperature. Discard the liquid/oil from the pan, but do not wash pan (you will deglaze it shortly).

Prepare all the vegetables as directed and place in a medium size bowl. Toss WITHOUT the dressing, so that all ingredients are well mixed. Set aside.

Prepare your salad dressing, adding all ingredients in a small bowl and beating well with a fork until liquids are well mixed and blended. Set aside.

Return the frying pan over medium high heat. Now add the white wine and deglaze the pan and continue deglazing until the liquid is reduced by half. Shut the heat off, remove pan from stove top and stir in the salad dressing into the pan until well blended.

To assemble, place a medallion of pork in the center of each plate and pour a tablespoon of the dressing over each one. Next, 1/4 of the salad over each medallion. Finally, drizzle several tablespoons of the dressing over each serving. At this time, you can sprinkle of few sprigs of dill over each serving as a final touch. Serve at room temperature and enjoy with a glass of the same white wine, along with a couple of slices of crusty French baguette bread. It goes without saying that one should cook with the same wine they would have no problem drinking!

Napoleon is not just dessert anymore!

Whenever you think of a Napoleon, instantly your mind envisions wonderful layers of thin puff pastry, vanilla, cream, and custard, ever so sweet, every bite begging another. Mille-Feuilles in French, this dessert goes back to the 17 Th  Century, some having it go back hundreds of years earlier.

Well, now you can wake up and take those visions out of your head. Think savory! This Napoleon is like no other and sugar is no closer  than the sun is to the earth. Furthermore, as opposed to the final course, Pork Tenderloin Napoleon sneaks in at the beginning. No less pleasing to the eyes, this wonderful dish will impress your guests from the aromas coming out of your kitchen to the last bite.

Elegant as it looks, Pork Tenderloin Napoleon is very easy to make and assemble. If you've been following this blog, you've already prepared each of the components in the past. Each serving consists of slices of Pork Tenderloin, puff pastry, and a wonderful Port or Madeira wine sauce with sauteed shallots, garlic, and thinly sliced Portabella mushrooms.

To start out, gather all your ingredients:

1 Pork Tenderloin roast (about 1.5 lbs)
1 Puff Pastry sheet, thawed, refrigerator chilled until ready to use
2 Portabella mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of capers
1 teaspoon of green peppercorns (if dried, soak in warm water for 30 minutes)
1 cup of Port or Madeira Wine
1/2 cup of beef stock
3 tablespoons of butter
olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Vegan or Vegetarian, Who gets to eat Mushroom Stuffed Egg White Crepes?

I've always been confused with what constitutes the diet of a "vegan" vs. a "vegetarian". Can a vegan eat egg products and does the vegetarian have to stay away from dairy? It's all so confusing that every time the subject comes up, I just have to go to the fridge and pull out a nice 8 oz. tenderloin of beef just to calm me down.

I should know all of the rules by now; after all, I have amongst my friends, a couple of vegetarians - well, wait one minute. One is a vegetarian and the other, a vegan. And you ask why  I get so confused? It's quite a feat to juggle menus, especially when you've got both at the dinner table, along with the meat eaters and a non fish eater thrown in just for the added excitement. I can't wait until the food sustainability advocate comes barging in wanting a seat at the table! I'm sorry folks, the restaurant's closed. I'll take 'walking on eggs' for 2,000, Alex.

Speaking of eggs, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they are one of most versatile foods around and no fridge should be without a dozen or two and so easy to get. Just wait until the hens have left the hen house and like a fox, sneak in and raid the nest. In all seriousness however, they can conveniently be found in your neighborhood supermarket in sizes small to extra large.

A recent recipe that I came up with was enough to dazzle my vegetarian friend. Using egg whites, several varieties of mushrooms, a bit of coconut cream, and few herbs and spices was all that it took to come up with my mushroom stuffed egg white crepes. Served as an appetizer or a part of the main course, these crepes will certainly entertain the palates of vegetarians and carnivores alike.

Your shopping list for a party of 4 should include:

8 egg whites (from medium to large eggs)
1/2 cup of coconut cream
1/2 cup of vegetable stock or white rice wine
6 cups of several varieties of mushrooms (sliced or chopped)*
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/3 cup of finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of olive oil**
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray (vegetable)

*Suggestions for mushroom varieties can include baby Portabella, Chanterelles, Cep, Porcini,  Lobster mushrooms, and a variety of Asian mushrooms.

**If your diet permits, also use 2 tablespoons of butter. It will add a lot of flavor

Begin by preparing the egg white crepe mixture. In a bowl, add all the egg whites, 3 tablespoons of the coconut cream, a couple dashes of salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Heat an 8 inch frying pan over medium heat. Spray the cooking spray to cover the bottom the pan completely. Now, with a ladle, pour enough of the egg whites to thinly cover the bottom of the pan to about 1/8 inch thickness. Roll the pan around so that you get even thickness of the crepe, just as you would if making regular crepes. Watch the crepe so that it doesn't burn. You won't need to turn it over like a regular crepe as the egg whites will cook to the top. When all liquid egg whites have solidified, using a spatula, carefully remove it from the pan and place open on a plate. Before making the next crepe, spray the pan with more cooking spray. Repeat the process until approximately 8 crepes have been made.

Wipe the pan clean, you will be using it to make the crepe filling. When sauteing mushrooms, you don't want to over crowd them as they will tend to create too much moisture and you won't get that rich sauteed flavor. Slice and chop your mushrooms and add to a large bowl. Add all the other dry ingredients to the bowl (garlic, shallots, parsley, basil, tarragon) and thoroughly mix well. Do NOT add the salt and pepper yet. Separate the mushrooms into 4 portions.

Heat the frying pan over medium high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes before adding a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once olive oil is added, begin sauteing the first quarter of the mushrooms. Saute until they begin to brown. Remove mushrooms from the pan, add some more olive oil and saute the second batch. Continue the process until all mushrooms have been sauteed.

Return all the mushrooms to the pan over a medium heat and cook for about 1 minute. Now add the vegetable stock (or white rice wine) and stir to de-glaze the pan. Add the coconut cream and Dijon mustard and stir well. Reduce heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter (if diet permits). Salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat. If you want, you can add a couple more tablespoons of coconut cream and stir.

To fill the crepes, lay out an open crepe on a dinner plate and add a couple nice tablespoons of mushrooms to the middle. Taking the end of the crepe closest to you, fold it over the mushrooms away from you, then tuck each side inward and continue to roll the crepe. Transfer to a dish and into a warm (not hot) oven until ready to serve. Continue doing this until all crepes are made.

Serve two to a portion, along with a side of vegetable of your choice. If diet preference permits, you may add a spoon of white cream sauce (like a Bechamel sauce) and sprinkle grated Gruyere over the top.

Who knew Guacamole could be so easy (and tasty)?

I must confess that I've never made Guacamole before. It has always been so convenient for others to make or bring to a party that it never really crossed my mind to do it myself; however, the other day there were two nice sized Avocados staring at me in the face on the kitchen counter, perfectly ripe, not too soft, not too hard. The mood struck me to prepare one of them sliced with a drizzle of my Dijon vinaigrette, along with a couple slices of crusty French bread. Stopping short of running the knife though the peeling, I decided, since I had nothing better to do, to come up with a recipe for Guacamole, my way. And so I ventured into uncharted territory and began to gather my ingredients, creating the recipe along the way. Here's what I came up with:

2 large Avocados (firm but ripe)
3 cloves of garlic (crushed and finely chopped)
1/2 large onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup of fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of Pimientos
2 tablespoons of bottled sweet red chili pepper sauce
1 green onion (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut each Avocado in half, remove the pits, and carefully remove the meat from the shell with a spoon into a bowl. Set the shell halves aside.  Using a fork, mash the avocado meat and pour the lemon juice in,  stirring well so that ingredient is well incorporated. Now add the sweet chili sauce, green onion and parsley and stir. Set aside.

Using a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the chopped onion, garlic, and pimientos until onion is softened and translucent. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, add sauteed mixture to the avocado and mix thoroughly. Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper and taste for correct seasoning.

With a spoon, return the avocado mixture to the shells, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour. Serve 1/2 avocado per person along with chips and a spoon. You may just want to use the spoon alone. This recipe is absolutely delicious and works great as an appetizer or snack for the Sunday ball games. I think I finally made my first Guacamole - or at least my version of it.

Marinated Butter Beans at 1/3 the cost!

A perfect appetizer, Butter Beans are not only good for you, but also rather inexpensive to prepare with few ingredients to gather. These marinated beauties are prepared the night before and served chilled. You may have seen these marinated beans in the salad and olive bar section of your grocery store, selling for shy of $10 a pound; however, this recipe will show how you can achieve a superior duplication for much less than that right from the comfort of your own kitchen. The quantities mentioned will serve as a first course for a dinner party of 8.

2 16 oz. cans of Butter Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup +2 tablespoons of white balsamic or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Butter lettuce for presentation

Drain and rinse the Butter Beans and set aside in a large bowl. Add the garlic and chopped red pepper.

In another bowl, add all other ingredients and with a wire whisk, beat well until all is blended and a smooth texture is achieved. Add this dressing to the Butter Beans and stir well for about a minute. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

That's all there is to it. For about $6.25, you have prepared 2 pounds of marinated Butter Beans every bit as good (or better) than that found in specialty markets at 1/3 the price! Serve these chilled over a bed of Butter (Boston) lettuce and you'll have your dinner guests satisfied and impressed.

...and we're dancing Quiche to Quiche

Oh the joy of Quiche, having had its ups and downs over the years from the "in" dish of the "nouveau jet set" of 30 years ago to the "real men don't really eat it" crowd soon after. Once all the dust settles however, Quiche is the one left standing tall and oh so "Francais". It just goes to show that classics never die. They just take their places in the halls of tradition, Quiche being no exception. And in the end, real men can't resist nibbling at it from time to time.

One thing to be said, Quiche is clothed in many styles, from the traditional Lorraine adorned with bacon or jambon and onions, to the more elaborate outfits of tomatoes, capers, peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and shrimp; however, one thing that they all have in common is their cloak of cheese, lots of cheese! The favorite among these is Gruyere with its rich aroma and depth of flavors, a cheese that knows how to melt perfectly.

It's amazing how easy it is now days to make Quiche at home. There's really nothing to it. The pastry dough, usually the most time consuming part of the preparation can be purchased ready made in any supermarket. These packages come with a bottom and top crust. Both are the same size and since you'll only use one crust, each box contains enough dough to make 2 Quiches. The rest of the ingredients are easy to assemble with minor prep and cooking time.

Lorraine is what made Quiche famous in the West and so today you will learn how to make this classic. It should take no more than 90 minutes from start to slicing, so without further ado, let's begin with gathering the ingredients. This will make a 9 inch pie.

1/2 package of ready made pie dough, thawed
5 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 lb. of bacon, cut into 1 inch strips
5 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of grated Gruyere
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped
2 pinches of nutmeg
1/4 cup of chicken stock (for deglazing)
1 9" spring form pan
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter

You will notice the picture of the Quiche shown above was baked using a spring form pan as opposed to a pie dish. If you have a spring form pan that is about 9" in diameter, use that one. It will give your Quiche a whole new elegant "cheesecake" look.

Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Grease the bottom and sides of your spring form pan. Roll out the sheet of pre-made pie dough and set it in the pan carefully, allowing the dough to come up the sides of the pan. Pat it down gently and poke holes at the bottom with a fork. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Turn oven down to 350F (170C).

While crust is cooling, prepare your other ingredients. In a large fry pan, saute the bacon over medium high heat. Add a bit of the olive oil if needed. Saute for about 5 minutes and remove bacon to a holding dish. Do not discard the pan drippings.

In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, and olive oil and saute over medium high heat. Continue to saute until onions begin to caramelize and turn a nice light brown. Now add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Add the butter and continue to saute until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn heat off and set pan aside.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and lightly beat them. Add the cream and other ingredients except the onions, bacon, and cheese. Stir ingredients until well mixed.

Now add the onions to the mixture and stir well. Next, add 3/4 of the cheese and stir well. Now add the remaining cheese to the bottom of the pie crust, making sure bottom is well covered and then sprinkle the bacon over the layer of cheese so that bacon is well distributed throughout the bottom. The cheese and bacon layer will help withhold moisture from reaching the dough, thus making for a crispier crust. Finally, pour mixture over the bacon and cheese. Wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil so no leakage will occur during baking. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until you can stick a tooth pick in and remains dry when removed. Should your Quiche surface begin to brown to quickly, you can place a sheet of foil over it about halfway, removing it during the final 15 minutes.

When done, remove from the oven and allow to set for about 30 minutes before removing the spring form ring. Touch and feel the surface to make sure it is solidifying during cooling. The crust sides will help keep the Quiche well shaped.

This Quiche can be served will a side salad of frizzy lettuce and butter lettuce leaves. A nice chilled white wine will work well as will a nice Riesling. Enjoy!

When less is more, sensational flavors abound!

Your kitchen is well equipped, spice racks are bursting at the seams, and the variety of pantry items scream out, "pick me pick me", at first sight of light coming from a half opened cupboard door. Not wanting to disappoint, you begin to grab at a moment's notice, a spice here, a can there, and soon you're playing a balancing act with numerous items and gadgets resembling a cheap imitation of Rachel Ray on Thirty Minute Meals. Now, before the emails start pouring in, you're neither cheap and Rachel is a total godsend to so many of us that yearn to come up with dinner ideas that will wow the family in only 30 minutes prep time. She is a total 10!

But you've done all this before and this time you want to have an easy and simple moment in the kitchen, yet still please those that have come to expect great things from you. After all, by now you're following a dozen or more blogs, have a disk full of recipes, and have come to be fond of the room you once feared like a visit to the dentist, the kitchen. Today is the day you will come to realize when less is more, flavor does not have to be sacrificed.

Two ingredients, three condiments, and a shake of the salt and pepper, and you'll have a dish that is bursting with flavor at the delight of your guests. Freshly peeled tomatoes stuffed with peas in a creamy sauce will be a total win in your column, guaranteed. Here is the short list of needs:

5 medium fresh tomatoes
1 package of frozen peas
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of Dijon style mustard
1 tablespoon of horse radish
salt and pepper to taste

Start by peeling your tomatoes. You want to have a pot of boiling water and a large bowl of ice water. Remove the stems from the tomatoes and one at a time place each in the boiling water counting out 15 seconds. Immediately remove the tomato from the pot and into the ice water. With the tip of a sharp knife, simply pull skin apart where the stem was. The skin will easily be removed.

When you are finished peeling, slice the top of the tomato about 1/2 inch down, and with a melon baller, remove the seeds and excess meat of each tomato. When finished, set aside. Be sure to save the top of the tomatoes you sliced off.

In the same pot of boiling water, add the frozen peas and boil for approximately 3 minutes. Then remove the peas and run cold water over them to cool.

In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, mustard, and horse radish, mixing all ingredients well until all is well blended. Taste for flavor. Add some pepper and salt (only if you need it).

Now add the peas to the mixture and carefully stir so that peas are well coated. Once completed, simply get your tomatoes and stuff them, finishing off with fitting the top of the tomatoes. Take any remaining peas and spread them over the bottom of a serving dish and place each tomato over them. Serve chilled. As a garnish, you may sprinkle chopped parsley or basil if you wish. This dish is guaranteed to please!! Bon appetit!

Hummus Elegantus comfortable in clay or crystal

Although most popular in the Middle East, nowdays hummus feels well at home throughout most of the Western Hemisphere and Europe. Rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, this dish can play a duet as an appetizer for your dinner party and lunch for a lite fare gathering. Although the basic ingredients are found in most recipes i.e., chick peas (garbanzos), garlic, and olive oil, there are many varients of the dish. You can dress it down with just basics or class it up with a touch of this and a touch of that and give it a wonderful assortment of subtle yet exotic flavors. This preparation is a bit dressed up and hence I called it Hummus Elegantus. I think you'll agree this melange of ingredients will wow the palate. Let's gather them now:

2 cans of chick peas (also called garbanzo beans), save 1/4 cup of the juices
2 garlic bulbs, roasted (see directions below)
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds (alternatively you may use tahini)
Juice from one fresh lemon
1/4 teaspoon of white finely ground pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (hot or mild, your choice)
1 teaspoon of pimentos (for garnish)
1 teaspoon of capers (for garnish)
flat leaf parsley (for garnish)
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (medium hot)

First, preheat your oven to 400. Place garlic bulbs unpeeled, directly on the middle oven rack and roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour until cloves are nice and soft. Don't short the roasting time because you want the garlic to be "creamy" when blended.

While garlic is roasting, drain the beans, remembering to save 1/4 cup of the liquid. Set liquid aside. Combine beans, olive oil, sesame seeds, lemon juice, and all the dry spices in a food processor. Add 1/2 of the liquid from your beans. Pulse process for about 1 minute until beans become smooth and ingredients are well blended. Next, add the Dijon mustard and pulse for another 10 seconds or so. With a spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse process another 30 seconds. If you need more moisture, add the remaining liquid from the beans. Leave mixture sitting in the bowl until garlic is ready.

Once garlic is well roasted, peel and partially mash cloves before adding them to the hummus. Now pulse the mixture with the garlic once last time for about 20 seconds and give it a taste for flavor. It should be perfectly seasoned; however, if you like it a bit saltier, add a couple more pinches of salt and pluse for 5 seconds more. It's all to personal taste. If you like it a bit spicy, you can even add 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes, but it's probably not necessary.

Transfer to a nice clay bowl for a casual get together, or go crazy elegant with a crystal dish. Place the parsley in the center of the bowl and carefully place the pimento on top of the parsley so as to make a flower. Place the capers in a circular position around the parsley. And there you have it, ready for your most discriminating guests, sure to gobble this up like there's no tomorrow. Serve with your favorite dipping bread or crackers and enjoy.

Many thanks to Gabriel, who captured my attention with this recipe.

Ground Pork and Chicken Gizzard Terrine gives one an inexpensive way to gourmet

Served hot or chilled with a spicy Dijon mustard, this pork and chicken terrine screams gourmet on a dime. If you can believe it, this two pound terrine cost less than $4.00 (EUR 3.00) to make and will serve as a first course for a dinner party of 8.

When grocery shopping, check out the "reduced" price section of your meat department. You'll be amazed as to some of the treasures you will find there. Don't be too proud to dig in and find yourself good quality cuts of pork, beef, chicken, and lamb. I'd stay away from the fish, however. This terrine was made with a one pound package of ground pork reduced to $1.28 (EUR 0.92) and a one pound package of fresh chicken gizzards reduced to $1.15 (EUR 0.85). Ground both up nicely, add great herbs and spices, throw it in the oven and voila, a dish created to satisfy the pickiest of snobby guests. And you don't even have to tell them what it cost. Let's create this all over again. Here's what we need:

1 lb ground pork
1 lb chicken gizzards
2 oz. of Brandy
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of capers
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon course ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Spanish Paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil

Using a food processor, process the gizzards until they are medium ground (medium ground means you still leave some small chunks). Add the shallots and grind just a few seconds longer.

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and saute the gizzards and shallots for a few minutes and then add the brandy, stir and lower heat to medium low. Cook for about two more minutes but no more. Set aside and let cool. Preheat your oven to 400.

In a large bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix together well. Now add the gizzards and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated. Now transfer mixture to a well greased meat loaf dish. Take a strip of aluminum foil and cover the surface of the mixture and pat it down. You want to just cover the surface and not have the foil over the pan. Place in the oven and reduce heat to 325 and bake for 1 hour 40 minutes.

Remove from oven when finished and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Now you can choose to either serve it hot or put it in the fridge and allow to chill. It's your choice, but no matter which you choose, it's delicious. If you want to chill it, you can take the juices from the pan, add a couple tablespoons of chicken stock (or water) and bit of gelatin powder and bring to a boil. Place the loaf back in the dish and pour the gelatin mixture back in and chill it. Cover it with plastic wrap so flavors stay pure.

If served chilled, serve with cornichons (baby pickles) and a bit of Dijon mustard, perhaps a small tossed salad of baby greens. Enjoy.

NonChefNick, are you crazy? Baked Potato Skin Pizza Pie?

No, NonChefNick is not going crazy. He just hates to waste and so when there are food parts remaining, he brainstorms new ideas on how to use them. This is a perfect example of what it means to recycle unused food parts.

The other day, NonChef made wonderful mashed potatoes. He loves to use baked potatoes to make his mash because they remain very fluffy and therefore wonderful   mashed potatoes are created. The secret of making NonChef Mashed Potatoes will be forthcoming in a later posting. You won't want to miss that one. So anyway, there were these crispy baked potato skins left and instead of making the regular ole standby potato skins with cheese, bacon, and chives, he chose to make this great pizza using the skins as the crust. Trust him, this was delicious and so different, not to mention so simple to do. All the ingredients you will find in your kitchen.

1 springform pan or cake pan ( 10 inches in diameter)
Potato skins from 5 medium baked potatoes
3 green onions, chopped
4 mushrooms of your choice, finely sliced
2 large shallots, sliced (not chopped)
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 pads of butter, cut into halves
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
2 or 3 pinches of salt
1 1/2 cups of grated cheese (Gruyere, Aged Swiss, or Parm)

Preheat your oven to 400 and spray your pan with cooking spray. Make sure your potato skins are flattened, so if you need to cut them on the sides, go ahead and do that. Next, begin to cover the bottom of your pan with the potato skins so that bottom is completely well covered. At this point it would suffice it to say that hopefully you left a little of the potato on the skins, as it makes the dish all that much better.

Now begins the layering. Start by sprinkling half of the cheese over the potatoes. The reason you want to do this is that as the cheese melts, it will help fuse the potato skins together. Next, add your shallots, then the mushrooms, the green onions, the garlic, and place the pads of butter evenly around the pie. Finally, sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top. If you need to, grate more cheese, as you want to make sure the pie is evenly covered with enough cheese.

Transfer the pie into the oven and bake at 400 for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese has well melted and turning golden yellow with some darker peaks. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before you transfer the pizza pie onto a cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, cut it like you would a regular pizza or you may cut it in a grid and make square pieces.

The sky is the limit as far as what you can add to this. Suggestions have included chunks of chicken, olives, bacon, and thinly sliced beef. Whatever you desire, you can do. Just remember one thing however, use what you already have in the fridge or pantry, leftovers, etc. This is a great way to empty out some of the stuff you might end up not using because the quatity wasn't enough to feed mor than one. So if you have a leftover piece of steak, chicken leg, or a couple of slices of bacon left, use it. Make two Potato Skin Pizzas and try them out on your next Sunday foodball viewing get together. Enjoy them !!

Roasted Pepper Bread Pudding brings a new twist to pudding...

I've always heard of bread pudding being made for the sweet tooth. Wonderful bread puddings made with banana, raisins, cinnamon, and other sweets have always populated the recipe books. I got to thinking if there were any recipes for bread pudding that included vegetables or meats, bread puddings that would make wonderful appetizers or first courses. So I got to work and decided to come up with my own recipe for Roasted Pepper Bread Pudding. This was so easy that anyone could do it with their eyes closed. And the outcome turned wonderful. I know it was a crap shoot, but I had to try it. And now I want to share this with you. Perhaps you've heard of making bread pudding as an appetizer and if so, I'd would love to hear about the variations. Here's what mine contains:

10 slices of plain white bread, crust cut out
3 large roasted red and yellow peppers or
       1 16 oz jar of roasted peppers
1 large shallot, diced
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups of shreaded Gruyere or Swiss
2 to 3 cups of non sweet custard (I will tell you how to make it)
Salt and pepper to taste

That's all you need, it's very simple. Let's first get all the ingredients ready and prepared. With your hands, cut up the bread in one inch chunks. If you have old stale bread, this will be a great use for it. Set bread in a bowl. Dice your shallots and add to the bowl.  Chop your peppers into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces, add to the bowl. Shread your cheese and add 3/4 of it to the bowl. Save the rest to top during the final 20 minutes of baking. Be sure to preheat your oven to 350.

Now here's an easy and quick custard to make. This is so easy it's so silly!  Here's what you need:

2 1/2 cups of milk
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of nutmeg

If you want a richer custard, use at least 2 percent or better in milk fat. Or if you wish, you can use 2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of half and half. Heat the milk in the microwave on high for about 2 1/2 minutes. While the milk is heating, beat the eggs, salt, and nutmeg well in a bowl. Now, while still beating, add a small amount of the milk a little at a time. You don't want to have scrambled eggs, so adding a bit of the milk will keep the eggs from cooking. Slowly keep pouring the milk in while beating the mixture. Once all incorporated, add the liquid to the bread and again using your hands, mix everything well. Finally, add the parsley and mix into your pudding.

Now you will need a bread loaf pan for baking. Be sure to rub either butter or spray cooking spray at the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake at 350 for about an hour, checking it at 15 minutes before done. During that final 15 minutes, sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top.

When your bread pudding is done, remove it out of the oven and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan after 15 minutes and slice it in 1 inch slices. You may pour some sauce over it if you wish. I love a bechamel sauce. Or if you wish, just a little melted compound butter made with butter and basil. I hope you like it. It is certainly a departure from what we are accustomed to with bread pudding. Enjoy.

It's like candy for Vegans..... Caramelized Balsamic Boiler Onions

I've got to confess that I've never made this before; however, the other day while at the grocery store, I ran across these wonderful little boiler onions and they were on sale. I purchased about a half pound and decided I'd try my hand at coming up with a recipe. Boiler onions are very small onions, similar to pearl onions except that they are flatter. They are usually about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and no more than 3/4 inches thick. You most likely have seen them in the antipasto counter of your favorite store, along with the pickled condiments, olives, peppers. You can buy those by the pound and be broke by the end of your shopping. These little ones I found were located in the produce department and were on sale for about $3.00 a pound, skin on.

So I take my new little friends home and realize that they are going to need peeling. There is a very quick and cool way to peel little onions like this. You want to just peel away the first thin layer and try not to cut the ends so that the onion will stay intact and not break apart when cooking. Take a small pot of water and bring it to a boil. Drop the onions in and boil for about 4 minutes. Stir about every 30 seconds or so and you will start seeing the peelings begin to flake off. After 4 minutes, remove the onions and soak in cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled somewhat, begin the remove the thin skin layer off using your thumb and index finger. The skin should easily come off. If you want to trim some of the end off, use a sharp pair of scissors and just the excess off. Now your boiler onions are ready to go to the sauté pan. Here's what you'll need for this delicious treat:

1/2 lb. of boiler onions, peeled as instructed above
1/3 cup of nice Balsamic Vinegar
3 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of coarsely ground salt (sea salt is great)
Dash of pepper, coarsely ground

By the way, was there any mention of how simple it is to make this? Well, it's true. For all you vegetarians out there, this will certainly appeal to you. The combination of sweet and tangy is delicious. The onions are so tender and retain good moisture. These flavors will explode in your mouth with every bite.

In a sauce pan, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Heat over medium heat until butter has melted into the oil. Add the onions and sauté until they have browned to a light golden color. This should take a few minutes or so. Once browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add the Balsamic and the water to the pan over medium heat and stir so as to deglaze the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining butter, the sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir well and add the onions back in. Make sure the onions are well coated. Continue to cook on low until the liquid has reduced by half. Reduce heat to simmer and cover for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and let sit uncovered for about 5 minutes so that as the sauce cools a bit, it will also thicken. Serve as an appetizer, allow cooling and adding to a salad, or serve hot as a side dish. This is also delicious with a white fish. Poach the fish and serve a few of the onions on top and pour a couple of tablespoons of the sauce over the fish.

The amount in this recipe is good for two; however, if you have a larger dinner party, I would purchase and prepare at least a pound or so. As a side note, if you want to give this recipe an Asian accent, right before you add the onions back to the sauce pan, add a teaspoon of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil, and stir well. Then add the onions back in and continue as the recipe explains. When serving, sprinkle some toasted white sesame seeds over the top and add a few finely chopped scallions. Now doesn't that sound incredible?

You Won't Slave In The Kitchen With These Appetizers - Crusteons

The first time I came up with these was about 48 hours ago. I had an idea of combining small pitted black olives and garbanzo beans in an easy to make appetizer. Realizing that garbanzo beans had a propensity to be dry, they would soak up the moisture of the olives and as the saying goes, opposites attract, I would have a delicious morsel in my hands. Well, these two ingredients did not fail me and along with a few enhancers, I had come up with a wonderful tasty treat that I have decided to share with you. Oh, that first batch I made? I ate every one of them! Oink Oink.

OK, let's get started. We will need to get all of our ingredients together so here they are:

1 can of small black pitted olives, left whole
1 can of garbanzo beans
3 cloves of garlic, minced (that means tiny tiny pieces)
1/3 cup of parsley chopped
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 splashes of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper
1 French Baguette, sliced in 1/2 inch thick slices
2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese

Did you notice there was one ingredient that I did not include? It was salt, because I think there is enough sodium in the ingredients to render this appetizer plenty flavorful; having said that, if you desire a bit more saltiness, you can add additional salt OR if you have anchovies, crush one up and add to the mixture.

Add 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and all the other ingredients (except the bread) in a food processor with the chopping blade. Start with the garbanzo beans, then the olives, and finish up with the cheese at the top. Pulse chop until mixture has the consistency of what cooked ground beef for tacos looks like (do you get what I'm seeing?). You don't want to turn this into a puree or paste. Make sure all ingredients are well mixed together.

Now take a teaspoon and start spreading a liberal amount of the mixture on each of the slices of bread, making sure to pat it down so that the mixture doesn't fall off the sides. Once you've done that, sprinkle enough of the Parmesan cheese on each piece to cover completely (you may pat the cheese down a bit also). Place each of your slices on a cookie sheet and cook under the broiler in your oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and has golden brown peaks. Remove and set aside for a few minutes, plate, and then serve to your guests, along with a sweet vermouth and orange martini. If you don't consume alcohol, try a cocktail of clamato juice, a splash of club soda, and a lime twist, poured into a salt rimmed martini glass. Enjoy this appetizer I call Crusteon for it's crunchy, Southern European flavors. Bueno Appetito.

The Winner Is...Coquilles Saint-Jacques

By a majority vote in our September Poll, you chose Coquilles Saint-Jacques as the dish you would most like me to prepare. I have not failed you. I prepared this King of Seafood dish for lunch with Mom today. As impressive and complicated as it looks, I assure you there is nothing to fear about its preparation, as I have promised to keep it simple for you. In merely one hour's time, you can be serving this at your dinner table and I kid you not when I say it tastes as delicious as it looks. Those of you that have had this at my dinner table will agree with me.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques is French for Scallops. Apparently, the scallop shells were a symbol of the Crusaders of the Order of Saint James (St. Jacques in French and Santiago in Spanish). James intervened to try and save the life of a drowning knight. When the knight emerged out of the sea covered with scallop shells, everyone proclaimed it as a miracle and the scallop was named Coquille Saint-Jacques in honor of James. And that's the story of Coquilles Saint-Jacques, which translates in English to The Shells of St. James. Now whether that was a history lesson or a folklore tale is for the reader to decide. I kind of like to think that it really happened.

The first thing you want to have before you make this dish is either authentic scallop shells (if you can get them off the knight) , ceramic scallop shell ramekins, or shallow oval shaped regular ramekins. Any of these can be found in stores like World Mart or Pier 1 Imports. You might also find them easily online. They shouldn't cost more than $3 each on the higher end. I got my authentic shells at World Mart a few years ago and my ceramic ones at Linens N Things a couple of years ago, before they closed down. In any case, make sure they are 5 to 6 inches in diameter and about an inch deep for the ramekins. If they are very inexpensive, pick up a dozen of them.

Now we can put together our shopping list. This dish will probably run you about $4.00 a serving; however, as you will see, it's worth every bite. I made 4 of them today and I spent about $15 and this recipe will serve 4 as an appetizer or 2 as an entree. Get your pen and pad and here we go:

1/2 lb. of large sea scallops (large scallops stay more moist and succulent)
1/2 lb. of bay shrimp
1/2 lb. grated Swiss cheese (if you want to use Gruyere, even better but more expensive)
2 strips of plain bacon, fried semi crispy, chopped up and set aside
5 med button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 cloves of garlic chopped finely
1 large shallot chopped finely
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup of anise liquor (Ouzo, Ricard, or Pernod)
1 1/2 cups of milk or fat free half n half
1 cup of fish stock or chicken stalk, I prefer fish stock, really brings out the flavor
salt
pepper (if you have white pepper, that's great, but not a deal breaker)

Remember, what will make your kitchen experience enjoyable is to do your prep work before the heat goes on. So do all your chopping, slicing, and measuring before anything else. Being organized makes cooking run smoother and mistakes hitting the high road.

Start with a pan that's about 10 inches in diameter and a couple of inches deep. Spray with a bit of Pam and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat at med high. Saute your shallots, garlic, and mushrooms together until ingredients get soft and shallots are translucent (about 3 minutes). You don't want your shallots and garlic to caramelize (get browned), so if your heat is too high, turn it down a bit. When ready, pour the anise liquor in and stir with a wooden spatula so as to "deglaze" the pan. Pour the ingredients into a bowl and set aside. Make sure your empty pan is clean of any debris from what you've just sauteed. Now the next step. You are doing just fine so far.

Now you are going to make a roux (pronounced roo). A roux is the base for a sauce. It is made with flour and fat, in this case, butter. One thing to remember is the more you cook a roux the darker it gets. If you want to make a darker or brown sauce, you cook at a higher heat. A light sauce will require you preparing the roux at a lower temperature so that it doesn't brown. With seafood, you want to make a "white" sauce, so turn your heat to medium low to start and add your butter. Once the butter has melted, add your flour and start stirring. I find a wooden spatula works great because you can easily scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks. Once the flour has mixed well with the butter, keep stirring and turn the heat up just a bit. You will notice the mixture getting thicker and may even start looking like a paste. This is perfect so far.

Now you are going to slowly add the milk while constantly stirring, making sure the roux is mixing well with the liquid. You will notice the liquid thickening. Turn your heat up to medium and finish adding the milk. Stir and mix well and let it get to a real light boil (a few bubbles start appearing). Keep this from becoming a roaring boil, OK? Allow it to thicken and cook for a few minutes and then slowly add the fish (or chicken) stock, all the while stirring. Bring back to a slow bubbling, stir for about 5 minutes. This is allowing the flour to cook so your sauce won't have that pasty taste. When you're making a sauce with roux and liquid, always make sure the liquid is cold and not hot. Otherwise, you'll have clumpy sauce. Just remember, opposites attract.

Next, you are slowly going to add about half of your grated cheese to your sauce and stir. Remember, when you stir, be sure to be scraping at the bottom so there's no sticking. Once half the cheese is in your sauce, add your cooked mushrooms, shallots, and garlic and stir to blend. Now add your bacon, scallops and shrimp and allow to cook for no more than 4 more minutes. Add the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Put your scallop shells (or ramekins) on a cookie sheet, turn your oven to broil, and the oven rack about 6 inches from the coils. Start spooning the ingredients into the shells to just about 1/8 inch from the rim. Now sprinkle the cheese generously on top to cover the sauce completely. Pop it into the oven and let broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and gets a nice browning. Remove from oven and let set 5 minutes before serving. Serve with crusty French bread, a tossed green salad, and a glass of white burgundy or Chardonnay. You are going to think you died and went to heaven and your guests will be asking you for the recipe; however, you'll know what to tell them, right? Go to http://www.nonchefnick.blogspot.com/.... that's what you'll tell them. (photo by Dominique Roche)