I haven't Forgotten My Blog!

Honestly, I've got so much going on right now I haven't had time to experiment in the kitchen. Sad, I know. We're moving to Germany in two weeks (June 13th) and there is still so much to do! We've spent the entire week tearing apart and rebuilding the deck. What a job! Now it's time to box everything up and get it packed into crates.

I did have the opportunity to make this recipe the other day and it was really delicious! I want to find a way to thicken the brown butter sauce so it stays on the noodle. But it's an incredible flavor none-the-less!

Spaghetti with Chicken & Broccoli with a Brown Butter Sauce

Mizithra cheese is a yummy, hard Greek cheese but if you cannot find it, Freshly Shredded Romano is a great substitute! That's what I used!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup Mizithra cheese
pasta of choice (I used spaghetti)
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 C Fresh Broccoli


Directions:

Dice chicken into small pieces and cook in a large skillet with some olive oil, salt and pepper until just done. Do not over-cook. Set aside. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and steam the broccoli. Combine the pasta, chicken and broccoli in a large pot and keep covered and warm.

Browned Butter Procedure: Cut 2 sticks of butter into 8 pieces and place in a 2-quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes). (This wasn't enough for 4-6 portions of the meal so I added 1 more stick and continued with the directions)

Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire.

Once the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a pleasant caramel aroma.

Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.

Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan. (When cooking this, the foam came back and I gently poured the butter into a separate container. The butter drizzled out from under the foam and over the residue on the bottom)

The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.


Pour the butter over the pasta mixture and toss gently with the shredded cheese. Using a spaghetti server, fill plates or bowls with desired amount of the meal. If there's extra sauce in the pan, drizzle evenly over the individual dishes. Serve immediately!

This is the way I want to go out of this world...

Eating one of these brownies! I've been on a search for the most perfect brownie recipe and I do believe I've found it. I was very disappointed at the beginning of my search and threw away a few batches because the brownies were dry and tough. I found out that the flour my father-in-law had in the canister was "better for bread" flour. OH MY! No wonder they were all wrong! I like mine...well, perfect. Not too cakey, not too fudgey, not too chewy. But somewhere right in the middle of those three.

I started on this journey for one reason...besides the obvious ( I wanted to eat lots of brownies) and that was to show my darling husband that the box mixes are not the best. Grrrr! The Foodie's husband likes boxed mixes better than homemade. I'll not have it! he hee! Now, while on this journey, I began realizing how much healthier homemade brownies are than boxed brownies...no chemical, no preservatives, nothing artificial! Yes, they're loaded with butter and sugar but everything in moderation is a good thing. Although, it's really difficult to be moderate when it comes to these babies!

Done talking...on to the brownies!

You must make this caramel sauce! It is absolutely divine! I reduced the amount of sea salt because the original recipe was way too salty. Phew! But make it ahead of time and give it time to cool a bit while you make the brownies!

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Sea Salt Caramel

* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1/4 cup sour cream

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt. Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved. set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. (It will seem ridiculous at first but keep at it, scraping the mixture off the spoon so that all the sugar cooks at the same time and temp.) Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Without a thermometer, just pull the sugar off the heat when it is a medium goldish brown – it will continue to cook in the heat of the pan. Better to pull it too early than too late. Remove from the heat and let cool for one minute.

Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture. Do this carefully! The mixture will steam and sputter while you drizzle it in. Use a large wooden spoon for this step. Keep stirring even if you get some clumps. It will be OK. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temp, then follow the brownie instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate any leftover caramel. it makes a great ice cream topping or tastes great straight out of the jar. Yes, do this. Spoon it straight from the jar and indulge...after it's cooled of course.


Brownies

• 4 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate (Ghirradeli's is the best)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
1 C Cake flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup Chocolate Syrup
• half of the above caramel recipe

Preheat oven to 325F.


Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined

Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well.

In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour in the caramel. On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit. (I once added a bit of water (not much) to the leftover batter with good results). Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes. Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not over-bake them.

I have found it a very good idea to bake these in a stoneware baking dish (I used Pampered Chef) but glass is not a good idea. It cooks the brownies too quickly on the outside and then the edges harden and dry out. Ick! It's also worth mentioning, if you use a cheap rubber spatula to stir the caramel, you will lose at least half of the end of the spatula before you realize that bits of it are swimming through your caramel. Yeh, learned that one on my own!! Use the good stuff! Stay with wooden or use Pampered Chef....they have one that withstands temps up to 500*F I believe.

Once the Brownies have cooled enough to eat, make sure you have a large glass of milk in the waiting (or coffee if you drink it without sugar) you will need something substantial to wash these down!! They're just that good!

Do you have a decadent brownie recipe you'd like to share? Send it to me and I'll post it on this page!!

Salsa ~ Let It Dance on Your Tongue!!

I wrote this blog while in Malaysia and saved it...

I recently took some polls to find out how everyone prefers their salsa. Most answers I received were typical. Hot and spicy; Extra Cilantro; Extra Garlic; Mild and Savory; Mild and Sweet. Watermelon Salsa and Peanut Salsa both threw me for a loop! I guess if there was a contest, those would be the winners...Peanut wins with a slight edge over Watermelon.

I have spent the last week or so playing with different flavors in salsa and I'm excited to say that I loved all of them! Some more than others but not one bowl saw the inside of the garbage bin. Good thing...I'm not crazy about wasting any ingredients. I think I managed to touch everyone's taste buds. Some of the recipes are very similar with just a few changes....enough to make a big difference in the final outcome. I had tons of ideas popping into my head..."Ooo, I need to try this!" or "Oh! I bet this would be great!". Alas, I am limited to the ingredients in this tiny little country. So the ideas are penned on a scratchy piece of paper that will remain attached to the inside of my one-and-only cookbook that I brought with me until I can get home to work out the details.

One of those details is which type of hot peppers to use. In this tropical location, jalapenos and chili peppers are the two staple peppers available. The chili peppers I used looked like these...

...in various sizes. The smaller the size, the hotter the pepper. Habeneros are not available and most Malaysians have never sampled an Habenero in their life. But the range of schofield units in their chili peppers could successfully compete with the U.S. habeneros.

Another factor was the cinnamon I added to the sweeter salsa's. The cinnamon I used was fresh ground from Indonesia when we took a trip to Bali. Most generic or even name brand cinnamon powders we use in the States have lost some of their potency. I added merely a pinch of cinnamon powder but you might need to add two. Add what the recipe calls for, taste it and add more if you feel it's what your tongue wants. It could also be the same with the other powdered spices as well. We can buy Mexican Chili Powder here but it's hotter than what we're used to in the U.S. Asian or Indian chili powder will scorch your tongue because it is used in their curry dishes and bumbu (sauces). So use the smallest amount listed in the recipe and give it a taste to see if you need more.

Can I say enough about Fresh Pineapple!? Pampered Chef makes this wonderful tool that cores and peels fresh pineapple, taking the task to a minimum. It takes some muscle but it yields perfect pineapple halves that are simple to cut since the core is removed as well. I did not used canned pineapple in any of the recipes. And the fresh pineapple was so sweet that there was no need to add sugar of any kind. If you substitute canned for fresh, you do so at your own risk of ruining the recipe...I'm sure it won't be the same. Most produce sections of grocery stores have pineapple already peeled and cored for you in clear plastic containers...I'm just unsure if these are available year around.

Hickory Smoked Salt is an ingredient that most people don't have in their spice racks but they should. It's delicious and can be used so many different ways...especially grilling! It just has this wonderful smokey flavor that can add so much to a dish! I buy mine from the Amish but I understand many people live nowhere near any Amish farms. Here are some websites if you are interested in ordering it.

Spice Barn

Spice Island

Spice World

OK, on to the Recipes!!

Salsa #1 (slightly sweet, not hot)

1 - 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes

1/4 C Chopped Green Pepper

1/3 C Chopped Onion

1 tsp Brown Sugar

2 tsp Cider Vinegar

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

Pinch of Cinnamon

1 Whole Clove

1/16 tsp Cumin

1/8 tsp Paprika

Dump all ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Turn down to low and simmer for 1 hour. Allow to cool. Remove the clove. Serve at room temperature or cold if you prefer.

Salsa #2 (Much like #1 with slight variations)

1 - 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes

2 tsp Olive Oil

1/4 C Chopped Green Pepper

1/3 C Chopped Onion

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp Honey

2 tsp Cider Vinegar

1 tsp fresh Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

Pinch of Cinnamon

1/16 tsp Cumin

1/8 tsp Paprika

1 Tbsp Snipped Fresh Cilantro

In a sauce pan, saute peppers, onions and garlic in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients - EXCEPT THE CILANTRO - and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Remove pan from burner and toss in cilantro. Stir. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature or cold if you prefer.

Salsa #3 (A little hotter and not sweet)

3/4 C Chopped Onion

1/3 C Chopped Green Bell Pepper

1 Tbsp Minced Hot Chili Pepper (seeds and membrane removed)

2 tsp Olive Oil

S&P to taste

1 Globe Roasted Garlic (recipe follows)

1/2 tsp Fresh Lime Juice

1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 - 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

In a sauce pan, saute Onion, green pepper and chili pepper in the olive oil adding salt and pepper to taste. Saute 2 minutes. Squeeze in a whole globe of roasted garlic and mix in thoroughly on low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring well and turn up the heat to medium high in order to bring to a boil. Simmer on low for about 1 hour. Serve at room temp or cold if you prefer.

Please use caution when handling the hot peppers. Be careful not to touch your eyes while you cook.

Salsa #4 (like #3 only hotter and smokier)

3/4 C Chopped Onion

1/3 C Chopped Green Bell Pepper

2 Tbsp Minced Hot Chili Pepper (seeds optional. If you want the heat, put them in)

2 tsp Olive Oil

1/4 - 1/2 tsp Hickory Smoked Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1 Globe Roasted Garlic (recipe follows)

1/2 tsp Fresh Lime Juice

1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Paprika (I used hot Hungarian Paprika for this one but use what you have)

1 - 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

1/4 C Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

In a sauce pan, saute Onion, green pepper and chili pepper in the olive oil adding hickory smoked salt and pepper. Saute 2 minutes. Squeeze in a whole globe of roasted garlic and mix in thoroughly on low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring well and turn up the heat to medium high in order to bring to a boil. Simmer on low for about 1 hour. Serve at room temp or cold if you prefer. Please use caution when handling the hot peppers. Be careful not to touch your eyes while you cook.

Salsa #5 (fruit salsa - fresh with a zip!)

1 C Fresh Chopped Strawberries

1 C Fresh Chopped White Peaches (yellow is fine)

1/2 C Chopped Red Bell Pepper

1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp snipped Fresh Cilantro

1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 C Fresh chopped Pineapple

Zest and Juice from one lime

2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

Sea Salt to taste

Prep - chop all fruits and vegetables to approximately the same size. I like it this way because it looks like confetti and it's easier to eat than big chunky pieces of fruit. Mix all the fruit and veggies together and toss with cilantro, lime juice & zest, vinegar and salt (to taste). This salsa does not last long. After 1 day it became very watery...still tasted great but the strawberries were beginning to lose their color and get mushy. This is a salsa that you want to make the "day of" and add the liquid and salt at the last minute. Sweet with a bit of heat but not too much! Also great with chopped up bananas.

Salsa #6 (Pineapple Salsa, my favorite...sweet and hot)

This is my version of Paul Newman's Pineapple Salsa. Mine isn't as sweet, which I like!

3/4 C Chopped Onion

1/3 C Chopped Green Bell Pepper

1 Tbsp Minced Hot Chili Pepper

1 Clove Garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh Lime Juice

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/16 tsp Cinnamon

1 Whole Clove

1/2 C Crushed Fresh Pineapple

1 - 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomatoes (I strained the tomatoes and chopped them very small)

In a sauce pan, saute peppers, onion and garlic for about 2 minutes. I added just a pinch of sea salt to this. Dump in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard the whole clove. Serve at room temp or cold if you prefer.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 350*. Cut the top off of a globe of garlic so that all the individual cloves have the tips cut off. Place on a large sheet of tin foil. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and spinkle with sea salt. Enclose the garlic in the foil, wrapping it loosely. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour to 90 minutes. Garlic globe should be mushy feeling. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Enchilada Sauce

(so much better than the sour store-bought canned version!)

1/8 C Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Self-Rising Flour

2 Tbsp Chili Powder (my CP is hot so I divide this in half with mild paprika or the Pampered Chef Sun-dried Tomato & Herb seasoning mix. The Pampered Chef mix is delicious in this whether your Chili Powder is hot or not)

1 - 14/5 oz Can Tomato Puree

1/4 tsp Cumin

1 Extra Finely Minced Garlic Clove

1 Tbsp Extra Finely Minced Sweet Onion

1/4 tsp Hickory Smoked Salt

Ahead of time, saute the onion and garlic in the hickory smoked salt with just a drizzle of olive oil for about 2 minutes. Set aside when finished. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and whisk in flour. Simmer for about 30 sec to one minute to remove the raw flour taste. Add the chili powder, cumin and onion/garlic mixture. Mix well. Add the tomato puree (or tomato sauce) last and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. I store mine in a condiment squirt bottle in the fridge. Great on fries, southwestern omelettes, roasts, nachos etc.

A Pisa Pizza, A Pizza Pizza, No! HMPH! A Piece of Pizza Please!

I don't know if there is a meal on this earth that I enjoy more than pizza! Sure, there are plenty of foods that taste better but I really enjoy a great piece of pizza. How many millions of ways can you make a pizza? Chicago Style, NYC Style, Vegetarian, Meat Lovers Paradise, EXTRA CHEESE, Hawaiian, Dessert, Breakfast, Party Size, Personal Size, Fruit Pizza, Seafood Pizza, Spaghetti Pizza, Mexican Pizza, Grilled Pizza. The list could go on forever! For that I am thankful!

I've decided to take a huge dive into the world of Pizza and find some of the tastiest recipes out there. And in my experimenting world I've found that the biggest difference in the pizzas was the sauce! Changing the toppings makes different flavored pizzas but changing the sauce changes the pizza entirely! The toppings are up to you but I've found some sauce recipes that will make your pizzas taste fantastic! Use these! Go out there and be adventurous with your pizza dinner! Here's what I've come up with...

Garlic Lover's Pizza Sauce

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, minced

1/2 Green Bell Pepper, minced

3 Large Cloves Garlic, minced

1 1/2 C Water

1 Whole Globe Garlic, roasted and squeezed out

1 - 6oz can Tomato Paste

1 tsp Fresh Snipped Basil

1 tsp Fresh Snipped Oregano

2 tsp Fresh Snipped Flat-leaf Parsley

S&P to taste

Over medium heat, saute the vegetables in oil for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the water, then the roasted garlic and the rest of the ingredients in order. Simmer on the stove top on medium heat for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge. Sauce should be thick when finished.

White Pizza Sauce

1/3 cup flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp onion powder

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp margarine or butter

Place flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a small saucepan. Stir to equally distribute. Slowly whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Bring to a boil while stirring to prevent lumps. When mixture thickens, add margarine and stir until melted.

Southwest Oil Sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. ground cumin seed

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1. Puree ingredients in a blender and store in a small covered jar.

2. Brush oil sauces on pizza dough, sprinkle on desired cheese, and then toppings.

3. Cook just like sauced pizzas, however they may take just a 1-2 minutes less time until done.

West Coast Oil Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. ground black peppercorn

1. Puree ingredients in a blender and store in a small covered jar.

2. Brush oil sauces on dough, place desired cheese, and then top.

3. Cook just like sauced pizzas, however they may take just a little less time until done.

Garlic Oil Sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 whole globe garlic, roasted and squeezed out.

1. Puree ingredients in a blender and store in a small covered jar.

2. Brush oil sauces on pizza dough, sprinkle on desired cheese, and then toppings.

3. Cook just like sauced pizzas, however they may take just a 1-2 minutes less time until done.

Cooked Pizza Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 Cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 Italian plum tomatoes, peeled and minced

3 oz. canned tomato paste

2 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Black Pepper

1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter, sliced

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.

1. Sauté the onions in oil for 1 minute.
2. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low and stir in butter pieces.
6. When the butter is half melted, remove the skillet from heat and continue stirring until thoroughly incorporated.

Uncooked Pizza Sauce

28 oz. of can crushed tomatoes

3 oz. of tomato paste

4 tbsps. Pecorino Romano

1 tsp Oregano

1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic

1 whole globe roasted garlic

1 tbsp. black pepper

3 tsps. of sugar

2 teaspoons of dried basil

1. Whisk all together.

2. Allow flavors to blend for one hour before using.

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

1 cup of warm water (105F)

3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of honey

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of yeast

1.		Put warm water (80 to 110°F) into a bowl. Add salt and honey and mix with a spoon. Add yeast, mix and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
2.		Gradually add flour and olive oil and start mixing.
3.		When the mixture gets too heavy to mix, start kneading the dough with your hands.
4.		Knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. If the dough cracks it is too dry. Add water bit by bit until if forms a nice coherent ball. If your doug feels more like batter, it is too wet and you need to add flour bit by bit. If you need to add water or flour, do it by small amounts.
5.		Coat the dough with olive oil, place it in a large bowl and cover it with kitchen wrap or a grocery bag. Let the doug rise for about an hour at room temperature, then push it down again so it deflates. Let it sit for about another hour. If you want to use it the next day, put it in a refrigerator.
6.		Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, put a bit of flour on top and make it into the shape of a pie by stretching it out from the center outwards. Use a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/4" thick. Punch some holes in the dough with a fork to let the air escape while the pizza is in the oven

Tip for reheating pizza without ruining it!

Step 1: Get a large skillet, and heat some olive oil until it is ready, over medium-high heat. You only need enough olive oil to coat the pan, don't turn it into a deep fryer.

Step 2: Reduce heat to medium/medium-low, and put pizza in the pan.

Step 3: Cover the pan (very important or the toppings won't get warm), and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Devour.

Essentially, you are just lightly pan-frying the pizza. This gives the crust a really amazing crunch and bite, and the toppings should be warmed and melty throughout. It sounds very simple, but sometimes the best solutions in life are really quite elementary.

Please feel free to leave a recipe in the "Comments" section for your favorite pizza! Extra Recipes are always welcome!

Cold Oil Infusion

There was a glitch in the previous post regarding cold oil infusions so I'm re-posting it here.

Cold Oil Infusion

1. Bruis the herbs and spices a bit to release their flavors.

2. Place them in a bottle

3. Add warm oil (not hot)

4. Cover and let stand for 2 weeks

5. Taste the oil. If the flavor isn't strong enough, add more flavorings.

Once the oil is infused, keep it in the refrigerator. It may get cloudy from teh cold but that should clear up when it reaches room temperature. The oil should last, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.

Oils, Sauces and Spreads ~ Oh My!!

I love dipping! I love to dip bread into Garlic Infused Olive Oil with Balsamic Vinegar; I love dipping veggies into a great Ranch Dip or Spinach Dip; I love dipping my pizza crust into that wonderful Garlic Butter; I love dipping fruit into that sweet pink cloud! So, in order to share my dipping frenzy, I'm giving you some of my best dips, oils and spreads. Enjoy!!


Fluffy Pink Cloud Fruit Dip

1 8oz Cream Cheese softened

1 Small Jar Maraschino Cherries, chopped (juice reserved)

1 Small Jar Marshmallow Cream

1 tsp. Almond Extract

1 8oz Cool Whip

Drain the cherries reserving the juice. Mince the cherries with a knife or in a food processor. Beat Cream Cheese until smooth. Blend in the cherries and about 1/2 of the juice (You don't want it to be drippy but the juice will thin the cream cheese out a bit). Beat in half of the jar of marshmallow cream and the almond extract. Fold in the Cool Whip until completely blended.



Infused Oils

• 1 cup of a spice like cardamom, cumin, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, or strong-scented herbs like rosemary, tarragon, chives, dill, mint, or oregano. You can use one herb or spice, or mix two of them.

• 4 or 4 1/2 cups canola, safflower, or other flavorless oil

• a bottle with an airtight seal

• a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan to heat spices

For a Hot Infusion

This method infuses the oil quickly, so you can use it soon after you've made it. By only heating half the oil initially, you won't waste the whole lot if you accidentally burn it.

1. Put about half the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat it, stirring constantly, over medium heat, until the spices start to sizzle and the oil bubbles a bit. If you have a candy thermometer, heat the oil to 140° F.

2. Cook for about 5 minutes. The oil should be very aromatic at this point.

3. Remove the pan from heat, transfer the oil and flavorings to a bowl, and allow to cool.

4. Taste the oil to make sure that it hasn't burned, and that it tastes strongly of the spices and herbs. If it doesn't, add more flavorings, and heat again.

5. Add the remaining plain oil to the flavored oil, strain through a cheesecloth if necessary, put the oil in bottles and store them in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 2 months (if made with olive oil, 1 month)

Tip
Store spices in airtight containers away from light. Whole spices will keep for about a year; ground spices last only a
few months.



Cold Oil Infusion

1. Bruise the herbs and spices a bit to release their flavors.
2. Place them in the bottle.
3. Add warm oil.
4. Cover and let stand for 2 weeks.
5. Taste the oil. If the flavor isn't strong enough, add more flavorings. Once the oil is infused, keep it in the refrigerator. It may get cloudy from the cold, but should clear up when it reaches room temperature. The oil should last, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.

Creamy Garlic Dip
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and dried parsley. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight for full flavor.

Herb Cream Cheese Spread

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or finely chopped green onion, with green
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp finely minced chili pepper or jalapeno (optional)

Combine cream cheese and sour cream; beat until well blended. Stir in shredded cheese,
parsley, chives, and Tabasco. Spoon into a serving bowl and chill thoroughly. Makes 2 cups of cheese


Fiesta Dip

1 8oz Cream Cheese, soft
1 8oz Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 15.5oz Jar of your favorite Salsa (if using restaurant style, use half a jar)
1-2 Chili Peppers, seeded and finely minced

Beat cream cheese until smooth then blend in the sour cream and cumin. Next add the salsa & chili pepper until all are thoroughly combined. Store in fridge until ready to serve. You can use this as a dip or spread it out on a platter and top it with taco toppings...lettuce, cheese, tomato, green onion etc.

Don't worry about the heat, even if you use a hot salsa, all the cream in this recipe will tone down the heat.

Pictures are Temporarily Unavailable

Please bear with me while I get photobucket working with me again. The pictures should be back in a couple of weeks but I'll keep blogging anyway!

Shannon