Truffle Fries

A couple months ago, Paul and I went to a restaurant we hadn't tried before.  On the appetizers list was an item that sparked my interest.  Truffle fries.  Being the foodie that I am, I had heard about truffles, but never had the chance to taste them or anything flavored with them.

When they got to the table, I could smell the pungent aroma of the truffles.  A unique smell I had not experienced before.  To describe the taste of them, the only word I have is pungent.  I feel like I need the help of someone who writes labels for wine bottles to truly describe the taste.  You know, on a red wine, when it has descriptions like "earthy, tobacco, cherry, leather" and such.  They had a strong pungent taste.  At first, I wasn't sure I liked the fries.  But I eat fried food so rarely, I kept eating them enjoying the crunch.  Then about halfway through, I started to really like them.  By the end of the basket it became a flavor I crave!!  That truffle smell and taste is something unique, nothing else like it.  You just have to try it to experience it.  Now I make it at home so I can satisfy that unique craving. 

I bought truffle oil and use it to make these fries.  I bought it from TJ Maxx from all places, but they have some interesting unique foods well discounted. I found truffle oil for about the same price as a regular olive oil, and it works great. I'm sure you could find it at just about any food store.  Because  I want that great crisp texture on the fries, I use store bought.  I like the fries from Trader Joe's because they are natural, don't have any other seasoning on them, and really as cheap or cheaper than buying the potatoes and making them from scratch.

Truffle Fries

Frozen french fries, 2+ servings worth

1/2 -1 Tablespoon truffle oil

salt

Pepper and Parmesan cheese if desired 

Cook the fries as directed by package.  While still hot on cookie sheet, toss with oil and salt.  Top with cheese or pepper if desired.

There may be people out there thinking, "That's a lot of truffle oil!  It will overwhelm the fries!"   One, for me it's kinda the purpose of the fries to enjoy the truffle taste.  But two, I am assuming that truffle oils may vary, so you may want to add 1/2 Tablespoon, taste, and then add more from there if you want.

If you have never had truffles, or have and liked them, fries are a great canvas to taste them with. 

Enjoy!

Alison

Procrastination and moods...

So, I know I haven't added any recipes lately.  They are currently scribbled on the white board on my fridge, and on some various note paper.  Writing has never been a strong passion of mine, funny, now that I'm blogging, but there will be new posts soon! From french fries, to apples, to lasagna, I will have some time to sit down and write them out in the next day or so.  In the mean time this comic seemed to explain me pretty well!

Not your everyday popcorn!

I have a very close friend of mine who said she didn’t really like popcorn.  I was shocked!  You don’t like POPCORN?  After talking a little longer, I found that the only real experience she had with popcorn was the bag of stuff that comes out of the microwave.  That’s not the kind of popcorn I’m talking about.  I’m not saying I don’t eat it.  I’ve got some in my pantry right now.  But if you want to really experience popcorn, you have to think outside the bag!

I don’t know about you, but I grew up with my mom making popcorn on the stove in a pot.  I am incapable of making popcorn on the stove top.  It is my cooking kryptonite.  Any time I make it, it is simultaneously burned and half un-popped.  I don’t know why, but I can’t make it that way.  I have given up.  I like to use an air popper.  It is a really healthy way to make it, and super easy.  If you possess the ability to make it on the stove, I am extremely jealous.  Also, you can use that in these recipes too.  I would still recommend the air popper if you have it though.

In this post, I have recipes for caramel corn, popcorn with pepper and cheese, and chocolate popcorn.  They are all just basic ratios but flexible, but you can always increase the toppings.  I make my popcorn with more limited toppings, because I try to make it more a healthy snack.  For a treat, feel free to make a bigger quantity of the toppings for the popcorn.  
Each bowl makes 2 servings, if you feel like sharing...

Salted Caramel Drizzled Popcorn

popcorn (about ¼ cup kernels before popped)

1 ½ tb brown sugar

1 ½ tb butter

1 tb corn syrup

kosher or sea salt

While corn is popping, microwave sugar, butter, and corn syrup with small pinch of salt in glass microwave safe container (will get too hot for plastic) until just bubbling, about 30 seconds depending on microwave.  Drizzle over popcorn and mix, top with plenty of salt.

When my mom made caramel corn, it was a big undertaking.  She made the caramel on the stove, put the popcorn and caramel into a paper bag and shook it until it was all mixed.  This is an easy quick microwave version with less clean up.  It’s not completely covered with caramel, but I like it that way, because then I don’t feel bad eating more!  It’s got the rich buttery caramel taste, with the combination of salt, which I love.  I think popcorn in a perfect canvas to enjoy those tastes!

230 calories per serving when using air popped popcorn

Black Pepper and Cheese Popcorn

popcorn (about ¼ cup kernels before popped)

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

about ¼ cup grated Cheese (Toscano, or your preference)

Drizzle popped popcorn with the olive oil, and toss with cheese

 This popcorn with pepper has some spice to it, but is oh, so good.  It is strangely addicting, and a great way to enjoy the unique heat of pepper.  Cheese, of course, makes everything better.  I used Toscano for this one, but any hard, somewhat strong cheese would work.  Parmesan, Romano, Gruyere, Asiago, would all be great choices.  Use your good olive oil for this, one, you will really be able to taste it.

220 calories per serving when using 1 1/2 tb olive oil and air popped popcorn

Chocolate Popcorn

popcorn (about ¼ cup kernels before popped)

2 tb powdered sugar

3/4 tb cocoa powder

2 tb butter

salt

Mix cocoa powder and sugar.  Drizzle popped popcorn with butter, then toss to coat with sugar mixture and sprinkle on salt to taste.

The first time I tried to make chocolate popcorn, I drizzled it with melted chocolate.  It tasted great, but was really messy!  Everyone who ate it ended up with chocolate covered fingers.  This was my solution.  It is great for satisfying chocolate cravings, and crunchy snack cravings!

225 calories per serving when using air popped popcorn

Polenta!

I discovered polenta about a year ago.  I had never eaten it before.  I bought a premade hard polenta from the store that you just had to warm up...  I really didn’t care for it.  Thankfully I didn’t give up on it either.  I tried making creamy polenta months later, and our house has never been the same! 

It has become a staple food for our family.  It’s fast to make, cheap, and really tasty.  It’s also very versatile – polenta is a blank canvas you can add any flavor to.  You can make anything from plain polenta, to mushroom and herb, to chorizo.  And I like all of them!

If you are not familiar with polenta, it is a starch made of cornmeal.  It is a great side to pretty much any meal.  It is basically the Italian version of grits, and eaten for dinner instead of breakfast. (don’t tell the Italians that though… they think it’s special. …sorry mother-in-law) It’s smooth, kinda creamy, and can take on a lot of different flavors.  It’s also very hearty and satisfying, which I really like about it.  Here is a basic one.  I will post some of my favorite variations throughout the next month or two. ( I kinda forgot to write them down!  Oops!)

Basic Creamy Polenta

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup fine ground corn meal*

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Bring the stock to a boil and add the garlic cloves.  Add salt to the stock if it is reduced sodium.  When the stock is at a boil, whisk in the cornmeal, adding it slowly to avoid lumps.  When it starts to thicken, switch to a spoon and stir until cooked, 5-10 min usually, depending on your cornmeal.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

*I use fine ground cornmeal that I bought in the international section.  I buy it in bulk, and it is super cheap.   I really like the outcome with that product.   I have not made polenta with a medium or rough grind.  I know the cooking time would be longer, and I am assuming the consistency would be different.  Do not substitute the pre cooked cornmeal, because it will not turn out the same.

Boring chicken? Not anymore!

So I was at the grocery today, a wonderful cut of pork in hand.  There is nothing wrong with pork, we enjoy eating it regularly.  Pork tenderloin is also a lean cut of meat, a great addition to a healthy diet.  I, on the other hand was not looking at tenderloin.  I was looking at a cut of meat where I could see the fat throughout the meat, that fat that makes it so juicy and flavorful.  I then had to make a choice, cook pork and have Paul and I eating leftovers of that for the week, or cut calories and go with chicken for the next couple days.  Because I have been going with pork more often lately, I felt the need for some more lean eating.  I had to go with chicken.  I was, however, not willing to give up on the flavor.  Which is why I made this!

Chicken with an Israeli spice rub, polenta, and green beans.  I will post a polenta recipe tomorrow, but it is the spice rub I wanted to share with you today.  The rub I cannot completely take credit for, I got most of it from Rachael Ray.  I changed it a little to fit my tastes and the current contents of my spice cabinet, but the original idea came from her.  I wanted to share it with you anyway, because it is just so good! 

It's spicy!  I'll say that up front.  But it's not just hot, its also very flavorful.  It's a little smoky, a little exotic tasting, and a lot of spicy.  And it makes for chicken that is nowhere near boring.  So if you are tired of cooking chicken that is getting bland, or looking for a lighter substitute like I was, this is really worth a try!

Mix a batch of this rub, and you can keep it in your spice cabinet to put on chicken at a moments notice.  I think it would also go great with turkey or pork if you wanted, or even beef I suppose.  You can easily double or triple the recipe, its just the proportions that matter.


Israeli Spice Rub

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

This is great for chicken on the grill, or cooked in a skillet.  I prefer chicken thighs for cooking like this, because they stay moist.  I use chicken breasts more for braising.

About 170 calories per chicken thigh when cooked in skillet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil per thigh

Disney! …..I mean Jungle Jim’s

So, If I have a food happy place it is Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Paul and I went on a day road trip there this last weekend.  It is a place for those who like all things food.  Think Disneyland for foodies.  It is an international market.  They have all kinds of groceries from all sorts of countries.  A HUGE selection of everything from produce to meats and cheeses to candy. 

The first time I went, I was in information overload!  I was trying to read each package in each aisle.  I think I drove Paul crazy, but I loved it!  I still try to see everything, but I have learned that it is humanly impossible to see every product in the store, that is just how big it is. 

The reason I get so excited to go, is to get the chance to buy and try foods that I can’t get at the regular grocery store.  Middle Eastern spice blends, to authentic Japanese noodles, to chocolate from Russia, rice from South America, chilies from all over!  …..The list keeps going.  Some things taste unusual to me, like the chocolate from Russia, Paul LOVED it, but I didn’t really like it, but it is all part of the experience.  Same thing with getting unusual cheeses from all over the world to try.  I bought a duck this time.  I’m really excited to try and cook it soon.  I will have to let you know how that goes.  I’m hoping it’s not a complete flop, because I really like duck, but I’ve never tried cooking it myself before. 

I forgot to get pictures from the inside of the store, but I’m sure if you go to their website you can see some of it.  The store is broken into sections my country.  They also have fun things along the way, like a talking Robin Hood in the Great Britain section, and I believe it is singing corn in the entrance.  That may sound really stupid to you, but I find it very entertaining!  I do kinda feel like a kid at Disney when I am there. :-)

Paul and I go a couple times a year probably, and there are a couple things I always look for.  I like getting the Asian noodles, because they are a great gluten free option.  I also like getting the cornmeal from South America, because it makes great polenta.  (more on polenta soon in a future post).  A new staple in my kitchen is parboiled rice.  A friend from Venezuela introduced me to it.  It’s great!  You cook it like regular rice, but it seems to turn out perfect every time!  The grains stay separate, never sticky, so it isn’t good for risotto or sushi rice, but for so many other things, it is just great!  I know that sometime it can be found in other international food shops, so if you ever come across it, it is worth trying!

 

I also like to go to get new spices and sauces.  Some are authentic from other countries, and some are made for the grocery, but all are interesting.  I’m really excited to try Harissa paste in my cooking soon.  It is a North African spice mix with chilies, garlic , and spices.  I’m also really excited to use authentic paprika, that’s the box labeled Pimenton.  I think some of the paprika in regular groceries don’t taste like much at all.

If all this talk about food has gotten you excited and you live no where near Cincinatti, I’m sorry, I do think they ship some of their things though.  I’ll stop going on and on about food now.  I just wanted to share this with you in case you were in need or a road trip like I was.  It’s worth it!  I’ll stop talking about it and let you check it out!  http://www.junglejims.com/index.asp 

Enjoy!

Alison

Craving noodles?

So, for a couple weeks in a row, I was craving noodles.  I just wanted to sit down and enjoy a big bowl of hearty, chewy, carby, goodness.  I set out to make some Thai peanut noodles to satisfy my craving.  In the middle of cooking I changed directions into a happy accident!  I had seasoned my ground beef with soy sauce and garlic.  It tasted so good, I had to make a whole dish of those flavors!  

The salty savory richness of the soy sauce, with the spicy bite of garlic combined with the heartiness of beef and noodles is a dish that I now want over and over again!  What I ended up with is super quick, easy, and just a couple of ingredients, but oh so good!  It even has veggies, so you can feel good about eating it!  This is nothing spectacularly fancy, but it may be the recipe I am most proud of, because it is my favorite thing to eat that I make!!   

This makes a lot, but can easily be cut down by half.  It keeps well in the fridge, and can be reheated easily, or eaten cold as a salad.  Or for variety, heat it up and but it in lettuce leaves for lettuce cups!  This is also a recipe that can easily be made gluten free by using your favorite gluten free spaghetti (I recommend not using Asian rice noodles, those are great in a lot of applications, but not for this dish) and gluten free soy sauce. 

Asian Soy Sauce and Garlic Noodles

2 lbs ground beef

4 garlic cloves lightly smashed, not chopped

12 oz bag broccoli slaw

½ lb pasta (spaghetti or linguine)

5 Tb rice wine or mirin*

4 Tb soy sauce

¼ tsp red chili flakes

¼ tsp sesame oil*

Brown the ground beef.   When beef is starting to let out some fat, add smashed whole garlic cloves.  Wait until there is some fat in the pan so you do not burn the garlic. 
After draining the fat from the pan, add 2 Tb each of soy sauce and rice wine and the ¼ tsp chili flakes and stir.  
While beef is cooking, cook the pasta to package directions. 
When pasta is almost finished add veggies to beef and cook for only 1 or 2 minutes.  You want them slightly softened but not limp. 
Drain pasta and add to beef mixture along with remaining rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil.  Combine and top with an extra drizzle of sesame oil and sesame seeds if desired.

*Rice wine can be found at regular grocery stores in the Asian section.  Mirin is a sweetened version.  They are good to keep on hand for any Asian cooking, but do not substitute it for rice vinegar, it won’t have the same taste.  Sesame oil can also be found in the Asian section.  It adds that little extra something that you taste in most any Chinese food.  I little goes a long way!  It is really good, and if you don’t have it, I think it is worth getting and adding to just about any Asian dish.  Keep in it the fridge so it lasts longer.

 

How I Learned To Cook

I love food!  I love trying new recipes, flavors, ingredients.  But unlike what many people think, I didn’t grow up knowing about gruyere cheese, chipotle peppers, prosciutto, or anything leafy green, (see Kale, Swiss chard, spinach etc).  I remember the first time I went out to a restaurant with a friend and they ordered a steak.  When I saw it was pink inside, I was convinced they were crazy and going to get very sick! (if my parents read this… sorry)

I started really getting into food in college.  I was introduced to things like homemade alfredo sauce, authentic Latin cuisine, and chocolate mousse!  I had to learn more.  I started watching the Food Network. Okay, I started watching the Food Network a lot.  I learned about Thai food for the first time.   I learned real Italian food was more than spaghetti noodles with a jar of sauce on top, and that over well done is not the proper way to cook a steak.  And then, I started to cook.

There was a lot of trial and error, emphasis on the error.  I never really liked following a recipe completely (my husband says it’s something about control), so it may have taken me some extra time and errors, but I finally feel like I’m starting to get a handle on some things. I love recipes and there is nothing wrong with them, I just enjoy tailoring them to my specific tastes.   I still have the errors at times, which taught me not to try something new and adventurous for the first time when friends are coming for dinner.  But I was watching the food network one day and Guy Fieri said something to the effect of, if you aren’t making mistakes in the kitchen, you aren’t trying enough.  That has become very encouraging for me.

What taught me the most was watching Good Eats.  It is a 30 minute cooking show on the Food Network by Alton Brown.  What is unique about this show, is it actually goes into the science of cooking. Things like why you should brown meat first, why you shouldn’t over stir mashed potatoes, why salt is important, and many more.  I’m a bit of a geek, studying science in college, so I could really relate to these shows.  If you have never seen an episode, you should really check it out.  It’s quirky, entertaining, and you learn a lot.  Watching these episodes, are reading his books taught me HOW to cook.  I was also watching Rachel Ray, and still do.  Her cooking shows often have interesting, inventive ingredient combinations.  She showed me WHAT to cook when I wanted to be creative. 

Over the past couple years, I have also read a lot of cookbooks.  I like to read them cover to cover, even though I know that’s weird.   Food magazines are good too.  I read these to get ideas.  Sometimes I will make a recipe as is (with at least one change), sometimes I just pull something out of a random place inside my brain.  Most of the time, I read it and think, oh, it would be so good if I added this, took out that, swapped this, made it into a soup, etc.  I also like looking at the pictures of recipes.  I don’t much like recipe books without them.  Believe it or not, pictures give me a lot of ideas too. 

I write all this to say, I’m not some cook who went away to culinary school to learn this. I’ve just spent time watching shows and reading about food because it is my favorite hobby.   My recipes aren’t ‘inspired’ by any means either.  I just like to compile what I read and make something I want out of it.  You won’t see me using strange intimidating ingredients.  I use what I can find at the regular grocery with the rare exception of some international ingredients.  My techniques are also things anyone can do… I learned them from watching TV.  It’s just me sharing my food, the way I like it, so you can enjoy it too!

Dress Up Breakfast

One of my favorite times of the week with my husband Paul is a lazy breakfast together on the weekend.  We try to do it almost every weekend.  We sleep in, then go downstairs and make breakfast together…..Or mostly together, I will admit I am a bit of a kitchen hog…..  He says it has something to do with me being a control freak….I’m working on that.

This last weekend I made waffles with blueberry syrup. I used gluten free Bisquick, and just followed their recipe.   The waffles turned out perfect, a little crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside!  I was surprised with the success of gluten free waffles.  They were so good, I got scared I mixed up the flours and make it with gluten instead!  I know you can make gluten free waffles from scratch, but when it comes to some gluten free baking I found that sometimes mixes just work better.

The blueberry syrup turned out great too.  And really simple.  I did it because I wanted something a little less sugar dense to top the waffles, since both Paul and I are trying to eat healthy.  Just picture warm sweet blueberries with a little added thickness of maple syrup mixed with the juices coming out of the blueberries.  Perfect for drizzling.   That makes a pretty great start to the morning for me!  It would work with waffles, pancakes, or even ice cream.  Here it is!

1 cup blueberries

3 tb maple syrup  (use the real stuff!  It’s so much better!)

Put blueberries and syrup in small saucepan, and let cook on a bare simmer for 10 minutes.  You can let it stay on the stove for longer if needed.  If it seems too runny, you can keep it at a simmer for a little longer.

You can save the leftovers.  I mixed mine with some plain vanilla yogurt.  Amazing!  It made the yogurt go from plain breakfast to a dessert like treat that reminded me a bit of a parfait.