Good to be back....

Hello! So, it's hard to believe that it's been nearly two years since I've posted in this blog. A lot has changed in that time. I am now finished with nursing school!! Praise the Lord! Now that I am finished with school, I actually have free time and can get back into this blog! One of the ways I dealt with the stress of nursing school was through cooking, and of course it was all Rachael Ray! Since finishing school I have also moved to New York! Always wanted to move somewhere else and now I have that opportunity! I've only cooked a few times here but decided tonight to get back into the blog so here is the first recipe to go in..."Chicken Tortilla Soup with Chipotle and Fire Roasted Tomatoes".

So first off is the chicken. Couldn't be simpler. Take the chicken and place it in a pot with the chicken stock and a bay leaf. I suggest buying fresh bay leaf. They keep for forever in the fridge and give so much more flavor than dried. If you have dried and don't want to buy the fresh, by all means, use the dried, but I think you'll really like the fresh ones! Bring the chicken stock up to a gentle simmer, not a rapid, rolling boil. Because these are chicken tenders, they aren't going to take very long. 

Next comes the soup. You start it with bacon. Let me just say, nothing smells better than bacon cooking up in a soup pot or skillet, but I digress. Crisp up the bacon and then take it out using a slotted spoon and drain all the bacon grease but a couple of tablespoons. Next you add in the onion and the garlic and let them cook until they are tender and the onions are translucent. Next comes the tomatoes and the chipotle peppers. The peppers are chipotles in adobe sauce. If you've never used them before these come in a small can. They are smoked peppers that come in a sauce made of of vinegar and spices. Most recipes call for 1 or 2 peppers and then you are left with the rest of them to figure out what to do with them.

Rachael Tip: Take the remaining peppers. Cut the end off and remove the seeds and the ribs (The seeds and ribs are where the heat lives in the pepper. Leaving them in may make them too hot for some peoples palates). Once the seeds and ribs are removed, add the peppers and the sauce into a food processor or blender and process them. You may need a little water added as well in order to get the processor to process the peppers. Once processed, add them into a plastic food storage bag and freeze it. In the future when you need chipotle in adobe, you can cut off about an inch of the frozen mixture and toss it into whatever you are making! 

Once you have chopped the two peppers for the recipe add them into the soup along with the fire roasted tomatoes. The recipe calls for crushed fire roasted tomatoes. Most grocery stores have either diced or crushed, not both. If they have crushed great, if they have diced that is fine too. The point is to use fire roasted tomatoes. At this point, the chicken should be poached and ready to use. You can either cube the chicken up or shred it. I enjoy it shredded so that is what i did. Add the shredded or chopped chicken into the soup and strain the stock through a strainer and add it to the soup. Mix everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes to combine all the flavors. 

To plate it up, take a handful of tortilla chips and crush in the bottom of your bowl. You can use whatever kind you like. I love blue corn tortilla chips so that's what I used. Next add a layer of cheese on top. The recipe calls for smoked mozzarella. I LOVE smoked mozzarella so that is what I used. It just helps to reinforce the smoky flavor of the soup. If you don't groove on smoked mozzarella, any easy melting cheese would work such as white cheddar, monterey jack, or even manchego. If you do use the smoked mozzarella, put it in the freezer while you prepare the soup to let it firm up a little. It's a very soft cheese and can be a little difficult to grate. Ladle the soup on top of the chips and cheese. You can top with whatever you want. I top it with the crispy bacon, some more cheese, a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of italian flat-leaf parsley. The recipe calls for cilantro, but i'm not a huge fan of it when it's a garnish and the flavor comes through so strong. If you like cilantro however, go for it! 

I've had this recipe for a few years now and had just never made it, but, glad I did! It's yumO! Hope you guys enjoy it! Until next time, happy cooking!

Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-tortilla-soup-with-chipotle-and-fire-roasted-tomato-recipe/index.html

Pepper Steak from..the crockpot?!

Hello all!!!! So let me start by saying that I am beyond sorry for not posting in almost a year! To my 5's - 10's of followers, I apologize for the wait. School took over my life and it's been hard to work in a post, but, i'm going to try to get better about posting again. Since I am now going to be in nursing school, I could fall by the way side again, but I'm gonna do my best! The first recipe back is a winner. It's Rachael's "Slow Cooker Meal: Asian Pepper Steak"!


So first up, is searing the meat. The cut here is sirloin. Rachael Tip: Bring the meat up to room temp. Putting really cold meat into a pan can cause it to seize up. Letting it come to room temp will combat that. Sear the meat on both sides and get a nice caramelization. Then you take ti out of the skillet and slice it. Let the meat rest for a few minutes to redistribute the juices. Otherwise, if you cut into it right away, all the juices will run out and you'll lose all those natural flavors! Once the meat is sliced up place it in the crockpot and then dust it with cornstarch and toss it to combine. The cornstarch acts as a thickening agent for the sauce as it develops  in the crockpot. Chop your veggies and add to the crockpot along with the sauce ingredients. I combined the sauce ingredients in a bowl first and then added them. This way the brown sugar has a chance to dissolve before adding it to the dish. Once all the ingredients are added you put the lid on the crockpot and cook it for 4 - 6 hours, depending on whether you cook on high or low. Now I made the mistake of adding in chicken stock to my pepper steak. The recipe didn't call for it but it looked dry to me while it was cooking so I added it. By the time it finished, it released all the juices out of the meat and the veggies and the added chicken stock made it a little too soupy for my taste. A couple more teaspoons of cornstarch fixed this a little but was still just a little bit too soupy for me. If you like soupy, you may want to add a little chicken stock but next time I won't. In the last bit of cook-time cook your rice. I had brown rice in the pantry so that is what I used. I actually prefer brown rice with pepper steak so it worked out great, but by all means if you want white rice go with that. The recipe isn't specific about which type to use. When the rice and pepper steak are done, toss together the topper ingredients  and then plate the dish!

Anyone who knows me knows that asian cuisine is my FAVORITE ethnic cuisine. This dish didn't actually have an overtly asian flavor to me until adding the topper ingredients. The topper to me gave it that little bit of asian edge. If you enjoy pepper steak and the ease of using a crockpot, give this one a try. You'll be glad you did. As always, the recipe link follows at the bottom. Until next time...






Slow Cooker Meal: Asian Pepper Steak:
http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3226

Meatballs....doesn't get much better!

As promised, here is the second one in one night! This one was made this past Monday night for weekly dinner night and it's actually one of the first Rachael Ray meals I ever made!! So, on the menu was "Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs with Bay & Onion Creamy Tomato Gravy" and "Smashed Potatoes with Garlic and Spinach".

First up the potatoes. So these actually call for 4 large Idaho potatoes, 1 per person. I actually used the baby yellow potatoes instead. Mostly because I forgot to read the recipe but i also love that I don't have to peel the baby yellow ones. The recipe calls for you to defrost 2 boxes of frozen spinach. I left the spinach out of this meal because some of my friends aren't really fond of it, but I have made these with the spinach and it rocks!! But for his meal, I cut the potatoes and put them in a pot with just enough water to cover, brought them to a boil and then let them go for about 15 minutes till they were done. At this point, drain the potatoes and add the butter. When it melts, add in your garlic and let it cook for a couple minutes. If you are following the recipe and using the spinach, you would want to get the excess water out of the spinach. Rachael Tip: To get the water out, put the spinach in a kitchen towel and wring out over your garbage bowl. Be careful, there can be hot spots in the spinach and you don't want to burn yourself. Add the cream and spinach and separate the greens as you add them. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and then mash in the potatoes to your desired consistency. For me, i didn't do the spinach, I just mashed the potatoes with the cream, butter and garlic and seasoned it with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

While the potatoes cook you get the meatballs started. Combine your meat in a bowl with salt, pepper, bread crumbs, sage, parmigiana-reggiano and egg. Combine the meat well, but don't over mix it. The recipe here calls for ground beef and ground veal. I actually just used ground beef this time, but the first time i used the ground veal too and either way, they rock! So once the meat is combined you are ready to make your meatballs. Rachael Tip: Score the meat!!! This is a great way to get all the balls to be about the same size. Divide the meat into halves and then divide those into halves. You'll get two meatballs from each fourth and by scoring the meat, you get more equal sized balls rather than a few large ones and the last ones being skimpy. Once you have scored the meat, form 8 large meatballs, place them on a baking sheet. If you are following the recipe, this is where you make and indentation and fill it with your gorgonzola. When i made this the first time, i couldn't find gorgonzola in a brick, so if you can't you could always use gorgonzola crumbles. This time i actually used bocconcini. These are little bite sized balls of fresh mozzarella packed in water. You may have a hard time finding these as well. But, I have seen them in SAM's for about $5.99 for a large tub. I actually got mine at Whole Foods, my food mecca, because SAM's was out. What i did was formed the meatballs around the bocconcini. I used it, again, because of the taste preferences of my guests, but go with whichever you like. They are each delicious!! Once you get the cheese inside, drizzle the balls with EVOO and place in the oven for 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking, you can make your creamy tomato gravy.  Finely chop your onions and place them in a skillet with a tablespoon of EVOO and a bay leaf. Season them up and let them cook till the onions are soft. At this point, add in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes and stir together and let them simmer for a couple minutes. At this point, blush the sauce with the cream, turn down the heat and let the sauce thicken up. When the meatballs come out of the oven, the sauce should be just about right!I had a good bit of sauce left over so what i did the next day was put the gravy in a food processor and processed it to puree the onions and turned it into a creamy tomato soup. It was actually pretty good. Little bit of an odd texture because of the pureed onions but the taste was great!

This one is a real crowd pleaser. James says this is one of his favorite Rachael recipes that i make. The flavors are so hearty and seriously, who doesn't love cheese stuffed meatballs. I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as we did. I actually deviated from the recipe quite a bit, which is odd for me, but that's what is so awesome with Rachael's meals. They are usually open to variation and enable you to customize them to the tastes and likes of you and your guests. After making it strictly by the recipe and this way, I can say both times they were fantastic. Again, i'm gonna post the links to the recipes rather than retyping the recipe so have a look and get cooking! Have fun with this one and until next time, Happy Cooking!!!

Smashed Potatoes with Garlic and Spinach:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/garlic-mashed-potatoes-with-spinach-recipe2/index.html

Gorgonzola Filled Meatballs with Bay and Onion Creamy Tomato Gravy: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/gorgonzola-filled-meatballs-bay-and-onion-creamy-tomato-gravy-recipe/index.html

Christmas Takeout

Hello Hello!! So first off, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! It's so hard for me to believe that it's already 2011!! But like it or not, it's here!!! Gonna be posting two blogs tonight, and unlike last time, I will actually get both posted. This first one is from our Christmas Lunch. On the menu was Rachael's "Teriyaki Pork Chops with Pineapples & Peppers" and "Satay Lettuce Wraps" for the appetizer. 

So as odd as it may seem, I am not a fan of the traditional Christmas dinner. In my family we always had the the turkey and dressing and southern vegetables etc. on Thanksgiving and then again on Christmas. I really don't like it at Thanksgiving so I seriously don't want it for Christmas again. I actually refused to come to my Mom's house for Christmas a couple years ago if she made all that. Instead, that year we did a big pot of Spaghetti and kind of started a tradition of making something different every year. Last year it was steak and shrimp, this year, it was some Yum-O! Rachael Ray food :)

So first up are the satay lettuce wraps. This might have been one of the quickest recipes I've ever made and it was phenomenal!  Some of the ingredients may seem a little strange to you but give them a chance,  promise you won't  be disappointed. So first up grind up the peanuts in the food processor. Next you want to brown up your meat. The recipe calls for either sliced pork/chicken or ground pork/chicken. One of my favorite things are the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs and they use ground meat. Since I was doing pork chops, I decided to go with ground chicken and have a little variation from the main course. So anyway, you want to brown the chicken for about 5-6 minutes. Rachael Tip: Once you add the chicken to the pan, break it up with a wooden spoon or paddle. Then, let the chicken go for a few minutes and don't mess with it. You get a great caramelization that way!! Once the chicken is browned up, add in your mushrooms, scallions and garlic, and grate in your ginger. Rachael Tip: When you bring your ginger home from the store, peel it up and cut into 1-inch pieces, then place it in the freezer. If you leave ginger on the counter, it pretty quickly shrivels up. If you keep it in the freezer it stays nice and fresh and grates into any dish you need it to like ginger snow :) Once you add the vegetables let them cook to soften up and then you're ready to build the sauce, right there in the pan. Scoot the meat mixture over to the side and add your peanut butter and let it melt. Not to sound like a giant kid, but it looks really cool watching the peanut butter melt. Then add in the apple juice, tamari and hot sauce and whisk it all together. Add your peanuts and mix it all together to combine everything. Take your lettuce, core it and quarter it. Scoop the mixture into a lettuce leaf, wrap and enjoy!! These were so good. My mom was a little skeptical when she saw some of the ingredients. But, she ended up eating like 5 of them, so needless to say, she enjoyed them. These would be great at a party or for just a great appetizer some time so give them a try!!

Next up is the main course, the teriyaki pork chops! So first up you can get the rice going. Put two cups of chicken stock into a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes up to a boil, add in 1 cup of rice along with the edamamae and bring it back up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it down to simmer, place the lid back on and let it simmer 15 - 18 minutes. Once it's done fluff it with a fork and stir in the scallions. I actually stirred the scallions in with the rice and edamame and let them cook with it. I'm not a huge fan of raw scallions and I knew my sister wouldn't touch it if they were raw. But by all means, do it whichever way you prefer. I think next time, I will stir them in at the end and broaden my horizons :) 

Next you want to start you pork chops. In a pan add a tablespoon of oil and heat it over high heat. Season your chops with salt and pepper and then cook them 7 - 8 minutes until they are just done, turning them once. Mine actually got a little burned  on a couple, so you should watch them and if need be, turn the heat down a bit. Once they are just done, reserve them to a plate. At this point you can add in the pineapple, bell pepper and chili. Rachael Tip: Sure-fire way to pick out a ripe pineapple. Pick one in which all the eyes are uniform in size from bottom to the top of the pineapple. Works everytime!! Let the pineapple and peppers cook for a few minutes until the veggies are a nice tender crisp and the pineapple starts to brown at the edges, then reserve them on the plate with the pork chops. At this point you can make the sauce in the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium-high and add in the chicken stock, lime juice, teriyaki sauce, honey and ginger. I actually used agave nectar in this instead of honey and it was great. If you have honey that's no problem but if you have never tried it, give the agave a try. It's a little pricier but a nice alternative. Anyway, add these and combine together and reduce by about half which should take about 5 minutes. Add back the chops and the veggies and let it simmer for about 5 minutes then serve with the scallion rice. 

This entire meal is a real winner. it was a lot of fun to make and tasted fantastic. I apologize for the ghetto picture in this one. Not a lot of places to take a picture in my sis' apartment :) I'm also trying something different with the recipes. Rather than type them out all over again, I've posted the links to each one! Thanks to Rachael for a nice out-of-the-box idea for a Christmas lunch. Give this one a try. You'll definitely enjoy it!! Until next time, Happy Cooking!!
 

Satay Lettuce Wraps: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/satay-lettuce-wraps/

Teriyaki Pork Chops w/ Pineapple & Peppers: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/teriyaki-pork-chops-pineapples-and-peppers/

Meeting RACHAEL!!!

So this one isn't food related, but, had to post a blog to let you guys know that I actually got the pleasure of meeting the inspiration behind this blog, RACHAEL RAY!! What you see on tv is what you get in person. She was sweet, bubbly and personable and even more beautiful in person than she is on TV. She definitely exceeded my expectations and was a joy to meet!!. Here are pics from that night! Thanks Rachael for an awesome experience!!



Mole...Pronounced Mo-lay

Hey guys!! So, my apologies for not posting this the other night. I was just too sleepy to do it so sorry that I inadvertently lied to you all and didn't actually post two blogs in one night. But, here is the second one. This one is a great one for a cold night or maybe even a game day party! Here is Rachael's "Mole Chile" with "Baked Fresh Chili Fries" and "Ranch Dipper".

First up is the dipper. Like the buffalo sauce from the last blog, you can make this first and let it sit. The longer it sits, the better it gets! All you have to do is chop your fresh herbs, combine them with the buttermilk, sour cream and hot sauce and you are good to go. Makes a great dipping sauce that you could use for lots of different snacks too!!!

Next up, the chili fries. Now, like most of you, i assumed these were gonna be fries covered with chili, but no. These are actually chili peppers that are sliced and then baked!! First, slice up your jalapenos and poblanos. Make a breading station of the flour, milk mixture, and bread crumb mixture. Coat the peppers in the flour, then milk mixture, then bread crumb mixture!! Place on a baking sheet and then place in the oven until done. Now, I put these on just a baking sheet, and forgot to turn them, so they didn't get crispy enough and were soggy on the bottom. One way to combat this is to actually remember to turn them lol. What I will probably do next time I make these is to put them on a cooling rack and then on my baking sheet just like I would to make bacon in the oven. This way, the heat wraps all around the peppers and they cook evenly on both sides because lets face it, I'm gonna forget to turn them again :) Once they are done, take them out and serve with the ranch dipper!

Lastly is the Mole Chili. This one is really good. Very smoky flavored and it's so good! First up add in your Ancho chilis to a pot and add in your entire quart of beef stock. Rachael Tip: To seed your anchos, if they are really dried out, just cut off the ends and pour out the seeds. If they are still a little pliable, use a pairing knife to cut off the end and then split the pepper open down the side and scrape out the seeds. Heat these up to a boil an then simmer for 10 minutes so the chilis can reconstitute. I've heard Rachael describe these as "spicy raisins", which is how Bobby Flay describes them, and when i opened the bag, they actually smelled like raisins! Then, heat your oil in a skillet. This one calls for vegetable oil. I actually didn't have any but I had some safflower oil. It's a high heat oil like vegetable oil so it works fine. But, when it runs out, I will be switching back to vegetable oil. From taking my nutrition course this semester, it actually has the lowest levels of bad cholesterol than any other oil. EVOO is a great substitute because of the antioxidants in it and they are both nice fats to use to lower LDL's which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. So , there is your health lesson for the day!! Back to the chili. So, heat the oil and then add the bacon. Once it is crisp, add in the ground sirloin and raise the heat up to high and let the meat go for about 7 - 8 minutes. Once it's browned well add in the veggies and let them go for another 5 - 6 minutes. At this point, add your anchos and stock to the food processor and pulse until the anchos are broken down! My food processor overflowed when I did this so if yours is a little small you may wanna add some of the stock and leave some in the pot so it doesn't overflow. Add your tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook for a minute then add in the ancho stock, the tomatoes and spices. One of the ingredients that may seem a little odd in this one is the unsweetened cocoa powder! Sounds crazy but the flavor in this chili is fantastic so don't leave it out! Let it simmer to combine all the flavors for a few minutes and it's ready to serve. The recipe calls for white extra sharp cheddar, raw purple onion and chopped pickled vegetables to go on top. All we used was the cheese so on the toppings go with what you like!!

This one is definitely a great alternative to  a traditional chili with beans. Dawn doesn't really like chili because of the beans but this one, she enjoyed. Hope you guys enjoy it as well. Have a great one and until next time, Happy Cooking!!

Manwich Smanwich!!

Hello everybody!! So here is the first of two blogs I'm posting tonight! This one takes on two classic American dishes, Sloppy Joes and Buffalo Chicken Wings, and combines them into one awesome dish, "Sloppy Buffalo Joes". The side dish takes on a gameday pub favorite, fried potato skins and makes them into "Mashed Potato Skins"! So first up, lets make the sauce!!

Now making the sauce is pretty simple. All you do is combine all the ingredients in a bowl and it's done. It's a good idea to mix it up early on so that is can just sit and the flavors can combine. The longer it sits, the better it gets!!

Next up lets get the potatoes started. So for this one you use a couple pounds of baby yukon gold potatoes. I have a hard time finding these around Birmingham so what i use is the green giant small yellow potatoes. They come in 1 lb bags so just get two bags and you're good! Quarter the potatoes and put them in a pot. Add just enough water to cover them and then heat them to a boil. Rachael Tip: Put the lid on the pot to bring it up to a boil, but when they do, take the lid off. Otherwise, the starches in the potatoes will cause the water to overflow! Arrange your bacon on a baking sheet sitting on a cookie sheet and place in the oven and back 12-15 minutes. Remove it, chop it and set it to the side!

While the potatoes are boiling, you can start to work on the sloppy joes! Heat the oil over medium-high heat and then add in the ground chicken. Break the chicken up and let it cook for 5 - 6 minutes. Rachael Tip: Use a wooden spoon or wooden kitchen paddle to break the meat up. They work great! You could use a potato masher, but, ground chicken is a little more wet than ground beef so it might prove a lil tricky. This is a "Ryan tip", lol, but you could also use this nifty tool from pampered chef if you know anyone that sells it. It's made specifically for breaking up meat. It is a star shaped tool and it works great. When I lived with my aunt in Tuscaloosa after moving there for work in 2008, she had one and it works great!! But anyway, back to the meal at hand. After the chicken has browned for  a few minutes, add in your carrot, celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and let it go for 7-8 minutes. Anytime you order wings out, you usually get some celery and carrot sticks to go along with it. That's what the celery and carrots are here for! While the veggies sweat out, toast your hamburger buns. Once the vegetables sweat out, add in your sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes. Pile your buffalo joes onto the buns and top them with the blue cheese crumbles and a couple slices of dill pickle. After making these, you will never make manwich again!

To finish off your potatoes, drain them and put them back into the hot pot. Add in the buttermilk, salt and pepper and mash them to your desired consistency. Fold in your chives, cheddar and bacon and you are ready to serve. These are fantastic and would make a nice side dish to several different casual meals!!

This one is definitely a winner. My friends have a lower heat tolerance than I do and when asked if they were too hot, my friend Dawn replied, "Nope...it's a good hot". Until next time, enjoy and happy cooking!!

Sloppy Buffalo Joes 

2 Tbs. EVOO
2 Lbs. ground chicken or turkey breast
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped or grated
2 Stalks celery, chopped
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
2 - 3 Cloves garlic, grated
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
¼ - ⅓ C. hot sauce
1 C. tomato sauce
1 C. chicken stock
8 Good quality burger rolls, toasted
1 C. blue cheese crumbles
2 Large dill pickles, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet with EVOO over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with a wooden spoon, cook 5 - 6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook 7 - 8 minutes more. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, and Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and stock. Pour into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer a few minutes more. Pile sloppy buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese and chopped pickles.

Mashed Potato Skins

6 Slices bacon
2 Lbs. small Yukon gold potatoes, halved
1 C. buttermilk
¼ C. fresh chives, chopped
½ C. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, yellow or white
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

 Preheat the oven to 350°.
 
Arrange the bacon on a sheet pan and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until crisp. Cool and chop.
 
Put potatoes in a medium sauce pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes with buttermilk and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives, cheddar and fold in bacon.