Monday, January 25, 2016

Sweet and Spicy Pepperoni-Mushroom Pizza

The Super Bowl is coming and like I said you should have something new to bring to the table...

Chili flakes bring the heat but a slight drizzle of honey brings a subtle sweetness that takes this pie to the next level.

INGREDIENTS: 
  • 1 c. marinara sauce
  • 1 recipe Easy Homemade Dough (link in step 1) or one 1 1/2-lb. ball pizzeria dough
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 8 oz. mixed mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 oz. pepperoni slices
  • 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 c. Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • 2 tbsp. honey
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Spread sauce all over Easy Homemade Dough. Bake 10 minutes.
  2. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil on medium. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring. Transfer to pizza. Top with pepperoni and cheeses. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Sprinkle with oregano and red pepper, then drizzle with honey.
 Delish...Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Pork And Cauliflower Chilli

As I write this...We are in the middle of a snowstorm.....If you have to be snowed in, you might as well eat good food...Different food.

Roasted pork loin rubbed in cumin, brown sugar, and cayenne tastes insanely delicious when stewed with tomatoes and cauliflower.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. pork loin, fat trimmed

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. garlic powder kosher salt

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

 2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 12-oz. bottle lager (such as Negro Modelo)

3 c. low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub pork with brown sugar, chili powder, and garlic powder and season with salt. Rub with 2 tablespoons olive oil and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until center reaches 160 degrees F, 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let rest, then cut into small pieces.

 Meanwhile, in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, scallions, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and cook until tender, 8 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in tomato paste and cook, 1 minute. Add cauliflower, diced tomatoes, beer, and chicken broth. Add pork along with any juices and heat through. Mmmmmm doesn't that sound and look yummy? Enjoy...Eat well my friends!

Mmmmm doesn't that sound yummy?  Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Lemon Poppyseed Waffles with Blueberry Sauce


I'm in Breakfast mode once again....How about some Lemon Poppyseed Waffles with Blueberry sauce?

Never heard of it right?

That's why this blog is here..To enlighten you and open up your pallet to new and wonderful things.,

INGREDIENTS:

WAFFLES:

      1 cup of All purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
  • Vegatable shortening, melted
  • Or Butter (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel
BLUEBERRY SAUCE:
  • 1 (16 oz.) package frozen blueberries, thawed and undrained
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS-

WAFFLES

  • SPRAY waffle iron with no-stick cooking spray.
  • WHISK flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, almond extract, shortening and lemon peel in small bowl. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; whisk just until blended. Do not over mix. Let batter rest 15 minutes before baking.
  • HEAT wafflemaker according to manufacturer’s directions. Ladle batter into waffle maker. Cook until golden. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with Blueberry Sauce.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

  • COMBINE blueberries, water and sugar in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes. Combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in small bowl; stir into blueberry mixture. Add lemon juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute or until mixture is thickened. Cool slightly. Serve with waffles.
A glass of milk is definitely the beverage of choice for this meal...

Ummmm Enjoy!

Eat Well My friends!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Coca Cola Chicken Wings


Hey folks...Yet another Super Bowl Treat....You know you've got to serve wings so how bout something a little different...a little edgy, huh?

Coca Cola Wings!!!!

America's favorite soda meets the all American finger food for the ultimate in finger licking goodness...

INGREDIENTS- 
  • 1 Cup Brown sugar
  • 1 Can soda, such as Coca Cola
  • 1/4 Cup Dry sherry
  • 2 Medium onions, chopped
  • 2 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Scallions, chopped finely
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
  • 2 1/2 Pounds Chicken wings or ribs
  • Fresh black pepper and salt to taste
DIRECTIONS-

They are simple... In a large casserole dish, combine all the ingredients except the chicken. Stir until mixed. Add the wings and stir until well coated. Lay the wings out evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

That's it....


Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!

Monday, January 18, 2016

Sausage & Pepper Heroes


With the Super Bowl coming up in just weeks...You may want to treat your guests to something a little bit different...

Something different than Hot wings ..How bout Hot Dogs?  Yes, Hot Dogs...They're not just for Baseball season...Sure you could have a hot dog. Or you could go for the extra point and opt for a sausage sandwich instead. Sliced fresh onions and peppers are lightly grilled alongside spicy sausage for an all American snack that bites back.

Huh? How about that??

Sausage and Pepper Heroes....Check it out!

INGREDIENTS- 
  • Olive oil
  • 6 Spicy sausages
  • 2 Bell peppers, sliced
  • 2 Onions, sliced
  • 6 Ball Park hot dog buns
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS-

Coat grill with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place sausages on grill and cook on medium/high heat, turning each sausage once until cooked through, about 12 minutes total. In the meantime, place veggies on grill and cook until soft and slightly charred. If you’re using a griddle, sauté veggies until cooked down.
Toast Ball Park buns and set aside.
Season veggies with salt and pepper and portion into 6 servings. Place each serving into a Ball Park hot dog bun and add a sausage to each bun. Serve with mustard if desired.

 Naturally , beers will be served with this....Also...Try some bottled waters too...Your mouths will be on fire if this is made right...

ENJOY!

Eat and drink well my friends!

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake

Wow , 18 or so days into the new year and I'm just posting a new recipe...Shame on me....

This here is a delicious Bundt cake, combining the wonderful flavors of apples and cinnamon. An updated version of your Nana's favorite apple cake.

INGREDIENTS- 


DIRECTIONS-
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice and vanilla. Beat on high speed of an electric mixer until blended. Beat in flour mixture. Fold in chopped walnuts. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Mix together chopped apples and cinnamon chips, and sprinkle 1/2 of mixture over batter in pan. Repeat layers, ending with batter.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.
    A Glass of milk is in order to chase this down...
Enjoy! Eat well my friends!

Friday, January 1, 2016

HAPPY NEW YEARS (GET YOUR HOPPIN JOHNNY ON!!)

Happy New Year everybody.....I posted this recipe before...but it's the ultimate New Years Recipe..So I'm posting it again...

I hope you all are starting your New Year off right with a nice platter of Hoppin John...

What is Hoppin John you say? Well for those of you who aren't African-American, here is a brief history lesson...

Hoppin' John is a peas and rice dish served in the Southern United States. It is made with black-eyed peas (or field peas) and rice, chopped onion, sliced bacon, and seasoned with a bit of salt. Some people substitute ham hock, fatback, or country sausage for the conventional bacon; a few use green peppers or vinegar and spices. Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia; black-eyed peas are the norm elsewhere.

In the southern United States, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money.

Another traditional food, cornbread, can also be served to represent wealth, being the color of gold. On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.

INGREDIENTS:

  • pound dried black-eyed peas
  • 2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
  • 2 medium onions, divided
  • 3 large cloves garlic, halved
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 green onions, sliced
DIRECTIONS-

 In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

 Enjoy...Have A Happy and Prosperous New Year !  Eat Well My friends.

Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household