Showing posts with label Treats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Treats. Show all posts

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito




I am so excited to introduce Notion's featured guest chef, Stephanie Ito!

As you can tell from all my Thursday posts I love food. And love to share recipes.

So I was super thrilled when personal chef Stephanie Ito of Nourish Personal Chef + Catering gernerously offered to contribute on our blog. Stephanic will be sharing "The Best Thing I Made This Month" how fun and yummy is that?!

So turn on the grill and try her Chutney Turkey Burgers and Roasted Sweet Potato Fries tonight! Here's what Stephanie has to share with us:

Turkey burgers are a great meal for summer – you can cook them on the grill or you can broil or pan-fry them. Any way you cook them, these Chutney Turkey Burgers from The Joy of Cooking are some of our favorites here at Nourish Personal Chef + Catering. The turkey stays moist, and the combination of spices and mango chutney (which you can find near the mustards and condiments in most supermarkets) give the burgers an unusual, slightly sweet, and international flavor.

Since turkey breasts have less fat than beef, these burgers can be a healthy alternative to ground beef burgers this summer – but make sure you look for ground turkey breast at the store. Some packaged ground turkey has as much fat as beef because it includes skin and dark meat along with the breast.

The perfect accompaniment to these turkey burgers is baked sweet potato “fries”. They are super easy to make, and absolutely delicious. They get a little crunchy on the outside from roasting them at a high temperature (especially if you cut them nice and thin) and have a wonderful sweet-and-savory flavor, thanks to the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes and the garlic powder that you dust them with.

Not only are these great barbecue dishes, or perfect for a weeknight dinner, they also provide you with lots of high-quality, lean protein from the burgers and also lots of nutrients (including vitamins A and C in particular) from the sweet potatoes. This is a meal you can enjoy and feel good about eating.

I hope this has inspired you to give these simple recipes a try!

Chutney Turkey Burgers
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

For the sauce:
½ cup prepared mango chutney
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the burgers:
1 pound ground turkey breast
3 tablespoons prepared Mango Chutney
2 scallions, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Additional ingredients:
8 slices of sourdough bread (or 4 hamburger buns)
Lettuce and thinly sliced red onion

To make the sauce, stir together the mango chutney, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl, and set aside.

To make the patties, combine turkey breast, chutney, scallions, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper in another bowl and shape into four patties. Grill, broil, or pan fry, turning once, just until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. (If you are nervous about getting them cooked all the way through, use a meat thermometer and cook them to 160˚ - much higher than that and they can get dried out.)

Meanwhile, spread the chutney mixture over the bread, and top 4 slices of the bread with the lettuce and onion. Place the burgers on top and season with salt and pepper to taste.


Roasted Sweet Potato “Fries”From Nourish Personal Chef + Catering

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Non-stick spray

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into French-fry sized matchsticks (leave the skins on). Combine the sweet potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and then arrange the sweet potatoes on the sheet. Roast the potatoes for about 25 – 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. The sweet potatoes should be slightly browned and soft inside when you take them out.

Nourish Personal Chef + Catering provides customized meal services in the Chicago area, offering the convenience of ready-to-eat meals with the taste and nutrition of home-cooked food. We can save you hours each week that you would normally spend preparing meals and going out to eat! We use only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure that your meals are not only delicious, but also well balanced and healthy.

Our services are designed for busy people in all walks of life: professionals with no time to cook, families with children and hectic schedules, older adults who have special dietary requirements, athletes with specific nutritional needs, new parents, and those who just don't enjoy cooking but do enjoy good food! All meals are made just for you - based on your likes and dislikes - and special requests are always welcome.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Quick Breakfast Treat

You might have noticed I'm a huge fan of the Barefoot Contessa. I love the simplicity of her delicious recipes. Here's another yummy creation of Ina Garten's, a Sunrise Smoothie.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

When mom doesn't have time to bake from scratch

Yesterday was my older son's 9th Birthday! I've treated Brandon to many a homemade airplane-designed cake in the past. (He's been obsessed with aircraft since at age two).
Anyhoo...this mama is multi-tasking to the maximum these days so this year we went simple, very simple. No fancy design and basically added butter.
Thought I'd pass along my favorite cake mix for those times when mom doesn't have time to bake from scratch: Cherrybrook Kitchen.
All of Cherrybrook's products are made free of dairy, egg or nuts. We have a nut allergy in the house but honestly, the taste of these cakes is so much better than all the other name brands on the market that we continue to use Cherrybrook more for flavor than anything else!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Chocolate Chip Scones

What is better than bakery, warm and fresh from the oven in the morning? We love these Chocolate Chip Scones from the December 2000 issue of Bon Appetit.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Breakfast Casserole

Before becoming a mom of two I used to cook fancy meals, mostly out of Bon Appetit. Not so much anymore. But this cheddar, vegetable and sausage strata recipe from the December 2000 issue of Bon Appetit is one that has stood the test of time. The fact that it can be prepared the night before makes the morning very easy.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Celebrating May Day 1 week later

We are celebrating May Day today at play group. One week late but celebrating nonetheless! Our little ones will be dressed in white and my friend Gina who is hosting this fete is constructing a tot-sized Maypole. I've saved this Maypole Cupcakes recipe by Martha Stewart for years waiting for the right time to make it. Wondering what my cake actually looks like, we'll leave that to your imagination!

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Super easy for dinner

I'm always looking for super quick recipes for dinner. Come Spring this is even more important as I find myself with even less prep time. This recipe from Epicurious for Asian Flank Steak has recently become a go-to.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Perfect for Spring

Simple, light and perfect for Spring, check out this recipe for Seared Salmon with Creamy Leek Sauce provided by Martha Stewart.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Recipes: My favorite Guacamole by Ina Garten

I could live on Chips & Guacamole if I could only figure out how to justify it. I’ve tried many a recipe and have deemed this Guacamole recipe by the Barefoot Contessa my favorite!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

This week's recipe swap

I was digging thru some old issues of Cooking Light this weekend to try and find some new quick and easy entrees and came across this recipe for Easy Meatless Manicotti ...which I proceeded to make and eat way to much of last night.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A fabulous find

Last night my dad treated us to a lovely homemade dinner. He made Chicken Vesuvius Sinatra Style. I found it here on line at The New York Times website. You have to scroll down to the end of the article to find the recipe. So yummy and easy. I think this will be my contribution to this week's playgroup recipe swap!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Thursday's featured recipe

Passed along by my mom-in-law and perfect for those of us in deep freeze!

Pasta con Fagioli
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 a white onion
1 or 2 ribs of chopped celery
1 clove of minced garlic
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 15 oz can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 1 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in saucepan, add chopped onion and celery, cook for several minutes on medium heat. Add garlic, stirring for a few more minutes. Add tomatoes sauce and 1/2 to 1 can of water depending on how soupy you prefer your sauce. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for 5 min. Add beans and cook for 5 more minutes. Then mix in cooked macaroni and heat until flavors are blended. Pour into serving bowls and top with cheese. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Sassy Water

Somehow I missed all the buzz surrounding the latest diet trend, The Flat Belly Diet. But I am happy to report that my mother-in-law emailed me the recipe for Sassy Water which we proceeded to make and drink this weekend. Dieting aside, I've gotta say the recipe is a very nice alternative to regular water and is definetly worth trying!(we left out the spearmint leaves and only let the mix sit for 2 hours before drinking)
Sassy Water
2 liters water (about 8 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber. peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight.

Friday, February 1, 2008

The playgroup recipe swap, continued

Grilled Italian Skirt Steak and Mashed Beans (from Men's Health)
2 lbs Skirt or Flank Steak
2 cans cannelloni beans
1 large red onion
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 T chopped rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
juice of 1 lemon

1. In a medium pan over medium heat, cook the onion in half of the olive oil for about 10 min. until it's soft and slightly brown. Add the vinegar and cook for another 5 min.
2. Heat a pot with the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, beans, and rosemary and cook for 5 min. Use a potato masher or fork to mash the beans. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat a grill, grill pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper and grill for 4-5 min on each side for medium rare. Slice and serve over the beans, and spoon onions on top.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Recipe Swap

Thursdays are a special day for us. Pierson stays home from "school"; I stay home from work and we get together with our playgroup friends for a morning of coffee, baked goods and play. This week we added a new element to our date, a recipe exchange. Everyone brought copies of quick, easy and tasty menus ideas to share. I need to get sources before posting all of them but here are two to start:
Chicken and Dumplings from Cookiemag.com
Asian Grilled Salmon from Ina Garden

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Fantasy Fudge

Ok, I'm just enjoying the treats so much, I have to pass along one more recipe: Fantasy Fudge

3 c. sugar 7 oz. marshmallow creme
¾ c. margarine 1 c. chopped nuts
2/3 c. evaporated milk 1 tsp. vanilla
12 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Stir together margarine, sugar and milk. Bring to boil. Boil 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into 9 x 9 or 9 x 13 greased container. Cool at room temperature. Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Fat Pant Truffles

Another reason I've got to freeze the cookies and get them out of sight: Fat Pant Truffles.

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: 3-1/2 doz. or 42 servings, one truffle each
1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.
DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Can't stop eating those cookies

Six dozen homemade holiday cookies (from Saturday's cookie party) in our house is very, very, very dangerous. I might just have to toss them in the freezer to make sure I can still fit in my clothes end of week. Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Molasses Cookies. The recipe makes 36.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg
granulated sugar for rolling

Sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. With mixer, beat butter and brown sugar together until light in color and texture. Stir in oil until well blended. Scrape down sides of bowl, add the molasses and the egg and beat until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerated 3 hours or until firm. Roll tablespoon size pieces into balls and then in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet about 2inches apart. Sprinkle tops with more sugar. Bake 9-10 minutes at 350 until the center surface is barely dry. Cool on sheets 5 minutes and then transfer to rack.