Friday, December 31, 2010

Cooking with Curry - Sandwich and Soup

I love curry and in American culture I don't think we use it enough in our cooking.  Here are two recipes: curry chicken salad and curry cream of potato soup.

Curry Chicken Salad (makes 6 sandwiches)
Step 1 - Buy two rotisserie chickens from the grocery store and remove/shred all the meat and add to a large bowl. (this step is kind of gross so I didn't take pictures).

Step 2 - Rinse 1 cup of red grapes and split into halves and add to the chicken mixture.





Step 3 - Add a fourth of a cup of split almonds to the chicken mixture (I like to use almonds with a sugary glaze) 



Step 4 - Add 1 tablespoon of curry powder (**do not add any salt to this recipe - the chicken already has enough in it!)



Step 5 - Add a fourth of a cup to 1 cup of mayonnaise depending on how much you like the stuff. (To reduce fat use 2 tablespoons olive or truffle oil instead of mayonnaise).

Step 6 - Add a few cracks of pepper.



Step 7 - Toss the mixture and fill 6 large croissants with the filling.

Cream of Potato Soup - Sorry no Pics! (When I make this recipe to be paired with the sandwiches above I do not add the curry).

Step 1 - Saute 4 slices of bacon in a large pot until crisp in a teaspoon of olive oil.

Step 2 - Dice 1 medium onion while the bacon is crisping.  Remove the bacon and add the onion to the same pot you used for the bacon.  Saute onion over medium heat.

Step 3 - Slice 1 stalk of celery and add to the onion (depending on how much oil there was left after the bacon you may need to add a little olive oil at this time).  Continue sauteing over medium heat.

Step 4 - Dice two cloves of garlic and add to the mixture.  (reduce heat to low). (**If you are not pairing this soup with the curry chicken salad, go ahead and add 1/2 Tablespoon of curry powder at this time**).

Step 5 - Add salt and cracked pepper.  (about a teaspoon of each).

Step 6 - While the onion mixture is sauteing peel 6 small to medium potatoes and cut into bite size chunks.  Add the potatoes to the onion mixture, and bring heat back to medium heat.  Saute for 2 minutes.

Step 7 - Add 2 - 14.5 oz of chicken or vegetable broth and one cup of water, and allow the mixture to simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.

Step 8 - Add 1/4 cup of half and half mixed with a tablespoon of all purpose flour.  Allow the mixture to simmer until the broth reaches the consistency you like. 

Step 9 - Add 1 Tablespoon of dried basil.

Step 10 - Ladle soup into a bowl and let your guests garnish with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.  (**if you are worried your guests won't like curry in there soup instead of adding it in step 4 you could mix the curry with the sour cream**).

Note ** This dish could easily be made into a vegetarian dish by using butter or olive oil instead of bacon to saute the vegetables,  you could use crispy breaded onions for a garnish instead of bacon, and of course vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Note ** To reduce fat - don't add the half and half.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

My New Love - Dyson DC 24

Well for the last 4 years I have struggled with having a TERRIBLE vacuum.  And by TERRIBLE I mean the vacuum has too many pieces, it is too big, it leaves a strange odor in the air after I am done using it, and the suction is basically none existent.

I have dreamed of having nice, new vacuum.  I did a lot of research.  I wanted something with a lot of suction, small enough to be stored in small closet, and something that didn't need new filters.  I tested some vacuums awhile back, and the CLEAR winner was the Dyson DC 24.   I love the ball technology, it makes cleaning hard to reach places so much easier.  It is small, no new filters are needed (you wash the filter once a month), it is bagless, and it cleans all surfaces without having to change pieces!

I went out and tried to do some Christmas shopping on Saturday.  While I was at Bed Bath and Beyond, I saw the DC24.  It was like it was beckoning to me, but $499 is a steep price tag.  So it wasn't like I could just buy it without discussing it first with M.

So today as I was scrubbing the kitchen floor, I said M you know what I really, really, want for Christmas, "a vacuum!"  Okay, I committed the number one cardinal sin for a wife, I told my husband to buy a household appliance for me for Christmas. But really, I will get more happiness out of this vacuum than anything else he could have bought me this year for Christmas. 

I recently read a study about what makes people happy.  And the study showed that the most mundane things often bring the most happiness, not a trip to Italy, a diamond bracelet, or a new car.  For instance, most people indicated that making their bed in the morning brought them the most happiness throughout the day.  Interesting?  So anyway, I thought . . . I will use this vacuum once a week until it finally dies on me, and since it has a 5 year warranty, it will bring me happiness once a week for the next 5 years at the least. 

So M and I trotted off to Target to compare prices.  We were lucky to find the same model for $100 cheaper and then we got an extra 5% off using our red card.

Once we got home, M and I actually argued about who got to vacuum.  We ended up taking turns - and instead of stuffing the vacuum in the closet we left it by the Christmas tree :)



http://www.dyson.com/store/product.asp?product=DC24-ANIMAL&tab=accessories

Saturday, December 18, 2010

DIY - Holiday Project - Inspiration Husband

So M has always been a very romantic husband, but this year his present really touched my heart.  Since we have been together (including the year in high school), M has given me a Christmas ornament every Christmas.  This year while decorating the Christmas tree we laid my ornaments out and actually put the dates on them because we were beginning to forget which ornament came from which year (can you believe we've been married that long :).

Anyway, one day last week M came home with a large package from our local craft shop, and I was immediately intrigued, but I kept my interest to myself.  A couple days ago, I came home from work and M could not contain his excitement.  He said he wanted to give me my Christmas ornament early so we could put it on the tree.  After some cajoling, I said "okay" (M always wants to give me my gifts early).

This year M made me a half-eaten Gingerbread Man ornament.  The ornament was made out of a light brown felt, stuffed with stuffing, and the ends were all stitched by hand.


 I love the attention to detail - the bite marks on his head, his missing leg, and the button belly. Thanks honey, this is truly a special gift.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Gardening in Small Spaces

So one of the difficult things about living in an apartment is that you have no room to have a garden.  Well, as an avid cook one of the things I want to have the most is an herb garden (just the basics, parsley, cilantro, basil, mint).  I had a pot on my patio for awhile, but it ended up taking up a lot of space.  I recently saw these planters-what a great idea!  Planters that attach to the railing.

http://www.eco-gardening.com/planters/mini-garden-railing-planter_1199_50.php

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Great Online Discount Store for Designer Goods

There is always this very lovely woman that sits a few rows ahead of me at church.  Every week she wears the most original, feminine dresses.  They usually have one sheer layer of lace and then a second layer of a material that looks like silk.

Today, I decided I would finally speak to this woman because the dress she was wearing was simply divine. The dress was taupe (one layer of lace, one layer of silk) with a v-neck and pencil skirt to mid-calf.  The bodice was form fitting and had a periwinkle satin belt.  I would say the overall style of the dress was late 1930s. To give the dress an updated look she paired the dress with brown boots that had a faint alligator print. Which for some reason looked amazing.

When I asked the woman who the designer was she said YIGAL AZROUEL.  Then she leaned closer and said, but to tell you the truth I ordered the dress from EBay, from a seller I often use called blindallegiance.  She said she got the dress which was originally about $1500 for $200.  She also said the best thing about blindallegiance is that a lot of the profit from your purchase there goes to charity. 

When I got home I tried to find the dress at blindallegiance, but she must have made the purchase awhile back because I couldn't find it.  I recently found the dress, it is up to $249 (however, hers was not this low cut so she must have had it altered), so there you have it (I want this dress so bad, of course I would have to get it altered too).



Check out blindallegiance's online store http://stores.ebay.com/Blind-Allegiance.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Ultimate Christmas List

Okay, so people are always asking me around this time what I want for Christmas.  Well, even though I don't expect to get any of the items below (some are just way to expensive), I thought I would put together the ultimate women's Christmas wish list with no price restrictions  (we can all dream . . . :).

1. Purses - I love both of these purses by Marc Jacobs.  The First is called the "Classic Q - Baby Groovee" Satchel.  Nordstrom is selling this purse for $358.00.  The second purse is called " Paradise Rio" Satchel. I love the color of this purse - beige - it matches everything and for such an expensive purchase wouldn't you want the purse to go with everything.   Nordstrom is selling this purse for $995.00.  Love it !!! (too expensive to actually ever buy, unless I could find it on ebay somewhere which will be my next project).MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Classic Q - Baby Groovee' Satchel

6.  Light Fixtures - Decatur Street Chandelier Shade from Anthropologie - $24.00

7.  Yoga Classes - know  someone that is stressed out - Yoga would make a great gift for that person, and since classes can be outside a family budget in these tough times, it makes a great gift.  http://www.yogablend.com/YogaBlend/Home.html


8.  Couples Dance Lessons -  I have always wanted to take ballroom dance lessons with my significant other, and this gift idea would be great to mark two people off your list (make it a full date and throw in a gift card for dinner).  http://www.laokay.com/danceclasses.htm





9.  Herb garden - This is a gift that will continue to give all year long and is super cheap.  Buy the essential herbs (italian parsley, cilantro, basil, and mint), and plant them in small pots such as the one's below that can be purchased for $6.50 here http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/clay-herb-pots-pr-27094.html.
 Clay Herb Pots



10.  Mary Kay's Be Radiant Baked Powder.  My mom sent me this last month, and I absolutely recommend this product.  It adds an extra glow in these winter months, and at $18 it is a steal this holiday season.  http://www.marykay.com/color/cheeks/marykayberadiantbakedpowder/10037395/default.aspx?cid=ecat






Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving 2

Our second Thansgiving was at my parent's home.  My mom and dad have been restoring our old family farm house for about the last two years, and it is really starting to take take place.  My mom's most recent edition was the upstairs TV room.  She painted the walls a deep purple/beige color, and bought a deep blue/grey funiture (love seat and chair).  It looked absolutely lovely.  I will try to get her to post some pictures.

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving.  It was a full house, with all the trimmings. We had homemade noodles, turkey, ham, carmel rolls, green beans with almonds, stuffing, potatoes, pies, and a jelly roll.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thanksgiving 1

On Saturday M and I left for Iowa for one week with family and friends.  On Sunday we had Thanksgiving with M's side of the family.  The festivities started with blueberry pancakes (which were delightful), and a nice strong cup of coffee and cream (this is really the way to start your vacation off on the right foot).  The rest of the day was spent in the kitchen.  M's mom got up early and put the turkey in, but there were still several sides that needed to be completed.

We had the following for Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, mash potatoes, squash with carmelized onions and sour cream, crab salad (Ukrainian dish),  Oyster stuffing, stuffing, green bean casserole, and bread. Everything was splendid down to the last detail.

My contribution was the stuffing.  I LOVE stuffing, and here is a simple recipe for awesome stuffing.  I have to give some credit to my mom she gave me a similar recipe (one she developed) to the one I am posting, but I have tweaked it to add in a few more ingrediants that I prefer. The most important part of this recipe is the bread.  It is important to choose a loaf of whole grain bread - it has the most flavor.

Step One

1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
3 sticks of celery (roughly chopped)
1 t salt
1 t cracked pepper
1/2 c butter

Combine the aforementioned ingrediants in a medium skillet over medium heat and let simmer until onions and celery are soft.

Step Two
1 loaf whole grain bread (cut into cubes)
2 eggs
1 T Parsley
1T Thyme
1 T Basil
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds

In a large bowel, combine the mixture from step 1 and the ingredients in step 2.  Once combined add a ladle of turkey stock or chicken broth.  Keep adding the broth until the bread is moist (not so wet that the bread is falling apart).

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the mixture in the center and cover with tin foil. Cook the mixture for an 1 hour on 350 degrees.

Other than the food, the company was also delightful.  Half-way through the afternoon M got an idea to take a traditional Thanksgiving photo.  We all gathered around the table and M's mom held the turkey.





 I have to say the picture turned out really well :)

All and all it was a great Thanksgiving.  Stay tuned for more on Thanksgiving 2.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Cinnamon Rolls - To Die For

My friend M told me about this wonderful blog - the pioneer woman.  The first time I went to the website I saw this recipe for Amish cinnamon rolls with caramel frosting.  I love cinnamon rolls and I love caramel rolls, this recipe is like the two of them together.  Even my husband who swore that he didn't really like cinnamon rolls, well he is now sitting next to me eating two, so that is how good these are. For the recipe, check the site below.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breads/amish-cinnamon-rolls-with-caramel-frosting/


It is alive!!




Pizza - Who doesn't love it?

This weekend we had some friends of ours over for games and dinner R and H.  We planned to order pizza, but I woke up on Saturday morning craving a really good pizza  (believe it or not I have yet to find a good pizza place in all of Los Angeles). 

I pulled out my favorite cookbook "America's Test Kitchen"  (btw: This is the best cookbook ever).  And got the recipe for pizza dough.  Surprisingly pizza dough really isn't that hard to make.  It really only takes about 20 minutes or so of hands on time, and the yeast really does do the rest of the work. I guess what I am saying is for a Saturday night this is totally worth it (especially if your husband is an expert pizza dough tosser :). 

I would actually love to post the contents of the recipe for the dough online, however, since the cookbook is copyrighted I will respect that and not post the contents.  So if you want it I suggest you buy the cookbook, it is a great investment.

Okay after looking at a couple of recipes for pizza sauce I came up with my own which is listed below: sauce. 

1 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
S and P to taste
*5 dashes of Worchestire Sauce (about 2 teaspoons)

I combined all of the ingredients in a medium sauce pan and allowed it to simmer over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. 

Toppings:  We made three pizzas.  Personally, I think a good pizza starts with good cheese.  In the Los Angeles area I prefer Trader Joes for gourmet cheeses as it has the best prices (if I don't have time to make it into the farmers market).  I bought a whole milk motz. and an Australian Parmesan, and then grated the cheese by hand. 

Pizza 1:  Veggie
              Cheese - Motz and Fresh Parm (both grated by hand)
              Artichokes
              Kalmata Olives
              Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
              Baby Portebello Mushrooms

Pizza 2:  Meat
              Pepperoni
              Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
              Mushrooms

Pizza 3: Sweet and Swine
             Pinnapple
             *Prosciutto (instead of regular ham - so much better)

I baked all of the pizzas at 500 degrees on parchment paper placed on a baking stone for about 12 minutes.

Although all of the pizzas turned out really yummy.  The Sweet and Swine with the prosciutto ended up being the house favorite.







          

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Tower of Terror


Matt and I went with some friends of ours to California Adventure this weekend.  Neither Matt nor I had ever been, and I don't particularly like rollercoasters, but this day I decided that I needed to feel a little "out -of-control." 

So one of the first rides we went on was "California Screamer" which was  what most people would consider a moderate rollercoaster. You can check out the ride on YouTube at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upHZ2ptl3WA.

Also, there was the "Tower of Terror" well I wouldn't really characterize this as moderate - terrifying is basically the best word for it.  You will understand what I mean after you watch this home video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeB2D7oCmCY&NR=1.  If you have even a little fear of being dropped several stories in a elevator - this is probably not the ride for you.
After the day was over - I felt sufficiently out-of-control.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Lake Tahoe (September 2010):

This year for Labor Day weekend we met Matt's sister, brother-in-law and our goddaughter in Lake Tahoe, California.  What a wonderful vacation.  It was just what both Matt and I needed.  It was about a seven and a half hour drive from Los Angeles to Lake Tahoe, but it went pretty fast. 













An idea for recipes: Index Card Rings

 When I was a Sophomore in high school I started writing my favorite recipes on index cards and put them in a recipe box, but a recipe box just doesn't work for me when I am cooking.  When I get out a recipe, I never seem to put it back, and a recipe type binder just takes up too much space in a small kitchen when you are trying to prepare food - enter index card rings.  I used these types of rings when I was studying in law school, but it never occurred to me until recently that I could also use them for my recipes.  I put recipes for main dishes on one ring, desserts on another, and appetizers and sides on another.

Here is what you will need: index cards,  a whole punch, and index card holder rings.





Fall Soups: Beef, Shiitake and Barley Soup (Vegetarians Shiitake and Barley Soup).

When I was getting my hair done on Saturday, I ran across this recipe for Beef, Shiitake and Barley Soup in "Modern Woman" magazine.  I also started looking into the health benefits of whole wheat barley, and this is one website that I found: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127#healthbenefits

Step 1:  Coarsely chop one medium yellow onion, add to a large pot over medium heat and simmer in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until onions shimmer.

Step 2: Mince three garlic cloves and add to pot with onions.

Step 3: Add 12 ounces of  beef  "stew" meat  (seasoned to taste) to the pot and remove when brown (*for vegetarian disregard this step).


Step 4:  Add two thinly sliced carrots and saute for two minutes.



Step 5: Add 12 ounces of shiitake mushrooms and saute for 30 more seconds (*vegetarians also add 2 cups of portobello mushrooms).

Step 6:  Add 4 cups chicken broth (if vegetarian add 4 cups vegetable broth) and 2 cups of water, and add the beef back into the pot.



Step 7: Add 1 cup of whole wheat barley (not instant), and simmer until meat is fork tender and barley is cooked through about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.



Step 8:  Serve  (serves 6) and season with salt and pepper to taste.