Hand-dipped Sugar Cones
29 Jul 2011 3 Comments
in Dessert, Ice Cream Tags: Dairy Queen, Hand-dipped sugar cone, ice cream
Though I am well past school-age and work 20 hours a week, summer still feels like vacation to me. The relentless sunshine and days spent on the pool deck certainly contribute to that feeling, but it’s more that there is a sense of “Ahhhhh….” The kids are chill, the days are long and lazy, and we eat ice cream just about every day.
Yep, that’s right, every day. Let me tell you, that $$ can add up quickly if you are hitting the local dairy bars all the time. I am a huge Dairy Queen fan, but even I can’t justify more than a once-weekly visit, since it costs about $15 if all five of us get Blizzards. And, just forget about trying to afford a cone for yourself and the family at a boutique ice cream shoppe in a prime tourist location – we dropped $18 for five teeny-tiny cones in Camden, Maine. I could have eaten all five and still had room for a salad. Those had better be some darn special cows.
This all explains the motivation behind this post. It is SO MUCH MORE AFFORDABLE to buy ice cream at the grocery store and scoop it at home. “But that’s not special!” your kids may whine. “You don’t have those cool cones like they do at [insert favorite ice cream place here].” Well, I’m here to tell you it is SO EASY and FUN to dip your own cones, and you’ll save yourself some $$!
Shopping List:
Sugar cones ($2.50/12 pk)
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips ($1.25/6 oz.)
1/2 bag white chocolate chips ($1.40/6 oz)
Crushed M&M’s (free, nicked from kids’ Halloween bags)
Crushed Butterfingers (ditto)
Chopped walnuts (handful — $0.25?)
Sweetened coconut (handful — $0.25?)
1) Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
2) Put chocolate chips and white chocolate chips in two different microwave-safe bowls. Microwave at 20-second intervals, checking with a quick stir at the end of each interval for degree of meltedness. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Baking chips strangely keep their morsel shape even when completely melted through, so it is easy to miss that they are done if you are simply looking through the microwave door.
3) Taking one cone at a time, swirl it through the melted chocolate, using the flat side of a spoon to smooth the chocolate up the sides a bit. Immediately roll the cone in your choice of coatings, then rest upside-down on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Continue with remaining cones. Once tray is filled put in refrigerator for about 15 minutes to harden.
Voila! For about $6, you have made twelve gourmet cones to be served with your favorite store-bought ice cream.
Crazy Lime Chicken
26 Jul 2011 12 Comments
Crazy Lime Chicken
I am always looking for a new “best” recipe that satisfies in two important ways: it has un-pampered ingredients AND instructions that mere humans can conquer without requiring years of training at the Cordon Bleu. And, so, I spend a lot of time online, skimming ingredients lists, instructions and reviews. I look for the key phrases that say “deal-breaker”to me, or at least guarantee that some modifications are in its future. Here are just a few:
“Strain through a cheesecloth…”
“Peel and devein…”
“Use a candy thermometer to….”
“Deep fry until golden…”
There are ingredients, too, that make the warning bells go off. Irrational, perhaps, and deep-rooted since childhood, but here they are nonetheless:
Anise (licorice – blecch!)
Dried cherries (Witches of Eastwick, anyone?)
Anchovy paste (no explanation needed)
Fish sauce (refer to this post for background on my childhood fish phobia)
Sweetbreads (cruel name, really — they sound like pastries!)
Habanero pepper (too dang hot)
Giblets (a.k.a. “guts”)
The best — and somewhat unexpected — perk about food blogging is that everyone is always sending me great recipes. “Hey, Jules, just had this last night. It was awesome!” That’s my favorite kind of referral – fresh out of a friend’s kitchen, straight to my Inbox. I can skip the laborious screening process and start cooking!
Crazy Lime Chicken came to me just like that. Lynn forwarded me this recipe, which was inspired by a recipe she found on All Recipes.com. Lime, chili powder and garlic? YUM. This crazy chicken was crazy good! So, we shall forgive the original author’s food safety no-no, suggesting that you baste with the used raw marinade. I’ve adjusted the directions below in case you like to baste your chicken, but we tossed the marinade instead and the chicken was still delicious. The kids loved this too, possibly more so because they were involved with making, tasting, and ”perfecting” the marinade prior to drowning the chicken in it. It was full of flavor, with a nice citrus-y and chili powder kick that was just spicy enough for us.
Crazy Lime Chicken
Serves 4
inspired by AllRecipes.com
Juice from 3 limes (about 1/4 c.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
4-5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk the lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, garlic, sage, oregano, and cumin together in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put chicken and marinade in a large zip-lock bag and seal. Put into a bowl and refrigerate. Marinate 2 hours or overnight, mixing up the bag occasionally.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the chicken to a platter and allow to come to room
temperature. Discard marinade, or if you’d like to use it for basting, first put the marinade in a pan and boil for one minute.
3. Grill the chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes per side.
Enjoy!
Mango & Black Bean Salad
22 Jul 2011 2 Comments
in salad Tags: black beans, brown rice, mango, salad
Salads have been my savior this summer. I am just starting to discover all the different flavors out there that make these salads shine. Today’s recipe, adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, features mango, lime and cilantro for a fresh and citrusy kick. It’s balanced by brown rice and black beans, which add a good dose of fiber and protein as well. Make this and serve it along side something spicy like jerk chicken, or serve it up in a wrap. Enjoy!
Black Bean Mango Salad with Pulled Barbecue Chicken
Mango & Black Bean Salad [adapted from Cooking Light]
Serves 6
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro [yes, fresh cilantro is absolutely worth it!]
2 tablespoons salsa
Juice of one whole lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Toss all ingredients gently in a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Muggle-Made Waldorf Salad
20 Jul 2011 5 Comments
in salad Tags: apples, Harry Potter, Mrs. Weasley, Waldorf
There are a lot of reasons I wish I lived in Harry Potter’s world – a whole novella of reasons, in fact. There’s the whole Time-Turning thing (that could be useful given my foot-in-mouth disease), not to mention the convenience of Disapparating anytime I need to get somewhere. And, I’m sure I’d be a passionate Quidditch fan and seeker wannabe. However, magic would be especially useful to help make up for my lack of planning. Often these daydreams of magic pop up while I’m scratching my head trying to figure out what’s for dinner. At these moments I really, really wish I had Mrs. Weasley’s way with a wand in the kitchen.
This weekend could have been another one of those head-scratching, wand-wishing moments. It approached with promises of lots of busy good times — birthday fun, volleyball, pool time, and visiting family. I knew I couldn’t do my usual shoulder-shrug and hope for the best when it came to meals. And, since it is clear I wouldn’t be besties with Mrs. Weasley anytime soon, I decided to take the advice of my friend Janet – come up with a plan and get it done early. She is a fantastic cook and, more importantly, a sage advisor. She playfully tsk-tsk’d me recently when I moaned about the heat and no dinner plan. I was threatening to serve peaches and cottage cheese. ”Jules,” she said, “I thought we talked about planning ahead for days like these!”
Right you are, Janet! I got up Saturday morning, put together the fixings for pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, and whipped up this great Waldorf Salad a la the Food Network, perfect for a hot and busy summer weekend. When I got home at 6:30 that night, exhausted and spent from a hot day on the volleyball court, it was a perfect meal to sit down to.
Waldorf is one of my favorite summer salads. In this recipe, the Gala apples were just right — sweet and crispy to balance out the tang of yogurt and lemon. The salad was just as good the next day as well. Enjoy!
Waldorf Salad
from Food Network Kitchens
Serves 4 (1-cup servings)
1/2 cup walnuts halves
1/2 cup non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 lemon, zest finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large crisp apples, such as Gala
2 ribs celery (with leaves), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (leaves chopped)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 lemon, juiced
Bacon Apricot Zingers
18 Jul 2011 6 Comments
in Appetizers, Bacon Tags: appetizer, apricot, bacon, jalapeno
Newsflash: I love bacon. Evidently I’m starting to get a reputation. Friends forward me recipes, share links on Facebook about bacon-only events, and buy me novelty candy featuring this favorite of flavors (bacon mints, not bad!). Perhaps soon they’ll pen a country song…”Bacon Gets My Heart to Achin’ ” or ”She Got the Dog. I Got the Pig. That’s Alright With Me.”
On a trip to Michigan back in May, I discovered a three-part flavor blast that I knew I was going to have to re-create. Bacon, apricots and jalapeno – savory, sweet and a little bit of spice. With several members of the unofficial Friends of Bacon Society at the house this weekend, it was a good time to try it out. It was SO EASY and they disappeared in minutes. If you love salty/sweet, this will make your mouth happy!
Bacon Apricot Zingers
6 oz. pkg dried apricots
Bacon slices, cut in half cross-wise
2-3 small jalapeno peppers
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1) Slice the jalapeno cross-wise, into several pieces. [If you want to decrease hotness, remove seeds]
2) Insert a slice of jalapeno inside the apricot (there is a small opening where the pit was removed)
3) Wrap the apricot with a half-slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick
4) Place on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Cook in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, turning pieces over half-way through.
Voila! Quick, simple and delicious!!
Bacon Zingers
My First Fondue
15 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Fondue, Restaurant review Tags: cheese, chocolate, fondue
I am at that age where friends are having BIG birthdays every other week. There is always a reason to celebrate! This is great, because otherwise I would probably never go anywhere more posh than the Ninety Nine, and even then only on a “kids eat for free” night.
Tuesday a quartet of longtime friends and former volleyball teammates headed out for a cool dining experience at The Melting Pot in Bedford, MA. Though I begrudged the choice initially because it required I make the effort to shower and dress presentable, in the end I was thrilled with the choice. I never thought eating with a tuning fork could be so much fun!
We started out with - what else - cheese! Right at the table, the server mixed beer, cheddar, salsa and jalapeno. It was delicious and went perfectly with the green apples, broccoli, and tortilla chips that were served along with it.
Next was a swiss combo with spinach, artichokes, garlic and white wine. Simply divine! We devoured that with the rest of the veggies, apples and bread.
After sharing a couple of small salads, we moved right on to the main event: chocolate dipped in chocolate with a side of chocolate 
We went for the Melting Pot original – a swirling pot of milk chocolate and chunky peanut butter. We also created our own mixture — dark chocolate with a swirl of Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Both were incredibly decadent and went great with the assorted delectable treats provided for dipping. Brownies, cake, marshmallows coated in graham crackers, crispy treats, cheesecake, strawberries and bananas — it all disappeared in a matter of minutes.
So, it was a great night out and it was fun catching up with friends over pots of melty goodness. I can’t wait for the next BIG birthday! Thanks, Jen, for letting us celebrate with you!
Pulled Pork and Peach Tostadas
13 Jul 2011 2 Comments
Pulled pork. Fresh peaches. Barbecue sauce. Ever since I saw this mouth-watering photo on Meg’s blog, I have been dying to get these flavors together on my own plate. Finally, a month later, I did it, and boy was it so worth the wait! I didn’t have polenta on hand (go figure), but by some miracle there were ripe peaches on the counter and pulled pork in the crockpot. Game on!
I got the delish pulled pork idea from one of my go-to food blogs, For the Love of Cooking. If I haven’t mentioned before, this chick can COOK, and she also happens to be a fantastic photographer. Check it out, you will be drooling on your keyboard!
This is great meal for a hot summer day – the peaches are in season, the crockpot won’t heat up the house, and you can throw the tostadas together in 5 minutes once you shred the meat. Enjoy!
Pulled Pork and Peach Tostadas
Serves 6-8
*Dish inspired by Meg’s Food Reality; Pulled Pork adapted from For the Love of Cooking
Pork shoulder (4-5 pounds), visible fat trimmed
Dried oregano
Ground cumin
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. chopped garlic
3 ripe peaches, cut in slices
Baby spinach leaves
Shredded cheddar
Barbecue sauce
Corn tortillas
1) Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Season meat all over with oregano, cumin and garlic powder. Brown on all sides in oil. Remove and put in crockpot.
2) Put browned meat in crockpot. Add chicken broth and chopped garlic. Cook on low 8 hours.
3) Remove meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to crockpot to keep warm.
4) Heat corn tortillas in a skillet over medium heat, about 15 seconds each side.
5) Layer with spinach, peach slices, pulled pork, cheddar and barbecue sauce. Yum!
Fish Tacos with Tangy Guacamole
11 Jul 2011 10 Comments
in Fish Tags: fish tacos, tangy guacamole, tilapia
There I was, driving through the Fenway on my way to work, when this billboard enters my view: FISH TACOS. “Yuck! Fish in tacos?! Really? Gack.” That reaction can be chalked up to a childhood aversion to all things fishy — undoubtedly a result of being required, by a well-meaning neighbor, to watch him gut his fresh catch. I like fish now, really, but it seems that my 12-year-old self still has some influence.
Eventually, that knee-jerk reaction to the billboard was replaced by curiosity, as this dish started popping up everywhere — food blogs, restaurant menus, Facebook, and the like. I made the resolution to make them myself and see what all the fuss is about. The internet is chock full of 10,000 versions for any dish you might want to make. When it comes to fish tacos, for instance, Bobby Flay grills it, Rachael Ray uses mangoes, and Giada adds wasabi. The options are deliciously endless. So, I took a few ideas from here and there, and came up with something I thought would be flavorful enough for me, yet not scare the meekest of my victims – ah, I mean my kids.
This recipe could use just about any type of fish that you like. I used tilapia, a mild-tasting tender white fish, but could see this working easily with firmer fish such as snapper, tuna, salmon or mahi mahi. Change the type of pepper you use, if you like more heat — the Anaheim pepper is quite mild, about half the spice of a jalapeno, according to this cool chart . And, the guacamole absolutely makes this dish so don’t skip that part! Next time I may add some crunch — a cabbage slaw, perhaps?
So, here it is — a dish that my 12-year-old self would never, ever have considered eating, never mind making from scratch. Tonight, my younger son, who happily wolfed down two of these tacos, said, “Mum, you know how you were making chili, like, all the time? Can you make these all the time instead?” Much to my surprise, we ALL loved them and will surely be adding this to our top 10 list.
Fish Tacos with Tangy Guacamole
Serves 4
2 ripe avocados
1/4 c. light sour cream
2 T. minced red onion
2 T. chopped cilantro
juice of 1-2 limes
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. tilapia, cut into large chunks
1 medium Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 T. chopped cilantro
1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
juice from 2 limes
salt & pepper to taste
Flour tortillas
Spinach leaves
Shredded cheddar cheese
1) To make the guacamole, cut avocados in half, remove pit and scoop out the insides. Mash the avocado in a medium bowl with a fork or potato masher. Stir in sour cream, lime juice, onion, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.
2) Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, and cilantro and saute for 1 minute.
3) Add tilapia and lime juice, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until fish is cooked through — about 10 minutes.
4) Spread a large dollop of guacamole on the flour tortilla, add fish mixture, and top with spinach and shredded cheddar
.
Roll up and enjoy!
