Here's a cool way to use left over tortillas in case you don't want to make another taco or quesadilla. The flavor of the oil and garlic infused together brings a twist to the classic tortilla chip. A little Italian twist. These are baked, too. I wanted to add some parmesan, but I didn't have any on hand.
If you just want the regular salted version just coat the tortilla wedge with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt over them.
Roasted Garlic Tortilla Chips
4 taco sized tortillas (Cut into wedges) 3 Large garlic cloves (minced) 3 Tbsp Olive Oil Dry Parsley Salt Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Preheat oven 350˚F
Mix together the olive oil, garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt. Let it stand for 5-10min to let the flavors fuse.
Then lightly coat both sides wedges with garlic mix and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for 10-15 min or until crisp.
Enjoy with some salsa, dip or a nice bowl of soup.
I made my first ever attempt at making french bread. I don't have a bread machine, so I had to do it the old-fashioned way. I've been researching various books and sites as to what were the proper ingredients and ways to make this. The ingredients were fairly simple. Some used eggs, some didn't. Some used 1 1/2 tsp yeast, some used only 1 tsp. Some added sugar, while some didn't. Some added butter, shortening or cornmeal. So I came to my own conclusion and this was the result. Not a perfectly shaped loaf, but it tasted really good. Fresh from the oven. Soft, warm and chewy. My little slash marks didn't come out though. I need to score it deeper next time.
I was nervous at trying to make my own bread as I though it would be a hard process and I've never done it before. I found it to be quite the opposite. Really easy to make. It's the waiting that gets tedious. But it'll be worth it once it's baked. I should have been doing this long ago. You know how much I could have saved from buying store bread?
I made three loaves. I may make them into wheat bread and in a demi-batard shape for easy one serving eats for the next time. (i.e. sandwiches)
4 c All-Purpose Flour 1 tsp Dry Active Yeast 2 tsp Salt 1 Tbsp Sugar 2 c Warm Water (110-115˚F)
(to make wheat bread: replace with 3 c of wheat flour and 1 c of all-purpose)
In a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Let is stand for roughly 4 min. Then stir in the flour and salt until it become a dough blob.
On a well-floured flat surface. Knead the dough for a good 8 min until it feels elastic.
Lightly oil another bowl, place the dough in it and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap for roughly 2 hrs.
Once ready, punch down the dough lightly and form into loaf shapes. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and let it rest again for roughly 20-30min uncovered.
Preheat oven to 375˚F
Make the slash marks on the top and baste the top with some water. (Gives it a nice crust)
Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!! It's time to get your margarita on. Wooooo...
How about some tacos with an Asian twist, eh? This is my take on the whole Korean taco craze here in LA. Take that Kogi BBQ!!! (...but in all seriousness they really do have good tacos.)
For my version, it has some teriyaki glazed pan-fried chicken on a bed of stir-fried veggies in a warm wheat tortilla.
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce 4 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar 1 Tbsp Cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp Water
For the Glaze: In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, cornstarch and brown sugar and heat until the glaze thickens.
Season the chicken tenders with salt, pepper and paprika.
Heat a pan with some oil. When hot, cook chicken rough 5-8 min per side. Baste the chicken with the glaze before turning. Baste again after turning.
Veggie Stir-Fry:
1 red bell pepper (sliced) 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced) 1 small onion (sliced) 2 baby bok choy (sliced) 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce Sesame Seeds salt & pepper to season
In a wok or large skillet, heat some cooking. Saute the onions, bell peppers, and bok choy. Season with salt and pepper.
When the the veggies looks tender, adding the oyster sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes. Stir to distribute flavors. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and stir once again.
Putting it all together: Wrap loosely 4 tortillas flat in some foil. Warm in the oven for 5-10min.
Place a nice helping of the stir-fry then a chicken tender, wrap it up and enjoy.
Croustillants. Just another fancy name for cheese crackers. It's actually french. A couple Christmas' ago, my mom had given me this cookbook called Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World, Paris. She knew my love for the city and its food. Lots of delicious recipes in there that I would like to eventually try. The cheese cracker recipe was included in the appetizer section. IT got me thinking. What about cheese in a cookie? So I changed up the original by using Manchego cheese and garnishing with some dry parsley and basil. The final result is a nice cheese taste. Not overpowering with a hint of herb. A beautiful blend.
Manchego Cookies
1/2 C shredded Manchego cheese 1 C Flour 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Margarine Pinch of Salt
Dry Basil Dry Parsley
Preheat Oven 325˚F
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until a dough consistency.
If mixing by hand, grate the manchego cheese and combine with the flour. Once blended together mix in the butter until it is like a dough consistency.
Remove from bowl, mold into a cylinder shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for 1/2 an hour.
Then remove from plastic wrap and cut 1/2" thick slices. Remold to a circular shape, if needed. Sprinkle some dry basil and parsley. Place on a non-greased baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25min. Let cool completely then enjoy.
Yes, I'm guilty. I got the two free pieces of chicken that El Pollo Loco had for their promotion this past Tuesday. I missed the free chicken from KFC on Monday and the free Baskin Robbins Scoop on Sunday, so I wouldn't going to miss this. I have to admit that I did liked it. (*hangs head down low*) Finger lickin' good! Oh, wrong place. Besides, it was free. Who wouldn't pass that up? The only thing I paid for was my drink and that was around a buck.
It was one thigh and a leg a couple of flour tortillas. You could order a side of rice and beans, but you'd had to pay for those. I'm happy with just the chicken and salsa. That thigh piece was pretty large, too. Aside from me slightly burning my fingers as it was still "fresh off the grill" hot, I got a good meal. (Or maybe I was just hungry.)
This week Teresa from A Blog About Food had passed along this award to me and I'm honored to be one of the recipients. It's called the Premio Meme award. Along with the award I'm supposed to list seven things about my personality, then pick seven bloggers to pass this award to.
Well...here's a little something for you all to know me a little better.
1 Introvert - I'm a really shy and quiet person. I value solitude when I can find it. I'm not anti-social. It's quite the opposite really. It just takes me a while to find my barrings.
2 Loving - I'm very much a family and friends person. They're the ones that keep me from getting a big head and I cherish every moment I have with them.
3 Ambitious - I've got ideas and plans. I'll stop at nothing to get those accomplished.
4 Altuistic - I tend to worry more about those around me than I do for myself.
5 Easy-going - I don't like drama. Period!
6 Adventurous - I'm a curious soul wandering through a big world and there's a lot of adventures to be had.
7 Stubborn - I do have my moments, but it's not too often. I'm willing to compromise, if needed.
There you go... seven things. Now for the recipients of this award. The following are just some of the wonderful foodies I follow. Check them out as well as so many others in the blogroll on the sidebar. In no particular order:
Lastly, as many of you readers may know, my other day job involves the imaginary world of movies. Don't worry this ties into food. So when something comes along that brings together two of my passions in life, it's like a kid in a candy store moment.
Julie & Julia (IMDB) Based on the book by Julie Powell. Directed by Nora Ephron (Sleepless In Seattle/Silkwood) Starring Meryl Streep as non other than Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell.
Synopsis from IMDB: The film follows Powell, a government employee who decides to cook her way through legendary cook Julia Child's classic cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in one year's time out of her small Queens kitchen. Powell blogs her daily experiences, gaining a loyal following along the way.
The movie looks promising. Haven't read the book yet, but I will. Opens this coming August. I've included the trailer below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!!
I guess you can call this an experiment gone wrong in a good way. I remember watching an episode of Unwrapped from Food Network that showcased this place that made peanut butter and jelly pizzas. Totally cool idea. I've been wanting to try it out for quite a while and finally had the time to do it. I wasn't quite feeling well when I decided to make this, so I didn't want to take the effort to make dough from scratch. Luckily, I had a can of Pillsbury classic pizza crust in the fridge.
Pillsbury dough comes like a large rectangular sheet. I had cut it in half and balled up each trying to reshape it in a circular dough shape. I pressed it down stretching it to a fairly decent size and did the usual things with pizza. Placed the toppings and added some cinnamon sugar on the crust to make it like cinnamon sticks and baked for 20 min. I used Jiff Natural Creamy Peanut Butter and Smuckers Strawberry Preserve.
When I opened the oven door, it was no pizza, but a small roundish loaf. The jam had slid down the sides and slightly caramelized on the silpat, so I added a little more on the top after removing it from the baking sheet. The peanut butter was still creamy. The inside was like bread with a hint of a cinnamon crust. This is definitely a dessert piece. Just like the sandwich, but in a different way.
Ball up the dough. You'll want any showing creases to be at the bottom. Press it down into the familiar pizza shape.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small saucer. Heat peanut butter and strawberry preserve, separately, in the microwave for 30-45 seconds to soften. Then spread an even layer of each. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix around the crust. Place on a baking sheet with a silpat or lightly greased pan and bake for 15-20 min. Add extra preserve on top before serving.
2 medium sized Zucchini (peeled and sliced into coins or half-moons) 3 roma tomatoes (diced) 2 garlic cloves (minced) 1 Tbps dry Thyme 1 Tbsp dry parsley Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2/3 of a box of penne rigate manchego cheese salt and pepper to taste.
Making pasta: Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil on medium to high heat. When the water is nearly bubbling like crazy, sprinkle liberally with salt and add in pasta. It will cook in about 12 min then drain.
Heat a large sauce pan and coat the bottom with olive oil. When the oil is hot, saute the garlic for 30 sec then add the roma tomatoes, zucchini, thyme and parsley. Season with some salt and pepper. Cooking until the zucchini is tender. Stir occasionally. Drizzle in more olive oil and add in the pasta and combine well.
Put a nice helping in a plate and top with some freshly shredded manchego cheese.
