Until yesterday, I had never cooked a turkey. My wife and I always end up going to relatives house, and we have never brought the bird. So for my first turkey I chose to cook a 22 lb behemoth.
I would have started smaller since our meal will only be shared three ways (and our toddler just turns his nose up at turkey), but this was Read the rest of this entry »
I made a delicious meatloaf (beefcake?) the other day using my own recipe. I even took pictures which I will include later. I made this recipe once before, but didn’t blog the recipe. I figured out the cooking times and some basic Read the rest of this entry »
Rachael Ray prides herself on creating recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. She claims her recipes are simple and are prepared with everyday ingredients. Here is a recipe Read the rest of this entry »
Today, I meliorated my bowl of Cream of Wheat with a few interesting additions. Instead of using milk or water, I used coffee and milk and added a touch of vanilla extract. It was yummier than I expected! I also altered the recipe a bit, because I think the measurements given on the box create a bowl of cereal that is too thin and diluted. Here is my recipe for two servings, so you can try it for yourself.
Coffream of Wheat:
1/3 cup (5 Tbsp + 1 Tsp) Cream of Wheat cereal
2/3 cup strong coffee (I used Folgers Classic)
2/3 cup milk (2% is fine)
1/4 Tsp. salt
3/4 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp. Sugar
Place freshly brewed coffee, milk, salt, and vanilla into a measuring cup. Place in microwave for two minutes (or until boiling). Pour mixture over Cream of Wheat and stir. Blend sugar into the creamy brown colored cereal. Top with a few more sprinkles of sugar (or colored sprinkles for a real treat) and enjoy a deliciously caffeinated breakfast!
A Few Ingredients
Colorful Sprinkles Add Taste and Purdyness
A Spoonful of Caffeinated Bliss
I love crab dishes. Crab cakes, crab rangoon, crab salad, crab sushi, crab dip, and good ol’ crab legs with melted butter all have an important place in my hearty heart heart. When fixing crab at home, I usually prefer crab mixed with cream cheese. Even in sushi, I like cream cheese rolled up with my crab. That is why, when I recently decided to try something new, I turned to crab and cream cheese as the main ingredients in my special dish.
When creating a new recipe, I feel that it is important to first decide the ethnicity that is inspiring it. There are many Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, and English dishes that utilize crab. But I have never tasted a Greek, Thai, Indian, or Moroccan crab recipe. I eventually decided that it would be neat to begin my culinary experiment with Moroccan flatbread.
A Crabsablanca consists of a spiced crab and cream cheese concoction, sandwiched between two pieces of fried Moroccan flatbread, and topped with goat cheese, peppers, black olives, and whatever else your imagination can conjure up! For this recipe, I am going to create 16 flatbread squares, and make them into 8 Crabsablancas.
Crabsablanca:
CRUST:
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour + more for kneading
1/2 teaspoon salt
FILLING:
1 pound crabmeat
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
16 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp chopped capers
5-6 finely chopped scallions
2 tbsp lemon juice (or 1/2 medium lemon, squeezed)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Vegetable/Peanut oil for frying
TOPPING(s):
8 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
roasted red peppers (with garlic)
sauteed mushrooms and scallions
black olives
chopped parsley
other possible toppings.., sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, ??sauteed lemon?? .
Moroccan Flatbread:
Stir the yeast into 6 tablespoons tepid water until creamy. Stir flour and salt together in a bowl. Add yeast water, gradually working it in with your hand until dough is slightly wetter than that for bread. Knead briefly on a lightly floured work surface, dusting with flour as needed, then cover with an inverted bowl and let rest 15 minutes.
Smear your work surface and hands with vegetable oil and divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Shape each into a ball. Working with 1 ball at a time, flatten into a very thin circle. If the dough is elastic and wants to spring back, let it rest for a few moments, then try again. The circle should be as thin as you can make it without tearing. Spread a quarter of the filling over the dough. Fold it in thirds like a letter. With a short side nearest you, fold the bottom third toward the center, then fold the top third under the center accordion-style to make a small square. Repeat with remaining dough.
With oiled hands, pat and stretch each small square into a large square. The square should be as thin as you can make it without tearing the dough.
Crabsablanca Filling:
Begin making filling, by whipping the cream cheese. place capers in a small strainer and rinse them under running water before chopping and adding to the bowl.
Preheat oil to 350 degrees.
Place 1/8th of filling over a piece of flatbread. Then place another piece of flatbread dough over the filling. Crimp bread dough together with a fork.
Fry for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
Crabsablanca Topping:
Set aside goat cheese, until it reaches room temperature. Whip goat cheese and cream with an electric mixer. Saute mushrooms and scallions in two tbsps of butter, until tender. Fold in mixture followed by peppers and olives. Spread topping evenly over the top of your crabsablanca. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immedietly.
Here are some sites I referenced, to help me develop this recipe..
SFGate.com: Mediterranean Flatbreads Around the World.
The Cooks Thesaurus: Flatbreads Entry
Epicurious: Roasted Red Peppers with Garlic
Yankee Grocery: Food Size Equivalent Chart
to be cont with pics and/or video…
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