Not really a vegetable, more of a root or tuber, but definitely a great ingredient for side dishes. I love to combine them with bacon of course, onions and butter. In no particular order.
This is one of my favorite ways to put them together. Quick, easy and delicious.
Onion Potato Casserole
5 medium potatoes, peeled
1/2 large sweet onion (a 1015 or similar)
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Slice the potatoes into very thin slices. If you have a mandolin, use the #2 setting. While you work on the onions, submerge the potatoes in cool water to avoid oxidation.
Do the same with the onions, slice them into very thin slices. Separate the onion rings and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°. Generously butter an ovenproof dish, I used a pie pan. Make sure the butter covers the bottom and sides of the dish. Begin layering the potatoes and onions. First, a single a layer of potatoes, try not to overlap them too much.
Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper, then add another layer of potatoes and onions, finishing with potatoes.
On the last layer, top with salt & pepper, then drizzle the olive oil evenly.
Cover with foil paper and bake it for 20 minutes. A the end of that time, remove the foil, raise the oven’s temperature to 400° and bake for another 15 minutes.
Check out the pretty colors.
Sides can be daunting. Veggies can be… y’know. Green. And if that’s not your favorite color, then they’re a drag. As I’ve gotten older, grown up, I’ve developed an appreciation for certain veggies. I’ve actually come to LOVE some of them. Asparagus definitely fall in that very small percentile. I L.O.V.E.me some asparagus.
A few months back I was watching a travel show, I think it was Samantha Brown in SF. She was showcasing a cooking school in town. This was the first time I saw asparagus rolled in prosciutto. These days I see it almost every time someone is making asparagus. Nonetheless, I thought it was an awesome idea and couldn’t wait to give it a try.
However, the more I thought about it, I felt the prosciutto may just dry out. That, in my book, is a serious offense against pork. Alas! Lightbulb moment. Sub prosciutto for bacon and thus it went.
This is so ridiculously easy AND delicious you won’t be able to stop making it. And if you have picky eaters, who can say no to bacon? Seriously.
Bacon & Asparagus Roll
16 asparagus spears
4 slices bacon, thick
Black pepper, to taste
Trim and peel the asparagus: Bend the bottom inch or so of 1 spear, it will break where the tender part begins. Then use that spear as a guide to cut the other spears. To peel, use a potato peeler and peel about 1-1/2 inches from the bottom. This is not a necessity, but sometimes the peel can be a bit tougher than the flesh and you’ll end up with stringy asparagus. Rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
Place the bacon slices on a cutting board and thin it out a bit to make it more pliable.
Divide the asparagus in 4’s. Tuck 4 spears together and lay them on top of a bacon slice. Wrap the bacon around the bottom of the asparagus, then continue rolling the bacon towards the top of the asparagus bundles.
Hubby can tuck the bacon under to secure it… I must admit when he makes these, they’re way prettier than mine. I just use a toothpick and secure the bacon to the asparagus. Repeat this process for the other 3 bundles.
Heat up a skillet–preferably non-stick–over medium high heat and place the bundles about 1-inch apart from each other. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Brown the bacon on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
Remove from the skillet and set aside. Carefully remove the toothpick before serving. Hubby likes to slice them so they look like sushi.
That’s it. Enjoy!
Cookingyly yours,
Anamaris
There’s a reason for it. I will tell you about it this weekend, I hope. I made another chicken breast dish. A few days ago you saw my post for Chicken Cordon Puff. Today I’m sharing my take on a BLT, if you were to sub the L for C and the T for A and you don’t serve it on bread. It is a Bacon Chicken Avocado Roll.
OK, it’s nothing like a BLT, but I did use bacon. Oooh did I use bacon. I hope you like it! If you’ve read previous recipes (you better have been!), you’ll notice that this recipe is almost identical to the process I described for the Chicken Cordon Puff. I decided to include detailed steps here again for your convenience. I hope you don’t mind repetition too much.
I should say that I prepared both recipes the same evening. Getting the chicken breast ready took me less than 1 hour from start to finish. That includes, butterflying, marinating, trussing and stuffing 4 breastesses. Not bad at all, it would probably take about 20 minutes to prepare 2 breasts for either recipe.
Bacon Chicken Avocado Roll
2 chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
1/2 cp Italian dressing (salad dressing)
2-4 slices bacon, thick cut
1 avocado, ripened
Cooking twine or toothpicks
First you will need to butterfly or split the breasts in half and even them out. Place the thickest side of the breast closest to you. Make sure you’re working with a very sharp knife. Place your hand over the breast and guide the knife into the flesh. Your goal is to thin out the breast so that the thickness is all pretty even. Carefully work the knife through the breast, making sure you don’t go all the way through. You’re simply opening up the breast.
Once you’ve finished both breasts, you will need to even out the thickness. The easiest way is to use a ziploc bag large enough to hold one at a time; cut the bag open on one side and the bottom. Lay the breast down on one side of the bag, top it with the other end then use a mallet or a flat heavy pan to flatten the breasts out.
Pound it out a few times, just until it looks even. After that’s done, pour the salad dressing over both breasts, allow them to marinate while you get the other ingredients ready. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
Spread the bacon out and stretch it a bit to make it more pliable. Peel and slice the avocado into thin strips. It’s time to assemble the roll. Spread out the breast on your cutting board and place a few slices of avocado on one end of it.
Make sure you’re rolling it tightly and tucking any straggling ends towards the center. Next, roll it in the bacon. Start at one end and work yourself towards the center. Then start the second slice from the opposite end and again work towards the center.
Once you’ve stuffed and rolled, you’re ready for some trussing!
First, take the longest piece of twine and slide it under the trussee. Bring it to the top, pull towards one of the ends and tie 2 knots. Make sure to pull it taut, but not too tight.
Next, you will need to knot the cross-sections. Take another piece of twine and slide it under to about 1-inch from the center tie. Pull up, double knot. Repeat this step for as many sections as you need. The chicken breast I rolled for this demonstration was about 7, maybe 8 inches long. I tied it twice on either side of the center cross-section.
Make sure to trim the twine before you put it in the oven.
Preheat oven to 400. For step-by-step trussing instructions, follow the link. Place the finished breasts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is golden. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before cutting away the twine.
I made a quick cream sauce to serve with it. In a small pan I mixed
1/2 cp sour cream
1/2 cp milk
1/4 tsp Herbs d’Provence
2 slices avocado, diced
Dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)
Dash of salt
Stir all the ingredients over low heat, just long enough for sour cream to melt.
Slice the roll before serving.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
You heard it here first, hopefully. The Top Chef It Yourself first challenge ended a few days ago and you voted for your favorite ‘getting to know you’ recipe.
Casey from Eating, Gardening & Living in Bulgaria won you over with her version of a Lavender Creme Brulee. Give her a round of applause as I bestow upon her the TCIY badge for the month!
I’m sure you would like to know more about Casey, so I took the liberty of asking her a few questions. Read what she has to say.
When did your fascination with cooking begin? Tell us what got you started.
My fascination with cooking has existed for some time now. My parents aren’t really culinarily inclined, so almost every year we would go to my Aunt’s house, who is very Martha Stewart-esque. She introduced me to the joys of pie making, so the first thing I learned was how to bake pies and cookies. It wasn’t until I moved to Bulgaria that I really started to cook regularly and experiment with more complicated dishes. Being from New York, I quickly got bored with only have Bulgarian cuisine. I wanted variety, so I worked on replicating things I missed from home.
Kyust-whaat? How does a NY girl end up in Bulgaria?
I ended up in Kyustendil because this is where my husband’s family lives and we moved here to be closer to them as they are getting on in years. I am not going to say it was an easy adjustment, but I do like living here. Everyday is an adventure and that is the attitude that I try to keep.
What have you learned about cooking, growing and living in Bulgaria?
Bulgaria has taught me the value of fresh ingredients and seasonal eating. In the US, we are spoiled by the fact that we can eat what we want when we want. Produce here is only available till it is gone. In the spring you have lettuce and you eat lettuce for two months, then no more lettuce. Plus, there was just one variety, green leaf lettuce, no mixed greens to be found, which was hard to adjust to. Trips to the grocery store were very frustrating. So, I bought some seeds and made my own garden, dedicated to growing what I wanted, so for the past 3 years, I have been exploring gardening as a way to bring my cooking to the next level.
Tell us about an ingredient you don’t like to cook with
I avoid cooking with offal. I just don’t like it! I am adventurous enough that I don’t need offal in my repertoire.
Do you have any suggestions for variations to your Creme Brulee?
Creme brulee is like a blank canvas… you can infuse it with anything. Next up, I have some jasmine blossoms, which are itching to become a dessert. I will keep you all posted on my success!
Aside from yours, tell us which 2 dishes submitted by the other participants you’re most likely to prepare.
All the other entries sounded delicious, but I love custard based desserts so, Jan’s
Choco-Kahlua Flan is right up my alley. Second, Kitchen Masochist
Purple Yam Cardamom Cheesecake is such a bizarre creation that I am willing to hunt down the ingredients to try it!
Doesn’t she sound just awesome? Casey didn’t mention this, but she is currently working/training as a chef at the Hilton Hotel in Sofia, Bulgaria, while juggling her love of food and gardening.
Again, I would like to thank all the participants for January’s challenge and invite you once again to check out the
entries. Remember we will have a new set of ingredients for February, so stay tuned!
I should start by admitting my addiction to puff pastry. It’s true. My name is Anamaris and I’m a Puff Pastry Addict. There. I feel better already. Mind you. I don’t think I’ll EVER attempt making my own puff pastry (knocks on wood, throws salt over shoulder). I love homemade, but I just don’t think I can make it for less than what it costs me at the store. I’m sorry, Martha.
Pre-packaged puff pastry is God’s gift to harried hostesses. It was conceived for people who love flaky things, but don’t have the time or skill to make it themselves. Yet, they long to whip up a batch of something delicious, pull it out of their ovens with a flourish and impress their guests. Oooohs and Aaaahs ensue. Cue the violins and chirping birds. Sorry.
Anydoo, how better to impress that special someone in your life on V-day than with a dish that looks like you slaved all day over a hot stove and a hotter oven? Hmm? Hmm? I bring you a twist on traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu. I present for your consideration…
Chicken Cordon Puff
2 chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
1/2 cp Italian dressing (salad dressing)
2-4 slices bacon, thick cut
3 ozs Gouda cheese, or your choice
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
First you will need to butterfly or split the breasts in half and even them out. Place the thickest side of the breast closest to you. Make sure you’re working with a very sharp knife. Place your hand over the breast and guide the knife into the flesh. Your goal is to thin out the breast so that the thickness is all pretty even. Carefully work the knife through the breast, making sure you don’t go all the way through. You’re simply opening up the breast.
Once you’ve finished both breasts, you will need to even out the thickness. The easiest way is to use a ziploc bag large enough to hold one at a time; cut the bag open on one side and the bottom. Lay the breast down on one side of the bag, top it with the other end then use a mallet or a flat heavy pan to flatten the breasts out.
Pound it out a few times, just until it looks even. After that’s done, pour the salad dressing over both breasts, allow them to marinate while you get the other ingredients ready. Set aside.
Stretch out your bacon slices. Depending on the size of the breasts you will need 2 or 3 slices of bacon to roll each one. I used 2 for mine. Slice the cheese into 1-inch wide strips, long enough to go the length of the breast. Set aside.
Time to assemble it. Spread out the breast on your counter and place 1 slice of cheese each on one end of it.
Now roll it tightly, tucking any straggling ends towards the center.
Next, roll it in the bacon. Start at one end and work yourself towards the center. Then start the second slice from the opposite end and again work towards the center.
Set aside when done.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Remove 1 sheet of the pastry and spread on a cutting board. When you open the package, you will notice that the sheet is folded in thirds lengthwise. Cut the sheet in half across the thirds. Stretch the pastry out a bit; be careful not to pull on the folds. Instead, pull between the folded sections.
Place one of the bacon-wrapped breasts on one end of the pastry and roll it to the other end. Try tucking in the sides as you roll it. Once you get to the end, pinch the seams and try to have all the seams at the bottom of the roll. Place it on the baking sheet and repeat with the other one.
Brush the tops and sides of both bundles with the beaten egg. Using a sharp knife, score the tops of each roll. You can get creative here. Just make sure 
there are a couple of scores deep enough to go all the way through to the bacon. This will allow the contents to breathe without making the puff pastry go POOF!
Pop them into the freezer or fridge while the oven preheats. Preheat oven to 400°.
Bake them for 15 or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into them.
Slice before serving. Voila!
Cookingly yours, Anamaris
Truss that chicken!
I’ve always been fascinated by trussing. It looks so… cheflike. So professional. So fancy. So out of my league! For years I avoided it like the plague. The idea of stuffing and rolling and knotting something seemed somehow out of my reach.
So why truss? To cook log-like foods evenly. Almost anytime you stuff and roll something, there’s a chance the ‘package’ will be unevenly shaped and won’t cook properly. It also keeps thing looking tidy–like bird wings. If you tie them to the body, then they don’t look like they may fly away from the platter. Finally, trussing keeps all the goodness in. Nothing oozes or slips out of the cavity. See? A handy trick, right?
One day I decided I would give it a try. The roll wasn’t all that attractive, but it did serve it’s purpose. It was good enough to commit to the process. I bought cooking twine and gave living space in my pantry. I didn’t avoid recipes simply because they required trussing.
Today I will share with you how *I* truss. It may not be the fancy Le Cordon Bleu way, but it looks good. Most importantly, it’s easy and it WORKS! Ready? Get your twine.
The traditional style for trussing uses one long piece of twine. I find it awkward to keep that piece of string going in the direction it should or I mean for it to. Instead, I tie individual pieces: cutting 1 long piece to tie it across the longest section and, depending on the size of the item in question, at least 3 shorter pieces to crisscross.
First things first. Twine. Remember that scene in Bridget Jones where she makes dinner for her friends and trusses something with blueish twine? Yeah. Make sure you use cooking twine. These will usually be made of cotton and colorless. There are also some elasticized ones, I’ve not used those, but when I buy a rotisserie chicken, that’s what’s on it. Anyway, avoid colored twine.
Second thing: After cutting the twine, soak it in water before using. Not a must-do, but the twine will darken as the meat cooks. If you soak it, it will not burn.
OK, let’s do it.
Step 1 – Once you’ve stuffed and rolled, take the longest piece of twine and slide it under the trussee. Bring it to the top, pull towards one of the ends and tie 2 knots. Make sure to pull it taut, but not too tight.
Step 2 – Crisscrossing. Take the shorter pieces, again, slide it under the roll until you reach the center. Now pull it to the top, and tie a double knot.
Step 3 – Crisscrossing. Take another piece of twine and slide it under to about 1-inch from the center tie. Pull up, double knot. Repeat this step for as many sections as you need. The chicken breast I rolled for this demonstration was about 7, maybe 8 inches long. I tied it twice on either side of the center cross-section.
Step 4 – Trimming. All that’s left now is to trim the excess twine. Use a very sharp knife or scissors for this. Trim pretty close to the knots, just not so close that you need worry about the knots coming undone.
Step 5 – Done. Go roast it now.
I didn’t remind you about this last week. I wasn’t feeling quite myself then. I will tell you about this week’s challenge.
It was hot. It was sexy. It was girlie. It was… lingerie!
Go on, you know you want to look.
Leftovers are like Tuesdays, inevitable. Sometimes you have a full meal left behind, that one is easy. Next day’s lunch. Other times you end up with parts of the meal. For this recipe I’m referring to the former.
Remember that yummy ham I made? Well, we ate it for a couple of days, but it kept showing up. Add to that some cooked white rice and a new meal was born!
This time I will not give you a precise recipe. It isn’t necessary. Think about ingredients you like in fried rice, then raid your fridge and make happy. All you need is the rice, a meat, the veggies you like and soy sauce. Honestly, there’s no science to this one.
Ham Fried Rice
Cooked rice (I had about 4 cps)
Ham, chopped (about 2 cps of the protein you’ll use)
Bacon, diced (2 slices)
1 large onion, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
Scallions
Oil
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
Most veggies you like will work here
To your wok or skillet, add the bacon and cook until lightly golden. If not using bacon, add oil to the wok and go to the next step.
Add the veggies–this time I only had onions and scallions.
Add the meat/protein you’re using and cook until heated through. Remove from wok and set aside.
Add a few drops of oil (if needed), then add eggs. Swirl eggs around the wok, scrape them around in the same way you would make an omelette. Mix into the meat/veggie mixture and set aside.
Make sure the wok is quite hot, add 1 tbsp oil then the rice. Fry and stir constantly to coat rice well. Add soy sauce, for this amount I used about 2-3 tbsps. Stir it in and continue to cook and allow the soy sauce to evaporate.
Sprinkle some garlic powder…this is where I channel the artful BeniHanna chefs, and this step is optional. Again, make sure to stir it all in and well.
Now add the meat/veggie mixture. Stir it in and serve.
At this time I would like to direct your attention to the not so distant past. I’ve been adding recipes here for almost 3 months now. Some of you have been here from the beginning, but I’m guessing most of you have not.
I’ve mentioned before that my cooking palette is pretty diverse thanks to my mom’s influence. Most often, though, you will see a Latin-Caribbean undertone to what I prepare. Mexican touches are probably the next most common variation, then Indian and the rest of the world.
Allow me to point you back to some of my personal favorites. I hope they’ll end up on your cooking playlist. Let’s take a look.
This one is not so much about cooking, but rather about having a few things handy and ready beforehand. I ALWAYS have both of these items at hand. Crushed garlic & habanero paste.
Hubby’s favorite dish. Or at least one of the top 5.
Shrimp is one of those things I can eat whenever. This is my absolute favorite way to prepare it.
And you can’t have shrimp al ajillo without good rice.
And because I love legumes, I bring you lentils!
I’m a pork lover, I probably cook some cut of it at least 3-4 times a month.
The last 2 recipes are very dear to my heart, but may fall within the ‘acquired taste’ realm. Nonetheless, to love me is to know what I love.
Here you have a delicious bowl of mondongo.
And behind door #2, Corvina frita, baby!
I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Yep. This is my 100th post. This came around FAST. I didn’t know what I wanted this post to be about. I toyed with the idea of making it a Best of, or maybe a My Fave recipes. In the end, I decided to go back to the beginning. The beginning of this blogging adventure.
Once upon a time… No, I won’t do that to you. I will tell you it was about 6 or so months ago. I had bought a bunch of leeks, a new ingredient for me, and decided I would stuff a pork shoulder with them. My plan was to debone the shoulder, stuff it and tie it–also a first for me. I was nervous about tackling all these firsts and I started to think about others who may feel the same way about cooking in general.
I often tell friends not to be afraid to try cooking. I truly believe anyone can cook, all you need is a desire to. So as I stared at that shoulder and the leeks, I began to wonder how I could hold someone’s hand through a similar moment. I began wondering if I could somehow provide support, or share ideas, could I inspire someone? I know, a bit grandiose, but in my heart of hearts that’s what I hoped for.
So, on I went deboning that shoulder and chopping those leeks and trussing that baby up. And I giggled at my deformed shoulder roll thing. And I licked my fingers after tasting the leeks. And I smiled when Linz mmm’d and aaaa’d. And I thought, yeah, I want someone else to feel this way. And, so it began.
I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we did. And thanks for reading and, hopefully, eating with us.
Roasted Pork with Leeks
1 5-7lb Pork shoulder roast
For the rub:
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp English mustard
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp coriander
2 tbsp olive oil
If you’ve started out with a bone-in shoulder, you’ll need to remove the bone. You could also use pork belly for this and avoid dealing with a bone.
To debone the shoulder, I started out by cutting straight through the roast, cutting down until I hit the bone. I didn’t take step-by-step pictures of this part, how about you go here for those. When done, set it aside while you prepare the rub.
For the rub, mix all the ingredients listed above, making them into a paste. Liberally rub it all over the roast on both sides. Set it aside while you prepare the filling.
For the filling:
1 bunch of leeks, chopped
1 cp mushrooms, chopped (I used crimini)
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 cp Italian parsley, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
In a medium skillet, heat the oil and add the shallots and pepper, after a couple of minutes add the mushrooms and leeks. Once the leeks begin to soften, add the parsley. You can season lightly with salt & pepper. Allow it cool for a few minutes before filling the roast.
Preheat oven to 400° and get some cooking twine ready. Now for the antsy part… Spread the roast out on your counter. Top it with the leeks filling. Bring the sides of the roast together and truss it with the twine. The one thing you want to achieve, is to make the it as even as possible. That way it will cook at the same rate. Remember to soak the twine before trussing.
Once you’ve tied it up, place the roast on a roasting rack with a pan underneath to catch all the yummy cooking juices. Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes, just long enough to get some nice color on it. Then lower the oven’s temperature to 350° and roast until the internal temperature reaches 170° to 175° (about 35-40 minutes per pound).
Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before removing the twine and slicing it. You can serve it with the pan juices or make a gravy with them.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
