Monday, July 14, 2014

Revival 2014

It has been quite some time since I have indulged my interest in documenting and sharing my passion for food and cooking. Since my last blog post I have had 2 babies and cooked MANY meals. Starting tomorrow I will be sharing again on a regular basis. Whether 5 people are interested or 500, I hope whomever comes across my blog will be inspired to enjoy food and cook with passion. Stay tuned...................

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sicilian Stuffed Chicken

So I have got to get off the chicken train soon here guys, but I was in the mood for stuffed chicken.  Here's my version.  I took 3 large chicken breasts, split them and pounded them out to about 1/4 inch thick.  I then added sliced ham, fresh buffalo mozzarella, spinach and black olives.  I rolled them up, skewered them closed and heated a pan on high heat with a little olive oil and a pat of butter.  I then seared the rolls until they were crispy and golden on the outside.

I prepared a dish with a little vodka sauce on the bottom and placed the rolls in the pan and cooked at 350 for 40 minutes.  I prepared a simple spaghetti pasta with vodka sauce and leftover peppers and onions.  When the chicken rolls were done, I sliced them to present the stuffing inside and served them with a side of the pasta. Yummy comfort food ;)

Mango Curried Chicken

So in this dish, I have to admit, I used a premade simmering sauce.  It was DELICIOUS.  I cut chunks of chicken, cut up red bell pepper, green and sweet onion, garlic and ginger and sauteed them in a pan until golden.  I then added one jar of Indian Mango Curry sauce, added a little coconut milk and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.  I made basmati rice to accompany the curry and garnished the dish with green onion and white sesame seeds.

I would like to try my hand at a homemade curry sometime, this may just be my inspiration!

Carne Asada with Elote and Avocado Salad

My husband took me to Sedona for our honeymoon last year.  We ate at some fantastic restaurants while there.  One in particular, Elote Cafe, was memorable for its signature dish simply called Elote, Mexican for roasted corn.  I took a stab at recreating this dish by memory and taste.  I'd like to say I came pretty darn close.

I marinated a skirt steak in ranchero sauce with adobo seasoning for an hour.  During that time, I prepared 6 ears of corn by soaking them (husks ON) in salted and sugared water for about 30 minutes.  After they were soaked, I grilled them for about 10 minutes, turning once and watched for fire (you want them to scorch a little).  Once they had steamed through, I shucked them and cut the kernels off into a deep bowl (make sure to use a deep bowl as this can be messy).  I added the following to the corn: heavy cream, sugar, mayonaise, fresh goat cheese, fresh squeezed lime juice, paprika, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper.  I then put it all into a dish and into the oven to bake for 30 minutes until brown.  The result was a flavorful, tangy, creamy, smoky creamed corn of sorts.  Soooooo good.  I don't believe this could be made with anything other than fresh grilled corn, frozen or canned would NOT produce the same flavors.

I made a very simple avocado salad by chopping garden tomatoes, fresh cilantro, avocado, lime juice and of course s and p.  Toss together with a little olive oil and serve over the steak.  Margaritas are a perfect addition to this meal :)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers with Coconut Rice and Tropical Fruit Salsa

I wanted to try Jerk seasoning and decided chicken would be the simplest way to go.  I bought an imported wet jerk sauce and marinated the chicken tenders for about 2 hours. During that time,  I soaked the 10 inch wooden skewers in water to prevent them from burning during cooking.  I cooked jasmine rice according to package directions and when finished, I poured about 3/4 of a can of coconut milk and salt and pepper into the rice and continued to let it soak with the lid on (off the heat) while I made the salsa and cooked the chicken on my stove top grill pan appx 4 mins per side.  Judging by the warning on the jerk seasoning jar about its heat, I chose a sweet salsa to cool it down.

Pineapple Mango Salsa
Fresh pineapple cut into small dice, fresh mango cut the same way, one small vidalia onion cut also into small dice, appx 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, green onion, a splash of OJ and salt and pepper.  Toss and let sit in the fridge until serving.

I made my own version of a Mai-Tai to go with this dinner.  Combine Bacardi gold rum, pineapple juice, OJ, a splash of lime juice, a splash of grenadine and a splash of coconut juice in a shaker, shake with lots of ice.  Pour into short glasses with fresh fruit garnish.  This whole dinner was great, took my husband and I to the islands for the evening :)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Give me your ideas!

So, I have managed to bore my followers to death.....not displaying anything I've made for months. Let me know through the blog comments or email me at hfprickett@email.com what you would like me to test and or try to make for the blog.  I'd love some inspiration!!!!! Really...anything, maybe that curry you thought you'd try your hand at, or a roast something, a holiday dish or appetizer, recreate that great Morrocan dish you had at a restaurant, whatever. Please let me know, cooking is my passion and I'd like to breathe new life in to this stagnant blog!!!! My knife is ready to go!
-Hillary

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Pesto Pasta with Raisins and Chicken

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. Days get busy and I need the evenings to relax.  I've also made some pretty stand-by meals lately.  Anyway, I made a very different pasta last night.  I made Rotini pasta in a pot.  In a separate pan, I sauteed chicken and onions, then added fresh garlic, raisins, Portobello mushrooms and almond slivers that  I had previously toasted on the stove.  I combined everything together with olive oil and high end Italian pre-made pesto sauce.  I then plated it the concoction and topped it with fresh crumbled goat cheese....yum!  The dish had a lot of flavors...herbal with the pesto, sweet with the raisins and crunch from the almonds...heart healthy omega 3's.  Yummy dish!