Secret Recipe Club: Cranberry Salsa Dip

It's my favorite time of the month!  Secret Recipe Club Reveal time!

This month, I was assigned the blog I Was Born To Cook.  I wasn't familiar with this blog, but I found tons of great things - and Melissa is definitely true to her blog's name - she was born to cook!

I've been on a cranberry kick lately (I know they're a tad out of season, but hey, I've never been one to let that stop me from feeding a craving!).  This Cranberry Salsa was the perfect lazy Sunday snack.  Both Andy and I found ourselves going back for more - this definitely will be on rotation when we have a snack craving!

The only change I made was that I used dried cranberries, and just rehydrated them in some apple juice for about 30 minutes.  Also I omitted the sugar and the jalapenos (mostly because I forgot that they were on the ingredient list, but the dip tasted just fine without them, although next time I definitely will not be forgetting the jalapeno - we could all use a little spice in our lives!)

Ingredients:
Adapted from I Was Born To Cook's Recipe

1 cup dried cranberries
1 & 1/2 cups apple juice
juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
salt, to taste
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Place the cranberries in a small bowl and pour apple juice over top.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes to rehydrate.  Drain.

In a blender (I've been experimenting with my new Magic Bullet - it actually is pretty awesome), combine the cranberries, lime, cilantro, green onions, and salt.  Puree until you reach your desired consistency.

Place the cream cheese on the center of a plate.  Spread the cranberry mixture over top and serve with crackers.  Prepare to get your snack on!

Like I said, this was an awesome dip, just different enough to make you say "Wow!"  I'll definitely be checking out Melissa's blog from now on because she's always coming up with tasty eats!

Want to join the Secret Recipe Club?  Check out the website now!  Be paired off with another "Secret" blogger and enjoy the fun of seeing someone recreate a recipe of yours as well!  All the cool kids are doing it =)

(Louisville) Cardinal Punch

Maker's Mark glasses: require a bit of bourbon!

It's raining today.  In fact, it's been raining consistently for the past week.  It's really cramping my style.  Especially since our volleyball courts have flooded and the games were cancelled.  I was really looking forward to playing in the sand tonight.  Who cares about safety, right?  Well... see, the rain is even making me think crazy thoughts!  Safety is more important, so I guess it's for the best.  But seriously... the rain needs to stop. 

Anyway, I was off from work yesterday and got a lot of food/drink related things done.  This punch was one of those things.  It actually stopped raining momentarily.  It gave me enough time to go out back on the deck and take some pictures.  And then my camera battery died.  Seriously.  FML.

But rain and a dead camera battery (which is now fully charged, thank you) aren't reasons enough to complain.  Life ain't so bad.

And this punch proves it.  Easily adaptable to be an "adult" beverage (throw in some bourbon and you've got yourself something delicious), but delicious enough on it's own, sans-alcohol.  And I don't know if the University of Louisville Cardinals have an official drink or not, but the punch definitely has the team colors going on. 

Ingredients:

Adapted from the 1945 Edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook

2 cups cranberries (the last of my frozen babies - until next fall!)
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
Juice from 1 lemon
1 can of ginger ale (Ale 8 is the best!)

In a medium saucepan, cook the cranberries in 2 cups of water until they are soft, about 10 minutes or so.  Drain the liquid into a juice pitcher through a metal strainer or cheesecloth.  Discard solids.

In a small saucepan, make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and remaining cup of water for about 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Add syrup to the cranberry juice in pitcher and place in refrigerator to chill, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add in orange juice, lemon juice, and ginger ale.

Fill glasses with ice and pour punch over top.  If you're feeling up to it, splash a little bit of bourbon or vodka in there, too.  Or not.  It's up to you! Oh, and if you didn't want to go through the whole making your cranberry juice sort of thing (especially if you didn't hoard any in your freezer, like I did), you could always just get cranberry juice (you'll need about 3 cups) from the store - just skip down to adding the orange juice, lemon juice, and ginger ale step if you do.

Hope you guys have a good rest of your Wednesday!  I'm off to study for my last final ever.... well, in a traditional college course, that is.  Until September when my finals will be Culinary School-related...

Chicken Skewer Pitas w/ Cranberry Sauce & Tahini Yogurt

Okay, raise your hand if you're excited that it's Friday!  (Yes, I'm raising both hands just for good measure!) 

What does everyone have planned for the weekend?  Anything exciting?  Well, me... I've got an Open House to go to for the Culinary School that I applied for!  Hopefully can tour the campus and get in on some scholarship action.  So you guys will definitely be informed on Monday!

Anyway, it's supposed to rain for half the weekend, but it's going to be fairly warm, so that's good, right?  Spring is coming, and I couldn't be happier! 

So to keep happy spring thoughts going, I made these Chicken Skewers (although I didn't take them out back to grill them... but they would be perfect for grilling parties!) and thought of the flowers blooming, the warm weather, and how great it will be to have cookouts.

Ingredients:
 Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe

Tahini Yogurt:

juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup tahini

Cranberry Sauce - recipe from the Eggnog Pancakes post


1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
small handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon


Chicken:

1/2 onion, grated
juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
wooden skewers
pitas, warmed

For the tahini yogurt, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, oregano, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and garlic.  Mix well.  Whisk in yogurt and tahini.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

I had some leftover cranberry syrup (that I had frozen) from these Eggnog Pancakes, and thought I'd incorporate it into this savory meal.  The original recipe called for a pomegranate relish, and not being able to find any pomegranates, I just decided to improvise a little bit.  So in a small bowl, combine the thawed out cranberry syrup, chopped pistachios, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the chicken, in a large bowl, combine the onion, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg.  Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to marinade mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for about 2 hours.

30 minutes before the chicken is done marinating, place your wooden skewers in some water to soak (so they won't burn up under the broiler/grill).

Turn broiler to high (alternatively, you could fire up your grill under medium high heat) and place your rack about 6 inches from broiler (2nd highest notch for me). Thread the chicken pieces on the skewers (about 4 or 5 pieces per skewer) and place on a baking sheet.  Broil chicken in oven for about 5-6 minutes on each side.

When chicken is cooked, let rest just for a minute or two and then assemble your pitas with the tahini yogurt and cranberry sauce.

This would definitely win over at a cookout!  The chicken is absolutely moist and flavorful!  I was a little worried that the cranberry sauce would be a tad to overbearing or sweet, but it actually accompanied the chicken and yogurt very well!  Give it a shot, your guests will be amazed by the flavor and beauty of this dish! 

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Eggnog Pancakes

I have a confession.  I've never had eggnog.  I know, blasphemy!  And honestly, after making these pancakes, I really still haven't.  I mean, the eggnog is in the batter... and these pancakes tasted AMAZING, but I still couldn't get up the courage to have a glass of the stuff.  I know getting the store-bought stuff is way different from making my own, but I think I'll stay timid from this nog for just a tad bit longer.  But I don't think I can stay away from these pancakes.  They were just the perfect way to start a lazy Sunday morning!  And who knows... this could be your hangover cure for the morning!

(Don't forget to vote in the poll... I'm making ice cream and I need some input on what flavor to try out of The Perfect Scoop!)




Ingredients:
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen's Recipe


Cranberry-Orange Syrup:

1 & 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup maple syrup


Pancakes:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups egg nog
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar, orange juice, lemon zest, and maple syrup.  Heat under medium and bring a slow boil.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, until most of the cranberries have burst or become soft.

Remove from heat and set aside while you make the pancakes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.


In a separate medium bowl, mix egg nog, eggs, and oil.



Add egg mixture to flour bowl.  Mix until combined - the batter will be somewhat lumpy still, but that's okay.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Ladle a decent amount of batter into the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until bubbles form. (I like to make pretty big pancakes, but if you want them smaller, go ahead, just adjust the time by about 30 seconds to a minute less!)


Flip pancake over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.


Continue with remaining batter until you run out (I made about 6-7 giant pancakes).

Serve pancakes with butter and cranberry-orange syrup.

These pancakes were off the hook!  Seriously.  Best. Breakfast. Ever.  The eggnog provided a distinct flavor that paired perfectly with the citrus acidity of the cranberries and orange juice in the syrup.  Try these.  Now.  For Breakfast Tomorrow.  On Sunday.  Whenever.  Just try them.  I dare ya!


Well, I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years Eve!  We're not too sure whether we'll be going out or not (Andy has a little stomach bug that he can't seem to get rid of, so I might be the good little fiance and stay home with my poor little guy).  But either way, we'll be together and that's what matters!

* This post is part of Fuss Free Kitchen's Breakfast Club event hosted by Kirithi.  Join in on the fun too by clicking either of the links above!

Anyway, help me pick out a flavor from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop to make next week:




You didn't think I'd let you off easy with Chocolate or Vanilla did you?  I want something crazy, so crazy options is what you have to choose from!

Enjoy the weekend guys!

Steamed Lime-Ginger Basil Tilapia W/ Cranberry Bacon Fried Rice

I think for the first time ever, I actually went to Whole Foods and couldn't find what I really wanted. I wanted a whole trout. No trout whatsoever. I wanted a whole fish, but they only had Red Snapper or Mackerel and neither tickled my fancy (especially because we we're on a really tight budget) while I was at the counter. So hmm... I go in with a game plan and have to improvise I guess. I know a lot of people give Tilapia a lot of slack, because it's not worthy or whatnot. But I believe in giving every fish a chance, so I chose Tilapia.



Ingredients for Trout:

2 Tilapia fillets (or any white fish)
1 Lime
1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
3 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay out 2 pieces of aluminum foil, big enough to wrap the tilapia in. Place tilapia on foil and drizzle olive oil on both sides. This helps to keep the fish moist and not let it stick to the foil. Grate some ginger over top side of tilapia, squeeze lime juice over fillets, and stick 3 basil leaves under tilapia.


Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I cut the lime into slices and placed it over the tilapia before wrapping, but I would suggest not doing this. Although it looks very beautiful, when cooking in the oven, the rind from the lime overpowers the taste of the tilapia. So definitely save slices for an ending garnish, rather than a cooked in flavor.

Wrap tilapia in foil, but not tight, kind of allow for a tent-like wrapping.

Cook in oven for about 10-15 minutes. Tilapia is a very light fish so it shouldn't take very long at all. Unwrap and serve over cranberry fried rice.



But how do you make the cranberry fried rice you ask? I was getting to that...

Ingredients for Cranberry Bacon Fried Rice:

1 cup long grain brown rice
2 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cranberries, soaked in white wine
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices chopped bacon
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used parsley and basil, with a dash of dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

I really like this fried rice recipe mostly because it's a Filipino-style fried rice. What the difference from Chinese fried rice and Filipino fried rice you ask? Well, if you notice, when you go to a Chinese buffet, the rice usually has bits of eggs in it, along with a brown color, from soy sauce, and it's not very "fried". It has somewhat of a soft texture to it.

Well, Filipino fried rice, is actually crispy, but still soft enough to know it's rice. No eggs, no soy sauce. Not in the ones my mom used to make anyway. And this definitely is an upgraded version of my mom's version.

Start by bringing a pot of chicken stock to a boil. Add rice. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes, when all of rice has soaked up the majority of the stock. Then set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat up wok or skillet over medium to high heat and add bacon. Fry bacon for about 2 to 3 minutes, until almost done. Then add shallots and garlic. Saute for about a minute or two.


Add rice. Drain cranberries and reserve some of the wine. Add cranberries to rice and stir thoroughly. If rice seems a bit dry or not to your liking, add some of the wine in, otherwise you can drink it (it's quite tasty!).

Stir in fresh herbs and serve with tilapia!



This was a great meal. The fried rice exceeded all of my expectations and I might have to challenge my mother to a fried rice-off in the near future. The tilapia, like I said, could have been better if I had just left the lime slices off of it until after I plated, but still a good meal!