Sunday, July 31, 2011

Lemon-Stuffed Profiterole-Puffs


I am all about stuffing things lately...from Buffa's ravioli, to Jacob's calzones, to these lemon curd profiteroles for two. At one of our favorite steak restaurants downtown, for dessrt, they serve nothing but profiteroles stuffed with ice cream and drizzled with a hot chocolate sauce. They are delicious so I wanted to attempt, but lemon was on my mind instead. They were delightful.

For the profiterole dough:
- On the stove top, melt 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove from heat, let cool 5 minutes and add in 1/2 cup pastry/cake flour. Stir until well mixed.
- Add in 2 eggs. Mix again until you have a batter.
- Put batter into piping bag and pipe onto a baking tray (1-2 tbsps of batter). Bake at 425 for the first 10 minutes and then take it down to 350 for the next 25 minutes.
- Done- cool on a rack.

For the yummy lemon filling:
- Over a double boiler, mix together 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, 1/4 cup sugar, zest from 1 lemon and juice from 1 nice big juicy lemon, 2-3 tbsps cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
- Whisk until frothy and thick.
- Allow to set and cool in the fridge.

Assemble:
- Put the lemon curd in your piping bag
- Open each puff just enough to pipe your filling and go at it.
- Set on a plate and dust with powdered sugar.


Summery and Moolicious!

Buffa's Ricotta Ravioli



This recipe is dedicated to a fan of Moolicious Kitchen. I didn't want to do a tomato sauce, so I gently sauteed the boiled ravioli in some sage butter. These Italian-inspired ravioli take a few short cuts but the final product is so yummy. Here's to you Anthony.

Needs:
- won ton wrappers (maybe 40 or so)
- piping bag (makes filling extra easy)

Filling:
- In a bowl, prep your filling. You can do this in the morning, so it's one step completed.
- Mix together: 1 container ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmeggiano Reggiano (the real deal, here), lemon zest from one lemon, tsp hot red pepper flakes, green parts from 2 scallions, about 4-5 fresh chopped basil leaves, salt, pepper to taste.


When ready to assemble:
1. Prep a large pot with water to boil pasta
2. Next to it, prep a frying pan with oil on low-med heat and slowly saute 3 fresh sage leaves in the oil and add a few tbsps of butter.
3. Ok, now coat your counter with a sprinkle of flour and separate all of your won ton wrappers.
4. Put your filling in a piping bag and then pipe about a tbsp of the filling on the half of each wrapper.
5. Seal by using water on your finger tip all around the circle and fold over. Make sure there is no air inside and all edges are sealed shut.
6. Boil 4-5 at a time - for roughly 10 seconds and transfer with a slotted spoon to the sage butter pan. Complete the batch.
7. When all done, sprinkle with 2 chopped fresh sage leaves, basil and of course, Parmeggiano Reggiano.

For my sides:
- I lay down a bed of arugula and spinach combo and placed JUMBO BBQed shrimp on top, with 2 pieces of zucchini.
- Shrimp seasonings: olive oil, 3 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper and a dash of cayanne pepper for spice.



One of my favorite summer meals so far!


Moolicious!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Crusty Cornflake French Toast


I made this yummy French toast the other morning. I think I was dreaming about the idea.
It's simple.

- Using your favorite type of bread for French toast-making...( I used raisin cinnamon bread)...
- Prep an egg dish and a dish of cornflakes, crushed slightly
- Get your pan ready with some melting butter
- Then coat your slices, with the egg and then press in the cornflakes and add to the pan., flip when crispy and golden brown.
- Serve with fresh berries and good maple syrup!



It was Moolicious indeed!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Garden Fresh Lasagna


Here's a lasagna you don't have to feel guilty about. There won't be many leftovers either because it's baked in a square baking dish rather than a huge one- also, you are using the noodles from the last large lasagna you made... so no waste!
I used ingredients from my garden and the results were wonderful.

You need:
- 2 chorizo sausages out of casings
- 3 spicy merguez sausages out of casings
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1 tbsp garden fresh rosemary
- about 2 cups of your favorite tomatoe sauce
- 1 medium sized garden fresh zucchini
- garden fresh oregano
- garden fresh basil
- whole wheat lasagna noodles
- sprinkle of fresh romano cheese, grated
- Enough slices of Emmentale cheese to cover the top

1. Fry up your sausages, with shallot, fennel seed and rosemary. Make sure your sausages are in pieces.
2. Prep the rest of your ingredients: slice zucchini, clean herbs, cook, cool and cut noodles to fit dish, get your cheese ready.
3. Assemble- in your dish, put some sauce to avoid sticking, then layer with noodles, sausages, zucchini, leaving your top layer for the Emmentale cheese.
4. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes until top cheese is nice and bubbly! Top with fresh basil when it's out of the oven.



Moolicious!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Cold Soba Noodle Salad


We had company the other night and usually salad is on the menu. This time, though, I wanted something more filling, healthy and unique instead of your traditional "stuff-your-guests-with" potato or macaroni salad. This is easy and guests were impressed! You can find the Japanese buckwheat Soba noodles at an Asian market, but I am sure they would be in your regular grocery store if you look hard enough.


- I served this with a BBQ Teryaki chicken breast, but you can eat it alone or with your favorite type of meat!


My Asian inspired vinaigrette:

In a large salad bowl, whisk together:
- 1 minced shallot, 3 cloves minced garlic, about a tsp fresh grated ginger, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsps canola or vegetable oil, a shot of rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey, 2 nice dollops of smooth peanut butter, 2-3 tbsps soy sauce, a hot of Sriracha hot sauce, zest from one lemon, pinch of red pepper flakes, about a tsp crushed coriander seeds. Feel free to vary the spices.... It's the combination of all of these ingredients that makes it yummy!!!!

- Now, to "liquefy" and increase the volume slightly, I added some water to the mix....a couple tbsps. Then finished with some salt and pepper.


1. Cook the noodles about 2 minutes, and add to the vinaigrette while warm. This will help the flavor stick to the hot noodles. Mix with your hands.... the best way.

2. Now, let the noodles and dressing marry in the fridge for a couple hours. This will also help you see how much more water you may need to add to loosen up the noodles before serving.

3. Add the veggies.

For the crunch/veggie factor:
I used the following, but you can mix and match your favorites.
- 3 julienned (thinly sliced, lengthwise) scallions
- 1 julienned carrot (raw)
- 4-5 thinly sliced radishes
- about 2 cups of sliced napa cabbage/lettuce
- a cup freshly chopped cilantro
- a package (about 3 cups) clean bean sprouts (raw)
- a handful of salted peanuts and a spinkling of sesame seeds.



Moolicious!




Saturday, July 9, 2011

Piri Piri Chicken Reubens


The St. Laurent side walk sale food is great. These Reubens are inspired by the Portuguese piri piri chicken sandwiches, a classic smoked meat at The Main and a sausage and sauerkraut sandwich at The Veille Europe.
Awesome!


- I used 8 nice-sized chicken thighs, fat removed.

For the marinade:
- In a container, mix together: 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, 1-2 tbsps Sriracha sauce, dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, dash of garlic powder, fresh basil and a small dash of chicken bouillon, followed by about 1/2 cup of water (to cover the pieces). Now add the chicken and season it with more s & p. Let it rest for 5 hours in the fridge.

- When you're ready, cook pieces on the BBQ until well done.

Easy assembling:
- Toast your rye bread
- Mustard both
- Top one slice with sauerkraut, followed by your chicken.
- Add a sliced tomato
- Optional spice: more hot sauce!


Side:
- Arugula tossed with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!



Moolicious!

Smokin' Ribs Delight


Think summer, think finger-lickin' ribs.
This recipe is pain-free....
I had two portions of baby back ribs, freshly cut from the butcher.


Your sauce:
- 2 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, parsley, 1/2 cup BBQ rib sauce (I used Kraft)

1. Prep double foiled pieces, place ribs on top and lather them with half the sauce.
2. Close foil pieces to form hole-free packets.
3. Cook on low BBQ heat for 30 minutes, flipping every ten minutes or so.
4. For the last 10 minutes, remove from foil and cook on direct heat, lathering the remaining sauce.


Your sides:
- Mixed Italian and herb salad with cherry tomatoes.
- A few spanikopita (were frozen) appetizers.

Your other side:
- Wine!


Moolicious!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Spicy Fish Tacos


This was a great meal.... healthy and satisfying. I was in boot camp yesterday- all day tormenting physical activity. So fish was the perfect thing to feed my shredded muscle fibers.

Oh, Moo enjoyed it too.


For the spicy:
- Put half a bag of pre-made slaw in a bowl with a spritz of rice wine vinegar, squeeze of half a lemon, olive oil and about 1/4 cup mayonnaise; add to that some (maybe a few squirts) hot shriraca sauce, salt and pepper and stir.
For the fish:
- Get the BBQ ready
- Lay a nice piece of tilapia on 2 sheets of tin foil
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, fresh parsley and oregano.
- Close the packet and cook for about 12 minutes. Check to see if it's done to your liking.
For the sides:
- I dressed up my basic chic pea salad (see previous blog entry) with corn niblets and fresh basil.
- I coated a leftover piece of onion loaf with olive oil and salt and threw it on the grill for a couple minutes - (surprisingly dee-lish).
Finally, for the taco part:
- With about a minute left on the fish, put your soft tortillas direct on the grill (keep watch, because they can burn quickly) - flip....

Assemble tacos with a crispy tortilla, a bed of spicy slaw and top with the fish!



Moolicious!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Sausage and 'Kraut


This was a "mishmash" kind of supper....meaning a few different items all coming together to complete the meal.

I made a small crustless quiche for 2 with 1 diced green onion, 3 slices chopped bacon, 3 eggs, 1/8 cup flour, salt and pepper and a handful of cheddar cheese; use a smaller form tart dish- 350 for 40 minutes and voila.

I also made a bulgar wheat salad with freshly chopped parsley, lemon zest and juice, red wine vinegar and oil, salt and pepper. Boil your wheat, cool it and assemble.

Finally, fry up some jarred sauerkraut with a sprinkle of garlic powder and pepper.

Mike the sausage-man was home to grill a few French "white wine and shallot" blended sausages.

Place your sausage on a bed of 'kraut and voila.



Moolicious- in no time at all!