One Cook's Nook

Updates...

2011-02-24T08:20:00.001-08:00

To those who read this I am very sorry I haven't posted. Work has been going well and I have been doing small side projects. Right now I am helping my mother with an art opening in Santa Monica. Close friends are having a baby soon so I am helping with the baby shower decorations. Then the TV show I am on now will be ending :( but I have a brand-spanking new job on the other side of town. Needless to say it has been busy and wonderfully exciting.

With my mom in town we have been going out to eat but I have also been able to show off my favorite recipes to her. For instance, last night I made etouffee that was fantastic. Tomorrow we will be eating at Stefan's at LA farm. I want to see what kind of new and interesting food he has on the menu. I enjoy where new American cuisine is heading. New American cuisine should just be called “Everything”. Its influences are all over the board. You can order duck confit or tempura udon but with the chef's personal twist. I want to explore this more in One Cook's Nook and hopefully it will be coming soon!

Working!

2010-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Two months ago I began working on a new TV show. It has been an amazing experience. The people I work for are some of the best I have ever worked for. Needless to say, the cooking/writing has been thrown to the side.

After attending a festival this weekend, I began to look at the pictures on my camera and found some old food pictures. I had a picture of a Pulled Pork Quesadilla using the pulled pork from my Pulled Pork Pizza recipe. And I had a picture of one of my favorite dishes, Chilaquiles.

If you have never heard of Chilaquiles, it's an amazing Mexican breakfast item. You take chili and tortilla chips, mix them up, bake them as a casserole and then top with cheese and a fried egg. It is one of the best breakfast pick-me-ups!

The quesadilla is like any basic quesadilla. I used Monterey Jack cheese, which I believe to be one of the best mild melting cheeses. I pictured it with guacamole, but I ate it with BBQ sauce. So good!

Pulled Pork Pizza

2010-06-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend's mother has the most amazing recipe for pulled pork!. It cooks for a long time in the slow cooker and tastes better every day. I eat it in a bowl with some Carolina BBQ sauce, and so this recipe is a creative tribute to that.

Take a spin off of the California BBQ chicken pizza by replacing the chicken with pulled pork. It’s also a bit simpler if you're only cooking for one. It’s a good, easy dinner that takes only 15 minutes from start to finish! You will find the pulled pork recipe below as well.

Pulled Pork Pizza

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla

1 tbsp BBQ Sauce

1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Pulled Pork (see below)

2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped

1/4 Cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 400°. Mix together the BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar. Spread thinly on the tortilla shell. Sprinkle cilantro on the BBQ sauce then add the pulled pork and the cheese will be last. Place tortilla directly on the rack for 6 to 10 minutes depending on how dark you like your pizza. Cut up and enjoy!

(WWpt-5)

Mrs. Cloud Amazing Pulled Pork

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 6 pieces or 6 boneless pork loin chops

4 medium Golden Delicious apples, cored and sliced

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Place pork in crock pot. Cover with apples (I added fresh cranberries with the apples). Combine brown sugar, cinnamon & salt in small bowl; sprinkle over apples. Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours.

New Year, New Goals

2010-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Let me start this entry by saying I have been busy and I apologize for the disservice to all three people who actually read this blog! In July I took on this idea to start a food blog thinking it would be a fun way to spend time, and it has been. I love to cook but never had the wish to be a cook because I fear that I would grow to hate it. Cooking is my outlet. It’s a way to unwind. But lately I have been knitting afghans for Christmas as a way to relax.

During this time of zoning out on “knit one pearl one” I have found this very easy way to make a meal for one that uses minimal effort. You don’t have to stand over a stove or observe the heat to make sure nothing burns. Also it is a flexible meal that you can interchange with different vegetables or meats to make something different every day of the week.

All you need is a piece of your favorite protein like chicken breast, pork loin cutlet or turkey breast and whatever frozen vegetable you enjoy. The other great thing with this meal is you can make it in the morning while you are getting ready for work and have a freshly made healthy lunch for that day!

Easiest Dinner Ever!

6 ounce Cut of Protein (Chicken Breast, Pork Loin Cutlet or Turkey Breast), pounded slightly to be approximately a half inch thick.

1 Cup of Frozen Vegetables. You can use any kind you like or a half cup of two vegetables.

1 Tablespoon Butter or Margarine

1/2 Teaspoon Ms. Dash

2 Tablespoon of Your Favorite Condiment (BBQ Sauce, Whole Grain Mustard or Teriyaki Sauce. The possibilities are endless!)

Heat oven to 400°. Spray a 9” x 9” baking dish with non-stick spray and on one side place the protein and vegetables. Pour the condiment over the protein. Example: pour BBQ sauce over chicken breast evenly. Place vegetables on the other side and put tabs of butter over the vegetables evenly. Sprinkle vegetables with Ms. Dash. Place in oven for 20 to 30 minutes depending on what meat you use. Just check to make sure the meat is fully cooked and you are free to enjoy!

White Onion Soup

2009-10-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the fall. In Buffalo, I loved it because the leaves changed color and the smell of the air changed. It was cooler outside and we would stay inside as a family, telling stories and laughing.

One of the signs it was really changing season was the smell of onions coming from the kitchen. It was the smell of my father’s french onion soup being cooked.

Now, unlike my father’s recipe and most recipes, I do not use red wine or beef broth. It doesn’t make it less savory, but it does make it slightly sweeter. It’s an amazing fall meal!

White French Onion Soup

Serving Size: 1

1 Yellow Onion, Cut in Half and Sliced in 1/4 Inch Slices

2 Tablespoon Butter

1 Spring of Thyme

2 Sage Leaves

1/4 Cup Chardonnay

2 Cups Chicken Stock

Thick Slice of Crusty Dry Bread or Croutons

Swiss Cheese or Gruyere

Salt and Pepper

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and add onions. Salt the onions so the liquid in the onions comes out. Stir the onions to make sure they are covered with the melted butter and the salt. Turn to low and cover the pot. Cook really slowly for approximately 20 minutes until they are soft. Add the chardonnay, chicken stock, and herbs to pot. Bring pot up to high and bring to boil. Then lower the pot down to medium and let simmer for about a half hour. In an oven-proof bowl add the croutons or bread and then cover with the soup. Add the cheese on the top of the bowl and put under a broiler for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crusty.

A Warm Frozen Treat

2009-09-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

A blog is the last thing I thought I would do. It’s not original and I am not the first person to think of it. There are thousands of food blogs. It is about trying to be even more original than the next person and writing it better.

It is the same thing with food. When I look at a recipe the first thing that comes to my mind is how I would change it. One Cook’s Nook recipes are about taking one thing and making it something original.

Last month’s Bon Appetite had frozen oatmeal cookies. This means you can roll them in a log, cut, and cook as needed (perfect for one). I thought it was a great idea, but I didn’t want oatmeal cookies. I am stuffing sugar cookies.

Stuffed Frozen Sugar Cookies

2/3 Cup Butter, Melted and Cooled

2/4 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Creamer (I used french vanilla)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Cups of Flour

1 Tablespoon of Filling (Examples: Blueberry Jam, Strawberry Jam, Cream Cheese, Mascarpone, Nutella, 1 oz Dark Chocolate Square, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter… I can do this all day but I won’t!)

Mix butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Make sure the ingredients are mixed really well. Add the egg and the creamer. Slowly add the flour 1/3 cup at a time and just mix until the flour is incorporated. You don’t want to over-mix the cookies. Place batter in the fridge for about 2 hours until it’s easier to mold. Then roll into a log about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Now you can freeze the cookie dough for about a month.

When you’re ready to bake a cookie, pre-heat the oven to 350°. Cut off two rounds about 1/4 inch in thickness. You can warm the rounds up in your hands, which will make them easier to mold together. Place your preferred filling in the middle of the cookie dough. Make sure there are no cracks and the filling is about 1/2 inch from the edge. Then place the other cookie round on top and seal them together, making sure there are no cracks. Bake in the oven for about 17-20 minutes, or until the bottom edge begins to brown.

Cannelloni Part 2

2009-09-18T14:50:00.001-07:00

I am still home sick with extra cannelloni beans from yesterday. So this is my second cannelloni bean recipe.

Chicken Sausage with Broccoli and Cannelloni Beans

1 Sweet Chicken Italian Sausage, sliced in 1/2 rounds

1/2 Cup Broccoli Florets

1/2 Can of Cannelloni Beans, (also called White Kidney Beans)

3-4 Tablespoons Pasta Sauce

2-3 Tablespoons Chicken Stock

2 Tablespoon Shredded Mozzarella

In a medium saucepan over medium heat brown the sausage on both sides. Turn burner down to low and add beans and broccoli. Toss together with pasta sauce and chicken stock. Cover the pan and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli softens a bit. Remove from heat and add the mozzarella. Stir together until cheese begins to melt.

One Cold Away

2009-09-18T08:20:00.001-07:00

For the last week and a half I have had a cold. It had a horrible cough that kept me up most of the night. It came to a head this morning when I lost my voice completely.

I went to the doctor early this morning to find out I have an ear and throat infection. The doctor told me that my throat was actually very horrible looking. So I received some antibiotics and was sent on my way.

After taking my first dose I decided I was feeling well enough to cook. I wanted a one-pot meal that didn’t take any effort to cook but would give me the important vitamins I needed!

Spinach and Cannelloni Beans

1 Cup Fresh Spinach or 1/2 Cup Frozen Spinach

1 Piece of Bacon, Minced

1 Tablespoon Onion, Minced

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Roasted Red Pepper, Sliced

1/4 Cup Chicken Stock

1/2 Can Cannelloni Beans (also called Kidney Beans)

Salt and Pepper

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat melt the butter. Add the bacon and onions to butter and sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add red pepper and just toss in pan. If you’re using fresh spinach add the chicken stock first and then fresh spinach. Cover and cook until spinach is just starting to wilt, about 3 to 5 minutes. If using frozen spinach, add both chicken stock and spinach. Cook only until the stock begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Rinse cannelloni beans and add, toss in pan with salt and pepper. Cook until the stock has reduced by half, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Beat The Heat

2009-08-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

The fires have started in Los Angeles. It has become incredibly hot and the smell of smoke outside my window is unbearable. The stove is looking like a punishment.

It’s a challenge to cook without using the stove, while still making a delicious meal. My first idea is to make a salad, but that is too easy. Sandwiches are plain unless you can make a panini, but that uses a griddle.

One of the foods I love is flatbread. It’s a great combination of sandwich, salad, and pizza. You can have many different combinations of vegetables and cheeses. All are delicious!

Heirloom Tomato Flatbread

1 Piece of Flatbread (Naan can be used as well)

1 Ounce Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

2 Tablespoons of Toasted Pine Nuts

1 Heirloom Tomato, Sliced

1 1/2 Cups of Arugula

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Mix honey, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil in a bowl. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Toss arugula in dressing and put aside. Spread goat cheese on flatbread. It’s important that the goat cheese is slightly warm so it is easy to spread. Sprinkle pine nuts on goat cheese. Place tomato slices on top of the cheese and nuts. Salt and pepper the tomatoes. Then arrange arugula on top of that.

Buffalo Options

2009-08-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy week for me. My parents came to Los Angeles to visit for the week. When my sister called asking for a special recipe request, I felt my parents were the perfect test subjects.

When I was younger, if I wasn’t baking with my Grandmother, then I was helping my Father make some French/American classics. In high school my parents allowed me to cook dinner on a regular basis. Sometimes it was good and sometimes it wasn’t, but they always smiled. They would help me figure out what I could have changed.

My sisters’ predicament is that she needs to make a dish to take to a picnic, but wants to make it with a Buffalo twist. It’s like for a wedding when they say “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” For this picnic, “something Buffalonian, something room temperature, something delicious”.

Buffalo Chicken Mini Wraps

This recipe can be used as an appetizer or add lettuce and would make a great lunch wrap!

1 Chicken Breast

1 Tablespoon Butter

1-2 Tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

1/3 Cup Blue Cheese, crumbled small

1 Tablespoon Low Fat Mayo

1 Tablespoon Low Fat Sour Cream

Pepper

1 Carrot, shredded

1 Celery Stalk, cut thin

Whole Wheat Tortilla

Tooth Picks

Use half tablespoon of butter and melt in pan over medium low heat. Cook the chicken breast and begin to brown. Add the rest of the butter and hot sauce. I used 2 tablespoons, which gives you a pretty hot sauce (medium in Buffalo terms). Cover the chicken breast and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Take the chicken out, do not discard sauce in the pan but remove from heat, and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes. Cut chicken up in to a small shred and toss with the sauce left in the pan.

Mix blue cheese, mayo, sour cream, and pepper together for blue cheese sauce. Set aside.

Take tortilla and begin to cut into small rounds with a cookie cutter. If your making a lunch wrap you can skip this step. Then begin to assemble the chicken, blue cheese, celery, and carrot. Place tooth pick through the wrap to hold it together. Enjoy!

The lunch wrap. Same ingredients just added some lettuce mix.

This is another option to take a celery stalk, fill it with blue cheese, top with shred carrots and Buffalo chicken.

Home Cooking

2009-08-17T18:00:00.001-07:00

Having a home cooked meal with only one dirty dish seems like something from a TV show. They always mix the ingredients and then put the dirty bowl under their counters. My dirty dishes always seem to laugh at me from the sink reminding me that I hate them.

The easy way of not using a ton of dishes is grilling. Well, I don’t own a grill or even a yard. But it reminds me of my Mom’s garlic potatoes she would cook in foil on the grill. They’re easy enough to cook in an oven if you don’t have a grill like me.

Another good use for the oven is oven fried chicken. Chicken with all the taste and cooking in the same pan as the potatoes.

Oven Fried Chicken

1 Pounded Chicken Breast

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper

1/2 Panko Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 400°

In a plastic bag mix Worcestershire, Dijon, salt and pepper. Add chicken breast to make sure it covered with the Dijon mixture. Place bread crumbs evenly on a small dish. Take the chicken bread out of the bag trying to keep as much Dijon mixture on it and coat it in the breadcrumbs. Place on a rack over a sheet pan and then prepare the potatoes.

Garlic Oven Roasted Potatoes

1 Cup Baby Yellow Potatoes, sliced (a russet potato would also work)

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

Pinch Pepper

In a piece of foil, place potatoes and break up the butter over top. Sprinkle garlic salt and pepper evenly over top. Wrap foil up tightly and place on the rack with the chicken breast. Place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Cool Summer Nights

2009-08-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people wonder why if I love cooking I don’t do it for a living. There are days where I don’t want to cook. Days when a ham sandwich or a fried egg sounds like the best thing to eat. But posting a fried egg seems silly to me.

That’s why the Farmers Market is the best place for ideas. You might buy an ingredient and it looks good, but you’re not exactly sure what to do with it. For me, it’s a challenge cresting a dish I haven’t created before.

Last week I bought some golden cherry tomatoes. They sat in my fridge and every time I went to grab the grapes they looked at me. Challenged me to try to cook them in a new way. Here is my answer to that challenge:

Summer Pasta

1/2 Tablespoon Butter

2 Tablespoons Onion, minced

1 Small Garlic Bulb, minced

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 Yellow Squash, cubed

1/3 Cup White Wine (chicken stock or vegetable stock can be substituted)

1/2 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Thyme

1 Tablespoon Parmesan

Pinch Salt and Pepper

Spaghetti

Melt the butter over medium-low heat and then add the onions. Simmer for one minute. Add garlic and simmer for one more minute. Then add tomatoes and squash and cook for another minute. Then add the white wine. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the tomatoes start to soften. Uncover, then add balsamic, thyme, and parmesan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the liquid is thick. Toss with pasta and enjoy!

Left Overs

2009-08-11T15:47:00.001-07:00

There are a few reasons why I started this blog, but the major factor was my distaste for leftovers. There is nothing worse than day old food! It doesn’t always reheat right and the flavors are not as deep.

Protein is the only food item I will cook ahead and reheat. You can cook it part-way and then cook it fully on the day you want to eat it. Flank steak is great for this type of reheating if you pack it with all its juices.

A few posts ago I made BBQ Chicken Pizza and cooked the whole chicken breast. This saved good BBQ chicken for a salad later in the week. This is a simple recipe, but it’s made special by the homemade vinaigrette.

BBQ Chicken Salad

1/2 Chicken Breast

Mixed Greens

1 Small Green Apple, sliced

1/4 Cup Grapes, cut in half

1 Tablespoon Bacon, minced

2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Honey

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

1 Teaspoon Thyme, Rosemary, Basil or any other herb (optional)

In a mason jar or with a wire whisk, mix together oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. In a mason jar its easy because you can just shake it. Put together the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour dressing over the top.

Figgy

2009-08-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Providence, here in Los Angeles, has the biggest and most delicious cheese plate. If you order it at the end of the meal, they wheel out a butcher block full of cheeses and let you pick which you would like. They also have the regular accouterment of toast, nuts, and dried fruit.

The cheese plate led me to one of my favorite dried fruits, the fig. They’re so chewy and sweet like an amazing Gusher. My curiosity perked when the fresh fig showed up at my farmers market a few weeks ago.

I tried a recipe that roasted figs with a dollop of ricotta and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. It wasn’t so good. Then I saw a recipe for a tart but I wanted a bit more then just the figs. The mascarpone cheese filling adds a great balance to the fresh figs.

Fig and Mascarpone Tartlet

1/2 Cup Flour

2 Tablespoons Butter, cold

2-3 Tablespoons Water, ice-cold

Pinch Salt

2 Figs, sliced thin

2 Tablespoons Mascarpone Cheese

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Teaspoon Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

1 Tablespoon Egg Beaters

1 Tablespoon Water

Preheat oven to 375°

Pour flour in to a bowl and begin cutting the butter in to it. This just means taking a fork and pressing the butter threw it to make little bits of butter. Once the butter is about the size of peas, begin to mix in the ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time until dough forms. Don’t over work the dough because you want the butter to stay slightly whole for a flaky crust. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or over night.

In another bowl, mix the mascarpone, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and lemon zest. Set aside. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it’s about 6” in diameter and a 1/4” thick. Prick dough on the bottom with a fork to avoid bubbles. Spread mascarpone mixture in the middle of the dough leaving about 1” of dough for folding. Arrange fig slices on top of the mascarpone. Dust top of figs with remaining sugar. Fold dough in around the figs and brush with egg wash (egg beaters mixed with water). Place in over for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Mmm... Bacon

2009-08-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

There are many factors for how and what you cook. It’s influenced by your heritage, where you live, and the availability of products. Your heritage is a constant but the other factors are changing variables.

The majority of my heritage is German, which effects what I cook. My food has a bold taste and generally has bacon. Now living in Southern California I am open to new produce to apply these flavors to.

I want to put this flavor to zucchini. When I was young, my mother used zucchini for a variety of dishes. I adored the way zucchini could be used for recipes either sweet or savory. A zucchini is also a perfect serving for one.

Gratin Style Zucchini

1 Zucchini, cut in matchsticks

1 Tablespoon Bacon Fat, or Butter

1 Tablespoon Onion, minced

1/2 Piece of Bacon, minced

1 Teaspoon Flour

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

1/3 Cup Parmesan

1 Teaspoon Thyme

Add bacon fat or butter into a pan over medium heat. Once the fat is hot add zucchini and sauté until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove zucchini from pan and put aside. Add onions to the pan and cook for a minute then add bacon and flour. Cook for one more minute. You will notice that the flour has absorbed the butter or bacon fat. It’s important to cook after adding the flour to ensure the flour has lost its flavor. Add chicken broth and stir for about 2 minutes before you add the Parmesan and thyme. Return the zucchini to the pan coating it the sauce and cook for one more minute.

Pizza! Pizza!

2009-08-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

I love pizza from growing up in the northeast. The way you bite into a double cheese pizza like a bite into warm string cheese. Weird analogy but it makes my mouth water.

When I moved to California the approach to pizza was a drastic change. Sure a double cheese is still good out west but cucumbers, feta and Tzatziki sauce? That sounds like a great salad to me, not a pizza. For me the one that shines amongst the eccentric and seen as the glory of California is the BBQ chicken pizza.

It was a pleasant surprise when I tried this unique concoction. The simplicity of the ingredients worked startlingly well. It's delicious though I don’t view it the same as a traditional double cheese. For one serving size the best way to make a pizza is to use pita bread as a crust.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1/2 Chicken Breast

BBQ Seasoning (optional, personal recipe follows)

1 Whole Wheat Pita

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Onion, diced

2 Tablespoons BBQ Sauce

4 Slices Mozzarella

1/2 Piece of cooked Bacon, diced

Preheat oven to 425°

Season chicken liberally with BBQ seasoning or you can just grill as normally. Slice chicken into thin strips. Brush both sides of pita with olive oil and place on baking tray. This helps the pita crisp in the oven. Spread BBQ sauce over pita then evenly distribute chicken and onion. Place mozzarella equally over pizza to make sure all is covered. Place in oven for approximately 10 minutes until cheese just begins to bubble but not brown. Then sprinkle bacon over for the last 5 to 10 minutes until pizza is bubble and slightly browned.

Alyssa’s Rub ;)

1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika

2 Tablespoons Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon Ginger

1 Tablespoon Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme

1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients together in mason jar. Can be stored with herbs for up to a year but it might not last that long!

The Recipe Heard Around Facebook

2009-08-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Chick-Fil-A is an amazing chicken fast food restaurant. My exposure to the fine chicken delicacies had been limited but their wonderfully simple sandwiches call to me. A lightly floured chicken breast on a honey wheat bun with sweet pickles: straightforward and scrumptious.

A friend had worked at one during high school and he divulged a bit of their secrets. The chicken comes prepackaged in a secret buttermilk mixture that the restaurant adds some pickle juice to. The breasts are then dredged in their secret flour mixture and fried.

One of the new additions is the Chick-Fil-A sauce. A brilliant combination of BBQ sauce and honey mustard that is fantastic on the sandwiches. My addiction to this sauce and sandwiches led me to creating the Chick-Fil-A Chicken Salad.

Chicken Salad (Chick-Fil-A style)

1 Cup Chicken Breast

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Pickle Juice

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 Tablespoon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tablespoons Barbeque Sauce

1 Teaspoon Thyme

Bacon (optional)

Cook the chicken breast in butter and pickle juice. The pickle juice adds a great flavor and adds moisture to the chicken. Mix rest of ingredients in bowl and add chicken while its still warm. This helps the flavors penetrate the chicken even more. Fridge for at least an hour before serving. I like to top my sandwich with some bacon, then again who wouldn’t?

Apfelkuchen

2009-07-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

When I tell people that I’ve been cooking for 10 years it’s shocking. I was 12 when I was shown how to make an apple pie with crumb topping by my Grandmother. At 13 I took Home Economics, by 15 I won my first pie-baking contest with a Chocolate Banana Pie.

Today everyone knows me as a cake baker. For my boyfriend’s 26^th birthday I made a large Carolina Panther’s cake and every year I feel I need to out do my previous cake. What I felt I needed to accomplish was creating my two favorite baking activities in one single serving.

Apple Upside Down Cake

2 Tablespoons Flour

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Pinch of Nutmeg

Pinch of Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

2 Tablespoons Buttermilk

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1/8 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 Cup Granny Smith Apples (about one small apple)

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon White Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Pinch of Cinnamon

Pinch of Nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl: buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and set aside.

Cut apples in to a thin slice and toss to coat with brown sugar, white sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a small sprayed ovenproof dish (I used my small soup bowl from the brownie recipe) place the apples in a flat layer. This layer doesn’t have to be a single one just as long as not apple pieces are sticking up. Then cover with cake batter to make sure all the apples are covered. Place in a preheated 350° oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and when a toothpick is inserted it comes out clean.

Let cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn upside down on to dish and dust with powder sugar or drizzle with caramel sauce.

Oh My Darlin'... Lemon Thyme

2009-07-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

Cooking is an activity I enjoy and find challenging. A spatula has always been in my hand either stirring salads or scraping batter from the bowl. Something, I believe, that comes naturally, as if I was putting a puzzle together.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, has begun his culinary journey recently. Spices seem as if they have just been brought on the East India Trading Company. Complex flavors can be a bit confusing for him.

This recipe was enjoyable for him and very easy with his busy schedule. Whenever I have a busy day, I like to reach for an old friend: Lemon Thyme Chicken Breast. It can marinate all day or even over night. To pound or butterfly (cutting the breast in half parallel to the counter) the chicken is preferable because after a long day, it cooks faster.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Breast

1 Chicken Breast, preferable pounded or butterflyed

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Thyme (or Rosemary)

Salt and Pepper

Mix oil, thyme (or rosemary), salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a resalable plastic bag or plastic container. Shake vigorously. Place chicken in the bag. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. No oil or butter is needed to cook the chicken in a fry pan for about 5 minutes over medium heat on each side or until done.

A Bit of History

2009-07-29T15:25:00.001-07:00

Growing up involved an evolution of food shows. It was mostly my father and I who would watch them while the rest of the family was in the backyard. When I was very young, I remember some Julia Child. All I could focus on was they way she spoke. It reminded me of Chef from the Muppet show.

The program that really got through to me was Great Chefs of the World. All the food they cooked seems so elegant, beautiful, and delicious! The produce and cooking styles were so complex and… well bizarre! They used scallops a lot and in fantastic ways. The farthest I had explored was just searing them at my grandfather’s house.

There is a list of ways I like scallops now and my favorite is with bacon. Hey, we could all use a bit more bacon in the diet! Another plus is when you go to the grocery store to pick up some bacon and beer you can have a cashier ask you “So what else are you doing today besides the eating bacon and drinking beer?”

Mustard Crusted Bacon Wrapped Scallops

4 Scallops

Enough Cooked Bacon to Wrap Scallops

3 Tablespoons Breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon Herbes de Provence

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard

1 Splash of Worcestershire

Toothpicks

Butter

Lemon Wedges

When cooking bacon the best way to do it is on a rack in the oven at 400° for 10 to 15 minutes. That way you don’t deal with a mess on your stovetop. Also by cooking it only till soft later in the week if you want a piece for breakfast you can re-heat in a frying pan without making it too crispy. Save the bacon fat in the fridge. It makes a great fat to cook in.

Mix together breadcrumbs and herbs in one bowl. In another bowl stir the mustards and Worcestershire. Once bacon is cool wrap each scallop in a piece of bacon and pin together with toothpick. In some situations, depending on the size of your bacon and scallops, you may only use half of a piece of bacon. After the bacon is pin with toothpicks, dip exposed sides of scallop in to the mustard mixture and then in to the breadcrumbs.

Heat a fry pan to medium heat then add a tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add scallops and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Make sure the crust is brown on both sides and they are ready to serve with the lemon wedges. They are perfect when you just squeeze a little lemon over them right before eating!

Everyone Needs Some Chocolate

2009-07-28T17:50:00.001-07:00

At the end of the day all I would like is a brownie and a glass of milk. But do I really want to take out that brownie mix and have a tray of brownies in the house? Seriously, I could eat a tray in three days.

One of the challenges of baking for one would be the eggs. Well… TA-DA… welcome egg beaters. Introduced in 1972, they were designed as a shell-less nutrient packed less calories substitute for the real thing. Over the years, they have become more known for bad college campus food and not an actual food source (until they came out with the egg whites only version).

“But are you going to really bake with them?” you might ask. Why yes! Why not! For living by yourself and in interest of not eating an whole pan of brownies, I will. Hell, I’ll even throw in some frosting too!

Orange Brownie with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

3 Tablespoons Chopped Dark Chocolate

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Egg Beaters

4 Tablespoons Sugar

1/16 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 Tablespoon Orange Zest

2 Tablespoon Flour

Frosting

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Cream Cheese

1 Tablespoon Chocolate Syrup

1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter

Pinch of Orange Zest

Preheat oven to 350°. In the microwave, melt the chopped dark chocolate and butter together for 30 seconds on high. Stir together to make sure all the chocolate has melted. Add egg beaters and stir. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Make sure all ingredients and mixed together before moving to the flour. Add the flour and orange zest. Stir thoroughly to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.

Spray a small ramekin with non-stick cooking spray. I used a William-Sonoma soup cup that’s oven proof and its 4” in diameter. As long as it’s about the same size you’ll be okay. Pour brownie mix in to ramekin and bake for 25 minutes. Yeah, it sounds long but it worked.

While it’s baking, mix together the all the ingredients for the frosting. That’s it. When the brownie is done, a toothpick comes out clean when put into the brownie, let cook for 10-15 minutes before frosting.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

2009-07-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I said, “English is not my first language” the reply was “After food” I thought it was completely appropriate. My grammar and spelling are horrible. The stories I tell are better in person (and after a few drinks) Hopefully, the recipes directions will be clear but be concise. The English… well I’ll work on that later.

One of my favorite go to meals involves artichokes and lemons. Two items I always have on hand. The artichokes are great because they are canned and keep for a long time. The sauce is easy to put with pasta or seafood as well.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

1 Chicken Breast, pounded

1/4 Cup Flour

Salt and Pepper

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

2 Tablespoons Onion, diced

1 Teaspoon Flour

1 Small Garlic Clove, minced

1 Lemon Zest

1/2 Lemon Juice

2 Artichoke Hearts, quartered

1/4 Cup of Chicken Stock

1 Tablespoon Herbes de Provence

Parmesan

Once the chicken breast is pounded, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Then dust the chicken with 1/4 cup of flour so it’s coated.

Heat a small pan over medium heat with olive oil. Place chicken breast in oil and cook till brown on both sides. Take out of pan and place aside.

Time to make the sauce! Lower the pan to medium low heat. Melt the 1-tablespoon of butter in pan. Add the onions and cook for a minute or two just till they start to soften. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed. Cook for another minute to make sure the flour has lost the flavor. Add garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and artichoke hearts stir for less than a minute. Pour chicken stock over the mixture and add Herbes de Provence. Stir again and add chicken breast back to the pan. Coat the chicken in the sauce and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

When you serve the chicken, take it out first and place on a plate. Pour sauce over chicken breast. Take a vegetable peeler and curl some Parmesan over the top. Serve a side salad with some oil and balsamic vinegar for a dressing or another vegetable of your choice! Yum!

Cooking for One

2009-07-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Something cool to say…

Nope. Not very clever. The facts.

Name: Alyssa

Location: Los Angeles

Employment: None

Cooking Experience: 10 years plus

Goal: To cook for one.

Who doesn’t love a good meal? But why does it serve 4-6? Skrew them. Going solo.

Recipes to follow.