Just Desserts

Triple Berry Crisp

Fruit Filling
1 Pint of Blackberries
1 Pint of Raspberries
1-1-/2 cups of Strawberries cut in half or if big quarters
2 Teaspoons of Flour
3 Teaspoons of white Sugar
Juice of half a lemon

Toss the berries with sugar and lemon juice and let them sit for at least 30 minutes.  The berries will begin to breakdown and let out some juice after about 30 minutes sprinkle the flour over the top of the berries and give them a gentle toss.  Flour is a natural thickening agent and will help create a really thick and yummy sauce.

To make the crisp topping
1/2 stick of butter cut into pea size pieces
3 teaspoons of flour
1 cup of rolled oats
1/4 cups brown sugar

You want to make sure that the butter is very cold, and with a fork cut the butter into the flour, oats, and sugar.  The texture is going to be very chunky.  Sprinkle the mixed topping on top of your fruit and bake at 350* for about 30 minutes or until the butter has turned the oats into a golden delicious topping and the fruit begins to bubble up.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!  This is the perfect cold weather dessert.  There is nothing more comforting than this dessert.  The tart berries mixed with the nutty oats and the creamy cold ice cream is like a party for your taste buds.  This is fairly healthy as far as desserts go.  On some occasions I have subbed the white sugar for splenda and it tastes the same.  I would not suggest skimping on the butter, as it melts it does make the oats really nutty and helps create that crisp-ness.  This can be made in individual oven safe bowls or make a big one for family style dessert.  I hope you try it!  Until next time.. eat, laugh, love & enjoy!

It's that time of year

It is that time of year again.  The temperature begins to drop, it starts to get darker just a tab bit earlier and I need to locate all of my sweaters and finally say good bye to my tank tops.  It is soup season.  I love soup, all varieties.  I think it makes the perfect meal or side dish, and on a cold day there is really nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of soup as you relax in your favorite comfy chair or curl up on the couch while you catch up on DVR or read a good book.

Here is a SOUPer easy (hah I had to) butternut squash soup recipe that is creamy and filling.  Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, a few pieces of popped popcorn, crumbled bacon, or you can even cut a grilled cheese sandwich into crouton size pieces and float those on top!  YUM

1 Butternut Squash
Olive Oil to drizzle (estimate 2 teaspoons)
1 Quart of Chicken Stock in a Box
1/2 Large Spanish Onion or 1 Medium diced
1 Palm of Paprika
1/2 Palm of Cumin
1/2 Palm of Cinnamon
1/2 Palm of Brown Sugar
1/8 Palm of Nutmeg (this is really just a generous pinch)
3 squeezes of Agave from the bottle (if you substitute honey do one at a time and adjust to your sweetness preference)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Splash of Half and Half

Start by cutting your butternut squash down the middle so you have two long pieces.  Drizzle with Olive Oil and sprinkle each half with salt, pepper, and brown sugar.  Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.  This will soften the squash enough for you to scoop it out of its skin.  Squash is such a odd shape and the skin is tough, I have tried peeling it first and I always get fed up so I switched to this method.  After 30 minutes let cool so you do not burn your fingertips.

In a pot on your stove top start to saute the onion, when they become translucent, add in your box of stock and the squash.  Do not worry about cutting the squash, as it boils in the stock it will continue to soften and you are going to either blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to puree.  Add in your cumin, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and agave.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer cooking for about 30 minutes.  Blend and taste.  This is the time to add salt and pepper.  I swirled in just a splash of half and half at the end to give this already creamy soup a really luxurious texture and mouth feel.  Once pureed soup has cooled transfer to air tight safe tupperware for fridge/freezer storage.  Or of course you can eat right away!

All of the spices used are really warm and have great soft spiciness to them.  The initial squash flavor is sweet but as it settles in your mouth you are introduced to the smokiness of the paprika and cumin and the warmness of the cinnamon.  This soup is easy, really healthy (makes approx. 6 cups and each serving is 0 WW points - since it makes 6 servings and you are using so little of Oil and Half and Half, the fat content of each serving is extremely low) and SOUPer satisfying.  Until next time.. eat, laugh, love & enjoy!

As Seen On DDD: Arepa with Carne Mechada

I take a lot of inspiration for my cooking from things I eat at restaurants and see on TV.  I like to memorize the flavors and colors and textures so that I can go home and try to re-create it.  Cooking at home is pretty much always going to be a cheaper option to going out to eat, so anytime I can come close to making a copy cat at home I do!

There is a wonderful Venezuelan spot that Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives went to in Norwalk, CT.  It is conveniently located minutes away from my apartment so I am a frequent visitor.  From talking to a few of my hispanic friends I have learned about this corn cake/griddle cake/hispanic version of an english muffin, called an arepa.  Arepa's are popular in Colombian cuisine as well as Venezuelan and I do not know how I lived until I had one.  It is crispy on the outside and piping hot on the inside.  They are about the size of an english muffin and cut in half and stuffed with any filling you can imagine -- eggs, chicken, pork, beef, veggies, nutella and fruit, the possibilities are endless.

I cannot tell a lie, my arepa recipe is still a work in progress.  I followed the recipe provided on the masa* bag (*corn flour - available in the international foods aisle of most grocery stores).  I suggest adding the water into the masa and go slowly, because you can always add more water.  I made the error of adding the masa into the water so when the texture was to wet and I added more and more masa they fried up heavy. This takes practice but it is well worth the trial and error.  Arepa batter should be thick like play-dough and then it is fried or baked.

My favorite filling is the carne mechada.  It is a Venezuelan beef stew.  You cook the meat down until it becomes fork tender and you can shred it.  The shredded beef soaks in all the liquid it is cooked in and it really enhances the flavor.

I started by sweating a few tablespoons of sofrito (Goya makes a sofrito in a jar, best invention ever) along with 1 jalepeno minced.  After the jalepeno looks like it has softened, add in 1 large spanish onion that has been quartered.  Add in chunks of boneless short ribs and 1/2 of chicken stock in a box and 1 small can of crushed tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Transfer the pot from the stove top to the oven and cook until the meat is tender.  325* for about 4 hours (check halfway through).  Before shredding the meat, remove the onion -- it is basically just boiling so the texture isnt great, it has fulfilled its destiny by adding flavor.  Shred the beef and put back in the liquid.  This stuff is addictive.  You will be eating it for days and when it is gone, you will just be thinking about it until the next time you make it.  

Want to add a bit of a kick to your arepa?  Try blending 2 chipotle peppers with 1 cup of sour cream.  Add a dash of salt and you will have a wonderfully tangy and spicy condiment.  

This is a perfect twist on comfort food.  It is slow cooked meat, and a deliciously fried vessel to help get it into your mouth.  No complaints with this dinner.  Until next time.. eat, laugh, love & enjoy! 

EZ BBQ @ Home

BBQ brisket... Now we all wish we could have amazing pit masters smoker's but sadly when you live in a small CT apartment a smoker is not really an option.  I created a delicious rub and slow cooked my brisket long enough to give myself that delicious southern BBQ taste in less time and in the comfort of your own home.

This is a great Sunday Football meal.  I start it in the morning after I have had my 3 cups of coffee and by dinner time it is ready.  This is really good for any party, it is easy to prepare and once shredded guests can assemble their own sammy's.  If you have a grocery you really like try picking up a variety of BBQ sauces your guests can add to their sandwich.  Or make a vibrant vinegar based coleslaw and put a scoop in with your sandwich--very popular way to eat it in the south. 

I give my brisket a rub down in a wildly flavorful paste.  The measurements are not precise because I just go directly from the spice bottle into the palm of my hand, but I will do my best to give you measurements in "palms."  I added all the spices and olive oil into my magic bullet to blend into a smooth paste, but you could probably use a blender.  

Palmful of smoked paprika
Palmful chili powder
Half Palm of cumin
Tablespoon of agave syrup (honey would work the same -- this will balance out the chipotle pepper)
4 chipotle peppers from the can.  Added some of the liquid from the can also
Generous pinch of salt and  pepper
Tablespoon of minced garlic
2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil

cooked at 275* for 4 hours covered and 325* for 3 hours.  I do the last 45 minutes to an hour uncovered to create a crust and some carmelization of the rub on the brisket.  Cooked low and slow to maximize flavor and give you that fall apart tenderness.  When the brisket has cooled a bit take two forks and start tearing it to shreds and serve piled high on a potato roll! I strongly reccomend a potato roll.  They have a sweetness and are so soft and really soak up all the BBQ sauce that we have worked so hard to create (the meat will release juices and when mixed with the wet rub it will create a great sauce). Accompany with jalapeño cheddar corn bread

I used this Paula Deen recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/moist-and-easy-cornbread-recipe/index.html

I tweak it depending on what I want to serve it with.  This particular version I added in 2 minced fresh jalapeno and about 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar.  

I hope next time you are frantic about cooking for a group you think of this recipe.  I guarantee it will be a huge success and people will be so impressed with the flavors you coaxed out of the meat!  Until next time..eat, laugh, love & enjoy!