Fillet Fish Like a Pro

I do enjoy fish, but only filleted. The problem is, I have little to no clue how to do it myself. I always spend extra buying filleted pieces. I hope that this weekend I can try this one out:

Easter Leftovers?

What to do with the leftovers of a delicious Easter dinner? Well, try making a Ham, Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 cups ham, diced
• 1/4 cup cream or half and half (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chives or dill, chopped

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
   
   
2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Using a blender or food processor, working in batches, process until smooth.
   
   
3. Stir in diced ham and cream. Season to taste with salt. Garnish with parsley, chives or dill.

Nasir Likes his Stuffed Shells

Sometimes you forget about the simple foods that are so enjoyable until someone brings it up to you. This time it was stuffed shells reminded to me by someone I went to elementary school with.

Italian Stuffed Shells


Ingredients:

• 1 box jumbo shells (27 in a box)
• 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 2 pkgs. chopped spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp. onion salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Boil shells in water until tender, but not completely done.
   
   
2. Fry and crumble sausage in pan. Drain and set aside.
   
   
3. Thaw spinach and press between paper towels to remove excess water.
   
   
4. Place spinach in a colander.
   (incase you don't know what one is)
   
   
5. In a large bowl add cheeses, nutmeg, garlic and onion salt.
   
   
6. Beat the two eggs until frothy and pour into the cheese mixture. Mix well.
   
   
7. Stir in the spinach.
   
   
8. Stuff the cheese and spinach mixture into the shells.

And as in the recipe for Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, the sauce will be the make or break for the shells.

Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes
• 1/2 c. tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Crumbled, cooked sausage

Directions:

1. Let this mixture simmer for 20 minutes.
   
   
2. Stir sauce and pour over the stuffed shells.
   
   
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

When you bake the shells, try adding more cheese ontop of the shells like a Chicken Parmigiana. Also, try using more cheeses, Asiago, Ricotta, Cottage. Try experimenting with what you're putting in the shells. Once you get the basic recipe down, there is a lot of room for new variations.

Chicken Stew

Recently I've been eating a good amount of stews and this recipe has caught my eye for something that would be rather easy to try.

Chicken Stew with Onions, Tomatoes, and Dijon

Ingredients

• 1 whole head garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• One 3-4 pound whole chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces (2 breasts, wings, thighs, legs)
• 6 medium red onions (about 2 pounds)
• One 28 to 32 ounce can good quality whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• A pinch of chile powder
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3 Tbsp old-fashioned whole seed Dijon mustard (or 1/4 cup regular Dijon mustard)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   
   
2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place garlic head on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil over the garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic head with the foil and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the flesh of the cloves are light brown feel very soft when pressed with the tip of a knife. Set aside to cool. (See how to roast garlic.)
   
   
3. While the garlic is roasting, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (with lid) or Dutch oven, on medium high heat. Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water then pat dry with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
   
   
4. Brown the chicken pieces, starting them skin-side down, cooking them a few minutes on each side, working in batches so that you don't crowd the pan.
   
   
5. While the chicken is browning, peel and quarter the onions. Remove chicken from pan when nicely golden with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Discard any fat and oil beyond about 1 Tbsp left in the pan. Put the onions in the pot and cook them until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
   
   
6. Add the tomatoes to the pot, the thyme, bay leaves, and ground chile powder. Put the chicken pieces on top of the tomatoes. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time so that the vegetables don't stick.
   
   
7. After the garlic has cooled enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic from the cloves into a small bowl and crush with a fork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to serve with the chicken stew.
   
   
8. When the chicken has cooked, add the mustard to the pot and stir to blend. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the meat. Remove bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve stew over rice or pasta, with the garlic paste on the side.
Serves 4 to 6.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Some of the best meals are made or broken by some of the simplest details. Slow cooking your chicken to perfection, a glaze on pork that you take the extra time to re-apply every 20 minutes, or in this case, a cream sauce.

This sauce is a perfect complement to most pasta creations (or maybe its just my love of Gorgonzola cheese).

As "Professor Wikipedia" puts it:

Gorgonzola is a veined Italian blue cheese, made from unskimmed cow's milk. It can be buttery or firm, crumbly and quite salty, with a 'bite' from its blue veining. It has been made since the early Middle Ages, but only became marbled with greenish-blue mold in the eleventh century. It is frequently used in Italian cooking. The name comes from Gorgonzola, a small town near Milan, Italy, where the cheese was reportedly first made in 879; however, this claim of geographical origin is disputed by other towns

...or as I put it, the best of the blue cheeses.



The easiest recipe with a Gorgonzola cream sauce is to make pasta, chicken, broccoli and toss it all together with the sauce.

And now onto the sauce itself

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 wedge of Gorgonzola cheese crumbled, about 6 oz.
• White pepper

Directions:

1. In a saucepan melt butter and stir in flour (roux)
   
   
2. Cook the roux over low heat, stirring for 3 minutes - do not brown
   
   
3. Add hot cream
   
   
4. Keep stirring while sauce starts to thicken
   
   
5. Blend in crumbled cheese until it has melted
   
   
6. Add pepper to taste

Go be creative with the tastiest and rather simple cream sauce.

Don't Forget the Coco Bread

Jamaica Beef Patties


You can certainly experiment with different sizes here, but don't go much smaller than a 4-inch cookie cutter. Any smaller and they tend to come apart at the seams - a bit like gaping mouths (see lead photo). Also, be sure to roll the pastry dough thinly - a true 1/8-inch. And lastly, I can't resist brushing the patties with a bit of beaten egg before placing them in the oven - it makes the crust nice and golden. Also, feel free to subsitute the beef with any variety of meats you're willing to try, lobster, shrimp, or try a vegetable patty. I'll add a Veggie filling recipe at the bottom.

Pastry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup solid shortening
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 4 Tablespoons) cold margarine
• 1/3 cup icy cold water

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, curry powder, and salt in a large bowl.
   
   
2. Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
   
   
3. Add shortening and margarine.
   
   
4. Pulse until mixture is crumbly.
   
   
5. Add cold water and pulse just until a dough forms. Do not over-process.
   
   
6. Roll dough on a floured wooden cutting board to 1/8-inch thickness. (At this point, you may cover the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before proceeding.)
   
   
7. Cut circles 8 inches in diameter (use a paper template).
   
   
8. Cover circles with plastic wrap until ready to use.
   

Filling

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 Small white onion, Finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Chopped Scotch Bonnet pepper
• 1/2 lb. Lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon Curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried thyme
• 1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Beef or chicken stock
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup Water

Directions:

1. In a heavy skillet, melt the margarine and sauté the onion and Scotch Bonnet Pepper until they become limp.
   
   
2. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, curry powder and thyme and mix well.
   
   
3. Brown the meat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
4. Add the breadcrumbs and stock and combine all the ingredients well.
   
   
5. Cover the skillet and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
6. When all the liquids have been absorbed, the filling is ready. It should be moist but not watery.

Actual Patty

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and remove the dough from the refrigerator.
   
   
2. With the reserved flour, lightly dust a clean surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
   
   
3. Cut six 6-inch circles from the dough (you can use a bowl).
   
   
4. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling onto the center of one side of each circle, leaving about a 1/8-inch border.
   
   
5. Fold the other half over to make a half-moon, press to seal, and make ridges around the edge using a fork. (note: if your dough is at all on the dry side you may need to run wet fingers around the edge of the circles to help get a good seal).
   
   
6. Transfer the patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
   
   
7. Serve immediately with some hot sauce.

Coco Bread

Ingredients

• 2 packets yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups white flour
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Mix the yeast, sugar and water together.
   
   
2. Beat the egg and stir in to the mixture.
   
   
3. Stir in the milk and salt.
   
   
4. Stir in 2 cups of the flour.
   
   
5. Slowly add more flour, stop when the mixture becomes stiff.
   
   
6. Knead the dough until it is smooth - this should take about 10 minutes.
   
   
7. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and some of the melted butter.
   
   
8. Roll the dough around the bowl until it is entirely coated in butter.
   
   
9. Cover with a damp towel for 1 hour (this will allow the mixture to rise).
   
   
10. Divide the dough in to 10 pieces and roll each piece in to a circle, about 1/2 cm thick.
    
    
11. Brush the dough with melted butter then fold in half.
    
    
12. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
    
    
13. Place folded pieces on a well greased sheet and place on the bottom rack of the oven.
    
    
14. Bake until golden brown (this should take around 15 minutes)

Veggie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced yellow onion
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• Coarse sea salt
• 2 larges cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced carrots
• 1/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced yellow potatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh green peas (or frozen)
• 1/2 cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium-size saute pan over medium-low heat, combine the coconut oil, the onion cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
   
   
2. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are caramelized.
   
   
3. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
   
   
4. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
   
   
5. Stir in the green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice, cover, and cook for 3 minutes more.
   
   
6. Season with additional salt and the white pepper (or to taste) and set aside to allow the flavors to marry.

Lobster Filling

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups chopped lobster meat
  
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tbsp scotch bonnet pepper diced
• ½ stalk escallion (Scallions) chopped
  
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp allspice

Directions:

1. Sauté escallion and pepper in a frying pan.
   
   
2. Add chopped lobster meat in frying pan and fry until lobster is cooked.
   
   
3. Add curry powder, sugar, salt and allspice.
   
   
4. Continue to stir and allow to simmer until lobster is well cooked.
   
   
5. Ensure that the curry lobster is wet when placing it on the patty crust.

My Obsession with Rachael Ray

Though Rachael Ray hasn't left her husband yet for me, I did find some of her tips from her interview interest:


Rachael Ray: Great food doesn't cost a fortune

Story Highlights

• Rachael Ray says we need to go back to way our grandparents prepared food
• Plan ahead, make large meals and freeze leftovers for later incarnations, Ray says
• Another Ray tip: clip coupons before you head to grocery and buy in bulk
• Ray says eat fast food in moderation, pick healthy items such as veggies, salads

(CNN) -- On Monday's night edition of "Larry King Live," guest host Ali Velshi talked with TV cooking host Rachael Ray.

CNN's chief business correspondent asked Ray how you can make your meal-time dollars stretch in these tough economic times without sacrificing nutrition or taste.

The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity:

Ali Velshi: How do we keep from packing on the recession pounds? Tonight, help is on the way. Joining me in New York is Rachael Ray, host of "The Rachael Ray Show." ... We're all kind of stressed right now. We're trying to sort of do more with less and certainly eating in a hurry. You've got some great advice on that.

Ray: We need to go back to the way our grandparents prepared food. Instead of buying pieces of chicken, buy a whole chicken. You make that on Sunday, take the leftovers, roll that into fajitas, soups, stews, make your own stock. You've got to start thinking in bigger increments. ...

Stock up on lean meats and proteins, on veggies that you know your family likes and turn yourself into your own frozen food factory.

Every time that chicken breast goes on sale, stock up. Go home, put it in individual storage bags, pound it out nice and thin. It's a quick defrost. VideoWatch Rachael Ray's appearance on "Larry King Live" »

Velshi: All right. So you freeze; I like that. You make yourself into your own frozen food factory.

Ray: Even with vegetables. ... You know, if broccoli is on a great price this week, buy a ton of it, go home, blanch it a little bit of salted water, cold shock it, put it in a plastic food storage bag, done.

Velshi: What's the better deal: Buying your vegetables canned, buying them fresh?

Ray: Buying them at a local food market. You know, whether you're in a big city or a small town, farmers markets are your best bargain. You can buy direct from the small producer. And, you know, it's a great way to not only get organic, but get a great price on it.

Velshi: Let's talk about takeout food. Parents are trying to save time and money. In many cases, that leads us to fast food, because it's cheap and fast. ...

Ray: The food that we can get most readily and at the best bargain isn't good for us. It's processed. I mean all things in moderation. Everybody can have a burger once in a while.

Velshi: What do you recommend to our viewers [for fast food]?

Ray: Hey, I love a veggie sub at Subway. You know, I think that there is affordable fast food. If you're on the go, fine. Everybody needs to pick up a salad or a burger once in a while. There are healthy choices there. ....

If the kids really love fries, tell them they can have a few as long as they eat the veggies, too. And, there are a lot of great strategies you can take with kids in getting them to eat healthier -- little things like switching to whole wheat macaroni, whole wheat pastas.

Velshi: It sounds like it's a lot like dealing with the rest of your financial life -- if there's a little bit of planning ahead of time, you can actually save a lot of money.

Ray: Absolutely. I think you've got to go into the store armed with a good attitude ... and with coupons. And another really simple thing: When you go grocery shopping, do not look at the price on the product. Look at the unit price. Right there on the shelf, it will tell you the price per ounce or unit of measurement. And that's how you find your truest bargains.

Velshi: Let's talk about planning for shopping. When people are trying to trim their bills, what are the biggest mistakes they make?

Ray: They go shopping hungry. They make a lot of impulse buys. They shop too many times during the week. ... Try and make that one master list, really think it out and try and plan one day of the week where you can do a big cook.

Velshi: Are you a big leftover fan?

Ray: Absolutely. But I don't think they should taste like the first time. You know, I'm all for cooking a big chicken and then making chicken chili, chicken pasta.

Velshi: Not having roast chicken for four days?

Ray: Exactly.

Velshi: How do you make that switch if your kids are addicted to processed and fast food?

Ray: Children love good food, and they love being involved. They love feeling like they're helping. If you give children ownership of the meal, if you involve them in the process, they feel like they're problem-solving and it becomes a great self-esteem builder.

And for the transition, it can be as simple as taking things that they like, such as macaroni and cheese, and using a whole wheat pasta instead of a plain pasta.

Velshi: Do you tell them that you're doing it?

Ray: No. I don't think so. Just let them enjoy it.

Velshi: What I haven't graduated to is coupons. I get them in the newspaper every week. Is this something we should be looking at now?

Ray: This is the perfect time to be using coupons. Whether you're somebody that has [money] or somebody who lives on a very limited budget, it's always fun to get more for your money.

Velshi: One of the things in your magazine that I really enjoy is the Supermarket 101 column, just sort of factoids about supermarkets.

Ray: Yes. And it gives people neat tips on how to save money when they go shopping.

Velshi: Yes. And one of them was about buying in bulk, particularly with nuts. Is that the case for everything?

Ray: Everything. When you buy in bulk or you buy a generic name, you have to read the label and make sure that the quality is the same. But, yes, I think it's truly a bargain.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

Basic truffle ingredients

• 8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher)
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Optional base flavorings:

• Mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, about 1 cup)
• Cinnamon and cardamon (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods)
• Amaretto (1-2 tablespoons)
• Almond extract (1 teaspoon)

Truffle coatings

• Cocoa powder
• Finely chopped walnuts
• Finely chopped almonds

Directions

1. In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).
   
   
2. If you are using one of the other recommended flavorings, stir it in with the cream (and ignore vanilla in the next step). If adding mint or other solids, after the cream simmers, remove from heat and let seep for an hour. Then strain away solids, and return the cream to a simmer and proceed with recipe.
   
   
3. Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)
   
   
4. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
   
   
5. Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.

Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles.

Gnocci and Recipe Sites

I have been looking for more places to get recipes and have come across a few.

I have narrowed my favourites down to three: Epicurious.com, Foodtube.net and Rouxbe.com

Foodtube.net is a good source for a video instructions of recipes. But its lack of typed recipes makes printing out your favourites and going to the kitchen not that easy.

Rouxbe.com offers a pretty site with both video and text. The videos are not always preparation information - sometimes just what the consistancies should look like or other info.

And my personal favourite, Epicurious.com
this site is the site of food magazines such as Gourmet Magazine. It's a clear, concise site with printing options for even a rolodex. You can search by skill level, main ingredient or meal.

That having been said. Onto the Gnocci: