I recently purchased a “Cook’s Illustrated; America’s Test Kitchen” magazine. Let me tell you, for instructional material, they have it on lock. Not only do they provide step-by-step guides, they let you know exactly WHY grandma’s recipe was sometimes hit or miss and why the variation and alteration you have in mind could possibly render a superb (or disastrous) recipe. They test several recipes and publish (often with pics) the outcome of each. I get excited because it brings out a little bit of the scientific geek in me. If only 10th grade science were like this…

I have to admit that I am “dieting” so please recognize the sacrifice I am making to bring you this recipe and excuse any drool on this post as well.

The original recipe was for a large tart but after making the graham cracker crust in the blender, I could not place my pie shell for the life of me. (IF YOU HAVE IT…..BRING IT BACK!!!) So, I ran to Publix and chanced upon mini prepared tart shells. These were probably more appealing to my nephews anyway. (But I STILL want my pie shell!)  

Making the filling was surprisingly easy. I have to admit that it almost didn’t happen. The mixture failed to thicken as fast as promised and it wasn’t until I was about to throw it out (I don’t have time to waste on failed dishes, lol) that I noticed it was ready. So the lesson here is to be patient and WAIT!

FOR THE FILLING
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out (or 2-3 tea. pure vanilla extract if you can’t find a fresh bean. I couldn’t   )
1 1/4 cups cold cream
1 quart strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

To Make Filling: Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water in a bowl and let soften 5 minutes. Put the granulated sugar and vanilla seeds in a saucepan and rub the seeds into the sugar with your fingers. Add 1 cup cream and whisk over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Transfer to a bowl, then set in a larger bowl of ice water and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the remaining 1/4 cup cream and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Pour into the tart shells and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour….or for whatever reason in my case…2 hours.

Before serving, top the tart with the strawberries and dust lightly with powdered (confectioner’s) sugar.

This is a very LIGHT dessert. It’s perfectly refreshing for a nice summer night with friends.

                                      

Recipe Ingredients 

Cornbread

• 2 boxes (8 1⁄2 oz each) corn muffin mix
• 1 can (11 oz) vacuum-packed Mexican-style corn
• 2⁄3 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp stick butter, melted
• 1 cup (4 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese

Scallion Butter

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter
• 2 Tbsp minced scallions

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 9-in. round cake pan with nonstick spray.2. Stir first 5 ingredients in a bowl until blended; fold in cheese. Scrape into prepared pan.3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut in wedges.

4. Serve with Scallion Butter: Mix 1 stick (1/2 cup) softened butter with 2 Tbsp minced scallions.

Note: If you use a muffin pan, it takes a little less time (as you can see, it’s a lesson I LEARNED, lol)

                                      

Ohhh Weeeeee…this was a HOT one! I once prided myself as being able to eat some pretty hot stuff so diving right into the “Spicy like Me” chapter of Legendary Patti LaBelle’s Recipes for the Good Life cookbook happened without the least bit of caution. But baybaeeeee, this songbird put me in my place….stagehand. lol Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious!!!! However, it got to the point that I was picking out the minced pieces of jalepeno and habanero peppers with my fingers (at the dinner table) to get the tiniest bit of relief. It didn’t work. It was insufferable and my diners, Greg and Tera, shared my sentiment. lol I definitely recommend this dish………….MINUS 2/3′s of the peppers. TRUST ME! A Fiercefodie is ALWAYS HOT but panting and gagging is NEVER sexy….well, unless you’re into that I guess. lol

(Below, the recipe I believe will work next time with 1/3 of the heat)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used Yukon Gold instead, since that’s what I had in the house–it was fine)

2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut, crosswise, into thick slices

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced

1 large red bell pepper, well-washed, cored, seeded, membrane removed, and sliced

1/3 habanero chile, trimmed and sliced, or to taste

1/3 jalapeno chile, trimmed and sliced, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or water

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I’m not really a big cilantro fan so I skipped this, but I bet it helps to cool off and balance the heat from the peppers.)

Instructions

1. Place a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When just hot, add the oil.

2. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, chiles and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or just until very fragrant and beginning to soften. Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.

3. Add the broth, stirring to blend. Lower the heat and cook, tossing and stirring, for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended.

4. Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

                                      

My mom and I teamed up in the kitchen again and decided to make the best of the extra chicken from our 4th of July Bar-b-que and made a chicken salad to end ALL chicken salads. No, for real…lol. Ideally, this chicken would’ve been grilled but we had waaaay too much meat and waaay too small of a grill for these breasts to make the cut. (We literally had to make 5 rounds of food to accomodate the 4 meats, corn and mushrooms)

• 4 chicken breasts, 3/4 inch diced (Bone-in and with skin is the flavor preference but I had boneless skinless and they were great!)
• 1 1/2 to 2 c. celery, diced
• 1 c. cranberries
• 1 1/2 Fiji apples, diced
• 1 c. walnuts, chopped
• 3 tbsp. tarragon, chopped
• 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 c. mayo
• salt
• pepper

 Season breasts with salt and pepper and drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil on each piece. Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into preferred bite sizes. I diced but you can shred if you like. Here is where YOUR tastes come into play. We like a lot of sweetness coupled with a little tartness. We like crunchiness coupled with a little softness. We don’t like our salads too wet but what’s the point of you have to put mayo on the sandwich bread? I said all that to say that you’re going to have to become a bit of a scientist for a moment. So with “mise en place” (or everything in place) start with adding the chicken to the bowl. Add half of the dry measurements listed above to the chicken. Follow with a 1/2 c. of mayo. Taste. Add as you wish or what you wish. The end result should be to your specifications because if you came to my table….it would be to mine. lol.

To serve: I used to slices of fresh Italian bread with Muenster cheese from the deli. ENJOY!

 Variations: canned chicken breasts, red onions, eggs, grapes, pecans, crackers, toast points, pita pockets, etc.

                                      

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 – Bell peppers (Yellow, Red, Orange- 6 pack sold at Sam’s)
2 lb. Ground turkey (I did 1 lb of each turkey and sirloin since my guests aren’t big turkey fans)
1 – 2 c. Brown rice, cooked (I made it with chicken stock instead of water)
1 Medium white onion, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 Can diced tomatoes with chiles and peppers
4 T. Tomato paste
6 T. Brown sugar (trust me, it will not make it sweet, just balance some of the acidity from the tomatoes)
1 T Red pepper flakes
4 oz. smoky Gruyere cheese (6 of the deli slices will be for the top)
2- 2 ½  c. Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Dried parsley flakes
Sour cream

Directions

Prepare the peppers by removing the tops and digging out the seeds, etc.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add peppers for 4-5 minutes.
Remove from water immediately rinse until cool (no longer cooking) and set aside.
After they cool, test to be sure they can stand alone. If not, cut a little from the bottom to make them flat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with EVOO begin to heat the pan to brown the meat. Season.
After meat is browned, drain.
Add onions, diced pepper tops (minus stems of course) and garlic.
Add brown sugar and pepper flakes.
Add rice (which should be about 2 ½ cups), diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
Continue cooking.
Fold the Gruyere cheese in reduce heat. Once it’s melted, remove from heat.
Line peppers in a casserole dish.
Stuff peppers with hot meat mixture.
Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.
Top each with one slice of Gruyere cheese and then with shredded cheddar.
Continue to bake for 15 minutes (or until cheese is melted)
Once melted, removed from oven and sprinkle parsley flakes on top.
Serve hot with a small dollop of sour cream if desired.

                                      

This weekend we were all set to celebrate my sister’s (first ever) job offer as a recently graduated RN at a local hospital. (YAY TERA!!) Carrabba’s was definitely the spot for such an occasion. Anywho, it took us a minute but we eventually realized that “job offer” did not equal immediate cash so we were stuck at home until it was time to celebrate her (first ever) paycheck. :/

 Pushing back the tears, I got my mind off their delicious Johnny Rocko Salad (fire-roasted shrimp and bay scallops) and red wine and decided to make us a healthier, cheaper substitution in the meanwhile. I recalled a recipe that I wanted to try and I scanned the DVR for Barefoot Contessa’s “Linguine and Shrimp Scampi”. I tend to avoid pasta dishes because without the forbidden white sauces, I can just stick with spaghetti. But there are few tv chefs I trust and Ina is one of them. She’s simple, fresh and flavorful. What the hey, give it a shot….O….M…..G……IT WAS SOOOOO GOOOD! To lighten the original recipe up a little, I substituted whole wheat pasta for the regular stuff and I used extra fresh parsley, lemon juice and garlic to cut back a tad on the butter. The noodles in that lemon butter sauce were so good, even AFTER we ran out of shrimp, lol. (Hey, I plan my meals properly, we had an unexpected guest) I don’t keep bread in the house because I wouldn’t be able to keep bread in the house…if you know what I mean, lol. So, in true old-school form, my mother toasted some sliced bread with oregano, garlic salt and butter. A true cook will make a way…..Well, I guess the same can be said for a true fatty. LOL

Enjoy. We definitely did.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt plus 3 tsp.
• 1-1/2 lb whole wheat linguine (1.5 boxes) 
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 5 Tbsp. good olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. minced garlic (8 cloves)
• 2 lbs. large shrimp (U15 size), peeled and deveined
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, zest grated
• 1/2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
• 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (may want to scale back a little, it was spicy but not like “Oh my I need some water” in my opinion, so you be the judge) 

Directions

Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 2 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

SERVES 4

                                      

For my first day back, I decided to ABSOLUTELY WOW you with something understated and simple. Kinda like that DKNY black dress I LOVE with my triple stranded pearls. Anyway….Thanks to my good friend and fellow foodie, Stacey P. for pointing me to this ONE-DISH WONDER. IT IS A WINNER!

Pampered Chef Lemon GrΣΣk Chicken

Ingredients:

Zest of 2 lemons (Tip – Zest Lemons before juicing)
1 C. lemon juice (Pretty much 3 lemons)
4 T. Extra Virgin olive oil
1 Head of garlic (roughly chopped)
4 T. dried oregano leaves
3/4 T. salt
1/8 T. ground black pepper
8 Baby Idahoes (small red potatoes, no need to peel)
1 Medium red bell pepper, cut into thin slices

1 Medium orange pepper, cut into thin slices
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
Whole Chicken cut up (cleaned)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

In 1 qt bowl, combine lemon zest, juice and oil.

Add garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper; set aside.

Cut each potato lengthwise place in 9 X 13 casserole dish.

Add bell pepper, onion, and half of the lemon juice mixture; toss to coat.

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

Place chicken on top of vegetables; brush with the remaining lemon juice mixture.

Bake 60 to 70 mins. or until chicken is no longer pink in center and potatoes are fork tender, basting chicken and vegetables with pan juices after 30 minutes. (At the 30 minute mark, I brushed on a little more EVOO)

Serve over brown rice cooked entirely in chicken broth (no water…bleck) and 1 T. butter.  Plate rice, followed by chicken and veggies and last but definitely not least, spoon some of that great flavored broth and pan juices on top. SUPERB! AND ONE OF THE BEST PARTS…..IT FITS INTO MY NEW BETTER EATING PLAN…SPA FIERCE!! (Without the skin of course. My mom is visiting and she would’ve killed me had I removed it from her pieces as well. It was delish without! I promise.)

Yield: 4 servings

                                      

The other night I intended to cook a very quick and easy meal of pork chops, yellow rice and frozen sweet peas. To be honest, I really wasn’t interested in the meal but Greg loves pork chops. Since we have to co-exist, I decided to jazz them up a little bit. I quickly scoured the web for an easy recipe. I already knew apples paired well with them so, I googled pork chops and apples. After comparing 5 or 6 recipes, I found one that used all the crap I already had, lol. I could not believe how easy and DELICIOUS it was. And the best part, it fits into my “A little Fiercer in the Middle” eating plan. Plus, Greg said to put it in rotation.

4 extra lean pork chops (seasoned with salt and pepper)

2 apples (cored, cut into eighths)

1 medium onion (sliced)

2 tbsp. of butter

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. Cinnamon (or more to taste)

1 tea. nutmeg

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 4 tbsp of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Add seasoned pork chops and braise 2-3 mins on either side. Remove from pan and add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and scrape the bits from the pan. Add onions and saute for 4 mins. Add apples, sugar and spices and continue cooking for an additional 6 mins. Remove from heat. Add butter and toss. Push the mixture aside and return chops to the pan. Top the chops with the apple mixture and place the skillet in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

                                      

Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Drumettes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 cup bourbon, divided
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Crystal)
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 30 chicken drumettes* or drummette / wing combo (about 4 pounds)
• Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce (see recipe)

*A chicken drumette is the thick, meaty section of the chicken wing that resembles a drumstick.

Preparation

• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup bourbon; boil until most of liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup bourbon, ketchup, hot pepper sauce, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season marinade with salt and pepper. Remove marinade from heat; cool to room temperature.
• Place chicken drumettes in 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour marinade over and turn drumettes to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place cooling rack atop prepared baking sheet. Arrange drumettes on rack, spacing slightly apart. Spread any remaining marinade from dish over drumettes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake drumettes (still on cooling rack) until cooked through and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Transfer drumettes to serving platter. Serve Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce (recipe below) alongside.

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Preparation

• Whisk blue cheese crumbles, sour cream, and parsley in medium bowl until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. DO AHEAD Dipping sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Devil Eggs

12 Large eggs (Peeled and cut lengthwise)

Mayonnaise

Sweet Relish (Completely drained)

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Red Pepper flakes

 Please follow the steps to preparing hard-boiled eggs in the post How to Boil an egg. I cannot tell you exact measurements for the filling because it is a matter of preference. However, I can tell you exactly WHERE I’VE SEEN THIS DISH GO TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY WRONG…

1) Too wet!!

Possible Cause: Too much mayo. It is okay to start with a little and build. You cannot GO BACK but you can always add.

Possible Cause: Pickles not drained. The pickle juice can be overpowering for the sweet pickle. When I say drain, I mean to press the pickles as hard as you can against the wall of the colander to get all of the excess juice out.

2) Not enough pickle. You should have a good balance of sweet and savory with the egg filing. You should be able to SEE IT. 

3) Too much salt. Again, balance. If I find that mine are a little too salty, I add more pickle. Start out with a 1/4 tea of salt and a 1/2 tea. of pepper to begin. 

4) HOT. THEY SHOULD NEVER BE HOT. Please be careful when serving folks, keep them cool and everyone will be safe and they taste better that way. 

5) Overcooked eggs. The egg whites become rubbery and the yolks are no longer yellow.

6) Visually unappealing. I think we solved some of the trouble in the cooking process in “Tips for Perfect Devil Eggs” article. However, as far as presentation, there are a few simple tricks for “pretty eggs”:

- Instead of spooning them, pipe them into the egg whites with a simple Ziploc bag. All you do is cut a hole large egg for the filing to pass and presto. Equally filled and decorated eggs. If you wanted, you could go as far as using a pastry bag and decorative tip. If I’m doing a party, I like to pipe them onsite. I carry the whites in a Tupperware and my Ziploc bag with the filing separately.

- make sure they don’t slide and can turn over. If you don’t have a dish with devil egg cavities, use leafy stuff like Romaine lettuce, cabbage (green and purple varieties), I’ve even seen dry beans used before.

- Go easy on the paprika and try to sprinkle it on evenly among the eggs. Too much and your vibrant red accent color becomes a brown downer. I also LOVE parsley for garnish (curly or flat leaf). It adds a special touch and you’ll see that I use it a lot (but mainly because they make you buy a huge bunch and I never have any other uses for it). I also like green onions or chives. 

Everyone makes devil eggs but everyone doesn’t take the care to make them GREAT! Follow these tips and you’ll be adding eggs to the list of things they ask you to bring to every function. (Hey! I don’t mind…this is CHEAP!! It’s the Jumbo Lumpmeat Crab salad I hate being asked to make, lol)

T.G.I.F. Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
• 1/2 tea. garlic
• 1/8 tea. onion powder
• 10 oz. frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
• 8 oz. artichoke hearts broken apart
• chopped tomatoes (to garnish)

Preparation:

• Lightly cover the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray
• Combine all ingredients in bowl and pour into dish with the exception of the tomatoes.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. (Usually, I multiply this recipe by 4 and bake at 350 degrees for 50 – 65 minutes. Just make sure the cheese is melted)
• Garnish with tomatoes
• Serve immediately in a bread bowl or in a pretty dish with tortilla chips, toast points or bread of choice. Or, if it’s for a party, I like to put it in the crock pot to keep it hot.

                                      

 Yes, it is trickier than you would think…well, you should know because I am sure you have ALL had horrible boiled eggs masked as appetizing devil eggs. Eggs are called nature’s perfect food, good fat, good protein and portion. Perfect. At least it will be if you follow the tips below.

The eggs should be fresh but not too fresh. The fresher the egg, the harder to peel. It’s kinda hard to tell because there is no way of knowing if all the eggs in your carton were laid on the same day…quite unlikely even. I would suggest buying them 2 days before your event if at all possible.

 Cool them at room temperature before boiling. Room temp eggs are less likely to crack.

 Place in pan in a single layer and cover with water by 1 inch. This will ensure even cooking times for the eggs. NO SALT! It increases the boiling point…but you knew that already.

 Bring the water to JUST a boil. I mean it! The second you see a boil, remove the eggs from the stove and cover for 17 minutes. TRUST ME!! THIS WORKS! SET THE TIMER….17 minutes EXACTLY! (This is for large eggs, use 20 minutes for jumbo). You ever had green yolks? Had eggs that were too rubbery? Cracked and spouting little underwater egg titties? That’s because you boiled the hellouttadem!! J It’s going to be hard to do, I know. I knew this trick for 2 years before I gained the courage to go for it, but I did and it has been marvelous ever since.

 Drain them and place them in cool water with ice cubes (ice bath) for at least 10 minutes. This stops the cooking process (refer to trouble with overcooked eggs above) and it helps to separate the egg from its shell thereby making peeling easier. Another trick for peeling is to crack them in the water and peel them under running water.

FOR DEVIL EGGS:

Lie them on their side for a day.  The yolk will then center itself so you have it directly in the middle of the white. No more off centered deviled eggs. (I’d JUST bought my eggs prior to the pics so ummm…yeah. Lol)

 Make at least 2 extra eggs.  This way, if you do have a little trouble with one (rip the whites, have one that is all nasty looking and raggedy etc.) you’ll have a back up. AND, you’ll have a sampler for the kitchen buzzards that tend to come around when you’re cooking.