A New Food Network Favorite!

I am in love with this new show (well - its a few months old now) on Food Network called Ask Aida. Here is a snippet about the show from the food network's website:

About the Show
Cooking expert Aida Mollenkamp prepares delicious dishes while solving Food Network viewers' culinary conundrums on her interactive cooking show, Ask Aida. From recipe and ingredient issues to advice on kitchen machinery and tools, Aida will even offer guidance for impromptu parties, feeding a crowd, make-ahead dishes and time-saving tips. Whether it's pies or pasta, grilling or frying, each episode will highlight a specific topic inspired by viewer-submitted video and e-mail questions that Aida will answer as she whips up tasty recipes.

I love that you can go to the show's website and email a question to Aida and she really answers! There is a part of each episode featuring an obscure kitchen device or gadget where they try to stump Aida as to its purpose... but I've never seen her stumped!

Kristy

Frozen to Dinner-ready in 5 min.

In our little newlywed family, we have to be very conscious about how our money is spent each month. One way that we've been able to lower our monthly grocery bill is by buying some of our meat (mainly lean ground beef and chicken cutlets or chicken breasts) in bulk when it goes on sale.

I've NEVER been a fan of defrosting, though. Especially meat. I've taken too many microbiology courses to make me overly-aware of the possible bacteria that could proliferate if I were to defrost something in the wrong way or time frame.

Recently, though, I've started using an old trick of my Mom's that works perfectly for frozen meat! The morning of the day you'll be cooking, place the meat in the fridge. That evening when you're ready to cook, turn your tap water on very hot and start to run the meat (chicken, beef, doesn't matter!) underneath the faucet. Soon the styrofoam bottom will peel away very easily. At that point it's a good idea to seperate chicken breasts, etc., one at a time and run each individual breast under the very hot water until you are able to easily palpate it and it no longer feels hard and frozen. Obviously, with beef and other ground meat you'd just need to run it under hot water until you can peel it off its packaging. I usually like to run it under for about a minute more after that point to ensure that even the middle of the meat is properly thawed.

I've also been told that freezing vegetables works well, too; I'd assume you can apply all these same techniques to thawing them as well!

Happy cooking!

Brittany

Word of the Day: Julienne

"Julienne" vegetables and fruit are common elements of many recipes, but do you know what it means? Thankfully, the process is really quite simple. Just take a sharp knife (we have lots in the Sassy Chef Store!) and cut up your veggies or other required ingredient into thin strips. When all is said and done, your julienne veggies will look something like matchsticks or these julienne carrots originally pictured on marthastewart.com.

Happy cooking!
Kristy

Oreo Cookie Balls

This is a recipe I learned from my sister last night. She learned it from a friend of both of ours named Annette. These little cookies are easy to make and completely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 package oreo cookies

8oz. cream cheese

1 package almond bark

1. Use a food processor to finely chop four or five oreos. Transfer the chopped oreo crumbs into a large mixing bowl and continue until the entire package is chopped.

2. Add 8 oz. cream cheese to your oreo crumbs. Combine so that the cream cheese and oreas are well mixed (my sister just used her hands with plastic gloves on and it worked great!)

3. Toll the oreo-cream cheese mixture into bite-sized balls.

4. Melt several blocks of almond bark in the microwave according to the package instructions.

5. Roll each ball in the bark until fully covered and place on wax paper to set.

6. Optional: You can use both white and dark chocolate bark ad create the drizzled effect in the picture for a "fancier" cookie.

Enjoy! Thanks Kim and Annette for the yummy recipe!

Kristy

Claire's Meatloaf

During my bachelorette party, my sister/Maid of Honor presented me with a great little book of mini-scrapbook pages that had been personally made by each girl at my bachelorette party, and contained tons of their favorite recipes! I'm still working on trying each of them out at one point or another, but one of Brian & I's favorite "comfort" meals has become a super-easy meatloaf given to me by a great friend, Claire (hence its name Claire's Meatloaf!)

Claire's Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef
1 packet Lipton's Onion Soup Mix*
1 egg
1 small can Tomato sauce
1 Medium-sized potato or 3 carrots
Oregano, optional

Combine beef, onion soup mix, and egg in a medium-sized bowl. Form in a greased loaf pan. Pour 1/2 of the small can of tomato sauce on top. Quarter either potato or carrots and place on top. Cook, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hrs on 350degrees, or until meat is cooked entirely through. I also enjoy sprinkling 1-2tsp. oregano on top of the tomato sauce layer or potato/carrot layer to give it a little extra flavor!

*Note: If you live near a Publix, their store brand of onion soup mix is fantastic and all I ever use for this recipe!

Word of the Day: Mirepoix

If you've ever watched Emeril, you've heard this term, but maybe you're not sure what he's talking about. Mirepoix is a staple in French cooking and consists of equal parts of carrots, onions, and celery. Usually you saute the combination in olive oil to release the flavors and you may or may not use herbs to season the Mirepoix. Mirepoix is commonly used in soups and as the "background flavors" in many different types of French dishes.

Kristy

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

This recipe is one of this Sassy Chef's adventures in Vegetarian Cooking. I like the idea of great tasting meals without the meat, but truthfully - they seem hard to come by! Here is a great recipe from Cooking For 2 that is vegetarian and delicious! My husband even ate it without missing the meat! You could also easily make it vegan by using vegan cheese and cutting the sour cream (which is really just a serving condiment in this recipe anyway!).

This Vegetarian Enchilada Bake is filling and healthy! One of my favorie things about Cooking For 2 is that they include the nutrition information right below the recipe. This particular recipe has 286 Caloris, 11 gams of fat, 5 gams of fber and 12 grams of protein in a single piece! The recipe is also gluten free because you use corn tortillas.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 tablespoon finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup salsa
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 corn tortillas (6 inches)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, pepper and garlic in oil until pepper is crisp-tender. Add the corn, beans, salt and cumin; saute 2-3 minutes longer. Stir in salsa and cilantro. Place a tortilla in the bottom of a 1-1/2-qt. round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread with 2/3 cup vegetable mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 3 servings.

Just remember that the recipes in this book are designed to feed two people! Ideal for a couple without kids or a single person with one night of leftovers! If you're having guests though, double up the recipes! I like a spicier dish, so you can easily add jalapeno or more red pepper to up the heat! My version was doubled and easily fed 3 people with leftovers. Chips and salsa are a simple appetizer that work great with the Mexican flavors in this dish!

Kristy

Easy Ritz Bruschetta

This is an amazing appetizer that has become a favorite of my husband's. I started off with a recipe on the back of a Ritz crackers box, if you can believe it! I adjusted it to his tastes to make what is now a recipe more suited to my husband's likes. It's perfected for serving Hubby right when he gets home from work and wants something to snack on while dinner is finished, or a great passed appetizer at a small party or gathering. Of course it's best served warm, so plan accordingly!

Easy Ritz Bruschetta
1c. chopped plum tomatoes
1/2c. shredded mozarella cheese
1/2c. chopped green bell pepper
1/4c. Italian dressing
4 T. shredded parmesean cheese
15-35 Ritz Crackers
Garlic salt & Basil

Preheat oven to 400degrees. Mix tomatoes, cheese, bell pepper, and dressing. Add garlic salt and basil to taste. In a glass pan, spray bottom with Pam or Canola oil. Line Ritz crackers and put a spoonful of mixture (about 2T.) onto each cracker. Bake 8-10min. or until crackers are warm and barely soft. Serve warm.

Enjoy!
Brittany

Pumpkin Seeds

So although this might come a little late for some... others may enjoy the festiveness of a pumpkin well into the fall and Thanksgiving holiday! I wanted to let everyone know of a family tradition in my family... cooking pumpkin seeds!

It's very simple... after you've gutted your pumpkin (for Halloween, Pumpkin Pie, whatever purpose you so choose) seperate the seeds from all the gooey mess and rinse them off with water and blot dry. Lay them out on a cookie sheet covered with foil. Salt lightly. Put in the oven on 350degrees and bake for 5 minutes. Eat warm!!

Weekly Menu and Shopping List

Here's a simple way to build a file of weekly menus and simply grocery shopping.

First, create a list of meals you want to prepare for the week. Put some thought in to it and try to pair meals with similar ingredients or "convertible leftovers" (for example, leftover roasted chicken may become chicken tacos the next night).

Once you've created your list of meals, make a complete grocery list on your computer and save it by Date (e.g. "October week 2" or "November 7-12"). Include all of the ingredients for each dish, even if you know you already have it. This part takes a bit more time up front, but it will save you tons of time in the long run!

Print your list and go shopping in your kitchen first. Mark off any items you have and then head out the door to the grocery store!

On weeks that you have more time, use this system to create a new menu and grocery list. When you don't have the time - make the system work for you and just open up and old menu. Your grocery list will be pre-made and ready to go! Because you put all of the ingredients on it the first time, you can head back to the kitchen to mark off the items you have, then ..... Just print, and go!

Leave your favorite grocery list system or template as a comment! We love your ideas too!

Word of the Day: "Fold"

I've decided to take on the fun task of "Word of the Day" Friday today... and you must all know that I am much newer at this "being fabulous" in the kitchen thing than my amazing counterpart, Kristy. However, "fold" is a word that had me puzzled until quite recently, so maybe it's a word that others like me out there still don't know and need a little push in the right direction to finally understand just what in the WORLD they're talking about!

According to the Food Network, "Folding is a technique used to prevent deflating a light and airy mixture--such as whipped cream or egg whites--when combining it with a denser mixture.."

They go on to say the following:

1. Using a spatula, add a quarter of the whipped ingredient to the denser mixture and stir together gently to lighten up the base.

2. Then add the rest of the whipped ingredient and begin folding: Reaching into the center of the bowl, cut vertically through the two ingredients. Then pull the spatula out to the edge and up, gently folding the denser ingredient over the mixture.

3. With your other hand, rotate the bowl as you go. Keep folding until the mixtures are just combined. Don't over-mix or you'll deflate the whipped ingredient.

You can also view their short video on Windows Media by clicking here!

And note: rubber spatulas are about the best tool to use when folding any ingredients. You can find some great ones at our store!

Have a great weekend,

Brittany

Eggless Banana Waffles

I have heard that you can use a banana as a substitute for eggs in some recipes, but I had never tried it out until I one Saturday we didn't have any eggs. My husband was getting sassy himself because on saturday he gets waffles. I decided to try out the substitute and see what happened!

All you need to do is substitute one whole mashed banana (kids would love helping with the mashing part) for each egg in your favorite waffle recipe. Wisk away and get it in the waffle iron. They're delicious, egg free (cuts the cholesterol!), a vegan friendly substitute (still, check your waffle mix to be sure it's vegan friendly), and decidedly more flavorful than regular old waffles. You can add chopped nuts if you want something even a little more special!

You can try out this egg substitute in any recipe you want really, but remember, the banana will add flavor unlike some other substitutes, so you want to make sure it will compliment your recipe. For many breads and sweeter recipes, bananas work great!

Now my husband is disappointed when we are out of bananas and only have eggs!

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Recently my Mom passed on a list that she received from one of her aerobics instructors in Southlake, who had gotten it from MSN's Health section. Wanting to be a physician myself, general health is so important to me- as is people realizing that dieting is not part of that picture! It will only make you frustrated and temporarily lose a few pounds to be on a "diet." The key is healthy LIVING! And since so often our health is dedicated to what we're eating, I had to share it with you guys, too!

10 Habits of People Who Maintain Healthy Weight

They don’t diet.
They keep track of their weight.
They exercise regularly.
They stop eating when they’re full.
They don’t solve problems with food.
They don’t surround themselves with temptation.
They allow themselves treats.
They eat breakfast.
They move, stand and fidget more.
They don’t skip meals.

To these I wanted to add also that taking a multivitamin every day is a great way to keep your body and immune system at peak performance.

Happy Wednesday!

Brittany

Cost Comparison: Holiday Turkeys

This is straight out of one of the Sassy Chefs' favorite magazines - Real Simple. This month's issue has a comparison of the cost of the most popular brands of Turkey, and it's worth passing along.

Butterball (frozen): $1.20 / pound

Bell & Evans (fresh): $2.10 / pound

Eberly (Organic): $2.65 / pound

Empire Kosher (Fresh Kosher): $2.90 / pound

Heritage Foods USA (Mail Order): $12.00 / pound

More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better, but it may mean more convenient. Remember that it takes 2-3 days in the fridge to thaw a 12-16 pound turkey, so buy early and thaw early. Otherwise, you may have to pay more for a fresh turkey at the last minute!