Tag: cream

Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Poblano Sauce

I am very proud of this recipe. I combined a bunch of peppers, garlic and onion and roasted them till they became soft and deliciously nutty. I then blended the veggies with cream and milk- I basically made a cream sauce to be used to make scalloped potatoes. I bought a reasonably priced mandolin. Usually they are quite expensive and not worth the money. They are handy to have around- as they make slicing the potatoes a cinch. I was done in no time. The whole dish took me hardly any time to make.

I would recommend making the cream sauce ahead of time if you are planning a big Thanksgiving dinner. You could even freeze the sauce and take it out a day ahead and assemble the potatoes the morning of and then bake them right before eating. They are simply delicious…

1 poblano pepper
1 anaheim pepper
1 head of garlic with the top sliced off with a drizzle of olive oil and wrapped in aluminum foil
½ medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup cream
¼ cup milk
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the peppers, wrapped garlic and onion onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the peppers and onion with the oil and massage with fingers. Roast in oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the peppers are charred on the outside. Let cool. Take the skin off the peppers and squeeze the garlic out of the skins.
Add the roasted vegetables into a blender with cream and milk. Blend till smooth and add salt. Keep aside. This can be made two days in advance.

2 pounds red skinned potatoes, sliced thin about 1/8 inch
½ cup queso fresco, shredded

Divide the potato slices into three batches. Add the first to the bottom of an ovenproof dish (9X9). Spread a quarter cup of green sauce. Repeat till you have the third and last bit of potatoes. Pour all of the sauce covering all the potatoes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and add the cheese. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or till the cheese is golden brown.

Mexican Stew with Chicken and Shrimp

This is a yummy, one pot meal that is a bit reminiscent of a deconstructed paella… I have delicious sauce that I serve with yummy chicken and shrimp…

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
1 medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fish stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender and add the fish stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the same saucepan with olive oil and add the tomato sauce and sauté for a minute. Turn heat lower and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, till the sauce is thickened. Add the heavy cream, mix well and check for seasonings. Keep aside.

1 pound chicken thighs, skin off with the bone
3 to 4 links chorizo, casings off and crumbled
1 pound medium shrimp
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, ground
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil and butter. Brown the chicken thighs on high heat on both sides, for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle salt on both sides. Take the chicken out and add the chorizo and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan and the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add the shrimp right before serving. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes making sure shrimp does not overcook. Serve with arugula rice.

Deconstructed Shrimp Enchiladas with Tomato Sauce

These are soooo good! I saw some chef make a version of these on The Chew… and it looked yummy.. and very interesting as she added nutmeg to the tomato sauce- not something I associate with Mexican cooking…. So, I tweaked it to my taste and came up with this version. They are easier than traditional enchiladas as there is no assembly requires.. just dip the tortillas in the sauce and add the filling, fold in half and serve!!! Definitely make yesterday’s slaw with them…

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
1 medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fish stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and cut into half
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Heat a frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked through. Turn heat off and keep aside.

1 large avocado, diced
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

6 to 8 6 inch tortillas, heated in a toaster oven or stove top
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

Take each tortilla and immerse in the tomato sauce. Remove and place on a plate. Add some shrimp and avocado and garnish with some queso fresco. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

Orange Cardamom Panna Cotta

Orange Yogurt Cardamom Panna Cotta

I have decided to do all desserts this week in honor of Valentines day. I may disappoint all the chocolate lovers out there.. most of the desserts are fruit based- something different for V-Day!

I love any custardy dessert…I find them very comforting. This panna cotta is comforting and healthy at the same time. I have used cream, which can be substituted with all milk. Either way, this dessert is delicious, especially topped with fresh chopped oranges.

¼ cup 2% milk
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Add the milk to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin and let sit and absorb.

½ cup 2% milk
½ cup cream
3 to 4 cardamom pods, crushed
1/3 cup agave (add more according to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain non-fat Greek yogurt

Add the milk, cream, cardamom and agave to a medium saucepan and simmer without boiling for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and add the gelatin mixture. Whisk well to make sure the gelatin dissolves. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt. Taste and add more agave if needed.
Pour into small bowls and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to cover with plastic wrap.

Orange Topping

2 navel oranges, peeled, segmented, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Add the chopped orange segments to a small bowl. Add the vanilla sugar and let sit for an hour. Top the panna cottas with the topping before serving.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Basil Cream

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Basil Cream Okay, how many of you don’t like brussels sprouts? I know a lot of people who don’t and are not willing to try them. I personally love them and think that if you don’t like them- it means you haven’t eaten the right dish.

This is the dish you need to try if you are not a fan of brussels sprouts.

We cook them for Thanksgiving every year. I like them a lot and always wonder why I don’t make them more often.

This recipe I came up with, is similar to what we have been eating on Thanksgiving for a few years now. We come up with a new menu every year but end up making the same brussels sprouts.

I wasn’t able to find the exact recipe so I came up with this dish from my memory. It is very simple to make and it can be done in two steps- making it easy for the big meal. I first roasted them- it takes all of 20 minutes to do.

I then made a mixture of garlic, pancetta, walnuts and cream. I cooked the sauce for a few minutes and then added the roasted brussels sprouts. At the very end, right before serving- I sprinkled fresh basil.

This will be the best brussels sprout dish you will ever have- really, I mean it. Please try it, even if they are not your favorite.

1 pound brussels sprouts, cut in half if they are large and the first layer taken off
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Will serve 4 people. Recipe can be doubled.

Place the brussel sprouts on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well with fingers and roast till the sprouts are golden brown and soft- about 20 minutes. At this point, they can be taken out and cooled off and refrigerated up to overnight. The next steps can be done the next day right before serving.

1/3 cup diced pancetta
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup cream
1 cup basil chopped

In a large frying pan, heat the pancetta and add the olive oil. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the walnuts and garlic and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Add the cream and the brussel sprouts and mix well. Saute on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and add the chopped basil- right before serving.

Mango Curd and Pineapple Trifle

I love desserts. I am quite picky about what I will eat, though. I feel if I am going to ingest all those calories, it better be worth my while. Homemade treats are the best or if they are bought from a reputable store or eaten at a fabulous restaurant.

One of my favorite things to eat is trifle. I have made many versions over the years. I grew up with it and eating it invokes lots of good memories of childhood. My Mom made the basic version- cake, plain custard, strawberry jam and mixed fruit- and of course lots of freshly whipped cream. It was absolutely delicious! Somehow I can eat loads of it- I am not a big eater (well, my husband may disagree with that statement…). It is so light with the custard and the cream that it is very easy to keep eating.

I am always thinking of different variations of this yummy treat. I love mangoes and pineapple together- so I decided to pair them in a trifle. As I write – blackberries and mangoes are coming to mind- I think the next one will include the two fruits- yum!

It is deceivingly easy to make. When people look at the trifle bowl, they get very intimidated. The only thing that takes a little while to make is the curd- which can be made the day before. Shortcuts can be taken as well- store bought mango curd can be used – although I have never seen it. You can substitute lemon curd instead. The rest is just layering the ingredients- pineapple, whipped cream and the cake- very simple.

I would definitely make this for a holiday dinner. Absolutely delicious- money back guarantee….

Mango Curd

4 large egg yolks
¾ cup turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup mango puree
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon orange zest

In a large saucepan stir sugar, cornstarch, mango puree, butter, lemon juice and orange peel. Cook over medium heat till thickened and bubbly. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl and add half of the thickened mixture to temper it. Return the egg mixture into the saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, and stir for 2 minutes more. Strain through a fine strainer and cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill. Yields about 2 cups.

1 11 oz store bought frozen plain pound cake, sliced thin
2 cups whipping cream beaten stiff with 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
2 cups crushed pineapple including the juice
1 trifle bowl or any deep glass dish

Divide the cake into two portions. Add one portion of the sliced cake at the bottom of the trifle bowl, covering the entire bottom. Next, spread half of the crushed pineapple followed by half of the mango curd. Top the mango curd with half of the whipped cream. Repeat the process and set in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours before serving.