Frittata

How it's supposed to look:


This summer I discovered something amazing. A Fritatta. Basically baked egg! Crazy. I wanted to make it super bad, but my mom had a strict no oven in the summer rule. Finally, I'm in my own place and in the mood for a fancy breakfast!

How mines looks:






America Frittata

Ingredients

• 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup cubed ham
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft.
3. Stir in eggs, drained potatoes, ham, salt and pepper. Cook until eggs are firm on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Top frittata with shredded cheese and place in preheated oven until cheese is melted and eggs are completely firm, about 10 minutes.

Conclusion:

This is AWESOME! I forgot to put in the salt, but that's easily fixed. I also, threw in some spinach, used turkey sausage as opposed to ham and added in mushrooms. How I never heard of this before, blows my mind!!!

Fried Dumplings...Antiguan style.

What it's supposed to look like:


I am Antiguan. It's an Island in the Caribbean. As much as it pains me, think Jamaica. My aunt makes the BEST dumplings. So, I decided to try making something from home, instead of something crazy this time... this is how I fared.

What mines look like:

Fried Dumplings...West Indian style

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
Oil for frying

Directions

• Sieve the flour in to a bowl, stir in the salt and baking powder

• Cut the butter in to small lumps and add to the mixture

• Work the mixture in to a breadcrumb-like texture

• Add the milk a little bit at a time and work in to the mixture (if it is added too quickly the mixture may not bind properly)

• Knead the mixture until it is smooth.

• Divide the mixture in to small balls about 5cm in diameter then flatten the balls so they are about 2cm thick. The dumplings are now ready to be either boiled or fried.
• Heat the oil over a low heat.Fry until golden brown (this should take about five minutes)

Conclusion:

My only problem was that this is extremely hard to knead. EXTREMELY. Like, my hands were so covered in dough. It was a bloody mess. You know, a mess that was bloody. Anyway, it got to the point where I just like dropped globs on to the frying pan. It tastes exactly how it's supposed to. It was fun to make, like being a 5 yr old playing with playto.

Chinese Garlic Chicken and Jamaican Style Rice

How it's supposed to look:



Making Sesame chicken made me wonder about my other fave chinese style chicken, garlic chicken. I looked it up, saw it was practically the same ingredients as sesame chicken and got to work.

How mine looks:





Garlic Chicken:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 15 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 tablespoons Shao-Hsing cooking wine or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups chicken stock

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Toss with flour until coated.
2. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add chicken, and stir fry until the pieces are lightly browned on the outside, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium and stir in whole garlic cloves; continue stir frying for 5 minutes.
3. Turn heat to low, and add Shao-Hsing wine, soy sauce, and chicken stock. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender. Remove garlic cloves before serving.

Jamaican Styled Rice:

Ingredients:

2 Cup Long Grain Rice

1 Cup Pigeon peas [optional]

1 Cup Red Kidney Beans [optional]

1 Medium Onion chopped

1 Cup Fresh Coconut milk

2 Cloves Garlic Minced

2 Teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 Large Habanero Pepper

1 Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper

1 Pinch Of Table Salt

Directions:
When draining peas save liquid for dish. add to the coconut milk. with enough water to have 4 cups. In a large skillet or saucepan saute the onion, garlic, and Habanero pepper until there are tender but still crunchy. Add all the liquid along with rice, cover and simmer cook on low-medium heat for 30 minutes. All liquid will absorb and rice will be tender and fluffy. Gently fluff with fork.

Conclusion:

So here it is. I almost went blind cooking this meal. I couldn't find habanero Pepper's so I got jalpeno. There I am cutting and cutting and then I rubbed my eyes. Rubbed my eyes and a few minutes later the burn began. I ran to the bathroom, and stuck my head under the facucate. Nothing happened. I couldn't open my eyes for a good 5-10 minutes and I thought that I my life was over, but it wasn't. I freaked out on my roommate, freaked out on my friend and then freaked out on my mother. Who laughed and sagely told me to open my eyes, take the burn and let my natural tears wash it out. Luckily. she was right. At that point, it was a case of honor. I had to keep my dignity and continue to make the rice. It was very good.

Sesame Chicken without the seeds

What it's supposed to look like:


So as promised in my "What's to Come" post, i finally made Sesame Chicken. Pretty proud of myself. It came out pretty good. I was super super pleased with it. So, lets just get to the point..shall we?

What Mine Looks like:

Ingredients:

• 3 whole boneless chicken breasts
• Marinade:
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry
• a few drops of sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Sauce for Sesame Chicken:
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 TB dark soy sauce
• 2 TB sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili paste, or more if desired
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• Other:
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (see recipe directions for link to how to toast)
• 3 1/2 - 4 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

Directions:

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.

To prepare the sauce: mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.

To deep-fry the chicken: add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken.

Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil.
Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice.


Conclusion:
So, I was like surprised to learn I had to fry the chicken. Luckily I have these two steel pots. So I had to improvise, but it fried just fine, coming out just like it was supposed to. I also decided NOT, to buy sesame seeds. It's just for garnish. And I decided not to spend another couple of bucks for no reason. Also it says to pour sauce on it, and I decided to just drop it in. So it was just clumps of chicken and thick sauce, BUT who cares it tasted good.

Southwest Rice and Jerk Chicken

How it's supposed to look:


So I decided to make another different kind of rice. I have turmeric due to the chicken Vindaloo, so I am trying to make food where I can use my ingredients. I have all these different spices ,I need to use them. lol, that's a reason to cook, to waste my spices. It's also been months since I made my fave bbq jerk chicken.

How Mines Look:

Southwest Rice:

Ingredients

• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, rice, cumin and turmeric; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Add beans, tomatoes and corn; heat through.

Barbaque Jerk Chicken:




Ingredients

• Chicken Legs
• Jerk seasoning (Hot or Mild, I chose hot)
• BBQ sauce (I chose Kraft)

Directions
1. Marinate the Chicken legs in BBQ seasoning at least for four hours, best if overnight.
2. In a pirax dish, bake chicken for a few minutes with a little of the BBQ sauce. As time goes on pout the rest of the BBQ sauce on the chicken and bake for about an hour.

Chicken Vindaloo and Indian Style Rice

How it's supposed to look:


I made soo much of that South West Pasta Bake, that I was eating it for days. By Friday, I was like "nope you need something completely different." Choice? Indian food. I love chicken Vindaloo. When I go out for Indian food, it's like almost always what I order. LOVE IT! So why pay someone else to make it, when I can make it?





How Mine looks:


Chicken Vindaloo via epicurious

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes (about 4 medium)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala*
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth or water

Directions

Blend first 11 ingredients and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in processor until paste forms. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add paste from processor and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add chicken and potatoes; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Season with more cayenne, if desired, and salt and pepper.

*A spice mixture available at Indian markets, some specialty foods stores, and many supermarkets. To substitute, mix 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; use 1 teaspoon of mixture.

Indian Style Basmati Rice via Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
• 2 pods green cardamom
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Place rice into a bowl with enough water to cover. Set aside to soak for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin seed. Cook and stir for about a minute, then add the onion to the pot. Saute the onion until a rich golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain the water from the rice, and stir into the pot. Cook and stir the rice for a few minutes, until lightly toasted. Add salt and water to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork before serving.

Conclusion

Well I did good. Not to toot my own horn, but making this was a battle. First I had to spend a crap load of money on getting the ingredients. Then, I couldn't find one of the ingredients so I had to go to a whole different supermarket, wait for someone to figure out what cardamom is and get it for me. Of course Whole Foods is also the king of long long lines. So I waited forever on the line, got up stairs and then got ready to cook, but guess what needed a blender. At this point the meet was already out, and all the other ingredients and I had it in my head that I was going to eat Indian food, so I went up to Kmart and got my self a pretty nice blender. I begin mixing and cooking and guess what! I do not have one of the ingredients. A spice that I looked dead at and said "do I need that? No" and walked away from. So back out and got the turmeric and began to cook. An hr and a half later, I had some amazing Vindaloo chicken and rice. (side note, I had jasmine rice in my kitchen and I was not going to spend money on buying bismati rice just for this recipe) Probably the best thing I have cooked so far... :-)

My Kitchen:

Southwest Pasta Bake

What it's supposed to look like:

I've once again returned to my pasta bakes. I decided to try something a bit more adventurus then what I usually do. Honestly, I was going to make Lasagna, but it was already like 6pm and I couldn't find a simple one, so I looked up pasta bakes. I fell in love with this recipe and so decided to make it.

What mine's Looks like


Southwest Pasta Bake via Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• 1 (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) jar picante sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk; beat until smooth. stir in spinach and oregano; set aside. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the picante sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into meat mixture.
2. In a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer half of the meat mixture and all of the spinach mixture. Top with remaining meat mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with olives and onions. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Conclusion:

Well this is super super good. Admittedly I could not find picante sauce, so I just added Vodka sauce and used normal onions, couldn't find green onions. Did you know that olives sometimes have cores/seeds? I did not know that. So I bought a jar of olives to find that they have cores, so I had to cut them the best I could and sprinkle them on top. I also wished I would have ignored the cream cheese and used Ricatta, I think that cream cheese has a strange consistency and taste inside this pasta bake and a more straight forward baking cheese would be better. Besides that I really loved it. It's pasta with a kick!

Naomi Fried rice

How it's supposed to look:

So, I moved back into my dorm. It's not so exciting, but I'm a senior and that's pretty cool. My good friend and I were supposed to go out to dinner and it didn't happen, so I cooked. I decided to make a different kind of rice and decided on fried rice. I searched the internet for something easy and not so bad eat and found the below recipe.

How Mine looks:

Rice Stir Fry recipe via allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
• 3 green onions, diced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute broccoli until tender crisp, and add scallions. Remove from skillet. Scramble eggs; return broccoli mixture to pan. Stir in cooked rice, soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Conclusion:

So I really enjoyed this! It didn't taste the way you would think, but it was really really good. It was even better the second day after being warned in the pot. I also added greenpeppers and put a bit more soy sauce in it than the recipe calls for, because I wanted it to have that browning look. I also sauteed some shrimp and put some cajun seasoning on it. Ever notice that food tastes better when it's left over for the next day?