Pan-Seared Sea Scallops and Tri-Tip with a Lemon Butter Pan Sauce, grape tomatoes, chives, Loaded Twice-Baked Potato and Asparagus

Grilled Steak Salad with Green Beans and Blue Cheese

Yield: 2 servings

This makes a great Summer lunch or you can double the size for a dinner portion.

1/3 lb. Slender green beans, trimmed
1 c. Arugula
1/2 c. Cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. Pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 c. Olive oil
1.5 T. Balsamic vinegar
1 8 oz. Steak, filet or Ny strip
1/4 c. Crumbled blue cheese
Salt and pepper as needed

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. In small bowl or ziploc bag, marinate steak with the olive oil, vinegar salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight. Place steak on grill at 45 degree angle for a couple minutes and then turn 45 degrees for 2 more minutes to achieve nice hatch marks. Flip steak and cook to desired temperature. **I prefer mid-rare, about 135 degrees.** Remove steak and let rest while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and season with salt. Blanch green beans in water for about a minute and shock them in a bowl of ice water. **this will cook the green beans slightly while making them a bright green color**
4. In a bowl combine arugula with tomatoes, olives and green beans and season with salt and pepper.
5. Slice steak on the bias about 1/4" thick slices. Place a mound of arugula mixture in the center of each plate, top each salad with 4 ounces of steak and crumbled blue cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Emeril's Chicken Sauce Piquante

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 (3 pound) fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 cups seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce or other hot pepper sauce
• Hot white rice, for serving
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in large heavy nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt. In a bowl combine the Essence with 1/2 cup of the flour and stir to combine. Dredge the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour mixture and shake to remove any excess flour. Brown the pieces, in batches if necessary, until golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Stir in the onions, bell peppers, celery, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of the flour and cook, stirring, to cook the flour without browning, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire, and pepper sauce.

Return the chicken to the pot, increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fall-from the bone tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

To serve, spoon the rice onto plates, top with the chicken and sauce, and garnish with the green onions and parsley.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

Chicken & Green Chili Enchiladas

1-28 oz. can red enchilada sauce (I use Las Palmas)
1 small can diced green chilis (I use Ortega fire roasted)
8 oz. cooked chicken breast, roughly chopped into small pieces (they sell it already cooked and chopped or you can pull a rotisserie chicken)
1-8 oz. block of colby jack cheese, shredded
10-12 small corn tortillas (depending on how full you stuff them)
1 small can sliced black olives

You will need:
small mixing bowl
spoon
9x13 baking dish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl mix together chicken, about half of the cheese, green chilis and about 4 oz. of the enchilada sauce. Make sure everything is well coated with sauce.
3. Wrap tortillas in a clean, very wet towel (this will soften them) microwave for 45 seconds.
4. pour enough red sauce in baking dish to coat the bottom.
5. place tortilla on work surface and place two spoonfuls of filling in center. Roll tortilla so it is closed (fold each side towards center) and place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas placing them very close together in baking dish.
6. pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese and olives. bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

ENJOY!!!!!

Chili

Just got finished making my first chili of the year and it was delicious!!!!!!



Yield: 4-6 Servings

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 can refried beans
1 c. beef stock or broth
2 T. tomato paste
2 T. brown sugar
Cumin To Taste
Chili Powder TT
Paprika TT
Salt TT
Pepper TT
Tapatio or other hot sauce TT

In large saute pan or dutch oven, brown the beef over med. high heat. When no longer pink add onions and bell peppers and saute until tender, about 3-4 min. add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, pinto and refried beans and tomato paste and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add all spices. The reason I have them all as To Taste is because I don't really measure them I just keep adding until it tastes just right! If you aren't very confident in the kitchen, i'd say start off with a small handfull of each. Remember you can always add but you can't take away. Simmer for about 20 min and chili is nice and thick. Don't forget to check seasoning.
Garnish with shredded cheddar and green onions. Goes great with Tortilla chips or cornbread.
You could also do this in a slow cooker. After browning meat just throw everything in the crock pot.

Raspberry Sage Sorbet

24oz. raspberries (thawed if frozen)
8 fl. oz. water
1 c. sugar
6 fresh sage leaves

1. In a small saucepan over med heat cook sugar water and sage leaves until the sugar is completely dissolved into the water. Let cool. *This is called a simple syrup. Adding the sage leaves will infuse their flavor into the syrup.
2. While simple syrup is cooling, puree raspberries in food processor until smooth. Strain if you do not want the seeds in your sorbet.
3. When the simple syrup has cooled, remove sage leaves and while food processor is running pour syrup in until blended.
4. Freeze in ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions.

*you could also substitute blackberries. They go very nicely with sage.

Julie & Julia

This film was amazing!!! It was so inspiring. I grew up watching Julia Childs, infact, my sister and I used to have our own cooking shows when we were little.Julia Childs totally inspired me to cook.
Did anyone else see this film yet? It's really inspired me to get my vidcasts started. I am working on the concept now and hopefully I will have a show for you guys soon!

Arancini di Ris

One of my favorite things to make and eat. This recipe is by Giada de Laurentiis. I don't use her exact risotto recipe, you can use your own if you want. I use chicken stock in mine, and no dried mushrooms because i think they taste like burnt hair.

Yeild:

about 20 servings

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups Risotto with Mushrooms and Peas, recipe follows, cooled
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs
• 2 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt
• 
  
• Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
• Stir the eggs, risotto, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture for each, form the risotto mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
• Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot ail and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Directions

Mushroom Risotto with Peas:

8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

1/2-ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups finely chopped onions

10 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or short-grain white rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Hummus*

• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more, for drizzling
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• Fresh pita bread
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, rough chop
  

Directions

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini paste, and garlic. Process until smooth. While the processor is running, drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil, a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the hummus into large bowl. Drizzle the hummus with olive oil and garnish with olives and fresh parsley. Serve with warm pita bread triangles.

*You can add other things to this to change the flavor. Ex. more lemon to make lemon hummus, more garlic for garlic hummus, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, jalepenos, etc. just remember to add olive oil last.

sweet tea

Milo's Sweet Tea tastes like what true sweet tea should taste like. No wonder it's famous! True sweet tea should not be overly sweet like a lot of the sweet tea on the market is. Milos is my favorite hands down!!! Next to homemade of course.

Culinary School Phase 2.....

I have decided to go back to culinary school at the Art Institute of TN - Nashville to get my Bachelor's degree. As of now I only have my Associates degree in culinary arts and in hopes of bettering myself and my career I will be getting my bachelors for culinary managment.
I am so stoked! Oh, don't worry, I will still be blogging!

On a side note, let me know if there's any recipes you guys would like to see. I am always open to suggestions!

honeyed cantaloupe sorbet

2 quart containers of chunked cantaloupe(should be able to find at your grocery store or you can chunk yourself)
8oz of your favorite honey

Puree cantaloupe on food processor. While processor is running pour in honey and process until completely smooth.
Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.


*i made this for a party last night and it was a huge hit. The honey complements the cantaloupe so well!

Recipe

BRUSCHETTA:

24oz. Grape tomatoes
1/2 red onion rough chop
2 cloves garlic
1/2c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4c. Fresh basil
S & P to taste
Pinch of sugar
1Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar reduction

1. Place garlic and onion in food processor, blend until finely chopped
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse several times until everything is finely chopped
3.Serving suggestion: Spoon onto toasted bread, sprinkle with parmesan and bake until cheese is golden. Or, serve with bruscetta pasta(recipe follows)




BRUSHCETTA PASTA WITH GRILLED CHICKEN FOR 2:


1 whole pounded chicken breast
14oz. Cooked angel hair pasta
2c. Bruscetta mixture
S&P To taste
1oz.balsamic glaze

1.Heat grill to 400F place chicken on grill at a 45 degree angle.cook about 2-3 min and then turn chicken the other way at a 45 degree angle to acheive nice grill marks. Cook another 2-3 min and then flip and cook until no longer pink. (Grill marks aren't necessary on this side) remove from heat.
2. Meanwhile in a saute pan heat bruschetta mixture until hot and toss with cooked angel hair.
3. Plate pasta and top with grilled chicken
4. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over chicken and garnish with a sprig of basil if desired(a squeeze bottle works best for drizzling the balsamic reduction)

*to make balsamic reduction simply place desired amount of balsamic vinegar in a suaucepan over med heat and reduce about 3/4 or until desired consistency is reached. It will thicken more upon cooling so be careful not to over reduce.

My version of Spaghetti alla Carbonara

I know, it's different. I sauteed pancetta with diced zucchini and addded it to a creamy red sauce with a sunny side up egg to top it off. YUM!!!

Rosario's is closed : (

Rosario's in Edgehill Village has unfortunately closed its doors. Being a Los Angeles native i have found decent Mexican restaurants to be sparse in Nashville. Rosario's was one of the good ones and I am very sad to see them go. They had some of the best fish tacos I have ever had and excellent Sangria and Cheese Dip. I even have a coupon for a free entree for my birthday that I never got to use. At least there is still Sol in downtown Franklin to satisfy my cravings for California style Mexican food.

*If there are any restaurants you think I should try please let me know and I will write a review on it. I love finding new places to eat!!!!!