Wednesday, March 30, 2011

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing




I feel like I'm cheating because I didn't find this recipe. I had it at Crystal Durrant's house and it was so good I had to share. I made it last night and it is super easy. Hope you all enjoy as much as I did. Check it out here.

Beef with Peppers

Tomorrow night, I will be making this for dinner. 



 Why tomorrow, not today you ask? 

a) My flank steak is super frozen and meat that thaws slowly always tastes better. If it thaws by tonight, I'll set it marinating till dinnertime tomorrow. 

b) Tonight we are going for a Pre-Easter dinner at The Tomato.  No, I don't know why the Pre-Easter dinner is 3 and a half weeks before Easter.  And no, I don't know why Pre-Easter dinner is actually turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberries.  In Dominica, we take what we can get!

This recipe of Beef with Peppers comes from Ree at The Pioneer Woman, a personal fave. View it on her blog to see step by step photos.  Enjoy!

Beef with Peppers

Ingredients

  • 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
  • ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons Sherry
  • 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
  • 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 teaspoon Red Chile Paste (or A Few Dashes Red Chile Oil)
  • 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion Sliced
  • 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced Into Rings
  • 1 Tablespoon Diced Fresh Jalapeno (or 1 Teaspoon Dice Hot Pepper)
  • Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling
  • Cilantro Leaves

Preparation Instructions

Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili paste (or chili oil.) Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot, throw in the onions and cook for less than a minute. Remove to a separate plate. Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using.) Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove to a plate.
Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds, then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove to a separate plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all brown.
Reduce heat to low. Add all meat, onions, and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine. Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in) and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes. Sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off heat.
Turn off boiling water, then throw in noodles. Stir, then allow noodles to sit in hot water for 8 minutes or so (check package directions to be sure.) Drain, then add 1/2 the noodles to stir fry. Toss together, then add more noodles to taste. Add very hot water if needed to thin.
Top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.


 

Sunday, March 27, 2011

My favorite sandwich bread

Smitten Kitchen introduced me to this fabulous, healthy, easy, sturdy yet soft, sandwich bread. 


Light Wheat Bread
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

Makes one two-pound loaf
2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) unbleached high-gluten or bread flour
1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz.) whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (.75 oz.) granulated sugar or honey
1 1/2 teaspoons (.38 oz.) salt
3 tablespoons (1 oz.) powdered milk*
1 1/2 teaspoons (.17 oz.) instant yeast
2 tablespoons (1 oz.) shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) water, at room temperature

1. Stir together the high-gluten flour, whole-wheat flour, sugar (if using), salt, powdered milk, and yeast in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Add the shortening, honey (if using), and water. Stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still flour in the bottom of the bowl, dribble in additional water. The dough should feel soft and supple. It is better for it to be a little too soft that to be too stiff and tough.

2. Sprinkle high-gluten or whole-wheat flour on the counter, and transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook). Add more flour if needed to make a firm, supple dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky. Kneading should take about 10 minutes (6 minutes by machine). The dough should pass the windowpane test and registers 77 to 81 degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

4. (I recommend looking at SK's pictures of this process) Remove the dough from the bowl and press it by hand into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 to 10 inches long. Form it into a loaf by working from the short side of the dough, rolling up the length of the dough one section at a time, pinching the crease with each rotation to strengthen the surface tension. It will spread wider as you roll it. Pinch the final seam closed with the back edge of your hand or with your thumbs. Place the loaf in a lightly oiled 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch bread pan; the ends of the loaf should touch the ends of the pan to ensure an even rise. Mist the top with spray oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap.

5. Proof at room temperature for approximately 60 to 90 minutes (as in, original recipe says 90 minutes, I walked into the kitchen at 60 and said “whoa!” as it had almost risen too much; clearly final rising times vary), or until the dough crests above the lip of the pan.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

7. Place the bread pan on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking and continue baking for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven. The finished loaf should register 190 degrees F in the center, be golden brown on the top and the sides, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

8. When the bread is finished baking, remove it immediately from the loaf pan and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours (yeah, good luck with that), before slicing or serving.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Island Spice Pork (loins, chops, whatever you can get)

Ladies this has quickly become a Budd family favorite (we sent the recipe back home as well).

Ingredients:
  • It's easy to make and all the ingredients are readily available here on the island.
  • Pork pieces, chops, etc. can be found at Save-A-Lot and can be frozen to use at a later date.
Time:
This is a quick recipe takes about 30 minutes prep and bake.

Sides:
I made bluecheese mashed potatoes and sauteed greenbeans as sides and fried plantains for dessert!

Whole meal can be done in 1 hour - serve with red/white wine and it's a wonderful dinner date meal for you and the hubby!




Island Spice Pork Tenderloin
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Ingredients:
For the spice rub:
2 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (about 2-2½ lbs. total)
2 tbsp. olive oil
For the glaze:
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp. (2-3 cloves) finely minced garlic
1½ tsp. Tabasco sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir together with a fork to blend.  Pat the mixture over the pork tenderloins.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the tenderloins in the skillet and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total.  Remove from the heat, leaving the pork in the skillet.

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl until blended.  Spread the mixture evenly over the tops of the tenderloins.

Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast about 20 minutes, until an instant-read themometer inserted in the center of each tenderloin registers 140˚ F.  Loosely tent the skillet with foil and let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

http://annies-eats.net/2010/03/17/island-spice-pork-tenderloin/

Monday, March 21, 2011

Ginger-Mango Cream Pie

from Whole Living

I made this the other night and it was delcious! Charlie thinks it tastes like a mango version of key lime pie or mango ginger cheesecake... it's a fun islandy treat!  

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8.
  • 1 1/2 cups plain granola
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons honey, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 mango, sliced

Substitutions: Swap plain yogurt or milk for Greek yogurt.  Sometimes Picard Grocery has yogurt...


Hunting and Gathering: I found cream cheese and granola (some granola-ish stuff in a lime green bag called "Mornflake Orchard Oat Crunchy Sultana and Apple" (whatever that means) at Picard Grocery and some mangos and ginger from Dee's.


DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 375 (190 island temp) degrees. Pulse granola and sugar in a food processor (I used a blender) until finely chopped (or put granola in a bag and smash it up and then mix in the sugar). Drizzle butter over granola mixture and pulse to combine (or just stir it in if you're food processor-less). Press mixture into and up sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
  2. Beat cheese in a mixer until smooth (I did it by hand -- good workout!). Add yogurt, honey, and ginger; beat until combined.
  3. Pour filling into prepared crust and chill in refrigerator until set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day. Just before serving, arrange mango on top of pie and drizzle with honey.
Recipe from Whole Living.


Shrimp Lasagna Rolls! :)

First of all...Clare, thank you so much for starting this blog! Great idea! It's sometimes tough to find recipes that use "island ingredients." So this is perfect for us cooking girls!

This recipe is super simple and absolutely delish! I made it last week and my man and I loved it. There are a few ingredients in the recipe that I didn't have, so I left them out completely. (nutmeg, fresh basil- I used dried)

Here is the link... http://annies-eats.net/2008/07/22/shrimp-lasagna-rolls/

ENJOY!