Potato-Bacon Torte

I'm a big fan of foodie type shows like on the The Food Network, Bravo, & Travel channels. One of the shows that I frequently watched was The Next Food Network Star. I love getting inspired, learning techniques, and finding new short-cuts in the kitchen. My all-time fave winner is Guy Fieri, he's got spunk, style and charisma about him that you love. His show Triple D's is awesome, where he tours all around the states and finds great & tasty eats! This season 5 winner was underdog Melissa D'Arabian and she's a spunky SAHM (Stay-At-Home-Mom). I'll admit I was a big fan of Jeffrey Saad, and loved his idea of the "Spice Smuggler" series, but it was Melissa that captivated the judges. She'll do great because of the fan base that surrounds her, and I truly hope that The Food Network producers doesn't keep her limited in that $10 box - she has way more potential than they are letting her.

I was home sick the other day, and I was miserable from food poisoning. I guess my stomach was mad at me for "going out" to lunch vs. bringing something from home. I had to make something hearty and delicious, so I found this recipe because all the ingredients were in my pantry, and garden - so lucky me! I think I finally mastered using my mandoline slicer because I survived with no cuts! This recipe is very straightforward, and easy to make. I was unsure about the pie dough since it was my first attempt, but the dough was easy to make. Butter always makes everything better!
Congrats to Melissa on winning TNFS and to more easy recipes for us all! I paired this with my green apple & blue cheese salad (it's my new fave salad to make).


Potato-Bacon Torte
Adapted from Melissa D'Arabian

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup heavy cream * I used half & half
2 Pie Crusts, recipe follows
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese *Half cup
1 egg yolk, whisked with a splash of water *I used egg substitute instead*
*Additional* 1/4 green onions, sliced

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2.In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until just crispy. Drain on paper towel lined plate and set aside. Crumble the bacon when cool to the touch.
3.Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the thyme and cream over low heat to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs.
4.Remove the pie pan from the refrigerator. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then finely slice the potatoes. Working in circles, arrange the potato slices in the pie crust, stopping to season each layer with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Add a layer of cheese & green onions. Continue layering until the pie pan is nearly full. Top with another layer of the cheese and gently pour cream around and over the entire pie, allowing it to seep down between the potato slices. (You may not use all the cream.)
5. Roll out the remaining disk of refrigerated dough. Cover the pie with the dough and crimp the edges closed. Brush the top and edges of the crust with egg wash. Make a few slits in the center of the top crust, for the steam to escape, and put the pie pan on a baking sheet. Bake the torte until the crust is browned and crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust edges get too brown, cover them with some strips of aluminum foil. Remove the pie from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Pie Crust:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cubed and chilled
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water
1. Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse lightly just until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather into larger clumps. Transfer equal amounts of the dough into 2 resealable plastic bags and pat each into a disk. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove 1 of the disks from the bag to a flour coated surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 10-inch round. Gently fit the rolled dough into a 9-inch pie pan, and refrigerate while you prepare the torte ingredients.

Review: My husband came home and thought I bought a pie! It looked that good, and it tasted as great as it looked, too! I really loved the butter crust, and the potatoes and bacon went really well. I'll add this recipe to the dinner rotation and might even attempt to make apple pie with this crust. I love how universal this recipe can be, you can change the cheese, add different elements to the torte, and it can be unique to your tastebuds. I can't wait to make another one!

Cuban Pork Chops

I love like L.O.V.E. this recipe, and it's been a staple on our menu as long as I've been cooking for the husband. If you don't know, my husband is CUBAN. ¡Dale! My dish is reminiscent of his family's cooking, and this dish been made at several occasions for his family, even my family, and our hungry friends, too. Everyone loves this dish, it's always a crowd pleaser in our house. During the holidays typically for Christmas Eve for mis familia de Regueiros', they prepare a roasted pig, aka lechon asado. It's definitely a feast to enjoy and savor because the lechon is roasted all day long in a caja china until its completely cooked. Also, there is a cuban mojo that is heavily used as the marinade is in a world of its own. I could drink that stuff with a little rum, it be a little garlic lime mojito for me. *slurp*

I served this dish with white rice, dinner salad, mangoes and a side of mojo. Typically for bigger parties, I'll prepare cuban black beans, and that completes this meal to a tee, and I would also need a side of platanos, too! Okay, that would be the ultimate cuban meal. I'll include the recipe for the mojo...because it's that good! I feel like I gave away one of best-kept recipes, but it's worth sharing it with everyone, too!


Cuban Pork Chops
Original Krystal Recipe, inspired from my MIL
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons lime zest
1.5 tablespoon cumin
1.5 tablespoon Sazon Completa Badia (It's a mix of salt, pepper, garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, mexican oregano and paprika)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 boneless pork chops, about 1 inch thick (about 2 pounds)
Mango slices, optional

Directions:
1. In small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and rub evenly on both sides of pork.
2. Heat BBQ grill for direct heat. Sear the meat briefly over a hot flame and then reduce the heat and move the meat away from the fire to slow cook for an additional 4-5 minutes per side. When the chops are done, the juices should run clear (rather than pink). You can also use a meat thermometer, it should read 160°F.
3. Garnish with mango slices and add a little mojo on top of your pork!

Cuban Mojo - It's not Austin Powers with a mojito...it's the best marinade/sauce ever!
Ingredients:
3 limes, juiced
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup of water or more if needed
1 blood orange, juiced (optional)

Preparation:
1. Put all ingredients except the water in a mini food processor and blend away, and after it's been processed. Add an equal amount of water, and blend again. Season to taste, it should be very garlicky and lime-y.
Note: Mojo is the perfect accompainment to your Cuban meal. Some mojo sauces have orange juice in it, but then it makes it too sweet. The juice from a blood orange is typically used as well, but I didn't have any available.

Review: I have prepared the pork chops by panfrying them in the past because we did not want to hassle with the grill, and I'll admit...DON'T DO IT, it's not the same. You'll enjoy the smokiness from the cumin, and juicness of the pork so much more if you take the time to grill it. ENJOY! Buen provecho!

Laughing Cow Chicken

I've had this recipe bookmarked from my What's Cooking sister's blog for awhile, Macaroni & Cheesecake! Like me, Steph, has been cooking low calorie and weight watcher type meals, and I love making dishes that have lots of flavor and still good for my figure. This dish was fairly easy and fast to prepare. I served it with Spaghetti Caprese & a nice slice of garlic bread. The chicken is really moist and juicy, and even though it was baked - it did not turn out dry. I used our little convection toaster oven not the big oven to bake this too since I didn't want to overwhelm the air conditioner. Thanks Steph and Elizabeth for posting this, we loved this recipe.



Laughing Cow Chicken
Source: Steph's Macaroni & Cheesecake Elizabeth's Cooking Experiments

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (sliced & pounded thin)
4 wedges laughing cow light cheese
1/4-1/2 tsp. herbs de provence
Misto - olive oil cooking spray
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko
1/4 grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Lay each chicken breast flat. Lightly season with herbs de provence & spread the 1 wedge of cheese. Roll up and seal with toothpicks.
2. In a shallow dish, mix together bread crumbs, panko & parmesan cheese. Spray the chicken with the misto and cover with the bread crumb mixture.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, and then broil until crust is golden brown. Remove toothpicks & serve.

Review: This was a great light chicken recipe that we will add to our staple menu. I loved using the Laughing cow cheese in this dish because it really gave a nice light balance of flavor. The creaminess from the cheese was perfectly melted, and it definitely hit my "cheese" spot!

Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi was something that I've been wanting to make for a long time now and I knew it would be a perfect compliment to all the freshly made pesto that I have in stock in my kitchen. It is well worth the time and effort when you put a little love into making these cute little potato treats. I finally got to use my food mill, I still had it in the box from the wedding. It was the one kitchen item that I was unsure about owning, and I've seen Ina Garten use it to make her buttermilk mashed potatoes. The best thing about this is you can make them ahead and freeze them, too. This recipe does make plenty, so be prepared to be rolling out some gnocchi. I didn't bother to do the indentations with a fork because I wanted to eat them! I'll make them look pretty next time.

Potato Gnocchi
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Ingredients:
2 lbs. of russet potatoes
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preparation:
1.Boil the potatoes until tender, about 30 minutes. While the potatoes are still hot, split them lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Push it through a food ricer or force through a sieve with the back of a spoon. There should be about 2 2/3 packed cups.
2. Combine the potatoes in a bowl the flour, salt & nutmeg. Stir vigorously, then turn out onto a work surface and knead until smooth and blended. After kneading, I made a little well out of my dough and added one beaten egg and kneaded some more because the egg binds everything together. (The egg is optional, you don't have to add it.)
3. Bring 3 to 4 inches of well-salted water to a simmer in a large pot.
4. Have ready: 3 tablespoons butter, melted, or olive oil
5. Roll about 2 tablespoons of the dough into a cylinder 3/4 inch wide. Cut it into pieces 3/4 inch long. Roll each piece against the tines of a fork. (I skipped this step) Drop the gnocchi into the simmering water and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. They should hold a firm shape and be chewy to the bite.
6. If they turn out slimy and soft, knead into the dough: 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Then test again.
7. When the dough is right, roll it into 3 or 4 ropes 3/4 inch wide, cut the ropes into 3/4-inch pieces, and form the pieces as gnocchi. Drop one-third to one-half of the gnocchi into the pot and simmer, uncovered, until they float, then remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a wide bowl.
8. Drizzle some of the melted butter over the gnocchi. Toss to coat. Repeat until all the gnocchi are done.
9. Serve at once with: Additional melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese, a tomato sauce or ragu, or your favorite pesto sauce.

To make gnocchi ahead:
Spread the uncooked gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 12 hours. To keep them longer, freeze the gnocchi on the baking sheet until hard, then remove to a freezer bag or container. Gnocchi will keep frozen for up to 1 month. Cook directly from the freezer, adding about 1 minute to the cooking time.

Review: I served it with some grilled Italian sausages with homemade pesto, foccacia bread, dinner salad and big glass of red wine. It was a great Italian meal that was purely "amore!"

Orzo with Grilled Shrimp & Chorizo, Summer Vegetables & Pesto Vinaigrette

This recipe is one of my new fave summer dishes. I love the light and freshness of this dish because of all the ingredients come together really well, and it's pretty darn cheap to make as well. I love eating fresh produce, so whenever I do my grocery shopping at Henry's Farmers Market...I always stock up on my veggies! I love that this recipe is very versatile that if you don't have one ingredient, substitute something else to your liking...and it will be great. You can sub out the mozzarella for feta if you want more of a bite, but I love the creaminess of mozzarella cheese. Or use different kinds of meats if you aren't into shrimp, or add more shrimp than that is listed. I've been on a pesto binge lately, too. We have an abundance of it in of basil in our garden...so any dish that lets me use my herbs is a winner!


Orzo with Grilled Shrimp, Chorizo, Summer Vegetable & Pesto Vinaigrette
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Ingredients:
8 ounces orzo (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 chorizos links, sliced
6 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
2 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 9 ounces total), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 red and yellow bell pepper, quartered
3 tablespoons pesto
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, frozen
2 cups of cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves plus sprigs for garnish
1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup parmigianno reggiano, shredded

Preparation:
1. Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil.

2.Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil & 2 tablespoons of vinegar in. Add zucchini & bell pepper to pan. Whisk pesto, lime juice, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl for pesto vinaigrette. Place shrimp in medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons pesto vinaigrette, toss to coat.

3. Cook zucchini and bell pepper until crisp tender, about 3 minutes per side for zucchini and 4 minutes per side for bell pepper. Transfer to work surface. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; cook until pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook chorizo for about 6 minutes. Place shrimp & chorizo in bowl with orzo. Chop zucchini and bell pepper; add to bowl with orzo. Add remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, sliced basil, and mozzarella; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; chill.

Garnish with basil sprigs and serve cold or at room temperature.

Review: I loved this dish warm with a side of garlic bread, small salad, and a nice fine red wine. Hmmmm, that's a one-way ticket to my food coma!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I've been looking for many ways to use ground turkey because I'm tired of my menu staple recipes and wanted something fresh and new to make. I was happy to find this on Epicurious - it's my new foodie website for recipes. Since Eric & I are focusing on eatier healthier meals, I knew this would fit us perfectly. It's like a copy-cat version of the lettuce wraps from PF Changs, and it similar to a chinese taco to me.

It's a light and refreshing and super easy meal to prepare. I substituted cilantro for mint because sometimes it is cheaper to use if you are not growing it in your garden. Be sure to have your napkins ready, you will get messy!

Photo updated 6/24/2011

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 ¼ pounds lean ground turkey
½ cup purchased Asian peanut sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus additional soy sauce for dipping
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
⅓ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint plus ⅓ cup small mint sprigs (Or use cilantro)
12 large butter lettuce leaves
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Preparation:

In a large skillet heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add minced garlic, peanut sauce, hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sriracha sauce, water chestnuts to the turkey mixture and mix to combine. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat in microwave or skillet, adding water by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary, before continuing.)

Stir in cucumber and chopped mint. Taste for seasonings, season with salt and pepper.

Transfer turkey mixture to your serving bowl. Place mint sprigs and lettuce leaves on platter. To make wraps, spoon turkey mixture onto lettuce leaf, add a few mint sprigs, fold in sides over filling, and roll up.

Drizzle additional soy sauce on top of turkey wraps if desired.

Enjoy!

Review: We loved it, and we can't wait to eat the leftovers. I like the taste of the butter lettuce compared to the iceberg lettuce, it has much more flavor. My only advice, add sriracha to your liking, if you put too much - then you won't enjoy it as much.

Barbecued Chicken

Guest blogger, my husband!

Ok, this is something that I've wanted to do for a little while now. BBQ is one of my favorite things because its super easy but requires lots patience Chicken is great for BBQ because the smoke and the little bits of char from the grill greatly enhance the chicken's flavor. The one recommendation I can give though is never use chicken breast on the grill, unless you like super dry chicken. I found that the 1/4chicken (thigh and leg) is the most juicy and flavorful off the grill.

To enhance the chicken's juiciness, the brine is a must. It adds great flavor to the chicken that won't just fall off when its flipped on the grill. Chicken takes a good amount of time to cook so it is a must to watch the grill for flare ups. Once the chicken is seared, lather on the great BBQ sause to create a beatiful glaze. Once the chicken gets to 160 degress you are done!

Enjoy in the great outdoors.

Barbecued Chicken
Adapted from Tyler Florence - Sunset, July 2009

Brine
About 2 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 chicken quarters (7 to 8 lbs. total)

Barbecue Sauce
1 slice bacon
10 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup each light brown sugar & molasses
2 tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. each ground cumin, paprika, and freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
**Added a touch of cayenne pepper**
Preparation:
1. Mix brine ingredients with 2 qts. water in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, seal, and chill for 15 minutes to 2 hours.
2. Make sauce: Wrap bacon around thyme; tie with kitchen twine. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add thyme bundle and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, covered, 20 minutes. Remove thyme; spoon 1/2 of sauce into a bowl.
3. Prepare a gas barbecue for two-level heat. Wipe cooking grate with oiled paper towels. Pat chicken dry with more paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with some oil.
4. Grill chicken skin side down on high-heat area 5 to 7 minutes. Move pieces to cooler area, turning over, and cook 20 minutes, covered. Spoon sauce from pan onto skin side and cook chicken until an instant-read thermometer measures 160 degrees at thickest part, 10 to 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve with sauce in bowl.

Review: Thanks to my husband for the great recipe, and guest post, too. He did a wonderful job. I loved the homemade barbecue sauce, it had great flavor and a touch of that sweet heat that I love. It's so easy to make your own barbecue sauce, that it might be worth it to make extra so you can bottle it up for later!