Laurel's Famous Homemade Salsa

After hosting a fun pot-luck style dinner party last week, I was eager to get my hands on a delicious salsa recipe my good friend Laurel was kind enough to contribute. Served with multi-grain chips this fresh bean salsa is certainly a home run! Thanks for sharing Laurel :)

Courtesy of Laurel Duggan:

15oz can black beans, rinse & drain
8 oz can red beans, rinse & drain
8 oz can of corn, rinse & drain
Chop one red & one green pepper
1 chopped red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 minced garlic clove

Mix and serve with chips

Memorial Day meal = Memorable meal :)

There is nothing better than a wonderful weekend at the Cape full of family, friends and beautiful weather. One of the warmest Memorial Day's I can remember with lots of beach time and relaxing on our new three season porch. Perfect for napping, cocktails and chatting. When being surrounding by the one's I love, I can't help but want to share my passion for cooking. After getting sick over a month ago and wrapping up the end of the school year, I have neglected to allow time for my favorite activity ... cooking! So this weekend I was ready to get back into the kitchen and fire up the oven. Sunday night dinner consisted of delicious seafood spread with smoked shrimp (a classic family favorite from Cataumet Fish) and a homemade roasted red pepper bean dip for appetizer. For the main course we enjoyed broiled lobsters, corn salad, a salad of greens, and roasted garlic cilantro butter to accompany warm Portuguese Bread. This was certainly a meal to remember. To top off our gluttonous ways, a quart of Somerset Creamery vanilla ice cream accompanied warm apple & mixed berry pies. So so yummy!

Beginning with the appetizer course I would first love to share my bean dip recipe.

Ingredients:

1.5 can's of white beans (drained)
2 heads of roasted garlic (or get about 18-20 cloves of roasted garlic out of the salad bar at Whole Foods)
1 clove of raw garlic, diced finely
1/2 jar of roasted red peppers
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
the juice of 1/2 of a lemon
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (could also use parsley)

Add all the ingredients into a food processor. Stream in extra virgin olive oil to reach desired consistency (about 3-5 tablespoons). To accompany the dip I would suggest making bread chips for dipping, similar to pita chips. You take sliced bread (in this case I used a loaf of Portuguese bread) and cut it into an appropriate size for dipping. Spread the 'chips' on a baking sheet. Bake on 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on the oven as not to burn the chips.

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Ashley's corn salad:

Husk one ear of corn per person (give or take). In this case I used 8 ears for 10 people. Boil the corn for 10 minutes once placed into the pot of boiling water. Drain the water and let the corn cool. Cut the corn off the cob and place in a mixing bowl. See tip below to take the bite out of red onion.

Tip of the day: soaking a red onion in a bowl of ice water for 10-30 minutes will take the bite out of it. Cut the onion in half and place in a bowl filled with ice and water.

After the onion has soaked, drain the water and dice finely. You want a little bit more than 1/4 diced onion to 3/4 of the corn ratio.

Add in one box of crumbled feta cheese and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.

Lastly add 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise. The mayonnaise is used as a binding agent, so add it in as you go. It should very lightly coat the corn and hold everything together.

Let sit in the fridge at least 4 hours before serving. Making this the night before is best for flavor.

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Roasted garlic cilantro butter:

Making a yummy variation to regular butter or margarine is always a fun surprise at a dinner party to spread onto bread. This time I was already roasting 2 heads of garlic for my bean dip, so I threw in an extra head for my butter.

-Let a stick of either margarine or butter come to room temperature (usually 30-60 minutes). -Peel off the wrapper and place in a mixing bowl.
-After roasting a head of garlic and letting it cool, push out each clove of garlic from its casing into the bowl.
-Add in 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.
-Mix with fork or spoon.

Place medium sized sheet of saran-wrap on the counter and scoop the butter mixture in a log shape onto the wrap. Fold over the sides and roll into a log shape (similar to that of a regular stick of butter). Place into the refrigerator for 6-24 hours before using. The saran wrap should easily peel off and you can serve on a butter plate!

ENJOY :)

Cuisine at Home

Due to the heavy volume of food magazine's I subscribe to, apparently I was selected to be a part of a marketing test to receive a free preview issue of Cuisine at Home. It has no advertisements, simply recipes and cooking tips. The first issue seems awesome, so I highly recommend it to any other cooking fanatics like myself. As a promotion they are offering two years for the price of one and a free Weeknight Grilling cook book. Check it out!

http://www.cuisineathome.com/


You can also order the free preview issue through their website. Have fun!

My banana bread

Everyone needs a go-to banana bread recipe and I happen to be in love with mine, so I would love to share it with you. It has taken many failed attempts to prefect this recipe, but the final product is a tasty explosion of comforting flavors in your mouth. My sister finds the thickness of the bread to be similar to a cake consistency, however I love the moistness in each bite.

Three very important elements to keep in mind:

1. Make sure your bananas are over-ripe. Not to the point of being dark brown, but definitely more ripe than you would be comfortable eating. This ensures a rich banana flavor.

2. Each oven heats differently, so make sure you have cooked previously in the oven you are using to ensure an accurate 350 degree temperature.

3. Bake time is a crucial factor whenever you are baking, especially breads. You want a moist, warm outcome. There is nothing worse than bread that smells and looks delicious, but comes out dry and crunchy (at least not banana bread).


Secret ingredient: pumpkin puree & whole wheat flour. Both make the recipe unique, a little healthier and oh so delicious!

I have prepared this recipe three ways. In a traditional loaf pan (the easiest and most delicious), in two mini loaf pans, and finally, in a muffin tin. Each require different cooking time, which is important to note.

Traditional Loaf Pan: Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes (check at the 45 minute mark).
Mini Loaf Pans: Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes (check at the 40 minute mark).
Muffin Tin (a dozen regular sized muffins): Use paper cups (cup-cake papers) to line each individual cup. Fill 2/3 way full with batter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, check with tooth pick or knife and continue cooking if not done.


Ashley's Banana Bread:

Mix in large bowl: 1/2 cup melted margarine (one stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs
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Mix in separate bowl: 1 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all-spice
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Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating or whisking parts at a time.
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Finally, mix in: 3 large ripe bananas (mush with your hands as you add to the bowl)
1/8 cup french vanilla yogurt
1/8 cup pumpkin puree
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Optional add-in's: chocolate chips or walnuts


Banana bread is a wonderful treat to deliver to a neighbor, bring as a thank you to a co-worker or friend, or simply prepare for yourself for your own enjoyment. I find myself craving banana bread and this satisfies all my desires. You can easily slice the bread and place each slice in individual baggies for freezing or carrying out the door for breakfast!

ENJOY!! :)

Fruit Salad 101

I was asked to bring a fruit salad to a brunch event over the weekend, which gave me the perfect opportunity to think about what elements are important in fruit salad. First and foremost is obviously the fruit. You have to add in fruit that your eating audience enjoys, paying attention to food allergies or general dislikes. Since fruit is the star of the dish it is important that your guests get pieces of all the contributing fruits in each bite. This being said, cutting and chopping the fruit is very important. Even things such as grapes can be halved. Yes, it is time consuming especially when you just want to throw it all it all in the bowl, but trust me, a fruit salad is so much better when you get a savory taste of all the fruits with each bite. I typically slice bananas and then quarter each slice, basically chopping the fruits into quarter inch pieces. A trick (to make things easier) is to go to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's where they have pre-cut fruit, which saves you half the time. Especially when it comes to mango's, pineapple, honeydew or melon, please, do yourself a favor and buy pre-cut fruit and then dice it up even smaller. It is also very very important to get fresh fruit. Poor quality fruit can ruin a fruit salad, especially when some of the fruit is fresh/ripe and other fruits (all put in the same bowl) are mealy, soft, or over-ripe. Each bite needs to have slight crunch and a refreshing taste.

My fruit salad was a huge hit this weekend and I actually had a guest comment on how easy it was to eat due to the size of the fruit. So I thought I would share a suggestion about the benefits of dicing the fruit :)

Serving: I find it most appealing to serve fruit salad in a glass bowl, that way everyone can see all the beautiful fruits (and the fruits of your labor; no pun intended). I would also recommend setting out small plastic clear cups or small glass serving bowls so the fruit salad can be individually scooped out. This gives your guests control over how much they would like. Hopefully they will try a little bit and be itching for more!


My fruit salad this weekend consisted of:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Green grapes
Pineapple
Watermelon
1 Apple
2 Pears
2 Bananas
Melon
Honeydew

Other suggestions: kiwi & mango

Celebration dinner at The Capital Grille

After a job offer on Thursday, a celebration dinner was imminent. Both of us put our heads together to discuss restaurant options. Immediately the lobster mac 'n' cheese from the Capital Grille popped into my head and I knew exactly our destination. The only reservation available (less than 24 hours in advance) was at 9:15, which ended up being perfect. Weeks ago I booked 2 massages (as a surprise) at Rosaline's Spa so we could participate in Boston Spa Week (all services only costing $50, a screaming deal!). Throughout my massage all I could think about was the creamy lobster mac 'n' cheese and a juicy moist filet. Tim is a regular at Morton's Steak House, so going to a competitor is never even considered, thus this was my big opportunity for Filet Oscar! We arrived at 9 pm and were promptly seated. Our waiter Jeffrey Scott was wonderful from the beginning to end, going over specials and asking us if we were there to celebrate a special occasion. The wine list, not only is physically large in size, but has over 200 options, so after much discussion we settled on a 2007 bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon called Cloudline. After a quick toast, we took our first sip to find a deliciously smooth, slightly fruity Pinot. The bread basket didn't stand a chance, as the home made bread selections and whipped butter was so necessary, as it was so late.

To start we ordered the Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella with Vine Ripe Tomatoes. It arrived smelling decedent! Four generous sized rolls of mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto, lighted sauteed and crispy on the edges, presented on top of a bed of vine ripe heirloom tomatoes in a light balsamic glaze, served with 2 crispy Parmesan crostinis. Words can not describe how good this was. The heirloom tomatoes paired so nicely with the prosciutto rolls, and the crostinis acted as a perfect mop for the warm balsamic glaze that layered the bottom of the plate. For our main courses I ordered the Filet Oscar (a 10 oz. Filet Mignon served with steamed asparagus spears, lump Alaskan King crabmeat, drizzled with their house made Bearnaise sauce) and Timothy ordered a Chef's Selection, the Bone-In Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin with Caramelized Shallot Butter. We went with two sides, one order of their famous Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese and a half order of the vegetable of the day; roasted carrots, onions, and broccoli drizzled with a Rosemary infused olive oil. Every single bite of this meal was delicious. The lobster mac 'n' cheese had a perfect balance of crunch (Panko bread crumbs) and cream (Mascarpone, Havarti and Grana Padano), mixed with baked Campanelle pasta and fresh large lobster claws. If it wasn't rude to lick the bottom of the bowl, I think I would have considered this. Roasted veggies is our favorite thing to quickly throw together during the week, so we both agreed the Rosemary infused olive oil added a nice additional flavor profile to the dish. Although Tim's steak was a little over-cooked for his liking, mine was a nice medium rare and so moist. We are a usually chatty couple who doesn't stop talking, but dinner seemed uncharacteristically quite due to the deliciousness of our food! Though we were totally stuffed, Jeffrey snuck the dessert menu on our table, so after about 15 minutes of digesting we decided to try the double chocolate chip ice cream sandwich, stuffed with their homemade vanilla bean ice cream with a side of warm chocolate sauce. Totally unnecessary to order, but so worth the final push. Needless to say we were both so full to the point of feeling uncomfortable, but sometimes you just gotta push yourself to the limit to enjoy every last bite. I have not found another mac 'n' cheese dish that can rival The Capital Grille, however I do have my own version of seafood mac 'n' cheese that is quite yummy when cooked properly.

Below you will find Ashley's Radicchio Shrimp Mac 'n' Cheese.

Ingredients:

1 lb of medium shells pasta

1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined (you can also use chicken)

2 small heads of radicchio, shredded

1.5 cups skim milk (whole milk if you want it to be richer)

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup asiago cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

-Bring a large pot of water to a boil and lightly salt it. Add the pasta and follow directions on the back of the box to your desired tenderness.

- In a large dutch oven or sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

- Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring rapidly

- Whisk in the chicken broth and skim milk

- Season the mixture with nutmeg, salt, and pepper

- Let simmer, stirring occasionally for 6 to 8 minutes. You want the sauce to begin to thicken.

- In a separate pan heat the olive oil over medium heat, add chopped garlic, cook one minute.

- Slightly raise the heat, add radicchio and shrimp.

- Let cook for additional 3-5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and radicchio tender.

- Mix cream sauce and shrimp together

- Add pasta and toss

- Pre-heat the broiler to high

- Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish and sprinkle asiago cheese on top

- Place casserole dish in broiler for 2-4 minutes.

- WATCH carefully, as the cheese can burn very quickly, you want it lightly browned.

Serve immediately !

As requested by Laurel... My Spicy Shrimp Orzo

1 box of orzo (sometimes it comes in a bag). 1/4 lb serves 4 people.
- Fill a large pot of water, bring to boil and salt lightly. Follow cooking instructions for orzo, typically 6-11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mix in one tablespoon of olive oil, so the orzo doesn't dry out. Set aside to cool.

Shrimp topping (can also substitute chicken if seafood isn't your thing):

1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, diced
1 package of pre-sliced mushrooms (any kind will work)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp, or diced pieces of chicken.
14.5 ounce can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes w/Medium Green Chiles.
1/3 cup flat leafed parsley, chopped
1 cup of manchego cheese (Parmesan would work too)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
- In a large dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic, salt, pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stir mixture every minute or so, so it does not brown.
- Season shrimp or chicken with paprika and add to the mixture. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add can of tomatoes, stir.
- Cook until shrimp or chicken is cooked through (additional 3-5 minutes).
- Lastly add in the cheese and parsley.
- Pour shrimp mixture over bed of orzo and serve hot!

When serving put out red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, and an additional bowl of cheese, so each person can season appropriately.

Tip of the day, especially when cooking something somewhat spicy: NEVER OVER SEASON! You can always add seasoning, salt/pepper, hot sauce, etc., but you can never take it out. I learned the hard way once when I over salted my favorite pasta dish. I literally had to throw away the whole thing, I was so sad and it looked so good, but tasted like the Red Sea. Let your guests season appropriately.

If you try the orzo, let me know what you think!

Salads

When trying to figure out where I should meet Timothy for a quick lunch, we settled on one of my new favorite lunch spots, Atlantic Fish on Boylston Street. They have about 8 signature lunch salads with fresh seafood and often a "special" salad of the day. Since I am trying to make healthier choices, I went with the Grilled Scallop Salad with greens, dried cranberries, blue cheese crumbles, avocado (I asked them to add that in), and a lemon wedge; simply dressed with a light balsamic vinaigrette. As many plates of lobster salad whisked by on serving carts, I worried I had made a poor decision, however I had no regrets when my salad arrived. Warm, perfectly grilled scallops with fresh avocado and delicious blue cheese (one of my favorite cheeses).

As I devoured my scallops, an Ina Garten inspired salad recipe popped into my head. When I first read her recipe,The Cape Cod Chopped Salad, I knew I had to try it. Typically when I read recipes or prepare to make something new for the first time, I assemble about 3-4 resources, and create my own signature version dish. I decided to leave out the bacon, add in caramelized walnuts and substitute goat cheese in place of blue cheese. Cooking, baking and assembling salads is all about satisfying your taste buds or the audience you are cooking for. In this case I knew two of the five guests I was cooking for did not like blue cheese, thus I substituted something more enjoyable for them (goat cheese). WOW it turned out great! Truly "Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients", as her motto states in her book Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics. Enjoy my recipe of the day!

Ashley's Apple Goat Cheese Salad:

12 ounces of baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup caramelized walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces of crumbled goat cheese

Toss together the ingredients for the salad 5-10 minutes before serving.

The salad dressing can be made ahead of time and may actually taste better if done 24 hrs before. Make sure to shake/mix dressing before putting on the salad.

Mix together:

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (red wine vinegar would be just fine)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (key ingredient!)- can use lemon zest if you want a more sour taste
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice(would substitute lemon juice if used lemon zest)
3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
2.5 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (substitutes like Aunt Jemima change the flavor profile, so stick to the good stuff)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoon salt

Lastly whisk in 2/3 of a cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

My all time favorite delicious desires in Boston

Appetizers:

The Flatbreads at Carmen (33 North Square), specifically the Grilled Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Grapes, Walnuts, Robiola Cheese, And Aged Balsamic - http://www.carmenboston.com/home.html

Lobster Mango Ceviche at Haru Sushi (55 Huntington Ave) - http://www.harusushi.com/locations.aspx?page=135

Main Courses:

Rigatoni alla Sal: Shrimp, Scallops, Peas, Wild Mushrooms in Black Truffle Cream Sauce - http://www.nicoboston.com/

The Hand Rolled Potato Gnocchi at Davio's, must ask for it in their delicious Bolognese sauce (not on the regular menu) - http://davios.com/bos/dinner.html

The Slow Braised Beef Short Rib, Winter Squash, Goat Cheese Risotto at Avila Restaurant (1 Charles St) -http://www.avilarestaurant.com/dinnermenu.html


Dessert:

White Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding at Figs in Beacon Hill (42 Charles St.)

Homemade Tiramisu at Antico Forno in Boston's North End- http://www.anticofornoboston.com/

Brunch Items:

The Lobster and Ricotta Fritada,Vinoteca di Monica,- http://www.monicasboston.com/MonicasBoston/Index.aspx

Buttermilk Pancake's with Blueberries at Trident Cafe, http://www.tridentbookscafe.com/Menu.html

Drinks:

The Valentino Martini, The BEEHIVE - http://www.beehiveboston.com/

Sangria, Masa Restaurant - http://www.masarestaurant.com/boston/index.html

Lychee Martini at Mini Bar (51 Huntington Ave) - http://www.minibarboston.com/


Favorite Happy Hour Establishments:

Tia's On The Waterfront - http://www.tiaswaterfront.com/