The Royal Foodie Joust - With plenty of time to spare for a change!

T's birthday pie!

As soon as I heard the ingredients for this months Royal Foodie Joust (hosted by Jenn-The Leftover Queen)I was excited. How could I not be with Lime, Raspberry and Almonds as the ingredients???!!! I new that these would be easy ones to work with. T.'s birthday is today and Key Lime Pie is one of his faves so I knew that would be the base but I was kind of confused as to how to work in the rest.

On Mother's Day we were hanging out by the pool and I posed the problem to T. thinking I would get my solution from him but up chirps my oldest daughter (who reads cookbooks because she has devoured every other age appropriate book in the house) that I needed to do an almond crust and a raspberry glaze on top. Wow...is she good or what???!!! So guess what I did all day Friday?

Key Lime Pie with an Almond/Graham Crust and a Raspberry Glaze with Fresh Whipped Cream

Almond Crust:

1 Cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
2/3 Cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

In a food processor blend together the almonds, graham cracker crumbs and sugar until well mixed. Add the melted butter and blend until a moist crumb is formed. Press into a tart or pie tin (if using a tart pan use two pieces of foil to cover the outside of your pan) and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes or until the crust is browned.

2 Bags of Key Limes for $.99. The joys of living in Florida!

Key Lime Pie:

4 eggs
1 (14 oz.) can condensed milk
4 oz. fresh squeezed key lime juice

Blend eggs and the condensed mile. Add the key lime juice and blend thoroughly.

Pour the filling into your prepared crust and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Raspberry Glaze:

1 pkg of frozen raspberries ( I had 1/2 bag frozen and about a cup fresh)
1/3 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch

Using a food processor puree the raspberries. Strain using any means you have. I tried to use a small strainer but it was a pain in the butt so I finally ended up using a small piece of cheese cloth and forcing the juice through.

In a small saucepan mix the raspberry juice with the sugar and the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clear and thickened. Allow to cool.

Pour cooled glaze over cooled key lime pie.

Fresh Whipped Cream:

1 pint whipping cream
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whip using the whisk attachment on you mixer until it form stiff peaks. Using a spatula fill a piping bag and pipe the edges of you pie.

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

It works...It really, really works!

Dinner!

Last night was the new William-Sonoma grill pan's inaugural run. We filled that puppy so full of fresh veggies that I thought there was no way that they would all last in there! This pan was really great. Crammed full of stuff and still able to stir without anything falling out. All of the begetables cooked evenly and trust me it was full.

The vegetables are not local (big sigh)...virtually nothing is growing here anymore at all. Even the tomatoes are small and blemished. So sad. I am having to eat organic's from California. Better than nothing I guess!

We had chopped up eggplant, zucchini, onion, summer squash, red pepper, banana pepper, garlic cloves and mushrooms. They were lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, some paprika, and garlic powder. This pan is a keeper!!!

Doesn't that look great over rice with some soy sauce on top???

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Did I just buy the stupidest thing ever or is it really cool????

This picture is "stolen" from the William-Sonoma website.

I have this little problem sometimes when I go shopping. Shiny things just tempt and tease me. This is a good case in point...I went into Williams-Sonoma yesterday to by a baking sheet. I really love their baking sheets and for the price you pay I find them very worth the extra bit of money. The other ones I seem to constantly be replacing but I have never had to replace the Williams-Sonoma ones.

Anyway I went in there with a purpose in mind. I ended up buying a tart pan but that's okay too. Neither of these things are the ones that showcase my problem. I had cashed out and was safely on my way out of the store when I saw a really shiny, odd looking frying pan. It is a pan made especially for grilling vegetables. It is all metal mesh and shaped just like a frying pan! When I saw it I immediately envisioned all of the great vegetables I would now be able to grill because now NOTHING will fall between the cracks!!! I had to have it, but I still didn't know if it was the best thing ever or did I just get suckered out of $30???!!! I guess time will tell. I plan on using it tonight and will give a full report.


Do you see how this shiny thing attraction has gotten me in trouble before???

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Yummy Frittata!

Pretty huh? Delicious too!

Frittata is just a fun thing to say and I had found that this word had been bouncing around in my head lately as I have been coming across some really great recipes for frittata's using spring veggies. I am not really getting spring veggies so I was really looking for something different. I grabbed my "Homegrown Pure and Simple: Great Healthy Food from Garden to Table)" by Michel Nischan and started searching.

I came up with the recipe for a Garden Vegetable Frittata and as luck would have it I had a couple of eggplants sitting on my counter just begging to be used (um-starting to rot) so this would work out perfect.

Now the only problem was that I would be at the skating rink from 5 PM until 7:30 PM. How the h*** was I going to get this made. Not too much of it could be done ahead which is what I usually do. T. to the rescue. I left him the recipe and instructions and he followed through wonderfully. You see he is not really one to ever cook from a recipe and I personally think that they tend to stress him out a little but he did this for me and I was so glad he did. This meal was great. I had made a salad earlier in the day and some dressing so we had that while the frittata was resting. My youngest one ate a PB & J and went to bed (skating nights tucker her out!) but my oldest one loved it. She is the one who doesn't like tomatoes hence the frittata with only one half with tomatoes!

See how nice and fluffy this was?

Garden Vegetable Frittata (adapted from Homegrown Pure and Simple: Great Healthy Food from Garden to Table)

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 small potatoes, thinly sliced
1 eggplant (about 1 pound), cubed
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 onion, chopped
12 eggs
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (we used oregano, basil, chives)
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 large tomatoes, sliced

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Heat a well-seasoned 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter and heat until the butter sizzles. Add the potatoes in a single layer and cook on one side until browned. Turn them over and move them to the side of the pan.
• Meanwhile season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Add the eggplant to the skillet and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes or until the eggplant cubes are browned at least on 2 sides. Add more oil if you need to.
• Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Move the vegetables around in the pan until they are evenly distributed.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, herbs and half of the cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slowly pour the eggs into the skillet so as not to dislodge the vegetables. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes without stirring until the frittata is partially set.
• Sprinkle the goat cheese over the top and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nearly set but not yet brown. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese. and return to the oven until just melted. Remove and top with tomatoes and some fresh herbs and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and browned.
• Serve directly form the skillet, cut into wedges.

T. says that he would add some more seasoning (garlic, more salt, onion powder) the next time but all in all it was good.

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Quinoa and berry breakfast!

Healthy and delicious way to start another busy day!

I have recently fallen in love with quinoa. I have used it in soups, as a side dish and most recently like grits or oatmeal for breakfast. The great thing about quinoa is it huge nutrient boost. Its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest.

With all of this in mind I have been using it when ever I can and the other day I happened upon Heidi's blog at 101 Cookbooks and saw this incredible breakfast recipe using quinoa as the base! My youngest daughter is a tough one to feed breakfast to so I am always looking for something new and healthy and my oldest daughter needs all of the energy foods she can get (with karate and figure skating she burns a lot!). I woke up a little earlier this morning and started cooking. This was a nice easy recipe and I knew how healthy it would be. The recipe easily feeds 4 so there was enough for all of us. Heidi's pictures are way better than mine so be sure to visit her blog to check out the pics!

Can you tell it was pretty early! This is the bright morning sun that shines right onto the pool.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe (Heidi Swanson - 101 Cookbooks)

Heidi used a red quinoa here, but you can use whatever kind you like, white/buff colored seems to be the most common. Also, a few notes and tips from the book: low-fat soy milk may replace the low fat milk, blueberries may replace the blackberries, dark honey may replace the agave nectar, and walnuts may replace the pecans.

1 cup organic 1% low fat milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa, (hs note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
4 teaspoons organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

And what a great Mother's Day it was!

2 Mangrove Snapper ready for our plates!

We had an incredible, relaxing day. The weather was great so we had breakfast and I got my wonderful gifts (see previous post) and then lounged around the pool for the day! Nice huh?

Check out the teeth on this fish!!! I guess that's why they call them Snapper!

Dinner came and Tony pulled out the fish. He was able to get some Mangrove Snapper that was fresh caught that morning. I have found my new favorite way to eat Snapper by way of Peter at Kalofagas - Greek Food and Beyond. He did a post last month on Latholemono. which is really just lemon and oil. But boy is it good. Now I always have to mess with perfection and because we have fresh herbs growing in pots right now we bastardized his recipe until it is almost unrecognizable but the inspiration is still there!

Served with some grilled green beans.

Last night T. grilled the fish and topped it with a lemon and oil mixture with garlic, shallots, fresh oregano, fresh basil, parsley, salt and pepper. This is truly the best way to eat freah grilled fish. We always used to just put a quirt of lemon on but this is sooo much better.

See all the fresh herbs and garlic?

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Happy Mother's Day!

Omelet with sauteed spinach, feta cheese and avocado!

And what a great day it has been. I told everyone here that the only thing I wanted this day was to not have to clean up the kitchen once! So far it has worked! But I also got a whole bunch of things besides that.

First off I was not woken up at 6:00 in the morning. T. got up with the girls and they took the dogs for a long walk and I heard nothing until about 8:00...this is unheard of in our house so I was really pleased. Then came the gifts.

My youngest one had a beautiful card and a silhouette drawn and cut out on a piece of paper and my oldest had a card with a poem that she had written for me, a dolphin figure that she made and a small picture frame. Those gifts are so incredible for me and become true treasures. T. pulled out all the stops and arranged for the girls to have sleep overs at their friends house and for him and I to have a weekend away!!! This is very badly needed and has not been done due to crazy circumstances...hurricanes, car accidents, sicknesses etc. So keep the old fingers crossed on this one!

T. also made me an incredible breakfast omelet. It was filled with all of my favorite things...sauteed spinach, feta cheese and avocado. Life doesn't get much better than this...oh wait, yes it does. He was able to get 2 mangrove snappers for us to grill for dinner. That will be tomorrow's post!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com