Derby Days

I love being an American for many reasons...like the the fact that I can celebrate our state's favorite festivals/spectacles like Mardi Gras and the Kentucky Derby without having to leave home. (Now that's a country!) So place your bets, grab your hats, and enjoy some 

Mint Julep Ice Cream

Hopefully your winnings can pay for the ingredients (and your silly hat)

P.S. I think those big hats are pretty cool (if you're from the South). 

PC: Simply Recipes

Guess who

I'm a popular fruit, often mistaken as a vegetable, that was once reserved for royalty (pretty fancy, huh?) Now I'm eaten by all walks of life (thank goodness because I'm no snob) and am sometimes called an Alligator pear (not so keen on that nick name, my skin isn't that rough)...Who am I?

That's a secret I'll always tell: The Avocado!

Bragging rights: I provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E , B-vitamins and folic acid (hello baby mamas), and I act as a 'nutrient booster' by helping the body absorb more fat-soluble nutrients. 

Now the fun part, EAT me:

Avocado, Mango, and Pineapple Salad with Pistachios and Pickled Shallots:

P.S. Throw on a little grilled chicken and call it dinner.

PC: Fine Living, Facts: avocado.org

Taste of India

I'm constantly on the hunt for easy, inexpensive, and healthy weeknight meals that will give you a taste of the world for less... like last night's Indian-inspired dish:

Chicken Tikka with Channa Masala (chickpeas, slow simmered with onions, tomatoes and spices) and Tandoori Rice

The perks? The prep time is only 5 minutes (literally)

The trick: Tasty Bite, my new favorite 'heat and eat' sides

This meal honestly beats any delivery I've had in NYC/Chicago and if I were to start comparing fat/calories I'd for sure come out on top. (I love winning)

Now all I need is a trip to India to seal the deal.

Recipe for Chicken Tikka:

1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces

4 tbsp of 2% greek yogurt (or fat free)

6 tbsp Patak's Tikka paste (sold at most supermarkets)

 Mix the yogurt and tikka paste in a small bowl and add chicken. Toss to coat.  Marinate for at least an hour up to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken (without the excess marinade) on a baking sheet, cover with Pam, and bake for 25-35 minutes.  When you have 3-5 minutes left of baking, pop the channa masala and rice in the microwave for 90 seconds and place a serving of each onto plates.

Serve with naan or Indian Roti wraps.

Here's what to look for at your supermarket:

Enjoy!

Veg Out

Now that asparagus is in season, it should give you all the more reason for incorporating it into one of your meals... like as a delicious first course served with a Poached Egg and Shaved Parmesan (or Pecorino). This popular salad is served at Kingswood in NYC.

 Get the recipe here.

PC: Martha Stewart

Chicken Parm

Last night after reading my friend's blog Stirring up a Dream, I decided to make my very own version of low fat Chicken Parmesan served over Whole Wheat Spaghetti.  The result was truly blog-worthy and will definitely become a weeknight staple.

Low Fat Chicken Parmesan Served Over Whole Wheat Spaghetti

This recipe serves 2 with leftovers for lunch the next day:

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thinly sliced)

3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, whisked together

1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

1/2 cup panko

salt/pepper

1 16 oz jar good quality marinara sauce (I think I used Bertolli and it was great)

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

*1/4 cup grated parmesan

*You can also add some low fat grated swiss cheese

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti

Clean the chicken, removing excess fat (I use a pair of meat scissors which makes the process extremely easy). You can keep the chicken as breasts or else cut them into smaller pieces (like 4-5" squares to cover the bottom of your baking dish). Season with salt pepper.  Have the egg mixture in a bowl ready to go as well as another bowl with the breadcrumbs/panko mixed together.  Dip the chicken into the breadcrumb mixture first, then the eggs (let the excess drip off), and back into the breadcrumbs. You can do this in advance and refrigerate the chicken breasts (covered in foil) until they're ready to be cooked.

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil along with half a tablespoon of butter.  When the butter melts, add the chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side (making sure not to burn the crust).  Flip the chicken and continue cooking until done (about another 3-4 minutes).

In a small glass baking dish (I used Purex), place a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom, and then the chicken breasts, and another layer of marinara and then the cheese.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until heated through. 

About 5 minutes into the baking, boil your pasta which takes 10-12 minutes to make. Reserve a quarter cup of cooking liquid.  Place the finished pasta into a bowl and season with salt/pepper and half the cooking liquid.  Serve on a plate topped with chicken parmesan with extra sauce.  Sprinkle more parmesan on top and enjoy!

Here's an image of last night's dinner (not as pretty as the Food Network's image above):

And if you don't own any pyrex dishes, be sure to invest in the following pieces.  The one in the front is the perfect tool for cooking for 1-3 people and the larger one in the back is a must have when it comes to entertaining. The one on the left is great but not as important (at least to me).

If you're extra ambitious, why don't you cook a few servings of chicken and freeze the leftovers for future use?  Just move the chicken from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it (or else early that morning).  Then all you'll need to do is heat up some marinara and sprinkle with cheese.

PC: Food Network, Pyrex

Thank you much

I became pretty interested in etiquette at a very young age. While most kids were reading scary stories by RL Stine (who's actually my cousin and whose work I of course love) I on the other hand wanted to know everything Emily Post had to say...

Fast forward twenty years and I've still retained everything I learned like the importance of writing the perfect thank you note. For those of you who don't know, thank you notes are a must for pretty much everything in your life-the job interview, the holiday dinner at a good friend or family's house, the beautiful birthday/wedding/anniversary/baby/shower gift, or just to say thanks for being a good friend.  There is no excuse not to write one-even if you think it's just family.  Anyone who taught/told you otherwise is wrong (and rude).

  Thanks to my Mom's newest artistic venture, Nancy J Ciralsky Designs, my thank you notes are tailored (and handmade) to however I'm feeling, whatever the occasion, or season.  Here's my current favorite:

Modern Butterflies: (beats just about anything you'll buy in the stores)

 Stay tuned for her website so you can become Emily Post-worthy yourself.

And remember where you learned it...I should write a book.

Pretty in Pink

My husband and I ended up entertaining this past weekend which turned out to be just fah-boo-less (think Frank  from 'Father of the Bride).  I chose two shades of pink tulips with a berry "collar" as the centerpiece and dressed up the table for Spring which seems to be the reoccuring theme of my parties (that is until Summer). 

The menu was an array healthy(ish) fare since two of our guests are getting married in a few weeks and are watching their waistlines... 

Here's what was served:

Appetizers: fresh crudites with low fat onion dip, assorted cheese with crackers, olives, and heart-healthy nuts. 

First course: tomato and onion salad (Wolfgang Steakhouse style) sprinkled with fresh roquefort cheese and balsamic dressing

Main course: filet mignon, rosemary french fries, and roasted asparagus (my go-to veggie). 

Dessert: mini sugar cookie flowers (on a stick) planted in chocolate mousse layered with low fat cookie crumble "dirt."  I know, cheesy but fun!

The flowers (my flower class sure paid off-I assembled them in about 15 minutes)

The table:

View 2 of the table:

The appetizer table (notice the hydrangea flower candles). I'm also obsessed with the platter on the right.

And dessert:

Dining in the Great Outdoors

Speaking of Italy, these melamine plates from Pottery Barn look like they just came over on the boat.  The unbreakable factor and affordable prices are priceless (ok $6.00 a plate).  So is dining outdoors.

Bring on the Margaritas!

Crate and Barrel has taken margaritas to a new level with their new Zazz glasses and pitcher. Skip the trip to Italy, these murano'esque glass stunners will add the perfect punch to one of your parties.  (Substitute margarita mix for punch). 

P.S. They're $7.95/piece! Collect them while you can.

P.S. I'd invest in either the glasses or the pitcher, not both.  (There's a fine line between being creative and looking cheap).

Passover 2010

This year I hosted 14 of my closest friends/family for the second night of Passover (That's right SROT, you're one of our closest).  It truly was a fabulous night filled with lots of love, laughter, and eating. My husband led the seder and I was in charge of the meal (which took about 4 days to prepare).  Luckily my Mother-in-law is the cooking maven, so she was kind enough to share all of her (our) family's secret recipes which truly saved me.

The Menu

To Start:

Arugula Salad with Balsamic onions, Goat Cheese, and Candied Walnuts (already posted in Spring Like Dinner)
Store-Bought charoseth (Citarella makes a solid one) served with two kinds of horseradish
Main:
BBQ Brisket (sliced paper thin like Al's beef)
Passover Chicken Parmesan
Carrot Kugel Cake (every bite of this crisco-laden cake is worth it on your hips)
Roasted Jalapeno Fingerling Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus
Dessert:
Store-bought Passover macaroons and chocolate/caramel matzah
Homemade Passover Brownies (better than normal brownies)
My sister-in-law's delicious Kosher Toffee Cheesecake

I had to set two tables since our main dining room table only fits 10.  So I split them up by putting 8 at the head table where I used our china and and 6 at the second table where I used every day dishes and spruced them up with candleholders and such.

Here are some pictures of the main table: (I'm still waiting on my placemats) and I think I want a second set of purple napkins to go with my napkin holders:

2nd table:

A cross-section of the meal:

One of the dessert platters:

My sister-in-law's delicious cheesecake:

And the gorgeous flower arrangement my husband brought home as a surprise (to which I added one of our dragonfly napkin holders since it matched)

Lastly-I had to show off my fabulous new dragonfly candle holders which were a wedding gift from our good friend Lindsay.  They're a dream come true for me. :)

Go-to Side

Jalapeno Roasted Fingerling Potatoes are my new favorite side dish.  They're crispy on the outside, soft within and the jalapeno provides the perfect amount of heat.  They are delicious and the perfect accompaniment to just about anything....like grilled skirt steak with pureed tomatillo and avocado salsa. 

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Food & Wine, FineLiving

From Napa with Love

I just returned from the most splendid trip to Napa Valley and wanted to share my favorite dish from the weekend:

The Mongolian Pork Chop from Mustard's Grill 

(served with mashed potatoes and sweet and sour red cabbage topped with a honey mustard sauce)

 This is truly the most succulent pork chop I have ever tasted and I can't wait to have it at home! 

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 6 .

* Note: The prep time does not include the three-hour to overnight marinate time.

six 10-oz. center-cut double pork chops

Mongolian Marinade Ingredients:

1 cup hoisin sauce

1 Tbs. sugar

1-1/2 Tbs.tamari soy sauce

1-1/2 Tbs.sherry vinegar

1-1/2 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 scallion, white and 2/3 of the green parts, minced

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1-1/2 tsp. Lee Kum Kee black bean chili sauce

1-1/2 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 Tbs. minced garlic

3/4 tsp.freshly ground white pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, minced

1 Tbs. sesame oil

Preparation:

Trim the excess meat and fat away from the ends of the chop bones, leaving them exposed. Put the pork chops in a clean plastic bag and lightly sprinkle with water to prevent the meat from tearing when pounded. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the meat down to an even one-inch thickness, being careful not to hit the bones. Alternatively, have your butcher cut thinner chops and serve two per serving. To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Coat the pork chops liberally with the marinade and marinate for three hours and up to overnight in the refrigerator. Prepare mustard sauce (recipe below). Place the chops on the grill and grill for five minutes on each side, rotating them a quarter turn after two to three minutes on each side to produce nice crosshatch marks. It's good to baste with some of the marinade as the meat cooks. As with all marinated meats, you want to go longer and slower on the grill vs. shorter and hotter, because if the marinated meat is charred, it may turn bitter. The pork is ready when it registers 139 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Offer the mustard sauce on the side for dipping.

Per serving: 449 cal.; 40 g pro.; 11 g carb.; 26 g fat (9 sat., 11 monounsat., 3 polyunsat., 3 other); 126 mg chol.; 591 mg sod.; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 54 percent calories from fat.

Chinese-Style Mustard Sauce

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Makes about 2 cups In addition to grilled meats, this sauce is good for dipping with chicken wings. It's also popular on hamburgers and hot dogs.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Colman's mustard powder

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Preparation:

Put the sugar and mustard in the top of a double boiler and mix with a whisk. When well combined, whisk in the egg yolks and vinegar. Cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is thick enough to form ribbons when drizzled from the spoon. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. When cool, fold in the creme fraiche. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Other restaurants that we loved: Press & Bouchon

Wineries to check out: Duckhorn, Joseph Phelps, Hall, Del Dotto, & Robert Mondavi

There I am, happy as a clam in Napa...

And trying to learn about wine at Duckhorn:

 

These take the cake

Sky's Spring Dessert Line up:

Southern Devil's Food Cake:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Outrageous Coconut Cream Meringue Cake

PC: Finecooking.com