Food Time! Sweet Summer Fro-Yo

So it's obviously been a long while since I posted a recipe or anything. But I recently acquired a new piece of kitchen gadgetry that is changing my life; my 2 Quart Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Maker. The obsession all started at work a few weeks ago. The lovely ladies of Shoofly decided to make ice cream pies for the summer and my boss Kimmy got an ice cream maker for the shop. Well, being the curious person I am, I just had to try my hand at making my own concoctions. My first attempt was a very unpopular (except for me, I loved it) Green Pea and Mint ice cream. The came the Earl Grey ice cream. Then I was hooked. I simply had to have my own maker at home. I got it last week and I have made to creations, a Brown Butter custard and Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt. So I figured I'd share my fro-yo recipe with ya'll so you can make your own!

Low-Fat Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt

Makes about 1 quart

3 cups good quality strained or greek-style yogurt (whole fat is better but you can use low fat as I did)

2/3 to 1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

1- Mix together all ingredients in a bowl until sugar has di

ssolved completely. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

2- Churn according to your ice cream makers instructions.

3- Enjoy with fresh diced fruit on a sunny, hot (or in my case, not so hot) day!

Food Time!

I really wanted to try something new for dinner the other night, so I decided on RIBS! YUM! I found a great Alton Brown recipe that seemed good but I wanted to try something a little more spicy. So I changed the recipe a little and came up with this! Try it, you'll like it.

Sam's SPICY Baby Back Ribs

1 rack of baby back pork ribs

Dry Rub:

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp 5 spice powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Braising Liquid:

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Worcestershire

1 tbsp honey

1 clove garlic, whole and crushed

Place meat on heavy duty tin foil large enough to wrap completely around the rack.

Combine all dry rub ingredients. Rub each side of the meat with rub (you may not have to use all the rub but you can save for another time.) Place meat with foil packet loosely wrapped on a large sheet tray and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and move rack to middle of oven. Combine all braising liquids and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Mix completely.

Add braising liquid to the foil packet, making sure to surround meat with all the liquid. Braise in the oven for 2.5 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat to reduce by half. With brush, glaze the ribs with about half the amount of glaze. Place under broiler for a few minutes until caramelized. Cut the ribs and toss with remaining glaze.

Serve with beans and potato salad and pretend you are picnicing in the good ol' summertime!

Food Time!

I haven't posted a recipe in a while so here goes; low-carb beef kabobs! Brandon is on some kind of new diet and being the loving, supportive girlfriend that I am, I am cooking his meals for him (it helps that I probably need some low-carb action too.) These are the simplest thing in the world and even if you don't have a grill, they are great in the broiler too.

Low-Carb Broiler Beef Kabobs

Yields 2 serving/4 kabobs

Ingredients for Kabob:

beef for kabobs, such as sirloin or tenderloin, 1 lb cut into cubes

zucchini, 2 small, cut into 8 pieces

onion, 1 medium, chopped into chunks

cremini mushrooms, 8-12 oz, with stems removed

optional: cherry tomatoes and chopped bell pepper

*Note: The size of the veggies should be determined by the type of meat, so they all cook evenly. Example, if you substitute chicken for beef, that takes longer to cook, so make your produce chunks larger too. Fish/seafood takes less time to cook, so make veggies smaller.

For Marinade:

wheat free, low sodium soy sauce, I like San J brand, 1/4 cup

olive oil, 2 tbsp

garlic, crushed, 1 large clove

dried thyme, 1 tbsp

dash of salt and pepper

Tools/Equipment:

Wooden skewers 4-6

Large, deep roasting pan

gallon plastic bag with ziploc

First, combine as marinade ingredients in plastic gallon bag, shaking while zipped/closed to combine throughly. Add the meat; marinade in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with enough water to cover the wooden skewers and soak for at least 20 minutes before adding kabob ingredients.

Now you can load up your skewers with veggies/produce and meat. I make a pattern and use that; for example, I start with beef, then zucchini, then onion, then beef, then mushroom, then onion, then start the same pattern over again. It's up to you! Place the finished kabobs in the roasting pan and cover/brush with the remaining marinade.

Heat your broiler to HI and set the rack in the oven so that the top of the roasting pan will be 3-4 inches away from the heat source (at the top of the oven.) Broil your kabobs until meat and veggies are throughly cooked; mine takes about 13 minutes but ovens vary a lot.

Now enjoy over a nice bed of beans or all alone!

Food Time!

This recipe is the best for two reasons: 1- it's a healthier version of fried rice and 2- it's quick and simple to make. Now, I don't think that this is authentic fried rice in any way ( I don't even own a wok to cook it in,) but it tastes pretty darn good. And it makes great leftovers to take to work the next day, you know, if you are the type of person who goes to work everyday.

Samantha's Non-Authentic, Delicious Pork Fried Rice

Ingredients:

5-7 cups of cooked long grain brown rice (can be made the night before and refrigerated)

sesame oil, 2 tbsp

carrots, 2 cups sliced

green peas, 1 cup, fresh or frozen

mushrooms, 12oz sliced

ham, 8-10oz cubed or chopped

scallions, 2-3 stalks

eggs, 2 beaten and scrambled separately

soy sauce, to taste

In a wok or large pot, coat the bottom of the pan with the sesame oil and heat over medium-high. Add the carrots and peas; saute for 2-3 minutes ( I like for the edges of my carrots to be a bit brown.) Add the mushrooms and ham, cook for about 4-5 minutes or until mushrooms shrink and turn brown.

Next, turn the cooked rice into the wok over the veggies and ham. Toss gently or stir with a wooden spoon. Pour the soy sauce over the mixture and keep gently tossing to coat evenly. Next add the scrambled eggs and the scallions. Toss/stir a few more times and dish out in big bowls to serve. Use chopsticks if you are feeling authentic!

Food Time!

For a fabulous Friday night, make my delightful chili. I love this chili; particularly in the fall/winter time because it is so hardy and warming. And I named it Primordial from the way it bubbles when it's simmering.

Sam's Primordial Chili

Yield: 4-6 servings

1 lb black Angus stew meat

1 lb pork sausage (I like hot, but you can use mild too)

1 medium yellow onion, roughly diced

2 cups celery, chopped

2 med. cloves garlic, minced

1 28oz can diced or whole tomatoes, not drained

16oz can tomato sauce, low or no salt

1 package chili season or chili kit ( Esp. recommended is Carroll Shelby's)

1 15oz can pinto beans, drained

1 15oz can kidney beans, drained

Optional: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onions for garnish

In a large skillet, brown both the meat and the sausage. Drain and set aside.

Coat the both of a large pot with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Set over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic, and saute until onions are golden. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Fill the 15oz can with water and add. Stir in the chili seasoning kit. Let this cook for 8-10 minutes.

After the vegetables are tender, add the beans and meat. Leaving uncovered or partially covered, simmer that chili for 4-5 hours; stir occasionally to mix up the stuff that has sunk to the bottom.

Serve with the cheddar, sour cream, and onions. Really great with cornbread. Enjoy!

Food Time!

Well this one isn't really food, but it is for the holidays! It's a recipe to make sure your house smells like Christmas and Home and Happiness; perfect for when you have some guests over and you don't have anything baking or candles (because the good ones are so dang expensive:)

Home for the Holidays

4 whole cinnamon sticks

16-20 whole cloves

3-4 slices of orange, cut into circles not wedges

1 tbsp allspice or pumpkin pie spice

A dash of vanilla extract or a leftover vanilla shelled bean

In a heavy, large saucepan, add 1 quart of water over low heat. Add all ingredients and simmer. This will give off a warm, inviting smell for you and your guests. You can add water as needed.

Leftovers project: When finished, discard water. Dry contents on a paper towel and lay out on a cookie sheet in one layer. Set oven to the lowest temp. or place in a warming drawer for several hours (varies depending on your oven.) This will let it dehydrate, especially the orange slices. Makes a nice potpourri and vase filler.

Food Time!

Wow, my mom really took the wind out of my blog-sails this morning. Leave it to your parents to lift you up high and then in the next second, have you tumbling down low. Ah well, c'est la vie, n'est- ce pas?!

Well, here is your recipe zen for today, which makes a great present to give out for the holidays:

Peppermint Bark

Yields: 1 med. sheet tray of bark

17oz good white chocolate, finely chopped

30 peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (I like the Bob's soft ones)

12oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or in chip form

6 tbsp heavy whipping cream

3/4 tsp of REAL peppermint extract

Equipment needed:

13x9 sheet tray or cookie pan with sides, aluminum foil, double-boiler or saucepan and metal bowl, off-set or rubber spatula

Inside the sheet tray, spread aluminum foil and cover securely over bottom and sides. Make sure it's smooth or the bottom of your bark with be really rough. Set aside.

Add water to the bottom of the saucepan, just enough so that when you suspend the metal bowl inside the saucepan, it does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Set the saucepan over low heat and let it come to a simmer. Add the white chocolate to the bowl and set over the simmering water. Let the white chocolate begin to melt, it will start to look wet and shiny. DO NOT STIR until almost completely melted! White chocolate is a tricky little bugger and can scorch or burn easily (that's when it becomes a big ol' clump that never melts again.) Once the white chocolate looks shiny and wet, stir a little to mix it up and it should become smooth and liquidy. Remove metal bowl from saucepan and wipe the bottom with a towel (water drops are bad!)

Immediately pour the white chocolate into the foil-lined sheet tray. Fill out the tray by 2 methods: 1- picking up the tray and lightly swirling around and 2-using the spatula to spread smooth. Try to get as even as possible. Taking about 1/3 of the crushed peppermints, sprinkle over the white chocolate while still melted. Chill in the fridge to set; approximately 15 minutes.

Remove water from saucepan and dry with a towel. Place saucepan back over medium-low heat and add the semi-sweet chocolate, cream, and peppermint extract. Stir occasionally until just melted; because of the cream and extract, this chocolate will not burn as easily as chocolate alone. Remove from heat; cool until just warm, about 3-5 minutes.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the set white chocolate in long lines. Spread out using previous method. Sprinkle the remaining peppermints over the top. Chill in the fridge until completely set, very cold and firm.

Now you can have fun breaking into pieces! Snap with your hands or tap lightly with a hammer; dealer's choice! Sorry no picture today, I haven't made this yet, although I always make it for Brandon once a year because he loves it so much. Let me know what you think!

*Note: White chocolate burns easily, so make sure you watch it and do not let the water get in it. If you do all the things above and it still burns, try again with a lower temp.

Food Time!

Even though it's cold outside, I thought I would start your dreams of summer and warm days by giving you all this great milkshake recipe. I entered it into a contest but I didn't win, so you guys can have it! Hooray!

Cookie Monster Milkshake

Yield approximately 20 fl oz/2 servings or 10 shots

8 generous scoops of good vanilla ice cream (no low fat/ low taste crap!)

1/4 cup of 2% milk

1/4 cream

4 good size chocolate chip cookies*

Garnish:

Cocoa powder

Broken cookie wedges

Chocolate or regular whipped cream (optional)

Add ice cream, milk, cream, and whole cookies to a blender. Blend until creamy and dreamy. Pour into 2 tall glasses or 10 2oz shot glasses for minis. Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder (use a small sieve or sifter,) a wedge of broken cookie, and a shot of whipped cream.

Enjoy and think of summertime!

*Note: Homemade are usually best, but if you don't have any or suck at baking, try the soft Pepperidge Farm or your fav local brand.