Memorable Quotes:

"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Portuguese Custard Tart "Pastel De Nata"





Ingredients:
1 (500 gram) packet of puff pastry
225 ml (8oz) milk
3 tablespoons plain flour or 2 tablespooons corn starch
200 grams (7 oz) granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg yolks

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin and line bottom and sides with puff pastry.

In a saucepan, combine mile, corn flour, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the vanilla bean.

Fill pastry-lined muffin tin with mixture and bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is lightly browned on top.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Skillet Spanish Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 1/3 cups instant brown rice (certified gluten-free if necessary)
  • 1 quart canned tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup pitted and sliced green olives
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled queso fresco

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Transfer to skillet, and sauté until lightly browned, 4–5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add garlic and onion to skillet, and sauté for 1 minute. Add bell pepper, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add rice, and stir until lightly toasted and combined with vegetables.
Add tomatoes with liquid, chili powder and cumin to skillet and stir to combine. Using the edge of a wooden spoon, break apart any larger tomato pieces. (If rice is not covered by tomato liquid, add an additional 1/4 cup water.) Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer.
Place chicken on top of tomato-rice mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and let sit on stovetop, covered, for 5 minutes.
Add olives and cilantro to chicken-rice mixture, and toss and fluff with a fork. (If desired, remove chicken to ease stirring, then return to skillet.) To serve, sprinkle queso fresco over top of chicken-rice mixture and divide evenly among serving plates.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1 cup rice mixture + 1 Spanish chicken breast
Per serving: Calories: 333; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 68mg; Sodium: 363mg; Carbohydrate: 21g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 39g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 332mg; Iron: 8%; Vitamin A: 18%; Vitamin C: 52%; Calcium: 8%

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Shredded Chicken in Wing Sauce

Ingredients:
8 ounces of shredded chicken (I used CostCo shredded roasted white meat chicken)
3/4 cup of Frank's Wing Sauce
1/3 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 package of ranch dressing mix
2 teaspoons of brown sugar

Directions:
Combine the Frank's wing sauce, broth, dressing mix and brown sugar in a small pot. Bring to a low simmer and add the shredded chicken. Cover and let simmer on low for about 10 min.

Serve with rice and some coleslaw.